{"content": "Advanced Biofuels, Clean Combustion and Auxiliary Power (APU) Objectives\nLand and other resource constraints currently limit the portion of transportation energy that can be derived from biofuels. Next generation biofuels, such as those made from lignocellulosic or algal biomass feedstocks, could in principle provide a significant portion of transportation fuel in the U.S. and China. Advanced biofuels development and deployment can be accelerated by linking biotechnology to combustion process and exhaust aftertreatment design, optimization and control.\nThrust Area Leaders\nAngela Violi - University of Michigan\nZhen Huang - Shanghai Jiao Tong University\nCo - Thrust Area Leaders\nCtirad Uher - University of Michigan\nFuyuan Yang - Tsinghua University", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9305166006088257}
{"content": "It is widely recognized that engaging stakeholders in marine protected area (MPA) network planning is critical for ensuring the long-term success of this conservation tool. Participatory decision-making leads to smoother implementation and enhanced compliance with regulations, while also promoting social learning, fairness, and public trust. In spite of compelling evidence for effective stakeholder engagement, it is not uncommon for MPAs to fail because of poor engagement processes. This project endeavours to elucidate some of the best practices in stakeholder engagement, and how they have been applied to MPA network planning. An appraisal of relevant literature revealed several key best practices in participatory decision-making, which include: fostering meaningful participation; engaging early; establishing clear objectives; conducting transparent processes; flexibility; acquiring independent facilitation; incorporating socioeconomic data; and, utilizing local knowledge. An examination of two international case studies, namely, the California Marine Life Protection Act and the United Kingdom Marine Conservation Zone Project, demonstrated how these best practices have been applied in different contexts. Lessons learned through this research informed a set of recommendations for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)-Maritimes Region as they embark on MPA network planning in the Scotian Shelf bioregion. By taking the information in this project under advisement, it is believed that DFO could develop a strong public participation strategy for this initiative.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9105752110481262}
{"content": "Julie Quamma, Ph.D., UW Learn Clinic - Why Neuropsych Testing Benefits ADHD Students, their Parents and Teachers There is no formal \"test\" for AD/HD. A comprehensive cognitive/neuropsychological evaluation is critical to fully understand how each individual is impacted by ADHD. It is needed to develop a comprehensive intervention plan. Neuropsych testing identifies individual strengths and weaknesses across different domains of functioning - intellectual, academic achievement, memory, executive functioning, and processing. It provides an understanding of how ADHD symptoms impact learning and behavioral adjustment. Neuropsych evaluations also identify specific learning disorders, which are more common in individuals diagnosed with ADHD. Julie Quamma Ph.D., Director of the UW Learn Clinic, explains what the tests measure. Why does test behavior help us understand the test numbers? What is the difference between school and neuropsych evaluations? She will discuss how evaluation results guide recommendations for intervention.\nEvergreen Healthcare (Formerly Evergreen Hospital Medical Center)Surgery & Physicians Center12040 NE 128th StreetKirkland, WA 98034", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.987285852432251}
{"content": "This course emphasizes how entrepreneurial strategy focuses on creating structural change or responding to change induced externally. It also covers Grabber-holder dynamics as an analytical framework for developing entrepreneurial strategy to increase success in creating and shaping the diffusion of new technology or product innovation dynamics. It includes modeling, case studies, and a term project.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9732555747032166}
{"content": "Company Profile \"Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 230 U.S. stores located in 31 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 117 full-line stores, 109 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one treasure&bond store and one clearance store. Nordstrom also serves customers through its online presence and through its catalogs. Additionally, the company operates in the online private sale marketplace through its subsidiary HauteLook.\"\nNordstrom is due to report earnings May 10th after the bell at 4:45pm. The company will be holding its annual shareholders meeting the day before, May 9th, at 11:00 a.m.\nCurrent Analyst Estimates The consensus analyst estimate is for Nordstrom to report earnings of $0.75/share, falling mid way between the low end of the range ($0.70) and the high end ($0.79). The mean estimate for revenue comes in at $2.52 billion between estimates for revenues as low as $2.44 billion and as high as $2.63 billion. The estimated earnings number if attained would represent year over year earnings growth of 15.4% while the revenue growth, if coming in at consensus estimates, would represent growth of 13% from the same quarter a year ago. Earnings and revenue estimates are derived from the 21 analysts covering the stock.\nConsensus Earnings Estimates Trend Consensus estimates for earnings have grown from $0.73 to $0.75 over the past 60 days. This revision trend has picked up more recently in the past month with 11 analysts raising their estimates during that time, nine of which have raised them within the last week. There have been no downward revisions for the current quarters earnings over the same time period.\nCurrent Analyst Price Targets To this point there has only been one significant event related to analysts covering the stock and that is UBS initiating coverage on the stock with a buy rating. Analysts at UBS have set a price target for the stock at $63/share.\nRatio Analysis To get a sense of the current valuation with respect to its competitors, below is the ratio analysis for Nordstrom versus Macy's (M) and Saks' Incorporated (SKS) along with the industry and S&P 500 averages.\nJWN M SKS Industry S&P 500 Price / Earnings 17.53 13.8 24.88 153.8 15.3 PEG 1.51 1.32 1.6 --- --- Price / Sales 1.06 0.64 0.56 0.5 1.3 Price / Book 5.86 2.81 1.42 2.2 2.2 Dividend Yield 1.96% 1.99% --- 1.5% 2.1%\nFair Value Analysis The valuation of discounted cash flows is an effective tool in identifying the intrinsic value for well established companies. The input for the analysis is as follows:\nInput Revenue Growth Rate (Current Year / Ongoing) 11.3% / 6.5% Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)(% of Revenue) 60.6% Operating Expenses (% of Revenue) 28.2% Tax Rate 35.5% Weighted Average Cost of Capital 10%\nOver the previous four years the company had been able to better manage its cost of goods sold, however that trend may be turning so analysis will use only a modest 0.2% decrease in COGS for 2013 and beyond. While operating expenses for the company have been relatively consistent, for the purpose of maintaining a conservative analysis I've used 28.2% for operating expenses as a percentage of revenue, slightly higher from the year prior. Also higher from the year prior is the company's tax rate which I've raised to 35.5% from 34.9%. This change allows for any variability that might occur due to a changing tax code. The result is an estimated fair value of $45.74/share. Currently shares trade for $54.14, an 18.4% premium to the estimated fair value.\nDisclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5893504619598389}
{"content": "Join us for regularly scheduled classes and email suggestions for future classes to hello@startgarden.com. Class lessons, instructors, and times are subject to change due to popular demand.\n20 available spots | FREE for members | $25 for non-members\nThe Balance Breakthrough Model: Testing Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability\nA study conducted by the Management Sciences Institute indicates that 89% of successful new product introductions fit the following criteria:\nNew, but not too new to the market New, but not too new technology Is grounded in real customer needs.\nThese three criteria form the foundation of what is called the Balanced Breakthrough Model, which was first introduced by business management guru Peter Drucker. It establishes the premise that powerful offerings are those that match what people desire, what is technologically feasible, and what is viable as an ongoing business. Having a ‘balanced’ offering does not necessarily mean that each of these components is equally emphasized but that all are present.\nThis model provides an ideal structure for teams to generate, organize and prioritize the challenges they must overcome to achieve success on an initiative. Learn how to apply it to your idea to make the most of your resources in the early stages of your journey to deliver it to the world.\nTom DeVries, President & Co-Founder, Thoughtfull Design\nTom DeVries is a hybrid design & business strategist obsessed with designing solutions, systems and businesses that empower people. He is a Human Centered Design methods expert with extensive experience leading organizations to identify unmet needs in the marketplace, and then develop business models to deliver solutions that engage users in delightful end-to-end experiences. He has led initiatives for organizations from small to large in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.\nEvent Information Free / $25.00 March 12, 2013 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Start Garden - 50 Louis Ave (1st Floor) Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Learning", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9664140343666077}
{"content": "Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) was derived from the Mcree Curve. It is a TOTAL count of light energy (in photons) between\n400nm to 700nm. The PAR measurement is fast becoming a popular metric of the growing power of a light source.\nHowever, the PAR measurement has two fundamental flaws. First, the wavelengths between 380nm to 400nm and 700nm to 880nm are excluded from the PAR measurement. Second, all photons are weighted equally regardless of wavelength.\nThe Mcree Curve clearly shows plants respond to energy outside the 400nm to 700nm PAR range. Furthermore, plants respond differently to energy within the PAR range.\nA PAR meter only measures photons between 400nm and 700nm. As you can see in the example above PAR does not distinguish which photons of light are present, rather it only counts the total amount of photons present in those nanometers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6530404686927795}
{"content": "Social Security Reform: Answers to Key Questions GAO-05-193SP, May 2, 2005 Additional Materials: Accessible Text: Contact: The sooner our nation acts to address Social Security's long-term financial challenges, the easier it will be to successfully meet them. Once explained, the choices we face are not difficult to understand, but they are difficult to make. They affect both how much Americans pay for Social Security and how much they receive from the program. They require changes that not only will affect us but have implications for future generations. They also are difficult because they involve deeply felt values, such as community, individualism, fairness, and human dignity. This guide tries to boil down the complexities of Social Security and the implications of reform to the basic choices we face as a nation.\nThis guide provides answers to questions about the most basic aspects of Social Security and reform issues in a concise and easy-to-understand format. We provide straightforward answers to how Social Security works, why it needs reform, what the basic options are, and how to assess their implications.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8517935872077942}
{"content": "When the word “virtualization” was first applied to storage, it referred to the ability to create a unified pool of storage from heterogeneous disk platforms by masking the underlying complexity. One of the primary benefits was to enable users to add inexpensive storage resources to existing resources while retaining the management simplicity of a homogeneous environment.It still does. However, in the old days the virtualization engine was typically a piece of software from a small, relatively unknown start-up that didn’t sell large, expensive disk arrays. These days, virtualization is usually discussed in the context of products such as IBM’s SVC, EMC’s Invista, and Hitachi Data Systems’ TagmaStore controller.\nDo you think that those vendors have the same utilitarian goals as the start-ups did-to make it easier for you to add inexpensive ponies to your existing stable of stallions?\nVirtualization is becoming a competitive weapon. As Info-Tech’s John Sloan notes in “ Why virtualization is like the neutron bomb,” on p. 39 of this issue, virtualization enables a vendor to eliminate the enemy while leaving the enemy’s infrastructure standing.\nHowever, as Sloan points out, virtualization (storage or server) is just a step along the way to the true goal (well, users’ true goal): the IT utility, where storage and compute power are served up like commodities such as water and electricity.\nAs such, I suppose it doesn’t matter that vendors use virtualization for ulterior competitive motives that, at least in the short term, may translate into vendor lock-in. In the long run, virtualization will lead to commoditization, which translates into a buyer’s market where the end users ultimately benefit the most.\nPerhaps we should have sub-titled Sloan’s article, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.\nDave Simpson Editor-in-chief", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8369693756103516}
{"content": "Gynecologists at Lahey are committed to enhancing patient care through the department's Minimally Invasive Surgery Program (MIGS). Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy are available as safe and effective alternatives to more invasive traditional surgery for appropriate patients with conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts and abnormal bleeding.\nBoth laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures are performed using very small incisions and a tiny fiber-optic camera to guide the miniature instruments. The key difference between the two types of procedures is that laparoscopy is done through the abdomen to examine and treat conditions affecting the abdominal and pelvic organs, while hysteroscopy is performed through the cervix, like a pap smear, to examine and treat conditions affecting the uterus.\nBenefits of both types of minimally invasive procedures typically include\nLahey gynecologists are recognized leaders in performing this innovative surgery, actively presenting on minimally invasive hysterectomies at national and international conferences.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9521373510360718}
{"content": "\"I like pork chops, I like pierogi, I like kielbasa. I love bacon almost as much as I love potato chips.\"\nShe has nevertheless lost 53 pounds in less than two years.\nIn January 2010, her church did its yearly fast. Johnson, a diabetic, did the best she could, using a meal-substitute drink to keep her blood sugar up. Then she resumed eating normal food.\nMonths later, feeling \"shaky\" due to low-blood pressure, she saw a doctor. \"He said, 'Well, no wonder: You've lost 37 pounds,'\" she recalls.\nWithout realizing it, Johnson had become accustomed to smaller portions following the church-inspired cutback. Her high-blood pressure drug became unnecessary.\n\"I realized I'd had success without starving myself. So by that time it was easy.\"\nShe dropped another 16 pounds by watching her carbs and keeping portions about half of what they used to be, while doing mild exercise.\nFrom 222 pounds, she now carries 170 pounds on a 5-foot-2-inch frame. She dropped four dress sizes and takes two prescriptions instead of five. She hopes to lose another 20 pounds and walks every day. She just wishes she'd done it earlier: \"I do a lot more and have better health.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9984808564186096}
{"content": "The federal government has committed $11 billion to expand the operating capacity of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which receive federal funding and enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and “look-alike” clinics that receive enhanced reimbursement but no federal grants. These clinics, which serve primarily the poor and uninsured, are expected to be part of the solution to anticipated primary care shortages, as up to 32 million currently uninsured people begin to seek health care as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9064314365386963}
{"content": "\"The processing of our food is profoundly disgusting, and the accumulation of packaging fills a giant barrel at my school every day.\"\nThat's a quote from 5th-grader Aden Kahr of Olympia, Washington. Yes, 5th-grade - quite well-spoken for such a young man! Aden has diabetes, and he has some opinions on his school lunches...\nIn yesterday's Seattle PI article, we read how Aden takes a turkey sandwich, fruit and carrots to school every day, unlike his friends at a south Seattle elementary school who don't have that choice. For them, the free lunch program offers burritos, pizza, and other processed foods.\nSeattle is currently evaluating a bill to get more local food into school cafeterias and connect local farms with schools. It's sponsored by unlikely bedfellows: the environmental community and the conservative Washington Farm Bureau.The bill would connect local farmers with schools and help fund better foods in low-income schools - foods like fresh, local fruits and vegetables.\nThis is similar to the issues that farmers are raising in New York - see the article from October: Local Carrots with a Side of Red Tape.\nIt's also a good reminder to be on the lookout for bills and issues like this in our own local communities; what is the food like in the schools near you?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7916440963745117}
{"content": "MICROS SYSTEMS INC's gross profit margin for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2013 is essentially unchanged when compared to the same period a year ago. The company managed to grow both sales and net income at a faster pace than the average competitor in its industry this quarter as compared to the same quarter a year ago. MICROS SYSTEMS INC is extremely liquid. Currently, the Quick Ratio is 2.12 which clearly shows the ability to cover any short-term cash needs. The company's liquidity has decreased from the same period last year.\nDuring the same period, stockholders' equity (\"net worth\") has increased by 8.17% from the same quarter last year. Overall, the key liquidity measurements indicate that the company is very unlikely to face financial difficulties in the near future.\nIncome Statement Q3 FY13 Q3 FY12 Net Sales ($mil) 315.11 278.04 EBITDA ($mil) 64.61 59.47 EBIT ($mil) 58.91 55.95 Net Income ($mil) 44.26 43.25\nBalance Sheet Q3 FY13 Q3 FY12 Cash & Equiv. ($mil) 669.35 816.02 Total Assets ($mil) 1639.25 1504.77 Total Debt ($mil) 3.98 0.0 Equity ($mil) 1156.25 1068.9\nProfitability Q3 FY13 Q3 FY12 Gross Profit Margin 52.52 54.86 EBITDA Margin 20.5 21.38 Operating Margin 18.7 20.12 Sales Turnover 0.76 0.72 Return on Assets 10.83 10.65 Return on Equity 15.36 14.99\nDebt Q3 FY13 Q3 FY12 Current Ratio 2.41 2.97 Debt/Capital 0.0 0.0 Interest Expense 0.02 0.16 Interest Coverage 2454.67 349.67\nShare Data Q3 FY13 Q3 FY12 Shares outstanding (mil) 78.66 80.29 Div / share 0.0 0.0 EPS 0.55 0.53 Book value / share 14.7 13.31 Institutional Own % n/a n/a Avg Daily Volume 1209860.0 887784.0\nBUY. MICROS SYSTEMS INC's P/E ratio indicates a discount compared to an average of 27.69 for the Software industry and a value on par with the S&P 500 average of 19.08. Conducting a second comparison, its price-to-book ratio of 2.96 indicates a premium versus the S&P 500 average of 2.44 and a significant discount versus the industry average of 7.07. The price-to-sales ratio is well above the S&P 500 average, but well below the industry average. Upon assessment of these and other key valuation criteria, MICROS SYSTEMS INC proves to trade at a discount to investment alternatives within the industry.\nPrice/Earnings\nPrice/Cash Flow\nMCRS 19.95 Peers 27.69 MCRS 18.27 Peers 20.11\nDiscount. A lower P/E ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower growth expectations.\nMCRS is trading at a significant discount to its peers.\nAverage. The P/CF ratio, a stock’s price divided by the company's cash flow from operations, is useful for comparing companies with different capital requirements or financing structures.\nMCRS is trading at a valuation on par to its peers.\nPrice/ProjectedEarnings\nPrice toEarnings/Growth\nMCRS 17.36 Peers 24.71 MCRS 1.13 Peers 0.76\nDiscount. A lower price-to-projected earnings ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower future growth expectations.\nMCRS is trading at a significant discount to its peers.\nPremium. The PEG ratio is the stock’s P/E divided by the consensus estimate of long-term earnings growth. Faster growth can justify higher price multiples.\nMCRS trades at a significant premium to its peers.\nPrice/Book\nEarnings Growth\nMCRS 2.96 Peers 7.07 MCRS 11.79 Peers -92.79\nDiscount. A lower price-to-book ratio makes a stock more attractive to investors seeking stocks with lower market values per dollar of equity on the balance sheet.\nMCRS is trading at a significant discount to its peers.\nHigher. Elevated earnings growth rates can lead to capital appreciation and justify higher price-to-earnings ratios.\nMCRS is expected to have an earnings growth rate that significantly exceeds its peers.\nPrice/Sales\nSales Growth\nMCRS 2.75 Peers 8.67 MCRS 15.09 Peers 16.46\nDiscount. In the absence of P/E and P/B multiples, the price-to-sales ratio can display the value investors are placing on each dollar of sales.\nMCRS is trading at a significant discount to its industry on this measurement.\nAverage. Comparing a company's sales growth to its industry helps to determine if the company is adding or losing market share.\nMCRS is keeping pace with its peers on the basis of sales growth.\nLatest Stock Upgrades/Downgrades Brokerage Partners", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8597529530525208}
{"content": "(Originally posted in the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Blog) by Cedric Johnson\nGeorgia’s education policies – including the way it awards HOPE scholarships — create barriers to college education for minorities and the poor, says a report released by the Institute for Research on Higher Education (IRHE) at the University of Pennsylvania. “In their current form, Georgia’s higher education policies are likely to perpetuate rather than ameliorate disparities by race, ethnicity and income, making it difficult to raise the education attainment of the state’s population as a whole,” the report concludes.\nThe findings reinforce a study by GBPI that highlights shortcomings of the HOPE program and serves as another warning to policymakers who have set an ambitious goal for increasing the number of Georgians with postsecondary credentials. Policymakers must address such inequities if they truly want to keep the state from falling behind as more and more employers demand a skilled-and knowledge-based workforce.\nBy 2020, the state aims to graduate 250,000 additional students with college degrees or certificates.\nHowever, the IRHE report highlights several barriers to reaching this goal and cites a number of areas where Georgia lags behind the nation and neighboring states: high school graduation rates, the percentage of adults 25 and older with at least an associate’s degree, and the number of full-time college freshmen completing a bachelor’s degree within six years. The state’s low marks in these areas are partly due to another problem highlighted in the report, the steady rise in tuition and fees amid declining state investment in higher education over the last decade.\nHOPE is a key financial resource for Georgia’s college students. However, the IRHE report notes that most HOPE benefits flow to middle-income students, who likely have other options for funding their education. Consequently, HOPE fails to reduce inequalities in higher education.\nA recent GBPI study found that a disproportionate share of HOPE dollars fund students from households with incomes of more than $100,000.Considering Georgia doesn’t provide need-based grants to college students, distributing limited state resources based solely on grades, as HOPE currently does, creates greater barriers to higher education for many lower-income Georgians.\nThe IRHE report is yet another reminder of the disconcerting realities of Georgia’s counter-productive education policies and highlights the shortcomings lawmakers must address if they want to turn things around. The authors end the report by posing a relevant question:\nAre Georgia’s leaders up to the challenge?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9571478962898254}
{"content": "A key to running successful \"social networking sites\" is to remember that they're just communities. All communities, online or off, have one thing in common: members want to belong, to feel like part of something larger than themselves. Communicating effectively, setting clear and specific expectations, mentoring contributors, playing with trends, offering rewards, and praising liberally (but not excessively) can harness your members' innate desires, and nurture great content in the process.\nAsymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of a natural process: these attributes of elegant design may seem relevant only to a project's aesthetics. But the most successful web designs reflect these considerations at every stage, from idea to finished product. Bring heart to the experiences you create by infusing them with intelligence that transcends aesthetics and reflects the imperfection of the natural world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9096664190292358}
{"content": "June 16, 2008 --[ASDWire]-- Aerospace consultancy AeroStrategy completed a comprehensive forecast of the raw materials used in aviation, spanning the air transport, military, business, and helicopter segments. The materials included both metals and non-metals, and were classified into 10 categories. Key findings of the 20-year forecast include:The total weight of aircraft produced in 2007 is nearly 200 million lbs The total weight of materials required to produce these aircraft (“buy weight”) is 1.0B lbs and will reach 2.2B lbs by 2027 Despite encroachment from composites, aerospace aluminum demand will continue to grow over the next decade Overall, the most significant increase is titanium consumption, which will expand from 107M lbs to reach 218.7M lbs by 2017 Demand of carbon fiber reinforced plastics will grow almost ten-fold by 2027 The material “buy-to-fly ratio” for current production aircraft is approximately five Boeing and Airbus aircraft account for nearly 60% of total material demand A summary of findings was presented at the American Metals Market Conference and can be downloaded at http://www.aerostrategy.com/speeches.cgi . AeroStrategy is a premier management consulting firm specializing in strategy and market analysis for the aviation and aerospace industries. The firm has offices in Europe and North America. For further information, see www.aerostrategy.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9863293170928955}
{"content": "The Rev. Mary M. Brown of the Odyssey Networks summarizes the findings of a Lilly Foundation-funded study on preaching in an article for the Huffington Post:\nA year ago, when my fellow passenger in row eight inquired about my occupation, I casually shared I was a pastor who had been called to serve as associate director of a seminary's center for biblical preaching. He nearly dropped his newspaper. \"Finally, I have found someone who can answer my question. I like my pastor a lot, but can you tell me why his sermons are so boring?\" This question was a first. As he and I began to chat, I immediately sensed his sincerity. His was a question I needed to think about and answer.A Lilly-endowed study of more than 10,000 Christian laypeople revealed that while 78 percent of them have never discussed a sermon with their preacher, church members do have strong opinions and deep hopes for their pastor's preaching. The study found that:\nLaypeople listen to a sermon expecting inspiration to encourage spiritual growth.\nLaypeople look to preaching for spiritual leadership, especially as it relates to current life and societal issues.Laypeople rely on preaching for serious spiritual content about the Bible and not good advice that can be found in a self-help book.\nLaypeople listen to preaching expecting a long-lasting impact. When this happens, listeners are motivated to return for another church service.\nLaypeople come to church hoping for a sermon that will make a difference in their hearts and an impact on their lives. Unfortunately too often they spend the sermon passing their time by doling out lifesavers to their children, doodling on the bulletin insert or making a mental \"to do\" list for the upcoming week.\nWhat do you make of these findings? Do they confirm what you have previously supposed, or is there news here?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6685481071472168}
{"content": "Mobile operators have clearly expanded their remit from direct-to-consumer health solutions, to solutions that support core clinical and operational processes within the hospital. From this traditional base mobile operators are moving to solutions that connect the various stakeholders in the healthcare system to the patients to provide fully integrated care. Effective and efficient integration of mobile technologies and infrastructure into the healthcare system creates significant value for both stakeholder groups.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9825197458267212}
{"content": "Hospice is no longer a place, but rather an ideal and philosophy of care for those nearing the end of life. The purpose remains the same - to find rest, to be cared for and to gather courage in the face of life’s challenges. Journey Song was established, in collaboration with Seacoast Hospice, to provide companionship, comfort and joy during life’s final journey.\nHospice is the art and science of palliative care—physical, emotional and spiritual—at the end of life. The goal of hospice is to create a caring community to support individuals and families in the midst of life-limiting illness. Death is not denied, but life is affirmed and lived fully until death comes. Hospice also provides support for bereaved families.\nThe term hospice comes from the Latin word hospes, which means to host a guest or stranger. Hospices were places of rest for travelers in the 14th century. In the 19th century, the sick and dying were taken into monasteries and cared for by monks and wealthy widows. The modern hospice movement originated in the United Kingdom with the founding of St. Christopher’s Hospice in 1967, by Dame Cicely Saunders. Hospice in the United States began as an all-volunteer service; it was not until 1984 that Medicare established a hospice benefit that provided for a broader array of palliative treatments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9588296413421631}
{"content": "At six feet, nine inches, and only fourteen years old, Sluggerrr the Lion, the Kansas City Royals’ mascot, may not have considered the power of his pitching or the potential for liability when he surmounted the third base dugout with a paw full of foil-wrapped hot dogs and flung them into the stands. Like Sluggerrr, the Royals fans seated around the dugout, hands in the air, shouting “Me! Me!” might not have considered the potential harm of a free flung frankfurter. But, due to John Coomer’s lawsuit against the Kansas City Royals, many are considering just these questions in the context of tort liability. According to Coomer’s negligence complaint filed in Missouri state court in May 2010, Coomer was sitting six rows back from the dugout when Sluggerrr, apparently going for a behind-the-back toss, threw the hot dog directly into Coomer’s left eye, resulting in a detached retina, among other eye damage.\nIntent on gaining an advantage over their neighbors, baseball fans can be seen with all manner of things on the ready, from gloves to fishing nets, in the event that a baseball might end up being batted into their section, giving them a chance to take home a souvenir ball and all the customary bragging rights that go with it. Courts have recognized the nature of baseball fans and have noted that fans actually hope to come in contact “with some projectile from the field (in the form of a souvenir baseball).” Benejam v. Detroit Tigers, Inc., (Mich. App. 2001). It is this acknowledgment, and others like it, which have led to the limited duty rule, or the “baseball rule” as it is often called. The rule shelters ballpark operators from certain liability associated with game-related injuries to fans and requires only that the ball park operators provide screening behind home plate and other areas where a fan would be uniquely susceptible to an injury and provide a reasonable amount of screened seating areas for fans who desire protected seats. When an injury does occur it is often successfully argued by the defendant that the risks associated with the quintessential all-time American game are well-known and that the injured fan assumed the risks when he or she came to the game. This affirmative defense, when successful, results in low recovery rates for fans who sustain injuries from being struck by baseballs.\nNotably, Coomer does not purport to have been hit by a ball or broken bat, or other projectile directly related to playing baseball. The media attention generated by the lawsuit may be due to the paradoxical nature of object and associated injury. But, recent developments in America’s pastime may prove to be relevant in determining what can be expected at a baseball game. Sluggerrr made his debut at Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals, on April 5, 1996. His debut coincided with the growing popularity of mascots and field entertainment designed to attract and engage young audience members. In the ensuing years, the role of mascots has grown and has been developed and expanded by baseball clubs and their marketers and branding experts.\nWhether a team’s mascot is roughing up the opposing team’s mascot or shooting (with the use of an air gun) souvenir t-shirts and plush toys into stands of excited fans, many fans look forward to going to the ball park not only to “root, root, root for the home team” but to enjoy the entertainment that is associated with the game, including the antics of the mascot. Thus, it might be argued that these kinds of antics, typical of most mascots, include throwing things into the stands.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8251198530197144}
{"content": "Administrators Don't defy administrators — including the school board, which has the legal power to fire you. The quickest way to get fired is to disobey reasonable orders; that's insubordination. Just as your students must obey your orders, obey your superiors' orders — if those orders are reasonable.\nDo I have to follow unreasonable orders? Teachers' associations advise that if an administrator's nonsensical order isn't imminently dangerous, obey it, then immediately file a grievance — a written complaint — that the administrator has violated the law or the agreement between the district and association. You'll triumph in the grievance procedure by presenting an impartial arbitrator with compelling evidence.\nIn addition to obeying directives, forge relationships with administrators by volunteering to perform tasks that others dread. Recall that volunteers often gain immortal acclaim for their efforts. Therefore, volunteer to do a few difficult tasks. For example, if your principal sorely wants the Boy Scouts involved in your school but can't find anyone to make it happen, volunteer! Make phone calls and schedule an assembly for parents and Boy Scout representatives. You can do great things when you volunteer, and your principal may appreciate your efforts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5625237822532654}
{"content": "Susan Hasty, Publisher\nTable of Contents . . . October 21st, 2004\nHormone Replacement Therapy - ACOG issues state-of-the-art guide to HRT\nOvarian Cancer - Chemotherapy helps women with localized disease\nAbdominopelvic Actinomycosis - IUD often a concomitant factor in tumoral syndrome due to bacterial infection\nAddiction Medicine - Smoking and methadone use together are factors in neonatal abstinence syndrome\nAdolescent Health - Study adds to evidence supporting sports, positive sexual behavior/health link\nAssisted Reproduction - Animal preimplantation development studies will highlight human embryogenesis\nBreast Cancer - Blood test provides window into treatment of metastatic cancer\nBreast Cancer - Breast MRI gains support as important diagnostic tool\nBreast Cancer - NMP66 breast cancer detection results presented at conference\nBreast Implants - Study finds no connection to development of connective tissue disorders\nBusiness Update - Pharmaceutical conference to discuss issues facing pharma companies\nCancer Genetics - Janus kinase 2 modulation in ovarian cancer cells may depend on p53\nCancer Prevention - Actress urges adding cancer screening to women's healthcare\nCancer Prognosis - VEGF signals the probability of breast cancer progression\nCancer Research - Pharmaceutical company submits IND for novel anticancer agent Tarvacin\nCancer Therapy - Chemical derived from vitamin E shows early promise as cancer drug\nCancer Treatment - Volunteers give cancer patients free makeovers\nCervical Cancer - ACOG clarifies recommendations on screening in adolescents\nCervical Cancer - Chemotherapeutic potential of plumbagin investigated\nCervical Cancer - PCR more HPV-sensitive than signal amplified in situ hybridization\nCervical Cancer - Surgical technique described for locally progressive advanced disease\nChildhood Obesity - Shape It Up program teaches New Jersey children about risks of obesity\nColon & Breast Cancer - New assay can measure capecitabine and its metabolites in plasma\nDiabetic Glomerular Hypertrophy - No protective role found for estrogen receptor alpha in diabetic nephropathy\nDiet & Nutrition - Salad before a meal helps women reduce calorie intake\nDiet & Nutrition - Unrecognized iron deficiency can impair immunity in older women\nDisease Prevention - Antiretroviral therapy of HIV+ moms who breastfeed may protect infants\nEating Disorders - Researchers conducting study of anorexia treatments\nFitness & Wellness - Vitamin B12 taken nasally can stave off anemia after weight reduction surgery\nGender-Based Medicine - Men, women more different than thought\nGeriatrics - Use of growth hormone for delaying aging questioned\nGynecologic Cancer - Data gathered and reported during gynecologic cancer awareness month\nGynecologic Cancers - Concurrent ovarian and endometrial cancers highlight diagnostic difficulties\nGynecologic Cancers - Study validates Sexual function-Vaginal changes Questionnaire\nHealthcare Coverage - Private health plan introduced for children in central Texas\nHealthcare Coverage - Survey finds women feel health plans critical to ensuring financial future\nHormone Replacement Therapy - Menopause experts update position statement on estrogen and progestogen use\nHormone Replacement Therapy - Short-term impairment of gallbladder emptying associated with HRT\nHuman Papillomavirus Vaccine - Human papillomavirus in cervical cancers in Mozambique genotyped\nInformation Technology - Cancer center quality diagnostics on every physician's computer via web tool\nIrritable Bowel Syndrome - Biomedical food supplements product research featured in consumer publication\nIrritable Bowel Syndrome - Depression co-morbidity associated with poor sleep, more severe IBS symptoms\nLegislative Issues - Survivors, physicians stress need for gynecologic cancer awareness bill\nMyasthenia Gravis - Asymptomatic type of disease also adversely affects pregnancy and birth\nNewborn Health - Study finds no deaths related to traditional infant bedding\nNon-Hodgkin Lymphoma - NHL patients do not receive full dose of chemo, study shows\nObstetrics - Study: Methimazole isn't safe during pregnancy\nOccupational Safety - Occupational safety institute published hazardous drug exposure report\nOsteoporosis - Osteogenesis around titanium implants affects bone turnover\nParkinson Disease - Study finds limited role for DJ1 in PD susceptibility\nPediatric Leukemia - FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to review clofarabine\nPolycystic Ovary Syndrome - Metformin being evaluated for improving PCOS symptoms\nPrenatal Genetic Diagnosis - Microarray analysis of fetal DNA in amniotic fluid identifies sex, aneuploidy\nProduct Licensing - Licensing agreement reached for oral formulation of human growth hormone\nProstate Cancer - Patient enrollment commences in U.S. prostate cancer study of Modrenal\nPsychology - Preadolescents' body image concerns need attention\nReproductive Biology - Circadian Clock mutation disrupts estrous cyclicity, maintenance of pregnancy\nSexual Desire Disorder - FDA grants priority review to testosterone transdermal system for HSDD\nSexual Dysfunction - Positive results reported on phase II study of LibiGel\nSexual Health - Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida adds sexual medicine service\nSports-Related Injuries - Motion DNA launches high school sports testing programs\nStem Cell Research - Model transforms stem cells to express breast cancer estrogen receptor\nSystemic Lupus Erythematosus - Detoxification deficiency linked to increased oxidative stress in SLE etiology\nTrichomoniasis - Xenostrip-Tv is rapid and accurate test for Trichomonas vaginalis\nUrinary Tract Infection - A glass of cranberry juice a day may keep bladder infection away\nUrinary Tract Infection - Gatifloxacin regimens as effective as oral ciprofloxacin for UTI\nNewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6479713916778564}
{"content": "In a (strain) mouse [or rats\nor other acceptable mammalian species] bone marrow micronucleus\nassay (MRID if avalable), (number/sex/dose) were treated [route] with Chemical\nname (% a.i. ) at doses of 0, x, x, x\nmg/kg bw. Bone marrow cells were harvested at (list\nhours) post-treatment. The vehicle was (state\nvehicle) . (Note the route of exposure\nand if acute or multiple dosing)\nThere were (no) signs of toxicity (list\nif present) during the study. [Note, the\nsigns of cytotoxicity, if present, and the quantitative evidence for a positive\nmicronucleus response, if any]. Chemical\nname was (not) tested at an\nadequate dose (based on ) . The\npositive control induced the appropriate response. There was (not) a significant increase in the frequency of\nmicronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in bone marrow after any treatment\ntime.\nThis study is\nclassified as [acceptable or unacceptable(why)] .\nThis study satisfies (does not satisfy)\nthe requirement for Test Guideline OPPTS 870.5395; OECD 474 for in vivo\ncytogenetic mutagenicity data.\n[If\nit does not satisfy the requirement, concisely list only major deficiencies or\nrefer to deficiency section.]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5799612998962402}
{"content": "Do you or members of your team “think” these relationships are true or do you all “know” them to be true? How would “knowing” improve decision-making? How would measuring the impact among these relationships help guide focus and resource allocation? Workforce Analytics is the answer to these and other questions, and doing it well serves as a sustainable, hard-to-replicate competitive advantage. This is true of leading organizations, and it can be true in yours as well. It not as hard as it may seem. What it takes is focus and expertise, and we have both.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8185044527053833}
{"content": "This image is a scaled-down version of the actual pathway image. It does not contain any links to the protein information pages.\nDescription\nThe marine unicellular Cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the smallest-known oxygen-evolving autotroph. It numerically dominates the phytoplankton in the tropical and subtropical oceans, and is responsible for a significant fraction of global photosynthesis. Prochlorococcus marinus lacks phycobilisomes that are characteristic of Cyanobacteria, and contains Chlorophyll b as its major accessory pigment. This enables it to absorb blue light efficiently at the low-light intensities and blue wavelengths characteristic of the deep euphotic zone. It contributes 30-80% of the total photosynthesis in the oligotrophic oceans, and thus plays a significant role in the global carbon cycle and the Earth s climate. Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313 is a member of Prochlorophytes The genome of MIT9313, a low-light-adapted strain consists of a single circular chromosome and encodes 2,275 [...]\nReferences:\n1.\nGenome divergence in two Prochlorococcus ecotypes reflects oceanic niche differentiation.Rocap G, Larimer FW, Lamerdin J, Malfatti S, Chain P, Ahlgren NA, Arellano A, Coleman M, Hauser L, Hess WR, Johnson ZI, Land M, Lindell D, Post AF, Regala W, Shah M, Shaw SL, Steglich C, Sullivan MB, Ting CS, Tolonen A, Webb EA, Zinser ER, Chisholm SW.Nature. 2003 Aug 28;424(6952):1042-7. Epub 2003 Aug 13. 2.\nEffects of high light on transcripts of stress-associated genes for the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Prochlorococcus MED4 and MIT9313.Mary I, Tu CJ, Grossman A, Vaulot D.Microbiology. 2004 May;150(Pt 5):1271-81.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.767591118812561}
{"content": "Hall lab\nHallRichardW@uams.edu\nPreterm delivery affects 8% of the\ntotal deliveries in the United States. Of the preterm deliveries, 1.5%\n(60,000) are Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW), weighing less than 1,500 gm.\nThese neonates require prolonged intensive care and 51% of VLBW neonates\nsuffer major disability later in life. Many of these Ex-Preterm\nchildren develop cognitive deficits and abnormal behaviors during\nchildhood. Quantitative measures of pre-attentional, attentional\nand frontal lobe processes were compared to evaluate quantitative\nmeasures of these deficits in Ex-Preterm\nvs. Ex-Term adolescents. We compared 43 Ex-Preterm with 26 Ex-Term\nadolescents using the P50 auditory potential, the Psychomotor Vigilance\nTask (PVT), a reaction time (RT) test, and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS).\nThe mean amplitude (+ SE) of the P50 amplitude was similar in the\nEx-Preterm (1.8+ 1.4 microV) vs. Ex-Term adolescents (1.8+0.6\nmicroV), but the Ex-Preterm group showed a trimodal distribution in\namplitude (High, 3.3+ 0.4 microV, p<0.01; Medium, 1.7+ 0.1\nmicroV, p=0.53; Low, 0.7+ 0.1 microV, p<0.01) suggested by\nstatistically significant variance between populations. Mean RT was\nlonger in Ex-Preterm (250+8 msec) vs. Ex-Term subjects (200+ 5 ms,\np<0.001). PVT lapses were increased in Ex-Preterm subjects, and varied\ninversely with P50 amplitude (Overall Mean 17+ 5 lapses, p<0.05;\nLow P50 amplitude, 25+ 10, p<0.01; Medium, 21+ 11, p<0.05;\nHigh, 6+ 2, p<0.01) vs. Ex-Term subjects (2+ 0.4 lapses,\np<0.01). NIRS levels did not differ statistically, but tended to\ncorrelate with P50 amplitude in the Ex-Preterm group. These findings\nsuggest differential pre-attentional, attentional and frontal lobe\ndysfunction in ex-preterm adolescents. These measures could provide a\nmeans to objectively assess differential dysregulation of arousal and\nattention in Ex-Preterm adolescents, allowing optimization of\ntherapeutic designs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7863701581954956}
{"content": "Acquire This package, developed jointly by The ACQUIRE Project and Promundo, a Brazilian nongovernmental organization, can be used by individuals, organizations, and donors to carry out needs assessments to identify gaps in male engagement programming related to HIV and AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and support.\nDesigned for trainers of health workers, this manual offers skills-building sessions on developing more “male-friendly” health services. Utilizing participatory and experiential activities, the manual examines attitudinal and structural barriers that inhibit men from seeking HIV and AIDS services (both from the client and the provider perspectives), as well as strategies for overcoming such barriers. The manual is designed for all workers in a health care system: frontline staff, clinicians, and administrative, operational, and outreach workers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8227757811546326}
{"content": "To the Editor:\nThis is regarding the recent article concerning copper in the diet and its potential for being a key to reducing the risk of heart disease. The use of copper, like many nutrients, often places us in a Catch-22 situation. The study referred to suggests that the diets of laboratory animals deficient in copper contributed to the increased risk of coronary heart disease. While this may indeed turn out to be true, it was also correctly cautioned that improper supplementation could be toxic, thereby causing serious problems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999861717224121}
{"content": "This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate provision. The individual mandate provision requires most Americans to obtain health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty.\nThe Court ruled that the Medicaid provision is limited but is not invalid. The provision makes states choose between complying with the ACA or losing federal funding for Medicaid programs.\nStay tuned: Our legal editors are reviewing the Supreme Court’s opinion, and we're also planning an in-depth webinar on these breaking developments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.989570677280426}
{"content": "Spider Veins Spider veins are similar to and often associated with underlying varicose veins, but there are some major differences. Spider veins are smaller in size, beginning as tiny red capillaries that lie close to the surface of the skin and are easily visible. Spider veins are most commonly found on the thighs, calves, ankles or face, where they often become a cosmetic concern. They can also cause physical symptoms ranging from aching, heaviness and itchiness to night cramps.\nNot all spider veins require treatment, particularly if they are not causing pain or other physical symptoms. However, some people decide to have them removed for cosmetic reasons, and treating these veins early could prevent worsening symptoms associated with venous reflux disease.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9690890312194824}
{"content": "After planting a front garden that required little irrigation, my client John and I were interested in using his household greywater to irrigate the backyard. Hoping to lower his water usage, we looked for where changes could be made to reduce his water consumption without a large investment of time, or money (it’s widely held that the average american uses 150 gallons of water a day, 60% of this outdoors).\nInitially I assumed we would use the washing machine greywater on the second floor. These systems, which are permitted by recently amended California plumbing codes, are the", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930176734924316}
{"content": "ELECTRONICS: Hermetic Switch Inc. has introduced two new cylindrical (tubular) proximity sensors. Hermetic’s PRX+3800 (Form B) and PRX+3900 (Form C) magnetic sensors deliver all the advantages of reed switch sensing technology but with smaller physical dimensions than previously available. These new sensors respond to the market need for components with smaller footprints, as size reduction trends continue in the systems and devices utilizing proximity sensors. These new sensors from Hermetic can be used in automation, control, or detection in a broad array of applications - including safety, security, alarm, equipment, machinery, manufacturing and processing systems - in industrial, commercial, medical, corporate, government or military settings.\nSpecific applications vary widely and include any number of situations - including extreme environments - where reliable and potentially long-term proximity monitoring is desired but physical contact must be avoided (between the sensor and the object being sensed).\nThe PRX+3800 is a Form B (Single Pole Single Throw Normally Closed) reed switch contained in a temperature resistant cylindrical (tubular) housing which has a nominal size of 0.125 inch (3.18 mm) diameter and 0.750 inch (19.05 mm) length. The PRX+3900 is a Form C (Single Pole Double Throw) or change-over reed switch with similar housing and dimensions. Both sensors are based on the company’s HSR-502R reed switch technology and operate using a permanent magnet or an electromagnetic coil.\nThese new sensors have an operating distance of .250 inches (6.35 mm) and are rated at 2W. The maximum operating temperature is 105C while the storage temperature range is -40 to 105C. The sensors are insensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD) which makes them ideal for applications where ESD is a concern. Custom wire and connector configurations are available upon request.\nPricing for the PRX+3800 and PRX+3900 is in the range of $5 to $7 each (US Funds) depending on quantity. Pricing is also affected by additional options such as custom sensitivity, custom configuration and special wiring or connectors.\n- Edited by Liz Taurasi", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8648294806480408}
{"content": "USAID policy, under Automated Directives System (ADS) 203.3.2 on performance management, states that USAID missions and their assistance objective teams are responsible for measuring progress toward the results identified in the planning stage to achieve foreign assistance objectives.\nFurther, ADS states that collecting and analyzing performance information is a principal step in performance management, and missions should be reporting on results in addition to outputs in the later years of an assistance objective. Finally, ADS 203.3.4.2 calls for indicators that are practical and timely.\nPerformance targets are a critical part of managing for results. ADS 203.3.4.5 states that missions should be willing to be held accountable for targets, and that targets should be ambitious but achievable given USAID and other donor inputs. As stated in USAID’s Performance Monitoring and Evaluation TIPS No. 8, “Establishing Performance Targets,” once a program is underway, targets serve as guideposts for judging whether progress is being made on schedule and at the levels originally envisioned.\nFor performance data to be useful in managing for results and credible reporting, ADS 203.3.5.1 states that USAID missions should ensure that performance data for each assistance objective meet the data quality standards of validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness. Additionally, ADS 203.3.5.2 states that data reported to Washington, DC, or externally on agency performance must have had a data quality assessment within the 3 years before submission.\nSource: AUDIT REPORT NO. 9-000-10-008-P June 15, 2010\nThis information is derived from audit reports of the Office of the Inspector General. The source refers to the audit report, which is available on this site as part of the Audit Database Project: an educational tool for compliance with USAID regulations. Please see the disclaimer of this site before using this information.\n←Previous Performance Indicators and Targets Did Not Facilitate Program Management - ADS 203.3 Thorough Site Visits Not Conducted - ADS 202.3 - Performance Management Toolkit Next→\nIndicators to Measure Higher Level Results - ADS 203.3 Program’s Indicators, Targets and Goals Should Be Revisited - ADS 203 Reported Results Did Not Meet Data Quality Standards - ADS 203.3 Baseline Data, Indicators, and Targets Needed to Measure Progress and Achievement - ADS Chapter 203 Indicators Do Not Effectively Measure Program Impact - ADS 203.3.2.2 - ADS 200.2.b Performance Data Lacked Support - ADS 203.3 Performance Indicators and Targets Did Not Facilitate Program Management - ADS 203.3 Thorough Site Visits Not Conducted - ADS 202.3 - Performance Management Toolkit Data Quality Assessments Not Completed - ADS 203.3.5 - Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Public Law 103–62) - Performance Management Toolkit Performance Management Plan Not Completed - ADS 203.3 - Performance Management Toolkit Performance Indicator Definitions Not Consistently Applied - ADS 203.3 - GAO Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government Reported Results Were Not Verified – ADS 203.3.5.1. - ADS 202.3.6. Partner Implementation Plans Lacked Vital Information – ADS 200.6 Lack of a Current Performance Management Plan (PMP) - ADS 203.3.3 Thorough Site Visits Were Not Conducted - ADS 202.3.4.6 - ADS 202.3.6 Data Quality Assessments Were Not Completed - ADS 203.3.5.2 - Performance and Results Act of 1993 Performance Management Plan Was Not Completed - ADS 203.3.3", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8008326292037964}
{"content": "Intentionally introduced dsRNA must first be processed into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which are 22nt in length and analogous to miRNA. Fire and Mello directly injected dsRNA into a nematode and saw a response, but sophisticated mechanisms targeting the long RNA duplex made it ineffective in mammalian cells.\nIn 2003, Gregory Hannon and coworkers reported in Nature Genetics a very successful method to apply RNAi to an in vivo mammalian system. They developed a system of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) expressed from viral vectors whose stem-loop structure allowed them to effectively enter the miRNA pathway in the same way as pre-miRNA. In order to test the efficacy of shRNAs in mice, the authors targeted Trp53, a previously identified tumor suppressor gene. In transgenic mice, the deletion or inactivation of Trp53 will eliminate p53 expression and accelerate tumor formation. This approach represents a straightforward loss-of-function experiment to compare gene silencing by shRNA to standard gene deletions known as knockouts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7443936467170715}
{"content": "Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations Sparkle Spring Water Inc. 7/1/09 Department of Health and Human Services Public Health ServiceFood and Drug Administration\nAtlanta District Office60 8th Street, N.E.\nAtlanta, Georgia 30309\nJuly 1, 2009\nVIA FEDERAL EXPRESS WARNING LETTER (09-ATL-05) Charles R. Waterloo, CEO Sparkle Spring Water Inc. 9064 Hwy 225 North Chatsworth, Georgia 30705 Dear Mr. Waterloo: On February 20-27, 2009, representatives of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected your bottled water manufacturing facility located at 9064 Highway 225 North in Chatsworth, Georgia. Their findings revealed violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Manufacturing, Packing, Or Holding Human Food, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110 (21 CFR Part 110), and for Processing and Bottling of Bottled Drinking Water (21 CFR Part 129). By virtue of these violations, the bottled water processed at your facility is adulterated within the meaning of Section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4)], because the product has been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health. In addition, the findings revealed violations of the bottled water standard, 21 CFR Part 165. By virtue of these violations, bottled water at your facility is misbranded within the meaning of Section 403(h) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 343(h)], because the product fails to bear a statement that its quality falls below the quality standard for bottled water. We have also reviewed your March 5, 2009 response to the FDA 483. You may find the Act and the CGMP regulations through links in FDA's Internet home page at www.fda.gov. The violations found during the inspection include the following: 1. You failed to provide source water that is of a safe, sanitary quality, as required by 21 CFR 129.35(a)(1). Our review of 39 of your firm's weekly outside test laboratory reports dated between 10/19/07 and 1/26/09 revealed that 31 of the samples were positive for total coliforms and 15 of those samples were also positive for E. coli, an indicator of fecal contamination. In addition, another outside test laboratory reported your source water sampled on 8/8/07 as positive for total coliforms. The annual testing conducted on the source water on 11/19/08 reported total coliforms as \"TNTC [too numerous to count]\" and the presence of fecal coliforms. There was no indication that these positive results had been noted by firm officials and no documentation was available of any corrective actions being taken in response to these results (e.g., determine the source of the contamination). In your response, you stated that you have changed the procedure for taking a sample. We agree that your firm's collection method procedure should be adjusted to an aseptic sampling technique. However, your response does not address the lack of documentation of any corrective actions taken when the spring source water tests positive. You have not determined the source of the spring's contamination in order to prevent future contamination and ensure the water supply is of a safe, sanitary quality. 2. Both the 2007 and 2008 annual finished product testing reports indicate that your product failed to meet the quality standard for bromate. The allowable level for bromate is 0.01 mg/L [21 CFR 165.110(b)(4)(1)(H)]. However, the 8/7/07 analysis indicated a bromate level of 0.017 mg/L and the 11/18/08 analysis indicated a bromate level of 0.019 mg/L. You failed to take corrective actions to address the elevated bromate levels. You failed to include a statement of substandard quality on the product's label as required by 21 CFR 165.110(c)(3). In your response, you stated that you had adjusted the ozone levels. However, your firm does not have a method that can determine the specific level of ozonation needed to produce water that complies with the bottled water quality standard. In those instances where your finished product testing reveals excessive bromate levels, you have not provided any documentation of corrective action relating to the adjustment of the ozonation system or other actions taken pertaining to finished products produced during these time periods. We note that no apparent action has been taken by your firm to address these issues other than to submit another sample for retesting in 2008. 3. You have failed to take and analyze for chemical, physical and radiological purposes at least annually a representative sample from a batch of each type of bottled drinking water produced during a day's production run as required by 21 CFR 129.80(g)(2). Specifically, in 2008, no testing was performed of the purified water produced via reverse osmosis. We acknowledge that your response states that you are no longer producing purified water via reverse osmosis. 4. You failed to maintain records pertaining to the physical inspection of equipment used for treatment of product water, to include the type and date, conditions found, and performance and effectiveness of equipment, as required by 21 CFR 129.80(a). No records were maintained of your firm's ozone system as to performance and effectiveness. No records were maintained of the inspection, maintenance and cleaning of the UV systems, filtration systems, ozonation system, distillation system or reverse osmosis system. With your response, you provided invoices showing the purchase of filters and UV bulb replacements. However, the invoices do not provide assurance that the filters or UV light bulbs were appropriately installed to ensure their effectiveness. This will be verified during our next inspection. 5. You have failed to inspect your mechanical washers to ensure adequate performance, and to maintain records of physical maintenance, inspections and conditions found, and performance of the washers, as required by 21 CFR 129.80(b)(1). Your Quality Manager indicated that no inspection of the mechanical washers used for the finished product containers was being conducted. The only monitoring records that could be located were dated 1/19/09 - 2/3/09. Your response stated that you put into place a procedure to inspect the mechanical washers on a regular basis, however, you did not include any documentation of this procedure being performed. 6. You have failed to sample and test cleaning and sanitizing solutions utilized to ensure adequate performance in the cleaning and sanitizing operations, and to maintain records of these tests, as required by 21 CFR 129.80(c). Your Quality Manager indicated that no sampling or testing of these solutions was conducted. Your employees were not following established procedure for preparing these solutions. There were no methods or equipment available which could measure the strength of these solutions. Your response states that you will put into place a procedure to sample and test sanitizing solutions; however, you did not describe the intended procedures. 7. You have failed to treat source water in a manner so as to be effective in accomplishing its intended purpose, as required by 21 CFR 129.80(a). Specifically, you informed the FDA inspector that in response to the positive sample found by the Georgia Department of Agriculture you \"shocked\" the source water with chlorine and tested it for residual chlorine on February 20-21, 2009. There are no records available of how that was performed or that this process was safe and effective. 8. As described above, you treated your source water with a chlorine-based disinfectant when you \"shocked\" the source water with chlorine. However, you failed to test the chlorine-treated source water for the disinfection byproducts listed in 21 CFR165.110(b)(4)(iii)(H) likely to result from such treatment, and to maintain records of these tests, as required by 21 CFR 129.35(a)(4)(iii). 9. You have failed to take product water samples after processing and prior to bottling as required by 21 CFR 129.80(a). According to your Quality Manager, the samples were being obtained only after bottling.\nYour response states that your employees were instructed by the state inspector in the proper method to capture a finished product sample. However, your response did not address the specific method you intend to use to capture the finished product sample.\n10. Your employee failed to wash their hands thoroughly in an adequate hand washing facility after each absence from the work station, as required by 21 CFR 110.10(b)(3). Although your procedures require that your employees wash and sanitize their hands each time they enter the clean room, FDA observed one of your employees not washing his hands before entering the processing room. Your response states that employees had been retrained. However, your response does not document how the employees were trained. 11. You have failed to ensure that all plant equipment and utensils are suitable for their intended use, as required by 21 CFR 129.40(a)(1). Our investigators observed five pipes leading from the spring house to the outside that did not contain back-flow prevention devices. In addition, four of those pipes did not contain a screening device to prevent the entry of extraneous materials or pests into your source water. Your response provided a diagram from a consultant's report showing where backflow preventers are required. However, the diagram does not address the remaining pipes that drain water from the spring to the outside of the spring house. The above-identified violations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. The investigators issued a list of their Inspectional Observations (FDA 483) to you at the conclusion of their inspection. Although not listed on the FDA 483, the investigators also discussed their concern over several of the laboratory collection and testing methods not being performed correctly or according to the test kit manufacturers' recommendations. You are responsible for ensuring your firm operates in compliance with the Act, the bottled water standard regulations, and CGMP regulations. You should take prompt action to correct these violations. Failure to promptly correct these deviations may result in regulatory action, including seizure and/or injunction without further notice. Please respond in writing with fifteen (15) working days of your receipt of this letter outlining the specific steps you have taken to bring your firm into compliance with the law. Your response should include each step taken to correct the violations and prevent their recurrence. If you cannot complete all corrections within 15 working days, we expect you to explain the reason for the delay and state when any remaining deviations will be corrected. In addition, we have the following overall comments regarding your response: • In your response, you stated that the bottling equipment is a self-contained unit. However, this equipment was observed with several side panel doors removed and stored directly on the floor when the equipment was not in operation. • During the inspection, you stated that the candidates for the quality assurance position had extensive textile manufacturing experience. Due to the critical nature of the position, it is important that this person receive appropriate food manufacturing training. Your reply should be sent to the attention of Philip S. Campbell, Compliance Officer, at the address noted in the letterhead. Sincerely, /S/Barbara A. Wood, Acting Director Atlanta District", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5379528999328613}
{"content": "Aseptic spray drying offers a number of advantages over traditional methods of aseptic drying such as lyophilisation. More specifically, by allowing precise control of the drying process, spray drying gives far greater command over the shape, density and morphology of the final product. What’s more, with lower running and capital costs, these advantages are obtained while reducing overheads.\nProduction of dry sterile dosage forms often involves mixing of the API with one or more excipients. To achieve a homogeneous mixture, the particle size distribution of the excipient(s) must match that of the API. In a one-step-operation, spray drying can turn a sterile solution into sterile particles of the required size with no risk of introducing impurities - a well-known problem if milling is used.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6349412202835083}
{"content": "NSWIS Sport Psychology assists athletes to develop the mental skills required to manage high intensity situations and deliver personal best performance on demand. Key areas of an athlete's mental game that a sport psychologist can assist an athlete to master for best results in selection events and finals at major competitions include: Performance planning, performance in the moment, and performance debriefing.\nThese areas assist athletes to:\n- Improve confidence and focus for consistent high performance\n- Use strengths to create a positive outcome when training and competing\n- Enhance mental preparation to deliver peak performance on demand\n- Adapt to any performance venue or situation\n- Review performance to gain meaningful learning and continuous improvement\n- Mentally rest and recover more effectively\n- Develop leadership and team harmony skills\n- Resolve issues and improve communication with the coach and other athletes\n- Deal positively with injuries, non - selection and major decisions like retirement\n- Balance life / sport priorities and commitments\n- Develop personally and achieve enrichment through your sporting experiences\nClick here for a complete list of NSWIS Sport Psychology network providers.\nFor further information regarding Sport Psychology services please contact the NSWIS on (02) 9763 0222 or email sportpsychology@nswis.com.au.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8445912599563599}
{"content": "Preventing Youth Access to Tobacco Published November 27th 2002 by Routledge – 118 pagesLearn to develop and assess comprehensive youth tobacco interventions!Preventing Youth Access to Tobacco examines the components of a preventive public health intervention directed at reducing the rate of youth tobacco use. This valuable book describes this innovative intervention, which involves making tobacco more difficult for young people to acquire and also calls for fines for possession of tobacco. It illustrates the rationale for this intervention and reviews the literature on the topic, pointing to findings that indicate that this kind of comprehensive intervention has been shown to be effective.From the editors: “The amount of human pain and suffering caused by tobacco use is immeasurable. Preventing youth smoking initiation of the most effective way of reducing long-term mortality from heart disease, chronic lung disease, and other tobacco-related disorders. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing over 400,000 people each year. This is more people than die of AIDS, homicide, suicide, automobile accidents, illegal drug use, and fires combined. Despite these facts, 22.9 of adult Americans and 13.8 of Americans under 18 smoke cigarettes.”This essential book can provide some much-needed answers, showing you:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7238641977310181}
{"content": "Borders In an era of globalization, national authorities are increasingly challenged by balancing the economic necessity of active borders with the desire to maintain security and protect national interests.\nAGT International understands that border authorities require cutting-edge security and management solutions to provide for the continued flow of goods, services, and people - while ensuring high-level security and operational efficiency. Our tailored platforms integrate intelligence, physical obstacles, and inputs from sources such as sensors, databases, and open-source information to generate a Unified Situation Awareness Picture that triggers alerts, recommends actions, and provides decision-makers with intuitive status visualizations.\nOur solutions protect borders against illegal incursions and ensure that only properly vetted persons, goods, and freight enter and leave sovereign nations - while simultaneously collecting and updating associated information for intelligent use by national authorities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8320878744125366}
{"content": "VARANASI: Walking in the lane with overflowing sewage in Lallapura area is a common feature due to choked sewerline and drains. \"We are bound to live in such a pathetic condition despite repeated complaints made to the local administration,\" said Rajeev Srivastava, a local native.\nThe natives of Lallapura are not alone, residents of many other localities of the city like Jaiprakash Nagar, Nirala Nagar and Ghasiari Tola are also bound to wade through filthy water. This despite the city being funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for strengthening of its drainage system.\nSince there is no separate system for storm water drainage, it causes havoc during the rainy season. Though, a significant part of the city has open drains used for carrying waste-water, during monsoon season they carry both waste-water and storm water, thereby putting more pressure on the sewer network. The open drains carry a mix of storm and waste-water and empty into the sewer lines, increasing the load on sewage pumps and sewage treatment plants (STPs), especially during the rainy season. Apart from this, some storm water drains also discharge directly into the Ganga and the Varuna.\nAccording to the city development plan (CDP) of JNNURM, most of the open drains are unlined and contaminate the ground water, owing to the porous nature of alluvium. These drains carry the grey water discharged from the settlements along their path and are also used as dumps for solid waste. The Asi nallah also acts as a major outlet for the city's storm and waste-water. The drains and nullahs of the city are prone to choking owing to the unregulated solid waste dumping by the citizens. This leads to stagnant puddles of water, which lead to health hazards, unhygienic conditions and act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The existing drain network cannot be used for water harvesting owing to the heavy siltation, quantum of grey water and solid waste in the drains. It is felt that there is a need for dedicated storm water network for the city, which would not only be instrumental in avoiding waterlogging during monsoons, but would also provide a scope for water harvesting along these drains.\nUnder the JNNURM, a fund of Rs 191 crore has been allocated for creating and strengthening the storm water drainage system in the city, deputy municipal commissioner SN Singh told TOI. The project would be executed in phase-wise by 2011-2012. According to Singh, besides rehabilitation/ renovation of existing drains and separation from sewerage system, new drains would also be constructed.\nThe process of cleaning the existing drains is still lingering when the monsoon is about to knock the doors after summer. However, the health department of Varanasi Nagar Nigam started the process with the cleaning 25 drains out of 163. Now, the engineering department of VNN has been asked to take up the task that should be completed by May 30. But, it seems that the drain cleaning may be delayed as the engineering department is yet to begin the process.\nKey issues\nThe main issues, which need to be addressed for storm water drainage, are: # Lack of lined drainage in the city leading to contamination of ground water.\n# Frequent clogging of drains due to dumping of waste in the drains which leads to unsanitary conditions.\n# Siltation reduces the carrying capacity of drains, leading to waterlogging, particularly during monsoons.\n# Need for a dedicated storm water network to reduce the load on sewer network.\n(Source: CDP JNNURM)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8836055397987366}
{"content": "Scanning cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy and imaging were usedto study the effect of post-growth processing on the CL efficiency ofmetal–organic vapour phase epitaxy-grown Mg-doped GaN. In this work,two treatments, thermal annealing in high-purity gaseous atmospheres(N2, O2 and H2(5%)/N2) and low-energy electron beam irradiation (LEEBI), have been investigated. Post-growth annealing in a H2/N2 atmosphere followed by LEEBI leads to a significant enhancement of the free electron-to-bound Mg-acceptor (e, Mg) CL emission and a reduction of nonradiative centres involving native defects. The presented results demonstrate that the combination of post-growth annealing in a H2/N2atmosphere and LEEBI dissociation of Mg–H complex acceptorssignificantly improves the light emitting efficiency of Mg-doped p-type GaN. Conversely, the samples annealed in a N2 or O2 atmosphere exhibit a reduced (e, Mg) emission after both annealing and LEEBI treatment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5879186391830444}
{"content": "This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on Design and 2013 NAAB Accreditation Review Conference ARC Preparation .\n-------------------------------------------\nI've been distracted by course lists and claims that architectural education does not need reform. I'm returning to \"Core Issues: Part 1\" and \"Harnessing the Architectural Curriculum: Part 1\" to get back on track. I don't believe my comments represent a final solution, but hope they expose new avenues of approach to the issue. It comes down to our goal. As an example, if the goal is to build a high rise, structure and detail follow. I've been suggesting that our architectural goal is symbiotic shelter within sustainable geographic limits. Educational structure and detail follow, but we must build institutional, educational, business and professional models that provide a decent return on this investment in an architectural goal.\nMy suggestion has been to structure architectural course consideration around a three tier educational format that leads to versatile employment opportunities. The format emphasizes joint educational programs. It begins with a joint Bachelor's degree in civil engineering and architecture that leads to PE qualification. It continues with a joint Master's degree in business and architecture that leads to management and leadership qualification. It ends with an interdisciplinary doctoral degree in arts and science that focuses on adapting our cities, buildings, and behavior to the fundamental ecological laws of survival. It also includes an internship program that begins with formal education and extends beyond, but does not withhold licensing qualification and designation as an architect after graduation. It assumes employment agreements that respect the qualifications acquired.\nArchitecture as I've known it has been a monumental challenge. I haven't simplified things. I've attempted to focus the effort on a goal with clearly understood public benefit that increases demand, credibility, and the chances of human survival.\nWe can't do it alone. Doctors depend on nurses. Lawyers depend on paralegals. We cannibalize our profession because architects, including graduate architects, need work. It's a source of increasing frustration. We turn architects into draftsmen and direct them into specialties that were never an interest. We have to sort this out before education has a chance. One focus is not the answer. Too many expectations end in disappointment. This is why I suggested joint educational programs within a three tier structure, but I didn't address technical support. This is a parallel issue that I have rarely seen discussed because manpower is so plentiful, but an office full of architects can be full of frustration.\nI still believe the goal is symbiotic shelter within sustainable geographic limits, but have become increasingly aware that it is not simply a political, planning, and scientific issue. Unfortunately, architects are not organized, mobilized or trained to address a threat that is still below the horizon of awareness for many. This means the first goal is awareness. The second is direction. The third is training, and the fourth is benefit. You could label awareness, direction and training as \"education\", but benefit will require leadership. -------------------------------------------\nWalter Hosack\nAuthor\nWalter M. Hosack\nDublin OH\n-------------------------------------------", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9059410691261292}
{"content": "There is a larger absolute increase in mortality after a bone fracture among Canadian First Nations peoples (Canadian Indigenous) compared to non-First Nations people according to a researcher from Deakin University who has been working closely with a Canadian researcher in bone density.\nThe findings are important because Canada has publically accessible health-care options, which is similar to the Australian health-care system, the researcher noted.\nThe data highlights there’s much work to be done in Australia to examine wellness post-fracture, especially for the Australian Indigenous peoples, she added.\nThe findings have clear implications for re-prioritising health-care service delivery.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9242581129074097}
{"content": "ASSESSMENT PROVIDERS Because of the complex medical nature of ADHD, students must have their disability verified by a diagnostician with expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD. The diagnostician must have comprehensive training in differential diagnosis of ADHD and pertinent psychiatric disorders and direct experience with adult learners.\nASSESSMENT DOCUMENTATION\nStudents seeking accommodations for ADHD must provide a comprehensive assessment battery which indicates a specific diagnosis and how it substantially limits some major life activity, including learning. Current documentation (within last 3 years) is important because reasonable accommodations and services are based on the assessment of the current impact of the disability on academic performance. If the documentation is not adequate in content or does not address the individual’s current level of functioning and need for accommodation(s), additional documentation may be requested. The assessment must include:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6948667764663696}
{"content": "Absence of the dens is rarely described in large breed dogs. In this rottweiler, mild neurological deficits seen at 6 mo of age did not progress for the 9.5 y of the dog's life despite lack of surgical intervention. This finding underscores the marked differences between small and large breeds.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8188717365264893}
{"content": "A recent tracking study conducted by the NPD group, Entertainment Trends in America, reveals that most American consumers intend on spending as much or even more on entertainment in 2009.\nWhile music digital downloads took the top slot, with 75% of consumers surveyed indicating that they would spend the same or more on music as they did in 2008, 65% of those surveyed said that will spend the same amount or more on video games. Indicating a favorable nod to downloadable content, in this case, specifically music, only 60% of respondents indicated that they would spend the same or more on physical CD’s. Although spending on theatrical movies did not take the top slot, tracking at 73%, this entertainment sector appears to be in the best position for growth, as the same question in the previous years’ survey logged only a 66% response from those polled.\nTheatrical release films look like the big winner for ’09, over half those surveyed 51%, indicated that they’d purchased a DVD or Blu-ray disk during the previous three months. Console or portable video games took the number two spot in recent purchased with 36%, and CD purchases clocked in a 31%.\n“Even in the face of a down economy, entertainment remains a popular spending category,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. “Most consumers say they’ll continue to purchase at least the same amount of many entertainment categories in the coming year.”\nAccording to the NPD survey, the current per capita entertainment budget is $160 per month. However, this number is slightly misleading, as a majority of this spend is applied to dedicated television and internet access subscriptions. While we’ve all heard/seen/read predictions that consumers would start to trim the entertainment fat during the current economic downturn, the NPD study finds the only noticeable decline in magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Bad news for an industry already in turmoil.\nThese numbers clearly indicate that the entertainment industry as a whole may be far better positioned to ride out the current economic storm, NPD’s Russ Crupnick advises caution, “There is anxiety about the economy among entertainment buyers, increasing use of unpaid digital options for entertainment and competition for the entertainment dollar, but consumers have clearly shown that compelling content will get them back into the stores or theatres.”\nTags: american consumers, Console, economic downturn, entertainment budget, entertainment categories, entertainment industry, industry analyst, newspaper, newspaper subscriptions, noticeable decline, npd group, Russ Crupnick, Trends", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7584398984909058}
{"content": "Radiation-Emitting Products What are appropriate charges for the transfer of mammographic records? Can I include the cost of making copies of the films? Appropriate charges for transfer of mammographic records could include items such as administrative time costs incurred in logging-in the request, retrieving the mammography films and reports, having the patient sign a release, packaging and mailing charges for the materials, and photocopying costs incurred in making copies of reports.\nFacilities may, but are not required by MQSA to, make copies of the mammographic films. If these copies are requested by the patient or are mandated by State regulations, then the cost of making the copies can be charged to the patient. If the facility wishes to keep copies for its own benefit, the cost cannot be charged to the patient. If requested by the patient, facilities must produce documentation (e.g., itemized bill) that shows the charges do not exceed the costs associated with this service.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9327716827392578}
{"content": "As it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain public or private funding, collaboration may become absolutely vital to some nonprofits' continued existence. Effective grant collaborations always comprise a critical attribute: they are led by individuals who not only understand the benefits and barriers affecting collaborations, but are highly skilled in managing them. This reference text explains the nature of the collaboration and a critical examination of the role of the grant leader, giving nonprofit fundraisers a competitive edge in collaborative grantseeking, especially for those individuals without previous experience in this complicated arena. No other book comprehensively explains every step in a successful collaborative grantseeking effort, nor provides real-world strategies and proven practices. Readers of COLLABORATIVE GRANTSEEKING: A GUIDE TO DESIGNING PROJECTS, LEADING PARTNERS AND PERSUADING SPONSORS will also better grasp the humanistic aspects of designing and leading successful collaborative projects and be able to write more persuasive proposals.\nPrice: Sign In for price", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9771288633346558}
{"content": "This IDC study provides residual value forecasts for IBM's Power servers. The study explains the current market conditions that are affecting the value of used hardware on the secondary market and what future technological changes will further impact these values. We explore the factors impacting the server market and the price/performance increases expected over the next several years. This information helps those that invest in hardware assess their risk and provides guidance on the amount of residual value that is expected to be realized at the end of lease term.\n\"IBM's Power server line remains a solid performer within the STG organization and the server market as a whole.\" — Jennifer Koppy, research manager, IDC's Technology Valuation Service", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6514266729354858}
{"content": "Tolerance to bacterial cell wall components including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may represent an essential regulatory mechanism during bacterial infection. Two members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, TLR2 and TLR4, recognize the specific pattern of bacterial cell wall components. TLR4 has been found to be responsible for LPS tolerance. However, the role of TLR2 in bacterial lipoprotein (BLP) tolerance and LPS tolerance is unclear. Pretreatment of human THP-1 monocytic cells with a synthetic bacterial lipopeptide induced tolerance to a second BLP challenge with diminished tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 production, termed BLP tolerance. Furthermore, BLP-tolerized THP-1 cells no longer responded to LPS stimulation, indicating a cross-tolerance to LPS. Induction of BLP tolerance was CD14-independent, as THP-1 cells that lack membrane-bound CD14 developed tolerance both in serum-free conditions and in the presence of a specific CD14 blocking monoclonal antibody (MEM-18). Pre-exposure of THP-1 cells to BLP suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and nuclear factor-kappaB activation in response to subsequent BLP and LPS stimulation, which is comparable with that found in LPS-tolerized cells, indicating that BLP tolerance and LPS tolerance may share similar intracellular pathways. However, BLP strongly enhanced TLR2 expression in non-tolerized THP-1 cells, whereas LPS stimulation had no effect. Furthermore, a specific TLR2 blocking monoclonal antibody (2392) attenuated BLP-induced, but not LPS-induced, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 production, indicating BLP rather than LPS as a ligand for TLR2 engagement and activation. More importantly, pretreatment of THP-1 cells with BLP strongly inhibited TLR2 activation in response to subsequent BLP stimulation. In contrast, LPS tolerance did not prevent BLP-induced TLR2 overexpression. These results demonstrate that BLP tolerance develops through down-regulation of TLR2 expression.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9939834475517273}
{"content": "Exosome complexes are composed of 10 to 11 subunits and are involved in multiple facets of 3' → 5' RNA processing and turnover. The current paradigm stipulates that a uniform, stoichiometric core exosome, composed of single copies of each subunit, carries out all RNA metabolic functions in vivo. While core composition is well established in vitro, available genetic, cell biological, proteomic, and transcriptomic data raise questions about whether individual subunits contribute to RNA metabolic functions exclusively within the complex. Here, we recount the current understanding of the core exosome model and show predictions of the core model that are not satisfied by the available evidence. To resolve this discrepancy, we propose the exozyme hypothesis, a novel model stipulating that while exosome subunits can and do carry out certain functions within the core, subsets of exosome subunits and cofactors also assemble into a continuum of compositionally distinct complexes--exozymes--with different RNA specificities. The exozyme model is consistent with all published data and provides a new framework for understanding the general mechanisms and regulation of RNA processing and turnover.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7955747246742249}
{"content": "Under a rules change set to take effect on March 4, the Obama Administration will for the first time allow certain spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens to remain in the country while a portion of the paperwork for their green cards is processed. To qualify, the U.S. citizen must show \"extreme hardship\" if forced to remain separated from a spouse or child. Typical examples include U.S. citizens who are sick or disabled and are being cared for or supported by their immigrant spouse or parent.\nThe move could affect some 1 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. \"The administration deserves credit for moving ahead in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform from Congress,\" said SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina.\nThe new rule, which requires the family members to briefly return to their country of origin to finalize the process once the waiver has been approved, makes a small but significant change and removes a bureaucratic hurdle that has deeply hurt citizens facing hardships. The risks, uncertainties and delays that come with applying for the visa from abroad create unnecessary burdens on families in hardship cases.\nWhile a welcome step forward in the right direction, the waiver is nonetheless a limited change. \"We are disappointed that the rules change does not apply to spouses of legal permanent residents and adult children of U.S citizens, as they often are caregivers,\" said Medina. \"We hope that as the changes are implemented, the administration will see the wisdom in expanding the hardship waivers to these critical family members.\"\nLearn more here. More news coverage of the waiver at the Santa Cruz Sentinel andABC News/Univision .", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8567153811454773}
{"content": "31 January 2013: A review document by the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) considers megatrends in transport, the Partnership’s effectiveness towards realizing its objectives, and future directions. The review document was prompted by the 2009 Partnership mandate to review progress within three years of its establishment.\nRegarding megatrends in sustainable transport, the document, titled \"Where Does SLoCaT Stand in Realizing Sustainable Transport?\", outlines key global developments including the: rapidly growing motorization in the developing world; increased rate of motorcycle use; growth of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT); renaissance in cycling; and enhanced awareness of the importance of freight transport for its contribution to economic development.\nThe review document compares megatrends with the 2009 SLoCaT objectives, concluding that successful activities have been undertaken while unfinished agendas still remain. The promotion of transport at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and successful engagement with the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) were cited as two instances of successful activity for SLoCaT.\nRegarding future directions, the document identifies the need for a larger critical mass to engage in awareness raising and to move away from the loose network structure with limited secretariat capacity. The document concludes that a more defined organizational structure can enhance the ability for the Partnership to engage with the relevant global, regional and national policy making on sustainable, low carbon transport.\nSLoCaT is a voluntary multi-stakeholder initiative that contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, Rio+5 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI). The SLoCaT Partnership, an initiative of over 65 organizations, is a registered partnership with the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).\n[Publication: Where Does SLoCaT Stand in Realizing Sustainable Transport?]\nSource: http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/slocat-reviews-megatrends-in-transport-and-future-directions/", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9462326169013977}
{"content": "When I was pregnant with Luke, I received so much advice on what I needed as a newly pregnant mama. From belly bands to nursing bras to prenatal massages, everyone told me what I needed. The best advice, though, came from my mom, who said, \"Are you going to get a doula?\" I did, and it was honestly the best money spent while pregnant. Although I had a weird situation where I hired one doula, yet had another at Luke's birth, due to the doula I hired being with another laboring mom (my babies like to come at inconvenient times, what can I say?), the prenatal support alone was worth it. Before I was pregnant with Luke, I had never seen a birth, not even on video. Our doula, Robin, showed up videos of moms in labor, moms giving birth, and so, Shane and I both knew what to expect. Shane said that it helped him understand that the noises I made while laboring were normal, and it helped him feel better about the pain I was experiencing. When I went into labor and Robin couldn't make it, she arranged for Louise to be there. In my family, many women have had c-sections. I had a long, hard labor with Luke. I had back labor, my labor stalled at 8cm, and his head wasn't at all engaged until I was 9cm. Simply put, he was not in the right position. My doula and midwife both had me contorting into different positions to help Luke turn the right way, and it worked. Without a doubt, I would've had a c-section without their help. Even with their help, I still came very close to that, and while the end result would have still been the same, I know the recovery would've been much harder. Do you see how I'm totally leaning closer to Louise than Shane? It's because she gave better back rubs while I was in labor, but don't tell him. This time around, I hired Louise from the start, simply because I felt connected to the woman who was there when Luke was born. I was so excited to have her at this birth, but as we know, Tommy had other plans. Still, having her there meant the world to Shane and me. She helped me latch Tommy for the first real feed, and then she fed me bites of a sandwich while I nursed him for the first time. When I passed out on the toilet at 3AM because I totally had an OMG I JUST HAD A BABY ON THE STAIRS panic attack, I came to with my head resting on Louise's stomach and her arm around me. She stayed with us until 4:30 in the morning, after my parents, Luke, and all the nurses had left the room. She's part of our first quiet moments, when the world was still spinning. To have someone we knew there, so full of goodness and light and calming energy meant the world to both of us. Now, I know you could be thinking, \"But Erin, if I'm not an accidental freebirthing, dirty hippie like you, do I really need a doula?\" Honestly, YES. Even if you're signing up for that epidural in the parking lot, I still feel like there's so much a doula can offer. If your husband is like mine and struggled with how he'd react to labor, a doula can help. My husband now tells everyone that we wouldn't do it without a doula. If you struggle with breastfeeding, you will have someone to help you. If you struggle postpartum, you will have someone to help. If you struggle during your pregnancy, you have your very own pregnancy expert on call. And when you go into labor and you're maybe a little scared, you have someone there to hold your hand.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7493171691894531}
{"content": "Our patent prosecution practice is focused on providing our clients with the broadest patent protection, while at the same time containing costs by performing selective and consolidated filings.\nOur professionals have many years of experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the life sciences. We file and prosecute US and non-US patent applications. We work with our extensive network of foreign associates to protect our clients' intellectual property in jurisdictions all over the world.\nWhen drafting patent applications, we focus on ensuring that claims are enforceable and offer maximum possible protection to exclude competitors. We understand that the goal is not just to obtain a patent, rather it is to obtain commercially meaningful claims and ensure that the patent can withstand challenge.\nPatentable subject matter and description requirements vary by country. Furthermore, the costs of foreign patent prosecution are substantial. To avoid costly surprises, we consider relevant US and foreign patent law issues when drafting patent applications.\nIn the event that the claims of an application are finally rejected by an examiner, our firm often successfully manages the appeal process. We have often presented written and oral arguments before the United States Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and have been co-counsel before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Additionally, we frequently assist in appeals before the European and Japanese Patent Offices.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5151666402816772}
{"content": "Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.\nNon-UMass Amherst users, please click the view more button below to purchase a copy of this dissertation from Proquest.\n(Some titles may also be available free of charge in our Open Access Dissertation Collection, so please check there first.)\nAssessing polyelectrolyte effective charge Abstract Polyelectrolytes are distinguished by their linear charge density, a parameter responsible for their many functions in nature and their many technological applications. Despite the fundamental and practical importance of this parameter, quantitative understanding of polyelectrolyte charge remains rudimentary, primarily due to a lack of experimental methods capable of capturing polyelectrolyte's actual or effective charge under diverse conditions. ^ Capillary electrophoresis study revealed how polyelectrolyte effective charge correlates with polymer structure and solvent polarity. The study focused on ionenes, polyelectrolytes with quaternary ammonium groups linked in the backbone by spacers of defined uniform or alternating length. Traditional ionenes with hydrophobic aliphatic spacers as well as novel, inherently hydrophilic ionenes with oxyethylene spacers were synthesized, characterized, and examined by capillary electrophoresis. Complete ionization of ionenes and their good solvency in water and mixtures of water with lower dielectric constant solvents (methanol, acetonitrile) enabled measurements of ionene effective charge density as both backbone charge spacing and solvent dielectric constant varied. Two fundamental trends were uncovered: (i) As charge spacing decreased, effective charge rose linearly with backbone charge density to saturation at a critical value of backbone charge density, as expected from the standard (Manning) counterion condensation theory; (ii) As solvent dielectric constant decreased, deviating from the existing theory, charge saturation occurred not at a critical backbone charge density but at a critical dielectric constant. The latter trend suggests a new type of counterion condensation, one driven by ion-pairing. In support of the ion-pairing hypothesis, the onset of condensation correlated with counterion size. Traditionally associated with small molecule electrolytes, ion-pairing has not been previously regarded as an origin of polyelectrolyte effective charge lowering. ^ Manifesting the universality of our findings with respect to polyelectrolyte chemistry and sign of charge, analogous charge behaviors were found with quaternized poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(styrene sulfonate), and acrylamide-acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonate copolymers. By comparing polyelectrolytes with sulfonated and quaternary ammonium functionality, we deduced a universal dimensionless criterion for the onset of ion-pairing on polyelectrolytes. This study is the first to report polyelectrolyte effective charge lowering by an ion-pairing mechanism, but the results should have broad implications for the polyelectrolyte field.^\nSubject Area Chemistry, Physical|Chemistry, Polymer\nRecommended Citation Alexei Popov, \"Assessing polyelectrolyte effective charge\" (January 1, 2007). Electronic Doctoral Dissertations for UMass Amherst. Paper AAI3254923. http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3254923", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8402112722396851}
{"content": "A total of 117 deaths were reported on Red Cross mortality forms. The source of information for the mortality forms was a medical examiner/coroner for 94 (80.3%) cases and the family of the decedent for 10 (8.5%) cases (Table). Most deaths occurred in New York (53 [45.3%]) and New Jersey (34 [29.1%]); the other deaths occurred in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Maryland. The deaths occurred during October 28–November 29, 2012 (Figure 1). Approximately half of the deaths (60 [51.3%]) occurred on the first 2 days of the storm’s landfall, with a peak of 37 deaths on October 30, 2012.\nDecedents ranged in age from 1 to 94 years (mean: 60 years, median: 65 years); 60.7% were male, and 53.8% were white. Of the 117 deaths, 67 (57.3%) were classified as directly related deaths, and 38 (32.5%) were indirectly related to the storm. Of the directly related deaths, the most common mechanism was drowning (40 [59.7%]), followed by trauma from being crushed, cut, or struck (19 [28.4%]). Poisoning was the most common indirectly related cause of death; of the 10 poisonings, nine were caused by carbon monoxide. Most directly related deaths occurred during the first few days of the storm, whereas indirectly related deaths continued from the day before the storm into the middle of November.\nComparing the 40 drowning deaths to all Sandy-related deaths, the age, sex, and race distributions of decedents were similar (Table). The majority of drowning deaths (29 [72.5%]) also occurred in the initial phase of the storm, during October 29–31. Twenty-one (52.5%) drowning deaths occurred in the decedent’s home, and 11 (27.5%) occurred outside; one person drowned in a flooded commercial building lobby, and another person drowned while intentionally swimming off a storm-affected beach. For six deaths, circumstances of the drowning were not available. The location of drowning deaths by state was significantly different (p<0.05) compared with all Sandy-related deaths. The majority of drowning deaths (32 [80.0%]) occurred in New York, whereas deaths in New York accounted for only 27.3% of nondrowning deaths. Twenty decedents drowned in flooded homes in New York, and home addresses for 18 (90.0%) of them were located in Evacuation Zone A (Figure 2); the other two decedents’ homes were in or near areas of flooding and near Evacuation Zone A. Notes written by Red Cross volunteers on these 20 deaths captured decedents’ reasons for not evacuating, such as “afraid of looters,” “thought Hurricane Irene was mild,” and “unable to leave because did not have transportation.”\nAnd while we’re on the topic of nasty weather…", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6391206979751587}
{"content": "Politics: We neither 'belong to' our government, nor are we 'part of' it Published by: Robert Laurie on Friday September 7th, 2012 By ROBERT LAURIE - Democrats like to claim that government is the one thing \"to which we all belong.\" Here's why they're wrong.\nI published this piece yesterday, in a slightly modified form, at the Detroit News website, The Michigan View. They're gracious enough to allow me to share it here. In light of The DNC's pro-government themes, and Granholms bizarro speech, I think CainTV's readers will enjoy. Left wing media is a lot like a parrot. Every day, the Democratic Party sends out its talking points, and every evening they’re presented as fact by an army of slavish talking heads. This week, when the Democrats released a creepy video claiming \"Government is the only thing we all belong to,\" DNC speaker and former Governor, Jennifer Granholm was quick to hop on board.\nA message on her Facebook page read: \"In America, you can't love your country and hate your government -- we ARE the government.\" With all due respect to the former governor - sorry, but no.\nWe may fund our government, elect our government, or appoint our government. We may hire politicians, fire them, laud them, or impeach them. We may even watch them fail their states and slink away when term limits force them out of power. We are, however, NOT our government, nor do we belong to it.\nThis may be the most fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives. People like Granholm believe that Government is our family. When it takes from us, we're \"sharing.\" When we're forced to sacrifice for it, it's a moral imperative. Like the mythical Force from Star Wars, it surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us together. This ideology was front and center during this week’s Democratic Convention.\nFor conservatives, it's the exact opposite.\nConservatives believe that government is a beast - a hungry monster that's ready, willing, and able to devour us all. There's no boundary it won't cross, and no transgression too despicable. If there's an inch it will take it, if there's a crack in your armor, it will exploit it. The only time it \"penetrates us,\" is when we're being strip searched by the TSA.\nUnfortunately for people of Granholm's ilk, history's lessons back her opponents.\nFrom Rome to colonial England, from Nazi Germany to Russia - and even in present-day countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia - the story of humanity is rife with governments that acted as though their citizens were tenants rather than landlords. Once a government begins the \"you belong to us\" rhetoric, it's not long before it resorts to atrocity and violence in an attempt to control its increasingly dissatisfied public. From there, it's a short hop to war, chaos, and collapse.\nFortunately, our forefathers saw fit to create a place that could avoid this very pattern.\nIn the Constitution they spelled out specific limits that would reign in out-of-control presidents. They gave us checks and balances, a judiciary, and the 10th Amendment - all of which were designed, in excruciating detail, to grant us means by which we could limit a government that had crossed the line.\nIf all else failed, they guaranteed us the right to bear arms. If the \"worst case scenario\" presented itself, at least we would have the means to fight the beast we'd created.\nNone of this would be necessary if, as Governor Granholm claims, we \"ARE the government.\"\nThe founders recognized very clearly that, while people do have need of a small, functional federal system, it would always have the potential to expand beyond its constitutional boundaries. They were well aware that it could grow into something which views its own people not as its keepers, but as the kept. Clearly, they didn't think we were a part of it, or they never would have given us the means to defend ourselves against it.\nThis week, in their \"Government is the only thing we all belong to\" moment, Democrats have finally declared what Conservatives have known for years. The political left does not view the American Citizen as a boss. It sees him as a subject.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6664357781410217}
{"content": "WASHINGTONCancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, but the disease's mortality rate declined by 2.9% in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Total US cancer deaths in 2004 numbered 550,270. Preliminary mortality data put the age-adjusted death rate for malignant neoplasms at 184.6 per 100,000 population, down from 190.1 in 2003. The nation's overall death rate fell to a record low of 801 per 100,000 persons, down from 833 the previous year. The preliminary data are based on approximately 90% of the 2004 death records reported by the 50 states.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8246761560440063}
{"content": "Lying in the grass at the edge of the garden on a sunny day, I feel like Gulliver in a Lilliputian forest of daisies. A neighbour commented that we'd seen enough rain. A bit of warmth with the water butts full, she said, and the growing season will take off. Now all Britain is blanketed in an impossibly yellow and green patchwork of oilseed rape and young wheat. Even the wilder spaces alternate grass, dandelions and buttercups.\nOur plot has exploded. The largest angelica has already passed three metres. It might have been taller but a windstorm last month left it stooped and leaning on braces. I've never known them to grow so tall. Rhubarb has been more abundant than ever, but the flavour is flaccid. We reluctantly discarded a few litres of rhubarb liqueur in favour of purchased local stalks. I must track down the farm and find out why theirs is better.\nNew in the garden so far this season, welsh onions. Billed as a perennial green onion, they are delicious: part onion green, part chive. I hope the partridges don't enjoy them as much as they did the shallot sprouts. Also new, salad burnet. With a vague physical resemblance to coriander and cucumber-peel flavour it will end up in many summer salads. Salad is never so fresh as picked for the table.\nParsnips harvested in mid-winter are wonderful. But what happens if you leave them into spring? Another question answered. They launch a metre of dense vertical foliage topped with seed heads. When I mentioned it at the pub a quick show of hands revealed three others had not only done the same but admitted it happened nearly every year. Dandelions scatter seeds prolifically, ground elder springs from the smallest scrap of root. The weeds in one corner of the garden are simply too beautiful to remove. Could I select plants that would juxtapose quite so harmoniously? Perhaps I will pull these later, but not just yet.\nWe've been potting strawberry runners again as we clear the ditches along the bed. In two bouts, we've deposited at least 50 plants outside the local pub with a \"free: take one or all\" sign. Both times, they were grabbed in an hour. We don't know where they went, but it's nice to know others will be enjoying Cambridge Favourites this summer, too.\nFellow allotment blog contributor Sparclear cautioned us about bird feeders attracting large birds. She also recommended we keep a source of rainwater for them. This quickly attracted the largest and most welcome birds yet: a pair of mallards who strolled the garden as a couple of tourists might wander around Bath or Stratford on Avon, before stopping for a drink and a foot soak.\nI've always loved the poppy's voluptuous blooms. We started these from seed five years ago and moved them with us from Ealing. This is the first flower, with nine more fat hairy green buds waiting in the wings.\nSome flowers are beloved for their colours, others for their shape. Solomon's Seal is in the latter category, transforming simple green and white into a nature's art. Cut fly larvae will soon hatch and swarm up the stems to defoliate each one, so we will enjoy them while we can.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5133664608001709}
{"content": "Draw-A-Person Test Draw-A-Person Test Used to measure nonverbal intelligence or to screen for emotional or behavioral disorders. Based on children's drawings of human figures, this test can be used with two different scoring systems for different purposes. One measures nonverbal intelligence while the other screens for emotional or behavioral disorders. Drawings obtained from a child during a single administration may be used with both systems. During the testing session, which can be completed in 15 minutes, the child is asked to draw three figures—a man, a woman, and him- or herself. Draw a Person:QSS (Quantitative Scoring System) assesses intellectual ability by analyzing 14 different aspects of the drawings, such as specific body parts and clothing, for various criteria, including presence or absence, detail, and proportion. In all, there are 64 scoring items for each drawing. A separate standard score is recorded for each one, and a total score for all three. The use of a nonverbal, nonthreatening task to evaluate intelligence is intended to eliminate possible sources of bias by reducing variables like primary language, verbal skills, communication disabilities, and sensitivity to working under pressure. However, test results can be influenced by previous drawing experience, a factor that may account for the tendency of middle-class children to score higher on this test than lower-class children, who often have fewer opportunities to draw. Draw a Person:SPED (Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance) uses the test's figure drawings as a means of identifying emotional problems. The scoring system is composed of two types of criteria. For the first type, eight dimensions of each drawing are evaluated against norms for the child's age group. For the second type, 47 different items are considered for each drawing.\nBooks Chandler, Louis A., and Virginia J. Johnson. Using Projective Techniques with Children: A Guide to Clinical Assessment. Springfield, IL: C.C. Thomas, 1991.\nMortensen, Karen Vibeke. Form and Content in Children's Human Figure Drawings: Development, Sex Differences, and Body Experience. New York: New York University Press, 1991.\nWortham, Sue Clark. Tests and Measurement in Early Childhood Education. Columbus: Merrill Publishing Co., 1990.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6800639629364014}
{"content": "Transcript for The Future of Energy Gases, segment 07 of 13 Deep gas comes from wells that pierce the crust to depths of over fifteen thousand feet. Some penetrate over five miles into the Earth. The extreme pressures at these depths require massive wellheads to contain their potentially destructive force. The searing heat of deep gases, sometimes more than three hundred degrees Centigrade, must be cooled before the gas can enter a pipeline. Hundreds of deep wells have been completed, and they've tapped large accumulations of natural gas, but they are difficult to drill and expensive to complete. Low prices for natural gas have slowed development, and the extent of the resource is unclear. At present we can't predict how much deep gas might be available, but its potential remains enticing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.893903911113739}
{"content": "SHARJAH // Regular safety checks could have avoided a fire caused by a leaking gas cylinder that injured a mother and two children.\nThe fire gutted a home in Sharjah at the weekend and caused first and second-degree burns to the Iraqi mother, 36, and her daughter, 12. A boy, 7, suffered minor burns to the head.\n\"The fire accident was caused due to the leakage of gas from the gas pipeline connected to the stove, leading to a huge gas explosion,\" said Col Mohamed Habib, of the Sharjah Police forensics laboratory. \"This would have been avoided if there were proper checks.\"\nCol Habib urged people using cylinders to ensure the integrity of the pipes regularly and properly close the cylinder after using it. Proper ventilation is also crucial.\nHe said gas leaks in homes was mainly caused when butane, a common cooking gas, combined with oxygen. If there was a spark, it could cause an explosion.\nPeople who think they have a leak should immediately disconnect the electricity from the mains power supply and shut the gas valves, Col Habib said.\nIf there are flames, they should use fire extinguishers until Civil Defence arrives and try to keep flammable materials away. They should also call 998 and give a detailed description of the fire.\nCapt Mansour Batti Al Shamsi, the director of the investigations department at Buhaira Corniche Police Station, said construction companies should adhere to safety standards, such as using only fire-resistant wood for kitchen doors.\nThey should also install fire detectors and alarms, and regularly ensure the extinguishers are filled.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.668947696685791}
{"content": "At the height of the country's socio-economic crisis, Zimbabwe lost the entire 2007 and part of the 2008 academic years as teachers and lecturers concentrated on meeting basic survival needs through alternative means. Unicef asserts 94% of rural schools, serving the majority of the population, were closed by 2009, with attendance plunging from over 80% to 20%.\nYears of serious underfunding have forced the country's tertiary institutions to operate under the principles of economic rationalism, rather than principles of education. In colleges and universities, students quality is secondary to ability to pay.\nNaturally, Zimbabweans are deeply concerned about declining academic standards at all levels of education and have questioned preferential college and university admissions and relaxed standards of curriculum, teaching, grading and marking.\nEducation minister David Coltart places the decline in quality of education on government's misplaced priorities.\n\"Zimbabwe's investment in education has drastically declined in the past two decades due to misplaced priorities and the sector still remains in a state of crisis,\" Coltart said. \"The inclusive government is spending three times more money on globetrotting compared to education and this has compromised the quality of education.\"\nPrivate colleges have mushroomed across the country's urban areas as proprietors seek to make a quick buck, raising fears that the colleges, once frequented by those who had initially failed their public exams, were compromising education standards. But Coltart dismissed the fears, saying the advent of private institutions had not compromised the quality of education because students still write the same examinations.\n\"It is the funding that is needed to maintain our standards,\" he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7087047696113586}
{"content": "Organizing People Activating Leaders (OPAL), an advocacy group for local low-income groups and community members of color, walked away from today's TriMet board meeting accomplished. Sort of.\nFollowing the regularly slated items on the meeting schedule, over 40 OPAL staff, affiliates and supportive transportation users presented and testified to the board, requesting one substantial change: a fair extension of transit transfer times. OPAL supporters also supplemented this request with a rally prior to the meeting outside of the Portland building.\nCurrently, TriMet passes allow holders to transfer to another bus or ride a return route one hour past the bus' \"destination point\" (around 1.5 to 2.5 hours). OPAL aims to extend that period to a cemented 3 hours, allowing passengers sufficient time to meet their transportation-dependent needs. Additionally, OPAL requested to extend transfer passes purchases past 7 p.m. through the end of the bus' evening service. For the past six months, OPAL has gathered a total of 6,000 petitions and spoke with a handful of transportation experts, TriMet staff members and community members to solidify their campaign.\nOPAL's prepared resolution aimed to create a group that would \"study and investigate the range of costs and benefits\" associated with their proposal and report back to the board next month. Today's extended meeting was the result of a special request made by OPAL to the board.\n\"I'm really glad to see TriMet make space for us today,\" said Joseph Santos-Lyons, OPAL Co-Director. \"This is definitely a step not only in our transfer issue, but in the board opening up to public communication.\"\nMarisa Espinoza, an OPAL volunteer, also saw the hearing a step in the right direction. \"It's about accountability. TriMet can affect different groups differently, and they need to know,\" she said. \"Having an open dialog with TriMet is so important.\"\nEspinoza went on to testify to the board that the truncated transfer times threaten her access to medical services, as she has a long-term illness. But, she said, Trimet didn't need to hear about it. \"You don't need to know each of our stories, it's beyond that,\" Espinoza said. \"The transfer policy just doesn't work, it's plain and simple.\"\nEspinoza was followed by a homeless community member who couldn't afford a pass to the shelter, a Kaiser Permanente doctor backing the medical threat paired with the transfer times, and a night-shift janitor who feels her work is threatened by the transfer costs. Halfway through, a man stood up to leave, announcing \"My transfer's about to expire, I better get out of here.\" The point was clear.\n\"People in your community are suffering and you can change that,\" OPAL's Crystal Wabnum concluded tearfully.\nThe board had a harder time presenting a response. Of course, money was a key issue. \"If we were in a different environment financially, we would be all over this,\" said board president Rick Van Beveren. \"If we knew that this could be economically neutral, it would help.\"\nHowever, Santos-Lyons said OPAL thinks it's likely that the transfer extension will cost TriMet nothing, as it requires no new development. Also, in tandem with Trimet's recent fare increase, Santos-Lyons said that this transfer extension could boost ridership, a financial plus.\nBoard member Steve Clark added that this issue was more than what OPAL presented. \"This conversation extends beyond the idea of 'transfer,'\" he said. \"This may not be enough to change our equality policy.\"\nAfter a short board discussion, a measure was passed — but was not exactly what OPAL had intended for. For now, the board is prepared to meet with OPAL staff members and transportation experts to discuss the next step, but with no quick turnaround, as OPAL had hoped. We'll see how fast these \"next steps\" will take.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7535977363586426}
{"content": "Rothbard on Money\nWhat Has Government Done to Our Money?\nby Murray Rothbard\nAvailable as a pdf from the Ludwig von Mises Institute\nRothbard reviews the historical rise of money, discusses how money would operate on a free market, and reviews the American history of monetary interventions.\nThis reading works well for two meetings. Suggested review questions follow. (Note: Page numbers refer to the 1990 edition.)\nReview Questions for Rothbard I: Through Page 54 (Parts I and II) 1. Does a voluntary exchange indicate an equality of value among the goods exchanged? (Page 16, \"The Value of Exchange\")\n2. How did money arise? (Pages 15-20, \"The Value of Exchange\" through \"Indirect Exchange\")\n3. What are the key limitations of barter? (Pages 16-17, \"Barter\")\n4. Why did gold and silver displace other commodities as money? (Pages 18-19, \"Indirect Exchange\")\n5. What is the significance of the fact that money is a commodity? (Pages 19-20, \"Indirect Exchange\")\n6. What economic advances does money facilitate? (Pages 20-21, \"Benefits of Money\")\n7. Originally, to what did the names of currencies refer? (Pages 22-24, \"The Monetary Unit\")\n8. Why does Rothbard endorse private coinage? (Pages 25-29, \"Private Coinage\")\n9. In Rothbard's view, what is the proper supply of money? (Pages 29-34, \"The 'Proper Supply of Money\")\n10. What is the consequence of an increase or decrease in the supply of money? (Pages 32-34, \"The 'Proper' Supply of Money\")\n11. Does hoarding of money on a free market present a problem? (Pages 35-39, \"The Problem of 'Hoarding'\")\n12. For what legitimate reasons do people increase or decrease their cash reserves? (Pages 35-36, \"The Problem of 'Hoarding'\")\n13. Why does Rothbard disapprove of the phrase \"circulation of money?\" (Page 37, \"The Problem of 'Hoarding'\")\n14. Should government promote stable prices? (Pages 39-40, \"Stabilize the Price Level?\")\n15. Can a free market accommodate more than one currency in the same region? (Pages 41-43, \"Coexisting Money\")\n16. How does a free market in money lead to the exchange of paper receipts, token coins, and checks? (Pages 43-46, \"Money-Warehouses\")\n17. What is Rothbard's case against fractional reserve banking? Is his case sound? (Pages 47-53, \"Money-Warehouses\")\nReview Questions for Rothbard II: Pages 55-111 (Parts III and IV) 1. What is the primary difference between the way private individuals and government acquire more goods and services? (Page 55, \"The Revenue of Government\")\n2. Why does Rothbard write, \"Counterfeiting is evidently but another name for inflation?\" (Page 56, \"The Revenue of Government\")\n3. How does counterfeiting (or inflation) transfer wealth from some to others? (Page 57, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n4. Which groups are most harmed by inflation? (Pages 57-58, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n5. What is the impact of inflation on business calculation? (Pages 58-59, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n6. How does inflation discourage \"sober effort,\" penalize thrift, and encourage debt? (How does this pertain to the modern housing crisis?) (Page 59, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n7. How can inflation morph into hyper-inflation? (Pages 59-60, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n8. How can inflation cause a business cycle? (Page 61, \"The Economic Effects of Inflation\")\n9. Before widescale banking and paper receipts for money, how did governments inflate the money supply? (Pages 61-64, \"Compulsory Monopoly of the Mint\" and \"Debasement\")\n10. What happens when a government attempts to impose \"bimetallism\" to control the exchange rate of commodity moneys? (Pages 64-67, \"Gresham's Law and Coinage\")\n11. How do legal tender laws act to further devalue the money supply? (Pages 67-68, \"Gresham's Law and Coinage\")\n12. How does granting banks the government privilege of \"suspension of specie payment\" contribute to inflation? (Pages 69-72, \"Permitting Banks to Refuse Payment\")\n13. How did central banking arise, and what did it do to the money supply? (Pages 72-76, \"Central Banking: Removing the Checks on Inflation\")\n14. By what mechanisms does the central bank inflate (or deflate) the money supply? (Pages 77-79, \"Central Banking: Directing the Inflation)\n15. Why do central banks go off the gold standard, and what is the result? (pages 79-84, \"Going off the Gold Standard\" and \"Fiat Money and the Gold Problem\")\n16. How does central banking interfere with international trade? (Pages 84-87, \"Fiat Money and Gresham's Law\")\n17. What were the basic steps in the U.S. government's monetary policy over the last two centuries? (Pages 90-111, Part IV)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5047916173934937}
{"content": "Going to school is a milestone in the lives of children. They enjoy the independence it brings and the excitement of new experiences and relationships. For some kids school is scary and they may or may not share their concerns, such as fear of separation, social anxiety, and making academic choices openly with their parents – sometimes they are not even aware of being fearful.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7670555710792542}
{"content": "I've had a bad hair day for about five years now, or has it been more like ten? Regardless of how long, the fact of the matter is that my hair is noticeably thinner and I'm not liking it.\nLupus requires my taking a cocktail of medications that include Methotrexate, Plaquenil along with Prednisone and cortisone injections on and off for as long as I can remember. Those combined with the reality that I'm in full blown menopause and my stress level has been through the roof with the sad passing of my step-father 4 months ago, and, well, it's clear my hair is paying the price.\nFor the record, I'm 53 years old with dark brown hair but do\nnot color my hair yet-- Because I only have 17 gray hairs, and yes, I've counted them. Despite my older and younger sisters all requiring the assistance of Miss Clairol, I'm still far from the monthly hair color ritual (knock wood). So,that's not contributing in any way to my hair falling out. Phew.It is my understanding that on average a person loses 50-100 hairs per day. I'm waaaay past that level so my Rheumatologist and I discussed the state of affairs-- Overall, my lupus symptoms (fatigue, joint swelling, shortness of breath) are cutting me a break in the past several weeks except for the alarming amount of hair on my pillow, in the sink and on my brush. I prefer not to rock the boat by changing any of my meds so a more natural approach was my chief topic of conversation.\nBiotin, specifically Vitamin B7, was the suggestion. I stopped at the pharmacy on my way home and asked the Pharmacist which brand was best and of course he recommended the store's brand. I bought a bottle and started taking one small table a day.\nThree weeks later I can't say I actually see a difference in my hair.... yet-- But I'm hoping I will. I have, however, seen a significant improvement in my finger nails-- They're growing like crazy and are stronger too.\nUntil next time...\nJoanna J. aka Lemon-Aid\nPhoto Credit: © .shock - Fotolia.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6646541953086853}
{"content": "young runaways Documents the Reach model which has been developed by Railway Children to provide services for young people before, during and after episodes of running away. The concept of the Reach model was developed from previous research funded by Railway Children that evidenced a lack of support for young people who run away from home or care.\nEarly findings from the Children's Society's third national survey of young runaways, 2011.\nThe main aims of the survey were: 1. To provide up-to-date findings on rates and experiences of running away comparable with the two previous surveys conducted in 1999 and 2005 2. To provide new insights into the links between running away and other aspects of children’s lives, through the exploration of issues not covered in previous surveys, such as family change and subjective well-being.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8881320357322693}
{"content": "Do Exclusionary Rules Convict the Innocent? Rules excluding various kinds of evidence from criminal trials play a prominent role in criminal procedure, and have generated considerable controversy. In this paper, we address the general topic of excluding factually relevant evidence, that is, the kind of evidence that would rationally influence the jury’s verdict if it were admitted. We do not offer a comprehensive analysis of these exclusionary rules, but add to the existing literature by identifying a new domain for economic analysis, focusing on how juries respond to the existence of such a rule. We show that the impact of exclusionary rules on the likelihood of conviction is complex and depends on the degree of rationality exhibited by juries and on the motivations of the prosecutor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7592324018478394}
{"content": "Previous research has advocated that plyometric training improves endurance performance. However, a consequence of such a training is the immediate and prolonged appearance of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). This study examined whether a single bout of plyometric exercise, designed to elicit muscle damage, affected cycling endurance performance. Seventeen participants were randomly assigned to either a muscle damage (n = 7 men, 1 woman) or nonmuscle damage (n = 8 men, 1 woman) group. Before and at 48 hours, participants were measured for perceived muscle soreness, peak isokinetic strength, and physiological, metabolic, and perceptual responses during 5-minute submaximal cycling at ventilatory threshold (VT) and a 15-minute time trial. Perceived muscle soreness and isokinetic strength (p < 0.05) were significantly altered in the muscle damage group after EIMD. No changes in heart rate or blood lactate were evident during submaximal exercise (p > 0.05). However, VO2, V(E), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) values were increased at VT in the muscle damage group at 48 hours after EIMD (p < 0.05). During the time trial, mean power output, distance covered, and VO2 were lower in the muscle damage group at 48 hours after EIMD (p < 0.05). However, there was no change in RPE (p > 0.05), suggesting effort perception was unchanged during time-trial performance after EIMD. In conclusion, individuals using concurrent plyometric and endurance training programs to improve endurance performance should be aware of the acute impact of muscle-damaging exercise on subsequent cycling performance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9801450967788696}
{"content": "The free press is a cornerstone of democracy. People have a need to know. Journalists have a right to tell. A free Press, at its best, reveals the truth. – The Newseum, Washington, DC\nExperimentation and Evolution in Private U.S. Funding of Media Development In this report, Anne Nelson, a former journalist now teaching at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, examines recent trends in private U.S. funding of media development projects around the world. While U.S. foundations have long funded both “media development” and “media for development” programs, recent political and economic trends have shifted the balance in favor of the latter. In addition, the recent economic crisis, which has exacerbated the precarious condition of journalism in the United States, has led to retrenchment among many U.S. donor organizations.\nThe report recommends that foundations continue their consultative processes and explore new avenues for media development. New foundations should be included in these discussions to stimulate ideas, and U.S. foundations and implementers should try harder to think beyond their cultural context to include more new media technologies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5073503851890564}
{"content": "Citation:Verdonck MC, Ryan S (2008) Mainstream technology as anoccupational therapy tool: technophobe or technogeek? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(6), 253-256.\nAbstract:\nOccupational therapists need to embrace the use of mainstream technology in their quest to ensure that therapy remains current and meaningful to their clients. Technology can be useful to improve both functional independence and occupational performance. This opinion piece introduces how occupational therapists can apply mainstream technologies, including information and communication technologies such as the internet, computer software, portable devices and computer games, in their everyday interventions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.810020923614502}
{"content": "Kondor, Peter (2004)The more we know, the less we agree: public announcements and higher-order expectations. Discussion paper, 532. Financial Markets Group, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.\nPDFDownload (397Kb) | Preview\nAbstract The stylized fact that public announcements in financial markets are followed by intense trading, high trading volume and volatile prices, is widely perceived as the sign of increasing disagreement due to the announcement. However, it is common to argue that this would be inconsistent with Bayesian-learning and common priors. In this paper, we not only show that — with certain information structures — increasing disagreement is possible in a Bayesian model, but we also argue that with the assumption that traders trade for resale — so they try to second guess future traders’ guesses — there are information structures which are simple, intuitive and plausible and result in increasing disagreement even in a standard, multi-period Grossman—Stiglitz model.\nActions (login required) Record administration - authorised staff only", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9808934926986694}
{"content": "Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times.\nHiwassee Water Co-op Benton, Tennessee . Serves 1,014 people.\nNo data was available for this system.\nUnits: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997865557670593}
{"content": "Image from iyogalife.com\nOne of my favorite yoga workshops I've ever taken was with Iyengar teacher Patricia Walden a few years ago. It was all about poses that help build self confidence -- something I could certainly stand to have more of lately!\nShe explained that when she started practicing yoga she was shy and introverted, but practicing certain poses gave her the confidence she needed to come out of her shell. (You can see some of the poses here, but the story is so short, it doesn't really do the workshop justice! Plus, I KNOW there was a Handstand and Crow in there somewhere.) Obviously, it worked for her because now she's one of the most respected teachers in the United States, and she speaks in front of thousands (maybe even millions) of people a year. She doesn't even seem nervous.\nI can relate to her story because I've noticed that the more I practice, the more confident I feel in my abilities, too. I think this is why I'm such an arm balancing fool! I'm the girl who used to have such lacking upper body strength it was a struggle to overhand serve a volleyball in high school. But now I can balance all of my body weight. And I don't even fall on my face... usually!\nThis practice is both uplifting and humbling at the same time. One minute you're rocking a pose, feeling like you could fly. The next second your balance shifts, and you crash into the floor. In a split second you come back to earth--and back to reality. It's like the practice was designed to show you your strengths, but remind you that you're human and make mistakes, too. It's a balance--a dance--that builds a cool confidence, but with humility and the understanding that we all make mistakes. Without the mistakes, there would be no success. It's a valuable lesson I've taken with me off the mat and into my life.\nHave you noticed your confidence increase since you began your yoga practice? Which poses make you feel like you can conquer the world?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6538220643997192}
{"content": "MSHA’s Evolving Authority\nBy Laura E. Beverage and Christopher G. Peterson\nIn last month’s Rock Law column, a Jackson Kelly associate discussed how the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission’s decision in Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC, et al. signaled a departure from the long held notion that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) lacked authority to obtain documents not required to be maintained under the Mine Act in the context of the Part 50 audit. However, this is not the final word in the discussion regarding the scope of MSHA’s access to documents. In Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC, et al., the Review Commission emphasized that any document request must be reasonable, and the information sought must be relevant and necessary to a legitimate agency purpose. Thus, once a document request is made, an operator could be subjected to enforcement actions and significant penalty potential when challenging the relevance and scope of any request before a Review Commission ALJ and the Review Commission.\nHowever, even a legal challenge to MSHA’s document request authority may meet with limited success as the discussion of § 103(h) extends to areas not addressed in the Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC decision. For example, in Hopkins County Coal, LLC v. Secretary of Labor, 2012 WL 1564568 (ALJ Barbour April 2012), MSHA investigated a § 105(c) discrimination complaint which made no specific claims of protected activity. The MSHA special investigator asked for a number of documents from the operator, including documented hazards (whether or not included in the required record books), employee handbook editions for five years, all personnel files of disciplined or terminated employees for a period of five years, and all documents relied upon by the operator in its decision to terminate the individual.\nOnce a document request is made, an operator could be subjected to enforcement actions and significant penalty potential when challenging the relevance and scope of any request.\nThe operator’s legal counsel repeatedly sought clarification as to how the miner complaint stated a viable claim under the Mine Act and how the complaint was related to any of the requested documents. Ultimately, the operator provided those records required to be maintained under the Mine Act, but refused to provide the personnel files. MSHA issued a citation alleging violation of § 103(a) of the Mine Act for impeding the inspection, followed by a § 104(b) failure to abate order, citing authority under § 103(h) of the Mine Act which MSHA argued gave them access to the personnel records. The Secretary noted that she also had the option to seek an injunction under § 108 for failure to provide the documents, but that she opted for the failure to abate order.\nThe operator argued before the ALJ that the personnel files are protected by the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure and would not be released without specific releases from the employees whose files were requested. The operator also argued that the requests were overbroad and unduly burdensome in that they encompassed a five-year period. The Secretary claimed that the operator bears the burden of showing that her investigative authority was exceeded under §§ 103(a) and (h).\nThe ALJ noted that warrants were not required for administrative searches made pursuant to the Mine Act [Donovan v. Dewey, 452 U.S. 594, 604 (1981)]. Hence, he found that a warrant was not required for production of the documents, and the operator had no privacy rights in the personnel files. The ALJ found that MSHA’s purpose of promoting miner safety outweighed any potential privacy interest a miner or mine operator had in the personnel files. Moreover, the ALJ found that the operator had no standing to assert privacy rights of the employees who were not a party to the proceeding.\nThe ALJ found that in § 103(h) Congress clearly intended for the Secretary to have access to more than just those files required to be kept under the Mine Act by requiring the operator to “provide such information as the Secretary . . . may reasonably require from time to time to enable [her] to perform [her] functions under this Act.” One such function, the ALJ found, is the investigation of discrimination claims made by miners to determine whether there has been a violation of the Act. The ALJ decided that, where the Secretary’s function is the evaluation of a discrimination claim, information that is relevant to assessing the merits of that claim, including evidence of protected activity, adverse action, or discriminatory intent, may be “reasonably required.”\nThe ALJ concluded that the Secretary was entitled to the requested personnel files and that the operator interfered with MSHA’s investigation when it refused to provide the files. The ALJ noted that the operator had the ability to redact those portions of the records that were sensitive. This case is pending before the Review Commission on the operator’s petition for discretionary review.\nIt is noteworthy that an MSHA investigator may or may not accept redactions, and this concept of privacy is one frequently subject to protective orders negotiated or ruled upon in the discovery process in litigation, not in the field during an inspection. Moreover, MSHA cannot guarantee the ultimate non-disclosure of records obtained during an investigation if a Freedom of Information Act request is made of the government file by any person.\nThe ALJ found that a warrant was not required for the production of the documents, and the operator had no privacy rights in the personnel files.\nHowever, the scope of MSHA’s authority to obtain documents and information not required to be maintained under the Mine Act may become a moot question as advocates for proposed new mine safety legislation have repeatedly requested subpoena authority to bolster MSHA’s inspection and investigation power. As Commissioner Duffy noted in his dissent in Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC, one of the problems MSHA has with its current “ad hoc” approach to document and information requests is that, without notice, the opportunity to comment, and a structured protocol applicable to all operators, the tactic of seeking non-required records by individualized letter requests violates due process rights. In any new mine safety legislation, Congress could very well take note of Commissioner Duffy’s dissent and mirror the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s subpoena power and the safeguards inherent in its subpoena process, such as requiring the agency to consider relevance, scope, and authority, while also affording an operator the ability to move to quash in a readily provided forum — without being subjected to enforcement actions and penalties.\nMORE FROM Articles SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW BLOG Former gravel quarry-turned-landfill transforms into nature reserve522 Views North Carolina grants Martin Marietta water quality certification for limestone quarry258 Views Vulcan-blocking bill dies in Alabama legislature251 Views Road restrictions may stop quarry construction in Kentucky221 Views Two suspects charged with arson in Jack’s Mountain Quarry case in Virginia128 Views", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5738521218299866}
{"content": "Dawsonville water and sewer customers could see a slight rate increase in the coming months.\nAccording to a study presented Monday night by engineer Ben Turnipseed, the city \"needs to adjust water and sewer rates\" to \"meet revenue needs.\"\n\"The existing rate structure ... does not cover the cost of service,\" he said, citing changes in the economy, particularly fewer tap fees from construction that previously had helped support costs.\nMayor James Grogan said the city trails other municipal utility providers by not addressing water and sewer rates on an annual basis.\n\"We've actually gotten behind in the last four to five years,\" he said.\n\"We fell behind when everybody else might have been moving up. We just stayed where we were at. That's the reason for doing this at this time.\"\nThe city's last sewer rate increase was in 2006. For water, it was in 2008.\nTurnipseed recommended at least a 15 percent increase, which would mean water rates for residential customers using less than 1,500 gallons each month would go from about $15 to $17.25 per month.\nThe rate for customers averaging 1,500 to 5,000 gallons monthly would increase from nearly $21 to about $24.50.\nHe suggested a similar rate increase for sewer services.\nThe proposed increase would generate a projected $239,562 in revenue annually.\nThe council took no action on the matter, but plans to revisit the issue in the coming months.\nGrogan also suggested staff review the city's bond payments to see if savings could be achieved by refinancing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8966835737228394}
{"content": "Educational First Steps has long served economically disadvantaged children through mentoring and training teachers and directors in the child care centers they attend every day. By guiding child care centers along the journey toward national accreditation, EFS has helped thousands of children become Kindergarten ready students, prepared for success in pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and social-emotional skills.\nRecently, EFS has revised its program, resulting in Four Steps to Excellence 2.0, a more strategic, streamlined and efficient process. This program accelerates the achievement of accreditation to forty months, increasing accountability and quality standards for teachers and directors. The inaugural centers for the program are Southern Crest Day Care, Handprints Child Care, Little Rascals Child Development Center and The Mother's Heart Learning Center, all located in Dallas. These centers will benefit from guidance through three levels of competency, supported by a structured, tailored mentoring process through EFS in the Community, training far beyond minimum standard requirements through EFS Academy, regular assessments by EFS quality assurance staff, heightened enrichment opportunities and developmentally appropriate materials and furnishings.\nThese pilot centers initiate an era of heightened benefits to children through the EFS model. As these centers achieve accreditation with great quality and efficiency, new centers will be enrolled in the process and the positive effects will multiply exponentially.\nEducational First Steps is a non-profit organization improving the quality and availability of early childhood education for economically disadvantaged children, by helping create nationally accredited early learning centers in neighborhoods that need them the most. Today, EFS assists almost 100 child care centers and over 5,000 children in Dallas and Tarrant Counties through an on-site, community based model of structured teacher training and classroom mentoring.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5931943655014038}
{"content": "U. Schmidt, C. Rother, S. Nowozin, J. Jancsary and S. Roth (project page)\nNon-blind deblurring is an integral component of blind approaches for removing image blur due to camera shake. Even though learning-based deblurring methods exist, they have been limited to the generative case and are computationally expensive. To this date, manually-defined models are thus most widely used, though limiting the attained restoration quality. We address this gap by proposing a discriminative approach for non-blind deblurring. One key challenge is that the blur kernel in use at test time is not known in advance. To address this, we analyze existing approaches that use half-quadratic regularization. From this analysis, we derive a discriminative model cascade for image deblurring. Our cascade model consists of a Gaussian CRF at each stage, based on the recently introduced regression tree fields. We train our model by loss minimization and use synthetically generated blur kernels to generate training data. Our experiments show that the proposed approach is efficient and yields state-of-the-art restoration quality on images corrupted with synthetic and real blur.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7651492357254028}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) is a fatal disorder threatening domesticated and wild psittacine birds worldwide. It is characterized by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the ganglia of the central and peripheral nervous system, leading to central nervous system disorders as well as disordered enteric motility and associated wasting. For almost 40 years, a viral etiology for PDD has been suspected, but to date no candidate etiologic agent has been reproducibly linked to the disease.\nRESULTS: Analysis of 2 PDD case-control series collected independently on different continents using a pan-viral microarray revealed a bornavirus hybridization signature in 62.5% of the PDD cases (5/8) and none of the controls (0/8). Ultra high throughput sequencing was utilized to recover the complete viral genome sequence from one of the virus-positive PDD cases. This revealed a bornavirus-like genome organization for this agent with a high degree of sequence divergence from all prior bornavirus isolates. We propose the name avian bornavirus (ABV) for this agent. Further specific ABV PCR analysis of an additional set of independently collected PDD cases and controls yielded a significant difference in ABV detection rate among PDD cases (71%, n = 7) compared to controls (0%, n = 14) (P = 0.01; Fisher's Exact Test). Partial sequence analysis of a total of 16 ABV isolates we have now recovered from these and an additional set of cases reveals at least 5 distinct ABV genetic subgroups.\nCONCLUSION: These studies clearly demonstrate the existence of an avian reservoir of remarkably diverse bornaviruses and provide a compelling candidate in the search for an etiologic agent of PDD.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5821489095687866}
{"content": "FIRO – for the motivations behind behaviour FIRO is a personality test which enables individuals to understand the motivations behind their behaviour. It reveals mismatches between the behaviours expressed and those individuals want to receive back. FIRO provides powerful insights for improving communication, leadership, planning, decision-making and managing conflict or change.\ntake FIRO online You can complete FIRO online. Allow 15 minutes for this and please let us have your email address and telephone number so you can receive an hour of confidential telephone interpretation and feedback for £149 plus vat.\nteam development Describe team behaviours and the compatibility of individuals working in teams. Areas of harmony and conflict – both competitive and apathetic – can be explained in a manner which promotes mutual understanding and more effective team-working.\nleadership development Insights are provided into leadership styles and levels of visibility within an organisation. These are especially important if the leader needs to persuade and influence others. FIRO provides a focus for both leadership development and personal growth.\nconflict resolution Uncover sources of compatibility or tension. Troubleshoot relationships by discovering individual needs, wants and behaviours. Understand their impact on others to help resolve conflict.\ncoaching FIRO increases self-awareness and helps resolve issues around management style, team dynamics, relationships and culture, making it perfect for coaching.\nAssociation for Coaching A wide range of coaching experience is recognised by membership of the Association for Coaching.\nBritish Psychological Society Our British Psychological Society accreditation enables is to draw on a variety of personality tests and ability tests in our coaching programs.\nFIRO-B is a registered trade mark of CPP Inc.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7759295105934143}
{"content": "100+ Ways to Conserve\n#01 - There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.\n#02 - When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.\n#03 - Some refrigerators, air conditioners and ice-makers are cooled with wasted flows of water. Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings.\n#04 - Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.\n#05 - Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.\nFor more tips, please visit www.wateruseitwisely.com 100 Ways to Conserve", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8774223923683167}
{"content": "While the healthcare decision is making more headlines, the Court’s decision limiting Arizona’s immigration enforcement statute (here) is also important, and will inform the immigration debate. While the broader effects of this Court decision remain uncertain, employers need to stay tuned as their role in immigration enforcement is debated and defined.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000100135803223}
{"content": "Zusatzinfos Hauptbeschreibung The evolution of educational technology has seen a shift from hardware and software to tactics and techniques, as the 2010 edition of the Educational Media and Technology Yearbook makes abundantly clear. As in previous years, it offers the reader a snapshot of the moment and a look ahead to issues most likely to shape the immediate future-an array as varied as the use of social networking sites in learning, new collaborations between media specialists and non-teaching school personnel, and the emerging discipline of Human Performance Technology. Here are ideas that are not only intellectually intriguing but also practical and practice-building, inspiring educators using computer technology to move beyond traditional teaching roles toward learning design. Included in the 2010 Yearbook: Salient issues in learning, design, and technology, such as the critical part school leadership plays in instructors' acceptance or rejection of technology, New trends in library and information science, including the role of school library media centers in preventing cyberbullying, This year's leadership profiles: Jerrold Kemp, author of Designing Effective Instruction; W. Michael Reed, accomplished, dedicated, and recognized educator in instructional technology, A worldwide directory of current professional associations and organizations in learning design, technology, information, and library science, Up-to-date listings of graduate program in these fields, rated using a variety of criteria, Special mediagraphy section featuring journals, ERIC documents, and media-related publications in specialized areas, including distance education, simulation/virtual reality, artificial intelligence, special education, and professional development. Academics in learning design and technology, and information and library science will welcome the latest edition of the Educational Media and Technology Yearbook as a reference, idea book, and a panoramic study of where we are now.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5453641414642334}
{"content": "Research output: Contribution to journal › Article\nDivisions in the Scottish political community that were evident by the end of the reign of James VI have been posited as roots of the Scottish revolution of 1638 and the wars of the three kingdoms. This article argues that the disengagement of central government from the political nation at large was a key factor in this development. By demonstrating the frequency of conventions of the estates, it highlights the intensity of consultation in James's Scottish government before 1603. A sudden decline in their frequency thereafter was symptomatic of a wider failure of government to adapt to the absence of the king in the context of a composite monarchy. While correspondence between the king and the privy council was copious, communication between the council and the political elites of Scotland withered. Without conventions of the estates as a vital point of contact in which new policies could be tested and negotiated, parliaments became more disagreeable. The crown's reliance on unprecedented levels of management and increased central direction alienated a significant proportion of the political elite, driving them into the oppositional stance which endured through the reign of Charles I.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8161420822143555}
{"content": "The solute carrier family 13 member 5 (SLC13A5) is a newly identified sodium-coupled transporter that mediates the cellular uptake of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediate citrate, which plays an important role in the synthesis of fatty acid and energy homeostasis. Recently, the nuclear receptors constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR), initially characterized as xenobiotic sensors, have been functionally linked to the regulation of various physiological processes that associated with lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. Here, we show that SLC13A5 is robustly up-regulated by the prototypical CAR activator phenobarbital (PB) and PXR activator rifampicin (RIF) in human primary hepatocytes (HPHs). Two distal enhancer modules located upstream of the\nSLC13A5 gene transcription start site are identified and postulated as the key elements governing the induction of SLC13A5. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, these elements demonstrated strong binding to PXR/CAR proteins in the presence of their heterodimer partner, retinoid X receptor. Cell-based reporter assays in HepG2 cells and HPHs further showed that SLC13A5 reporter construct, containing both elements could be transactivated by CAR and PXR upon exposure to PB and RIF, respectively. Moreover, our chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assays in HPHs showed that after PB and RIF exposure, significantly increased amounts CAR and PXR proteins were recruited to these distal enhancers. Together, our results clearly indicate that CAR and PXR are crucial for chemical-mediated induction of theSLC13A5 gene, and the regulation network of CAR/PXR-SLC13A5 may contribute to the overall energy homeostasis under metabolic and chemical stresses.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5857839584350586}
{"content": "And I quote: “Lee could have protected himself from liability only by stationing a guard upon the premises to insure that neither Rider, nor anyone else entered upon the inherently dangerous worksite.” A guard? Complete with a shack and taser? Is that the rule? Let me explain.\nThe facts…\nOn December 6, 2010, in Rider v. McCammert , the Indiana Court of Appeals addressed the duties owed by both a general contractor and an independent subcontractor to the purchaser of a home when she visited the construction site, without permission, and suffered serious injuries.\nThe purchaser, Rider, entered into a contract to buy a house from a general contractor. The general was also the landowner, as possession would be transferred at closing. The general hired Lee, a sub, to perform most of the labor. Importantly, the contract required that any visitor needed permission from the general or the real estate agent to enter the premises.\nAlthough Rider obtained permission once, she visited 30-35 other times without anyone’s permission. On the ill-fated visit in question, Lee and his crew were working on the deck. When rain set in, they split from the site for an early lunch, leaving an unfinished deck. Rider subsequently arrived, leaned on the unattached railing, fell, and suffered severe injuries. Lee and his crew returned, discovered the incident, and nonetheless, finished the deck.\nThe majority’s view…\nRider filed a complaint for negligence against the general and sub. The court first addressed the liability of the general. As a threshold issue, the court noted that since the general still owned the property and was in possession, its duties are judged based on its status as the landowner. The court ultimately relied on the fact that the general/landowner was neither in actual possession or control of the deck when the accident occurred nor was in control of the premises because he did not perform any actual work. Since the sub did all of the immediate work, Rider’s negligence claim against the general failed.\nThe court next addressed the sub’s liability. Since the independent contractor had worked on the deck right before the incident and a short time after, the court first held that it was in control for purposes of establishing a duty to Rider. The court then held that the sub’s liability was dependant on whether Rider was rightfully on the premises or whether it was foreseeable that she would visit and be harmed. Although there were unanswered questions of fact, foreseeability was the key issue.\nThe dissent…\nOne judge disagreed with the majority’s analysis of the sub’s liability. The judge noted that the construction process is fraught with peril and involves many inherent dangers. To him, the key fact was that the contract required permission to enter. End of story. She didn’t follow the protocol and the sub was not present when the injury occurred. Therefore, it was not foreseeable that she would be there. The dissent felt the issue is more properly the risk incurred by Rider in entering a dangerous site, rather than the duty owed. The dissent stated that the majority’s view “places an impossible burden on contractors” and added the statement I initially quoted.\nThe moral…\nDon’t wander around dangerous construction sites. Everyone loves watching their dream house as it’s built. However, I think everyone also loves actually moving into that dream home. Take the time to follow the procedure specified in the contract when you want to visit. Despite the dissent’s strong rhetoric, the majority is the law. Thus, if you are in control of the construction, and it is foreseeable that a homeowner (or similar party) will come on the site, take the necessary precautions. (consult a qualified attorney for such precautions). Kudos to the sub for finishing the deck.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5445830225944519}
{"content": "Hormel (HRL), the maker of SPAM, is a leading supplier of pork, turkey, and beef products. In fiscal 2008, 53.5% of sales consisted of perishable meats, 19.2% of poultry (primarily turkey), 17.1% of shelf-stable foods, and 10.2% of other products including nutritional supplements, sweeteners, and seasonings.\nThe Refrigerated Foods segment generated 53% of fiscal Q1 2009 sales. It provides branded and unbranded fresh and frozen pork and beef products, which are available raw, marinated, or precooked.\nIn addition to Hormel brand products, it sells Lloyd’s Barbecue meats, Farmer John pork products, and Dan’s Prize beef products. Customers include grocery retailers and foodservice operators such as restaurants and delicatessens.\nThe Jennie-O Turkey Store (JOTS) segment produced 18% of sales. It offers branded and unbranded fresh and frozen turkey products for retail and foodservice customers. Products include fresh ground turkey, deli-sliced sandwich meat, turkey franks, and oven ready whole turkeys.\nThe Grocery Products segment accounted for 14% of sales. It consists of a variety of branded, shelf-stable foods found in the center isles of grocery stores. These include SPAM, Hormel chili, Hormel Compleats microwaveable meals, Dinty Moore stews, CHI-CHI’S and Herdez Mexican food products,Valley Fresh chicken products, Stagg chili, and Not-So-Sloppy-Joe sauce. The Specialty Foods segment, which was responsible for 11% of sales, includes sugar, sugar substitutes, salt, pepper, dessert mixes, drinks, and nutritional foods and supplements. Brands include Diamond Crystal, Century Foods International, and Hormel Specialty Products. It also supplies private label canned meats to retail and foodservice customers.\nOther sales consist of HRL’s products sold in international regions, including Australia, Canada, China, England, Japan, Mexico, and Micronesia. This represented 4% of sales.\nThanks to the recession, consumers are preparing more meals at home. Hormel benefited from this trend as net sales in fiscal 2008 climbed 9.1% to $6.75 billion.\nHowever, the gross profit margin shrank 31 basis points to 22.53% due to higher costs for feed and energy and an oversupply of turkey. The operating profit margin declined 21 basis points to 7.6%. Net income fell 5.4% to $285.5 million or $2.08 per share. Net sales in fiscal Q1 2009 climbed 4.2% year-over-year to $1.69 billion. Higher costs pressured the gross and operating profit margins by 193 and 163 basis points, respectively, to 16.12% and 7.68%. Net income declined 7.7% to $81.4 million or 60 cents per share.\nSignificant investment risks include higher hog, feed, and energy costs and an oversupply of turkey. Swine flu also poses a challenge. While there is no evidence that consumers can contract the disease by eating pork, they may decide to avoid pork products anyway. Indeed, China and Russia have already banned certain pork imports. However, swine flu fears may boost sales of HRL’s non-pork products.\nManagement is forecasting a 3-8% increase in earnings per share for fiscal 2009. Longer-term growth prospects are also promising. Management estimates that products introduced since 2000 could generate $2 billion in annual sales by 2012. The stock offers a steadily increasing dividend that yields 2.4%.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6296405792236328}
{"content": "Preschool Data Abbott Preschool In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court mandated full-day, high quality preschool programs for all three- and four-year-old children in Abbott school districts. ELC has carefully monitored State and district progress in meeting the Abbott program goal of universal enrollment of all children in the Abbott districts and the regulatory target of enrolling 90% of the eligible universe of children in each community. For more detailed information, see the ELC publication The Abbott Preschool Program: A 10-year Progress Report.\nNon-Abbott Preschool The State also provides funding for preschool programs in districts that do not meet the eligibility criteria of an Abbott district. The Early Childhood Program Aid (ECPA), part of the Comprehensive Education Improvement Finance Act (CEIFA) of 1996, is a categorical aid program for low-income districts to provide full-day kindergarten and preschool classes for all four-year-old children. Approximately 100 non-Abbott districts receive this funding. In 2004 the State began a competetive grant program, the Early Launch to Learning Initiative (ELLI), to expand preschool to four-year-olds across New Jersey. All non-Abbott districts were eligible to receive partial funding for low-income students to support, expand, or enhance preschool programs. These programs are not required to meet many of the standards required of Abbott preschool.\nPreschool Expansion In 2008, the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) mandated the expansion of high-quality preschool to low-income children across the state. Under the SFRA, universal districts - those in District Factor Group A & B or CD with over 40% low-income students - are required to provide preschool to all three- and four-year-olds, while targeted districts are required to provide preschool to low-income children only. Approximately 30,000 more students are eligible for preschool services under this plan. However, implementation of the program has been delayed by the State's budget difficulties.\nThe following interactive report presents preschool enrollment data for Abbott and non-Abbott districts from 1999-2000 to the present.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8419297337532043}
{"content": "[SOE LETTERHEAD]\nJanuary 3, 2003\nThe Honorable John T. Conway\nChairman\nDefense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board\n625 Indiana Avenue, NW\nSuite 700\nWashington, DC 20004-2901\nDear Mr. Chairman:\nThank you for your letter endorsing the\nfindings and recommendations of the Department of Energy (DOE) Commission on\nFire Safety and Preparedness.\nThe Commission, in its final report of May\n28, 2002, noted both strengths and weaknesses in the Departmentís fire\nprotection programs and recommended actions to improve fire safety across the\ncomplex.† You requested a response that\noutlines the specific actions that DOE will take to implement the\nrecommendations of the Commission.†\nEnclosed is an Action Plan that responds to your request.\n†\nAs you know, shortly after the Commissionís\nfinal report, I issued a directive to DOE senior management to address the\nthreat from wildland fires; actions required as part of this directive are\ncomplete.\nI have assigned Ms. Beverly A. Cook,\nAssistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health, the responsibility for\nmanaging the completion of the actions contained in the Action Plan and to\nimplement changes to address the remaining fire safety recommendations that\nwere identified by the Commission.†\nPlease note that some of our planned actions are intended to address\nbroader issues within the realm of safety management.† We plan to keep the Board and its technical staff informed about\nour efforts to meet our commitments.† If\nyou have any questions, please contact Ms. Cook at (202) 586-6151.\ncc:\nM. Whitaker, S-3.1", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6587406992912292}
{"content": "Merriman does not include a specific allocation to gold in our standard portfolios. This article, by Bryan Harris of Dimensional Fund Advisors, discusses why gold has not been an ideal long-term investment. It includes the following key concepts:\nGold has done well since the year 2000 and in the 1970s, and can potentially be a safe haven during times of political and economic stress. However, for the entire period of 1971 – 2011 gold performed worse than the S&P 500, U.S. small-cap stocks and non-U.S. stocks on an inflation-adjusted basis. From 1980 – 1999, gold experienced a negative return after inflation of -6.5%, vs. strong positive returns for stocks. While gold has held its value against long-term inflation, there have been extensive periods when gold did worse than inflation. Gold is also much more volatile than inflation, and can add substantial volatility to a portfolio. Unlike stocks, which are productive assets which generate growing levels of income and dividends over time, gold has no cash flow and costs money to own. For more detail and some illuminating graphs, please see the article.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6198848485946655}
{"content": "Identifying specific language impairment in deaf children acquiring British Sign Language: Implications for theory and practice This paper presents the first ever group study of specific language impairment (SLI) in users of sign language. A group of 50 children were referred to the study by teachers and speech and language therapists. Individuals who fitted pre-determined criteria for SLI were then systematically assessed. Here, we describe in detail the performance of 13 signing deaf children aged 5-14 years on normed tests of British Sign Language (BSL) sentence comprehension, repetition of nonsense signs, expressive grammar and narrative skills, alongside tests of non-verbal intelligence and fine motor control. Results show these children to have a significant language delay compared to their peers matched for age and language experience. This impaired development cannot be explained by poor exposure to BSL, or by lower general cognitive, social, or motor abilities. As is the case for SLI in spoken languages, we find heterogeneity within the group in terms of which aspects of language are affected and the severity of the impairment. We discuss the implications of the existence of language impairments in a sign language for theories of SLI and clinical practice.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7248915433883667}
{"content": "ellisweismer{at}wisc.edu\nThis study used neuroimaging and behavioral techniques to examine the claim that processing capacity limitations underlie specific language impairment (SLI). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate verbal working memory in adolescents with SLI and normal language (NL) controls. The experimental task involved a modified listening span measure that included sentence encoding and recognition of final words in prior sets of sentences. The SLI group performed significantly poorer than the NL group for both encoding and recognition and displayed slower reaction times for correct responses on high complexity encoding items. fMRI results revealed that the SLI group exhibited significant hypoactivation during encoding in regions that have been implicated in attentional and memory processes, as well as hypoactivation during recognition in regions associated with language processing. Correlational analyses indicated that adolescents with SLI exhibited different patterns of coordinating activation among brain regions relative to controls for both encoding and recognition, suggesting reliance on a less functional network. These findings are interpreted as supporting the notion that constraints in nonlinguistic systems play a role in SLI.\nKEY WORDS: neuroimaging, specific language impairment (SLI), language processing, memory, attentionSubmitted on September 22, 2003 Revised on April 16, 2004 Accepted on July 27, 2004\nThis article has been cited by other articles:\nL. M. Archibald, M. Joanisse, and A. Edmunds\nSpecific language or working memory impairments: A small scale observational studyChild Language Teaching and Therapy, October 1, 2011; 27(3): 294 - 312.\n[Abstract] [PDF]\nC. de Guibert, C. Maumet, P. Jannin, J.-C. Ferre, C. Treguier, C. Barillot, E. Le Rumeur, C. Allaire, and A. Biraben\nAbnormal functional lateralization and activity of language brain areas in typical specific language impairment (developmental dysphasia)Brain, October 1, 2011; 134(10): 3044 - 3058.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nC. A. Miller\nAuditory Processing Theories of Language Disorders: Past, Present, and FutureLang Speech Hear Serv Sch, July 1, 2011; 42(3): 309 - 319.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nD. Boudreau and A. Costanza-Smith\nAssessment and Treatment of Working Memory Deficits in School-Age Children: The Role of the Speech-Language PathologistLang Speech Hear Serv Sch, April 1, 2011; 42(2): 152 - 166.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nE. Mainela-Arnold, J. L. Evans, and J. A. Coady\nExplaining Lexical-Semantic Deficits in Specific Language Impairment: The Role of Phonological Similarity, Phonological Working Memory, and Lexical CompetitionJ Speech Lang Hear Res, December 1, 2010; 53(6): 1742 - 1756.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nC. Karasinski and S. Ellis Weismer\nComprehension of Inferences in Discourse Processing by Adolescents With and Without Language ImpairmentJ Speech Lang Hear Res, October 1, 2010; 53(5): 1268 - 1279.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nJ. W. Montgomery, B. M. Magimairaj, and M. C. Finney\nWorking Memory and Specific Language Impairment: An Update on the Relation and Perspectives on Assessment and TreatmentAm J Speech Lang Pathol, February 1, 2010; 19(1): 78 - 94.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nD. A. Finneran, A. L. Francis, and L. B. Leonard\nSustained Attention in Children With Specific Language Impairment (SLI)J Speech Lang Hear Res, August 1, 2009; 52(4): 915 - 929.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nT. J. Spaulding, E. Plante, and R. Vance\nSustained Selective Attention Skills of Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment: Evidence for Separate Attentional CapacitiesJ Speech Lang Hear Res, February 1, 2008; 51(1): 16 - 34.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nL. B. Leonard, S. Ellis Weismer, C. A. Miller, D. J. Francis, J. B. Tomblin, and R. V. Kail\nSpeed of Processing, Working Memory, and Language Impairment in ChildrenJ Speech Lang Hear Res, April 1, 2007; 50(2): 408 - 428.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nM. J. Moyle, S. Ellis Weismer, J. L. Evans, and M. J. Lindstrom\nLongitudinal Relationships Between Lexical and Grammatical Development in Typical and Late-Talking ChildrenJ Speech Lang Hear Res, April 1, 2007; 50(2): 508 - 528.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]\nJ. Richardson, L. Harris, E. Plante, and L. Gerken\nSubcategory Learning in Normal and Language Learning-Disabled Adults: How Much Information Do They Need?J Speech Lang Hear Res, December 1, 2006; 49(6): 1257 - 1266.\n[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7201051712036133}
{"content": "Article Title Abstract The annihilation of more than 1.5 million Cambodians at the hands of the Khmer Rouge is widely considered a quintessential case of genocide. Whether these atrocities meet the definition of genocide as a legal matter, however, remains unsettled. As of October 2012, the question of whether genocide occurred in Cambodia within the meaning of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention is pending before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The ECCC will determine this question against the backdrop of an ongoing debate about the appropriate scope of the crime of genocide. This debate pits expansionists, who believe the definition of the crime should be broadened to include mass killings of political groups, against restrictivists, who assert that genocide's definition must remain tightly tethered to the crimes first articulated in the 1948 Genocide Convention. This Note finds both approaches wanting, and argues that the court should eschew dichotomies in favor of a comparative law approach to the crime of genocide. By approaching the crime of genocide in the Cambodian context as a legal transplant, the ECCC can achieve the uniformity critical to international law without sacrificing the cultural specificity necessary to ensuring that international legal principles remain locally meaningful.\nPublication Citation Tatiana E. Sainati,Toward a Comparative Approach to the Crime of Genocide,62 Duke Law Journal 161-202(2012). Available at: http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/dlj/vol62/iss1/4", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7054625749588013}
{"content": "I was fortunate enough to attend last week's Social Finance Forum organized by the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing (CII). The event was packed and there was a real buzz in the air. I left MaRS with renewed faith and a sore throat, a testament to my yapping all day long with incredibly interesting people. I have two personal takeaways from the event I thought I'd share with the social finance community, with the hope that you will accept my honesty in a positive light.\n\"CSR won't lead us to sustainability.\"\nI was pretty taken aback. I shuffled in my seat nervously, felt blood rushing to my cheeks. I had come so far to believe in the power of CSR and its potential for solving societal problems. Jotting down her words anxiously, I wondered, \"Am I completely off the mark? Is the work I'm doing taking us in the wrong direction?\"\nEvery year, Ashoka inducts new social entrepreneurs, or, \"Ashoka Fellows\", into its global network, which currently stands at 2700 Fellows.\nReflecting back to September when I started volunteering at Ashoka, I didn't really understand the significance of an Ashoka Fellow's work. However, after months of engaging with these individuals, learning and working with them, I get it...now I understand why Ashoka spends endless hours selecting these individuals, and why there is so much emphasis placed on a candidate's new idea, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical fibre, creativity, and of course, social impact.\nThese are the top change-leaders in the world, and on may 26th, we are celebrating the addition of a new cohort of Canadian Fellows into our network. I've been to many events in the social innovation space; some I find very useful and others I find vague and confusing. The Ashoka Forum is different, because you will interact with and learnfrom the people who are actively solving Canada's most pressing social issues and making great strides in the process. If they weren't, they wouldn't be elected as Fellows.\nIf you have followed my posts throughout the past few months, you've likely caught on to the fact that I've become a tad cynical about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Having gone through business school thinking optimistically that CSR is creating positive impact around the world, since graduating a year ago, my experiences and research have tainted this perspective.\nThis past year, I have delved deep into the web of social innovation. I have spent countless hours at events that focus on social entrepreneurship and social finance. I have read blogposts, books, and articles about grassroots organizations and social entrepreneurs who are creating real system-changing impact on the world's most pressing social issues. I have lived and breathed all that is Ashoka. And I've seen reality snippets of the corporate world; its hypocrisy and wasted resources.\nI guess this explains why in just one year, I went from the CSR end of the spectrum to the grassroots extreme.\nA few days ago I came across a post entitled \"The Hidden Reality Behind Social Impact Bonds\". As I've mentioned several times, I believe the Social Impact Bond Model has true potential for progressing social finance in Canada. The author of this article, however, has taken an extreme opposite stance, and I couldn't disagree more with his opinion.\nIf you aren't familiar with what a Social Impact Bond is, I suggest you read my explanation on a past post, \"Social Impact Bond Model: 7 Easy Steps\" before continuing. It's a short but comprehensive read, I promise.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7014946937561035}
{"content": "The Impact of City Connects in Catholic Schools Evaluation is a critical component of the CCCS intervention. It verifies that the intervention has been implemented appropriately, provides feedback to guide necessary adjustments to the intervention, and documents progress towards reaching program goals. The City Connects model has demonstrated a positive impact on academic achievement and thriving; for more information, click here. All results discussed below are for the 2011-12 academic year.\nImpact on Students 77% of students in CCCS schools were connected to at least one service or enrichment Of those students, 24% received one service and 39% received three or more services or enrichments Children in early childhood grades most often received referrals for after school programming, enrichment opportunities, and early-stage health screenings (e.g., hearing, vision, dental) Impact on Community Agencies CCCS schools partnered with 82 different community-based organizations On average, students received an avergae of 2.82 service referrals Impact on Schools Overall, 90% of teachers and principals surveyed were satisfied with CCCS Teachers reported that CCCS positively influenced the professional culture of the school and enhanced their ability to recognize student and family strengths and needs Principals report that CCCS not only positively impacted student wellbeing, but also bettered conditions for staff by enhancing collaboration, permitting principals to focus on instructional leadership, and increasing teachers' awareness and willingness to address students' needs", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.665198564529419}
{"content": "CBRE today released data on rental market trends during the first quarter of 2012 for large multitenant logistics facilities in Greater Tokyo and Greater Osaka.\nNoteworthy Trends\nThe supply-demand balance tightened for large existing facilities, bringing vacancy rates down to 4.5% in Greater Tokyo, and 0% in Greater Osaka.\nAmid high occupancy at prime logistics facilities, inventory is scarce, and industry players appear to have an appetite for development.\nThe vacancy rate for Greater Tokyo during the first quarter of 2012 fell 0.7 points to 4.5% in a third consecutive quarter of decline. Due to a lack of new supply during the quarter, prime large facilities built in 2011 and state-of-the-art facilities owned by large real estate investment firms maintained occupancy at high levels, with contiguous vacant inventory becoming scarce.\nDuring this quarter, relocations for the purpose of integration amid cost-cutting were observed, as were inquiries primarily from logistics firms attracting cargo owners who handle consumer goods. However, the restriction of supply that has continued since 2010 has led to a prominent shortage of prime facilities. The resulting tightening of the supply-demand balance has limited the relocation choices available, leading to an evident wait-and-see attitude among firms that foresee new supply coming online during the next quarter and thereafter.\nAmid a lack of new supply in Greater Osaka as well, all existing large-scale rental facilities (10,000 tsubo and over) that were on the market were leased by the end of the quarter, resulting in completely full occupancy of all rental facilities on the market. The May completion of the first new large-scale multitenant logistics facility to come online in three years is expected to further stimulate demand.\nHowever, with industry players eager to develop top-quality facilities due to their anticipated firm demand and high occupancies, there are possibilities of new development plans being announced for 2013 and thereafter. This is leading to concern that supply could concentrate in certain areas, and that future trends should be cautiously monitored. Rent levels have bottomed out due to the shortage of supply, but with tenants taking a wait-and-see stance given the upcoming supply, drastic increases in rents do not appear to be imminent.”\nFor details, please refer to the PDF file.\nDISCLAIMER : Neither CBRE nor its affiliated companies make any warranties or claims on the implied accuracy of the information contained herein.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6022138595581055}
{"content": "Residential Survey Consumer Broadband Adoption Trends\nBroadband technology is a powerful tool that Tennessee residents are using on a daily basis because of the value that it brings to their lives. Connected Tennessee is working to make high-speed Internet available statewide, while empowering every Tennessee resident to use broadband to enrich their lives.\nTo achieve these goals, Connected Tennessee has conducted a survey of 1,202 residents across the state to see if they access broadband, and if so, how they are using it. Based on this data, we estimate that more than 1.5 million or 32% of adults statewide do not subscribe to home broadband service, and adoption varies significantly across socioeconomic lines. The Residential Technology Assessment was conducted as part of the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant program, funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).\nWe would like for you to explore and share these results.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.87000572681427}
{"content": "Steve M. Powell, MD\nMolecular genetic analysis of gastric tumors The Powell laboratory is focused on understanding gastric tumorigenesis through molecular genetic studies. They have comprehensively characterized many genetic loci that are frequently amplified or lost in our panel of xenografted and primary gastric cancers though CGH and allelic loss studies and continue to narrow in on the targets of alteration. They also are employing serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and cDNA microarray technology for the analysis of gene expression changes in gastric cancers. The lab already identified over 50 genes significantly altered in expression within gastric tumors compared to normal gastric tissue, some increased and some decreased. Many are gene products which are known to be involved in cell processes such as proliferation, cell cycle or apoptotic regulation, and adhesion or metastasis factors. Others gene products found to be significantly altered are novel to gastric cancer development and some even to cancer in general. Most intriguingly, several patterns of alterations could be traced to common signaling pathways such as that involving calcium regulators (S100A), beta-catenin, tissue metalloproteinases, and hepatoma derived growth factor. DARP32 and the novel t-DARP has been characterized to be overexpressed in the majority of gastric tumors. The prevalence of E-cadherin alterations in our \"sporadic\" gastric cancers occurred in approximately one third as it was found to be constitutionally involved in their familial diffuse gastric cancer cases.\nThe lab currently plans to further test the hypothesis that these cellular functions and signaling pathways are critical to gastric tumor development. They continue to narrow down regions of genetic loss in their panel of primary and xenografted gastric cancers and have shown 8p imbalance in these tumors to be associated with poor survival. Currently, the delineation of homozygous losses and significant regions of allelic loss are being mapped and biological significance explored. Common regions of amplification are additionally being sought, specifically at 20q. Additionally, the prognostic and biologic significance of gene alterations is being explored in gastric cancers.\nThey are also characterizing the loss of TFF1 in gastric cancers and determining the cause for its dysregulation in these gastric epithelial cells leading to neoplastic growth.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.533603847026825}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: In this study, the authors aimed to compare the effects that a medium- and long-chain triglyceride (MCT/LCT) fat infusion and a fish oil-based (ω-3) fat infusion for parenteral nutrition (PN) had on systemic inflammation, cytokine response, and hepatic steatosis in mixed intensive care unit (ICU) patients.\nMETHODS: This was a single-center, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in a university hospital. Four patient groups, including systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis patients, were assigned to receive PN employing the MCT/LCT fat infusion or the fish oil-based fat infusion over 7 days. Blood biochemistry and liver steatosis were evaluated.\nRESULTS: Twenty sepsis and 20 SIRS patients were included in this study. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of biochemical values and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores between the different feeding groups. Sepsis groups who received MCT/LCT revealed higher grades of liver steatosis by ultrasound on days 7 and 10 (P < .05). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 values in sepsis group 1 (S1) were higher than in sepsis group (S2) on day 7, whereas IL-1 values were higher on days 3, 7, and 10 in group S1 than in group S2. Conversely, IL-10 values on days 3 and 7 were significantly higher in group S2.\nCONCLUSION: Fish oil-based fat emulsions might have anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects in hyperinflammatory disease such as sepsis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5577709078788757}
{"content": "Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of deaths caused due to Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) during drug trials while Madhya Pradesh saw the least number of such deaths, latest official data reveal.\nAccording to official data disclosed by the Drug Controller General of India, during the 49-month period, i.e., from January 2008 to January 2012, the country recorded 2061 drug trial related deaths.\nHowever, the DCG(I) has provided death data for states only for 1603 of the total 2061 deaths.\nAn analysis of the death-data reveal that at 268, Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of SAE-related deaths and figures in the top five.\nIn the top five, Maharashtra is followed by Andhra Pradesh (153), Delhi/NCR (97), Gujarat (87) and Karnataka (78).\nThe States figuring in the bottom five are Tamil Nadu (46), Rajasthan (43), West Bengal (28), Uttar Pradesh (28) and Madhya Pradesh (26).\nAs the data show, the death toll for the top state (Maharashtra) was over 10 times that for the state lowest in the top-ten (Madhya Pradesh).\nThe data was obtained by medical rights activist Anand Rai under the Right to Information Act.\n“ I had asked for the number of drug trial related deaths for the entire country, listed by state, trial site,drug name, investigator etc. However, the DCG (I) provided the full information for only 1010 deaths out of the total death figure of 2061,” Dr. Rai told The Hindu .\nAmong the drugs, trials of which saw the highest number of deaths during the 49-month period, were Rivaroxaban and Enoxiparin (both anticoagulants or blood thinners).\n191 deaths occurred during trials for Rivaroxaban and 175 occurred during those of Enoxiparin.\nHowever, these deaths occurred during the trials and therefore may have been caused by other factors besides the drug itself.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8022226691246033}
{"content": "The left blames the failure of the supercommittee on Grover Norquist. Norquist is one lobbyist among thousands; the power rests with Congress. Norquist is nothing but a smokescreen for the left’s intransigence. It appears that the left will not agree to anything that does not have significant tax rate increases, even though conservatives have offered tax reform that would increase revenue. They resist tax reform because they like the byzantine system we have. They reward their friends and punish their enemies with the tax code. Contrary to public perception, Democrats get the lion’s share of Wall Street contributions. The left doesn’t want the gravy train to end. Furthermore, simplification would reduce their great power to do social engineering via the tax code.\nOn the other hand, raising rates enhances their power. The higher the rate, the more valuable the tax break, and the more powerful their ability to conduct social engineering.\nJames Berg\nCovington", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6785459518432617}
{"content": "It is easy for many individuals to conclude that a\nreceivership would effectively eliminate the fiscal distress faced by the Cities\nof Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, River Rouge, and Royal Oak Township.\nHowever, when the State passed the \"Local Government Fiscal Responsibility Act\"\n(P.A. 101 of 1988, and subsequently amended to Act 72 of 1990 - \"Act 72\"), it\nstripped the courts of the authority to appoint a receiver. Presently, Act 72 is\nthe only alternative available to correct a fiscally distressed governmental\nunit. However, Act 72 does not work . At least one of the two governmental\nunits which have entered Act 72, have made promises to correct the fiscal\nproblems, and failed to do so. There is no penalty for failure.\nThe ability of Act 72 to be an effective tool in addressing a local governmental unit is inhibited by the following issues:\nThe length of time required before an emergency financial manager is appointed.\nPolitics.\nLack of financial information.\nLack of effective loan covenants with penalties.\nInability of the emergency financial manager to obtain proper insurance.\nLack of staff in Department of Treasury, Local Audit Division to monitor fiscally distressed governmental units.\nIn comparing the receivership and Act 72 requirements, the receivership permits actions to be taken quickly. In addition, the Receiver's actions were taken without regard to political repercussions. Those communities that need financial and operating-direction under Act 72 often face payless paydays, litigation, labor disputes, unpaid vendors, and many more immediate issues. Many of these issues were addressed by the Receiver and his appointed team of professionals within 45 days of appointment.\nTiminq The most critical problem facing fiscally distressed governmental units is the inability to make the tough decisions necessary to reduce the mounting deficits. The Ecorse Mayor and Council were unable to approve an operating budget for the 1987 fiscal year, despite over six months of effort to do so. Inside two weeks of appointment, the Receiver developed an initial course of action involving the termination of approximately 40 individuals and the elimination of services not mandated by the State. In approximately one month, these services and related staff were terminated and Ecorse began to reap the benefits of these actions.\nIn contrast with Act 72, an event triggers a preliminary assessment by a team of individuals who determine if there is a financial emergency. Examples of an event that would trigger the assessment would be: failure to cover payrolls for seven days, unpaid vendors and delinquent pension contributions, debt defaults and several others.\nThe preliminary review is required to be completed within 30 days of the event. The report is submitted to the State and a decision is made as to whether a fiscal emergency exists and whether the governmental unit can address the emergency without State intervention. If there is a fiscal problem that cannot be addressed by the local unit, an \"emergency financial manager\" (eq. receiver) is sought and hired.\nIf this process had taken place in Ecorse, it may have taken up to three months to appoint an emergency financial manager, if at all. Had this occurred, the losses in 1987 would have been increased by approximately $1.0 million before actions would have been taken by the appointed emergency financial manager. However, before a financial manager could have been appointed in Ecorse there would have been payless paydays, the Police and Fire Pension Plan (Pension Plan) would not have been funded, and the potential existed for a debt default. Additional litigation would also have been likely.\nPolitics Act 72 involves a substantial amount of politics. The intervention of a superior governmental authority in the day-to-day operations of a local unit is troublesome for State officials. Efforts to avoid this conflict by not imposing Act 72 continue to this day.\nThroughout the 1980s, many of the communities were known to vote consistently within the same political party of the then State administration. Little desire to challenge one's own political party was exhibited time and time again. However, even political parties differed, there is a great reluctance to implement Act 72. Another significant issue contributing to the avoidance of a confrontation involves the potential for racial bias allegations.\nThe State has repeatedly supported the philosophy that fiscally distressed communities resolve their own financial problems. However, many cannot as they lack the revenue base and in-house financial and managerial expertise to do so. Despite the continued decline experienced by many governmental units in the recent recession, the State continues to be unwilling to address its statutory obligations to use Act 72 as a means to control the fiscal problems of local units.\nThe City of Detroit recently failed to make in a pension contribution ($73 million) to the Police and Fire Pension Plan that was due on June 30, 1992. One of the events that would trigger Act 72 states:\n\"Sec. 4. (1). The state treasurer shall conduct a preliminary review to determine the existence of a local government financial problem when 1 or more of the following occur:\n(d) The state treasurer receives written notification from the trustee, actuary, or at least 10% of the beneficiaries of a local government pension fund alleging that a local government has not timely deposited its minimum obligation payment to the local government pension fund as required by law.\"\nThe pension contribution has still not been made as of early August 1992. Likely, no one has formally notified the state treasurer in accordance with the specific guidance identified in the statutes and the fiscal distress continues.\nLocal governmental units are equally to blame for the failure of Act 72. In the case of Ecorse, repeated legal attempts by the Mayor and Council to terminate the receivership continued for well over 18 months. The legal costs were staggering, both in terms of legal fees, but also in the time of the receivership directed at the litigation, rather than at resolution of Ecorse's problems.\nNumerous requests by Ecorse's Mayor and Council to terminate the receivership were presented to the Court despite not having resolved the problems that contributed the receivership. As there is a desire by the State to remove itself from local governmental operations, simlar requests under Act 72 would provide the State a convenient excuse to eliminate Act 72. If the local government officials acted in a manner similar to Ecorse's officials in their request to have Act 72 terminated, it may be months or years before the damage can be observed and then, addressed properly.\nIn an article in Crains Detroit Business for the week of July 20-26 1992, Detroit's Mayor was cited as having sent a letter to Gov. John Engler (who was one of the authors of Act 72 when he was in the Senate). Detroit's Mayor \"offered personal assurance that I will do all in my power to keep the city of Detroit budget in balance throughout the 1992-3 fiscal year, and I will take those difficult actions necessary to produce the same results during my future years as mayor.\" As the City of Detroit has had an accumulated deficit for the past several years and is continuing to exhibit fiscal distress, the State should be asking the Mayor why earlier efforts were not taken to resolve the problem, rather than waiting until the situation became critical.\nFinancial Information Often, fiscally distressed communities have not recognized the importance of timely, accurate financial information in assisting management's ability to make informed decisions, including ensuring compliance with adopted budgets. Ecorse was no exception. The 1986 audited financial statements required over six months to produce. Substantial errors were detected in these financial statements in connection with the 1987 audit effort. The Receiver required the 1987 financial statements to be produced within 60 days of year end. The 1987 financial statements were completed on August 13, 1987, just 44 days after year end.\nIn each of the years leading up to the receivership, Ecorse's Mayor and Council adopted a balanced budget. However, throughout the early to mid-1980s, actual operations were not in balance as actual expenditures consistently exceeded revenues. Yet, there was the mistaken belief by the Mayor and Council that the adoption of a balanced budget, without correcting actual operations, complied with State statutes. The ultimate failure to finally adopt a budget in 1987 was one of the primary factors leading to the receivership.\nFinancial information is critical in attempting to initially assess the financial condition of a governmental unit. The lack of financial information inhibits the receivership and would also inhibit the State's ability to truly identify and assess a fiscal emergency under Act 72.\nLoans Shortly into the receivership, the State provided Ecorse an Emergency Loan Board (ELB) note of $1 million to Ecorse. The note proceeds of which were used to satisfy one of many creditors. Similar borrowings are possible by an emergency financial manager or even governmental units not formally under Act 72. Usually, there are debt covenants associated with this debt. However, officials and management of a fiscally distressed governmental unit are not concerned about covenants on debt not due for many years.\nEcorse's Receiver has recently suggested that provisions be included within the ELB notes that require the use of an emergency financial manager so long as the debt is outstanding. In addition, State distributions can be withheld for the payment of delinquent ELB debt. However, the State is reluctant to do so. The mandatory requirement of an emergency financial manager and statutes requiring that State distributions be withheld would ensure that the ELB debt is repaid.\nSome have indicated that it is foolish to repay the ELB debt early, if at all. However, Ecorse was successful in repaying $100,000 of the ELB note principal in each of the 1991 and 1992 fiscal years. These payments were earlier than the required debt maturity schedule. In July 1992, the Ecorse Mayor and Council paid an additional $50,000 in principal, also in advance of the debt's due date.\nInsurance A critical administrative matter existing at the inception of the receivership was the need in the Receiver to obtain insurance to avoid potential personal losses. The Receiver was able to obtain insurance during the receivership and beyond from Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA). MMRMA was reluctant to terminate Ecorse's insurance as it is an insurance pool for governmental entities.\nBefore the receivership, Ecorse officials and management ignored MMRMA's request to reduce insurance risks. MMRMA, however, could not continue without a substantial reduction in risk. Ultimately, MMRMA felt that it was better to insure the Receiver than to continue on with Ecorse.\nSimilar insurance avenues are not present under Act 72. The emergency financial manager is required to obtain commercial insurance. However, this policy does not address many of the potential insurable conditions that may be precipated by the difficult decisions that the emergency financial manager will have to make.\nDiscussions with representatives of the State Attorney General's Office have provided the secondary line of defense for the emergency- financial manager functioning under Act 72, namely that the emergency financial manager's \"conduct in office\" will protect him from losing a lawsuit. Essentially, if none of the politically difficult decisions are made by an emergency financial manager, no one can win a lawsuit. However, if the emergency financial manager chooses to be effective and reduces staff and / or services and / or increases revenues, then the he may be sued. No one wins in a lawsuit; legal fees are costly and the potential for personal loss may result in individuals avoiding the position of emergency financial manager. Adequate insurance avenues must be addressed for emergency financial managers.\nIn Ecorse's case, the Receiver was constantly fighting with the Mayor and Council over the authority of the receivership the actions taken by the Receiver and other matters. Had the Receiver's assets been personally exposed, as is the case in many instances under Act 72, many of the tough decisions that ultimately lead Ecorse out of the fiscal distress would not have been made.\nStaff Reductions - Department of Treasury The Local Audit Division within the State Department of Treasury is responsible for the review of all governmental unit's audited financial statements, reviewing and approving deficit elimination plans, providing technical assistance to fiscally distressed governmental units, and other tasks. Over the past several years, the Division's staff has been reduced to approximately one-third of the personnel present when Act 72 was initially passed in 1988. Presently, the ability to provide any significant levels of technical assistance to fiscally distressed governmental units is difficult, if not impossible.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5015376806259155}
{"content": "Details Published on Feb 11, 2009 Contact Bernie DeGroat \"Research suggests that consumers are unlikely to indulge themselves when they don't see good reasons to justify it, yet our findings consistently indicate that consumers' actual enjoyment of indulgences is independent of justification, in contrast to what consumers believe,\" said Norbert Schwarz, a marketing professor at Michigan's Ross School of Business who is also affiliated with U-M's Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research.\nIn an article in the current issue of the Journal of Marketing Research, Schwarz and colleague Jing Xu, who now teaches at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, reveal their findings from a series of studies that examine whether we really do need a reason to indulge.\nThe answer? Live it up, go for it, knock yourself out—just don't overthink it or you may start to feel guilty.\nConsistent with prior research, Schwarz and Xu found that consumers expect less enjoyment and more guilt when they indulge themselves without a reason or simply to console themselves for a poor performance.\nBut their new research suggests that in the actual situation, the reason or lack thereof, has no impact on our enjoyment nor does it matter if we indulged to console or reward ourselves. While indulging, the pleasures capture our attention and the justifications are not on our minds.\nHowever, feelings are fleeting and a few days later we need to rely on reconstructive memory when we think about how we felt during our indulgence, the researchers say. The memories we reconstruct are more in line with our expectations than with our actual experience. In other words, if we believe that we'll feel guilty for indulging in one of life's simple pleasures—even if we actually don't—we may \"remember\" that we did.\nIn their studies, Schwarz and Xu surveyed hundreds of college students on various scenarios of indulgence—with vs. without a reason, as a reward for previous effort vs. as a consolation for poor performance, expectations vs. actual experience vs. recall of experience.\nThey found that consumers enjoy indulgences just as much when they had a reason for them than when they did not, and regardless of whether they were rewarding themselves for good performance or consoling themselves for a poor performance.\n\"In combination, our findings suggest that consumers' beliefs are erroneous,\" Schwarz said. \"Actual enjoyment is driven by features of the consumption act itself, rather than by consumers' a priori beliefs. Indulgence is enjoyable independent of the presence or absence of a good justification.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5383672714233398}
{"content": "Sat. March 7 - A city is experiencing an upswing in crimes committed by young male African Americans. Should a journalist be worried that telling these crime stories day after day may lead citizens to falsely stereotype all young African Americans as criminals? Right before an election, one candidate accuses the other of having an illegitimate child. Should a journalist report the allegation if there isn't time to evaluate whether it's true before people vote?\nA journalist discovers that the CIA has committed illegal activities. Should the story be reported if it might reveal how the CIA is operating to lower the risk of terrorist attacks in the U.S.?\nJournalists wrestle with judgments like these hypothetical situations all of the time, but they too seldom engage anyone outside the newsroom in their deliberations. They almost never do before a decision is made, and rarely after the fact, unless the decision causes so much anger in the community that some explanation is unavoidable. join the discussion\nA free public forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at the Missouri History Museum will give citizens and journalists a chance to talk to each other about ethical questions like these. You're invited to join the conversation, which I will moderate.\nI hope the discussion will illuminate a dynamic tension among the ethical values at the heart of professional journalism. I also hope it will explore how citizens would have journalists wrestle with that tension.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6876282691955566}
{"content": "Betaspring is a mentorship-driven startup accelerator program for technology and design entrepreneurs who are ready to launch a company and change the world. Apply by 6/12 for our fall session, which begins on 8/26.Accelereach Accelereach is an online platform that makes it easy for health and wellness coaches to manage and engage their clients.\nUnhealthy behavior is the single most addressable contributor to avoidable healthcare costs in the United States. Changing behaviors like smoking, alcohol abuse, and inactivity could save an estimated $552 billion dollars a year. Now more than ever, individuals and companies recognize the need for behavior change supported by professionals such as health and wellness coaches. These coaches depend on a high degree of continual, personal contact with clients; however, they are limited in both scale and effectiveness by tools available to them today. Coaches unanimously acknowledge that the most critical period for behavior change efforts is in between meetings with the coach, when the coach and client have the least contact. However, they currently do not have any tools for engaging with their clients in between sessions, and monitoring their progress. Due to this lack of communication, clients fail to reach their goals and coaches struggle to retain unmotivated and unsatisfied clients.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8332863450050354}
{"content": "Abstract We conducted a literature review to identify elements of duodenogastroesophageal reflux (DGER)—namely pancreatic fluids, hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and bile—as to the effects each has when refluxed to the extraesophageal structures. Further, we wished to acquaint clinicians with the possibilities that, in addition to hydrochloric acid, the other components of DGER are likewise contributing to disease in the extraesophageal areas. Our review included studies that have indicated reflux of the above mentioned components of DGER to the pharynx, larynx, tracheobronchial tree, oral cavity, nasopharynx, nose and sinuses, eustachian tube, and middle ear. Findings demonstrate that injury to the upper aerodigestive tract can occur from a variety of substances secreted from the stomach and duodenum. Treatment for DGER is nonspecific. We conclude that patients with an incomplete response to acid suppression may have significant involvement of pepsin, bile, or both. Future studies are needed to clarify the importance of these elements and to suggest more precise treatments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5110527276992798}
{"content": "Limited data are available on the source of usual nutrient intakes in the United States. This analysis aimed to assess contributions of micronutrients to usual intakes derived from all sources (naturally occurring, fortified and enriched, and dietary supplements) and to compare usual intakes to the Dietary Reference Intake for U.S. residents aged ≥2 y according to NHANES 2003-2006 (n = 16,110). We used the National Cancer Institute method to assess usual intakes of 19 micronutrients by source. Only a small percentage of the population had total usual intakes (from dietary intakes and supplements) below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for the following: vitamin B-6 (8%), folate (8%), zinc (8%), thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-12, phosphorus, iron, copper, and selenium (<6% for all). However, more of the population had total usual intakes below the EAR for vitamins A, C, D, and E (34, 25, 70, and 60%, respectively), calcium (38%), and magnesium (45%). Only 3 and 35% had total usual intakes of potassium and vitamin K, respectively, greater than the adequate intake. Enrichment and/or fortification largely contributed to intakes of vitamins A, C, and D, thiamin, iron, and folate. Dietary supplements further reduced the percentage of the population consuming less than the EAR for all nutrients. The percentage of the population with total intakes greater than the tolerable upper intake level (UL) was very low for most nutrients, whereas 10.3 and 8.4% of the population had intakes greater than the UL for niacin and zinc, respectively. Without enrichment and/or fortification and supplementation, many Americans did not achieve the recommended micronutrient intake levels set forth in the Dietary Reference Intake.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5029361844062805}
{"content": "Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...\nGenerate a file for use with external citation management software.\nDepartment of Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, 14203, USA.\nPrevious functional neuroimaging studies of attention have emphasized the visual modality. We developed an auditory version of the continuous performance test (CPT) that included simple, focused and divided attention conditions. Positron emission tomographic (PET) scans were acquired during CPT performance in normal young adults and then submitted to statistical parametric mapping. Simple attention brought about a large region of activation involving the anterior cingulate gyrus and the right anterior/mesial frontal lobe. Focused and divided attention CPT conditions were compared but there were few significant differences. The findings are consistent with activation of an anterior attention network during auditory attention, without involvement of posterior attention structures which are more likely to vary in accordance with sensory modality.\nYour browsing activity is empty.\nActivity recording is turned off.\nTurn recording back on\nNational Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6226603984832764}
{"content": "Dr. Lai Shin-yuan at the National Committee The National Committee welcomed Dr. Lai Shin-yuan, minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, for a roundtable discussion on July 13. Dr. Lai previously served as a National Security Council advisor in Chen Shui-bian’s administration and a legislator representing the Taiwan Solidarity Union party from 2005 to 2008. President Ma Ying-jeou crossed party lines to ask Dr. Lai to serve as head of the Mainland Affairs Council, the government office responsible for managing cross-Strait relations. She has overseen rapid progress: high-level talks between Taiwan and the mainland, increased passenger flights, and Taiwan’s participation in international institutions such as the World Health Assembly.\nIn her opening comments, Dr. Lai referred to the current moment as an historic window in which all parties involved should work to build peace and stability in the Strait and emphasized that improvement of cross-Strait relations is a gradual process during which both Taiwan and Mainland China must take steady steps to build mutual trust. Dr. Lai discussed the ways her office intends to increase Taiwan’s involvement in international institutions, focusing on high-level government talks with the Mainland conducted through proxy institutions. In this way, she said, Taiwan will be able to gain a larger stake in international affairs without challenging the balance it has struck with the leadership in Beijing.\nNational Committee president Stephen Orlins moderated the discussion, which included how developments across the Strait might affect Taiwan’s economic competitiveness abroad; the importance of removing trade and investment barriers to boost Taiwan’s competitiveness, and both the positive and negative aspects of the proposed free-trade agreement between Taiwan and China; and the need to balance economic independence and cooperative ties to the Mainland, while maintaining a clear set of goals for Taiwan’s involvement in the international community.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8821640014648438}
{"content": "The current epidemic of obesity has resulted in a renewed interest in the developmental origins of adipose tissue. Adipose tissue is formed from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a process known as adipogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that inhibit translation by binding to the 3¿UTR of their target genes. The aim of this study was to determine whether miRNAs play a role in the adipogenesis of bone marrow derived MSCs. Microarray analysis identified 20 miRNAs which were significantly regulated in adipogenically differentiating MSCs compared to undifferentiating MSCs, of which 11 were significantly downregulated and 9 were significantly upregulated. MiR-221 and miR-222 were significantly downregulated during hMSC differentiation to adipocytes. MiR-221 and miR-222 were overexpressed using lentiviral vectors to determine whether their reduction is necessary for adipogenic differentiation. MSCs overexpressing miR-221 and miR-222 displayed a significantly reduced ability to differentiate to adipocytes compared to control MSCs, as measured by lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenesis-related transcripts. MiRZip short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) against miR-221 and miR-222 were lentivirally delivered to determine the effects of reduced miR-221 and miR-222 activity on hMSC adipogenesis. The reduction in activity of either miRNA caused a significant reduction in cell number. P27 is an experimentally confirmed target of miR-221 and miR-222 in cancer models. The overexpression of miR-221 and miR-222 reduced the levels of p27 protein but not mRNA 72 hours after the induction of adipogenesis. Direct interactions between the miRNAs and the 3¿UTR of p27 were verified using luciferase reporters in HEK293T cells. To investigate whether preventing the reduction in p27 protein rescues the reduction in lipid accumulation, p27 was overexpressed in MSCs with reduced miR-221 and miR-222. This did not lead to a significant change in lipid accumulation in MSCs, suggesting that miR-221 and miR-222 do not act solely through an effect on this protein.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991346597671509}
{"content": "Too chummy with your co-workers? First, a general comment: as I mentioned in my introduction, I've been extensively involved with the internet for years now, but I've always been better at the observer role. I rarely comment on blogs I read; I rarely write on Facebook walls and my own blog - though this hasn't always been the case - is updated every month or so. (Twitter is the exception - something about the snappy entries and the single-person nature of it makes updating easier for me.) What I've always liked best about the web is that a passive role is OK, and generally accepted. I can respond if, and when, I feel like it. It's strange to have what I've considered a leisure activity bumping against school and work. While I generally like the internet's role in business and other formal communication, I'll be interested to see how I shift gears.\nA thought about the texts: In Connect! , the authors mention that web communication allows \"team members to get to know each other on a human level\" (Zelenka 56). This is advantageous - especially for those members working cross-country or transcontinental - but I see downfalls. With Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., the internet rapidly exposes more detailed information than one might hear around the water-cooler. In five minutes, I could discover my colleague's birth date, marital status, weekend plans, kids' names and even religion and sexual preference. I'll have a pre-determined idea of them before we even begin a project. Instead of meeting a blank-slate co-worker, I've already painted them. Another disadvantage is that the line between co-worker and pal becomes a little blurry - while, often, co-workers become friends, there often needs to be a level of professionalism present to get the work done. I think the internet makes this professionalism more difficult. What do you think?\nI've really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughtful entries. I look forward to next week - it's fun to see how everything's coming together.\n--Zelenka, Ann Truitt. Connect!: Web Worker Daily’s Guide to a New Way of Working. Wiley, 2008. Pg. 141-171.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9773057103157043}
{"content": "Accessibility tools\nService tools\nLanguage selector\nPage navigation\nAdditional tools\nAccurate accounting for all allowances issued under the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is ensured by the Union registry. The registry keeps track of the ownership of allowances held in electronic accounts in the same way as a bank has a record of all its customers and their money.\nFollowing a revision of the ETS Directive in 2009, EU ETS operations were centralised in a single EU registry operated by the European Commission. The Union registry has replaced Member States' national registries. The single registry covers all 31 countries participating in the EU ETS.\nThe Union registry is an online database that holds accounts for stationary installations which have been transferred from national registries, as well as accounts for aircraft operators, which have been included in the EU ETS since January 2012.\nThe registry records:\nTo participate in the EU ETS a company or a physical person has to open an account in the Union registry.\nTo open an account, a request must be sent to the relevant national administrator, who is in charge of collecting and verifying all supporting documentation.\nThe European Union Transaction Log (EUTL) automatically checks, records, and authorises all transactions that take place between accounts in the Union registry. This verification ensures that any transfer of allowances from one account to another is consistent with EU ETS rules.\nThe EUTL is the successor of the Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL), which had a similar role before the activation of the Union registry.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5752232074737549}
{"content": "As distinct from the Western medical concept of Urinary bladder, this concept from Traditional Chinese Medicine is more a way of describing a set of interrelated functions than an anatomical organ. (See Zang Fu theory)\nThe Bladder is a Yang (Fu) organ; its paired Yin (Zang) organ is the Kidney. Both are associated with the element of water and the emotion of fear.\nAs opposed to western medicine, where the bladders function is the storage and excretion of urine, the bladder in Traditional Chinese Medicine has extended functions, including how fluids are transformed during urine production. Fluids are still sent from the small intestine to the bladder for storage, but the bladders capabilities are dependant on the kidney yang. If the kidney is yang deficient, the bladder may not have the sufficient qi and heat to transform fluids properly into urine. This could result in overly clear urine that must be excreted more frequently.\nExternal links [edit]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8272554874420166}
{"content": "CATFISH PRODUCERS PRAISE SEN. SESSIONS FOR EFFORTS\nMONTGOMERY, Ala., May 9 - Alabama Catfish Producers, a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation, today praised Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., for his work to increase inspections of fish and seafood by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Under an amendment passed by the Senate today, the FDA would have increased legal authority to enhance inspections of fish, shrimp, seafood and other aquaculture products, Sessions announced.\n\"We appreciate Sen. Sessions' enthusiastic response to the situation facing catfish producers and the general public,\" said Dallas County farmer Butch Wilson, who serves as chairman of Alabama Catfish Producers. \"Several Southeastern states have tested imported fish and found banned antibiotics. U.S. farm-raised catfish producers already operate under the strictest guidelines in the world. This amendment will help ensure foreign products are held to the same high standards.\"\nThe measure authorizes the secretary of Health and Human Services to enhance the inspection of aquaculture and seafood, including catfish and shrimp, for antibiotics and other FDA-banned contaminants. Under the provisions of the amendment, the Secretary must report back to Congress on what steps are being taken to ensure that proper inspections are occurring.\nSessions' bipartisan amendment was co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.; Thad Cochran, R-Miss; Trent Lott, R-Miss; Mary Landrieu, D-La.; David Vitter, R-La.; Mark Pryor, D-Ark.; and Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.\nSessions offered the amendment to S. 1082, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 2007. Sessions' bill was part of a package of amendments adopted by unanimous consent last night. The Senate passed the underlying legislation today, 93-1.\n\"It is unacceptable to allow substandard catfish and shrimp, mostly produced in China, to enter the U.S. market when those imported products do not meet the established safety standards that govern our food supply,\" Sessions said. \"The amendment represents a significant step toward protecting American consumers from substandard catfish, shrimp and seafood products.\"\nAdditionally, the amendment would require the secretary to report to Congress within 90 days on the feasibility of developing a traceability system for catfish and seafood products.\nA traceability system would potentially allow federal inspectors to better identify the source of tainted food products, once such products are discovered.\n\"The feasibility report required by the amendment will be an extremely valuable tool as we consider the establishment of a functioning traceability system,\" Sessions said. \"This report will provide critical information to Congress, and will be especially important as the Senate plans to consider food safety legislation later this year.\"\nThe amended Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 2007 has broad-based support and is expected to be considered by the House of Representatives this summer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.787880539894104}
{"content": "On pp. 59–68 of this issue, Alexander Meissner and Giovanni Amabile review the exciting progress in the direct reprogramming field and compare the characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that lineage-restricted cells can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent state through overexpression of defined transcription factors and suggest that mouse and human iPS cells often exhibit a normal karyotype, are transcriptionally and epigenetically similar to ES cells and maintain the potential to differentiate into derivatives of all germ layers. This provides optimism that safe, virus-free human iPS cells could be routinely derived in the near future. The authors discuss the remaining challenges and the potential therapeutic applications. Cover design by Philip Patenall.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8485085964202881}
{"content": "Find The Perfect Clinic For You You fill out the form Your perfect clinic will be found You will be contacted by them You can book a FREE no obligation consultation with the clinic that is right for you. A guide to Oral Thrush Let’s start with the obvious question: what is oral thrush? Everybody has a certain amount of thrush in their mouths, including babies. It is caused by a fungus called candida which, under certain conditions, turns into the thrush infection in the mouth.\nWhile oral thrush is correctly described as an infection, it cannot be transmitted from person to person as it is not contagious. Oral thrush occurs because a person may have a weakened immune system, an underlying illness or if the oral environment changes (for example, if not enough saliva is being produced). These sorts of alterations can cause the candida fungus to turn into thrush.\nFor the main part, oral thrush is not harmful. It is primarily manifested as white or yellowish spots in the mouth and in the throat. These spots can be scraped away and they may cause some pain and discomfort in the mouth. The infected areas of the mouth can appear inflamed or irritated and a sensation similar to a slight burning has been described.\nOne of the biggest factors is causing oral thrust in adults is dentures, particularly if the dentures are ill-fitting or not being looked after properly. To help minimise oral thrush, denture wearers should keep their dentures clean and follow their dentist’s advice on looking after their dentures and maintaining their oral hygiene. If your dentures are ill-fitting, you may need to visit your dentist to have a new pair made which fit the shape of your mouth better. This will help to reduce the level of oral thrush.\nOf course, it is not simply denture wearers who suffer from oral thrush. Newborn babies are particularly susceptible, as are adults with diabetes, drug problems, poor diets and immune deficiencies.\nIn severe cases of oral thrush, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. Your doctor will usually be able to prescribe anti-fungal medicines, such as fluconazole, to ease the condition. These medicines are available in the form of tablets, lozenges and gels. It is also important to remember that oral thrush, in rare cases, can also be a symptom of an underlying illness. In particular, it can be a sign that AIDS or cancer are present. Anti-fungal treatments will also help in these cases, both to treat oral thrush and to prevent it from occurring.\nIn most cases, however, the treatment of thrush will focus more on finding and removing the cause. For example, oral thrush can be caused by a poor diet, in which case your doctor will probably recommend improvements in that area. Once the cause has been removed, the thrush can be treated effectively with anti-fungal medicines and it should not return. Smoking can also be a cause of oral thrush.\nThere are certain groups of people for whom oral thrush can create increased complications, above and beyond the soreness that comes with the infection. For example, diabetes sufferers can have increased glucose in their saliva which can cause very high levels of thrush to occurr. For diabetes sufferers, oral thrush can escalate into a serious condition which infects the skin, the blood and the internal organs. If the symptoms of thrush are present, they should have them treated as a matter of urgency.\nNewly born babies are also susceptible to thrush – research shows that around one in every seven babies suffers from oral thrush. These are not usually serious bouts of thrush and often they are painless, so the baby is not even aware of the condition. Other cases can cause some slight pain and discomfort, but it is very rarely a serious condition. Usually, your doctor will treat the thrush with an anti-fungal gel which can be applied directly to the affected area.\nNobody is entirely sure why newly born babies suffer from oral thrush. Doctors recommend ensuring that your baby maintains a healthy diet. You must also make sure that bottles, dummies and other teething toys, are sterilised. On occasions, babies that have oral thrush can find it difficult to feed. The infection can also boomerang backwards and forwards between mother and baby during breast-feeding. This can cause the mother to have pain, itchiness and flaky skin around the breasts.\nFind a Dentist Cosmetic Dentistry A guide to Wisdom Teeth A guide to Toothpaste A guide to Air Abrasion A guide to Scale and Polish A guide to Valplast Dentures A guide to Tooth sensitivity A guide to HealoZone A guide to Tooth Recontouring A guide to TMJ/TMD A guide to Toothache A guide to Teething and Baby Teeth A guide to Teeth Whitening A guide to Tooth Straightening A guide to Smile Makeovers A guide to Sedation Dentistry A guide to Root Canal Treatment A guide to Pulpitis A guide to Plaque A guide to Orthognathic Surgery A guide to Dry Sockets A guide to Oral Thrush A guide to Oral Herpes A guide to Onlays and Inlays A guide to Mouthwash A guide to Mouth Ulcers A guide to Mouth Guards A guide to Mouth Cancer A guide to Mini Dental Implants A guide to Lumineers A guide to Gummy Smile A guide to Gum Recession A guide to Gum Disease A guide to Gum Contouring A guide to Flourosis A guide to Enlighten Teeth Whitening A guide to Emergency Dentistry A guide to Electric Toothbrushes A guide to Dry Mouth A guide to Dentures A guide to Dental Veneers A guide to Sinus Lifts A guide to Dental Sealants A guide to Dental Phobia A guide to Dental Occlusion A guide to Dental Insurance A guide to Dental Hygiene A guide to Dental Crowns A guide to Dental Bridges A guide to Abscesses A guide to Cerec A guide to Cavities A guide to Canker Sores A guide to Bruxism A guide to Brushing Teeth A guide to Halitosis A guide to Apicoectomy A guide to Dental Fillings A guide to Cracked Teeth A guide to Cost of Cosmetic Dentistry A guide to Dental Bonding A guide to Chipped Teeth A guide to InVu braces A guide to Damon Braces A Guide to the Inman Aligner A guide to Lingual Braces A guide to 6-Month Smiles A guide to Orthodontics A Guide to Dental Implants A guide to Invisalign", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5119096636772156}
{"content": "Human Papillomavirus (HPV) E6 induced p53 degradation is thought to be an essential activity by which high-risk human Alphapapillomaviruses (alpha-HPVs) contribute to cervical cancer development. However, most of the data has been derived from the comparison of HPV16 and HPV11, relatively distinct viruses, making the extrapolation of these results difficult. In the present study, AECC investigator Burk and collaborators expanded the tested strains (types) to include members of all known HPV species groups within the Alphapapillomavirus genus. They evaluated the biochemical activity of E6 proteins from 27 HPV types representing all alpha-HPV species groups to degrade p53 in human cells. Expression of E6 from all HPV types epidemiologically classified as group 1 carcinogens significantly reduced p53 levels. However, several types not associated with cancer (e.g., HPV53, HPV70 and HPV71) were equally active in degrading p53. HPV types within species groups alpha 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 share a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) and all contain E6 ORFs that degrade p53. A unique exception, HPV71 E6 ORF that degraded p53 was outside this clade and is one of the most prevalent HPV types infecting the cervix in a population-based study of 10,000 women. Alignment of E6 ORFs identified an amino acid site that was highly correlated with the biochemical ability to degrade p53. Alteration of this amino acid in HPV71 E6 abrogated its ability to degrade p53, while alteration of this site in HPV71-related HPV90 and HPV106 E6s enhanced their capacity to degrade p53. These data suggest that the alpha-HPV E6 proteins' ability to degrade p53 is an evolved phenotype inherited from a most recent common ancestor of the high-risk species that does not always segregate with carcinogenicity. In addition, an amino-acid residue was identified that is strongly correlated with viral p53 degrading potential.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5609605312347412}
{"content": "Policies Legal Goverance of District Procurement and Contracting\nPortland Public Schools is governed by numerous laws, rules, and District policies and administrative directives.\n“Statutes” are laws passed by a city, state, or federal legislative body. In Oregon, the Oregon Revised Statutes is that “code” of laws passed by the Oregon Legislature. The Public Contracting Code collects the Oregon statutes that govern public procurement and contracting at the District. These laws can be found at ORS 279A, ORS 279B, ORS 279C.\nAdditionally, Oregon Administrative Rules are statements issued by a state agency that interpret, implement, or prescribe law or policy. These rules derive from statutes, are adopted at the direction of the legislature, and carry the force of law in District procurements and contracting.\nPolicies and administrative directives are statements adopted by the Board of Education, the District’s governing body. More specifically, a “policy” states a principal or goal the Board wants to achieve, while an \"administrative directive\" provides details on how to carry the policy out: what to do, how to do it, and who does it.\nIn August 2010, the Board of Education adopted revised PPS Public Contracting Rules. These rules have their base in Oregon statutes and administrative rules and are guided by the Attorney General’s model rules. Within the District, the PPS Public Contracting Rules have the force of policy.\nThe goal is to provide the legal framework for District procurement and contracting in a manner that is transparent, equitable, and accountable to taxpayers and auditors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6156527996063232}
{"content": "JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has identified 21 drinking water systems in Missouri that have chronically failed to complete drinking water testing required by the department to ensure a safe water supply.\nThe department classifies a drinking water system as a chronic violator when a system has three major monitoring violations in a 12-month period. Routine testing by a drinking water system is crucial to maintaining a safe water supply.\nThe department requires all public water systems to test for bacteria at least once a month to verify these systems are providing safe drinking water to the public. The vast majority of community and non-community public water systems in Missouri comply with all monitoring requirements and meet all drinking water standards. This current list of 21 systems represents less than one percent of the approximately 2,800 public drinking water systems in Missouri.\nBacteriological testing can be the first step in identifying and correcting a problem. The next step is to investigate the cause of any bad samples and perform corrective action, such as disinfecting and flushing the system. When a public water system has a record of both failing to monitor and a history of exceeding contaminant levels, this may raise concerns about the quality of the drinking water.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.590162992477417}
{"content": "A recent study in the journal Fisheries Management and Ecology links declines in riverine fish communities in Finland with intensive agriculture and its impacts on water quality.\nResearchers Tappio Sutela and Teppo Vehanen surveyed fish from 27 medium-sized rivers in the northern part of the country. They also calculated a fish-based index developed for the evaluation of the ecological integrity of rivers.\nThe researchers then correlated their data with a measurement of agricultural intensity in the surrounding countryside and several indicators of water quality including total phosphorus, pH, total solids, and oxygen saturation.\nThe study found that at greater levels of agricultural intensification, water quality was significantly worse (particularly for total phosphorus, suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand), the composition of the fish community changed, and the fish-based index of ecological intergrity scored significantly lower.\nAgriculturally intensive areas saw increases in species generally considered tolerant of human disturbance (pike, roach, ruffe and perch). Meanwhile these same areas saw a decrease in fish typically considered intolerant of anthropogenic activities (bullhead, alpine bullhead, minnow, and grayling).\nThe researchers explain that negative impacts to fish can occur when increased sedimentation from agriculture impairs the condition of spawning gravels and reduces survival of fish eggs and embryos. Sedimentation can also reduce availability of benthic food sources for fish.\nWhile past research in the United States has found a similar relationship between agricultural intensity, water quality, and fish communities, fewer studies have focused on the linkages in Europe. Despite the findings, the authors caution that the study only found correlation, which does not necessarily mean causation.\nFor example, they noted that a latitudinal bias exists in the intensity of agriculture in the area. Also, the results were counterintuitive for a couple of species. For example, the stone loach increased under intensive agriculture even though it is generally considered intolerant of human disturbance.\nNevertheless, the findings are a cause of concern. The authors advise that maintaining woody riparian areas along streams may help prevents some of the negative effects of intensive agricultural on fish assemblages.\n--Reviewed by Rob Goldstein SUTELA, T., & VEHANEN, T. (2009). Responses of fluvial fish assemblages to agriculture within the boreal zone Fisheries Management and Ecology DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2400.2009.00711.x", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6114599704742432}
{"content": "after the ballistic pendulum method. Some of these were not as accurate, but were still preferred over the ballistic pendulum method, perhaps because of nationalistic reasons. The interesting thing about these methods is that while they were more inaccurate than the ballistic pendulum method at the time they were invented, they laid the foundations for more modern and accurate methods of determining bullet velocities.In 1767, an Italian named Mattei came up with a method to measure bullet velocities. His method consisted of a vertical paper cylinder which was mounted on a wooden frame. The frame was made to rotate by using a cord and a weight. Once a uniform known speed was attained by it, the bullet was fired through it, perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. The bullet passed through the paper cylinder and left two holes on the surface. The two holes gave the arc through which the cylinder had rotated as the bullet passed through it. By computing the length of the arc and knowing the diameter and the rotational speed of the cylinder, one could compute the bullet velocity. However, this method's precision was dependent on three factors: (a) the diameter of the cylinder, (b) knowing the rotational speed accurately and (c) the uniformity of the rotation. This machine was also not very effective against faster moving bullets, because it could not measure times less than 1/30th of a second, during which time a modern bullet, such as that fired by an M-16 rifle, could easily cover 100 feet (30 meters), which means you'd have to use a cylinder at least 100 feet in diameter to measure the speed of an M-16 bullet reasonably. It was also very hard to make sure the cylinder was rotating uniformly and so the device was not very accurate either.\nIn 1804, a French officer named Colonel Grobert invented another method to determine bullet velocity based on similar principles as Mattei's method. In Grobert's method, two large disks about 6.5 feet in diameter, made of cardboard, were attached to the same horizontal axle. In Grobert's original design, the two disks were placed 13 feet apart. The axle was rapidly rotated by means of an endless chain in combination with a flywheel and a windlass. When the rotation of the axle was judged to be at a constant speed, the tester then aimed at the disks and fired a shot through them. The bullet pierced through both disks, but since they were rotating rapidly, the exit hole through the second disk was not in the same line as the exit hole through the first disk. By looking at the positions of the two holes, one could determine the angle of revolution. Since the distance between the two disks was known and the speed of rotation was also known, the tester could calculate the bullet velocity. However, this method had the same weaknesses as the Mattei method described above.\nThe next step to correct these above problems was invented by another French officer, one Colonel Dabooz, in 1818. His method involved a gravity apparatus to measure bullet velocities.\nHis apparatus consisted of two screens, two pulleys, a cord and a counterweight. In his method, a fixed screen was placed precisely 50 yards from the muzzle of the firearm to be tested. Directly in front of the fixed screen was another screen, which was suspended by the cord. The cord passed through two pulleys and the other end was right in front of the muzzle of the gun and was tied to a counterweight, which held the movable screen in place. The firearm was aimed at the screens. When the firearm was discharged, the bullet would cut the cord as it left the barrel. This would release the movable screen, which would start falling. The bullet would travel 50 yards and pass through both screens. Since the movable screen was falling during this time, the hole in the movable screen would not be at the same height as the hole in the fixed screen. Knowing the acceleration due to gravity and measuring the distance between the holes in the two screens, the tester could calculate how much time the bullet took to travel 50 yards and from this, he could calculate the bullet velocity. This method had the advantage that a constant acceleration was imposed on the falling screen (since acceleration due to gravity remains constant), which made the time measurement more reliable. To measure the velocities of faster moving bullets, the distance between the two pulleys could be increased and reasonably accurate measurements could be made. The one error in this method is that it assumed that the movable screen would begin to fall as soon as the bullet passed through the cord.\nThe reader might note that while these three method use different ideas, they have one thing in common: they all measure the time taken for a bullet to travel through a known distance and from this, they determine the bullet velocity. This is unlike the ballistic pendulum method, which uses the principle of conservation of momentum to determine the bullet velocity. While these methods were not as accurate as the ballistic pendulum method when they were invented, they laid the foundation for the concept of cronographs. With the invention of electricity, the cronograph concept became more practical and more accurate and it eventually replaced the ballistic pendulum method. We will study practical cronographs in the next post.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5068995356559753}
{"content": "It's authors, Andrea Saveri, Howard Rheingold, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, and Kathi Vian, must have been looking over my shoulder as I worked out the Relationship Value Model. They write (and I comment): Connective and pervasive technologies are enabling new forms of human and machine interactions (networks) and relationships; they will present business institutions with a host of new possibilities for organizing people, processes, relationships and knowledge (wealth creation). These forces will accelerate a shift in business strategy from solving concrete business problems to managing complex business dilemmas, which in turn will require a broader set of strategic tools (The Relationship Value Model) and concepts than are provided by competitive models. (1)\nElizabeth summarises findings in the paper:\nThe authors organize their information by what they are calling \"lenses\", which enable them to address what the major insights on cooperation are from various disciplines. These seven lenses are:\n1. Synchrony (cognitive convergence)\n2. Symbiosis (tokens and values)\n3. Group Selection (material tokens that explicate an organisation)\n4. Catalysis (common values for a range of tokens)\n5. Commons (networks)\n6. Collective Action (identified among tokens held in common by social organisations)\nCollective Intelligence (networks of social organisations – such as a business holding tokens and values in common)\nUncanny really!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6961158514022827}
{"content": "Abstract\nReactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with many diseases such as Parkinson''s, Alzheimer''s, cancer and diabetes. Among ROS, hydroxyl radical plays a significant role due to its high reactivity with biomacromolecules. Detection of the radical selectively, provides information about the localization, extent of damage and resulting cellular response. Therefore, methods that are sensitive, accurate and reproducible for the detection of hydroxyl radical are crucial for understanding pathophysiology in a host of inherited and acquired diseases. The synthesis, characteristics, and biological applications of a series of new rhodamine nitroxide fluorescent probes that enable imaging of hydroxyl radicals in living cells are described.These probes are highly selective for hyroxyl radical in aqueous solution avoiding interference from other ROS, and they facilitate hydroxyl radical imaging in biologically active samples. The roboust nature of these probes (high specifity and selectivity, and facile synthesis) offer distinct advantages over previous methods for detection of hydroxyl radicals.[Figure 1]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.98162442445755}
{"content": "Submitted to: International Journal on Subsurface Sensing Technologies & ApplicationsPublication Type: ProceedingsPublication Acceptance Date: June 2, 2004Publication Date: June 21, 2004Citation: Gish, T.J., Daughtry, C.S.T., Walthall, C.L., Kung. K. 2004. Qualifying impact of hydrology on corn grain yield using ground-penetrating radar. In: Proceedings 10th International Conference on Ground-penetrating Radar, June 21-24, 2004, Delft, The Netherlands. 2:493-496.Interpretive Summary: Understanding factors controlling within field crop production variability is essential for the development of environmentally friendly and economically viable agricultural production systems. Hydrology plays a leading role in crop production and soil ecology as soil moisture influences yield and the behavior of agricultural chemicals. Although surface topography and subsurface soil layering have an impact on the temporal and spatial nature of soil moisture, its subsequent impact on yield patterns has not been quantified. Quantifying the impact of hydrology on corn grain yield was investigated at the Optimizing Production Inputs for Economic and Environmental Enhancement (OPE3) program using primarily ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Results show that discrete subsurface water flow pathways exist under the soil surface. When these GPR-identified flow pathways come within 2 m of the soil surface they have a dramatic impact on crop growth and yield. For example, during growing seasons with below or average rainfall, these flow pathways have a beneficial impact on yield. However, when rainfall is abundant, soil moisture conditions are too wet and yields near these GPR-identified subsurface flow pathways decline. This research indicates that GPR may be an effective tool for quantifying the impact of hydrology on crop production.\nTechnical Abstract:Understanding hydrologic processes is fundamental for characterizing agricultural chemical behavior and crop production at the field and watershed scales. Unfortunately, crop production patterns and hydrologic processes exhibit significant spatial and temporal variability. The concept of soil moisture response zones has been proposed and found to be an effective means for identifying areas within a field that are hydrologically similar. Soil moisture response zones were determined using normalized spatial yield patterns from divergent climatic conditions on a small watershed at the USDA-ARS Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland USA. Subsurface hydrology was determined by identifying subsurface convergent flow pathway locations using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), digital elevation maps (DEM) and a GIS. Frequent volumetric soil moisture measurements confirmed the existence of discrete preferential funnel flow processes occurring near the GPR-identified preferential flow pathways. Although the spatial variability of corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield generated coefficients of variation > 114% during a drought, yield were strongly effected by their proximity to GPR-identified subsurface flow pathways. Corn grain yields and the soil moisture response index decreased as the horizontal distance from the GPR-identified subsurface flow pathways increased during a drought. During a growing season where precipitation was abundant, this quantitative relationship was reversed. This research suggests that GPR is an effective tool for quantifying the impact hydrology on crop production.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7974057197570801}
{"content": "\"This brief draws on newly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Workforce Indicators, which includes information on firm age and size from the Business Dynamics Statistics microdata. The brief highlights statistics on hiring, turnover and wages at young businesses, finding that despite high worker turnover at young firms, the share of hires that increase net employment is higher at young firms relative to established businesses. The report also documents a decline in the relative wages paid to workers at young businesses, a decline partly explained by changes in the industry composition of young firms. The Quarterly Workforce Indicators are generated from federal and state administrative data on employers and employees combined with core Census Bureau censuses and surveys to produce a rich, quarterly dataset that tracks employment, hires, separations, job creation and destruction, and wages for stable employees and new hires. While the importance of young firms in net job creation is well documented from establishment-level data (particularly Business Dynamics Statistics), the addition of firm age and size information to the jobs data in the Quarterly Workforce Indicators allows for the first time examination of the workforce dynamics — hiring, turnover, wages — as well as the demographic makeup of workers at young businesses.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5770750045776367}
{"content": "Title: The nutrition transition: a gender perspective with reference to Brazil\nPaper Type: Research Papers\nDate: November 2010\nSummary: The concept of the 'nutrition transition' is widely used to explain the recent, rapid rise in overweight and obesity, and the co-existence of under- and over-nutrition, in low-income populations in 'middle-income' developing countries. This article provides an overview of the changes occurring in diets, physical activity, and nutritional status among children and adults in nutrition transition settings, explores the impact of these changes by gender, and discusses the long-term individual and social repercussions of such changes. It concludes by framing important questions for development practice and policy in nutrition transition settings through a gendered lens.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8751437067985535}
{"content": "Plastics Conserve Few realize how important plastics are to our environmental future. Plastics help conserve our resources – water, land, fuel, oil – and through their intelligent application in agriculture, help maximize food production to feed a hungry world.\nAnd plastics are critical in the fight against climate change. As we transition to a low-carbon economy, intelligent plastics will play a pivotal role enabling significant energy conservation and greenhouse gas reductions through greener buildings, lighter-weight cars and new green solar and wind energy. Being 85% lighter than most other materials, plastics' use in packaging already contributes to significant energy and emission reductions in transportation. In the auto sector, the weight reduction achieved through the substitution of plastics for other materials saves 3.3 billion litres of fuel a year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9458975791931152}
{"content": "Allen, Lawrence R. / Barcelona, Robert J. (Hrsg.)Recreation as a Developmental Experience Theory Practice Research: New Directions for Youth Development, Number 130 J-B MHS Single Issue Mental Health Services (Band 130) August 2011 25,90 Euro 2011. 144 Seiten, Softcover ISBN 978-1-118-11527-5 - John Wiley & Sons Preis inkl. Mehrwertsteuer zzgl. Versandkosten.\nProbekapitel Jetzt kaufen E-Books sind auch über alle bekannten E-Book Shops erhältlich. Langtext It's not all \"fun and games.\" A growing body of research suggests that recreation activities can be powerful development contexts when they are properly framed and intentionally designed. This volume highlights much of that research, and the articles that follow provide ample evidence that well-framed recreation activities and contexts can provide a range of positive developmental outcomes. Editors Lawrence R. Allen and Robert J. Barcelona draw on their own work in human and youth development and have assembled contributing authors who explore the important of meaningful recreation and leisure experiences in the lives of youth and the value of recreation from a developmental perspective. Chapters focus on the developmental potential of specific recreation contexts and settings and provide research and evidence-based strategies outlining the activities that best promote positive youth development. Finally, the volume demonstrates how recreation is being used to strengthen individual and community assets and its role as a contributor in addressing pressing social issues. This is the 130th volume of New Directions for Youth Development, the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series dedicated to bringing together everyone concerned with helping young people, including scholars, practitioners, and people from different disciplines and professions. The result is a unique resource presenting thoughtful, multi-faceted approaches to helping our youth develop into responsible, stable, well-rounded citizens.Aus dem Inhalt Issue Editors' Notes 1 Lawrence R. Allen, Robert J. Barcelona Executive Summary 5 1. Leisure, recreation, and play from a developmental context 13 Linda L. Caldwell, Peter A. Witt This article provides a platform for this special issue on recreation and youth development by examining how and under what conditions play, recreation, and leisure contribute to adolescent development. 2. Positive youth development within a family leisure context: Youth perspectives of family outcomes 29 Peter J. Ward, Ramon B. Zabriskie This article presents an extensive review of the literature on family leisure and its impact on youth development, and addresses implications for families and youth programs. 3. Back to the future: The potential relationship between leisure and education 43 David S. Fleming, Lawrence R. Allen, Robert J. Barcelona The authors propose a series of four developmental stages for a more purposeful integration of leisure and educational outcomes. 4. Recreation as a component of the community youth development system 59 Corliss Outley, Jason N. Bocarro, Chris T. Boleman This article provides an overview of how recreation fits in a community youth development framework and focuses on three case examples. 5. Youth development and the camp experience 73 Barry A. Garst, Laurie P. Browne, M. Deborah Bialeschki A comprehensive overview of the evidence linking camp participation and a range of positive youth development outcomes is presented, including a discussion of ongoing American Camp Association research efforts across a range of camp settings and contexts. 6. Outdoor-based play and reconnection to nature: A neglected pathway to positive youth development 89 Fran P. Mainella, Joel R. Agate, Brianna S. Clark This article outlines the arguments for a new outdoor-based play movement and discusses some programs and initiatives engaged in the effort. 7. Adventure-based programming: Exemplary youth development practice 105 Jim Sibthorp, Cass Morgan This article outlines the evidence for adventure-based programs as prototypes of ideal positive youth development settings, and discusses the features of adventure programs that make them developmental. 8. A competency-based approach to preparing staff as recreation and youth development leaders 121 Robert J. Barcelona, Amy R. Hurd, Jennifer A. Bruggeman This article outlines the competencies of recreation and youth development professionals, and discusses methods and examples for integrating competency models through academic preparation, continuing education, and staff training. 9. Reframing recreation as a public policy priority 141 Phillip Lovell The author, an advocate for education policy, discusses the potential role of recreation in addressing a wide range of academic and social issues, and provides suggestions for reframing the recreation field to gain traction with key funders and policymakers. Index 151", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6163626313209534}
{"content": "It’s been over a year since I talked with my wife about a dream I have for enriching the lives of an exclusive group of highly dedicated college students. Recently, the opportunity arose to discuss it with key players who could make it happen.\nResponses are nearly immediate and universally enthusiastic. Next week I’ll host a vision meeting to clarify mission and identify key issues.\nGathering a team: Share your vision with committed individuals who already share your values. I have many friends who don’t value students the way I do. I’m not sharing this dream with them. They’re great people, but approaching them would be like pushing rocks up hill.\nLeadership Lesson #1 : If you have to convince others your vision has value, you may be talking to the wrong people.Leadership Lesson #2 : If you share your vision with those who share your values and they aren’t enthusiastic, re-evaluate your vision. For example, ask:Is it relevant? Is it timely? Does it address real needs? Do outcomes justify investments? Is it a communication issue? In this case, enthusiasm emerged quickly. I’m pressing forward.\nWarning : Avoid surrounding yourself with yes-men. Executing a radical vision requires hard thinking and harder work. Head-nodders won’t take you there.Power of great ideas:\nGreat ideas inspire others to think their own ideas. They take your vision and run with it. On one hand, you want them to run. On the other, it may feel like they are changing or stealing your vision.\nGreat dreams require great teams. Leadership Lesson #3: Cling to core outcomes and invite others to mold and make your vision. Letting go gives space for others to own.\nParticipation in formation inspires profound ownership. I’m not suggesting you forget your dream. I’m saying; invite others dream along with you.\nHow can leaders facilitate the birth of a dream? What pitfalls should be avoided?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7796170711517334}
{"content": "The 5 dimensions map is an expanding view of consciousness. It moves between the micro and the macro, and between individual and collective consciousness. Someone who is awake across all 5 dimensions has a fluidity and ease of movement between awareness of ‘self’ and awareness of what’s going on outside. Each dimension has its challenges and its rewards. Each of us has aspects which are naturally stronger and weaker. Developing across all these dimensions creates the possibility of being a fully resourced and potent human being.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8829090595245361}
{"content": "In addition to challenging macroeconomic conditions, the pace of consumer and technological change is like nothing ever seen before in the life insurance industry. The dawn of the digital era is set to radically transform the life insurance industry, extending the impact across the entire value chain and offering both opportunities and risks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000081062316895}
{"content": "Lewis Evans, who's lived in Anson County with his wife Reba for 11 years and has worked with the Farm Bureau for 30 years, shared what he learned during his bout with esophageal cancer.\nEvans proudly reported that he's been a cancer survivor for seven years. He told the audience of fellow survivors and their families and caregivers that he'd been asked in October to speak at the cancer survivors dinner but kept putting off making notes about the topic he'd speak on.\n\"As I thought more about it,\" he said, ripping up the notes he'd taken, \"I realized I didn't need notes.\"\nEvans went on to share that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in August of 2003— the day that changed his life. \"Two days later,\" he added, \"the Lord revealed to me, you're gonna be OK.\"\nIt was \"an inconvenience,\" Evans said, but after that, he was sure he was going to survive.\nEvans said through his experience with cancer, he'd learned that one needs five things to survive.\nThe first, he revealed, is \"a strong belief in the love of the Lord.\" After many in the audience shouted \"Amen!\", Evans said, \"I knew I'd get a resounding 'Amen!' on that one.\"\nHe admitted that many doctors don't believe that, but he remembered when his doctor told him he had a one in five chance of living longer than five years, he'd said, \"I don't know who those other four people diagnosed with esophageal cancer are but I feel sorry for them. ... They're not gonna make it.\"\nThat's because Evans believed he would be the one in the five who would survive. And in the end, he did live. He has now reached seven years as a survivor.\nThe second thing a cancer patient needs for survival, he said, is strong support from friends and family. He talked about his wife, Reba, and how she'd had to give him shots in his stomach every day. \"I think after a while, she began to enjoy it,\" he joked.\nIn addition, she drove him to Charlotte for his surgery at 4:30 in the morning. There, his oldest son, father (also a cancer survivor), and brothers and sisters were waiting for him. They stayed through the entire 12-hour surgery and were there in the days following for his recovery. Most of his family had driven in from northeastern North Carolina, driving all night just to be there for him.\nHis younger son, he revealed, was serving in Iraq and sending prayers for him.\nThe third tool for survival, Evans said, is a good team of doctors and nurses. \"If I was smart enough to handpick my doctors and nurses, I couldn't have picked a better team,\" he said.\nThe fourth key to survival is early detection. \"If you are a person at high risk, early detection is very important,\" he said.\nHIs grandfather, father and eight of his grandfather's 13 children all had cancer, Evans said.\n\"You know your own body,\" he cautioned. \"If something don't feel right, you think it'll be better tomorrow. Then if it isn't better, you ignore it. Then you kind of get used to it. But if you've got something that's not normal, see someone. Have a mammogram, ladies. Men— and women— have a colonoscopy. There are a lot of things you can do to create early detection.\"\nThe fifth and final key to cancer survival, Evans said, is what he refers to as PMA— positive mental attitude. \"My daddy always told me, 'if you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all.'\"\nHe pointed to cancer survivor and world-renowned bicyclist Lance Armstrong as a source of inspiration. \"A positive attitude will get you where you've got to go,\" he said.\nHe told the story of when he told his doctor that he would be the one in five to survive esophageal cancer. His doctor told him, \"That attitude won't save you and it won't heal you, but it'll carry you a long way.\"\nEvans ended his talk by recalling a sermon he once heard, about using the talents God gave us all. He said he didn't realize it at first but his talent is for counseling others. After that sermon served as an epiphany, Evans said he didn't have to go looking for people to help through tough times, like a cancer diagnosis— they would come to him.\n\"I didn't go searching for people,\" he said. \"They may have been diagnosed the day before and our paths cross. It's been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.\"\nThe survivors dinner is held in conjunction with the Relay for Life, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Anson High School's athletic field. The Relay will start out with the Survivors Lap, followed by the caregivers joining in with survivors, and then the teams.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5170899033546448}
{"content": "20 atomic reactors in 9 East Coast states poised to shut down as safety precaution in the face of Hurricane Irene Business Insider reports that 20 atomic reactors in 9 states on the East Coast of the U.S. are poised to shut down as a safety precaution if Hurricane Irene's winds and waves prove too intense. The article links to a National Geographic report warning that downed trees could cause widespread power outages -- which would be exacerbated by atomic reactor shutdowns prompted as safety precautions. In fact, the second biggest electricity outage in world history, the August 14th, 2003 \"Northeast Blackout,\" which plunged 50 million Americans and Canadians into darkness, was initiated by a single sagging tree limb in northwest Ohio touching a power line. This was the fault of FirstEnergy Nuclear, which had neglected its tree-trimming responsibilities, as it was distracted at the time by a costly and serious scandal at its Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo. The 2003 \"Northeast Blackout\" led to the safety-related shutdown of about two dozen atomic reactors as a safety precaution due to the unstable electrical grid, which dramatically widened the scope of the incident. As Beyond Nuclear has warned, nuclear power is too risky to operate as climate chaos worsens; this is due to the vulnerable locations of atomic reactors, such as on coastlines, subject to not only severe weather events such as storm surges, but also earthquake-spawned tsunamis and sea level rise due to global warming.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6840576529502869}
{"content": "As a Butte College faculty member, I must clarify that \"academic freedom\" is about the intelligent and challenging exchange of ideas. In Butte's policies, it is defined as \"the continual search for truth, including protection for the teacher to teach and the student to learn without coercion, censorship, or other ... interference.\" Holding scheduled classes, on the other hand, is a contractual responsibility. Teaching meaningful content during all scheduled class hours is a commitment Butte's faculty take very seriously.\nThe editorial went on to say that administration needs to \"convince professors that they need to be part of the solution.\" Every professor I know cares deeply about the alcohol/drug issues of our community. Each of us has either lost a student, or worked with other students as they processed a tragic loss. It breaks our hearts.\nNot only do we want to be \"part of the solution,\" we often actively seek opportunities to speak directly to the issue in our classes.\nAdjusting the class schedule is one idea among many, and clearly not the entire solution. As a community,\n— Jo Anne Cripe, Chico", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8804137110710144}
{"content": "Well, I'm not a pro when it comes to Spike, but I think the purpose of spiking every week is to rev up your metabolism. While I understand that you're frustrated about not losing as much as you'd like, you might lose even less if you do it only every two weeks because your body might go into \"starvation mode\". Remember, during the week you're already eating LESS than your RDI, so - in my opinion (and I might be wrong) - doing this for two weeks may actually have a reverse effect as your body may be holding on to everything you eat. I haven't looked at the kinds of food you're eating, but whenever my weightloss slows down, I limit my sugar and starch intake during the week and it helps a lot! Good luck...\nSoLosingIt", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6305776238441467}
{"content": "U.S. house prices declined 0.6% in July following June's downwardly revised -0.3%, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) reported Tuesday.\nThe consensus had been looking for a decline of 0.2% in the month.\nPrior to revision, June's index had come in flat on the month.\nFor the 12 months ending in July, U.S. prices fell 5.3 percent, and the cumulative decline since the April 2007 peak is 5.8 percent.\nLeading the decline was a 1.1% fall in the Middle Atlantic region, followed by a 1.0% decline in both the Pacific and New England regions.\nPrices in the West South Central region fell 0.6%, while those in the West North Central fell 0.1%. Prices in the Mountain region fell 0.2%. They fell 0.7% in both the East North Central and East South Central.\nThe OFHEO monthly index is calculated using purchase prices of house backing mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.\nBy Stephen Huebl and edited by Sarah Sussman ©CEP News Ltd. 2008", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7092639207839966}
{"content": "Volatility, Labor Market Flexibility, and the Pattern of Comparative Advantage We are grateful to Pol Antràs, Gordon Hanson, Peter Neary, Barbara Petrongolo, Steve Redding, Tony Venables, Jaume Ventura, and seminar participants in Alicante, Banco de España, Bocconi, Cambridge, ERWIT 2006, Harvard, LSE, NBER, Oxford, Pompeu Fabra, Princeton, Valencia, the AEA 2006 Meeting, and the EEA 2006 Meeting for helpful discussions and suggestions. Kalina Manova, Martin Stewart, and Rob Varady provided superb research assistance. All errors remain ours. Cuñat gratefully acknowledges financial support from CICYT (SEC 2002-0026). Melitz thanks the International Economics Section at Princeton University for its hospitality while this paper was written. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9837923645973206}
{"content": "You're on a job interview, and the interviewer offers you the job! However, he wants you to start immediately. You don't think that's possible because you haven't quit your job yet. You say:\nI feel obligated to give at least three weeks' notice at my current job.\nWhen you \"feel obligated\" to do something, it means that you feel like you must do it, or like you're supposed to do it. For instance, if someone gives you a gift, you might \"feel obligated\" to give them a gift back in return.\nPeople usually use \"I feel obligated to ~\" to talk about things that they don't want to do. For example:\nHowever, don't use \"feel obligated\" to talk about something that you already have to do, like going to work, doing your homework, paying your rent, etc. It must be used to talk about things that you have a choice of whether to do or not.\nWhen you quit a job, it's bad to quit and stop going to work that day or the next day. Instead, you should \"give notice\" to your employer. That means telling your boss that you're going to quit.\nIn my experience in white-collar jobs in the U.S., three weeks' notice is standard and two weeks is the bare minimum.\n(someone's) current job \"Current\" means \"now\". But you can't use \"now\" as an adjective. You can't say \"my now job\". Use \"current\" instead.\nHere are some other things that people often describe using the word \"current\":\nthe current situation the current president the current market my current boyfriend (Print this lesson)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5478185415267944}
{"content": "Momentous Events, Vivid Memories\n(Paperback)\ngender, culture, and personality. \"Momentous Events, Vivid Memories\" is itself a compelling and memorable book.\nFrom the Publisher:The bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger: every generation has unforgettable events, the shared memory of which can create fleeting intimacy among strangers. These public memories, combined with poignant personal moments--the first day of college, a baseball game with one's father, praise from a mentor--are the critical shaping events of individual lives.\nAlthough experimental memory studies have long been part of empirical psychology, and psychotherapy has focused on repressed or traumatizing memories, relatively little attention has been paid to the inspiring, touching, amusing, or revealing moments that highlight most lives. What makes something unforgettable? How do we learn to share the significance of memories?\nDavid Pillemer's research, brought together in this gracefully written book, extends the current study of narrative and specific memory. Drawing on a variety of evidence and methods--cognitive and developmental psychology, cross-cultural study, psychotherapy case studies, autobiographies and diaries--Pillemer elaborates on five themes: the function of memory; how children learn to construct and share personal memories; memory as a complex interactive system of image, emotion, and narrative; individual and group differences in memory function and performance; and how unique events linger in memory and influence lives. A provocative last chapter, full of striking examples, considers potential variations in memory across gender, culture, and personality.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6340510845184326}
{"content": "The research methods presented are the best currently available and the surgeon who employs them will discover that his or her results are more likely to be accepted as valid, be adopted in the care of patients, and endure the test of time. James D. Heckman, MD, Consulting Editor, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (from the Foreword) Advanced Concepts in Surgical Research is a practical, reader-friendly guide to planning, conducting, and evaluating solid, evidence-based surgical research that leads to high-quality results. Geared to the investigator who has already mastered basic principles, this book focuses on more advanced topics such as randomized controlled trials, survey design, observational studies, meta analyses, statistical concepts, reporting of data, and much more.Special Features: * Includes tips and insights from experienced surgical researchers on how to conduct an effective clinical study and avoid pitfalls * Supplies hard-to-find information on current topics such as randomization systems and technology and publication bias * Provides standardized, easy-to-reference text boxes with highlighted key concepts, on-the-spot definitions of terminology in Jargon Simplified sections, and real-world case examples from the literature * Presents nearly 60 illustrations and tables to help in visualizing key concepts Filled with proven research methodologies, clinical data, examples, and strategies that can be applied across a wide range of disciplines, Advanced Concepts in Surgical Research illuminates the challenges and solutions of modern day surgical research. It is essential for any clinician undertaking a well-defined, systematic, clinically relevant, and ultimately successful surgical research study.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5401960611343384}
{"content": "Who am I Really? Discovering your true identity From the time I was seven years old, I hung out with the same group of friends. As we grew up, I carved out an identity for myself that fit in among the group. I was “the crazy one.”\nWhen I went off to college and left these familiar friends behind, this reputation I had built for myself disappeared. I realized that I didn’t know who I was because my friends weren’t there to define me. I was plagued by the question: “who am I really?” Left without an answer, I felt lost and out of place.\nBut once I became a follower of Jesus, that question took on a new and exciting dynamic. Who am I? The answer fills my heart with joy, confidence and a sense of eternity. When we accept Jesus Christ, our identity no longer relies on anything or anyone in this world.\nMany of us let things such as our jobs, our talents or the people around us define our perception of who we are. But these things are fallible and temporary. Romans 8:16-17 calls us “God’s children” and “co-heirs with Christ.” God has claimed us as his own and promised us eternal life! This is our true identity; one that will never fall away. Isn’t that something worth sharing with those around us?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7012958526611328}
{"content": "Developmental Changes in the Use of Supernatural Explanations for Unusual Events The focus of this research is to explore the developmental trajectory of the propensity to see meaning in unexpected or chance events, and more specifically, to explore the origin and development of nonmaterial or supernatural explanations. Sixty-seven children aged 8, 10 and 12, along with 22 adults, were presented with scenarios describing unusual or unexpected events. They were first asked to provide explanations for why they thought the events occurred and then asked to rate different supernatural explanations (moral justice, God and luck) as they pertained to each scenario. Results indicated that adults spontaneously appealed to supernatural explanations more frequently than did children, and that this tendency to appeal to supernatural concepts increased with age. Participants of all ages frequently endorsed multiple explanations for the same events and were more likely to endorse supernatural explanations for positively valenced than for negatively valenced stories. Religiosity affected both spontaneous explanations and ratings. Findings are discussed in terms of how children acquire the explanatory systems of their culture.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5438820123672485}
{"content": "Two weeks ago I cheered on many of my friends as they graduated from college. While I was saying my goodbyes, I tried not to think about how long it might be before I see them again. They were campus leaders and my own personal role-models, and now that I am a rising senior, I – along with my classmates – will be expected to fill the vacuum in student leadership and responsibility that their departure has created. Now, I am in a kind of limbo, wedged between the departure of several of my friends and the arrival of my final year of undergraduate education, and my imminent entrance into the ‘real world’.\nI don’t think it is a stretch to suppose that many of the disciples found themselves in similar circumstances during the time between the Ascension and Pentecost. After spending forty days with the resurrected Lord, who was their friend and spiritual leader, Jesus departed from the disciples, but not before commissioning them to carry on His work (cf. Mark 16:15). As they came together for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, they must have been asking themselves: “So, what next? Where do we go from here? How can we complete the task which we have been given?” In this moment of vulnerability, the Spirit came upon those gathered and filled them with many gifts which they were to employ in the spreading of the Gospel.\nAs St. Paul tells us, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (1 Cor. 12:7). Do we recognize the manifestation of the Spirit in our own lives? Do we use that which the Spirit has given us as the disciples did, to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth? This Pentecost, may we be filled with the same hopeful joy that filled the disciples as they awaited the coming of the Spirit promised to them by Christ, and in this joy may we be prepared to receive and utilize the bounteous gifts that the Spirit gifts to each of us.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8069940209388733}
{"content": "Managing Your Money in Retirement is a concise overview for new retirees, presented in three steps. “Define Your Retirement Needs” emphasizes the everyday expenses needed to maintain one’s standard of living. “Add Up What You Have” covers both regular sources of income and assets, such as savings and home equity. “Decide What to Do” walks the reader through the planning process and suggests how to handle shortfalls.Our PDF and e-book are available for use or redistribution free of charge. For hard copies, Managing Your Money in Retirement is available for $2.30 each (10-99 copies) or $1.70 each (100 or more copies), delivery included. To place an order, please contact Amy Grzybowski at amy.grzybowski@bc.edu or 617-552-1677.\n© 2009, by Trustees of Boston College, Center for Retirement Research. All rights reserved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7992912530899048}
{"content": "Foreclosure rates in the greater Miami area remain astonishingly high, but they’re headed in the right direction. In March, 13....\nA debate is stirring in Michigan over legislation that aims to shorten the redemption period for homeowners in foreclosure, The...\nCredit ratings agency Fitch Ratings is calling out a troubling trend in the commercial mortgage- backed securities industry. Fitch said special servicers, firms brought in to resolve distressed CMBS, are charging shadow fees, in a potentially irresponsible manner.\nRob Rowan, a senior director at Fitch, emailed his thoughts on the fee structures, calling it a \"trend that potentially presents risk to bondholders, borrowers and the recovering CMBS market.\"\n\"Some special servicers charge fees for borrowers seeking loan modifications,\" Rowan writes. \"Fitch’s concern is not so much the size of any fee that a borrower pays, but the philosophy of the fee itself. Special servicers have a fiduciary duty to the trust and bondholders. Any fee charged to a borrower implicitly puts that fiduciary duty at risk.\"\nThe claim Fitch makes is that such fees are not being appropriately disclosed to investors. The fees are typically allowable under the pooling and servicing agreement on the CMBS, which gives room for ancillary fees such as modification, assumption or extension fees.\nThese fees may be allowed within the framework of the loan documents or the pooling and servicing agreement. PSAs include specific fee structures for special servicing, liquidation or workout fees. They do not specifically disallow special servicers from charging ancillary fees such as modification, assumption or extension fees, but typically don't suggest levy guidelines.\n\"We have been made aware of instances in where modification or extension fees have been charged to the borrower,\" Rowan said. \"Some were far higher than Fitch would have expected.\"\n\"Most troubling, was that they were not readily disclosed to investors,\" he adds. \"A fee charged to a borrower and not disclosed to bondholders, especially when the fee is a large one, has the potential to call into question the real rationale behind the modification or extension for which the fee was charged.\"\nThe solution Fitch wishes to implement will be limited by its role as a credit ratings agency. Rowan said that his firm can encourage special servicers to explicitly state the fees, so that investors know of the charges, even if they don't agree with the logic behind them.\nDon’t miss out: get HW delivered via email", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7718799114227295}
{"content": "Plants may affect herbivore success directly or\nindirectly through effects on their natural\nenemies.\nInsect herbivores often\nspecialize on a few host plant species.\nThe reasons for this\nspecialization are poorly understood.\nSome authors have proposed\nthat natural enemies cause herbivore\nspecialization.\nThis predation hypothesis\nproposes that herbivores evolve to prefer plants\non which they are protected from natural\nenemies.\nI tested this hypothesis\nusing leaf beetles feeding on willows.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9701295495033264}
{"content": "Can we go beyond the social-ecological dualism?\n“…what deep ecology gives us... is a deluge of Eco-la-la. Humanity surfaces in a vague and unearthly form to embrace everyone in a realm of universal guilt. We are then massaged into sedation with Buddhist and Taoist homilies about self-abnegation, biocentrism, and pop spiritualism that verges on the supernatural---this for a subject-matter, ecology, whose very essence is a return to earthy naturalism…” (Murray Bookchin, source: http://libcom.org/library/social-versus-deep-ecology-bookchin)\nThis comment by Bookchin, one of the chief exponents of social ecology as the alternative to deep ecology, may go too far but it is a rather amusing reflection that deep ecologists may need to consider. As we build EcoVillages in Africa, we may need to avoid the over-emphasis on the ecological at the expense of the social derived from the EcoVillage movement that has emerged in the developed world where inequality issues are less of a challenge. Ideally, we need a langauge that transcendes the ecological-social dualism. I wonder what that is? Sustainability? Maybe it is too tarnished.\nMark Swilling, 15 April 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8632931113243103}
{"content": "The postcoital test (PCT), by assessing sperm motility following intercourse, can indicate the presence of a cervical factor, the authors point out in Fertility and Sterility online March 28. However, “data on the prognostic value of the PCT for spontaneous pregnancy in subfertile couples are inconclusive.”\nDr. Esther Leushuis, with the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, and colleagues examined the value of adding the PCT to a reference model for predicting spontaneous pregnancy in a cohort of 3021 subfertile couples. For the reference model, the investigators used the Hunault model, which includes five prognostic variables: female age, duration of subfertility, female subfertility being primary or secondary, percentage motile spermatozoa of the first semen analysis, and referral status.\nDuring follow-up, 537 couples (18%) had a spontaneous ongoing pregnancy within 1 year, according to the report.\nThe mean probability of a spontaneous pregnancy based on the reference Hunault model without PCT was 0.32, compared with 0.29 when the PCT was included, Dr. Leushuis and colleagues found.\nThey add, “Addition of the PCT outcome as a prognostic variable to a validated prediction model for spontaneous pregnancy did not improve the fit of this model significantly and even led to a nonsignificant reduction in the correct classification of couples who did and did not achieve a pregnancy.”\nAs they point out, the predictive information from the PCT is already incorporated in other variables based on semen analysis, so the test “adds no prognostic information to existing models.”\nReference: Prognostic value of the postcoital test for spontaneous pregnancy Fertil Steril 2011", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6571889519691467}
{"content": "After long hours of spent in a chair (where most us tend to stick for 8-10 hours each day), the psoas appreciates stretching, stimulation, proper alignment, massage and constructive rest.\nConstructive Rest: (Also known as Ardha Savasana) offers a passive release of the psoas.Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your feet should align with the front of the hip sockets. Your trunk and head need to be parallel to the floor (if your head is tilting backwards,place a rolled up towel or small cushion under your head to keep your spine in optimum alignment). Feet are parallel to one another. Arms rest several inches away from the midline of the body (with palms faced upwards) or rest your palms on top of your abdomen. Close your eyes; breathe deeply and allow the force of gravity to release the psoas. Stretching: releasing the entire psoas (especially the upper portion’s attachment near lungs) with a high lunge and sidebend.Step your right foot forward and left foot about 2,5 feet back, balancing on the ball of the foot. Align your 2 hips so they are square and are pointing straight forward. Keep both of your knees bent and stack your shoulders over your pelvis. As you inhale reach both of your arms over head, loop your left hand around your right wrist. As you exhale lean your torso over toward the right side.Allow your right hand traction the left wrist away from the left shoulder. Finally, begin to straighten the back knee. Breathe deeply and guide your breath into the deep stretch within the gut. Switch sides. Alignment: the key to balanced, well-maintained psoas is a neutral pelvis. This is a position of the pelvis, which does not involve backward movement (also known as posterior tilt) or forward movement (also referred as anterior tilt).Learn how to re-align your pelvis by clicking here.\nMassage: Give your psoas deep self-induced massage by rolling your guts with a soft inflated ball.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.889208197593689}
{"content": "A strong, measurable aim with a clear time frame will help keep your project on course. This lesson focuses on crafting an effective aim statement and forming a team for an improvement project. You’ll apply what you learn by continuing to work on the personal improvement project you began in Lesson 1.\nEstimated Time of Completion: 11 minutes\n[February 12, 2013]\nLesson Completion Score:\n80%\nAfter completing this lesson, you will be able to:\n1. State why it’s important to set an aim statement at the start of an improvement project.\n2. Identify the key elements of an effective aim statement.\n3. Compose an effective improvement team.\n4. Develop an effective aim statement for your own personal improvement project.\nYou must be a registered IHI.org user\nto take this lesson.\nYou must achieve a minimum score of\n75% to successfully complete this lesson.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9400672912597656}
{"content": "Abstract: What characteristics of a product’s local market make its withdrawal more likely? This study investigates\nthe importance of intrafirm “cannibalization” of a product’s demand by products manufactured by the same firm\nversus interfirm competition from others’ products. While both forces impact product withdrawal, cannibalization\nhas a more robust and significant effect. Hedonic price regressions also reveal higher discounting of older models’\nquality-adjusted prices, strengthening the argument for caution when treating list prices as proxies for transaction prices.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9377959370613098}
{"content": "Exchange traded funds continue to increase in number and popularity, growing to one of the most commonly traded securities on the stock exchange as both institutional and the average retail investor gain greater access to broad or specialized market exposure. Yet many individuals are unfamiliar with ETFs’ inner workings. In this ongoing series, we hope to address your questions and help shed light on the investment vehicle. [What is an ETF? — Part 29: Bank Loans]Master limited partnership, or MLP, ETFs provide investors with an added layer of diversification and additional income generation.\nWhile MLPs are associated with the energy sector, they have a low correlation to energy prices, along with the broader equities markets, as the assets act like a toll-road in the nation’s energy infrastructure. However, MLP ETFs have certain tax pitfalls investors need to be sure to avoid. [Morningstar Warning on MLP ETF Taxes]\nMLPs build, acquire and operate transportation assets. While investors link MLPs with energy, specifically natural gas and crude oil, they are more involved with transporting the commodities. Consequently, the performance of MLPs is less dependent on commodity prices than on how much of the commodity is pushed through. [MLP ETFs in Focus After Sell-Off on Yield and Dividend Taxes]\nFor instance, the MLPs would exact the same toll on oil pumped through their pipelines if crude oil cost $50 dollars a barrel or $100 dollars a barrel.\nWith MLP funds, investors would not have to fill out the individual K-1 forms come tax season and would, instead, receive a simple 1099 form. However, MLP ETFs will come with corporate taxes for capital gains inside the ETF. According to U.S. federal law, MLP ETFs, which are registered as a regulated investment company, cannot have over 25% of its portfolio in MLPs. As such, MLP ETFs fall under a C-corporation designation and will incur capital gains taxes.\nAs a partnership, MLPs act as a pass-through entity where the company’s income or losses pass through to individual owners of the partnership. In contrast, in the ETF corporation structure, investors will experience a double taxation where the corporation pay corporate income tax and then again when dividends are paid out.\nOn the other hand, MLP exchange traded notes do not come with capital gains taxes, and they also do not require K-1s. However, ETNs are debt securities subject to the creditworthiness of the issuer. Additionally, after-tax returns may be lower on ETNs than for ETFs since ETNs payments are treated like fixed-income assets. [Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)]\nFor qualified accounts, like 401(k)s and IRAs, investors should use MLP ETFs, whereas individuals may incur taxes on unrelated business taxable income, or UBTI, which is what MLP income is considered, in these accounts down the road. Nevertheless, we are not accountants, and potential investors should still consult their tax experts.\nMLP ETFs include:\nALPS Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) Global X MLP ETF (MLPA) Yorkville High Income MLP ETF (YMLP) MLP ETNs include:\nJP Morgan Alerian MLP Index ETN (AMJ) Credit Suisse Master Limited Partnerships ETN (MLPN) Morgan Stanley Cushing MLP High Income Index ETN (MLPY) UBS ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure ETN (MLPI) UBS ETRACS 2xMonthly Leveraged Long Alerian MLP Infrastructure ETN (MLPL) UBS ETRACS Alerian Natural Gas MLP ETN (MLPG) UBS E-TRACS Alerian MLP Index ETN (AMU) UBS ETRACS Wells Fargo MLP Index ETN (MLPW) UBS ETRACS 1xMonthly Short Alerian MLP Infrastructure TR* ETN (MLPS) For past stories in this series, visit our “What is an ETF?” category. Max Chen contributed to this article .The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5034149885177612}
{"content": "More than one-quarter of all known pharmaceuticals contain the chemical group known as amides: carboxylic acid derivatives derived from ammonia or amines. Most methods for synthesizing amides, however, are inefficient and use hazardous reagents. New work from Anqi Chen and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences in Singapore promises to make amide chemistry more economical and sustainable than before. The team has uncovered a way to convert aldehydes and amine salts into amides using iron(II) sulfate—a harmless, inexpensive substance as the catalyst to perform this transformation efficiently and with little waste.\nMost alternative methods to produce amide molecules use expensive noble metal catalysts such as palladium and ruthenium, which are incompatible with industrial demands for cost-efficiency. Funded by a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)–Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) endowment on sustainable drug manufacturing, the researchers investigated a different approach known as 'direct oxidative amidation'. This method couples an aldehyde and an amine salt in the presence of a catalyst and an oxidant, generating an amide in one step.\nNontoxic and cheap catalysts with sufficient chemical activity for amide transformation are hard to find. To identify an efficient and inexpensive catalyst, the team screened a range of iron compounds and discovered that iron(II) sulfate (see image), a supplement for anemia that costs less than a dollar per kilogram, has strong potential to catalyze amide formation from aldehydes with amine salts.\nApart from the environmentally benign iron catalyst, the transformation uses an inexpensive oxidant known as tert-butyl hydroperoxide and very cheap calcium carbonate, the main composition of limestone, as a base. By combining these inexpensive ingredients together, the researchers achieved excellent amide yields under conditions convenient for both laboratory and industrial operations.\nFurther experiments revealed the versatility of this amide synthesis. A range of amine salts and aldehydes with different structural and electronic features could be transformed into amides with good-to-excellent yields. Importantly, salts derived from natural amino acids such as valine and proline also underwent oxidative amidation without disrupting their chirality or 'handedness'—a critical structural phenomenon for drug molecules and peptides.\nThe team demonstrated the potential of this iron-catalyzed amidation for drug manufacturing by synthesizing the antiarrhythmic drug N-acetylprocainamide in a one-step procedure that is more efficient than previous multiple-step routes. \"This environmentally benign method has significant advantages over conventional techniques,\" says Chen, \"and we intend to identify pharmaceutical targets where this promising method could bring about significant cost-savings and improved sustainability.\"\nExplore further: Cobalt discovery replaces precious metals as industrial catalyst\nMore information: Ghosh, S. C., Ngiam, J. S. Y., Chai, C. L. L., Seayad, A. M., Dang, T. T. & Chen, A. Iron-catalyzed efficient synthesis of amides from aldehydes and amine hydrochloride salts. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis 354, 1407–1412 (2012). dx.doi.org/10.1002/adsc.201200020", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8700962066650391}
{"content": "Imagine if you could grow the world's best schools where they've never been grown before. Sow them like seeds through the countryside, into the cities, and across the planet. At Starshine Academy, that's not just our dream, it's our mission.\nStarShine believes that a holistic approach to education is the best way to educate a child and ultimately improve the world. We focus on mind, body, spirit, health, wealth, and happiness. The world will be saved by growing the unique talents of every child. Our teachers support emerging talents with inspiration, admiration and encouragement. By focusing in on a child’s uniqueness, we can individualize this holistic approach for maximum results.\nStarShine helps students, teachers, and volunteers find and grow their highest and best use. Everyone can and must make a unique contribution. StarShine believes that when individuals are supported and their unique abilities celebrated, they become more respectful of others' unique abilities. They begin to recognize that the world is a big place, full of possibilities, as well as responsibilities. The seed of greatness that is born in every person, when nurtured and explored, creates an enthusiasm for living which causes each person to search, find, and live their destiny. Abilities and desires are unique, just like fingerprints. When a person is supported to explore these unique abilities they become excited about their own future. Our world benefits from this excitement in every area.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8759403824806213}
{"content": "Recent legislation requires Fishery Management Councils to\nset annual catch limits for all stocks and stock complexes. To address the\nchallenge of setting overfishing limits (OFLs) for stocks with unknown status,\nSWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division researchers E.J. Dick and Alec MacCall\ncompared results from two data-poor methods to results from accepted data-rich\nstock assessments of various west-coast groundfish species. Their comparisons\nwere presented to the groundfish subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management\nCouncil's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) in Seattle, Washington.\nThe two methods,\nDepletion-Corrected Average Catch (DCAC) and Depletion-Based Stock Reduction\nAnalysis (DB-SRA), require only historical catch and basic life-history\ninformation, and provided estimates of yield and OFLs that compared favorably\nwith results from the stock assessments. The subcommittee endorsed application\nof these methods to un-assessed stocks in the PFMC's Groundfish Fishery\nManagement Plan. The authors recommend that other Fishery Management Councils\nconsider using these methods where applicable.\n(February 8, 2010)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7802453637123108}
{"content": "Structured settlement payouts are sometimes spread out across a long term and can create a very long wait for the person collecting them to have received the full sum. In that time, any number of situations could arise that require a significant amount of money from that person.\nWhether looking to buy a home or car, pay off an educational debt, or have unexpected medical costs, AnFed Bank offers generous lump sums of cash for structured settlements. Traditional structured settlement sales were, in the past, typically handled by brokers that served as a middleman between annuitants and purchasing banks. For the annuitants, this meant less money being paid out after covering the high fees and closing costs that brokers required.\nAnFed Bank is a nationally chartered, FDIC insured bank, and the only one of it’s kind to offer cash for structured settlements. This provides customers the peace of mind that only a trusted and established financial institution can; and, with over 30 years of combined experience in the structured settlement field within the management team alone, annuitants get the professional, personalized service they deserve.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6348451972007751}
{"content": "Helping employees cope with illness, trauma and other life challenges\nFounded in 1997, FMS provides a wide range of “life-coping” services to the employees of various companies when they are faced with challenges such as illness, funerals and legal disputes. These services are sold through a range of insurance policies, which cover seven major areas that touch people’s lives: home, funeral, legal, health, Aids, trauma, emergency and lifestyle. The policies are comprehensive, and are designed not just to cover the expenses involved, but also to provide critical assistance and advice. For example, the funeral policy also covers catering, the hiring of vehicles and, where necessary, advice on how to interpret the deceased’s will. FMS’s product range has evolved beyond emergency services to include assistance on the day-to-day hassles of life—from plumbing and roadside assistance to career guidance and special deals on travel and leisure.\nFMS has more than 5 million policyholders, who represent around 12 million family members. The company has a Level 4 BBBEE rating and an A score from Empowerdex.\nFor more information: www.fmscenta.co.za", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7897824645042419}
{"content": "- Fully shielded lighting both in cities and rural areas. Redirecting light down only to where it is needed reduces the unnecessary spill of light and the required lamp wattage. - Use of low- or high-pressure sodium lighting with the orange component instead of the mercury lamps or metal halide discharge lamps with the enhanced blue / bluish component. The enhanced blue part of the spectrum is visible by more animal species and humans. - Reducing the levels of illumination of lights at night or turning them off when these are not needed (dimming). - Limitation on illumination of surfaces (outdoor advertising signs, billboards, facades, decorative lighting etc.). - Sensible spatial planning. Public lighting is not necessarily needed on each parking lot, in rural areas or on roads intended only for use of vehicles. - Laws, not voluntary reductions are needed. Self-regulation is likely to not be effective against the comercial interests, capital or ignorance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9360553622245789}
{"content": "Elkhorn Slough is an exceptional ecosystem on the central California coast providing a key linkage between land and sea. The slough harbors California’s largest tract of tidal salt marsh outside San Francisco Bay. Elkhorn Slough tidal habitats encompass extraordinary biological diversity, providing critical habitat for more than 135 aquatic bird, 550 marine invertebrate, and 102 fish species. The Elkhorn Slough is also home for sea lions, harbor seals, and California sea otters. More than 200 different bird species use the slough as a resting spot during their annual migration.\nThe upland habitats within the watershed include three of the top ten most imperiled U.S. habitats: freshwater wetlands, coastal prairie, and maritime chaparral. These systems are amazingly diverse, coastal prairie being the most species rich grasslands in north America.\nAlong with providing habitat for a diverse range of life, wetlands provide a critical service to the environment. Wetlands provide a buffer from land to sea – protecting the water from soil erosion and the land by reducing the impact of flooding. As natural filters, wetlands can remove impurities from the water before it enters our streams and oceans. Wetlands also have been proven to be carbon sequesters -- removing and storing greenhouse gases from the earth’s atmosphere, slowing the onset of global warming.\nEstuaries like Elkhorn Slough are among the most threatened ecosystems in California, facing rates of habitat loss between 75 and 90 percent. As a result, a disproportionate number of rare, threatened, and endangered species reside in these areas. In the Elkhorn Slough watershed, two dozen species are included in these categories. Recognizing the value of these resources to the country, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated areas of Elkhorn Slough as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and as a National Estuarine Research Reserve.\nThe California Department of Fish and Wildlife has also designated parts of Elkhorn Slough as a State Ecological Reserve and as a Wildlife Management Area, as well as designating three marine protected areas: the Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve and Conservation Area and the Moro Cojo State Marine Reserve. The National Audubon Society includes the slough in its Globally Important Bird Areas and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designated it a Site of Regional Importance. The Nature Conservancy and Elkhorn Slough Foundation have invested in protecting over 3,500 acres of this watershed. These multiple designations and strategic land acquisitions reinforce the importance of this place as a key conservation asset.\nOne of the remarkable features of Elkhorn Slough is the diversity of human uses represented in a small watershed. The slough hosts the largest electric power generating plant in California. Additionally, the Moss Landing Harbor, at the entrance to the slough, is one of the most active fishing ports in the State. Elkhorn Slough is flanked by major transportation corridors including three state highways and the main north-south coastal rail line for the Union Pacific Railroad. One quarter of the land in the Elkhorn watershed is in agriculture, with farms in this area producing a significant proportion of the State’s strawberry crop. Residential housing is an increasing factor while recreational activities, including boating, kayaking, and birding, have increased dramatically over the past decade.Further reading:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6186052560806274}
{"content": "Few things can ensure the failure of an outsourcing project like a poorly executed transition. Outsourcing transitions are complex endeavors requiring coordinated change across the people, processes and technologies in multiple areas of the organization. “Planning for the Plan” is the start of the process.\nBased on the readiness of your organization these plans can vary between a ‘big-bang’ transfer of responsibility or a phased implementation by process or business unit. This white paper offers a structured and process-driven approach to transition management that will ensure your sourcing transition is cost effective and implemented in a seamless fashion. Click here to download this white paper\nPopular Content", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5381858348846436}
{"content": "Petromin is leading the way in technologically innovative methods designed to significantly improve reserves of existing oil pools (EOR) and to enhance the recovery of coalbed methane (ECBM) while significantly minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.\nThe C02 Sequestration Technology adds significant value, flexibility and risk avoidance to coal and oil producers in areas with existing infrastructure and alternative development options and is also a unique option for Oil/Gas companies that wish to recover the development of stranded/depleted oil pools.\nWe believe that these innovative characteristics of the CCST process will provide us with an opportunity to significantly increase our base of oil and CBM reserves worldwide through joint venture and production sharing arrangements.\nThe most significant development of our strategy was put in place with a Technical Cooperation Agreement signed with the Alberta Research Council and its CCST unit in the third quarter of 2006. The agreement outlines our working relationship with the Alberta Research Council on all CCST-related projects in China. We intend to apply the leading-edge CCST process as a critical, value-added tool to establish partnerships with provincial coal bureaus, federal state level energy agencies in China and large cap Oil/Gas producing company's world wide. We consider the access to the technology as a major advance in the implementation of our corporate strategy because it will offer significant potential for broadening our access to project opportunities that might not otherwise be available to us.\n» CO2 Sequestration - EOR\n» CO2 Sequestration - ECBM", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8481044769287109}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Disabled-1 (Dab1) plays a key role in reelin-mediated neuronal migration during brain development. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Dab1 at two YQXI and two YXVP motifs recruits multiple SH2 domains, resulting in activation of a wide range of signaling cascades. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the coordinated regulation of Dab1 downstream effectors remain poorly understood. Here, we show that alternative splicing results in inclusion of different combinations of YQXI and YXVP motifs in Dab1 isoforms during development. Dab1 variants with partial or complete loss of YQXI motifs are preferentially expressed at early developmental stages, whereas the commonly studied Dab1 is predominantly expressed at late developmental stages. Expression of Dab1 variants in 293T and Neuro2a cells reveals reduced levels or absence of tyrosine phosphorylation in variants that have lost one or both YQXI motifs. We further demonstrate that Dab1 variants differ in their abilities to activate Src and recruit distinct SH2 domains involved in specific downstream signaling pathways. We propose that coordinated expression of specific Dab1 isoforms in different populations of cells in the developing brain contributes to precise neuronal migration by modulating the activity of subsets of Dab1 downstream effectors. Molecular and cellular biology 05/2012; 32(14):2794-808. · 6.06 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9969103932380676}
{"content": "Resilience is the capacity to bounce back after a disturbance or interruption of some sort. At various levels —individuals, households, communities, and regions — through resilience we can maintain livable conditions in the event of natural disasters, loss of power, or other interruptions in normally available services.Relative to climate change, resilience involves adaptation to the wide range of regional and localized impacts that are expected with a warming planet: more intense storms, greater precipitation, coastal and valley flooding, longer and more severe droughts in some areas, wildfires, melting permafrost, warmer temperatures, and power outages.\nResilient design is the intentional design of buildings, landscapes, communities, and regions in response to the these vulnerabilities. As used by the Resilient Design Institute, resilient design focuses on practical, on-the-ground solutions to these vulnerabilities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7340404987335205}
{"content": "Eamonn O'Neill and Peter Johnson In HCI research and development, we remain faced by the long-standing problem that the development of a theoretical science base has lagged behind more intuitive systems design. Cognitive psychology had an important early influence on HCI, providing a strong theoretical base on which to draw. In recent years, HCI has expanded its focus on groups of users using computers to support collaborative work. This more recent research has drawn more widely on social and cognitive psychology and on disciplines such as anthropology. However, the relationship between the theoretical models of these disciplines and the practice of HCI design is not straightforward. As the scope of HCI has expanded from its earlier areas of strength in the cognitive tradition, the development of a solid, unifying theoretical base has not kept pace.\nThis page is copyrighted by AAAI. All rights reserved. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of all of AAAI's terms and conditions and privacy policy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.770382821559906}
{"content": "The authors review the available literature on the interface betweenborderline personality disorder and affective disorder. Three competinghypotheses have been offered to explain the substantial overlap betweenthese diagnostic categories; they postulate that borderline disorder arisesfrom affective disorder, that affective disorder arises from borderlinedisorder, or that the two are independent and overlap coincidentally. Noneof these hypotheses satisfactorily explains the existing data. The authorspropose a fourth hypothesis focusing on the multiple etiologies of thesigns and symptoms used to diagnose both affective and borderline disordersand suggesting that some patients in the resulting heterogeneous populationhave symptom clusters that fit both syndromes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9943491816520691}
{"content": "The authors argue that closer attention should be paid to the interorganizational rules of decision making and their implications for intraorganizational processes. They claim that exogenous changes in macro-institutional rules, which result in a move from formal and sequential to informal and simultaneous interaction between collective actors, will lead to changes in individual actors respective influence over outcomes within organizations. Certain individuals controlling information flows between organizations will see an increase in their power over legislative outcomes. This begs the question of how organizations will respond to these shifts in the power balance among the individual actors that constitute them. The authors argue that collective actors that centralize coordination over dealings with external actors will respond effectively through internal rule change. In contrast, collective actors with multiple, ill-coordinated links to other organizations will find it difficult to change internal rules. The authors empirically explore the general argument by analyzing the relationship between the Council and the European Parliament in the process of codecision and its implications for intraorganizational processes. Key Words: European Parliament intraorganizational bargaining institutions", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9961286187171936}
{"content": "Disaster recovery funds to be included in final version of Fiscal Year 2012 bill This past November, Congressman Maurice Hinchey – a Democrat from New York – requested that more than $2.6 billion in disaster recovery funding be added to the federal fiscal budget for 2012. While there was general agreement about the need for added funds in the wake of tropical storms that hammered the East Coast, the money was then attached to a number of controversial bills that were opposed by Republicans and Democrats. As a result, home and business owners in many parts of the country have needed to wait longer to secure funds that could help them rebuild.\nHowever, on December 16, Hinchey along with his fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate voted to provide $6.4 billion for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. An additional $1.7 billion will be given to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help secure against damage from future disasters.\nWhile ultimately this was a victory for Hinchey and those seeking disaster relief, the congressman issued a statement expressing his dissatisfaction with the delay many Americans experienced as a result.\n\"Congress waited far too long to approve comprehensive disaster relief funding, but the good news is that adequate funding will be available for farmers, families and businesses who are still struggling to overcome the challenges created by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee,\" Hinchey said in a statement.\nHowever, business owners that experienced a slow disaster recovery due to these storms may want to invest resources in initiatives that could help them better prepare for a smoother small business recovery the next time around. By working with a disaster recovery consulting firm, for instance, small business owners can learn how to best safeguard their operations and essential data from threats.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6216801404953003}
{"content": "Organizations across the globe continue to experience compromised data caused by malicious attacks, web application vulnerabilities or unauthorized changes. Did you know that database servers are the primary source of breached data? How can organizations ensure compliance and protect themselves against rogue insiders and external attacks in this new era of computing?\nA high percentage of data breaches often emanate from internal weaknesses ranging from employees, who may misuse payment card numbers and other sensitive information. To protect sensitive data, most organizations have formal policies that govern how and when users including privileged users—such as DBAs, developers and outsourced personnel—can access sensitive data. However they have not had effective mechanisms for monitoring, controlling, and auditing their actions. Since privileged users have unfettered access to sensitive corporate data, hackers typically seek to elevate their privileges once they have compromised a system; often successfully. Internal and external auditors are now demanding monitoring of all users for security best practices, as well as compliance to a wide range of regulatory mandates.\nMany organizations rely on enterprise applications to execute core business processes and manage significant amounts of data which are both mission critical and highly sensitive (e.g. Financial data, personnel data and customer data). These multi-tier enterprise applications are often difficult to secure for a variety of reasons. They are designed to be easily accessible via web, making them susceptible to attack. They also typically mask the identity of application end-users at the data transaction level and moreover, the data associated with enterprise applications can also be accessed directly by privileged users bypassing controls within the application. It is therefore not surprising that compliance requirements and audits often involve data managed by enterprise applications.\nSince data is a critical component of daily business operations, it is essential to ensure privacy and protect both structured and unstructured data by continuously monitoring access to sensitive data, no matter where the data resides.\nIBM can help:\nThe IBM InfoSphere Guardium solution provides a simple, robust solution for preventing unauthorized data access, changes and leaks, helping ensure the integrity of information in the data center and automate compliance controls.\nInfosphere Guardium continuously monitors access to data in enterprise databases, data warehouses, file shares, document-sharing solutions, and big data environments such as Hadoop. It helps prevent unauthorized or suspicious activities by privileged insiders and potential hackers and automates governance controls in heterogeneous enterprises. InfoSphere Guardium can help you eliminate costly and high-risk manual and silo approaches to data security and compliance by unifying and automating regulatory compliance tasks, thereby reducing operational costs while dramatically reducing security risks.\nThis unified approach supports:\nWhat we offer Database Security Resources This joint IBM - Teradata white paper identifies the best practices for database access rights management and introduces the IBM InfoSphere Guardium Vulnerability Assessment.\nThis eBook examines the top 5 scenarios and the essential best practices for preventing database attacks and insider threats.\nAs databases continue to grow in size, complexity and importance, enterprises struggle to identify the most appropriate controls regarding their use and misuse.\n8 best practices that provide a holistic approach to safeguarding databases and achieving compliance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8517261743545532}
{"content": "such as \"Introduction\", \"Conclusion\"..etc\nRecent studies show promise for significantly reducing vascular aging by inactivating TNFa, which has been linked to blood vessel dysfunction and cell death. The related report by Csiszar et al., \"Vasculoprotective effects of anti-TNFa treatment in aging,\" appears in the January issue of The American Journal of Pathology.\nCsiszar and collegues treated aged rats with etanercept to test the hypothesis that anti-TNFa treatment exerts vasculoprotective effects in aging. Etanercept (Enbrel) is an FDA-approved drug that binds and inactivates circulating TNFa. Recent studies have demonstrated that anti-TNFa therapies, including etanercept, may improve inflammation-related vascular disease, including heart failure.\nCsiszar and colleagues made four notable findings in their study. First, they confirmed that in advanced aging, increased TNFa levels were associated with significant impairment of vessel relaxation, which is required for proper regulation of blood pressure.\nSecond, blocking TNFa via chronic etanercept treatment decreased cell death in aged vessels, demonstrating that increased TNFa levels likely contribute to age-related cardiovascular disease. Similar cell-protective effects were found when anti-TNFa antibodies were used in cell culture.\nThird, not only was TNFa released into the blood, where it can have systemic effects, but it is also expressed within blood vessel walls, where it can exert specific local effects.\nLastly, administration of TNFa to young arteries reproduced the features of vascular aging, such as blood vessel dysfunction and cell death, further confirming the role of TNFa in the aging of the cardiovascular system.\nThe knowledge that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. underscores the significance of these findings. This treatment could one day lead us closer to better heart health as we age.\nThis work was supported by grants from the American Heart Association, American Health Assistance Foundation, American Federation for Aging Research and National Institutes of Health.\nSource: American Journal of Pathology. December 2006.\nEnter the code exactly as it appears. All letters are case insensitive, there is no zero.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8656710982322693}
{"content": "Gender scholarship and cultural sociology are both deeply concerned with inequality, and address many of the same fundamental issues: the classification of people, objects, and practices, and the creation of symbolic differences; the uneven valuation [...]\nThis session approaches the theme of this year’s congress reflectively. Understanding it is devoted to the exploration of the tensions of inclusion and exclusion, it reflects on the unwitting barriers that the congress itself creates [...]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.626629650592804}
{"content": "Editor’s Note: Christopher Gray is director of Accenture Global Intelligent Processing and Compliance. Julie Booth is managing director of Accenture North American Human Services.\nStruggling with increasing demand for services amid widespread economic constraint, human services organizations face a major challenge of finding ways to minimize costs while improving services and ensuring accurate benefit distribution.\nBy using analytics, forward-thinking human services organizations are rising above this challenge. They are preventing, detecting and mitigating transactions where there is error, fraud or abuse. And they are using information gleaned from analytics to significantly reduce operating costs and drive business results.\nThese approaches represent a dramatic break from the status quo. Human services agencies have traditionally used analytics to identify and correct noncompliance only after a transaction had been completed — for example, using analytics to identify cases for investigation. In this “pay, then chase” model, organizations spend already scarce resources to pursue fraudulent or erroneous payments that should never have been issued.\nNow, human services solutions that encompass innovations in process synchronization and predictive analytics allow agencies to work more proactively than ever. Rather than detecting and correcting noncompliance after the fact, they are staying steps ahead with analytical insight.\nWho’s Advancing with Analytics?\nHuman services organizations around the world are already seeing the benefits that analytics can bring:\nA large social security agency in Europe uses new analytic approaches to tackle fraud and error within the benefits and contributions systems. This social security agency, as part of a wider strategy to combat loss caused by fraud and error, has implemented a new antifraud model and surrounded it with a new analytics system to identify potential fraud and loss. The agency estimated prevention of €42 million of fraud during a one-year pilot.\nThe U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has begun to use text analytics in processing disability benefits applications. To more effectively manage the applications process, which traditionally suffered from long delays, the SSA produced a scoring model against which all applications are now automatically analyzed (using text analytics). This approach has helped greatly reduce application time for these cases, as well as reducing the staff time and costs involved in the process. The system has been particularly successful in managing the renewals cycle, automating low-risk renewals and removing the need for reassessment from doctors for low-risk individuals based on their applications and histories. This approach boosts capacity while helping control costs.\nA large Canadian social services organization implemented predictive analytics to develop the risk model to direct the appropriate treatment of cases. Additionally, to address resource capacity limitations, this organization used analytics to target activities that would yield the greatest results. Through the use of predictive models, the organization realized a boost of 400 percent in its return on investigative activity, ultimately improving the overall integrity of the program and reducing erroneous payments.\nYou may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to http://www.govtech.com/health/Analytics-Are-Making-Human-Services-Agencies-Stronger-Opinion.html", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5580689907073975}
{"content": "This animation depicts the presence of an extremely tenuous atmosphere of molecular oxygen around Jupiter's moon, Europa. It's icy surface is exposed to sunlight and is impacted by dust and charged particles trapped within Jupiter's intense magnetic field. Combined, these processes cause the frozen water ice on the surface to produce water vapor as well as gaseous fragments of water molecules. After the gas molecules are produced, they undergo a series of chemical reactions that ultimately form molecular hydrogen and oxygen. The relatively lightweight hydrogen gas escapes into space, while the heavier oxygen molecules accumulate to form an atmosphere which may extend 125 miles (200 kilometers) above the surface. The oxygen gas slowly leaks into space and must be replenished continuously.\nCredit: Walter Feimer/STScI", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6722631454467773}
{"content": "UNFCCC\nArticle 6: Priorities, cooperation and sharing\nPresented by the UNFCCC Secretariat\nAt this event, members of the UNFCCC Secretariat outlined findings from country submissions, side events and the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) on Article 6 (education, training and public awareness) of the UNFCCC.\nMoussa Diakhité explained that a document on Article 6 is being prepared for SBSTA, which will include proposals and options for integrating Article 6 into SBSTA's work programme. He recalled the guidance from SBSTA-12, that lessons learned from work already undertaken by Parties and other stakeholders should be compiled and priorities identified.\nLisa\nMoreau highlighted suggestions from the five submissions made\nto the Secretariat on this matter (from Austria, Uzbekistan,\nSwitzerland, Kenya and the US). They recommended,\nKevin Grose outlined findings from side events held at SB-12, SB-13 and COP-6, which found that integrating communications planning and policy development increases public awareness, enhances the public's sense of ownership and heightens support for government policy. The events also revealed that: sharing experiences enables Parties to learn from each other; access to computers and the Internet is a powerful tool for information exchange and dissemination; experiences and information products should be made accessible through clearinghouses, web sites and resources centers; and involving all sectors of society has multiplier effects.\nGraham Sem discussed the CGE's findings from national communications of non-Annex I Parties. The communications revealed that education on climate change is an important part of national development and environment plans in most non-Annex I countries. These countries reported that they are incorporating environmental and climate change issues into formal education systems, and are developing materials to support teaching and learning in educational institutions. The communications also revealed a lack of sufficiently trained scientific and technical personnel and a need for public awareness materials.\nMoreau explained that, based on the findings from country submissions, side events and the CGE, the Secretariat formulated a preliminary categorization of needs related to Article 6. These included: increasing information sharing among national focal points and others; facilitating public awareness activities; heightening public participation; developing web sies; integrating climate change into education curricula; and providing training in communications and public information. She noted that public awareness was identified as the area requiring greatest prioritization.\nKevin Grose concluded by noting that a possible work programme for SBSTA on Article 6 would include priorities, sharing and cooperation on matters related to education, training and public awareness.\nPlease\nvisit the UNFCCC's\n\"On Demand\" webcast page for RealVideo coverage\nof this event\nGreenhouse\ngases in economies in transition\nPresented by UNCTAD\nGao Pronove, Govida Corporation, stated that some EITs are eager to begin implementing the Kyoto Protocol, and highlighted the workshop as an excellent opportunity to bring together buyers and sellers from the public and private sectors to develop a common programme of action to promote the emerging GHG emissions market in EITs.\nParticipants discussed aspects of the workshop, including goals, agenda, activities, participants, dates, and venue. Proposals for workshop topics included: early crediting for joint implementation projects; further emissions reductions through energy efficiency; drivers for a cap and trade system; standardization and linkages between domestic systems; reduction of transaction costs; and the needs of investors and lenders.\nJohn O'Brien, Enviros, described capacity building needs in EITs related to emissions trading, and possible opportunities for support from the UK Government. He noted that EITs should examine the best mix of policy options for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, and suggested that EITs could benefit from the UK experience in designing and implementing a domestic emissions trading system. He concluded that the UK could assist EITs with capacity building for policy analysis and preparing training modules on design and implementation issues.\nSouth\nSouthNorth:\nClean Development Mechanism pilot projectsPresented by Pelangi\nSouthNorth's (SSN) CDM pilot projects in\nBrazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Africa.\nStef Raubenheimer,\nSSN, said that SSN's mission is to promote cooperation between\nSouthern countries, and between countries in the South and the\nNorth. He maintained that the principle aims of SSN are to learn\nby doing, host governments with CDM structures, build capacity,\nand promote Internet resources. He noted that eight pilot projects\nhave resulted in the design of a useful set of criteria and\nindicators (C&I) for CDM projects.\nSteve Thorne,\nSSN, elaborated on the C&I rating methodology for project\neligibility, feasibility and sustainability. The eligibility\ncriteria include energy project activities qualifying for the\nCDM, real and measurable benefits, and contributions to sustainable\ndevelopment. Sustainable development indicators, he said, incorporate\nglobal climate mitigation and local environmental, financial\nand technological sustainability. Presenting project results\nfrom South Africa and Brazil, he emphasized the importance of\nthe \"learning-by-doing\" approach.\nMozaharul Alam, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, presented an overview of the Bangladesh CDM pilot projects, which include solar home systems in remote rural areas and electric vehicles in Dhaka. He noted that important co-benefits of the projects include: education; recreation and awareness building; local employment generation; replication of projects; reduction of the burdens of fossil fuel imports; and improvement of rural livelihoods.\nAgus Sari,\nPelangi, described Indonesia's pilot project experience of establishing\nnew and efficient engines for public transportation in Yogyakarta.\nThe project aims to restructure urban public transport management,\nimprove the efficiency of the urban bus system, and provide\ncleaner engines for two-fifths of existing buses.\nNovi Ganefianto, UNOCAL, introduced the Sarulla geothermal energy project in Sumatra. He cited investment costs of US$2.4-$11.4 per ton of CO2 emissions, and noted barriers to project success, such as existing prices per kilowatt-hour of geothermal energy and the limited ability of project partners to secure financing. He noted that projects have considerable sustainability benefits, such as improving land use and water quality and reducing local particulate pollution. Future challenges include refining CDM project documentation, determining appropriate project size, validating the project concept, seeking approval of the central government, and structuring financial arrangements for new investors.\nStandardized\nverification of small-scale CDM/JI projects: Lessons learned\nfrom Swedish AIJ projectsPresented by the Swedish delegation in collaboration with the Swedish National Energy Administration (STEM)\nJürgen\nSalay, Swedish National Energy Administration (STEM), shared\nhis experiences and lessons learned from AIJ projects, and\nhighlighted a new Swedish programme for project-based mechanisms.\nTo date, Sweden has implemented 60 AIJ projects in the Baltic\nStates and northwestern Russia, of which two-thirds are boiler\nconversions to bio-fuel and energy efficiency projects. Lessons\nlearned from these projects include the need to: adapt CDM\nand JI projects to local priorities; promote close cooperation\nbetween national and local organizations; engage local experts\nin establishing baselines, monitoring and reporting; and provide\ninformation in local languages. He stressed the importance\nof a \"learning-by-doing\" approach, and added that\nprojects have illustrated differences between host countries,\nthe need for feedback activities and the importance of capacity\nbuilding. He noted that long-term commitment to future projects\nis crucial, and that common guidelines for project implementation\nare required.\nOn the new Swedish programme for project-based mechanisms, Salay described an International Climate Investment Programme fund of US$28 million that will contribute to the preparation of JI and CDM projects between 1998 and 2004. He noted other activities, including the Prototype Carbon Fund and the Baltic Sea Region Energy Cooperation programme.\nMichael Lehmann, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), presented a report entitled \"Multi-project Verification of Swedish AIJ Projects: Verification Results and Documentation.\" The report describes DNV's experience with the verification of Swedish AIJ projects. DNV, a leading independent GHG verifier, used a multi-project verification methodology to evaluate a selection of Swedish boiler conversion and fuel-switching projects in the Baltic region. He explained that the verification process involves several important phases, such as screening, site selection, on-site verification, extrapolation of audit results, discounting for uncertainties, and sensitivity analysis. He noted that trade-offs between costs, scale and certainty determine the number of on-site audits and the accuracy of monitoring arrangements.\nJesse\nUzzell, DNV, discussed the \"burden\" of monitoring\nand reporting, and suggested that synergies exist between\nthese tasks. Concluding, he emphasized that: multi-project\nverification is a good alternative for small-projects; project\nimplementers need not wait for sector benchmarks or baselines\nto commence initiatives; transaction costs for verification\ncan be substantially reduced; and DNV verified 498,710 tonnes\nof CO2 reductions between 1993 and\n1999.\nThe Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) on the side is a special publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat. The Editor of ENB on the side is Kira Schmidt <kira@iisd.org>. This issue has been written by Emily Boyd <emily@iisd.org>, Fiona Koza <fiona@iisd.org> and Kira Schmidt <kira@iisd.org>. The Digital Editors are Andrei Henry <andrei@iisd.org> and Kenneth Tong <ken@iisd.org>. Photos by Leila Mead <leila@iisd.org>. Funding for publication of ENB on the side at COP-6 Part II is provided by the UNFCCC Secretariat. The opinions expressed in ENB on the side are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and funders. Excerpts from ENB on the side may be used in non-commercial publications only and only with appropriate academic citation. For permission to use this material in commercial publications, contact the Managing Editor at <kimo@iisd.org>. Electronic versions of these issues of ENB on the side from COP-6 Part II can be found on the Linkages WWW server at http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop6bis/enbots/.\n� 2001, IISD. All rights reserved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8163329362869263}
{"content": "California Coastal Management with a Changing Climate\nNovember 2008\nAs a result of climate change, California is likely to face significant challenges to coastal management along the ocean coastline and within the San Francisco Estuary, and tough tradeoffs exist. For example, one of the primary means of protecting buildings and infrastructure from sea level rise and increased storm surges is to “harden” the coastline with coastal armoring—but this strategy is detrimental to beaches, public access, and habitat. Priorities for coastal management include inventorying coastal resources, assessing vulnerabilities, and experimenting with alternatives to armoring. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6778924465179443}
{"content": "Cooking fish and seafood recipes on the grill can be challenging if you don't know the proper methods for achieving the best results. Overcooking, which is one of the most common problems, is often the result of not only cooking the fish and seafood for too lengthy a period, but also because the incorrect grilling method or incorrect temperature was used.\nA type of hot sandwich consisting of thin slices of tender roast beef layered on a French baguette and served with the flavorful beef sauce known as au jus (pronounced oh zhoo'), which is French for “with juice” (au jus typically accompanies prime rib).\nA useful kitchen tool for removing meat from lobster and crab legs and for deveining shrimp. When using the scissors, the first step in removing meat from a lobster is to crack the claws with the serrations located on the inner edges of the handles.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8839719891548157}
{"content": "Competitive Vs. Collaborative 2.8 Dan Street Keynotes - Dan Street's keynotes tackle how to achieve an office environment that is healthy and supportive,...\nStreet states the benefits of competitive environments by exploring how they force one's full involvement, urging them to be their best and ultimately making them proud of their accomplishments. Competitive CEOs hire competitive employees meaning that one is always surrounded by the best of the best. Despite of these positives, Street explains that wins always come with an equal amount of losses and that one's best is often not good enough.\nIn the case of collaborative work environments, workers feel a sense of comradery and are often in agreement of their ideas. Though this is positive, these individuals often lack the ability for extreme innovation because of a lack of creative tension.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9777514338493347}
{"content": "Clean Air ScandMist Filtration Filtration Process Description For ScandMist Stage 1 - Oil Coalescer Filters The oil removal filters operate by collecting the oil or coolant and allowing it to drain to the base of the Clean Air ScandMist™ unit. The filters do not “absorb” the oil, but rather coalesce it until it is heavy enough to drain.\nContaminated air passes through the filter media. As it does so, the oil particles are attracted to the oleophobic fibers. The oil droplets continue to collide with the fiber, causing the oil droplets to gain in mass. As the oil drop becomes bigger, it becomes heavy enough to fall against the airflow to the base of the ScandMist unit, where it can be collected or drained straight back to the machine tool sump.\nStage 2 - Oil Removal Filters The “scrubbed” air is then passed through a highly efficient coalescer at stage two where the coalescing process is repeated. After this second filtration stage, the air is on average 95-98% free from oil mist.\nStage 3 - HEPA Filtration The third filtration stage is designed to completely clean the remaining air to a standard far higher than the surrounding ambient air.\nUsing a HEPA filter, this final stage ensures that fine, sub-micron particles (trace oil, smoke, bacteria, pollen and spores) are trapped and not allowed to return to the workshop.\nHEPA filters (grade H13 EN1822) operate at 99.95% efficiency at 0.3 µm. This means that in a workshop environment, effectively all hazardous particles are trapped, ensuring only clinically clean air is returned to the workshop.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9538859724998474}
{"content": "Lionfish Control in Marine Protected Areas Successful: Joint Study Lionfish removal efforts in some Mexican protected marine areas are controlling local populations, according to a collaborative study by NOAA and Mexico’s National Commission of Federally Protected Areas (known by its Spanish acronym CONANP, for Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas). The two groups monitored lionfish inside two MPAs along the Yucatán Peninsula during the summer of 2012. Preliminary results suggest that densities are lower in the parks compared with surrounding reefs. Additionally, lionfish in the MPAs are smaller in size, suggesting that control efforts are not only reducing the number of lionfish but also reflect a limited ecological impact on the fish community.\nThis collaboration is a test of lionfish control strategies and supports the development of methods for evaluating their ecological impacts, which is important to MPA managers in the United States. The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs supported this project.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9229726195335388}
{"content": "The explicit representation of mental states, such as belief, desire, intention, etc., is a crucial issue for the design of multi-agent systems aimed at performing complex tasks which require some form of global intelligent behavior. In particular, methods for conflict resolution between competing mental processes are a key factor in determining the dynamic behavior of an autonomous agent. In this paper, a novel approach to model agent mental activity based on the concept of active mental entity is proposed. Then, the general organization and operation of a multi-agent architecture encompassing an explicit representation of agent mental activity is introduced. In this context, the issue of conflict resolution at the level of active mental entities is faced and suitable conflict resolution methods are proposed. Finally, an application example concerning a mail delivery robot is presented and discussed.\nPDF fileReturn to publication list", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6432468891143799}
{"content": "Ethics of Erasing Memory\nNeuroscientists have identified a chemical that can erase the connections between brain cells, essentially wiping out memories. Although it can't yet target specific experiences, like a traumatic event, its existence raises a lot of big ethical issues.\nPOLL QUESTION:\nWould it be ethical to erase a person's bad memories for therapy reasons once this chemical can target traumatic events?\n- Yes, If a person is unable to function normally because of an extremely traumatic event, erasing those memories would be very helpful.\n- No, If we're going to start messing with memory, a lot of unpleasant and difficult memories form who we are. We learn. It becomes part of our character, our identity. Some might say the struggle against bad experiences is part of what makes us better people.\nBy David Levin\nPosted 01.13.11\nNOVA scienceNOW\nhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/caplan-memory-au.html", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7946805357933044}
{"content": "Penn Heart Rescue® Patients experiencing a heart attack where the arteries are completely blocked, a condition called ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), need fast, aggressive treatment. The interval between diagnosis and care (\"door-to-balloon\" time, or D2B) can mean the difference between life and death.\nPenn Heart Rescue® is a rapid referral program at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with emergency protocols to ensure patients experiencing STEMI receive the best care possible in their critical condition. All patients who arrive at Penn Presbyterian with symptoms of a heart attack are fast–tracked to receive an emergency angioplasty procedure when time is of the essence.\nIn the minutes following a STEMI, hypoxic conditions in the myocardium initiate infarction and tissue necrosis. Irreversible heart muscle death begins within 20 to 40 minutes following the onset of a myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with STEMI who do not receive the appropriate treatment have a higher incidence of significant heart damage and mortality.\nOne phone call to Penn Heart Rescue initiates the dispatch of PennSTAR air transport or a local ambulance to pick up the patient. Along the way, essential tests are performed and the patient is prepared for emergency angioplasty. Upon arrival, the diagnosis is quickly confirmed and followed by treatment that can include cardiac catheterization and stent placement.\nNot all hospitals offer emergency angioplasty or, if they do, they may not have an interventional team on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has implemented protocols to meet this need.\nLocations The Penn Heart Rescue program currently includes six regional hospitals:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9512362480163574}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The role of Notch signaling in the maintenance of adult murine prostate epithelial homeostasis remains unclear. We found that Notch ligands are mainly expressed within the basal cell lineage, while active Notch signaling is detected in both the prostate basal and luminal cell lineages. Disrupting the canonical Notch effector Rbp-j impairs the differentiation of prostate basal stem cells and increases their proliferation in vitro and in vivo, but does not affect luminal cell biology. Conversely, ectopic Notch activation in adult prostates results in a decrease in basal cell number and luminal cell hyperproliferation. TGFβ dominates over Notch signaling and overrides Notch ablation-induced proliferation of prostate basal cells. However, Notch confers sensitivity and positive feedback by upregulating a plethora of TGFβ signaling components including TgfβR1. These findings reveal crucial roles of the self-enforced positive reciprocal regulatory loop between TGFβ and Notch in maintaining prostate basal stem cell dormancy. Cell stem cell 11/2012; 11(5):676-88. · 23.56 Impact Factor\n[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Keratin 8 (K8) is a type II keratin that is associated with the type I keratins K18 or K19 in single layered epithelia. We generated a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line that expresses the tamoxifen inducible CreER(T2) inserted into the endogenous murine K8 gene. The transgenic mouse line contains two copies of the BAC transgene. To determine the expression specificity and inducibility of CreER(T2), the K8-CreER(T2) mice were bred with a Gt(ROSA 26)( ACTB-tdTomato-EGFP ) fluorescent protein-based reporter transgenic mouse line. We demonstrated that CreER(T2) and the endogenous K8 gene share the same patterns of expression and that the enzymatic activity of CreER(T2) can be efficiently induced by tamoxifen in all K8-expressing tissues. This mouse line will be useful for studying gene function in development and homeostasis of simple epithelia, and investigating both tissue lineage hierarchy and the identity of the cells of origin for epithelial cancers. Transgenic Research 02/2012; 21(5):1117-23. · 2.75 Impact Factor\n[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The prostate epithelial lineage hierarchy and the cellular origin for prostate cancer remain inadequately defined. Using a lineage-tracing approach, we show that adult rodent prostate basal and luminal cells are independently self-sustained in vivo. Disrupting the tumor suppressor Pten in either lineage led to prostate cancer initiation. However, the cellular composition and onset dynamics of the resulting tumors are distinctive. Prostate luminal cells are more responsive to Pten null-induced mitogenic signaling. In contrast, basal cells are resistant to direct transformation. Instead, loss of Pten activity induces the capability of basal cells to differentiate into transformation-competent luminal cells. Our study suggests that deregulation of epithelial differentiation is a critical step for the initiation of prostate cancers of basal cell origin. Cancer cell 02/2012; 21(2):253-65. · 25.29 Impact Factor\n[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway has been shown to contribute to dissociation-induced apoptosis of embryonic and neural stem cells. We previously demonstrated that approximately 1 out of 40 Lin(-)Sca-1(+)CD49f(high) (LSC) prostate basal epithelial cells possess the capacities of stem cells for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. We show here that treating LSC cells with the ROCK kinase inhibitor Y-27632 increases their cloning efficiency by 8 fold in an in vitro prostate colony assay. Y-27632 treatment allows prostate colony cells to replate efficiently, which does not occur otherwise. Y-27632 also increases the cloning efficiency of prostate stem cells in a prostate sphere assay and a dissociated prostate cell regeneration assay. The increased cloning efficiency is due to the suppression of the dissociation-induced, RhoA/ROCK activation-mediated apoptosis of prostate stem cells. Dissociation of prostate epithelial cells from extracellular matrix increases PTEN activity and attenuates AKT activity. Y-27632 treatment alone is sufficient to suppress cell dissociation-induced activation of PTEN activity. However, this does not contribute to the increased cloning efficiency, because Y-27632 treatment increases the sphere-forming unit of wild type and Pten null prostate cells to a similar extent. Finally, knocking down expression of both ROCK kinases slightly increases the replating efficiency of prostate colony cells, corroborating that they play a major role in the Y-27632 mediated increase in cloning efficiency. Our study implies that the numbers of prostate cells with stem/progenitor activity may be underestimated based on currently employed assays, supports that dissociation-induced apoptosis is a common feature of embryonic and somatic stem cells with an epithelial phenotype, and highlights the significance of environmental cues for the maintenance of stem cells. PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(3):e18271. · 4.09 Impact Factor\n[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Dicer is an RNase III enzyme essential for microRNA maturation. Dicer ablation in diverse tissues has been shown to block tissue differentiation, induce cell apoptosis, impair specialized cellular function, and perturb organ structures. To gain insight into the role of microRNAs in prostate tissue function and homeostasis, we conditionally disrupted Dicer activity in the mouse prostate using an ARR2PB-Cre. We demonstrated that Dicer activity is disrupted in both prostatic basal/stem cells and differentiated luminal cells. Dicer knockout murine prostates are smaller in size and mass and develop epithelial hypotrophy in ventral prostates by 4 months. Dicer ablation induces increased apoptosis in the prostate, predominantly in the differentiated luminal cells. Paradoxically, a concurrent increase in proliferation is observed in both basal/stem cells and luminal cells, presumably due to compensatory growth of the cells devoid of homologous recombination in response to the elevated cellular apoptosis. We have previously shown that Lin(CD31CD45Ter119)(-)Sca-1(+)CD49f(high) (LSC) cells enrich for prostate stem cell activity. Through proliferation and differentiation, some LSC cells are capable of forming prostate spheres composed of cells at various stages of differentiation. Although LSC cells were expanded by threefold in Dicer knockout mice, the sphere-forming units of Dicer knockout prostate cells decreased by more than half compared with wild-type cells. In addition, most prostate spheres in the Dicer knockout culture were derived from cells that did not undergo homologous recombination. Our results demonstrate a critical role of microRNAs for the proliferative capacity of prostate stem cells and the maintenance of prostate homeostasis. Stem Cells 07/2010; 28(7):1260-9. · 7.78 Impact Factor\n[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: miRNAs are a class of naturally occurring small RNAs that generally repress gene expression. They have been shown to actively control diverse biological processes including stem cell differentiation and lineage commitment.Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was utilized to isolate murine prostate stem cells and differentiated luminal cells. The expression levels of Drosha and Dicer1, the two key RNAseIII enzymes for miRNA maturation, were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR. Low-density Taqman miRNA array analyses were also performed to identify miRNAs that are differentially expressed in individual lineages.Drosha and Dicer1 are expressed at comparable transcriptional levels in murine prostate stem cells and differentiated luminal cells. Twenty-nine miRNAs were discovered to be differentially expressed in prostate stem cells and luminal cells. Many of these miRNAs are coded in clusters, suggesting a cell-specific transcriptional regulation. Some of these differentially expressed miRNAs have been reported to regulate genes relevant to the molecular and phenotypic features of each lineage.miRNAs may play a potentially critical role in fine regulation of prostatic lineage identity. The Prostate 10/2009; 70(3):297-304. · 3.48 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5308085680007935}
{"content": "In the sports world, mental toughness takes many forms, from overcoming obstacles to just sticking it out for one more rep. (Is it an attitude or behavior?) And it's a major element is dealing with poor performance, whether real or perceived.\nAn athlete's performance can vary from event to event, based on both positive and negative factors. Dealing with destructive factors and moving on from them is crucial if you want to improve. If you have a coping strategy for poor performance, you will be less concerned when things don't go as you expect them to. It's only a failure if you don't learn from it.\nThis article conveys a simple technique for mentally processing poor performance and a coping strategy for any sport. Follow these steps to ironclad your mind against troubling thoughts. (Why losing is okay sometimes.)\nImmediately after your game or event, take some time to relive it, regardless of whether you feel you gave 100%. This is particularly important if you feel disappointed. Run it through your mind, focusing on what you did, what others did and how you felt.\nTake a notepad and brainstorm every factor that potentially diminished your performance. Write down anything you can think of. Trust your judgment. It doesn't matter if the factor occurred during the performance or weeks before. If you think it affected you, write it down. Make a decent-sized list.\nOn two more pieces of paper, write the headings, \"Things I could not control\" and \"Things I should have done differently.'' Transfer all your notes from Step 2 under those two headings. Be honest. If you arrived late and it affected your performance, write it down. Don't conclude that you couldn't have anticipated the traffic jam. Get there early. However, if your car broke down, you couldn't really have controlled that.\nTake the list of \"Things I could not control\" and throw it away. Tear it up first, or put it through the shredder, but just forget about it. Discard it from your mind like you discarded the paper. You could do nothing about it before, and you can do nothing about it now.\nBeside each item under \"Things I could have done differently,\" write down what you will do next time. Be precise and don't skimp. Then make sure that you carry out every action you wrote down.\nYou have learned from your performance, so now you can leave it behind. When you recall it, you will remember what you have learned, which is a positive experience.\nPhoto: Ohioprepzone.com\n// Train like a National Guard Solider\n// 100% FREE\n// Click below to get started", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6817960143089294}
{"content": "JAIPUR: Unauthorized slums are taking a toll on the residents of Kishan Bagh. A regularized residential area, Kishan Bagh, has witnessed several cases of water-borne diseases in the past few days. The residential colony consisting of nearly 400 houses was established by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) in 2001, the area depends upon two tubewells for water supply but the decreasing level of ground water and rising population has created severe water scarcity in the locality. Water is supplied here for limited hours in the morning. As the population of nearly 2,000 people tries to draw most water, the pipelines are often damaged, exposing water to contaminants.\nTo collect every drop of the low pressure water, nearly 200 houses in the area have shallow tanks outside their houses. As these tanks are often left uncovered, the dirt from nearby areas flows in these reservoirs. \"Most residents use booster motors to draw water during the supply hours,\" says a local resident, Rajesh Yadav, \"The water in these tanks is used for bathing and washing only. However, use of booster motor sucks in dirty water as well from these tanks and contamination enters the supply lines,\" he adds.\nThe PHED officials say this is a problem at domestic level and have asked the residents to close down the shallow tanks and stop using pumping motors. However, the local residents have a different view. \"If the water is supplied at adequate pressure people will avoid using water motors or tanks. The colony, despite being developed by JDA, has not been provisioned with adequate water supply,\" said Mahesh Singh, another resident.\nKishan Bagh, is no slum area, but in the absence of proper infrastructure, it is not any better. The colony has not been provided with a sewerage system. Since the area was established on the banks of Amanishah Nullah, the area is lower than most of the nearby colonies. The drain water from nearby areas enters the colony, creating more difficulties for the residents.\nIn the absence of proper sewerage system, water contamination is always a possibility here. According to local residents diseases break out during summer and monsoon seasons, which is a common phenomenon in the area. \"We have written to the authorities and have tried convincing the locals too, but the situation can only improve if the authorities take a strong stand to improve the area,\" says Ashish Nagar, a local resident.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6189342141151428}
{"content": "James G. Workman 09/14/2012\nBy James WorkmanOne sunny day in La Jolla, at the public Windansea Beach, I tried to catch a wave and sit on top of the world. I splashed into the “wild, open, and free” waves with the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ Safari” melody in my head.\nAndrew Wilson 11/01/2011\nTo keep the water running in LasVegas, recognize scarcity and let water rates rise-- double or even triple. Encourage homeowners to trade water rights. Let the market determine how much water people use, not the water police.\nMichael `t Sas-Rolfes 06/17/2011\nConservation of animals like rhinos and elephants may eventually be conducted most successfully by markets where these animals have monetary value rather than just emotional value. It may sound cold, but it could well keep them from becoming extinct\nJames G. Workman 06/09/2011\nCould the political conflict over wolf recovery efforts be resolved via economics? Let the bidding begin.\nSeth Zuckerman 02/24/2011\nProductive farm land near large urban centers is being protected as conservation easements include farming as a stipulation of the tax-reducing easements.\nLa Monica Everett-Haynes 06/01/2009\nBy La Monica Everett-Haynes", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8070226907730103}
{"content": "Volume 47, Issue 3 (May 2002)\nFraudulent substitution of a page within a multiple page document such as a will or business contract, the counterfeit manufacture of paper banknotes, and linking ransom or extortion notes have all been the focus of criminal investigations at one time or another. In a recent homicide investigation, document examiners were requested to compare a threatening letter received by a business partner of the deceased with paper samples seized under warrant from a suspect's house. Through a quantitative elemental analysis of the concentrations of nine elements (Na, Mg, Al, Mn, Sr, Y, Ba, La, and Ce) within the questioned and specimen documents, determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), it was concluded that (i) the paper of the threatening letter originated from a different source to that of the paper seized from the suspect's house and (ii) all six pages of paper seized from the suspect's house originated from the same source. This discrimination of paper is presented as both a statistical t-test analysis (99.9% confidence limit) as well as construction of an elemental fingerprint for individual replicates within the questioned and specimen sample populations. This is the first reported use of the comparison of the elemental composition of document paper, determined by ICP-MS, to assist in a criminal investigation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9667270183563232}
{"content": "There is a vast array of voluntary programmes and initiatives within the corporate and financial sectors, reflecting a growing desire to engage with issues around environmental and social sustainability.\nThe list of initiatives included here is by no means exhaustive, but provides a valuable foundation on which to base a dialogue on a Convention on Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability. Several common themes emerge, including transparency, accountability and the importance of stakeholder participation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9982156753540039}
{"content": "The fifth Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) opened in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, 25 April 2011.\nIn the morning, delegates heard opening statements and addressed organizational matters. During the afternoon delegates discussed national implementation plans (NIPs) and technical assistance.\nOPENING PLENARY\nActing COP4 President Gholamhossein Dehghani (Iran) welcomed delegates and opened COP5. He underscored the achievements made in the 10 years since the adoption of the Stockholm Convention, but emphasized that more work is needed.\nJim Willis, Joint Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, emphasized that the Stockholm Convention has become the living dynamic instrument envisioned nearly 10 years ago. He underscored the importance of synergy among the chemicals conventions, noting that working together will allow the conventions to achieve more than would be possible independently.\nBakary Kante, on behalf of Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, lauded the synergy among the three chemicals conventions as constituting a “unique development” in the world of multilateral environmental agreements, and expressed hope that it would set a precedent for other processes.\nMonique Barbut, Chief Executive Officer, Global Environment Facility (GEF), highlighted GEF’s assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in eliminating POPs. She announced that the GEF Council has approved US$250,000 to assist parties in updating their NIPs to include new POPs. She informed delegates of efforts to improve the GEF investment model in response to requests by countries, stating that the GEF partnership is being expanded to include national and other entities, in preference to multilateral entities.\nPaulina Lopez Fletes, youth representative and recipient of the Safe Planet Campaign film contest award, called for avoiding the adverse effects of POPs.\nOPENING STATEMENTS: On behalf of GRULAC, Costa Rica reiterated the region’s priorities, including financial and technical support, technology transfer, development of local and regional capacity, and training and awareness-raising.\nKenya, on behalf of the AFRICAN GROUP, emphasized the need for non-chemical alternatives to POPS, particularly DDT; expressed concern about reducing dioxin and furan emissions; and appealed for financial and technical assistance, technology transfer, local and regional capacity building, training, and awareness-raising.\nINDIA underscored the need for strong scientific evidence and rigorous analysis of data, and said that new obligations should occur in tandem with provision of adequate financial resources.\nThe EU prioritized the listing of endosulfan, the work programme on new POPs, synergies, and the compliance mechanism as key issues for discussion at COP5, and expressed concern over the number of requests for financial assistance for various issues given the global financial crisis.\nCHINA called for financial and technical assistance for developing countries as they strive to eliminate POPs. Noting the successful formulation of his country’s NIP, NEPAL outlined his country’s efforts to eliminate POPs, including banning DDT.\nSWITZERLAND prioritized the listing of endosulfan based on the extensive work of the POPRC and noted the need to make every effort to reach agreement on all matters of substance by consensus, and to adopt decisions by general agreement.\nALGERIA noted her government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the elimination of POPs and announced her country’s interest in hosting a regional centre. Informing delegates of her country’s accession to the three chemicals conventions, the RUSSIAN FEDERATION welcomed further cooperation on their implementation.\nThe INTERNATIONAL POPS ELIMINATION NETWORK (IPEN), PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK (PAN) and the GLOBAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ CAUCUS called for listing endosulfan in Annex A, with no exemptions.\nThe GLOBAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS underscored that long range environmental transport is not an abstract concept for indigenous peoples, and called upon COP5 to establish an indigenous peoples working group on effective implementation.\nORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS\nELECTION OF OFFICERS: On this matter (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/2), noting rule 22 of the Rules of Procedure, the Secretariat introduced a proposal by the European Union (EU) (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/CRP.3) to elect the COP5 president, and to postpone the election of the nine vice presidents until after discussions on Rules of Procedure. Armenia, for Central and Eastern Europe, nominated Karel Blaha (Czech Republic) as COP5 President and parties agreed.\nADOPTION OF THE AGENDA: Plenary adopted the agenda (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/1) without amendment.\nORGANIZATION OF WORK: The Secretariat introduced the tentative organization of work (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/1/Add.1, UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/1, and UNEP/POPS/COP.5/CRP.1). Noting the need for high-level political agreement on the establishment of a compliance mechanism, COP5 President Blaha suggested, and delegates agreed, to task Barry Reville (Australia) with facilitating informal consultations on the issue.\nREPORT ON CREDENTIALS: COP5 President Blaha stressed the importance of submitting credentials within 24 hours of the meeting’s opening.\nRULES OF PROCEDURE\nThe Secretariat introduced a note on the Rules of Procedure (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/3) and reminded delegates of the need to address bracketed text under rule 45(1). COP5 President Blaha proposed removing the brackets, AUSTRALIA preferred retaining the brackets, and delegates agreed to consider the issue again at COP6.\nThe EU, supported by SWITZERLAND, introduced a proposal to amend rule 22 to change the timing of the election of COP Presidents (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/CRP.3). CHILE sought clarification on details of the proposal and parties agreed a drafting group would refine the text of the proposal.\nPROGRAMME OF WORK AND ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET\nThe Secretariat introduced the activities undertaken by the Secretariat in 2009-2010 (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/33); the financial and staffing situation (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/34, and UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/33); and three budget scenarios to be considered for the biennium 2012-2013 (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/35, and 35/Add.1), namely the Executive Secretary’s assessment of the required rate of growth (9.5%), zero nominal growth, and 10% nominal growth. Noting the global financial situation, the Secretariat emphasized that the zero nominal growth budget scenario could lead to reduction of activities.\nSWITZERLAND stressed that activities addressing new POPs should be prioritized, and expressed disappointment with the current lack of financial support from other donors. He proposed that 50% of the Swiss contribution be reallocated into the Convention’s voluntary trust fund which can be targeted towards Switzerland’s host country contribution and joint activities in the context of the synergies process.\nJAPAN supported the zero nominal growth scenario, and proposed that budget negotiations be completed by Wednesday evening to allow Japan to consult with its capital prior to the Japanese national holiday on Friday.\nThe EU questioned the dependence of the PCBs Elimination Network and Global Alliance for alternatives to DDT on Stockholm Convention accounts, and emphasized the need for greater strategic direction of the synergies process to improve efficiency.\nARGENTINA supported budgeting for activities on new chemicals, efficiency, and regional centers, and emphasized the need for new and adequate financial resources to enable developing countries to meet new commitments. MEXICO noted any budgetary increase should support activities on effective implementation, efficiency, and NIPs, and underscored that synergies should involve zero budgetary growth.\nCHILE, with the EU and INDONESIA, stressed that discussions on synergies among the three conventions and the budget should not be held in parallel. President Blaha noted this request and clarified that the plenary will forward all agreed decisions with budgetary implications to a budget group. A budget contact group, to be co-chaired by Kerstin Stendahl (Finland), was established, with a second Co-Chair to be determined before the group’s first meeting on Tuesday.\nMATTERS RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION\nIMPLEMENTATION PLANS: The Secretariat introduced the issue (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/13, UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/7/Rev.1, INF/8 and INF/47), noting 27 parties have transmitted NIPs since May 2009, and revised NIPs to reflect the new POPs will be due in August 2012.\nThe EU emphasized the need for NIPs to be revised and updated by the deadline. NIGERIA underscored stakeholder involvement in updating NIPs. LEBANON and MOROCCO noted progress since submitting their NIPs. KENYA emphasized that while most African countries have submitted their NIPs, they need to be updated to address the nine new POPs.\nMEXICO supported revising guidelines for updating NIPs. SWITZERLAND suggested that new guidance would be strengthened by inclusion of references to activities in other processes, and would reflect synergies on a technical level.\nMOLDOVA questioned its eligibility for financial assistance as a party to the Convention that has not ratified the amendments to Annexes A, B, and C. On the issue of eligibility, the GEF explained that the GEF Council has adopted the guidance for reviewing and updating NIPs, and the guidance indicates that only countries that are parties to the Convention are eligible for GEF funding.\nCOLOMBIA called for financial support and guidelines to enable compliance. VENEZUELA highlighted its efforts to reduce use of DDT, and emphasized that countries unable to comply should not be penalized.\nNORWAY emphasized that guidance should focus on the core activities of the Convention, with the aims of developing further project proposals and facilitating synergies with the chemicals and waste fields.\nCiting Article 10 of the Convention (public information, awareness and education), IPEN called for enhanced institutional mechanisms supporting civil society’s participation in increasing transparency and accountability.\nTECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: The Secretariat introduced the documents on the guidance on technical assistance and the activities of the regional and subregional centres (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/20 and 21), and the related information documents (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/37-47). The EU invited parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide relevant information regarding experience and guidance on technical assistance. SWITZERLAND supported new regional centres being built within existing institutions, such as the Basel Conventions Regional Centres(BCRCs).\nBOLIVIA, with IRAQ, MEXICO, and Morocco for the ARAB GROUP, called for technical and financial assistance to facilitate timely implementation of NIPs. BOLIVIA also called on the Secretariat to provide evidence of activities related to technology transfer as required under Article 12 (technical assistance). CHINA, with IRAN, stressed the need for technical assistance to be provided quickly. MEXICO lamented that the work of the regional centers has so far been insufficient, highlighting that no technical assistance activities for, among others, the environmentally-sound disposal of POPs, have been carried out in the GRULAC region. GABON highlighted the need for technical assistance to be aligned to national legislation. COLOMBIA called for the prioritization of technical assistance to developing country parties for the environmentally-sound management of POPs.\nBANGLADESH and URUGUAY emphasized the need to strengthen the role of regional centers, with ARGENTINA underscoring the need for appropriate financial resources. NAMIBIA stressed regional centers should meet the interests of parties in the region. IRAN called on parties to endorse the nomination of Iran’s BCRC. The EU emphasized the need to maintain a “reasonable number” of centers. JAPAN underscored the need to apply criteria, including the need for regional balance, in reviewing nominated centers.\nResponding to questions on whether it had analyzed transfer of technology, and obstacles faced by parties in accessing such transfers, the Secretariat noted COP6 would have an opportunity to evaluate regional centers endorsed at COP4.\nFINANCIAL RESOURCES: The Secretariat introduced the issue (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/22-27 and UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/18-22 and INF/48). The GEF SECRETARIAT introduced its report to COP5 (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/24), which, inter alia , outlines key reforms to the GEF. Kante reported on the consultative process on financing chemicals and wastes, scheduled to meet again in early May.\nIN THE CORRIDORS\nIn the job just a week, the newly appointed Joint Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, Jim Willis, hit the ground running. This new post marks a key step in the move to synergize the chemicals and waste conventions, and Willis is tasked with propelling the treaties forward as a repackaged and lean machine to address their mandates in an integrated, effective and efficient manner. Easier said than done? Probably, but also, according to most delegates, necessary. As COP5 opened, delegates heard disgruntled rumblings on the need for zero nominal growth, the as-yet unmet promises of cost-savings through synergies, and concerns over the free-riding of some donors, all pointing to the urgent need for the synergies promises to pay dividends. Recalling the key role Willis played in developing the Convention, many seemed assured he is equal to this imposing task.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8032753467559814}
{"content": "Why the test is performed:\nThis test helps confirm the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).\nThe laboratory procedure is called CSF electrophoresis, which is a method used to study the levels of protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).\nIn electrophoresis, a CSF sample is applied to a gel (solid medium allowing the movement of proteins), and a voltage is applied. The proteins migrate along the gel based on their charge (roughly on their size). The gel is stained, and significant amounts of similar proteins will cause a visible \"band\" to be present. The term oligoclonal bands refers the presence in CSF of two or more protein bands of a specific immunoglobin (IgG) that have greater intensity than in the concurrent serum sample. This pattern of banding is seen in patients with MS, and other conditions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8921461701393127}
{"content": "Many believe that Rome was glorious, and that Rome brought civilisation – law, architecture, literature, a better lifestyle – into the Barbarian darkness of the conquered people. But was this really so? Philip Matyszak presents the alternative view. His book tells the story of the growth and eventual demise of Rome from the perspective of those who fought against it. He argues that many of Rome’s enemies, such as the Celts and Dracians, were developing their own civilisations before being wiped out by the Romans. And had Rome not crushed its rival powers, contends Matyszak, the Dark Ages may never have happened. For at Rome’s collapse, no other powerful civilisation remained to absorb the impact. However, this is not some abstract discourse; rather Matyszak cleverly uses the individuals who resisted Rome to develop his argument. Thus we read of the roles played by legendary enemies of Rome – including Hannibal, Boudicca, and Cleopatra – all of whom killed themselves rather than face capture by the Romans. But we are also introduced to comparatively less widely-known figures, such as Viriathus the guerrilla leader, and Mithridates the connoisseur of poisons. Clearly, while some enemies were noble, others were murdering villains. To paraphrase Hegel, the dominant force will always be hated and ultimately overthrown. Little wonder that mighty Rome had its enemies, for so too did the previously mighty civilisations against whom Rome fought. However, the utter wrath of the Roman Empire described by Matyszak, tends to be downplayed, or even sanctioned, with only its splendours emphasised. Consequently, this alternative approach represents a refreshing balance to accounts focusing on the glory of Rome.\nThis article is an extract from the full article published in World Archaeology Issue 11. Click here to subscribe", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6413629651069641}
{"content": "A critical challenge facing today's organizational leaders is gaining their followers' trust and having them view leaders as effective in addressing turmoil and change. Using a downsizing scenario as the context, this field experiment examined how a leader's positivity and transparency impacted followers' perceived trust, defined in terms of willingness to be vulnerable, and effectiveness of their leader. To test the hypotheses, 304 participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions of high (low) leader positivity\nYour browser does not appear to support JavaScript, or you have turned JavaScript off. You may use unl.edu without enabling JavaScript, but certain functions may not be available.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9980617165565491}
{"content": "What You Need To Know\nLeaving Property to Heirs\nIn a typical will, there are two types of gifts: specific gifts and general gifts. Specific gifts, which leave a particular object to someone, are optional – but they are the first gifts that are bestowed from a will. For example, a specific gift might read: “I leave to my daughter Cynthia my engagement ring.” You can also choose to forgive a specific debt that someone owes you.\nA general gift leaves a percentage of all that remains after the specific gifts are made. The people who receive these general gifts are known as “principal heirs” because they usually receive the bulk of the estate after the smaller gifts and valuables are distributed. Usually, the principal heir is the will maker's spouse or closest relative. Each will must have at least one principal heir. For example, the principal heir clause might state something like, \"All the rest of my property I leave to [name of principal heir].\"\nThe personal representative you appoint in the will (known as the “executor”) is responsible for dividing up the gifts and making sure that your wishes are carried out.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6096600294113159}
{"content": "Acupressure is a gentle form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on the same principles as acupuncture, which has been applied to health matters for centuries in the East. These techniques are becoming better understood in the West, where they have achieved a growing following, have been adopted by numerous practioners and lay healers, and have been shown through scientific studies to yield beneficial results.\nThe following selections from the WWW point to some key sources of information about these practices.\nAuthor: Edward A. Fox (CV, directions, hours,photo) Last Updated: 2003/01/14 Email: fox@vt.edu (c) Copyright 1997-2003 Edward A. Fox", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5340753197669983}
{"content": "Children like to do what they can do; they want to do what they think they can do, and they hate\nto do what they think they cannot do. If you want excited and enthusiastic children who learn\nwell, you must understand these key laws of motivation, and focus on the essential requirement\nof relevancy. If it matters, children will learn it, and if it doesn’t, they won’t. This session will\nenlighten you with specific ways to find and create relevancy for children, even when they have\nno apparent interest.\nC8", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998713135719299}
{"content": "Background: Baroreflex adaptation to repetitive +Gz has been reported previously. The underlying mechanism may involve different responses of stroke volume (SV) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) to +Gz. Hypothesis: The previously observed enhanced mean arterial pressure (MAP) regulation in fighter pilots (FP) is mediated by increases in SV and/or TPR. Methods: There were 8 pilots and 12 non-pilots who underwent head-up tilt. SV was determined using impedance cardiography. Results: MAP increased significantly in FP, due to heart rate (HR) and TPR increasing more and SV decreasing less. Conclusion: Baroreflex adaptation results in better performance of HR, SV and TPR in response to +Gz.\nRelation\nAviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine Vol. 71, Issue 3, p. 255-259", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5876327753067017}
{"content": "Abstract The eastern woodrat, a state-endangered species, is a generalist herbivore that depends on cached food during part of the year. We identified seasonal variation in the diet of woodrats at Pine Hills, Union County, Illinois, based on analysis of fecal pellets, and determined if they consumed forage in proportion to its availability in the habitat. Woodrats did not consume forage in proportion to availability for any season during 1995. Mast, primarily hickory nuts, comprised 61-67% of the diet each season, despite no mast available in the habitat during spring, and relatively little during summer. Few herbaceous species were eaten during any season; only Virginia creeper was identified in fecal samples throughout the year. Virginia creeper, spicebush, and sedge accounted for 79.4% of the identified herbaceous material consumed throughout the year, despite relatively low availability in the habitat. Resource caching decisions of woodrats depend on nutrient content and perishability. Woodrats appeared to ration cached resources so as not to be left with poor foods at the end of the cache-dependent period.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5888618230819702}
{"content": "Author: M. Fink Abstract: For short-term (minutes to hours) temperature optimization in greenhouses plant growth models are needed, which estimate short-term plant reactions and predict, how short-term reactions contribute to yield, realized several weeks later.For the greenhouse crop kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea gongylodes L .) short-term reactions to temperature are presented, which are not only caused by the temperature level, but also specifically by temperature changes.The dynamic short-term plant reactions showed differences compared to the steady state long-term reactions.The differences were due to temperature after-effects and plant adaptation to the changed temperature.It follows that for kohlrabi a model, which is parameterized with long-term average values of plant growth and climatic factors, can not be used to derive optimal short-term temperature set points.\nConclusions for short-term temperature optimization are discussed.\nDownload Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)\nURL www.actahort.org Hosted by KU Leuven © ISHS", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6221426129341125}
{"content": "Atrial Septal Defect Treating Cardiovascular Diseases in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Atrial septal defect (ASD) is often referred to as a hole in the heart. This is a congenital defect, meaning it develops before birth.\nThe atrial septum is a muscular wall inside the heart that separates the heart’s two upper chambers, or atria. An atrial septal defect occurs when a hole forms in this wall, allowing blood to mix between the atria.\nWith each heartbeat, the right side of the heart receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs. The left side receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body.\nIf you were born with an atrial septal defect, oxygen-rich blood from your left atrium can mix with oxygen-poor blood from your right atrium. As a result, some oxygen-rich blood is pumped to your lungs, where it has just been, instead of your body.\nTypes of Atrial Septal Defects Atrial septal defects can be small, medium or large, and they can occur in the lower, middle or upper parts of the atrial septum.\nHoles in the middle part of the septum are the most common type, affecting about 80 percent of those born with this condition. As least half of these defects close as the heart grows during childhood, but this is less likely when the hole is medium or large.\nHoles in the lower and upper parts of the atrial septum are very rare. They can cause an abnormal blood return from the lungs or heart valve abnormalities.\nAtrial Septal Defect Symptoms Most babies who are born with this condition have no atrial septal defect symptoms, even when the hole is large. And because most holes close as the heart grows or are repaired during childhood, younger people rarely experience complications.\nIf symptoms of atrial septal defect do occur, a heart murmur is the most common. This is an extra or unusual sound during a heartbeat. Doctors can listen to heart murmurs and tell whether they’re harmless or require treatment.\nIt’s usually after age 30, when the heart tires from extra blood flowing to the right side of the heart and lungs, that symptoms ofatrial septal defect occur. At this point, symptoms appear as other heart conditions and disorders, including:\nA stroke may occur when a blood clot forms in the heart and is pumped out to the body, where it can travel to an artery in the brain and cause a blockage.\nArrhythmia, which occurs when extra blood flowing into the right atrium causes the atrium to stretch and enlarge. Over time, this can lead to irregular heartbeats. Symptoms may include palpitations or a rapid heartbeat.\nPulmonary hypertension occurs when pressure builds up in the lung arteries, making them thick and stiff. This makes it difficult for blood to flow through them when picking up oxygen.\nRight heart failure , which occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood to the lungs efficiently, causing fluid to accumulate. Signs of this condition may include swollen ankles or legs. Causes of Atrial Septal Defect Although smoking during pregnancy has been linked to ASD, the cause of atrial septal defect is often unknown. Scientists continue to search for other causes.\nDiagnosing and Treating Atrial Septal Defects Because symptoms are seldom obvious, doctors often don’t diagnose atrial septal defects until later in childhood or adulthood. If an ASD is suspected during a physical exam, your doctor is likely to perform additional cardiac tests(link), which may include:\nCardiac catheterization Chest X-ray Electrocardiograph testing Pulse oximetry, which measures the level of oxygen in the blood Ultrasound testing, or echocardiography Treatment varies, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Children and adults who don’t have symptoms don’t need treatment. If treatment is necessary, most ASDs are treated with cardiac catheterization. During this procedure, a device is inserted over the hole, and within months, tissue grows in and over the device. The device remains in permanently. In rare cases, surgery is performed.\nA Leader in Treating Congenital Heart Disease Aurora Health Care offers the only specialty center in Wisconsin for treating adult congenital heart disease. Whether you’ve been newly diagnosed with an atrial septal defect or have lived with it for years, you should have your condition monitored and treated by a team that specializes in these conditions.\nAt the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, we offer you access to some of the most respected experts in the field. A. Jamil Tajik, MD is a world-renown expert in the diagnosis and treatment of complex cardiovascular conditions. He leads a multidisciplinary team that specializes in adult congenital heart disease.\nAurora doctors are conveniently located throughout eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. Find a doctor or heart specialist near you. To get a second opinion or if you need assistance finding a provider, please call 888-649-6892.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5441219806671143}
{"content": "GP Rob says:\nTry to avoid getting bitten in the first place. Wear pale-coloured long sleeves and trousers, and socks and shoes at dawn and dusk and when walking in long grass. Use fragrance-free toiletries and don't wear perfume, which can attract mosquitos. It's not known whether chemical repellents, the commonest being DEET, are safe in pregnancy or not, so generally the advice is to avoid using them. If you do use them, use small amounts. A good natural repellent is citronella. Again, its safety in pregnancy isn't known, but most people feel confident about using it. Applying it to your clothes rather than directly on your skin lessens the risk of it being absorbed into the body.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8138841986656189}
{"content": "UK growth hits the skids Published: 23 April, 2010\nUK: Britain's gross domestic product expanded 0.2% in the first quarter of 2010, the Office for National Statistics said today.\nThat compares with growth of 0.4% seen in the final three months of 2009, when the UK emerged from its deepest peacetime recession since the 1930s. Economists had been expecting growth of 0.4%.\nJanuary's cold weather, which saw heavy snowfall across the country, held back manufacturing and consumer spending, the ONS said. Industrial production grew 0.7%; the services sector, which makes up the largest share of the economy, edged up 0.2% while the construction sector contracted by 0.7%.\nInflation in the UK, as measured by RPI, rose to 4.4%, from February's 3.7% figure.\nThe rising costs in energy and travel were drivers for this rise in both inflation measures, with RPI inflation also being driven further upwards by a rise in mortgage costs.\nUK unemployment is at its highest level in nearly 16 years, with the rate of unemployment in February being 8.0% and rising by 43 000 over the quarter reaching a total of 2.5 million.\nTotal retail sales volumes for March 2010 were 0.4% higher than the previous month but were 2.2% higher than March 2009 with fuel and household goods' rises driving retail sales growth.\nThe Council of Mortgage Lenders reported that gross mortgage lending rose 24% in March 2010, compared to the previous month and a 3% rise from the same month one year ago.\nProperty transactions in March 2009 were 1% lower than the previous month. However, transactions still remain 25% higher than the same month one year earlier.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5103915333747864}
{"content": "Question:\nI have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. What are the chances that my 15-year-old daughter might develop this as well? No sure signs are noticeable right now, but I want to be prepared if there is a chance. Thank you for your help.\nFrom,\nJennifer\nAnswer:\nDear Jennifer,\nThis is an excellent question, and the answer depends on the diagnosis. If you have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder with a genetic foundation, and the diagnosis has been confirmed by blood tests and biopsies of the intestine, there is certainly a risk that your daughter could develop the disease. It is estimated that 1 out of every 133 people in the U.S. is affected with celiac disease. However, this increases to approximately 1 out of 22 in people who have a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, sibling, or child).\nAs you know, there are also people who are sensitive to gluten but who do not have celiac disease based on intestinal biopsies. Patients who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity experience gastrointestinal symptoms with ingestion of gluten. However, the reason that this occurs is currently unknown.\nUnlike in celiac disease, where patients possess susceptibility genes (HLA DQ2 or HLA DQ8), a recent study suggested that patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity are not more likely to possess these genes than people in the general population. Because a genetic basis for non-celiac gluten sensitivity has not been identified, it is unclear whether or not first-degree relatives of patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity are at greater risk of developing the disorder.\nSincerely,\nCenter for Celiac Disease at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5269759893417358}
{"content": "Prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a case report Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Pediatrics, University of Ferrara, Italy\nItalian Journal of Pediatrics 2010, 36 :27 doi:10.1186/1824-7288-36-27Abstract Two premature twins (33 weeks gestation) were born to a woman who had used paroxetine during pregnancy for an anxiety-depression disorder. They were admitted to the NICU, where they showed prolonged RDS, cardiovascular malformations, and facial dysmorphisms. Soon after birth, they also presented abnormal neurobehavioral and motor signs, which partially disappeared during the following weeks, although alterations of tone persisted even at discharge.\nSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are considered the primary treatments for depression and anxiety in pregnancy. Since intrauterine exposure to these drugs has been associated with poor neonatal adaptation, low birth weight, RDS, neurobehavioural symptoms, and potential teratogenic effects, further studies are needed to assess risks and mechanism of action of SSRIs. Meanwhile, it is advisable to evaluate for each patient the real risk/benefit ratio of continuing or suspending treatment during pregnancy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.801612138748169}
{"content": "Poster Presentations\nSession Title: InflammationPresentation Date: Friday, March 14 – Saturday, March 15, 2009PRESENILIN 2 MODULATES MICROGLIA ACTIVATION\nS. Jayadev , A. Case, L. Seaburg, H. Nguyen, G. Garden\nUniversity of Washington Medical Center, Neurology, Seattle, United States\nNeuroinflammation contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and HIV associated dementia (HAD). Mutations in Presenilin (PS) cause familial AD, though the mechanism of mutation is not fully understood. PS1 and PS2 form the catalytic core of the γ-secretase complex which cleaves substrates, including APP, Notch and ErbB4, that may regulate inflammation, development, and cell fate determination. PS also contribute to cellular processes through non-γ-secretase functions. We tested the hypothesis that PS2 participates in CNS neuroinflammation. In both HAD and AD frontal cortex autopsy tissue we observed enhanced microglia PS2 immunoreactivity compared to age matched controls. Cultured murine microglia demonstrate increased PS2 protein after activation via Interferon-γ (IFNγ) or the HIV coat protein, gp120. Microglia stably expressing shRNA targeted against PS2 have decreased γ-secretase activity compared to controls confirming the functional consequence of PS2 knockdown. We found that PS2 deficiency results in altered microglia activation. PS2 knockdown microglia release more TNFα in response to IFNγ and gp/120 as well as phagocytose fewer apoptotic bodies compared to controls expressing non-target shRNA. To address whether PS2 mediated modulation of microglia activity involves γ-secretase function, primary microglia were exposed to DAPT, a pharmacological γ-secretase inhibitor. DAPT treatment results in augmented release of TNFα in response to inflammatory stimuli and decreased ingestion of apoptotic bodies compared to control. Taken together these data suggest that PS2 and the γ-secretase complex participate in modulation of microglia activation. Further studies into PS and γ-secretase mediated innate immunity pathways may provide therapeutically relevant insights into neurodegeneration pathophysiology.\nBack", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6647840738296509}
{"content": "Cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal Syndrome Cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal syndrome (COFS) is a pediatric, genetic, degenerative disorder that involves the brain and the spinal cord. It is characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities, severely reduced muscle tone, and impairment of reflexes. Symptoms may include large, low-set ears, small eyes, microcephaly (abnormal smallness of the head), micrognathia (abnormal smallness of the jaws), clenched fists, wide-set nipples, vision impairments, involuntary eye movements, and mental retardation, which can be moderate or severe. Respiratory infections are frequent. COFS is diagnosed at birth. Ultrasound technology can detect fetuses with COFS at an early stage of pregnancy, as the fetus moves very little, and some of the abnormalities result, in part, from lack of movement. NOTE: This disorder is not the same as Cohen's syndrome (cerebral obesity ocular skeletal syndrome).\nTreatment is supportive and symptomatic. Individuals with the disorder often require tube feeding. Because COFS is genetic, genetic counseling is available.\nCOFS is a fatal disease. Most children do not live beyond five years.\nPrepared by the National Institutes of Health", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8671826720237732}
{"content": "An asset class should not be limited to securities alone. For example, derivative financial instruments, collectibles, and horses are not securities but are asset classes. Asset classes may exhibit low correlation to other asset classes, but it is not a requirement. For example, say German bonds and Korean equities were highly correlated, I doubt that anyone would consider them part of the same asset class.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6934420466423035}
{"content": "Some Florida legislators and their constituents have inquired about the status of Progress Energy Florida's Crystal River nuclear plant. Some are questioning our company's approach to the steam generator replacement project, while others are second-guessing our intended course of repair.\nAs some engage in these increasingly public debates, often unsupported by facts, we are carefully applying lessons learned from this unforeseeable, first-of-its-kind event in an effort to safely and efficiently restore our company's only Florida nuclear plant to service. Throughout the related regulatory proceedings, we will not be sidetracked by unsubstantiated claims, allegations and misinformation that can lead to media coverage lacking the full context of the issue.\nThe Crystal River nuclear plant is the only carbon-free generation option on our Florida system capable of producing power 24 hours a day. Every day the plant operates, our customers save nearly $1 million in fuel costs, leading to more than $300 million in annual fuel cost savings. The plant is also a significant part of Progress Energy's and Florida's plans to address climate change while ensuring that electricity remains safe, reliable and affordable for our 1.6 million customers.\nThe steam generator replacement project that began at the Crystal River nuclear plant in the fall of 2009 called for cutting a 23- by 27-foot hole in the 42-inch-thick, concrete containment building wall. Before beginning, we spent five years and more than 10,000 man hours developing a comprehensive plan in collaboration with nuclear and construction industry experts. After cutting into the concrete, workers discovered a delamination (or separation) within the wall. Independent analysis later determined that the delamination could have neither been predicted nor prevented. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after months of inspection, agreed.\nOver the roughly year and a half that followed, we worked with some of the world's foremost concrete and engineering experts to develop and perform a complicated repair. In March, while in the final stages of the repair, a different section of the containment building wall experienced similar delamination.\nThis summer, after reviewing the results of initial analyses, we announced our intention to safely restore the plant to service by systematically removing and replacing most of the concrete from the sections of the wall that weren't involved in the previous repair. Under this plan, the plant would return to service in 2014.\nIn the meantime, a three-phase hearing to address this issue before the Florida Public Service Commission began in October. We expect the first phase, which focuses on the circumstances leading up to the first delamination, to continue well into 2012. The other phases will follow.\nSafely and efficiently restoring the Crystal River nuclear plant to service is extremely important to Progress Energy. After ensuring public safety, though, our greatest concern lies in doing the right thing for everyone who depends on us. Based on findings gleaned through intense collaboration with third-party experts, we believe that our intended repair plan is the best course of action for our customers, our communities and our company.\nWhile some would have you believe that we took an inappropriate approach to this work, nothing could be further from the truth. Outside experts have been engaged since day one, and we will continue to rely on their expertise, as they will be deeply involved until the plant safely returns to service.\nIn fact, third parties recognized as experts in the field continue to validate our stance. Since the initial delamination occurred in 2009, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited has reimbursed Progress Energy $298 million in replacement power and repair costs. We are seeking reimbursement of additional expenses associated with this work and will continue to make every effort to limit the impact of this extended outage on our customers.\nWhile we remain committed to fully addressing the steam generator replacement and delamination issues through the ongoing PSC docket, it is appropriate for us to only respond to specific questions related to these matters in the appropriate regulatory arena. Under Florida's regulatory framework, state leaders, concerned citizens, the media and other interested parties can review all of the documents filed through this proceeding and offer comment for consideration by the PSC. Florida consumers — our customers — will have a seat at the table throughout this process, as well, through the involvement of the Office of Public Counsel.\nThis is a complex issue in a complex industry and not one that can be sufficiently addressed through the media or unconventional means. Those who follow these proceedings will see that we have been prudent in our actions and decisionmaking throughout this process.\nVincent M. Dolan is president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8196150064468384}
{"content": "Neural mechanisms of foraging. Abstract Behavioral economic studies involving limited numbers of choices have provided key insights into neural decision-making mechanisms. By contrast, animals' foraging choices arise in the context of sequences of encounters with prey or food. On each encounter, the animal chooses whether to engage or, if the environment is sufficiently rich, to search elsewhere. The cost of foraging is also critical. We demonstrate that humans can alternate between two modes of choice, comparative decision-making and foraging, depending on distinct neural mechanisms in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using distinct reference frames; in ACC, choice variables are represented in invariant reference to foraging or searching for alternatives. Whereas vmPFC encodes values of specific well-defined options, ACC encodes the average value of the foraging environment and cost of foraging.\nLinks Authors Institution Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK. nils.kolling@psy.ox.ac.uk\nSource Science (New York, N.Y.) 336:6077 2012 Apr 6 pg 95-8MeSH AdultBrain Mapping\nChoice Behavior\nDecision Making\nFemale\nGyrus Cinguli\nHumans\nLogistic Models\nMale\nPrefrontal Cortex\nReward\nYoung Adult\nPub Type(s) Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't\nLanguage eng\nPubMed ID 22491854", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6023403406143188}
{"content": "It shouldn't be a novel idea: Put a bunch of kids in a classroom and teach them reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history, science and spelling. Then test them to see if they learned it. If they didn't, teach it to them again.\nIt's what we used to call an education. It's what Chicago school board President Gery Chico is suggesting for the city's schools--and it's about time.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992052316665649}
{"content": "What is the accuracy of this test? This test is fairly accurate as far as EtG detection is concerned. This test assumes that the concentration of EtG metabolite is a direct reflection of the amount of alcohol metabolized. This assumption can lead to some false positive results in cases where general medication consists of alcoholic compounds. So, EtG detection is highly accurate but its direct attribution to alcohol consumption may lead to impaired analysis.[Source]We thought you might find these product(s) useful: Keywords: Accuracy of EtG Test Detection accuracy\nLoading", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6307238340377808}
{"content": "Study objective: To evaluate the effect of anticoagulant therapy on the survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).Design: Prospective study.Setting: Five hospitals located in the Miyagi prefecture in Japan, including a university hospital, a Red Cross hospital, two public general hospitals, and a municipal hospital.Patients: Fifty-six patients with IPF (mean age, 69.4 years; range, 47 to 89) admitted to the hospitals from April 2001 to April 2004.Interventions: Patients were assigned to receive prednisolone alone or prednisolone plus anticoagulant therapy. The anticoagulants included oral warfarin in an outpatient setting and low-molecular-weight heparin for rehospitalized patients with severely progressive respiratory failure.Measurements and results: There was no difference in baseline characteristics, including age, gender, clinical condition, pulmonary function, and plasma d-dimer level between the nonanticoagulant group and the anticoagulant group. The overall survival and hospitalization-free periods were assessed. There was a significant difference between survival curves of the nonanticoagulant group and the anticoagulant group, with a 2.9 hazard ratio (p = 0.04, Cox regression model). There was no significant difference in the probability of a hospitalization-free period between groups. The major cause of clinical deterioration was acute exacerbation during follow-up in the present study. Therefore, the mortality and plasma d-dimer levels in patients with an acute exacerbation were also assessed. The mortality associated with acute exacerbations of IPF in the anticoagulant group was significantly reduced compared to that in the nonanticoagulant group (18% vs 71%, respectively; p = 0.008, Fisher Exact Test). Furthermore, the plasma d-dimer levels in patients who died were significantly higher than those in survivors during acute exacerbation of IPF (3.3 ± 2.3 μg/mL vs 0.9 ± 0.7 μg/mL, p < 0.0001). Histologic analysis performed in three patients who died due to an exacerbation of IPF in the nonanticoagulant group demonstrated the features of usual interstitial pneumonia and acute lung injury.Conclusions: Our data suggested that plasma d-dimer levels are associated with mortality in patients with an acute exacerbation of IPF, and that anticoagulant therapy has a beneficial effect on survival in patients with IPF.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.53981614112854}
{"content": "One in three people worldwide lives in either China, the largest communist country, or India, the largest democracy.\nFor the moment, China remains the most populous nation, with 1.3 billion inhabitants, followed by India, which is home to 1.1 billion.\nBut India's higher fertility rate means the gap is narrowing and the UN expects it to overtake China before 2030.\nBoth countries are also experiencing rapid growth in their urban populations.\nIn China, the number of people in towns and cities is likely to exceed the number in the countryside by 2015.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7289688587188721}
{"content": "If you download this publication you may also be interested in these:Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics Mangrove forests occur along ocean coastlines throughout the tropics, and support numerous ecosystem services, including fisheries production and nutrient cycling. However, the areal extent of mangrove forests has declined by 30–50% over the past half century as a result of coastal development, aquaculture expansion and over-harvesting1, 2, 3, 4. Carbon emissions resulting from mangrove loss are uncertain, owing in part to a lack of broad-scale data on the amount of carbon stored in these ecosystems, particularly below ground5. Here, we quantified whole-ecosystem carbon storage by measuring tree and dead wood biomass, soil carbon content, and soil depth in 25 mangrove forests across a broad area of the Indo-Pacific region—spanning 30° of latitude and 73° of longitude—where mangrove area and diversity are greatest4, 6. These data indicate that mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics, containing on average 1,023 Mg carbon per hectare.\nTopic: mangroves, carbon, forestsJournal Title: Nature GeoscienceVolume: 4Number: 5Pages: 293-297Publication Year: 2011Language: EnglishISSN: 1752-0908DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1123Related publications", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8017067909240723}
{"content": "Dynamics of Local Input Normalization Result from Balanced Short- and Long-Range Intracortical Interactions in Area V1 The Journal of Neuroscience , Vol. 32, No. 36. (05 September 2012), pp. 12558-12569, doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1618-12.2012 Key: citeulike:11190936Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract To efficiently drive many behaviors, sensory systems have to integrate the activity of large neuronal populations within a limited time window. These populations need to rapidly achieve a robust representation of the input image, probably through canonical computations such as divisive normalization. However, little is known about the dynamics of the corticocortical interactions implementing these rapid and robust computations. Here, we measured the real-time activity of a large neuronal population in V1 using voltage-sensitive dye imaging in behaving monkeys. We found that contrast gain of the population increases over time with a time constant of ∼30 ms and propagates laterally over the cortical surface. This dynamic is well accounted for by a divisive normalization achieved through a recurrent network that transiently increases in size after response onset with a slow swelling speed of 0.007膒0.014 m/s, suggesting a polysynaptic intracortical origin. In the presence of a surround, this normalization pool is gradually balanced by lateral inputs propagating from distant cortical locations. This results in a centripetal propagation of surround suppression at a speed of 0.1膒0.3 m/s, congruent with horizontal intracortical axons speed. We propose that a simple generalized normalization scheme can account for both the dynamical contrast response function through recurrent polysynaptic intracortical loops and for the surround suppression through long-range monosynaptic horizontal spread. Our results demonstrate that V1 achieves a rapid and robust context-dependent input normalization through a timely push膒pull between local and lateral networks. We suggest that divisive normalization, a fundamental canonical computation, should be considered as a dynamic process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.884650468826294}
{"content": "As millions of Americans struggle with nicotine addiction, Grinnell College biological chemistry researchers have made a discovery that could guide efforts to design drugs to block the effects of nicotine – helping users to overcome this addiction.\nThe research, which examines the family of proteins in the nervous system that respond to nicotine, was conducted by a team of biological chemistry students led by Mark Levandoski, associate professor of chemistry. Nicotine acts like a “key” to “unlock” these proteins, and this allows nerve cells to transmit information to one another.\nLevandoski’s team discovered that the proteins react to certain other “keys,” working similarly to nicotine, but through a new, previously unknown, “lock.” The new “lock” may provide new strategies for pharmaceutical companies in developing treatments for nicotine addiction – which could ultimately provide users with an easier way to quit.\nThe National Institutes of Health and Research Corporation supported this protein research, and the findings were published in The Journal of Neuroscience in 2009.\nMark Levandoski is available for interviews to discuss this research, including how it impacts drug design. Contact Grinnell Communication.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6344780921936035}
{"content": "In recent years, questions concerning \"the body\" and its place in postmodern discourses have taken center stage in academic disciplines. Body Politics joins these discussions by focusing on the challenges women face when their externally defined identities and representations as bodies—their body fictions—speak louder than what they know to be their true selves. Racialized, gendered, or homophobic body fictions disfigure individuals by placing them beneath a veil of invisibility and by political, emotional, or spiritual suffocation. As objects of interpretation, \"female bodies\" in search of health care, legal assistance, professional respect, identity confirmation, and financial security must first confront their fictionalized doubles in a collision that, in many cases, ends in disappointment, distress, and even suicide. The contributors reflect on women’s day-to-day lives and the cultural productions (literature, MTV, film, etc.) that give body fictions their power and influence. By exploring how these fictions are manipulated politically, expressively, and communally, they offer reinterpretations that challenge the fictional double while theorizing the discursive and performative forms it takes. Contributors include Trudier Harris, Maude Hines, S. Yumiko Hulvey, Debra Walker King, Sue V. Rosser, Stephanie A. Smith, Maureen Turim, Caroline Vercoe, Gloria Wade-Gayles, and Rosemary Weatherston.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9842820763587952}
{"content": "Exploring the Experience of Body Self-Compassion for Young Adult Women Who Exercise Five women between the ages of 23 and 28 years participated in this study. The women identified themselves as Caucasian and middle-class, were university students, and indicated that they exercised at least four times a week. Each woman participated in an individual interview in which she was asked to describe two instances where she experienced body self-compassion. The womens interviews were analyzed using an empirical phenomenology method (Giorgi, 1985; Giorgi & Giorgi, 2003) to identify the components of the womens stories that were essential to their experience of body self-compassion. A follow-up focus group discussion provided the women with the opportunity to offer feedback on the essential structures. Four essential structures emerged from these interviews: appreciating ones unique body, taking ownership of ones body, engaging in less social comparison, and body self-compassion as a dynamic process. A facilitating structure, the importance of others, also emerged. The findings of this study are generally consistent with Neffs (2003a) conceptualization of self-compassion as they reflect Neffs overall description of self-compassion without merely replicating the three components of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.\nThe findings of this study provide support for the exploration of more specific domains of self-compassion, such as the body. This study also makes a significant contribution to the body image literature, which has been criticized for being pathology-oriented and for focusing mainly on appearance-related attitudes (Blood, 2005; Grogan, 2006). This study explored a positive body attitude and highlighted the womens attitudes toward their physical capabilities in addition to their appearance. Further research is needed to develop the body self-compassion construct by exploring the generalizability of the essential structures that emerged in this study to broader populations.\nAdvisor:Martin, Stephanie; Kowalski, Kent; Guyrcsik, Nancy; Nicol, J.A.J.\nSchool:University of Saskatchewan\nSchool Location:Canada - Saskatchewan\nSource Type:Master's Thesis\nKeywords:positive body attitude empirical phenomenology image\nISBN:\nDate of Publication:08/24/2007", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8920474052429199}
{"content": "Agent-Based Systems in the Business Context Papers from the AAAI Workshop Brian Drabble and Peter Jarvis Cochairs This workshop brought together key researchers in the areas of AI agents, planning, and scheduling with those in work-flow management. The aim was to start a dialogue between these groups on how AI techniques could support real-world business processes. Workflow management systems are integrated software tools for supporting the modeling, analysis, and enactment of business processes. The market for work-flow management software grew from around $100 million in 1991 to $2.5 billion in 1996. From a research perspective, DARPA has identified workflow as one of its key \"must have\" technologies and is investing heavily in developing the next-generation workflow systems for the military. These papers explored how the AI community could be leveraged to realize a vision for dynamic process management, at both the modeling and technological levels. Topics included reactive control, planning, planning and reactive control architectures, scheduling, knowledge acquisition, and distributed AI.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5392429828643799}
{"content": "Many drivers still call and ask \"Do I really need a set of winter / snow tires?\" With many vehicles being equipped with electronic systems to help control the vehicle, it's not unusual to think you don't need a dedicated winter tire. While traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control and all-wheel drive systems help make it easier to utilize your tire's potential, none of them increase the amount of available traction. These systems are only capable of manipulating or limiting your vehicle's acceleration, braking and cornering capabilities to the traction provided by your tires.\nBy adding a dedicated winter tire to the mix, you'll be increasing available traction on ice and in snow compared to all-season options. To help demonstrate, Tire Rack tested both options to see the difference between wintertime gripping and white knuckle slipping. Starting at 30 mph on packed snow and then engaging the ABS until the cars reached a complete stop provided some interesting results. The vehicle equipped with winter tires stopped a full 30 ft. shorter than the identical vehicle driving on all-seasons.\nDuring the acceleration portion of the test, we measured the tires' ability to provide traction when accelerating as quickly as possible in a straight line with the vehicle's traction control operating. Both vehicles began at the start line and we were timing how long it took the cars to accelerate 200 feet. The difference was three seconds, as it took the car with winter tires eight seconds and the vehicle equipped with all-season tires 11 seconds. We don't recommend trying to accelerate as quickly as possible in snow when driving on the street. This test demonstrates how much more traction winter / snow tires can provide when accelerating from a stop.\nFor a complete recap of our testing, take a look at \"All Season vs. Winter (Passenger Vehicle): The Difference Between Wintertime Gripping and White Knuckle Snow Slipping.\"\nEven with the new traction management aids on newer vehicles, dedicated winter tires play an important role for driving on ice and in snow. While all-season tires may provide enough wintertime traction for drivers in areas of the country that receive occasional light snow, we feel there isn't a viable alternative to snow tires for drivers who encounter deep or frequent slush, snow or ice. Remember, tires are often the difference between wintertime gripping and white knuckle slipping!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7816618084907532}
{"content": "In the mid-1990s, sport fishermen from the Outer Banks of North Carolina stumbledupon a winter population of bluefin tuna in the shallow waters near shore. Each wintersince then, fishermen have braved icy waters and frigid temperatures to capitalize on thisresource. In their quest for a commercial share of the U.S. quota, these local fishermen have shown a unique interest in making their voices heard. They now play a significant role in the data collection and management of bluefin tuna, working side-by-side with scientists and forming a non-profit organization. This MP aims to document the cultural system of these fishermen and incorporate recommendations for more effective bluefin tuna management. In an effort to accomplish this goal I produced a policy-oriented ethnography that characterizes the social, economic and regulatory structure of the sport and commercial bluefin tuna fishery in Beaufort and Morehead City, North Carolina.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9952430725097656}
{"content": "Engage Students With Text Establish a motivating environment to engage students in reading and text discussion. Active engagement with text helps students better understand what they are reading. Teachers can encourage student engagement with text by clearly conveying a lesson's purpose, explaining how reading will help them learn, and offering opportunities for choice and collaboration. Teachers should also facilitate whole-group, small-group, or partner text discussions. High-quality discussion with in-depth exploration of text can foster student engagement and understanding. Discussion teaches students how to think deeply about a text and promotes critical thinking skills.\nMultimedia Overview Establishing Motivating Contexts for Reading and Encouraging Text Discussions This multimedia overview introduces the importance of providing a motivating, engaging environment for reading and facilitating high-quality text discussions. It describes the features of engaging classrooms and factors that contribute to effective text discussion. (5:43 min)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9925249814987183}
{"content": "This chapter examines the largely overlooked relationship between female ex-combatants, DDR, and transitional justice, with a particular focus on truth commissions. The potential of truth commissions to recognize women’s multiple and contradictory roles during armed conflict and to publicly acknowledge their agency and experience can contribute to a reconsideration of postconflict gender relations.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000022649765015}
{"content": "A study of French men and women found that obese women are\n4 times more likely to experience unplanned pregnancies and have abortions.Among women under age 30, researchers noted that obese respondents were four times as likely to report having had an unplanned pregnancy or abortion compared with normal BMI-range peers. They also found that, compared to normal range BMI women, obese women were less likely to have spoken with a doctor in the previous year about options for contraception, were less likely to use the birth control pill or condoms, and were significantly more likely — 8 times more likely, specifically — to report using less effective contraception methods (such as \"pulling out\").I'm guessing it's likely that income levels could be an overlying factor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8563472032546997}
{"content": "Background: Until relatively recently, critical care practitioners have focused on the survival of their patients and not on long-term outcomes. The incidence of chronic neurocognitive dysfunction has been underestimated and underreported, and only recently has it been studied in critically ill patients. However, neurocognitive outcomes have been the subject of extensive investigation in other medical populations for many years.Methods: Review of the current literature regarding long-term neurocognitive outcomes following critical illness.Results: Data from studies to date indicate that critical illness can lead to significant neurocognitive impairments. The neurocognitive impairments persist for months and years, and may have important consequences for quality of life, the ability to return to work, overall functional ability, and substantial economic costs. The mechanisms of the neurocognitive impairments are not fully understood but likely include delirium, hypoxia, glucose dysregulation, metabolic derangements, inflammation, and the effects of sedatives and narcotics among other factors. The contributions of these factors may be particularly significant in patients with preexisting vulnerabilities for the development of cognitive impairments such as mild cognitive impairment, dementia, prior traumatic brain injury, or other comorbid disorders associated with neurocognitive impairments.Conclusions: Current research indicates that neurocognitive sequelae following critical illness are common, may be permanent, and are associated with impairments in daily function, decreased quality of life, and an inability to return to work. Research needs to be done to better understand the prevalence, nature, risk factors, and nuances of the neurocognitive impairments observed in ICU survivors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7129756212234497}
{"content": "Often I feel (*cough* KNOW *cough*) as if there are people who vastly, vastly outperform and there's a sort of existential \"What's the use?\"-moment.\nThe Law of Comparative Advantage is useful for such moments. I'm nowhere near being a competent mathematician, but there are still opportunities.\nThe other thing that I find encouraging is that mathematics is not an ever expanding sphere where the discoveries take place at the edge.\nIt's more like swiss cheese: there are little holes left all around to fill in.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.926645815372467}
{"content": "The Real Deal with Real-Time Ethernet\nEffective communication between industrial devices, such as automation controllers, vision systems, and smart motor drives, is the foundation of a flexible and efficient industrial process. Because these industrial devices are physically separate, engineers must consider the time it takes to transfer data between them. Moreover, when this latency is unknown or inconsistent, devices on the network must wait on data to be sent or received. This latency depends on a number of factors, including available bandwidth, network traffic, the number of Ethernet devices, and the Ethernet protocol chosen. In many applications, engineers can work around this issue by using techniques such as buffering to compensate for these limitations. For example, consider the buffering that takes place when streaming video or audio across the Internet to make up for the inconsistent transfer rate. While buffering data is suitable for casual multimedia applications, it is unacceptable for most industrial control applications, such as motion control. To meet the requirements of these control applications, the network itself must have a realtime (deterministic) response.\nThe unknown latency characteristics of Ethernet networks are due to the inherent design of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard. For many devices to transmit data on a single network, Ethernet uses the carrier sense multiple access, with collision detection (CSMA/CD) mechanism. This mechanism mandates that a network device must wait until no other device is transmitting before it can begin its own transmission. However, this does not prevent other devices from transmitting at the same moment, a condition commonly known as a network collision. Per the standard, the devices know when a collision occurrs and waits for a random period of time before attempting to retransmit. Furthermore, high-level Ethernet protocols, such as the commonly used transmission flow protocol (TCP), introduce additional handshaking to ensure that data arrives. Senders of TCP data wait until the receiver sends a positive acknowledgement (ACK). If the ACK is not received within a timeout period, the sender retransmits the data. Both the CSMA/CD access mechanism and flow control methods used by transmission protocols introduce timing uncertainties to Ethernet networks that make them inherently nondeterministic.\nIf determinism between industrial devices is so important, why are engineers migrating away from real-time buses, such as Profibus and DeviceNet, in favor of Ethernet? There are three reasons:\nTo overcome the non-deterministic nature of Ethernet, engineers must place strict timing rules on the network. While there are several implementations of real-time Ethernet, most of them share two common elements:\nOne approach to implementing real-time Ethernet is incorporated in the latest version of National Instruments LabVIEW, a graphical programming environment for industrial measurement and control. LabVIEW uses a technology called the time-triggered network for deterministically transferring data across Ethernet. With the time-triggered network, two or more LabVIEW targets can transfer data deterministically across a private Ethernet network using standard network interface hardware. As shown in Figure 2, each device is also connected to a public network for normal network traffic and communication with non-real-time nodes. This two-wire topology provides redundancy to communications applications Other deterministic Ethernet protocols, such as Ethernet PowerLink, split the network cycle time for regular Internet traffic, such as TCP/IP, to occur after deterministically scheduled packets are sent and received. This method requires less wiring between real-time nodes, but typically requires a gateway to schedule traffic coming from outside the real-time network.\nOne method of transferring data across a deterministic Ethernet network uses network scheduling through a shared memory scheme. In this scheme, every device on the network allocates a block of memory for every other device on the network including itself. Shared memory blocks take all the data from one device and send it to all other devices as one packet. Figure 3 represents a shared memory network of three nodes. Node A can only write to the A memory block, Node B can only write to the B memory block, and so on. In every network cycle, the data written from one node is sent or ýreflectedţ to all other nodes on the network. For the shared memory network to be deterministic, the engineer must schedule the reflection of each shared memory block so they do not overlap. To configure the network, one node is designated as the master node while all other nodes are slaves. At the start of each cycle, the master node sends a cycle start packet to the slave nodes. Once the start cycle packet ends, it can update shared memory blocks. One advantage of this shared memory method is that each block can hold multiple shared variables or data items. Thus, the transfer of one memory block can potentially distribute several pieces of data that might otherwise each need a separate handshaking sequence to get from one node to another. This use of the memory block reduces the over-head per transfer.\nAn alternate way of transferring data deterministically is with the dedicated slot method. When using this method, an engineer explicitly schedules when each piece of data transfers during the network cycle. The main advantage of this method is that a loop can be closed during a single network cycle. Figure 4 shows an example of a distributed motion controller. In a practical implementation, the system can reliably close a control loop even when the network is busy. In the Figure 4 example, the deterministic network requires time during the network cycle to maintain clock synchronization. During this period, the system can read the current count of a motorÝs encoder. This position feedback then transfers across Ethernet to the trajectory controller, which calculates the positional error and transmits a correction command back across the network before the network cycle completes. Engineers use this method for closing any type of control loop across the network, allowing a decentralized system for control that reduces overall wiring and complexity.\nThe methods above eliminate the latency and jitter caused by packet collisions, but engineers still face challenges when packets are corrupted due to noise. When a packet is damaged the system must retransmit it, which spoils the predefined schedule of a real-time network. Engineers can reduce the odds of lost packets by incorporating redundant data transmission into the schedule, but this reduces the overall network throughput. Consequently, deterministic Ethernet protocols must include robust error checking to alert nodes of possible data loss, and users must decide how to handle data loss situations. From the technological advances and early successes of deterministic Ethernet, it is easy to forget that the journey toward standardized, real-time Ethernet is just beginning. For instance, while the new GigE Vision standard overcomes many of EthernetÝs inadequacies as a general-purpose peripheral bus, it does not include any provisions for deterministic image transfer, including collision avoidance. With that said, the existing infrastructure and clear performance gains of Ethernet compared to conventional industrial buses heralds a bright future for Ethernet as a viable, real-time bus for industrial control and communication.\nKyle Voosen manages the machine vision product line at National\nInstruments. He holds a BS in electrical engineering\nfrom Rice University.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7366325855255127}
{"content": "Obstetrics - Pediatrics and Child Health - Physiology\nAndrogen Concentrations in Umbilical Cord Blood and Their Association with Maternal, Fetal and Obstetric Factors\nPublished:\nMonday, August 20, 2012\nAuthor:\nby Jeffrey A. Keelan, Eugen Mattes, HaiWei Tan, Andrew Dinan, John P. Newnham, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse, Peter Jacoby, Martha Hickey\nThe aim of this study was to measure umbilical blood androgen concentrations in a birth cohort using a highly specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay and assesses the effects of sex, labor, and gestational age on fetal androgen levels at birth. We performed a prospective cohort study of androgen concentrations in mixed arterial and venous umbilical cord serum from 803 unselected singleton pregnancies from a general obstetric population in Western Australia. Total testosterone (TT), ?4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were extracted from archived cord serum samples and measured using LC-MS/MS. SHBG was measured by ELISA; free testosterone (FT) and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) values were also calculated. Median values for all three androgens were generally lower than previously published values. Levels of TT, FT, BioT, and SHBG were significantly higher in male verses female neonates (P<0.0001), while dehydroepiandrosterone levels were higher in females (P<0.0001). Labor was associated with a significant (~15–26%) decrease in median cord blood TT and FT levels (both sexes combined), but a modest (~16–31%) increase in SHBG, ?4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. TT and FT were significantly negatively correlated with gestational age at delivery, while SHBG, ?4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were positively correlated. Antenatal glucocorticoid administration also had a significant effect in the multiple regression models. This is the first study to report umbilical cord androgen levels in a large unselected population of neonates using LC-MS/MS. Our findings suggest that previous studies have over-estimated cord androgen levels, and that fetal, maternal, and obstetric factors influence cord androgen levels differentially. Caution should be exercised when interpreting previously-published data that have not taken all of these factors into account.\nMore...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7279675006866455}
{"content": "Surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in evaluating people who have potential surgical problems and performing surgical operations and techniques.\nCommon surgeries include hernia repairs, gallbladder removal, and removal of the appendix. There are many subspecialties in surgery, including chest (thoracic) surgery, blood vessel (vascular) surgery, and plastic surgery. Surgeons may further specialize by limiting their practice to specific age groups, such as pediatric surgeons, who only treat children.\nSurgeons can be board-certified through the Board of Surgery, which is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.\nCredits", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7479920387268066}
{"content": "Vaccines do not weaken child's immunity\n[Posted: Mon 07/03/2011]\nVaccinated children are not at an increased risk of developing infections or allergic diseases, such as eczema and bronchitis, the results of a new study indicate.\nAccording to German researchers, vaccinations are among the most important and effective preventive measures in modern medicine. The benefits, efficacy and safety of such vaccinations are widely scientifically proven and they are well-tolerated.\n\"In spite of all this, some parents and doctors have reservations against vaccinations. The fear is that vaccinations overburden, stress or weaken a child's immune system and may therefore cause harm.\n\"As a result they think that vaccinated children are more prone to falling ill than non-vaccinated children. In addition, vaccinations are deemed to be responsible for the occurrence or increased incidence of other diseases, including chronic diseases,\" they noted.\nThey decided to investigate this issue further. They analysed data available for 13,453 children aged between one and 17, comparing the occurrence of infections and allergies in vaccinated and unvaccinated participants. These included bronchitis, eczema, colds and gastrointestinal infections.\nThe study found that the only difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated children was in relation to the frequency of vaccine preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps and pertussis. Not surprisingly, the risk of contracting these diseases was substantially lower in vaccinated children.\nApart from that, there was no statistically significant difference between rates of infections and allergic conditions in vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. For example, among children aged between one and five, unvaccinated children had an average of 3.3 infectious diseases in the past year, compared to 4.2 for unvaccinated children.\nAmong those aged 11 to17, unvaccinated children had an average of 1.9 infectious diseases in the past year, compared to 2.2 for unvaccinated children.\nThe researchers noted that in older children, atopy (allergic disease, such as eczema) was more common, but its prevalence was not found to depend on vaccination status.\nAmong six to 10-year-olds, the prevalence figures were 30.1% for unvaccinated children versus 24.4% for vaccinated children. And the corresponding figures for those aged 11 to 17 were 20.3% versus 29.9%.\n\"The prevalence of allergic diseases and non-specific infections in children and adolescents was not found to depend on vaccination status,\" the researchers concluded.\nDetails of these findings are published in the German medical journal, Deutsches Ärzteblatt International .\nFor more on childhood vaccinations, see our Child Vaccination Tracker here", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.542892336845398}
{"content": "Safety managers and incident commanders face the need to identify and quantify toxic or combustible chemicals on the spot, to make urgent decisions. These professionals need to rely on gas detection monitors to help them decide quickly – to prevent an accident from becoming an incident -- on the use of personal protective equipment, evacuation and cleanup.\nMost portable detection monitors are limited in their ability to qualify, quantify, or continuously measure a particular chemical. For example, a PID sensor can detect compounds such as benzene, toluene, jet fuel, ammonia, and chlorine in a wide range of concentrations, but cannot identify which specific compound it is. An electrochemical sensor or a colorimetric tube can identify a chemical, but may not be able to measure it once its concentration exceeds the top of their measurement range. Catalytic LEL sensors can detect combustible gases within their flammability range, but cannot detect them in lower concentrations at which such compounds may not be flammable.\nThe New Approach: Multiple Sensing Fusion. This Webinar will present ideas, methods and examples for deploying a fusion of multiple sensing technologies. The fusion of gas detection technologies provides the unique ability to identify, quantify, and continuously monitor various chemical threats across their toxic and flammable concentration range in a cost-effective and easy-to-use way.\nIn this webinar, you will learn how to use sensor fusion to:\nDetect, identify, and monitor chemicals at both toxic and flammable levels in a cost-effective fashion\nDetect, identify, and monitor chemicals in environments where traditional sensing technologies may not work or be practical\nCan't attend live? Register to view the webinar on-demand!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7013558745384216}
{"content": "Sort: publication date | titles A - Z Page: | 1 | The Homunculi are little men who live in the brain and control our actions and thoughts. This concept provides a platform to enable the creation of scenarios that help children to visualise different aspects of their character. This is the complete guide to the intervention, which comprises a series of one-hour sessions over a period of 8-10 weeks. more »\nJune 2013, Paperback: £19.99/ $34.95Keywords: ADHD, anger management, anxiety, Asperger syndrome, autism, bullying, challenging behaviour, child psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling, educational psychology, emotions, high functioning autism, inclusive classroom, mainstream education, occupational therapy, pastoral care, resilience, social skills, special education, speech and language therapy, storymaking, teenagers, youthwork\nChildren and Adolescents in Trauma presents a variety of creative approaches to working with young people in residential children's homes, secure or psychiatric units, and special schools, and provides useful insights and a fresh perspective for anyone working with traumatised children and adolescents. more »\n2010, Paperback: £22.99/ $36.95Keywords: adolescence, art therapy, arts therapies, attachment, challenging behaviour, child development, child psychiatry, child psychology, children, counselling, creative therapies, families, interdisciplinary arts therapies, mental health, pastoral care, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychology, psychotherapy, residential care, social care, storymaking, teenagers, therapeutic communities, trauma, violence\nPage: | 1 | (2 titles match the current selection)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7353321313858032}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nGuide for the Care and use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition\nPower and Lighting\nThe electrical system should be safe and provide appropriate lighting, a sufficient number of power outlets, and suitable amperage for specialized equipment. In the event of power failure, an alternative or emergency power supply should be available to maintain critical services (e.g., the HVAC system, ventilated caging systems [Huerkamp et al. 2003], or life support systems for aquatic species) or support functions (e.g., freezers and isolators) in animal rooms, operating suites, and other essential areas. Consideration should be given to outfitting movable equipment for which uninterrupted power is essential (e.g., ventilated racks), with twist-lock plugs to prevent accidental removal from the power supply.\nLight fixtures, timers, switches, and outlets should be properly sealed to prevent vermin access. Recessed energy-efficient fluorescent lights are commonly used in animal facilities. Spectral quality of lights may be important for some species when maintained in the laboratory; in these cases full spectrum lamps may be appropriate. A time-controlled lighting system should be used to ensure a uniform diurnal lighting cycle. Override systems should be equipped with an automatic timeout or a warning light to indicate the system is in override mode, and system performance and override functions should be regularly evaluated to ensure proper cycling. Dual-level lighting may be considered when housing species that are sensitive to high light intensity, such as albino rodents; low-intensity lighting is provided during the light phase of the diurnal cycle, and higher-intensity lighting is provided as needed (e.g., when personnel require enhanced visibility). Light bulbs or fixtures should be equipped with protective covers to ensure the safety of the animals and personnel. Moisture-resistant switches and outlets and ground-fault interrupters should be used in areas with high water use, such as cage-washing areas and aquarium-maintenance areas.\nStorage Areas\nAdequate space should be available for storage of equipment, supplies, food, bedding, and refuse. Corridors are not appropriate storage areas. Storage space can be decreased when delivery of materials and supplies is reliable and frequent; however, it should be ample enough to accommodate storage of essential commodities to ensure the animals’ uninterrupted husbandry and care (e.g., if delivery is delayed). Bedding and food should be stored in a separate area free from vermin and protected from the risk of contamination from toxic or hazardous substances. Areas used for food storage should not be subject to elevated temperatures or relative humidity for prolonged periods. Refuse storage areas should be separated from other", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6155117750167847}
{"content": "Chemist Mak Saito and colleagues recently reported that a marine bacterium recycles and reuses a scarce nutrient, iron. Crocosphaera watsonii disassembles iron-containing enzymes used by night and builds the iron into enzymes for daytime photosynthesis. Using cultures maintained by microbiologist John Waterbury and researcher Frederica Valois, Saito, student Erin Bertrand, and researcher Dawn Moran analyzed Crocosphaera’s protein complement, revealing the daily switch. C. watsonii was discovered by Waterbury, Valois, and the late microbiologist Stanley W. Watson, namesake for the species and WHOI’s Watson Laboratory. From left, Moran, Saito (with C. watsonii), Waterbury, Bertrand, and Valois hold colorful cultures of differently pigmented bacteria from Waterbury’s collection. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5640525817871094}
{"content": "If you’re considering a career in healthcare, take a look at becoming a physician assistant (PA). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is expected to grow much faster than average, and job opportunities for PAs should be particularly strong in rural and inner-city healthcare facilities.\nThere are two key reasons that physicians, hospitals and other healthcare institutions are expected to hire more PAs in the next decade. The first is growing overall demand for healthcare services with the continued aging of the 77 million Boomer generation. The second is productivity. By providing primary care services and assisting with medical and surgical procedures, PAs help physicians make better use of their time.\nIn general, PAs are valued members of an organization’s healthcare team, providing diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive services under the direction of a physician. PAs must complete an accredited education program and pass a national exam to obtain a license, and many professionals have college degrees and other healthcare experience.\nWhile the exact duties vary from employer to employer, PAs typically take medical histories and examine patients. They may order laboratory and radiology tests and make diagnoses. Many PAs can treat minor injuries as well. They advise patients and may be able to prescribe some medications.\nRecognizing their importance to the healthcare system, many states are allowing PAs to take on more responsibilities under their licensing programs. In medically underserved areas, such as rural communities and urban clinics, PAs may become the principal providers of healthcare services. They may consult with physicians via regular meetings or phone or video conferences as needed. As a well-established healthcare staffing provider, All Medical Personnel is continually seeking qualified PAs for potential assignments, and we invite you to explore these career opportunities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8323080539703369}
{"content": "We do not have a recycling program in place at our school, not even a basic program for recycling paper, plastic, aluminum or glass. How can we get a recycling program started?Often a school will start a recycling program, only to have it fall by the way side as other staff responsibilities increase. It will take a team of dedicated individuals to make a recycling project stay active. Marc Morgan, DES Recycling Coordinator, has suggestions for reducing school wastes, which even include composting. Contact Sara Johnson at (603) 271-6460 or nhppp@des.nh.gov. You can also contact the Northeast Resource Recovery Association for information on starting a school recycling program.\nNH Department of Environmental Services | 29 Hazen Drive | PO Box 95 | Concord, NH 03302-0095(603) 271-3503 | TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964 | Hours: M-F, 8am-4pm", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5134307146072388}
{"content": "With the Supreme Court about to weigh in on thecontroversial subject of gene patents, it bears noting that humans are not theonly ones whose genes are patented. A company called Prolume, located in Pinetop, Arizona,apparently owns a couple of gene patents claiming the DNA encoding greenfluorescent proteins (GFPs) and luciferases from a variety of sea creatures ofthe genera Renilla, Gaussia and Pleuromamma (6,232,107 and 7,109,315).\nRecently, Prolume filed a lawsuit in the Southern Districtof California against a multiple companies, including Gentarget, alleginginfringement of the patents. Prolume appears to have targeted thesecompanies based on the description of products provided on the companywebsites. For example, the complaint states that \"a search of the word‘gaussia’ at www.gentarget.com reveals 14 products that incorporate GaussiaLuciferase.”\nThe complaint notes that Prolume cannot determine from theGentarget website which claims are being infringed without an analysis of theDNA sequence used in their products. However, Prolume infers infringement basedupon the frequency of light that excites the protein, and that is emitted, asdescribed in the company's product literature. Presumably Prolume will seekdiscovery to ascertain the DNA sequences used by the defendants in theproduction of their products.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6819754242897034}
{"content": "Listeria Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Listeria, including details on listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, symptoms, pregnancy, treatment, food safety.\nHeat shock factor 1 protects mice from rapid death during Listeria monocytogenes infection by regulating expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha during fever. Murapa P, Ward MR, Gandhapudi SK, Woodward JG, D'Orazio SE\nHeat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is a stress-induced transcription factor that promotes expression of genes that protect mammalian cells from the lethal effects of severely elevated temperatures (>42°C). However, we recently showed that HSF1 is activated at a lower temperature (39.5°C) in T cells, suggesting that HSF1 may be important for preserving T cell function during pathogen-induced fever responses. To test this, we examined the role of HSF1 in clearance of Listeria monocytogenes, an intracellular bacterial pathogen that elicits a strong CD8(+) T cell response in mice. Using temperature transponder microchips, we showed that the core body temperature increased approximately 2°C in L. monocytogenes-infected mice and that the fever response was maintained for at least 24 h. HSF1-deficient mice cleared a low-dose infection with slightly slower kinetics than did HSF1(+/+) littermate controls but were significantly more susceptible to challenges with higher doses of bacteria. Surprisingly, HSF1-deficient mice did not show a defect in CD8(+) T cell responses following sublethal infection. However, when HSF1-deficient mice were challenged with high doses of L. monocytogenes, increased levels of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) compared to those of littermate control mice were observed, and rapid death of the animals occurred within 48 to 60 h of infection. Neutralization of TNF-α enhanced the survival of HSF1-deficient mice. These results suggest that HSF1 is needed to prevent the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and subsequent death due to septic shock that can result following high-dose challenge with bacterial pathogens.\nPublished 23 December 2010 in\n© 2004-2012 Listeria Research Today. All Rights Reserved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6267342567443848}
{"content": "Mobile Community Childbirth Checklist (mCommCC) for mothers and layperson referral gatekeepers: danger sign recognition, emergency preparedness, and linkages to skilled care In Bangladesh, 77% of births occur outside a facility and 72% without a skilled attendant. When maternal or neonatal complications occur, <40% of women seek care, mainly due to misunderstanding of complication severity and/or necessity for referral; relatives or neighbours are the primary referral sources. Antenatal care coverage and logistical preparation for childbirth emergencies are also poor. An intervention to empower mothers and layperson referral gatekeepers to overcome these logistical, knowledge, communication gaps is urgently needed.\nOur proposed approach is the Mobile Community Childbirth Checklist (mCommCC), which mothers and layperson birth companions will access in the intrapartum and early neonatal periods. Checklist tasks are drawn from WHO Mother Baby mCheck tool and Home-Based Lifesaving Skills Take Action Cards. The mobile phone system (technology) employs text and audio reminders to encourage progress-specific safety checks, Interactive Voice Response for danger sign recognition and corresponding action steps (creating demand), and direct communication linkages with live skilled care guidance (improving service delivery).\nThe mCommCC intervention will actively increase timely and appropriate skilled care seeking in the event of suspected maternal or neonatal complications. This will, in turn, reduce preventable serious maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.\nMost standard practices to increase skilled care utilization focus on mobilizing skilled healthcare workers to reach all delivering mothers, which is expensive and difficult in resource-poor settings. The mCommCC empowers mothers and layperson birth companions themselves to seek and link with skilled care, using a cheap, familiar and accessible technology.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8230054974555969}
{"content": "The complexity of Smart Grid and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) implementations present a challenge for most of the nation’s electric utilities. From skilled resource availability to the operational complexities of installing and maintaining these systems, utilities have often struggled with achieving success. SAIC’s cloud-based Smart Grid as a Service (SGS) solution was developed to address these complexities and ease the implementation of Smart Grid technology.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996868968009949}
{"content": "Two click chemistry-derived focused libraries based on the benz[d]isothiazol-3(2H)-one scaffold were synthesized and screened against Dengue virus and West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 proteases. Several compounds (4l, 7j-n) displayed noteworthy inhibitory activity toward Dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease in the absence and presence of added detergent. These compounds could potentially serve as a launching pad for a hit-to-lead optimization campaign.\nDescription:\nClick on the DOI link below to access the article (may not be free).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9976240396499634}
{"content": "By Cameron Chai\nIndependent certified laboratory has carried out tests and confirmed nine coatings systems from the aerospace business of PPG Industries, which also has included clearcoat or basecoat systems with no chromate.\nThese coatings systems meet the demands of Aerospace Material Specification 3095A from SAE International for the application of airline exterior paint. As SAE is reviewing the results, PPG Aerospace systems will be added to the qualified products listing.\nScott Cavin, Global Coatings Marketing Manager of PPG Aerospace for airlines and aftermarket stated that the AMS 3095A certification standard is considered to be significant for airlines, while an exterior coating system is selected. Cavin added that the performance of the company’s coating systems is confirmed by the test results. Qualified standards will provide the required flexibility, particularly mixed fleets, to the airlines and third-party maintenance operators, while the best systems for use in applications are chosen.\nPPG’s chromate-free systems have achieved the AMS 3095A standard as applied over DESOPRIME CF/CA 7502E primer and DesoGel EAP-9 pretreatment, including Desothane HS/CA 8000 series topcoat, Desothane HS/CA 8800 series topcoat, DESOTHANE HD/CA 9008 clearcoat or basecoat, Desothane HD/CA 9005 clearcoat together with Desothane HD/CA 9000 series basecoat.\nCavin stated that testing for standard has demonstrated a synergistic effect between the primer and pretreatment containing no chromate, offering significant protection and adhesion for the substrates.\nTwo coating systems from PPG have cleared AMS 3095A standard testing together with chromate-free PAC33CF primer and P99 wash primer, with the help of PPG topcoats.\nSource: http://www.ppg.com/", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7960364818572998}
{"content": "Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced the expansion of its largest ex-offender apprentice program — quadrupling the current number of apprentice opportunities on bus and rail to as many as 265.\nThe CTA Apprenticeship Program will provide valuable job skills and training to ex-offenders, increasing self-sufficiency for hard-to-employ individuals while providing CTA with additional resources to enhance the customer experience with cleaner buses and trains.\nIn coordination with community partners and sister city agencies, CTA will offer new, full-time bus apprenticeships in addition to its current rail apprentice opportunities for ex-offenders who face significant barriers to employment and to long-term self-sufficiency.\nUnder the expanded program, CTA will provide bus apprenticeship assignments that will be up to one year in length; rail apprentice assignments are nine months in length.\nApprentices who perform exceptionally during their assignments will be eligible to apply for full-time CTA positions. If no full-time relevant positions are immediately available, apprentices who have successfully completed one apprenticeship can apply to participate in the other apprentice program — for up to a combined 21 months of continued employment.\nPositions in both apprenticeships pay $9.50 an hour. CTA will have 65 rail apprentice positions available and as many as 200 bus apprenticeship slots. Apprentices will be members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents bus (Local 241) and rail (Local 308) workers.\nPre-screened, qualified individuals who are selected for apprenticeships will be assigned to duties that will include platform servicing, bus and rail yard sweeping, railcar shop cleaning and general interior cleaning, and detailed exterior cleaning of buses and trains. Thorough background checks will be completed as part of the apprenticeship screening process. Job candidates that will be considered are individuals who have been convicted of non-sexual, non-violent and non-domestic violence-related criminal offenses.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5801734924316406}
{"content": "In 2005, the NRLS issued guidance on communicating effectively with patients when things go wrong. Following changes to the NHS since the launch, the NRLS has reviewed the guidance and developed a new Being open framework.\nThe new framework is a best practice guide for all healthcare staff, including boards, clinicians and PALS. It explains the principles behind Being open and outlines how to communicate with patients, their families and carers following harm.\nOpen and honest communication with patients is at the heart of health care. Research has shown that being open when things go wrong can help patients and staff to cope better with the after effects of a patient safety incident.\nHealthcare staff may be fearful of upsetting the patient, saying the wrong or admitting liability. This guidance and the associated actions outlined in the Alert, provide reassurance that Being open is the right thing to do, and encourage NHS boards to make a public commitment to openness, honesty and transparency.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.56257164478302}
{"content": "Join | Clutter Foods Emergency Clutter Foods Yes, I know all those emergency preparedness checklists that they hand out at your local street fair have lists of all the nonperishable cans and jars of food and water that you should have on hand in case of global thermonuclear war. Here's all I have to say on the matter: Buying emergency foods is like buying insurance—you hope you never have to use them. All of your emergency supplies should be in an out-of-the-way place like the basement, the garage, a storage closet, or the far back of your pantry (if it's particularly large). The only exception to this is if you're organized enough to consume your emergency food supplies over time, rotating in fresher cans and jars. Hats off to you if you're actually pulling that off. You're one in a million.\nKeep Reading Once you've taken the time to reorganize your pantry, it's important to maintain the progress you've made. To prevent another all-out pantry purge down the road, use these three steps for maintaining this essential kitchen space.\nRead an excerpt of Peter Walsh's book Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?\nOprah Radio host Peter Walsh talks about the connection between clutter and overeating.\nPantries are often harder to manage than refrigerators. Use these strategies to give your pantry a purpose once again.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7034249305725098}
{"content": "Federal Government Announces it Will Enforce Federal Marijuana Laws if Proposition 19 the “Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010” Passes If California voters adopt Proposition 19 on November 2, 2010, California will be the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Marijuana, whether for recreational use or medical use, remains an illegal substance under the Federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). In an October 13th letter to former chiefs of the U.S. Drug Administration Agency, Attorney General Eric Holder stated the Federal Government will continue to enforce its marijuana laws in California, even if Proposition 19 passes.\nAccording to Holder’s letter, “We will vigorously enforce the CSA against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law.” The Attorney General also said, “If passed, this legislation will greatly complicate federal drug enforcement efforts to the detriment of our citizens.”\nThis letter may suggest a potential departure from the Administration’s position of not prosecuting medical marijuana users in compliance with state law, as set forth in an October 19, 2009 letter from the Department of Justice (“DOJ”). While the DOJ expressed its commitment to the enforcement of the CSA in all states, it explicitly told Federal prosecutors that the Department’s priorities should not focus on “individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.”\nWith the Federal government’s stated opposition to Proposition 19, and the intent to enforce the CSA, local governments face an even bigger challenge of trying to comply simultaneously with State law and Federal law.\nShareThis", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.958753228187561}
{"content": "In many corporate settings, users are required to quickly execute commands. Three methods of issuing commands were compared: 1) selecting a menu item with a mouse (Menu-Mouse condition); 2) selecting a menu item with a keyboard shortcut (Menu-Keyboard condition); and 3) selecting a toolbar item with a mouse (Toolbar-Mouse condition). Users performed one of the three methods across 90 trials and had their speed assessed in blocks of 30 trials.\nOverall, the Toolbar-Mouse method was the fastest, while the Menu-Keyboard condition showed the most improvement. A GOMS-based model is presented that accounts for differences among methods. This work confirms the use of toolbars for common commands, but also suggests that for heavily-used interfaces, keyboard shortcuts can be as efficient as toolbars and have the advantage of providing fast access to all commands.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8520786166191101}
{"content": "This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter. DOE Marks Weatherization Program's 26th Anniversary DOE celebrated \"Weatherization Day\" on October 30th as the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps reduce the energy bills for low-income households, reached its 26th anniversary. Over that time span, the program has provided energy efficiency improvements to five million U.S. homes, saving each household an average of $218 in energy bills annually.\nDOE's Weatherization Assistance Program provides congressionally appropriated funds to state weatherization offices, which provide grants to local agencies to perform the work. These services are available in every county in the nation. For every dollar provided by the DOE program, an addition three dollars come from other sources such as state funds, utility programs, and federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\nIn some states, such as Vermont, the weatherization office teams with other state programs to efficiently deliver additional services. For example, a home weatherization team might also fix unsafe electrical wiring or install a new refrigerator. See the DOE press release.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8747665882110596}
{"content": "Abstract:This paper aims to investigate the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth for 11 East Asian countries over the period 1971-2005 by taking into account their strong relationships. Based on fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic OLS (DOLS) approaches, while there exists a strong relation running from economic growth to energy consumption, it is observed that the strong relationship which runs from energy consumption to economic growth is overwhelmingly rejected for all cases except Indonesia and the Philippines. Moreover the inverse relation between two variables is observed for these two countries.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.996207058429718}
{"content": "Where does \"personhood\" come from?\nThe plight of Dobby the house elf can serve to illustrate the common attitudes around this sensitive question. Dobby was the house elf who \"belonged\" to the Malfoy family. As such, he was treated poorly - even abused - because as a house elf, his value was only seen in his utility to the family. He was inhuman, unworthy of affection and totally disassociated with any sense of dignity. We see this in his surprise at how well Harry treats him in speaking with him at their first meeting and in Hermione's care and concern for the ordeal of the other elves.\nThe Malfoy's rejection of Dobby's dignity is akin to a societal prejudice against those who count for nothing - the poorest, the \"rejects,\" the prisoners, the elderly, the unborn. Their personhood is often seen as an inconvenience, rather than an inherent part of their being. An unborn child is a \"fetus\" until a parent ascribes a value to it as a child who is \"wanted.\" A man in a nursing home or hospital is seen more as a patient occupying a bed, rather than a person with infinite beauty and worth. A prisoner is seen first as a miscreant who has lost all claim to the dreams of any man, rather than a soul marked still by the touch of God.\nHarry provides a \"salvific\" role for Dobby by providing a way out of his servitude. He always saw Dobby as an individual of worth, and at last, in the end, he is able to die \"a free elf.\" Personhood is not a matter of \"desert\" or \"earning it.\" Rather, it comes from the gift of God, freely given, for no other reason than His infinite love.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.627719521522522}
{"content": "An improved Boundary Contour System (BCS) and Feature Contour System (FCS) neural network model of preattentive vision is applied to large images containing range data gathered by a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor. The goal of processing is to make structures such as motor vehicles, roads, or buildings more salient and more interpretable to human observers than they are in the original imagery. Early processing by shunting center-surround networks compresses signal dynamic range and performs local contrast enhancement. Subsequent processing by filters sensitive to oriented contrast, including short-range competition and long-range cooperation, segments the image into regions. The segmentation is performed by three \"copies\" of the BCS and FCS, of small, medium, and large scales, wherein the \"short-range\" and \"long-range\" interactions within each scale occur over smaller or larger distances, corresponding to the size of the early filters of each scale. A diffusive filling-in operation within the segmented regions at each scale produces coherent surface representations. The combination of BCS and FCS helps to locate and enhance structure over regions of many pixels, without the resulting blur characteristic of approaches based on low spatial frequency filtering alone.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5874629020690918}
{"content": "Numerous studies have linked maternal smoking during pregnancy with increased health risks for newborn babies. A study compared the smoking habits of African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic-American, and non-Hispanic white mothers who smoked while pregnant. Independent samples were selected from each of the four populations (African-American women who smoked during pregnancy, Asian-American women who smoked during pregnancy, etc.). The authors were interested in determining whether the four groups differed with respect to the amount smoked per day.\n(a) What set of hypotheses should the authors use to test their claim?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6306573152542114}
{"content": "Many process plants devote considerable resources to rationalizing their alarm systems — to allow operators to effectively manage the process instead of merely responding to alarms throughout the shift. A properly designed and well-functioning alarm system is crucial to plant safety, but simply staying within alarm boundaries isn't enough. Managers must know if units are running in a range that will satisfy production plans as well as critical limits (equipment- and control-related, economic, environmental, etc.).\nSuccess in the quest to maximize asset uptime, minimize maintenance costs and avoid unplanned outages requires a clear grasp of process variables, operational constraints and production targets. By understanding the operations management landscape and using the latest technologies available, managers can help promote plant safety, reliability and profitability without jeopardizing operations.\nTHE OPERATING ENVELOPE Studies by the Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) Consortium (www.asmconsortium.net) have shown that worker actions cause 42% of abnormal situations or upsets in processing operations. Equipment problems lead to 36% of upsets, with half of these attributable to equipment or process units functioning outside of their \"operating envelope.\"An operating envelope is a collection of boundary limits that, when exceeded, put the integrity of assets at risk. These limits typically are based on combinations of factors such as unit capacity, equipment constraints and safety concerns. They can be implemented in alarm systems and serve as operating targets.\nManaging an operating envelope once consisted of counting the number of alarm breaches for a given variable. This frequently resulted in hundreds, if not thousands, of operating envelope \"excursions\" per month. Most weren't legitimate breaches, but rather indications of the control system or operator quickly moving the process back within established constraints.\nIt's critical for control room personnel to distinguish between false and genuine boundary excursions, and ensure deviations are relevant. Operating envelope deviations aren't real-time alarms like those on a control console; operators only want to react or respond to real deviations. A variable that briefly strays out-of-bounds once per hour isn't necessarily a meaningful deviation.\nUnfortunately, using a generic notification tool or trying to use the alarm system to monitor the operating envelope likely will lead to many false positives. That's why technology has been purposely designed to monitor the operating envelope, to identify only real deviations. By accurately identifying genuine excursions, it makes more manageable retrospective analyses that can prompt both short- and long-term steps to minimize the occurrence of process upsets or, worse yet, loss of containment.\nLIMIT MANAGEMENT To maximize the life of an asset, it must be operated according to design parameters, not simply within process alarm ranges (Figure 1). However, operating strategies must extend beyond operator visibility to the entire operations team and all those interacting with the process. Without a comprehensive limit-management solution, operators simply lack the insight needed to run the plant within operating envelope boundaries.Most sites typically rely on multiple types of process control applications, each of which can be used to independently enter and control respective targets, constraints or limits. Although these applications may relate to the same process measurements, they sometimes may use inconsistent or conflicting limits (Figure 2). This situation results in inefficient operation, costly plant incidents and frequent process shutdowns. Various groups within the plant are responsible for maintaining safe operating limit information. As these variables often are system configuration parameters entered by people, it's possible values may fall outside of the safety and compliance envelope. Additionally, some processes have dynamic, continually changing safe operating limits — a situation that's challenging for operators to manage.\nPlant owners must understand the operating envelope encompasses both operating and alarm limits. However, without linkage between these limits, it's impossible to keep them consistent. In principle, operating and alarm limits should match — this allows alarm limits and their rationalization to benefit from the economic understanding of operating limits that exists in most plants. The common disparity between alarm and operating limits stems from the inability to see, compare and work within the operating envelope.\nManaging alarms largely is a matter of correctly monitoring and managing operating envelopes. It involves having operators and process engineers ensure alarms, operations monitoring, operating instructions and alerts are consistent with process and equipment limits imposed by the equipment and process design, as well as environmental and safety constraints.\nWhen embarking on a program to capture the plant operating envelope and then monitor and validate activities against the associated limits, it's imperative the alarm system be well rationalized. Trying to monitor against an operating envelope with an unhealthy alarm system just won't work. Instead, plants must strive to implement a solution that changes the culture of console operators from operating to alarms to operating to the operating envelope (i.e., \"secondary alarms\"). This results in operators paying attention to notifications of operating envelope deviations rather than constantly reacting to alarms. They immediately can review cause, consequence and action information, and plan the appropriate response.\nOPERATIONAL CHANGES Many plant operations departments are rethinking their approach to operational excellence to gain the maximum benefit from ongoing technology developments. Instead of simply managing the effects of operating outside established boundaries, they're striving to expose the operating envelope to all appropriate stakeholders and ensure it's well understood across operations and related groups.Today's operations management tools, coupled with well-designed work processes, provide the proper visibility and communication to allow operators, planners, engineers and others to accurately steer an operation within true operating envelope boundaries. This is key to ensuring safety, reliability and profitability.\nThe effective management of boundary limit information and its dissemination through uniform work processes constitute best practices for optimizing asset and people effectiveness. Accurate boundary data should be available to operators via operating instructions to establish proper limits for production processes, embodied in the control system as a managed set of alarms and alerts consistent with unit constraints and limits, and presented as unified results that can serve as a yardstick for learning and continuous improvement efforts.\nWithout this broader view, each role is working with data that lack the larger context.\nFor example, planners who can't validate the weekly production plan against limits potentially could overdrive equipment that may have units operating in alarm, leading to damage and possibly even failure. The ripple effect of planning without an understanding of all limits (e.g., operating, environmental, design and reliability) can result in injury to plant workers, harm to other equipment, shutdowns and environmental releases.\nOperations management products can effectively manage information such as planning targets, key performance indicators, standard operating limits and procedures, safety and environmental limits, and the causes of deviations. They improve plant performance by systematically setting and communicating operating plans, monitoring process data against limits, and highlighting the priorities of deviations. By providing a better understanding of performance versus industry norms, and knowledge of true operating limits for better reliability and agility, they help reduce energy usage while improving yield, product consistency and run lengths. Moreover, they impose a standard, structured way to activate the operating plan, thus improving coordination between the planning and operating staffs. Once the plan is in place, actual data are systematically evaluated against operating targets. Plant personnel gain access to the information needed to determine the causes of downtime and production inefficiencies, so they can make appropriate changes.\nSome tools even display safe operating limits for multiple applications and assets in real-time and in context — regardless of their source — within the plant human-machine interface. This enables operators to know the operating envelope for a particular monitored point or asset, and proactively take action before an excursion occurs. A single data model of the limit space (e.g., variables, boundaries, constraints, operating limits and modes) also allows limits to be consistently managed for storage and retrieval.\nCONSISTENT LIMITS The development of a \"limit repository\" helps plant personnel monitor and maintain consistency between applications in the business and control networks. For example, if modification of a limit used by the planner application makes it inconsistent with the limit in any other application, the limit repository can serve to notify the other application of the problem. This includes informing the application how the limit is inconsistent and what steps are needed to re-establish consistency. The application then executes the appropriate changes or actions based on the input. Reports to engineering or management identify unresolved inconsistencies and the responsible entities. This allows operations to continue without inconsistent or conflicting limits (Figure 3).\nWith a single limit repository, inconsistency becomes a non-issue — all the limits can be managed, even those owned by another source. Plus, this approach eliminates the need to determine which limit is valid (i.e., if there's only one limit, it must be the correct one).\nAn operations management initiative also can give engineers the means to develop a boundary hierarchy, to detect and report deviations such as an alarm setting that's higher than a safety-instrumented-system trip point. This provides additional assurance that modifications to configuration parameters, including alarm limits and instrument ranges, remain within the safe operating envelope.\nIn addition, operations monitoring tools give control room personnel the ability to analyze and act upon information associated with multiple boundaries affecting operations, and determine the plant's current state relative to its safe operating limits. Each boundary corresponds to at least one of multiple hierarchical levels associated with different levels of criticality within the process. The tools allow operators to compare process variables against various configured limits and filter out certain types of limits to de-clutter the view. Thus, operators can choose whether to stay within one set of boundaries while violating another less-critical boundary.\nImagine if operators were presented with boundaries indicating environmental limits, equipment design constraints or economic efficiency. This information might show it's better to operate in the bottom third of the range between alarms. Perhaps the weekly plan suggests ramping up production, which means moving out of the ideal operating range. Operators would have enough information to decide whether or not to sacrifice efficiency — by using more fuel, for instance.\nWhen just running the process to alarms, operators may believe they're doing the right thing. However, they inadvertently are shortening the life of equipment or prompting earlier maintenance work.\nSoftware applications also are available for maintaining an electronic record of the occurrences during a plant shift. They enable operators to automatically capture all excursions and enter comments as to how they dealt with the deviations. These data are crucial to communicate during shift handover to help the entire operations staff maintain situational awareness. Plus, they are valuable to process engineers charged with addressing recurring problems.\nElectronic logbooks are equally useful for managing a site-wide task list because they can indicate status updates such as pending, deferred, overdue and complete. Authorized users view tasks assigned to them and mark the work as complete; otherwise, they reassign, reschedule, defer and change their duties.\nFinally, planners can utilize operations management tools to create daily or weekly instructions for operating strategies that have been validated against multiple proven boundary limits maintained in a single location. This ensures processes will not be run outside of the safe operating envelope.\nBROAD BENEFITS Thanks to continued development in operations management technology, plants can better track their operating performance against targets and highlight problem areas. Improved operations monitoring also helps to determine the causes of downtime and production inefficiencies.By learning from operations history, plant personnel more efficiently can manage and control a wide range of processes. This leads to less spending on equipment maintenance, greater asset reliability and fewer safety incidents.\nThrough better information and decisions, today's operations management strategies enable reduced operating costs, improved yields and increased production. They also help ensure compliance with increasingly demanding regulatory standards. Plants ultimately achieve optimal use of capital improvements.\nCHRIS STEARNS is a Hudson, Ohio-based senior product manager for Honeywell Process Solutions. E-mail him at chris.stearns@honeywell.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5083467960357666}
{"content": "While a third year medical student I decided to write a Medical Thesis and asked Dr. Holmes to be my supervisor. He accepted and said by my doing so I would become a \"Third generation Cornell medical researcher.\" He explained that the \"first generation\" belonged to Harold G. Wolff, M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Cornell's New York Hospital. Dr. Wolff carried out pioneering medical and psychological studies of patients with headache, particularly migraine headache. In his scientific papers he identified typical thoughts, feelings, and behaviors reported by migraine patients that significantly influenced the onset and severity of their headaches.\nDr. Wolff later recruited a \"second generation” of trainees from doctors training in Internal Medicine at Cornell and challenged them to conduct similar studies on patients coming to the New York Hospital outpatient clinic with commonly experienced illnesses. Stewart Wolf, M.D. chose disorders of the stomach. William Grace, M.D. and David Graham, M.D. explored endocrine and gastrointestinal illnesses. Lawrence Hinkle, M.D. selected cardiovascular disease. Dr. Holmes chose to study the nose! When Dr. Holmes asked me what illness I might study I chose a surgical disease - inguinal hernia. I wanted to see if any attitudes and behaviors existed for these patients. That summer I interviewed 37 men coming to surgery for an incarcerated inguinal hernia, this Medical Thesis led to my first scientific publication.\nPatients in my study came from two regional medical centers: the Seattle Veterans Hospital and the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital. May of my volunteering patients were employed in the Merchant Marine. These men were generally enlisted sailors, of low to moderated rank, who had frequent prolonged shipboard tours of duty. Their hernia emergency often happened when they were at sea. When I asked about possible life stresses that had existed prior to, and during, the cruise they often mentioned striving for promotion by working hard but not having their efforts recognized. Instead, they said they were criticized by supervisors. I then asked about how they felt while being \"unduly criticized\" and many said: I was so angry I thought I would explode!”\nI then asked: \"If you were able to do anything you wanted about this situation, what would you have done?\" He answered: \"I would have knocked his stupid block off.\" As actually punching a supervisor would have resulted in a reduction in pay, or even a demotion, they actively held their anger inside. Active restraint taking strong physical action is accompanied by contractions of abdominal musculature and breath holding. This action is called a Valsalva maneuver. Resultant strain from repeated Valsalva maneuvers could well promote inguinal canal weakening and later herniation.\nOne behavior that was reported by several of my hernia patients was carrying out an extremely strong physical action, but one not directed toward a supervisor. The behavior related by the patient above was the following: “After he (the supervisor) left, I picked up my heavy four layer toolbox and threw it overboard.\" Such heavy physical exertions were often the final step leading to an incarcerated hernia and surgery.\nBelow are 26 attitudes and behaviors discovered by these three generations of Cornell medical researchers. It is important to remember in reading this list that their research studies were carried out decades before more recent discoveries identifying neuronal, hormonal, biochemical, and electrical communications between the brain and body! None-the-less, behavioral interventions have been done for persons with these attitudes and behaviors with rewarding results and gratifying improvements in health!\nAttitudes and Behaviors that Facilitate the Expression of an Illness:\nAcne - A person that feels they are being picked on and wishes to be left alone. They believe that they are being nagged at and are angry, even hostile, over the situation.\nAsthma - A person who is a non-participant and feels \"shut out\" by their life difficulties. They feel isolated and unprotected.\nBackache - This person wants, but can't allow himself or herself to literally walk away from an unpleasant life situation.\nCancer - A person with cancer is frequently very considerate of others, to the point of over-giving and self-sacrificing behaviors, with strong inhibitions towards their own displays of strong emotions - especially anger.\nConstipation - When a person feels they are in a life situation from which nothing good can result, but they are grimly hanging on. They believe that the best they can hope for is that things won't get any worse!\nCoronary Heart Disease - The person who develops this illness devotes enormous amounts of time energies their work. However, work is often seen as \"joyless striving.\" They are frequently intense, emphatic, competitive, rushed, and easily aroused to hostility - particularly when they are out of control of a situation.\nDiabetes - An individual that is \"starving in the midst of plenty.\" That is, they are literally surrounded by many desirable things in life, but believe that none of these things are available to them.\nDiarrhea - A person that when faced with a meaningful task, wants to perform it extremely well. However, they wish that the task was already completed, finished, done with, and behind them.\nDuodenal Ulcer - An individual with marked competitive strivings, who craves support and recognition from others. However, they feel that they have recently been deprived of what was rightfully theirs!\nEczema - Frustrated! Attacks occur in life situations that are seen as frustrating and embarrassing.\nHives - An individual with this affliction often feels abused and is angry about it. They feel they are \"taking a beating\" but are helpless to do anything about it.\nHypertension - The person feels threatened and is constantly \"on guard.\" Anything could happen, at any time, from any direction. They feel they have to be always prepared to meet all types of possible threats.\nHyperthyroidism - This person believes they are about to lose something, or somebody, they dearly love. They unsuccessfully try to prevent this loss by “holding on mightily.”\nInguinal Hernia - This person feels he must \"bottle up\" his anger over current life frustrations. He feels he is \"ready to explode.\" However, his attention is focused on rigidly restraining his anger.\nMetabolic Edema - A person that feels they are carrying a heavy load and wishes somebody else would come and help them with their burden. They feel they have too many responsibilities on their shoulders.\nMigraine headaches - A person who attempts to control feelings of anxiety and resentment through extremely organized and intense activity. Insecurity and tension lead to behaviors and feelings of inflexibility, perfectionism, and resentment.\nMultiple Sclerosis - This person feels forced to undertake activities that they don't want to do. They feel they must carry on independently and without any help.\nNausea and Vomiting - These symptoms tend to occur when a person feels something undesirable has just happened, for which they were, at least partially, responsible. They wish it hadn’t happened and things could go back to how they used to be.\nParoxysmal Auricular Tachycardia - This cardiac racing may occur when a person feels that life is not proceeding according to schedule and should be speeded up!\nPsoriasis - A person with an exacerbation of this illness often feels that a life situation is \"gnawing\" at them and that they must put up with it. A steady, boring, nagging life irritation has to be endured.\nRaynaud's Disease - This affliction of dramatic cooling of a person's hands and fingers occurs when they wish they could take hostile, physical action. They wish that they could hit or even strangle someone.\nRegional Enteritis - This person feels he has been the recipient of something harmful to their body and wants to get rid of it. They feel that they have received something that was damaged or inferior. It is as if they have been poisoned.\nRheumatoid Arthritis - This individual often feels tied down and unable to get free. They see themselves in a life situation where they are restrained, restricted, and confined.\nTuberculosis (Pneumonia) - Despite valiant efforts, this person feels helpless and unable to deal with their recent stressful life events.\nUlcerative Colitis - This individual feels they are being injured and degraded. They wish that they could get rid of the responsible agent, as it is humiliating. They wish the unpleasant situation would be finished, over with, and done.\nVasomotor Rhinitis - An afflicted person frequently wishes they could \"shut out\" and \"wash away\" recent life difficulties. They feel helpless to solve these problems on their own.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9439864158630371}
{"content": "Asia Pacific . China is now the most attractive country for wind development and it contributed $10 billion to the sector in the second quarter of 2010.\nAustralasia. Australia and New Zealand are weighing in with significant projects that are due to come online within the next two years.\nEurope . With Germany and Spain, the continents established onshore leaders, showing little appetite for large projects, the baton looks set to be passed to the UK, Sweden and Norway.\nNorth America. Despite a disappointing 2010, the US continues to think big with 25 project of 250MW or more due to come online between 2011-12.\nEmerging Markets. A number of players are making significant strides in wind power, notably Brazil, Turkey, Poland and Morocco. The criteria for inclusion - Asia-Pacific (200MW), Australasia (200MW), Europe (100MW), North America (250MW) and Emerging Markets (100MW).\nUK offshore. The UK aims to install 33GW of offshore wind in the coming year. This map forms part of 2010s special report into the UK's offshore plans.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.903501570224762}
{"content": "Overweight and Cancer Risk.\nExcessive body weight effects may not directly result in poor health. However, recent research seems to prove obesity associated with increased cases of some specific types of cancer.\nAccording to a report published by the American Institute of Cancer Research Newsletter, consuming excessive calories and increased body weight can make the body have difficulty in converting blood sugar into energy. When this happens, the body produces excess insulin, which can cause abnormal cell growth.\nResearcher consumer merekemondasikan balancing the number of calories they eat with physical activity. Also, a lot of eating a varied diet containing grains and fruits and vegetables at least five times a day presentation. Following this advice does not mean guarantee will not be affected by cancer, but this is a key step towards a healthy lifestyle.\nLiked it", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6547478437423706}
{"content": "A recent article by Bruce Katz captured my attention today. It's entitled 'The Detroit Project: A Plan for Solving America's Greatest Urban Disaster' - strong words indeed. It's of interest to me for a few reasons: 1. urban policy is one of my main research areas; 2. it mentions Sheffield - where I live; 3. it uses European examples in a positive light; 4. it makes international comparisons; 5. my Grandparents used to live and work in Detroit (they were immigrants in the early 1930s); 6. I've been there and seen the city first-hand (see photos below). The policy challenges faced in Detroit are huge. The population has halved since 1950, unemployment is at 28% and there are 1,220 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Despite all this, I found it a very enjoyable city to visit. Maybe that's because I've also lived in cities such as Glasgow and Liverpool and I like interesting places. Anyone who has driven along the lower dock road in Liverpool and West Fort Street in Detroit will understand. However, the claim that 'Europe is filled with cities that have risen from similarly miserable conditions' is, in my view, a bit over the top. Having said that, anyone who grew up in Liverpool in the 1980s would understand the comparison. I do agree with the assertion that 'recovery requires at least a generation' - as Katz says.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9958209991455078}
{"content": "How to Prevent a Flea Infestation in Your Home Fleas are amazingly successful at reproducing. If your dog brings a male and a female flea home, these two fleas can populate your home with 250,000 descendants within a single month, and every single flea is out for blood.\nUse these tips to prevent fleas from coming to visit in the first place:\nUse a once-a-month topical or oral flea treatment (the best known brands are Advantage, Frontline, and Program) that kill fleas on your dog within hours. These products are not pesticides; they are\ninsect growth regulators, which prevent the development and growth of fleas. Given the time commitment and the exposure to pesticides that accompany a fight against fleas, these preventives are worth their weight in gold.Although they are considered safe enough for puppies, some dogs and puppies have allergic responses to these products. If your dog experiences hair loss or other reactions, try a different flea control product.\nSprinkle diatomaceous earth or boric acid on the floor. These products dehydrate fleas and flea larvae, and they don’t contain any chemicals that can harm pets or children. Vacuum frequently to help control the flea population in the carpet. Place the vacuum bag in a plastic bag (so fleas can’t escape), and throw it away. Wash your dog’s bedding weekly to reduce the chances of a flea family setting up shop there. Use friendly bugs called beneficial nematodes, which are tiny insects that eat flea larvae and can be sprayed onto your yard every 6 to 8 weeks. They don’t harm ladybugs, earthworms, or other creatures you want in your yard. You can find sources for beneficial nematodes at gardening centers that emphasize organic gardening.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5539286732673645}
{"content": "Schreiner MediPharm has developed a label for infusion bottles that allows ample space for pertinent information, helps ensure reliable documentation, and easily hangs to assist bedside caregivers. The new Pharma-Tac Plus label uses a multi-layered design to allow sufficient room for detailed product descriptions while offering key value-added benefits. The Pharma-Tac Plus label can help streamline and simplify the administrative processes of intravenous infusions. Upon opening the label’s top layer, additional data such as current and expiration dates can be entered by hand. This is especially important when the contents of infusion bottles are only usable for a certain period of time once removed from cold storage, as is the case, for instance, with blood plasma infusions.\nSchreiner MediPharm\nBlauvelt NY USA\n845-848-9000\nwww.schreiner-medipharm.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7284865379333496}
{"content": "Anti-Plasmodium falciparum invasion ligand antibodies in a low malaria transmission region, Loreto, Peru\nEqual contributors\n1 Malaria Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru\n2 Molecular Parasitology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, NYC, New York, NY, USA\n3 Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru\n4 Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, NYC, New York, NY, USA\n5 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA\nMalaria Journal 2012, 11 :361 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-361Abstract Background Erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum is a complex process that involves two families; Erythrocyte Binding-Like (EBL) and the Reticulocyte Binding-Like (PfRh) proteins. Antibodies that inhibit merozoite attachment and invasion are believed to be important in mediating naturally acquired immunity and immunity generated by parasite blood stage vaccine candidates. The hypotheses tested in this study were 1) that antibody responses against specific P. falciparum invasion ligands (EBL and PfRh) differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals living in the low-transmission region of the Peruvian Amazon and 2), such antibody responses might have an association, either direct or indirect, with clinical immunity observed in asymptomatically parasitaemic individuals.\nMethods ELISA was used to assess antibody responses (IgG, IgG1 and IgG3) against recombinant P. falciparum invasion ligands of the EBL (EBA-175, EBA-181, EBA-140) and PfRh families (PfRh1, PfRh2a, PfRh2b, PfRh4 and PfRh5) in 45 individuals infected with P. falciparum from Peruvian Amazon. Individuals were classified as having symptomatic malaria (N=37) or asymptomatic infection (N=8).\nResults Antibody responses against both EBL and PfRh family proteins were significantly higher in asymptomatic compared to symptomatic individuals, demonstrating an association with clinical immunity. Significant differences in the total IgG responses were observed with EBA-175, EBA-181, PfRh2b, and MSP119 (as a control). IgG1 responses against EBA-181, PfRh2a and PfRh2b were significantly higher in the asymptomatic individuals. Total IgG antibody responses against PfRh1, PfRh2a, PfRh2b, PfRh5, EBA-175, EBA-181 and MSP119 proteins were negatively correlated with level of parasitaemia. IgG1 responses against EBA-181, PfRh2a and PfRh2b and IgG3 response for PfRh2a were also negatively correlated with parasitaemia.\nConclusions These data suggest that falciparum malaria patients who develop clinical immunity (asymptomatic parasitaemia) in a low transmission setting such as the Peruvian Amazon have antibody responses to defined P. falciparum invasion ligand proteins higher than those found in symptomatic (non-immune) patients. While these findings will have to be confirmed by larger studies, these results are consistent with a potential role for one or more of these invasion ligands as a component of an anti-P. falciparum vaccine in low-transmission malaria-endemic regions.\nKeywords: Antibodies; Invasion;Plasmodium falciparum ; Malaria; Peru", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7191344499588013}
{"content": "by Michael D. Anestis, M.S.\nThe other day, a reader named Ernest Miller asked an interesting question in the comment section of our article on a suicide prevention effort in China. The basic point of his question was whether any research had been done that differentiated those who attempt suicide in public versus those who do so privately and, if so, whether data exist on whether these groups differ from one another on variables such as pain tolerance. Both Joye and I were fascinated by the question and neither of us know of studies looking specifically at this idea. We can certainly make guesses, but as clinical scientists who value empirical data over intuition, we would rather examine what has already been discovered before sharing our own thoughts on the matter. Over the past few days, I have unfortunately not been in my office at the same time as colleagues who might have some thoughts on this, but I will continue to seek out their insights. In the meantime, I have done my own research into the matter and, today, I came across a relevant article recently published in Personality and Individual Differences by Catherine Glenn and David Klonsky of the University of British Columbia.\nThe article, while relevant, does not answer the exact same question. Instead, Glenn and Klonsky (2009) were interested in examining the differences between those who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) exclusively in private and those who occasionally or regularly engage in NSSI in the presence of others. Specifically, the authors were curious about whether the two groups might differ in terms of suicide risk. As you might recall from our discussion of Joiner's interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior, research has indicated that, in order for an individual to make a serious suicide attempt, they must not only desire suicide, but develop the acquired capability to do so. This capability, which is marked by a diminished fear of death and a heightened tolerance to physiological pain, can be developed through exposure to others' pain, but is most directly impacted by self-inflicted injury. Although NSSI itself does not involve suicidal intent and is a distinct phenomenon, research has demonstrated that individuals who self-injure regularly are less likely to experience pain during self-injury than are individuals with less experience with the behavior (Nock & Prinstein, 2005), a clear indicator that this particular behavior can be a path to the acquired capability for suicide.\nAlong these lines and perhaps not surprisingly, NSSI has been demonstrated to be a strong predictor of suicidal behavior (Nock, Joiner, Gordon, Lloyd-Richardson, & Prinstein, 2006). In the study we are looking at today, Glenn and Klonsky (2009) wanted to clarify this relationship by examining whether the context within which NSSI occurs can help predict who is at the greatest risk of eventually attempting and potentially dying by suicide.\nNSSI - defined as the intentional infliction of harm upon one's own body without suicidal intent - is generally a private affair, performed in secrecy and concealed from others. That being said, as our articles on the functional model of NSSI have demonstrated, this is not always the case. Similarly, although the most commonly reported reason for engaging in NSSI is to reduce one's own negative emotions (Nock & Prinstein, 2004), there are some who engage in NSSI for interpersonal reasons as well.\nImportantly, the reason an individual engages in NSSI has been linked to the risk for suicide. Specifically, individuals who self-injure to reduce negative emotions have been found to be more likely than individuals who self-injure for other reasons to have made a recent suicide attempt (Nock & Prinstein, 2005). In an \"in press\" article (e.g., already accepted for publication but not yet released in the journal), Klonsky and Glenn reported that individuals who engage in NSSI in order to reduce negative emotions are most likely to self-injure while alone. As such, the authors have established a link between a particularly harmful motive for self-injury and a particular context. In this study, they sought to follow-up on that finding and determine the degree to which the context itself contributed to suicide risk. In other words, is a pattern of self-injuring exclusively while alone in and of itself a risk factor for suicidal behavior?\nIn a sample of 801 college students in an introductory psychology course, the authors reported that 26% indicated they had a prior history of NSSI. The resulting sample of individuals with a history of NSSI consisted of 205 students (57% female, average age = 18.5). Each participant was given self-report questionnaires that assessed the frequency and severity of many different forms of NSSI (e.g., cutting, burning), the functions of NSSI (e.g., to reduce negative emotions), history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. Individuals without a history of self-injury were given all of the same questionnaires except those assessing form and function of NSSI. As such, comparisons could be made between groups on a number of variables.\nThe most commonly reported forms of NSSI were banging/hitting self (61%), pulling hair (47%), pinching (42%), and cutting (40%). 82% of the respondents reported using multiple methods of self-injury and 62% of the sample had self-injured within the past year. The mean age of onset for self-injury in this sample was 13. Individuals with a history of self-injury reported higher mean levels of depression, anxiety, BPD, and suicidality relative to individuals with no history of self-injury. Although the study was looking at college students, who typically do not represent the most severe psychopathology, there was a significant amount and variety of NSSI represented in this sample.\nThe central aim of the study was not simply to look at how often individuals self-injured. Instead, the authors were interested in determining whether individuals who self-injure exclusively while alone differed from those who self-injure in the presence of others both in their motive for self-injury and in their risk for suicide. 23 individuals reported \"never\" engaging in NSSI while alone and 67 reported engaging in NSSI while alone only \"sometimes.\" These two groups, representing a total of 90 individuals, were collapsed into a single group. 108 individuals reported that they are \"always\" alone when they self-injure.\nLooking at their data, the authors found that individuals who self-injure while alone have significantly higher levels of suicidality, even when controlling for the effects of biological sex, than did individuals who never or only sometimes self-injure while alone. Additionally, individuals who self-injure exclusively while alone were most likely to report engaging in NSSI in an effort to reduce negative emotions. As a follow-up, the authors ran a mediational analysis in order to see if the motive for self-injury explained the relationship between self-injuring while alone and suicidality. As it turns out, it did not. Although the relationship between context of self-injury and suicidality weakened when controlling for motives, it remained significant, meaning that self-injuring exclusively while alone is related to suicide risk for more reasons that the fact that doing so likely reflects a tendency to self-injure in an effort to regulate emotions.\nSo, having established that the motive for self-injury did not fully explain the link between self-injuring alone and suicide risk, the authors decided to examine whether other important variables might serve as mediators. Specifically, they considered depression symptoms, BPD symptoms, frequency of cutting behavior, and frequency of carving behavior. When these variables were entered into the equation along with context of self-injury, the relationship between self-injuring exclusively while alone and suicidality again remained significant. In other words, individuals who self-injure only while they are alone do not appear to be at a greater risk for suicide simply because of their reason for self-injury, their level of depression or BPD, or the frequency with which they engage in cutting or carving of their own skin. Those variables made significant contributions to suicide risk, but self-injuring while alone significantly predicted suicidality above and beyond those effects.\nLooking over all of these findings, Glenn and Klonsky's data indicate that individuals who self-injure alone are at a greater risk for suicide than are individuals who self-injure in the presence of others and that those who self-injure alone tend to do so in an effort to reduce negative emotions. Given that none of the variables they examined mediated the relationship between self-injuring alone and suicidality, the authors were left to explain why self-injuring alone might, in and of itself, reflect a risk for suicide. They provided several hypotheses on this front. The one that, to me, seemed the most compelling was the idea that those who self-injure might either lack social support or at least believe that others could not relate to their experiences. This idea is highly consistent with Joiner's (2005) theory and the idea that an individual must not only be capable of lethal self-harm, but must desire suicide in order to engage in a serious attempt. Prior research (e.g, Van Orden et al., 2008) has demonstrated that a thwarted sense of belongingness is a strong contributing factor to suicidal desire. In this sense, the mere presence of other people during an NSSI episode is not necessarily the important factor. Simply placing another person in the room while somebody who would otherwise only self-injure in private is not likely to directly impact suicide risk. Instead, it is the belief that others can relate to their experience that might make individuals who self-injure in the presence of others at lower risk.\nImportantly, other interpretations could prove true as well. In fact, it might simply be that those who self-injure in the presence of others do so in an effort to fit in with peers and that their behavior represents a less clinically severe stage in development rather than the presence of severe psychopathology. Regardless, further data are needed in order to reach stronger conclusions and, ideally, future research will involve more complex methods for data collection rather than relying on self-report and a single time point. In the meantime, Glenn and Klonsky (2009) provided an interesting view of the importance of context in self-injurious behaviors.\nIf you would like to learn more about NSSI or suicide, we recommend the following resources, all of which are available through our online store. Additionally, if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please dial 1-800-273-TALK for quality care that is anonymous and available 24 hours, seven days per week.\nWhy People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner Treating Suicidal Behavior: An Effective, Time-Limited Approach by David Rudd, Thomas Joiner, and Hasan Rajab The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide: Guidance for Working With Suicidal Clients by Thomas Joiner, Kim Van Orden, Tracy Witte, and David Rudd", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6652226448059082}
{"content": "Labour, Politics and the State in Industrialising Thailand By Andrew Brown Published September 11th 2003 by Routledge – 192 pagesPublished September 11th 2003 by Routledge – 192 pagesIn this book Brown argues that workers in East and Southeast Asia are significant actors in political change. Critically examining the themes of labour weakness, political exclusion and insignificance of 'class factors' he aims to bring workers back from the margins, demonstrating that both in the present and past the state has been entangled in processes that determine the forms of their struggles. This book presents new empirical data, important historical material and an innovative approach to workers and politics.\nAndrew Brown is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political and Social Change in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8569656014442444}
{"content": "In the realm of sound healing, I’m often asked the question, “Why Ohm?” Ohm is an ancient and sacred tone that is universally recognized and spiritually upheld. Ohm is our home tone and deeply familiar; its measured frequency is based on the elliptical orbit of Earth as it travels around the sun through four seasons.\nListening to the Ohm tone helps reconnect us to the pulses, cycles, and rhythms of life. Resonating with Ohm is grounding and leaves you in a relaxed yet present state.\nMy clinical experience, study, and research during the past 30 years have lead me to believe that Ohm and its overtones are complete with infinite possibility. As a musician, I believe that Ohm is our musical center of gravity.\nListening to music intentionally composed in the Ohm frequency can help strengthen your immune system, relax aching muscles, enhance massage and bodywork therapies, restore balance—even clear stagnant energy in a room. By tuning into the vibrations and cycles of the Earth through resonance with Ohm, we connect with something sacred.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9086937308311462}
{"content": "Documents Gordon McDougall\nCustomer retention strategies: When do they pay off? (ABSTRACT) McDougall, G.\npublished: 2001 | Research publication | Refereed Journals - Marketing\nMcDougall, G. (2001). \"Customer retention strategies: When do they pay off?\". Services Marketing Quarterly , 22 (1), 39.\nABSTRACT: Many firms have invested substantial resources in customer retention strategies based on the premise that improving customer retention rates leads to significant increases in profits. However, the profitability is determined by four factors: 1. industry retention rates, 2. segmentation issues, 3. components of long-term customer value, and 4. ability to calculate long-term customer value. If these factors are not favorable, the payoffs may be lower than the costs of retention strategies. Using the factors, a case study illustrates how firms can evaluate when retention strategies are likely to pay off. In general, the strategies are appropriate when: 1. industry retention levels are high, 2. segments differ in value, 3. components of long-term customer value are favorable, and 4. individual customer value can be determined.Download the article at: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=73460283&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=27850&RQT=309&VName=PQD\nrevised Jan 7/05\nView all Gordon McDougall documents", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9310480356216431}
{"content": "Over the last few decades urban waterfronts worldwide have become places ofsignificant change. Many have essentially lost their working port functions and havebeen redeveloped for other purposes, often incorporating significant leisure and tourismfunctions. Others, however, have maintained a significant portion of their originalcommercial maritime activities, but have still become a focus for leisure and tourismpursuits. This paper explores two such waterfront precincts in major Australian cities:Fremantle in Perth and Williamstown in Melbourne, places with long histories in shippingbut very recent histories in tourism. The focus of the paper is on understanding howtourists experience these places, and what it is about such precincts that contribute mostto their touristic appeal.The basis for the research was a series of structured interviews with both domestic andinternational visitors to each precinct. Fifty-six individual interviews were conducted inWilliamstown and thirty interviews involving forty-eight individuals were conducted inFremantle. In both cases the interviews were conducted over a two-day period.The results shed light on why and how such places appeal to tourists and also provideguidance on how to maintain their appeal. Relaxation and taking time out from theeveryday city were important visitor motivations, and the waterfront setting contributed tothese. Fremantle, however, provided more depth to the tourists' experiences because itoffered greater opportunities to engage actively with the setting and others who occupiedit, rather than simply experiencing it in a passive way as appeared to be the case inWilliamstown. Significantly there was a strong feeling that the working port element wasan important part of Fremantle's appeal, along with a very strong connection to historythrough a well-conserved physical fabric. The lack of depth in the Williamstownexperience seemed to limit the visitors' ability to appreciate the precinct's history, with itsmost positive features relating to the pure physicality of its waterfront setting.More generally, the results provide some key insights into the functions that tourismprecincts perform within the overall urban tourism experience and how significantprecincts are to such experiences. They reinforce earlier findings of the previous studiesconducted by the researchers that intimacy, authenticity and a strong sense of place arevital elements of the tourist experience in urban precincts, and precincts are at the coreof the urban tourism experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9398167133331299}
{"content": "Accessibility in User-Centered Design: Usability Testing The Evaluating for Accessibility page provides guidance on incorporating accessibility into common evaluation methods, including standards review, heuristic evaluation, design walkthroughs, and informal evaluation with users with disabilities. This section is an overview of usability testing with participants with disabilities.\nUsability testing provides quantitative and qualitative data from real users performing real tasks with a product. Usability professionals can evaluate some aspects of accessibility by using standard usability testing protocols, with a few modifications for including participants with disabilities.\nYou don't have to be a usability professional and you don't have to follow formal usability testing protocols to include people with disabilities in evaluation. Short informal evaluation can gather valuable feedback from people with disabilities without the rigor of formal usability testing. In most cases, including users in evaluation involves:\nfinding a few people with disabilities, asking them to complete tasks on prototypes, observing them interact with the prototype, discussing accessibility issues with them. While usability testing evaluates how usable accessibility solutions are by some people with disabilities, usability testing can't address all accessibility issues and doesn't evaluate conformance to accessibility standards . See Evaluating for Accessibility for guidance on incorporating accessibility into other evaluation methods, including standards reviews. It is most efficient to conduct other types of evaluations before investing in formal usability testing with people with disabilities.\nIn one case, an organization conducted usability testing of their educational software application with screen reader users. It was unusable with a major screen reader. Every user gave up in frustration and confusion within 20 minutes, after trying every strategy they knew to get at the content. The organization wasted £6000 on formal usability testing to figure out what they could have learned with easier, less expensive evaluation methods.\nConducting informal evaluations throughout a product development project is more effectivethan formal usability testing at the end of a project. While these chapters cover formal usability studies, much of the information applies to informal evaluations, field studies, and other collaboration with people with disabilities .\nSome formal usability testing with participants with disabilities will use standard protocols. However, for usability tests designed specifically to explore accessibility issues, the protocol may be different from a typical general usability test; for example:\nyou would likely use a think-out-loud technique with high facilitator interaction; data collection would focus on understanding errors related to accessibility issues, rather than on time-on-task or user satisfaction; and tasks would concentrate on specific areas of concern for potential accessibility barriers, rather than general site usage. Detailed guidance on usability testing with participants with disabilities in the following sections:\nPlanning Usability Testing covers determining participant characteristics, recruiting participants, choosing the best location, and scheduling the right amount of time. Preparing for Usability Testing covers ensuring the facility is accessible, preparing test materials, setting up and testing participants' configurations, becoming familiar with the assistive technology, and conducting pilot testing. Conducting Usability Testing covers setting up the room, orienting the participant, completing paperwork, completing the tasks, collecting data, providing compensation, and specific considerations for people with different disabilities. Reporting Usability Testing covers distinguishing between accessibility and usability issues, including relevant study parameters, being careful about categorizations and comparisons, clarifying conclusions, and writing about people with disabilities. Checklist for Usability Testing summarizes the tasks and considerations involved in planning, preparing for, conducting, and reporting usability studies with participants with disabilities. Recruiting Screener lists question to ask during recruiting. The Interacting with People with Disabilities chapter provides additional information related to usability testing. The \"Usability Evaluation, Usability Testing\" section of the Appendix: Resources includes references that provide general information on usability evaluation and usability testing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.637141227722168}
{"content": "Families of children with food allergies know that this invisible condition requires constant vigilance. The necessity of keeping these children safe cannot be overstated; however, their emotional well-being is equally important. Food is used in almost every type of celebration, and is often a focal point of these events. Even in day-to-day life, food is everywhere. Children who have food allergies may be excluded from many of these activities. Some seem to take it in stride, while others feel varying degrees of sadness, anger, or fear. This book was meant to shed light on the emotional side and to help children cope with these challenges. It also serves as a reminder that even though this condition must be managed on a daily basis, it need not stop them from enjoying a wonderful life and becoming everything they were meant to be. I hope this book will validate the feelings these children may have and encourage them to talk about them. It is also my sincere desire that some of the words and photographs will allow others a glimpse at the way that these children experience the world. Maybe next time, you will be one of the grown-ups who allow an allergic child to be ?one of the gang!?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.582552969455719}
{"content": "familE™ contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, known as tocopherols and tocotrienols. These “Toco’s”-4 forms of tocopherols and 4 forms of tocotrienols, typically found concentrated in plant seeds and vegetable oils, are combined with the cardiovascular nutrients lutein and pantethine.\nfamilE™ is specifically rich in Gamma tocopherol and tocotrienols (Tocomin©) for enhanced antioxidant and cardiovascular function. Excess d-Alpha tocopherol depletes Gamma tocopherol. familE™ is fortified with a molecular distillate of palm fruit oil, providing the most potent and comprehensive tocotrienol complex.\nfamilE™ protects cardiovascular function by reducing the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. Squalene is naturally found in the liver and is a building block for hormones. Lutein is a xanthophyll (oxygenated carotenoid) that occurs in nature with zeaxanthin, a closely related carotenoid. An experimental study indicates that lutein protects vascular health by inhibiting monocyte migration into the arterial cells. Pantethine (Pantesin©) is the stable disulfide form of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), and it is the physiological coenzyme A precursor in the Krebs cycle. Pantethine supports lipid metabolism by its ability to raise levels of CoA, a cofactor involved in several metabolic pathways including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.82118821144104}
{"content": "Senators José M. Serrano, Bill Perkins, Liz Krueger and Daniel Squadron held a public hearing on the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. The legislators heard testimony from MTA Chief Jay Walder and other stakeholders such as the Second Avenue Business Association (SABA) and area residents.\nThe Second Avenue Subway is being constructed to provide residents and commuters with additional access to mass transit. However, this endeavor has led to numerous set-backs. Many businesses, residents, building owners and commuters have been adversely affected by the construction, which has eliminated parking, diminished sidewalks, and severely blocked access to local businesses. In addition, the scheduled dates of completion have been pushed back, and limited information has been disseminated to impacted businesses and residents. By hearing from these affected parties, and those vested with the authority to construct the subway line, this hearing examined problems associated with the construction and its delays, and what can be done to possibly mitigate those problems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6198854446411133}
{"content": "The standard cosmological model posits that the universe is homogeneous and statistically isotropic on its largest scales. However, there is no fundamental reason why these properties have to hold, and in fact they can be broken due to interesting new physics. Moreover, there is some evidence from recent WMAP observations for 'anomalies' - including departures from statistical isotropy - on the largest observable scales. Large-scale structure (LSS) - including the distribution of galaxies in the universe - presents a new frontier in testing statistical isotropy and homogeneity, and we are entering an epoch with orders-of-magnitude improvement in the statistics of LSS. In this talk I first review general tests of statistical isotropy using LSS. I then describe results from research done in collaboration with my student Cameron Gibelyou on testing aspects of the statistical isotropy - in particular, dipolar modulations of the galaxy counts - using existing LSS surveys.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.802384614944458}
{"content": "Text size | | | Français Georgia: Internal displacment estimate rises Briefing Notes , 12 September 2008This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 12 September 2008, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Based on detailed profiling of internally displaced persons in Georgia that was just completed by the authorities in cooperation with UNHCR, the statistics on displacement associated with the August conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia have been revised. They show that a total of 192,000 people were forced to flee their homes, including 127,000 displaced in Georgia proper; 30,000 within South Ossetia; and another 35,000 to North Ossetia (Russian Federation).\nOf the 127,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Georgia, 68,000 have since returned home. UNHCR and the Georgian government estimate that another 5,000 will go home before the onset of winter, bringing up the number of returnees to 73,000.\nAs for the remaining 54,000 IDPs, UNHCR estimates that 23,000 will need to be provided with alternative shelter through the winter months, but will be able to return home in 2009 once their houses have been rehabilitated. However, the remaining 31,000 individuals are not expected to return in the foreseeable future. They originate from South Ossetia (22,000); from inaccessible parts of the so-called 'buffer zone' (8,000); and from Abkhazia (1,000). Given that Georgia is already hosting 223,000 IDPs from previous conflicts, this new population will in the longer term leave the country with a total of 254,000 internally displaced people.\nIn another development, UNHCR in cooperation with the Georgian government is now putting an end to spontaneous relocations of IDPs from the capital of Tbilisi to the overcrowded tented camp in Gori, which is already packed with some 2,200 people. Over the past week, several busloads of IDPs arrived spontaneously every day at the tented camp in Gori, claiming that they would rather stay in there than be relocated within Tbilisi.\nIn the Georgian capital, authorities are currently vacating schools and sending IDPs to alternative accommodations so the school year can start. However, some IDPs refuse to be relocated and spontaneously leave for Gori, where many of their relatives and neighbours are accommodated. However, Gori is filled to capacity and UNHCR prefers to reserve remaining tents in the camp for IDPs who were placed with host families who can no longer support them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.705466628074646}
{"content": "Young et al1 reported in the August 1991 issue of the Archives on fast-feedback inhibition of β-endorphin/β-lipotropin by hydrocortisone infusion that occurred in 16 control subjects but not in 16 depressed patients. Their data suggested a decreased sensitivity to glucocorticoid fast feedback in depression, and complemented studies demonstrating decreased sensitivity to delayed feedback by dexamethasone.\nRecently we described the effects of metyrapone on pro-gamma—melanocyte-stimulating-hormone (MSH), corticotropin (ACTH), and cortisol plasma levels in 30 drugfree male patients who met the DSM-III-R criteria for a major depressive episode and 21 healthy control subjects.2 The availability of a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for β-endorphin with no significant cross-reactivity with β-lipotropin, γ-endorphin, or metenkephalin (Peninsula Laboratories, Belmont, Calif) led us subsequently to evaluate β-endorphin and its response to metyrapone. Details of the patient population, informed consent, protocol, and methods were provided.2 The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation of our β-endorphin RIA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8763347268104553}
{"content": "The deficits in Alzheimer disease (AD) stem at least partly from neurotoxic β-amyloid peptides generated from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP may also be cleaved intracellularly at Asp664 to yield a second neurotoxic peptide, C31. Previously, we showed that cleavage of APP at the C-terminus is required for the impairments seen in APP transgenic mice, by comparing elements of the disease in animals modeling AD, with (platelet-derived growth factor B-chain promoter-driven APP transgenic mice; PDAPP) versus without (PDAPP D664A) a functional Asp664 caspase cleavage site. However, the signaling mechanism(s) by which Asp664 contributes to these deficits remains to be elucidated. In this study, we identify a kinase protein, recently shown to bind APP at the C-terminus and to contribute to AD, whose activity is modified in PDAPP mice, but normalized in PDAPP D664A mice. Specifically, we observed a significant increase in nuclear p21-activated kinase (isoforms 1, 2, and or 3; PAK-1/2/3) activation in hippocampus of 3 month old PDAPP mice compared with non-transgenic littermates, an effect completely prevented in PDAPP D664A mice. In contrast, 13 month old PDAPP mice displayed a significant decrease in PAK-1/2/3 activity, which was once again absent in PDAPP D664A mice. Similarly, in hippocampus of early and severe AD subjects, there was a progressive and subcellular-specific reduction in active PAK-1/2/3 compared with normal controls. Interestingly, total PAK-1/2/3 protein was increased in early AD subjects, but declined in moderate AD and declined further, to significantly below that of control levels, in severe AD. These findings are compatible with previous suggestions that PAK may be involved in the pathophysiology of AD, and demonstrate that both early activation and late inactivation in the murine AD model require the cleavage of APP at Asp664.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9885241389274597}
{"content": "From the FLP mailbox, this call for contributions to an edited volume:\nDemeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited anthology, edited by Andrea O’Reilly and Lynn O’Brien Hallstein, to be published in 2011. The idea for the collection emerges from recent conversations at the ARM and Brandeis symposium, ”The Maternal Wall in Academe: Academic Mothers and Strategies of Resistance and Empowerment.” This volume will explore academic mothers’ experiences from both narrative and theory. While previous collections such as PhD Mama and Parenting and Professing examined being a mother academic from narrative or”lived experience”and others, Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering issue on Mothers in the Academe, explored mother academics’ experiences from a theoretical perspective, this is the first collection to do so incorporating both narrative and theory. The anthology will explore how both research and narrative can inform contemporary understandings of academic motherhood, particularly in regard to strategies of resistance and empowerment.\nProposals should strengthen the dialogue among academic motherhood, intellectual ideas, and personal narrative. The anthology will explore the topic of Being a Mother Academic from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. We welcome submissions from scholars across disciplines. Articles will be 15-18 pages long, while narratives will be 8-12 pages long.\nTopics can include (but are not limited to): the maternal wall, “opting out”, mentoring and modeling, being a professor mother, work-life balance, negotiating or resisting the maternal wall, single mothers and academic work, graduate student mothering, being a mother on the tenure track, being a pregnant professor, maternity leave and academic mothering, poverty and academic mothering, juggling mothering and academic expectations, intersections between feminism and academic mothering, being an academic artist and mothering, race and academic mothering, academic job searches and mothering, teaching and mothering, sexuality and academic mothering, male organizing principles and academic mothering, the academic schedule and mothering, fertility and academic mothering, challenging assumptions about academic mothers, ethics and academic mothering,”having it all”as academic mothers, adoption and academic mothering, networking, strategies for surviving academic mothering, class and academic mothering, race and academic mother mentors, social reproduction and academic mothering,motherhood closet; being out as a mother, second/third shift in the home,academic culture and mothering, maternal pedagogy, myth of ideal worker/ideal mother, intensive mothering and academe, unboundedness of mother work and academic work, childcare, fathering, trailing spouses, academic couples, biological clock, university policies and mothering, timing and spacing of children, perceptions of mothers in academe, discrimination avoidance, discrimination against mothers in academe, motherhood penalty,”price of motherhood”, adjunct work, benefits of motherhood on teaching and research.\nAbstracts due by June 01, 2009. Final accepted submissions due June 01, 2010.\nPotential contributors interested in submitting abstracts to this edited volume are invited to submit proposals to Lynn O’Brien Hallstein at lhallst@bu.edu and Andrea O’Reilly at aoreilly@yorku.ca\n-Bridget Crawford", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9956940412521362}
{"content": "Maryland State Highway Administration Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is dedicated to efficiently providing mobility for their customers through a safe, well-maintained and attractive highway system that enhances Maryland's communities, economy and environment. As a team, they strive to know the needs of their internal and external customers. SHA fulfill commitments in a timely and accurate manner, using resources responsibly, and observing all legal, moral, and ethical standards.\nIn addition to their transportation mission, SHA has incorporated a significant and innovative environmental component to their work. SHA has been a leading supporter of watershed based stormwater management. They define this vision of stormwater management as a concept that recognizes that recognizes that highways coexist with other land uses in watersheds, and a collaborative approach provides an opportunity for highway agencies to plan and deliver the most cost-effective protection, even improvement, to watersheds.\nIn support of this concept, SHA has taken a giant leap forward by creating a GIS database of the more than 15,000 stormwater management facilities within their state. This database helps to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the facilities and helps make decisions regarding future facilities.\nSHA, a leading partner in the Green Highways Partnership, has become involved in a number of demonstration projects promoting innovative stormwater management practices, including low impact development strategies and water quality banking. Their advancement and promotion of the partnership has been a major asset to Green Highways.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6295156478881836}
{"content": "Post M&A Integration and Improvement What defines a successful merger or acquisition? The answer is never found in the transaction itself. Success is truly defined after the integration is complete. At MainStream we know that the key to enhancing value through a successful integration is in the development of the integration plan. This essential step builds a foundation for a well run, professionally communicated implementation program.\nMainStream is experienced in establishing an M&A integration team and plan. We advise on the options and implications of different integration activities including executive appointments, communication and organizational structure. We support management and staff and are adept at getting key constituents to focus on identifying key needs and concerns. M&A integration is a significant undertaking which when done correctly will significantly improve the speed and process through clear, well understood strategies and goals.\nAt MainStream we understand that now more than ever a successful merger or acquisition will be defined by having the combined organizations bear the fruit that was promised. Our focus is on helping the new organization deliver the goods, and our goal is to make the transition efficient and successful through expert planning and skilled execution.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7035086154937744}
{"content": "You can't afford not to fast--considering we live in a toxic world. Dr. Don Colbert, author of the bestsellers \"Toxic Relief \"and the Bible Cure series, provides a twenty-eight-day protocol for detoxifying the body of harmful toxins that is designed to restore you to health--body, mind, and spirit.\nMany have never fasted, but this book's versatility allows for as little as a partial cleanse over a two- to three-day period, a two-week plan for providing liver support against the effects of toxins, or the total twenty-eight- day protocol to both support the liver and detoxify your body. Unlike other books on fasting, this book combines medical information and spiritual principles as Dr. Colbert offers a simplified plan in a short, succinct read.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9659963846206665}
{"content": "Washington Regional Medical Center has been recognized by VHA Inc., a national healthcare network, for its success in improving operational efficiency and reducing costs from the supply chain while maintaining quality patient care.\nWashington Regional was among nine healthcare organizations across the U.S. who received a Supply Chain Management Excellence Award at VHA's Annual Leadership Conference recently in Denver, Colo.\nBy maximizing supply chain potential, VHA says, hospitals are better prepared to identify and implement innovative, sustainable supply chain savings that will enable them to reduce costs without compromising quality.\nAccording to Jack Morris, Washington Regional vice president-logistics, recent supply chain innovations at the hospital have resulted in cost savings and have also ensured that the most appropriate and up-to-date technology is available to its patient and physician communities.\n“We established a committee aimed at proactively reviewing the proposed purchase of new technology or new supplies in a collective and collaborative manner,” Morris said. “Committee members represent various departments and bring the hospital’s clinical, financial and compliance needs together in the final decision.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5918262600898743}
{"content": "AAM Praises House Passage of China Currency Legislation Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, legislation aimed at deterring China from manipulating its currency.\nScott Paul, Executive Director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), praised the vote, saying, \"Today, the House of Representatives sent a clear message to Beijing: Stop your cheating. America's workers and businesses deserve a level playing field, and passing this bipartisan bill is a significant step in that direction.\"\nThe bill passed by a strong, bipartisan vote of 348-79. 249 Democrats and 99 Republicans supported the bill. \"This is one of the most pleasantly lopsided trade votes in recent history,\" said Paul. \"Voters are mad and Congress is finally responding.\n\"We commend Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) for their strong leadership on this important issue.\"\nAttention now turns toward the Senate, where action is needed to pass comparable legislation. Said Paul, \"It's never been more clear that China responds to pressure. The Yuan is the one currency in the world that's pegged to political pressure. The lesson is clear: We need to keep the heat on. It's now the Senate's turn to act.\"\nOn October 15 the U.S. Treasury Department is due to release another semi-annual report on currency and Paul adds, \"We expect the Administration to do their part as well and finally cite China for what has become rather egregious currency violations.\"\nAAM has long been a key advocate of action on China's cheating, and has published an interactive map detailing 2.4 million U.S. jobs lost since 2001 due to the trade deficit with China. AAM's national economic poll, which showed broad voter support for action on China, helped drive the House Democrats' \"Make it in America\" initiative. And AAM's Scott Paul has been an outspoken commentator on the need for strong legislation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9434107542037964}
{"content": "Though California Secretary of State Debra Bowen yesterday certified a November ballot measure asking voters to suspend AB 32, a landmark state law requiring a significant cut in greenhouse gas emissions, AB 32 supporters have been organizing for months and have formed a significant coalition to fight the initiative.\nIn a move usually associated with congressional Republicans, they've also honed their message to clarion simplicity: Support a clean energy future or support Big Oil.\nCalifornians for Clean Energy Jobs, the coalition supporting AB 32, argues the paradigm is no longer about jobs versus the environment, but supporting an innovative economy that benefits the environment .\n\"It's not a battle between tree huggers and business,\" said Steve Maviglio, the spokesperson for Californians for Clean Energy Jobs. Maviglio said he was impressed that over 350 supporters had already stepped up, including heavy political hitters like the Association of American Retired Persons (AARP), the American Lung Association, the California Teachers Association, the California League of Women's Voters and the California Nurses Association.\n\"These are groups the American people trust and they don't trust oil companies,\" he said.\nThe\npoison pill in the ballot measure, according to Maviglio, is the\nprovision that would suspend AB32 until California's unemployment rate\nfalls below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters, something that\nhas only happened three times in the last 30 years. California's\njobless rate is currently at 12.3 percent.\nWhile the bulk of support for the coalition comes from the clean energy sector, Maviglio said Virgin America, deeply reliant on traditional petroleum fuels, was a member because they wanted to be on the right side of the issue. He also noted that Chevron and the California Chamber of Commerce were staying out of the fight because of the significance of AB 32.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9308770298957825}
{"content": "The global IPTV industry has experienced impressive growth, but penetration levels are still modest. To spur further development and to avoid sub-optimisation based on multiple proprietary systems, a common standard will be increasingly important. Since no single proprietary standard for IPTV STBs is likely to emerge, influential players should cooperate to establish a widely supported open standard.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996630549430847}
{"content": "Contextualised Equality and the Politics of Legal Mobilisation: Affirmative Action in Northern Ireland Abstract This article examines the development of affirmative action and equality policies targeted at the two main ethno-national communities in Northern Ireland, as an example of ‘contextualised equality’. The argument places particular weight on a politics of legal mobilisation. The article suggests that the ability to connect post-1998 reforms, in practical and symbolic ways, to overriding inter-communal narratives was often a determining factor in identifying those elements of the Good Friday Agreement which advanced, or were constructed as achievable. The argument has implications for understanding how equality debates will progress, and explaining why certain agendas appear to ‘succeed’ and others ‘fail’.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.753178596496582}
{"content": "Since the beginning of the 1980s, agricultural researcher numbers in Morocco have steadily risen. Agricultural R&D spending followed a more erratic trend in response to fluctuations in national government funding and (foreign) donor support, though spending has trended steadily upward in recent years, given the Moroccan government’s renewed commitment to developing the agricultural sector. Morocco’s principal agricultural R&D agency, INRA, was highly dependent on government funding throughout 1991–2002, particularly because donor funding contracted over that time. However, the World Bank–led PRV initiative successfully strengthened the institute’s management in the 1990s, in part by decentralizing many of its research activities.\nINRA and the higher-education agencies also began to generate considerable shares of their funding through the sale of products and services, entering into numerous national and international research contracts. This is a very positive development, and one with substantial prospects for future growth. The introduction of competitive funding mechanisms is another positive development since the late 1990s, and one that has already promoted collaboration among the various agencies within Morocco’s national agricultural research system. Competitive funding programs have also successfully promoted effective and synergistic research practices, leveling the playing field among Morocco’s agricultural R&D agencies and compelling them to make efficient use of their scarce resources. Accompanying these changes has been significant improvement in researcher qualifications within the system in terms of the proportion of researchers holding PhDs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5693151354789734}
{"content": "Stories of the Twentieth Century for the Twenty-First A key precursor of twentieth-century financial crises in emerging and advanced economies alike was the rapid buildup of leverage. Those emerging economies that avoided leverage booms during the 2000s also were most likely to avoid the worst effects of the twenty-first century's first global crisis. A discrete-choice panel analysis using 1973-2010 data suggests that domestic credit expansion and real currency appreciation have been the most robust and significant predictors of financial crises, regardless of whether a country is emerging or advanced. For emerging economies, however, higher foreign exchange reserves predict a sharply reduced probability of a subsequent crisis.\nPublished: Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas & Maurice Obstfeld, 2012. \"Stories of the Twentieth Century for the Twenty-First,\" American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 226-65, January.\nYou may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5109196901321411}
{"content": "Since 2004, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Behavioral and Social Research Program has undertaken a research agenda to explore these factors, including a series of meetings, some held in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences, to assess the state of the science in judgment and decision-making research and to generate ideas for future research. These meetings have brought together psychologists and economists and have led to the recent release of a request for applications focused on neuroeconomics and aging. On August 16–17, 2006, the NIA Behavioral and Social Research Program held a work group meeting on decision making and aging. This work group, chaired by Dr. Jeff Elias, included researchers from similar fields but different approaches and focused more on the cognitive aspects of decision making and aging.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9878929257392883}
{"content": "Social Theory and the Global Environment Published July 14th 1994 by Routledge – 280 pagesThis book marks a watershed in the social sciences. The qualitative, critical perspective of sociology and allied disciplines challenges the technocentric `managerialism' which dominates environmental policy, its discourse and its impact.\nThe authors explore the relationship between social theory and sustainability in an attempt to transend technical rhetoric and embrace a broader understanding of `nature'.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998093247413635}
{"content": "The system combines Harris wideband tactical communications with Cubic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology.\nA new system enables autonomous aircraft to relay surveillance video from UAVs directly to friendly forces on the battlefield below. Here, an unmanned aerial systems technician with Insitu, Inc., prepares a ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle for flight at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., May 20, 2011. (Credit: U.S. Air Force)\nHarris Corporation, a communications and information technology company, and Cubic Corporation, a provider of defense electronics and data links, have conducted technology demonstrations that significantly enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) situational awareness by distributing Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) video and targeting data across wideband ground tactical communication networks.\nThe Harris/Cubic solution integrates Cubic’s Common Data Link (CDL) transceiver technology for receiving video from UAS platforms with the Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G open-standard wideband tactical radio. The system is geared to deliver UAS video to military forces operating at the tactical edge with the greatest need for immediate intelligence.\nCurrently, ISR data and ground tactical communications are handled using separate and often non-interoperable technologies. Combining the two in a single system creates a versatile solution that links high-bandwidth video into wideband voice and data radio networks — leading to greater situational awareness, faster decision-making and improved operational planning, all while lightening the soldier’s load.\nThe Harris AN/PRC-117G radio is the first wideband manpack radio system with a JTRS-certified Software Communications Architecture and NSA Type-1 certified information security. The radio’s wideband architecture enables applications such as streaming video, simultaneous voice and data feeds, collaborative chat, and connectivity to secure networks. This provides warfighters and field commanders with critical real-time information through a smaller, lighter and more capable man-portable radio.\nCubic offers a comprehensive family of data link products that provide ISR capabilities for land, air, and sea military operations. The data links allow military commanders to obtain near real-time images and data to precisely locate and identify enemy targets — anywhere, at any time — in a network-centric environment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7985936403274536}
{"content": "Investigating the effects of accent on visual speech Irwin, Amy (2008)\nAbstract Speechreading is a complex skill affected by both the observer's method of extracting visual speech information and talker-specific variation in speech production. This thesis focuses upon accent, a factor that can influence both an observer's viewing strategy and talker speechreadability. Auditory research demonstrates that an unfamiliar accent reduces speech intelligibility. The primary aim here was to determine whether accent type, familiarity or variation would alter visual speech intelligibility with consequential effects upon speechreading performance. Experiments 1 and 2 considered visual discrimination of native and non-native accented speech and the influence of non-native accent upon speechreading performance. Results indicated that observers were able to utilise visual cues for discrimination and were significantly poorer at speechreading a non-native accent. Experiments 3, 4 and 5 examined the influence of regional accent on speechreading performance. Results indicated that visual speech performance was significantly worse for Glaswegian-accented talkers than for talkers with a Nottingham accent. However, no clear advantage for accent familiarity was found. Experiment 6 examined the influence of accent type and talker variability upon speechreading performance. Accent type was consistently the dominant influence upon speechreading performance, above familiarity and variation. Experiments 7, 8, 9 and 10 examined the influence of exposure, context and repetition upon the effects of a Glaswegian accent. Here, the effect of the Glaswegian accent on talker speechreadability was reduced by context and repetition, but not removed entirely.\nRepository Staff Only: item control page", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8663762807846069}
{"content": "An early frost damaged some soybeans in Minnesota, just after the USDA estimated a larger-than-expected soybean crop for 2011 in the U.S. Higher prices for the beans are also expected for this crop.\nFrost across the upper Midwest nicked soybeans in Minnesota today, September 15. A drive across the southern part of the state showed some beans with frost damage. This early frost came on the heels of USDA’s crop report that the 2011 soybean crop is larger than what was earlier forecasted.\nThe 2011 soybean crop for the United States is forecast at 3.085 billion bu. This is 29 million bu. larger than the August forecast, but 244 million bu. smaller than the 2010 crop.\nThe average soybean yield is forecast at 41.8 bu./acre. This is 0.4 bu./acre above the August forecast, but 1.7 bu./acre below the 2010 average.\nThe price for soybeans is projected in the $12.65 to $14.65 range for the 2011-12 marketing year, according to Darrell Good, University of Illinois ag economist. He notes that this price is $0.15 higher than the August forecast and well above the $11.35 average of the past year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5245672464370728}
{"content": "Drought conditions in the upper southeast persisted into September. Charleston, West Virginia, went 25 days (August 19-September 12) without measurable rain. Louisville, Kentucky, received only 0.17 inches of rain from August 10-September 12 and Lexington, Kentucky, totaled only 0.09 inches during that period.\nOn September 21, the Charleston, South Carolina, area was hit with heavy thunderstorms and rainfall of 8-12 inches. Street and urban flooding closed roads and forced evacuations in North Charleston. Charleston recorded a daily record of 10.52 inches of rain, greater even than that received during Hurricane Hugo several years ago.\nHeavy thunderstorms dropped from 2-4 inches of rain over St. Lucie and Martin Counties on September 25.\nAs Hurricane Georges moved northward off the Florida Gulf coast, torrential rains hit parts of western Florida. Over 15 inches of rain fell on September 27 in Escambia County, Florida. Georges hit land near Biloxi, Mississippi on September 28. Rainfall totals ranged from 8-30 inches/nover Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Bay Minette, Alabama recorded 29.66 inches; Gulf Breeze, Florida 26.87 inches; and Eglin AFB, 24.24 inches. Major flooding was reported along the Escambia, Pascagoula, Tombigbee, and Conecuh Rivers in Alabama; the Escambia, Blackwater, Peace, Yellow, and Shoal Rivers in Florida; and the Biloxi, Leaf, Pascagoula, and Tchoutacobouffa Rivers in Mississippi. Some of this flooding was record or near record peaks. The Shoal River near Crestview, Florida was almost 6 feet above the previous record stage and the peak flow had a recurrence interval greater than 100 years. The Yellow River at Milligan, Florida, the Escambia River at Century Florida, and the Blackwater River near Baker, Florida, all had about 50-year floods. The Chickasaw Creek near Kushla, Alabama, also had a 50-year flood. The Tchoutacobouffa River near D'Iberville, Mississippi, had a flood peak with a recurrence interval over 100 years. Tuxachanie Creek near Biloxi, Mississippi, experienced a 50-year flood.\nMid-Continent Region On September 11, Tropical Storm Frances made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas. The remnants of the storm then stalled over northeastern Texas. Rainfall amounts were generally over 4 inches with some localized areas reporting up to 16 inches. New Orleans had a 48-hour rainfall total (September 9-11) of 13.16 inches. Brownsville, Texas, received 7.11 inches from September 1-12, while only receiving 4.43 inches of rain from January-August. Localized flash flooding and moderate stream flooding was widespread across Texas and Louisiana. West Mustang Creek near Ganado, Texas, caused some major lowland flooding when it rose 4 feet above flood stage. Rivers in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas also rose to or above flood stage by September 15. Most notable were the Marmaton and Little Osage Rivers near Fulton, Kansas; the Missouri River in Missouri; and the Neosho River in Oklahoma.\nOn September 16, Jackson County, Texas, received 4-7 inches of rain. Dry Creek in Edna, Texas, had major flooding with some evacuations necessary. Minor to moderate flooding was experienced along the Lavaca, Navidad, and San Bernard Rivers.\nTropical Storm Hermine produced heavy thunderstorms in Louisiana from September 17-20. Hermine made landfill near Cocodrie, Louisiana, on September 20. Only minor effects were felt from the 1 to 3 inches of rain that fell.\nOn September 22, 3 to 4 inches of rain fell over south Texas causing flash flooding problems.\nEmporia and Garnett, Kansas, reported 3 to 4 inches of rain on September 24 causing flash flooding and rises on the Little Osage and Marmaton Rivers and Pottawatomie Creek.\nWestern Region The remnants of Hurricane Isis caused heavy thunderstorms across Arizona and southern Utah on September 4 and 5. Yuma, Arizona, measured 2.26 inches/nover this period and the Tucson, Arizona, area had urban and flash flooding. A young girl drowned in a flash flood in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah after up to 3 inches of rain.\nThe Boise, Idaho, area was hit with rain up to 3 inches per hour on September 6-7 which caused flash flooding and mudslides.\nThe streamflow index station on the Gila River at Head of Safford Valley near Solomon, Arizona, recorded a new September minimum mean flow.\nPuerto Rico On September 21, Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico with from 10-20 inches of rain. Widespread floods and mudslides were experienced. One stream the Rio de la Plata at Highway 2 at Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, went from a flow of 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 130,000 cfs in less than 24 hours. Several deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars damages resulted from this very powerful hurricane.\nBoth streamflow index stations in Puerto Rico were above normal for September. The Rio Grande de Manati at Highway 2, Manati, Puerto Rico site set a new maximum September monthly mean flow of 3,646 cfs, with a maximum flow on September 22 of 77,800 cfs.\nHawaii Three of the four index streamflow stations in Hawaii were in the above-normal range. Kalihi Stream near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii was in the normal range.\nAlaska Three of the four streamflow index stations in Alaska were in the normal range of flow for September. The Tanana River at Nenana, Alaska, was below normal.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5438094735145569}
{"content": "Stephen A. Zahorian\nZongyao Zhou\nCharles Brewton\nDept. of Elec. Eng., Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA 23529\nAcoustic methods for monitoring fetal heart rate are potentially advantageous over ultrasound methods, since, eventually, long-term low-cost monitoring would be possible for high risk mothers, with no concern for fetal damage due to the monitoring device. However, sensor design and signal processing requirements are very demanding in this low signal-to-noise ratio environment. The present approach is patterned after that by Zuckewar et al. [IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 40-9, 963--969 (1993)] using a third-generation sensor belt, and enhanced signal processing strategies. In the new method, each of seven differential sensor signals is scanned continuously and processed in parallel with a PC-hosted DSP system. The processing of each channel includes FIR bandpass filtering, Teager energy calculations, autocorrelation, and ``intelligent'' peak picking. ``Candidates'' for fetal heart rate are computed every 0.5 s and evaluated with a figure of merit which incorporates both measures of peak quality and continuity constraints. Clinical testing indicates that the new method of signal processing is able to reliably track fetal heart rate for most fetuses with a gestation age of at least 30 weeks. The multiple-channel approach results in a significant improvement over a single-channel method.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8371394276618958}
{"content": "Oral Drug Prolongs Survival in Men with Late-Stage PCa ATLANTA—Enzalutamide, an investigational oral medication formerly known as MDV3100, prolongs survival by nearly five months in men with late-stage prostate cancer previously treated with docetaxel, according to data presented at the American Urological Association 2012 annual meeting.The data are from a multinational phase 3 trial in which 1,199 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 160 mg/day of enzalutamide (800 patients)—a once-daily oral androgen receptor signaling inhibitor—or placebo (399 patients).\nBased on a planned interim analysis at 520 death events, an Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended that the study be unblinded and eligible placebo recipients offered enzalutamide due to a significant 4.8 month median overall survival benefit compared with placebo (median 18.4 vs. 13.6 months). Enzalutamide treatment was associated with a 37% decreased risk of death relative to placebo, lead investigator Neal Shore, MD, of Carolina Urologic Research Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., told colleagues.\nThe most frequently reported adverse event occurring more with enzalutamide than placebo was fatigue (34% vs. 29%).\nThe survival benefit observed with enzalutamide is larger than that seen with abiraterone (median 3.9 months) and cabazitaxel (median 2.4 months).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5423885583877563}
{"content": "buprenorphine/naloxone - sublingual, Suboxone (cont.)\nDRUG INTERACTIONS: Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products you may use, especially of: MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine), drugs which decrease liver metabolism (inhibitors of cytochrome 3A4 enzymes such as itraconazole, ketoconazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, ritonavir, indinavir, saquinavir), local anesthetics (e.g., bupivacaine), sedative drugs (benzodiazepines such as diazepam, lorazepam).Deaths have occurred when buprenorphine/naloxone has been misused, especially when used in combination with benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam, lorazepam) or other depressants such as alcohol or additional narcotics.Also report the use of other drugs that cause drowsiness such as: medicine for sleep (e.g., sedatives), tranquilizers, anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., temazepam), narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine, or tricyclics such as amitriptyline), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), muscle relaxants, antihistamines that cause drowsiness (e.g., diphenhydramine).This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.\nReport Problems to the Food and Drug Administration\nYou are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.\nBack to Medications Index", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7162961959838867}
{"content": "The Facts Costs from poor medication adherence are estimated to exceed $100 billion annually.\nSection 2713 of the Affordable Care Act implements value-based insurance design by giving patients access to primary prevention services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The Administration has issued an interm final rule (IFR) implementing Section 2713, as well as a request for information (RFI) exploring the concept of value-based insurance design in federal policy. The 2011 National Prevention Strategy also cited Section 2713 and innovative health benefits designs as effective tools to increase preventive care options to Americans.\nOn September 17, 2010 the V-BID Center responding to the IFR on preventive care (implementing Section 2713 of PPACA). The comments strongly endorse the design of the preventive care benefit outlined by HHS, which embodies the concept of V-BID by using clinical evidence to match populations with recommended medical care. The letter also expressed hope that V-BID will be applied beyond primary prevention to secondary prevention where it has been demonstrated to enhance health and contain costs.\nAn amendment to the IFR was issued on August 3, 2011 extending coverage without cost-sharing to certain women’s primary preventive services, based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine.\nOn December 28, 2010 the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury issued a Request for Information (RFI) on V-BID and preventive care. This request sought detailed information on V-BID programs in relation to the current health reform legislation addressing preventive care (Section 2713). The Center issued its response to the RFI on February 28, 2011. This response reflects a collaborative effort of the Center with a wide range of stakeholders who contributed feedback and information crucial to shaping Federal Departments' perspective on V-BID implementation.\nCosts from poor medication adherence are estimated to exceed $100 billion annually.\n“The V-BID Program is not just a drug design, but we are putting our arms around the total health care spend and return.”\n- Bill Bruning\nPresident and CEO\nMACHC", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7557324171066284}
{"content": "What does it mean for a real number to be random? Quite a few definitions have been offered. For instance, one definition of a random real is based on the Kolmogorov Complexity of the initial segments of its binary expansion. Another definition has been given in terms of effective measure theory. A third definition, one concerning certain betting strategies, has also been proposed. We explore each of these definitions, seeking to determine how they relate to one another. A few surprises may occur.\nIf time permits, we may even get our hands on a bona fide random real.\nTo volunteer to give a talk, or for any other questions regarding this schedule, contact Sara Miller", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6000542640686035}
{"content": "The Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, RIBS, was recently created as a tool for assessing ideation.It is intended as a useful criterion for measuring divergent thinking, which includes originality, fluency, and flexibility. While studies have shown that the RIBS has internal consistency, there is no evidene for how it relates to other measures of creativity. This study compared the RIBS to two other creativity tests, How Do You Think (HYDT)and the Torrance Figural Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) to examine convergent validity. Each test was given to 72 students at a private midwestern university. The students were either introductory psychology students or advanced painting students, 46 were female and 26 were male. There was no statistically significant relationship between the RIBS and the TTCT, showing no convergent validity between the two tests which claim to measure the same construct. Contrary to expectations, there was large significant correlation between the HDYT and the RIBS. These results suggest that the RIBS and the TTCT do not measure the same construct. The strong positive correlation between RIBS and HDYT scores suggests the RIBS measures constructs similar to those of the HDYT. This brings into question the usefulness of the RIBS as a measurement of divergent thinking.\nDescription:\nMaria Clapham is Associate Professor of Psychology at Drake University and can be reached at maria.clapham@drake.edu. Both Laura Muchlinski and Holly Sedlacek major are Psychology majors, graduating from Drake in May 2005.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8413525819778442}
{"content": "PARIS — Solar photovoltaic systems have long been painted as a clean way to generate electricity, but expensive compared with other alternatives to oil, like nuclear power. No longer. In a “historic crossover,” the costs of solar photovoltaic systems have declined to the point where they are lower than the rising projected costs of new nuclear plants, according to a paper published this month. “Solar photovoltaics have joined the ranks of lower-cost alternatives to new nuclear plants,” John O. Blackburn, a professor of economics at Duke University, in North Carolina, and Sam Cunningham, a graduate student, wrote in the paper, “Solar and Nuclear Costs — The Historic Crossover.” This crossover occurred at 16 cents per kilowatt hour, they said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/business/global/27iht-renuke.html", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9835515022277832}
{"content": "Alabama parents are advised to have their homes and children tested for lead as the state opbserves National Lead Poisoning Prevetion Week, October 23-29.\nNearly a quarter of a million children living in the United States have blood lead levels high enough to cause significant damage to their health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, based on data from a 2003–2004 national survey. Major sources of lead exposure among U.S. children are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in deteriorating buildings.\nDespite the continued presence of lead in the environment, lead poisoning is entirely preventable. “If high blood lead levels are not detected early, children with such high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from damage to the brain and nervous system,” Dr. Tom Miller, deputy director for medical affairs, Alabama Department of Public Health, said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7423352003097534}
{"content": "In response to local community and environmental concerns, the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is seeking the cooperation of all aircraft operators to adhere to the following described noise abatement procedures whenever possible. Your complete cooperation is necessary.\nThese NBAA noise procedures are recommended as standard for all operations where aircraft manufacturers have not recommended specific procedures. The NBAA procedures are to supplement and be complementary to established noise abatement programs containing procedures and techniques for specific aircraft.\nWhen professional opinion indicates that the procedures and techniques recommended for specific aircraft are less effective than the NBAA procedures, pilots are encouraged to contact the manufacturers and airport management with specific recommendations for change.\nTurbo Jet Business Aircraft\n1. Noise abatement procedures should be made part of the routine in operating aircraft in and out of all airports, not just Sardy Field.\n2. Aircraft operators must take the initiative and responsibility to obtain all pertinent information on the local noise abatement policies followed at this airport.\n3. Reverse Thrust: Operators should be aware that unnecessary use of reverse thrust when landing can be a source of excessive noise. The use of minimum reverse thrust necessary for safety is recommended, consistent with runway conditions and available length.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.792418360710144}
{"content": "Vasa vasorum in plaque angiogenesis, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and atheroscleropathy: a malignant transformation\n1 Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, PO BOX 1140 Lk. Rd. 5–87, Camdenton, Missouri 65020 USA\n2 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, School of Medicine,500 South Preston Street, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292 USA\nCardiovascular Diabetology 2004, 3 :1 doi:10.1186/1475-2840-3-1Abstract Background Vascularization is an exciting and complex mechanism involving angiogenesis and arteriogenesis. The metabolic syndrome (MS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with multiple metabolic toxicities, which result in reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to an elevated tension of oxidative-redox stress and an accelerated atherosclerosis termed atheroscleropathy.\nResults This atheroscleropathy is associated with accelerated angiogenesis within the vulnerable, thin-cap fibro-atheroma, prone to rupture resulting in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The resulting intimopathy with its neovascularization due to angiogenesis of the adventitial vasa vasorum (Vv) is prone to intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH). These IPH are associated with destabilization of the vulnerable plaques resulting in plaque erosion and plaque rupture resulting in ACS. In atheroscleropathy the adventitial Vv invades the plaque in a malignant-like fashion and concurrently is associated with chronic inflammation, as macrophages are being deposited within the shoulder regions of these vulnerable plaques. These angiogenic Vv provide a custom delivery vascular network for multiple detrimental substrates, which further accelerates the growth of these vulnerable plaques and atheroscleropathy. There exists a vascularization paradox in MS and T2DM, in that, angiogenesis within the plaque is induced and arteriogenesis is impaired.\nConclusion This review will attempt to provide a database of knowledge regarding the vascularization process (angiogenesis and arteriogenesis) and its mechanisms to better understand the increased cardiovascular risk and the increased morbidity and mortality associated with MS and T2DM.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7516726851463318}
{"content": "Dear Editor:\nRecent reports estimate that the number of residents who are lacking health coverage in our nation has grown to 50 million. Of course, this increase is tied to the economic slump we are experiencing as employees have lost jobs, however, we must continue to address this problem or it will further spiral out of control.\nAs I write about the necessity for access to adequate healthcare I wish to remind the public that we are fortunate to have local healthcare resources in Hudson County. Specifically, residents are encouraged to utilize the medical services provided by the North Hudson Community Action Corporation as well as Federally Qualified Health Centers which provide primary healthcare for our region.\nFurthermore, the CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corporation, Christopher F. Irizarry, continues to advance quality care for residents who seek treatment. I commend Mr. Irizarry’s approach to managing North Hudson Community Action Corporation which is rooted in treating both the patient and the person, offering an experience which encourages healing.\nIn the future, we must look to be inventive in providing healthcare for all of our residents. As a nation, we should be focused on achieving first-rate medical attention for all of our citizens.\nSincerely,\nBrian P. Stack\nState Senator", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.819541871547699}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a leading cause of disability. Systematic reviews of randomized trials for the treatment of the maintenance phase of BD are lacking.\nOBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and tolerability of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in the maintenance treatment of BD.\nMETHODS: We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials of licensed medications for the treatment of any phase of BD. We included randomized controlled trials comparing a medication to placebo or another medication. Comprehensive searches of electronic databases were conducted to March 2005. Outcomes investigated were relapse due to mania, depression or any mood episode, and withdrawal due to any reason or due to an adverse event. Data were combined through meta-analysis.\nRESULTS: Fourteen studies (n = 2,526) met the inclusion criteria. Lithium, lamotrigine, olanzapine and valproate semisodium each demonstrated evidence to support long-term use. Compared with placebo, all medications were more effective at preventing relapse because of any mood episode. Hazard ratios (HR) were 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53-0.86] for lithium, 0.68 (95% CI = 0.55-0.85) for lamotrigine, and 0.82 (95% CI = 0.57-1.20) for valproate semisodium; for olanzapine, the risk ratio (RR) was 0.58 (95% CI = 0.49-0.69). Lithium and olanzapine significantly reduced manic relapses (HR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.35-0.79 and RR = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.24-0.57, respectively). Lamotrigine and valproate semisodium significantly reduced depressive relapses (HR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.46-0.91 and RR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.20-0.82, respectively). Lithium significantly reduced manic relapses compared with lamotrigine (HR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.34-0.92) and olanzapine significantly reduced manic relapses compared with lithium (RR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.12-2.55). Withdrawal due to an adverse event was approximately twice as likely with lithium compared with valproate semisodium (RR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.08-3.03) and lamotrigine (RR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.31-3.70). There were few data for carbamazepine or medications given as adjunct therapy.\nCONCLUSIONS: Mood stabilizers have differing profiles of efficacy and tolerability, suggesting complementary roles in long-term maintenance treatment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9557600021362305}
{"content": "Luminos 1 is a highly effective electric fly killer using a glue board unit that has been designed for relatively low risk areas . This unit is particularly well suited for use within food retail operations, allowing for wall mounted or flat surface installation*.\n*Bracket available as an accessory item.\nLuminos 1 is suitable for a range of customers\nand industries, including:\nDownload the Luminos 1 Fly Killer leaflet (pdf) for further information.\nIn a series of tests designed to compare the effectiveness of Rentokil’s Luminos Fly Killer units, the Luminos 1 (freestanding) performance suggests that it is effective in low risk areas. For higher risk areas, we recommend Luminos 4 as well as the use of multiple electric fly killer units.\nThe graph below reflects the calculated “Half Life Time” for Rentokil’s Luminos range. This test measures how quickly a unit catches 50% of flies in an area, and uses this as a proxy for overall effectiveness.\nSource: European Technical Centre Rentokil, Horsham, UK\nLuminos 1 conforms to all relevant European electrical and UV safety standards.\nFor further information on other units, please visit the page on electric Luminos Fly Killers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.55818772315979}
{"content": ":: Enhanced warming over the global subtropical western boundary currents + 02.02.2012 + Subtropical western boundary currents are warm, fast-flowing currents that form on the western side of ocean basins.\nThey carry warm tropical water to the mid-latitudes and vent large amounts of heat and moisture to the atmosphere along their paths, affecting atmospheric jet streams and mid-latitude storms, as well as ocean carbon uptake.\nThe possibility that these highly energetic currents might change under greenhouse-gas forcing has raised significant concerns, but detecting such changes is challenging owing to limited observations.\nHere, using reconstructed sea surface temperature datasets and century-long ocean and atmosphere reanalysis products, we find that the post-1900 surface ocean warming rate over the path of these currents is two to three times faster than the global mean surface ocean warming rate.\nThe accelerated warming is associated with a synchronous poleward shift and/or intensification of global subtropical western boundary currents in conjunction with a systematic change in winds over both hemispheres. This enhanced warming may reduce the ability of the oceans to absorb anthropogenic carbon dioxide over these regions.\nHowever, uncertainties in detection and attribution of these warming trends remain, pointing to a need for a long-term monitoring network of the global western boundary currents and their extensions.\nWu, L., W. Cai, L. Zhang, H. Nakamura, A. Timmermann, T. Joyce, M. J. McPhaden, M. Alexander, B. Qiu, M. Visbeck, P. Chang, and B, Giese, 2012: \"Enhanced warming over the global subtropical western boundary currents\" - Nature Climate Change - more\nSource:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6767308712005615}
{"content": "Whether it came from an animal on a fur farm or one who was trapped in the wild, every fur coat, trinket, and bit of trim caused an animal tremendous suffering—and took away a life.Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison.More than half the fur in the U.S. comes from China, where millions of dogs and cats are bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, and often skinned alive for their fur. Chinese fur is often deliberately mislabeled, so if you wear any fur, there's no way of knowing for sure whose skin you're in.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7733081579208374}
{"content": "Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry will soon embark on a project to realize an “autopilot system” for automatic driving, a system for guiding motor vehicles on expressways without human assistance.\nThe system is expected to contribute significantly to such goals as alleviating drivers’ fatigue, preventing road accidents and easing traffic congestion. It would be for vehicles referred to as self-driving cars capable of sensing their environment and navigating by themselves, with people not required to perform any mechanical operation besides choosing their destinations.\nWith a view to making an autopilot system a reality in the early 2020s, the ministry will launch a study panel of experts this year, to start full-scale discussions about a self-steering vehicle control project.\nThe ministry envisages an autonomous vehicle system in which, after leaving your home, motorists would enter an interchange of a nearby expressway while manually operating their cars.\nWhen pulling into the expressway’s lane exclusively for the autopilot system, the driving mode would change to “automatic driving” and input your destination into the system. Motorists would take their hands and feet off the steering wheel, gas pedal and brake.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.774929940700531}
{"content": "The brainstem nucleus hypoglossus innervates the tongue which must contract rhythmically during respiration, chewing and swallowing. Such rhythmic discharges are due to network bursting mediated by AMPA receptor-dependent glutamatergic transmission. The contribution by hypoglossal motoneurons themselves to rhythmicity remains, however, unclear as they might simply express cyclic patterns produced by premotoneurons or, in analogy to spinal motoneurons, might participate to bursting due to activation of their N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Using patch clamp recording from hypoglossal motoneurons in slice preparations of neonatal rat brainstem, we observed that NMDA directly depolarized motoneurons to generate various discharge patterns. Most motoneurons produced transient bursts which were consistently restored by repolarizing membrane potential to rest. Fewer motoneurons generated either sustained bursting or random firing. Rhythmic bursts were recorded from XII nerve rootlets even when single motoneuron bursting required hyperpolarization. NMDA evoked bursts were blocked by the Ca2+ antagonist Cd2+, the gap junction blocker carbenoxolone, or Mg2+ free solution, and partially inhibited by tetrodotoxin or nifedipine. Under voltage clamp, NMDA-induced bursting persisted at negative or positive potentials and was resistant to high extracellular Mg2+ in accordance with the observation of widespread motoneuron expression of NMDA 2D receptor subunits that confer poor Mg2+ sensitivity. It is proposed that NMDA depolarized motoneurons with the contribution of Mg2+ insensitive channels, and triggered bursting via cyclic activation/deactivation of voltage-dependent Na+, Ca2+ and K+ currents spread through gap junctions. The NMDA-evoked bursting pattern was similar to the rhythmic discharges previously recorded from the XII nerve during milk sucking by neonatal rats.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9357829093933105}
{"content": "and asexually reproduced a distinct and new variety of plant, other than a tuber propagated plant or a plant found in an uncultivated state.\nBenefits of a Plant Patent A plant patent lasts for 20 years from the date of filing the patent application and gives the inventor the right to exclude others from asexually reproducing, selling, or using the plant so reproduced. This protection is limited to a plant under the following conditions:A living plant organism which expresses a set of characteristics determined by its single, genetic makeup or genotype, which can be duplicated through asexual reproduction, but which can not otherwise be \"made\" or \"manufactured.\" Sports, mutants, hybrids, and transformed plants are comprehended; sports or mutants may be spontaneous or induced. Hybrids may be natural, from a planned breeding program, or somatic in source. While natural plant mutants might have naturally occurred, they must have been discovered in a cultivated area. Algae and macro fungi are regarded as plants, but bacteria are not. Plant Patent Vs Plant Variety Protection Act The United States Patent and Trademark Office or USPTO does accept utility applications for claims to plants, seed, genes, etc listed above. However, intellectual property protection for true breeding seed reproduced plant varieties is offered through the Plant Variety Protection Office.The Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) administers the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA), by issuing Certificates of Protection in a timely manner. The Act provides legal intellectual property rights protection to developers of new varieties of plants which are sexually reproduced (by seed) or tuber-propagated.\nUSPTO Plant Patents - What Defines Being The Inventor Because there are two steps which constitute invention in plant applications, there may be more than one inventor. An inventor is any person who contributed to either step of invention. For example, if one person discovers a new and distinct plant and asexually reproduces the plant, such person would be a sole inventor.If one person discovered or selected a new and distinct plant, and a second person asexually reproduced the plant and ascertained that the clone(s) of the plant were identical to the original plant in every distinguishing characteristic, the second person would properly be considered a co-inventor. If either step is performed by a staff, every member of the staff who performed or contributed to the performance of either step could properly be considered a co-inventor.\nHowever, an inventor can direct that the step of asexual reproduction be performed by a custom propagation service or tissue culture enterprise and those performing the service would not be considered co-inventors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6393453478813171}
{"content": "She’s fast for her age! Older women and running culture Abstract In the 19th and early 20th centuries, running was the exclusionary sport of younger men. Women, particularly older women, were discouraged from participating in competitive running up until the 1970s. In seeking to understand the reasons for this interdiction, this study employs Foucault’s concept of discourse to explore the ways in which medicalized notions about the female body have mitigated women’s involvement in running from the early 1900s until present day. The paper begins with a targeted literature review that identifies relevant biomedical and moral discourses. Findings are then presented from in-depth interviews with four elite women runners over the age of fifty. The analysis of these participants’ accounts of their running histories reveal that while women runners have gained new freedoms, a discriminatory discourse remains, one that sexualizes and commodifies the female athletic body.\nKeywords\nThis journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.\nEISSN 1923-1334\nUniversity of Victoria", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7234264612197876}
{"content": "Carefree Car Ownership Repairing vs. replacing a cracked windshield Many windshields have fallen victim to a stray pebble or stone flying at high speeds along the highway. Most minor damages can be easily fixed thanks to modern glass repair techniques, but even a small crack can grow over time, due to bumps or aggravation from the road, necessitating an entirely new windshield. Here are some car shopping tips on deciding whether you should repair or replace your damaged windshield.\nThe largest factors in determining the fate of your glass are the size and location of the damage, according to MSN.com. Cracks up to three inches in size can often be repaired easily and affordably by most auto shops. Some repair shops can handle cracks up to a foot long, which is still preferable to complete replacement.\nTechnicians repair the window by applying a clear resin that can be polished to match the windshield, according to CarMarket.com. The visual effect isn't perfect, but the resin will ensure that the damage does not spread to the rest of the windshield.\nHowever, if the damage appears in the corner of the frame or is too large to be repaired, replacing your windshield is the only available option. Consult your auto dealer, repair shop or insurance company for specific information on your vehicle's damage.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6481846570968628}
{"content": "Location: The Radiation and Biomolecular Physics Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Physical Measurement LaboratoryResearch Team Lead:\nLisa KaramSummary:\nThe National Institution of Standards and Technology was created in 1901 to address a need for common measurement standards across a spectrum of applications. Dr. Karam’s team is developing precise quantitation standards for medical imaging technologies such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. These standards are important for accurate medical diagnoses, and they have substantial implications for future drug development.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.817513108253479}
{"content": "In the next fifty years, the percentage of people aged 65 and over is predicted to increase to roughly half the UK population, yet handset manufactures are still more concerned with jam-packing the latest features onto a device, often alienating silver surfers.\nMany technology companies are turning a blind eye by ignoring the increasing and lucrative senior market. According to a mobile phone comparison site DialToSave, smartphones are aimed at tech-savvy youngsters and despite growing interest from older people, they are often perplexed by jargon like Android, Symbian and 3G HSDPA.\nRichard Cappin of DialToSave.co.uk said, “mobile companies need to wake up fast to the potential of the 'silver buck.” He believe that if vendors tap into this demand, it could potentially lead to the world's first 'Silver Surfers Superphone.'\n\"The most frequent question I am asked, and always by older people, is which is the simplest phone that does all the snazzy stuff without the fuss.\nThe demand for an all-round easy-to-use handset could one day even lead to a superphone, rather than just a 'smart' one,\" added Cappin.\nAccording to a study by mobileSQUARED, those over 55 are now the second-fastest growing Internet user group and 45-64 year olds are now the second largest group of all mobile phone users.\nHowever, there are companies like Emporia, Doro and Binatone promoting handsets aimed at the elderly \"but those are mainly for the visually impaired, the hearing impaired or those who have little dexterity,\" added Cappin.\nThe video below of Emporia Telecom illustrates the importance of why the mobile sector mobile needs to cater technology for the elderly in mind.\nplease sign in to rate this article", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.836793065071106}
{"content": "What is Aerial Surveillance?\nAerial surveillance is the gathering of surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance (ISR) data (usually visual imagery or video) from an airborne vehicle—such as a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), helicopter, or spy plane. Surveillance aircrafts use a range of sensors (e.g. radar) to monitor their intended location via live streaming video, audio and recorded secure data.\nDigital imaging technology, miniaturized computers, and numerous other technological advances over the past decade have contributed to rapid advances in aerial surveillance hardware such as micro-aerial vehicles, forward-looking infrared, and high-resolution imagery capable of identifying objects at extremely long distances. For instance, the MQ-9 Reaper, a U.S. drone plane (UAV) used for domestic operations by the Department of Homeland Security, carries cameras that are capable of identifying an object the size of a milk carton from altitudes of 60,000 feet, and has forward-looking infrared devices that can detect the heat from a human body at distances of up to 60 kilometers; even facial features from as close as five kilometers.\nAerial Surveillance Systems, Inc. (ASSI) was created in 2008 and has rapidly become a leader in this highly specialized industry. ASSI offers a variety of services from acquisition to modification and integration. ASSI is a turn-key full-service provider with significant global contracts in place and is able to fully integrate and deliver an ISR Beechcraft 350 within 120 days.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8744170665740967}
{"content": "No issue is more critical to the study of crime and delinquency than the\nissue of measurement. At the heart of this have been ongoing debates\nover the relative advantages and disadvantages of self-report measures\nof delinquency. While it is widely accepted that crime rates increase\nduring adolescence to a peak close to 17 years of age, findings from\nself-report measures of multiple cohorts from the National Youth Survey\nshow declining trends in delinquency regardless of age. Various\nresearchers have debated the reasons for these discrepant findings,\nincluding period effects, testing effects, and changing content validity\nof delinquency measures to name a few. The present paper engages in\nthese debates and augments previous findings in two ways: 1) by using\nmulti-level modeling to account for the presence of missing time points\nin longitudinal designs, treating these missing data as latent variables\nin multivariate outcome models, and 2) by relaxing the classical\nassumptions of independent errors and equal variances of these errors.\nOne of the key benefits of multi-level modeling is that it utilizes all\navailable longitudinal data even if a respondent misses a time point,\nthereby letting researchers assess the effects of sample attrition\nacross waves of longitudinal data collections.\n(Return to Program Resources) Updated 05/20/2006", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.881686270236969}
{"content": "Preparedness\nPreparedness activities increase a community’s ability to respond when a disaster occurs. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines preparedness as \"a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response.\"\nThis preparedness cycle is one element of a broader National Preparedness System to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.\nTypical preparedness measures include developing mutual aid agreements and memorandums of understanding, training for both response personnel and concerned citizens, conducting disaster exercises to reinforce training and test capabilities, and presenting all-hazards education campaigns.Unlike mitigation activities, which are aimed at preventing a disaster from occurring, personal preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and procedures for use when a disaster occurs, i.e. planning.\nPreparedness measures can take many forms including the construction of shelters, installation of warning devices, creation of back-up life-line services (e.g. power, water, sewage), and rehearsing evacuation plans. Two simple measures can help prepare the individual for sitting out the event or evacuating, as necessary. For evacuation, a disaster supplies kit may be prepared and for sheltering purposes a stockpile of supplies may be created. These kits may include food, medicine, flashlights, candles and money.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7599022388458252}
{"content": "The standard limit on FDIC insurance is $250,000 perdepositor and $250,000 for certain retirement accounts per FDIC-insuredbank. This means that the combined total of your savings, checking andother deposit accounts in a single bank covered by the FDIC is insured onlyup to $250,000 of the total value and $250,000 for certain retirementaccounts.\nHowever, you are, in effect, insured for up to $250,000and $250,000 for certain retirement accounts in every FDIC-insured bankthat you have deposits with. Keep in mind that deposits made in separatebranches of the same bank are not considered separately insured and areaggregated up to the insurance limits.\nThe FDIC insures only deposit accounts. The followingchart shows what's covered and not covered by FDIC insurance at anFDIC-insured bank such as First CornerStone Bank.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9539749026298523}
{"content": "How to be my friend I've read much about how to raise children with additional needs, but nothing about being a good friend to their parents. People struggle to relate to parents in my position, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's hard to understand without direct experience? If so, this may help:\n1. Don't\ntell me you \"don't know how I do it\".\nUnless you have similar experiences to mine, you have no idea what I do each day. I already know that. It's isolating, and it doesn't help to remind me. In truth, some days I don't know how I do it either, but I have no choice. All that stands between my children and a world that struggles to understand them is me. I am not a saint. I have no more powers, skill or patience than the next person. I cope because I have to.\n2. Persist.\nI have many limits on my time. I cannot leave my children with someone untrained or unfamiliar. I cannot alter their routine without notice. I will drop you at the last minute if there's an issue at home. I can't talk on the phone without constant interruption. I rarely have time to shop for your birthday or cook you a meal. You find this annoying, even upsetting, and so do I. Please don't interpret my silence or unreliability as a rejection of our friendship. I don't mean to offend, but if you want to see me, you'll have to do most of the running. That's just how it is right now.\n3. Ask\nme how I am.\nI'm good at raising my kids. In fact I'm\nregularly told by \"professionals\" that I'm knowledgeable, super competent,\nshould write a book, etc. That's great, but don't be fooled into thinking I\ncope that well with everything. I have prioritised what is crucial; the rest is\nfar messier. I was asked, once, by a paediatrician how I am coping . The fact it occurred to her to ask was so unusual,\nand thoughtful, it made me cry. So please ask, because oddly, people hardly\never do. I will often be fine. But sometimes I'm really not, and the silence\nmakes me feel like I can't tell you that.\n4. Don't\npity us.\nHowever difficult this is, I love my children. I wouldn't change one single aspect of them. Not one. They are unique and beautiful people. Our difficulties are caused not by them, but by living in a world that is not designed for them. They are not disabled and they do not need a cure. You miss so much when you fail to see this. I will be very angry, very quickly, if you make no effort to understand them.\n5. Be\nmy friend.\nYour lives, struggles and happiness are important to me. You may feel your complaints are trivial in comparison, but that's not how I see it. Tell me your stories. Let me join in. You are not imposing on me, you are giving me another world, another connection to bring me out of myself. I can't be your friend if you don't treat me like one.\nI hope that helps you to understand parents like me. We have additional needs too, it would seem.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5251482725143433}
{"content": "“Breathing Square” Illusion\nStart by watching the demonstration on the right. In particular track the blue shape obscured by the orange squares.\nAfter one cycle you\nYou can change the gap size manually. You can also change the transparency of the occluders and you may find a setting where one can “switch” between the breathing perception and a constant square size. Further controls are self-explanatory.\nUsually, we are remarkably adept at detecting and identifying surface boundaries despite incomplete optical information. However, in “breathing illusions”, rigidly rotating surfaces appear to pulsate or deform, even though a straightforward process of geometrical interpolation across space would reconstruct the veridical surface boundary. It is generally believed that such nonrigid outcome depends on a failure to apply a rigidity constraint across spatiotemporal discontinuities (more: Bruno 2001).\nThe present phenomenon seems related to “motion binding”.\nShiffrar M & Pavel M (1991) Perception of rotation through apertures. Z Exp Psychol: Human Perception and Performance 17:749–761\nBruno N (2001) Breathing illusions and boundary formation in space-time. In: Shipley TF, Kellman PJ (eds) chapter 17, 531–556 (ISBN-13: 978-0444505064) [PDF]\nCreated: 2009-06-08", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9462260007858276}
{"content": "Adam Serwer flags a trend from the latest Gallup poll that should give Democrats pause. While Democrats has retained support from blacks, support among Latinos has collapsed:\nSerwer rightly flags the declining support as a sign that Republicans managed to win the immigration debate: they've criticized and obstructed Democratic attempts to pass an immigration overhaul, then turned around to blame Obama for failing to take action. Conservatives also have used Arizona's immigration law as a sign that Republicans are willing to take action. According to the Immigration Reform Law Institute, an anti-immigration group, political candidates in at least 12 states have promised to introduce state laws similar to Arizona's. Even if Latino voters don't approve of such measures, the GOP efforts also have succeeded in highlighting the Democrats' seeming inaction on the issue.\nThis trend isn't likely to send Latinos into the arms of the GOP in this year's elections, but it could convince them to stay at home instead of voting for Democrats. It also raises the question as to whether the GOP could end up winning back at least some Latinos in 2012 if Obama fails to pass a comprehensive overhaul during the next Congress.\nIt would have to be a significantly different faction of the Republican Party, of course—a Chris Christie or Mike Bloomberg type of alternative, rather than someone from the anti-amnesty camp. Yes, it will be difficult for any Republican to distance him or herself from the nativism that has flourished once again on the right. But given the number of times that the Democrats failed to deliver on their promises for immigration reform, disillusionment also runs deep. The Democrats will have an even tougher time passing significant immigration measures after the midterms, given the flood of GOPers expected to take office. As a result, there could be more room for Republicans who can break from both the GOP's right flank and the Democrats on the issue.\nAfter all, George W. Bush managed to do as much, using his moderate stance on immigration—including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants—to win over Latino voters. After his overhaul failed to pass Congress, Latinos ended up fleeing back to Democrats. But Democrats shouldn't take it for granted that they'll stay loyal to the party, if they, too, fail to pass meaningful immigration reform by 2012.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7733649015426636}
{"content": "Booster Shot How well do those energy drinks work? Page 1 )16 oz./220 calories Touts: Vitamins B-3, B-6, and B-12, taurine, ginseng, carnitine, guarana, caffeine. Warns: Of nothing. Tastes: Tart and vaguely fruity. Like Alka-Seltzer in Kool-Aid. Effects: I guzzle a can on the way to take an 8-year-old boy to play in the park. I quickly realize that 16 ounces of anything fizzy is a lot to ask a moving stomach to digest. Other than bloat, I discern no effect, as I'm run ragged in no time. I do play Hoop Fever at the nearest arcade and score a ridiculous 74 points, besting the day's previous mark by 29 points.\nVerdict: My concentration and shooting groove were great. As for energy, well, there wasn't much. Sicher predicts that in a few years, only drinks from the larger beverage companies (Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Hansen's) will emerge from the current glut. It'll be a shame if that's the case, considering the mediocre offerings from Pepsi and Coke. 8.3 oz./110 calories Touts: Vitamins B-3, B-5, B-6, and B-12, taurine. Claims: The farm. \"Improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases concentration and improves reaction time, stimulates the metabolism.\" Warns: \"Avoid while playing potentially harmful contact sports.\" No, I made that up. Tastes: Sweet, fizzy, acrid. \"Like corn syrup that burns\" is one friend's accurate assessment. Effects: Endows me with some verve that, per usual, dissipates when I start the push-ups. There's no endurance in these cans. To test the claim of \"increased stress\" I play Boggle while watching Family Guy and emerge with wildly varying scores. My stomach feels sour and a headache brews.\nVerdict: Beats a trip to the emergency room, but I'm surprised this little can holds half the domestic market, considering how blah it is. The taste, while distinct, isn't exactly pleasant, and the energy it provides is fleeting. 16 oz./200 calories Touts: Vitamins B-3, B-6, B-12, and C, taurine, ginseng, inositol, caffeine, L-carnitine. Warns: \"Consume responsibly—limit 3 cans per day. Not recommended for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine.\" Tastes: Like subdued Mountain Dew, with a now-familiar vitaminy edge. Effects: I see this everywhere, so I assume it's popular—but it has almost no noticeable effect on me. When I do push-ups, my body protests early, as when it's asked to run on too much sugar. In playing pickup basketball, I melt quickly. The thought hits me that perhaps I've acquired a resistance to vitamins and sugar water. On the other hand, the Boggle scores are among the best of any drink tested.\nVerdict: A moderate disappointment, considering the bitchin' claw marks on the can. I can't figure out why I seem immune to this, and two other drinks called Energy Pro and Hansen's—all the spawn of Hansen's, the second-largest U.S. energy-drink manufacturer. I recently met an Iraq war veteran (who knows from stimulants) who buys this stuff by the case. Me, I can't see it, although a fair flavor and a lack of ill effects make it a borderline drink. 16 oz./260 calories Touts: Vitamins B-6, B-12, and C, folic acid, selenium, zinc, taurine, inositol, ginseng, guarana, creatine, grape seed extract, L-carnitine, L-arginine, caffeine. Claims: \"Super energy supplement.\" Warns: \"Not recommended for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine.\" Tastes: Sweet, mildly fizzy, with a hint of grapefruit. Effects: It does offer some extra kick first thing in the morning: My arms move faster even when drying myself off after a shower. When I type, my fingers move quickly and with precision. My heart seems to pound too hard during push-ups. I feel alert but distractible. Boggle scores are high; Hoop Fever scores disappointingly mediocre.\nVerdict: What I'd reach for if falling asleep at the wheel. Not ideal if you need focus or fine motor skills.MYSLATE Sam Eifling is an itinerant freelance writer and editor.\nIllustration by Mark Alan Stamaty.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5154541730880737}
{"content": "\"Liquid Equivalent\" the Key How Much Water in the Snow? Observed liquid-equivalent precipitation across the U.S. for the seven-day period ending 7 a.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2013. (Image credit: NOAA/Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service)\nYou likely have heard of the old rule of thumb that \"ten inches of snow melts to one inch of water.\"\nWhile that's not always true for any given storm in any given location, (at warmer temperatures, as few as 4 inches of snow can melt to produce one inch of water) the general principle applies when considering drought relief.\nAbove is a plot of observed liquid-equivalent precipitation (rain + melted snow) for the seven-day period ending Monday morning, Feb. 25. This plot contains liquid-equivalent from Winter Storm Q and from the early stages of Winter Storm Rocky.\nBelow is a model depiction of liquid-equivalent for the three-day period beginning Monday morning.\nRPM model forecast precipitation for the three-day period beginning 7 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 25.\nNote that despite the significant snow from one or both systems, that would melt down to just 1 to 2 inches of liquid equivalent in most of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and central Plains. However, parts of Oklahoma had already received over 2 inches of liquid by Monday morning with another 2 inches potentially in the forecast.\nIn much of the Upper Midwest and northern and central Plains, less than 0.5 inch of liquid equivalent precipitation will end up having fallen from these two systems.\nMeanwhile, repeated bouts of heavy rain are occurring from the central Gulf Coast into the Southeast, missing the primary Plains drought area, but beneficial for a stubborn area of drought that has persisted since Fall 2010. In fact, so much rain has fallen that flooding has become a concern in parts of this region.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.578574538230896}
{"content": "Studies have shown that bullying is a predictable psychological behavior; ts effects are significant and ripple through well into adulthood.\nSocial media is now both an avenue for hateful acts and a trigger for suicide, and the age-old question still stand: is it nature, or nurture?\n[Source: Online Counseling Degrees]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7559199929237366}
{"content": "Abstract:The financial services industry is undergoing one of the most tumultuous times in its history and the consequence has been a precipitous decline in the public‟s trust in the industry and in its leadership. This article provides an overview of the construct of trust, describes why crisis events erode trust, and offers guidelines for how to rebuild trust following a crisis. Using the principles of crisis leadership as a backdrop, the article demonstrates the significance of integrity, positive intent, capability, mutual respect, and transparency on the trust building process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9516252875328064}
{"content": "When a building receives EPA’s ENERGY STAR, the certification decal contains the year in which the certification was received. Similarly, buildings included on the ENERGY STAR registry of certified buildings and plants are listed with the year they received the award.\nCertification decals may be displayed indefinitely on qualified buildings. However, recipients of the ENERGY STAR are encouraged to continue benchmarking their buildings’ energy performance and re-apply annually to keep their certification current.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8655818104743958}
{"content": "IN 1971, President Nixon sought to forestall single-payer national health insurance by proposing an alternative. He wanted to combine a mandate, which would require that employers cover their workers, with a Medicaid-like program for poor families, which all Americans would be able to join by paying sliding-scale premiums based on their income. Nixon's plan, though never passed, refuses to stay dead. Now Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama all propose Nixon-like reforms. Their plans resemble measures that were passed and then failed in several states over the past two decades.\nFrom \"I am not a Health Reform,\" by David U. Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler, professors of medicine at Harvard and the co-founders of Physicians for a National Health Program.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6792684197425842}
{"content": "Rhode Island's plague of cigarette tax evasion by those looking to capitalize on the Ocean State's demand for cheap smokes appears to continue. That is the takeaway from recent announcements by the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, which in the last month has reported two separate instances of busts allegedly involving sellers of cigarette packs that do not bear the state's tax stamps.\nThis week, the Division of Taxation announced the conclusion of a two-month investigation by the Rhode Island State Police into illegal gambling, during which two convenience stores were discovered to have been \"involved in the illegal sale of fraudulent and forged stamped cigarette packs.\"\nLast month, the Division announced that the State Police had \"arrested three men on charges involving [non-payment of] the cigarette tax.\" The Division confirms that \"charges against one of the men included importing cigarettes with intent to evade taxes.\"\nAs of the beginning of this year, Rhode Island's cigarette tax was the second-highest in the country at $3.46 per pack, whereas neighboring Massachusetts clocked in at 9th place at $2.51 per pack.\nThat, some say, may explain the appeal of smuggled cigarettes or cigarettes bearing forged or fraudulent tax stamps to smokers within the state, and why tax evasion remains a potentially attractive, albeit illegal, activity.\nRhode Island Democratic Rep. Robert Phillips has introduced legislation that would cut the state's high tobacco tax by $1 per pack, arguably reducing the incentive to purchase such cigarettes and providing a rationale for smokers from states like Connecticut (where the tax rate is lower, but still among the five highest rates in the nation) to visit Rhode Island and stock up on smokes.\nThus far, that legislation seems to have attracted little support, despite reports of alleged tax evasion like those over the last month.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5718567967414856}
{"content": "Anaerobic digesters (methane recovery) Docklands has the capacity to collect animal manure from livestock operations such as farms, dairies and abattoirs and recycle it into a valuable energy source. We use anaerobic digesters (sometimes known as ‘biodigesters’) as a way to recover biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) from animal manure. This in turn produces electricity while reducing the methane emissions which contribute to global warming.\nIn the process, anaerobic bacteria break down organic material and produce biogas as a waste product. It’s actually a process that occurs naturally in nature and we achieve it through the use of airtight digester tanks. This not only recycles the waste effectively but also controls odours.\nPlease contact us for details of our methane recovery service.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8627356886863708}
{"content": "Mediating Asymmetrical Conflict Avdelning/ar: Publiceringsår: 2002\nSpråk: Engelska\nSidor: 69-91\nPublikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Mediterranean Politics\nVolym: 7\nNummer: 1\nDokumenttyp: Artikel\nFörlag: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group\nSammanfattning This article examines the characteristics of asymmetrical conflicts and obstacles to negotiation and mediation. Four barriers are elaborated upon: (a) enduring unilateral actions, (b) contested recognition and leadership status, (c) existential and identity-based framing of conflict and (d) conflicting interpretation of implementation. Consequently, intervention in asymmetric conflicts poses a tremendous challenge for international mediators. To gain legitimacy is particularly troublesome since there often exists a huge discrepancy in the expectations of mediation between strong and weak parties. The empirical case of Norwegian and American mediation is analysed as pure and principal mediation. The conclusion is that the two types of mediation do not directly address the question of the asymmetrical nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In sum, international mediation is a double-edged instrument in asymmetrical conflicts - particularly principal mediation, as it may produce counterproductive results.\nDisputation Nyckelord Law and Political Science Förhandlingar Internationell politik Övrigt Published\nISSN: 1362-9395", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7944218516349792}
{"content": "Don't worry if the garden bed looks skimpy when you plant it. Consider ultimate sizes before you buy plants. This is especially important with trees and shrubs, which may overgrow windows, power lines or views. A tree will be only a few feet tall when you buy it, but varieties such as the Colorado blue spruce at left typically grow up to 50 feet high and 20 feet wide.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9658458828926086}
{"content": "Across the Corn Belt, a Frost Advisory was in effect early Thursday in parts of the eastern Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota, where Thursday morning low temperatures generally ranged from 30 to 40°. Meanwhile, a band of generally light rain stretching from Upper Michigan to near the Iowa-Missouri-Nebraska triple point is slowing fieldwork but benefiting drought-stressed pastures. On the Plains, cool weather prevails, except for a return of above-normal temperatures to Montana’s High Plains. From the southern High Plains to southeastern Nebraska, rain is boosting topsoil moisture for newly planted winter wheat and aiding drought-stressed rangeland and pastures. In the South, mild, mostly dry weather favors crop maturation and fieldwork, including harvest activities for a variety of summer crops. In the West, temperatures are rebounding to above-normal levels, especially across the northwestern half of the region. Cool conditions and a few showers linger in the southern Rockies. During the next few days, active weather will continue in the vicinity of a cold front. Showers will be especially numerous along the slow-moving tail (southern portion) of the front, where 5-day rainfall totals could reach 2 to 4 inches in parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Locally heavy showers will also develop in the vicinity of the Gulf Coast. In the Midwest, however, rainfall totals will be generally less than an inch. By early next week, rain will begin to surge northward across the Southeast, where 1 to 2 inches can be expected. In contrast, dry conditions will prevail into next week across the northwestern half of the Plains and much of the West. During the weekend, heat will temporarily return to the northern Plains and upper Midwest. Early next week, however, chilly conditions will return to the Plains and Midwest. Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for below-normal temperatures from the Plains to the Appalachians, while warmer-than-normal weather will be confined to New England and the West. Meanwhile, below-normal precipitation across the northern and central Plains and the West will contrast with wetter-than-normal conditions from the Mississippi River, eastward.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6027695536613464}
{"content": "Building a multicultural real estate practice may feel like a daunting task for any single agent. That’s one reason many global agents prefer to specialize in a particular niche market. Still, their efforts often rely heavily on building strong networking relationships with other key professionals.\nThat’s why this issue of Global Perspectives focuses on the “people” aspect of multicultural real estate. By this, we don’t mean your clients and prospects. Rather, we’re referring to the various professionals who, like yourself, help clients ultimately reach the closing table.\nInside this issue you’ll find tips and insights on two key aspects of building your team:\nWithin your brokerage. Consider partnering with one or more agents to develop a deep pool of talent, capable of standing out in any global market. This is a common strategy in any real estate practice, but can make even more sense for a multicultural real estate group.With other real estate professionals. Having a strong network of legal, financial and other experts is important for any agent. But with global transactions, a solid referral network often plays an especially critical role in connecting with clients and resolving unique transaction challenges.Additionally, we recognize the importance of expanding your global team without expanding your budget. Check out our helpful tips for extending your efforts with several free and low-cost resources.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9023381471633911}
{"content": "The authors present 3 cases of childbirth-related psychosis in youngwomen to illustrate an interpersonal psychodynamic pattern that maycontribute to such reactions. In each instance, the woman is the submissivepartner in a symbiotic relationship with her husband and/or mother. Thebaby's presence threatens the symbiotic equilibrium of these relationshipsand leads to the dominant partner's overt or covert aggression against thewoman, which precipitates the psychosis. A personal or family history ofpsychosis may increase the woman's vulnerability to becoming psychotic inthis situation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.698920488357544}
{"content": "Scale model tests at Texas A&M University were conducted as part of this study to investigate the bridge failure mechanism. A 1:15 (lab:prototype) scale model of a typical, simple-span highway bridge deck was subjected to wave attack. Wave height, period, and storm surge elevation were varied in the lab.\nThe laboratory tests showed that properly scaled waves can move bridge decks off their pile caps when the surge level is near the elevation of the bridge decks. The decks progressively move in the downwave direction in response to individual waves until the decks fall off the pile caps. It was also noted during these laboratory experiments that the downwave width of U.S. bridge decks can interact with the wave phase for some wave and water level conditions to cause spatially-varying loads (particularly uplift) which impart a moment. These moments may be a critical aspect of bridge deck response.\nOpen the original version of this page.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8274085521697998}
{"content": "Equitable Charges and Rent Charges are charges which indicate that there are payments due from the landowner to the chargeholder. In the Okanagan region often these charges are placed on lands by private utilities at resorts (for example: Big White, Silver Star or Apex Ski Resorts) to secure the payment of utility fees to the resort. In other circumstances there are used to enforce payments to a local homeowners association (for example at Sunset Ranch Golf Course).\nAlthough these charges impose ongoing financial obligations on the landowner, unlike mortgages Equitable Charges and Rent Charges are not (usually) discharged on closing as (similar to strata fees) they represent the security interests of ‘service providers’ to the land. Much like a Buyer would wish to review strata bylaws, these charges MUST to reviewed prior to subject removal, as the additional financial obligations imposed need to be understood by the Buyer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6624088287353516}
{"content": "Objectives This study describes 5-year follow-up results of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).Background Long-term efficacy following catheter ablation of AF remains unknown.Methods A total of 100 patients (86 men, 14 women), age 55.7 ± 9.6 years, referred to our center for a first AF ablation (63% paroxysmal; 3.5 ± 1.4 prior ineffective antiarrhythmic agents) were followed for 5 years. Complete success was defined as absence of any AF or atrial tachycardia recurrence (clinical or by 24-h Holter monitoring) lasting ≥30 s.Results Arrhythmia-free survival rates after a single catheter ablation procedure were 40%, 37%, and 29% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively, with most recurrences over the first 6 months. Patients with long-standing persistent AF experienced a higher recurrence rate than those with paroxysmal or persistent forms (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 3.5; p = 0.0462). In all, 175 procedures were performed, with a median of 2 per patient. Arrhythmia-free survival following the last catheter ablation procedure was 87%, 81%, and 63% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Valvular heart disease (HR: 6.0, 95% CI: 2.0 to 17.6; p = 0.0012) and nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (HR: 34.0, 95% CI: 6.3 to 182.1; p < 0.0001) independently predicted recurrences. Major complications (cardiac tamponade requiring drainage) occurred in 3 patients (3%).Conclusions In selected patients with AF, a catheter ablation strategy with repeat intervention as necessary provides acceptable long-term relief. Although most recurrences transpire over the first 6 to 12 months, a slow but steady decline in arrhythmia-free survival is noted thereafter.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6776555776596069}
{"content": "Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7121\nTitle: Media Discourse and the “Truths” of Gender, Culture and Violence Authors: Barnard, MerrynSociology & Social Policy\nIssue Date: 2010 Abstract: Indigenous Family Violence (IFV) became the subject of a highly politicised and mediatised debate during 2006 – 2007, culminating in the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act. This thesis investigates how the “truths” of IFV constructed in mainstream media positioned a legislation (which breached anti-discrimination laws) as a legitimate political action. Four critical discourse analysis tests were conducted on 48 newspaper articles to examine the impacts of media “truths” on mainstream “social knowledge”. Despite some counter-discourse, the majority of articles constructed family violence as an Indigenous-specific issue, arguing it was “accepted” and “tolerated” in Indigenous culture and communities. The critical perspectives of Indigenous individuals were (largely) de-legitimised or silenced within the articles, reducing the debate to discursive contestation between non-Indigenous (white) perspectives. This thesis reveals that a more egalitarian and inclusive society will be achievable if the perspectives of minority subjects can be equally incorporated, rather than silenced, within media debates. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7121 Department/Unit/Centre: Sociology & Social Policy Appears in Collections: Sociology and Social Policy Honours Theses\nItems in Sydney eScholarship Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.890994668006897}
{"content": "Application/Category Sponsored by\nSunscreen potions, self-tanners and bronzing dusts proliferate as northern regions cycle into summer. Some consumers want a tanned, summer glow to their skin, while others demand safeguarding from UV radiation as skin cancer cases continue to rise worldwide.\nRegardless of the season, photoaging and UV protection are key concerns in our industry. As one expert explained, the realization that sunscreen actives are a core reality behind the vast hype of antiaging is a recent phenomenon. While proving UV protection is a daunting task, as a recent lawsuit in California reminds us, the sun care market continues to grow with new combinations of raw materials and sun actives.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9709993004798889}
{"content": "Practices to control ammonia emissions associated\nwith livestock production can be applied to animal housing, manure\nand compost storage areas, and land where manure is applied. This\ndocument provides an overview of control practices for each situation,\nhighlights their advantages and disadvantages, and allows producers\nto make informed choices after evaluating production and economic\naspects of their operations. Note that not all practices that control\nammonia emission will result in odor control and vice versa, even\nthough ammonia is certainly associated with livestock production.\nDo you want to address ammonia emissions for your", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9777432680130005}
{"content": "I'm pedalling down the driver's lane of the dual carriageway with Jermaine Stewart blaring in my ear at 8.30am. But this isn't one of my anxiety dreams about losing control and being late for work. It's the very real – and far more enjoyable – experience I'm having with Bike Train, an innovative, volunteer-run project which operates group rides between central Brighton and Sussex University, along the notoriously busy A270.\n\"The idea came from the critical mass events I'd attended with my eight-year-old daughter,\" founder Duncan Blinkhorn tells me as we breeze past a bus stop of bemused onlookers. \"I realised what a safe space you can create on the roads when you are many.\"\nSo, with a handful of other volunteers, he launched the scheme in April 2010 to offer daily \"trains\" at peak times, with participants cycling two abreast, taking up one vehicle lane – \"we don't intend to hold up other road-users, but we do intend to be an assertive presence\" – in a sociable, safety-in-numbers formation.\nEvery ride – they've hosted over 400 so far – is accompanied by at least two trained marshalls, a big, bold sign, and some irresistibly funky tunes blasting out from a bike-mounted sound system. \"Passenger\" numbers range from four to 20, with an average of eight.\nThere is a cycle path along most of the 3.5-mile route, but it breaks up at several points – including the hair-raising Vogue gyratory, where riders must negotiate three fast-filtering traffic lanes – and at others becomes dangerously exposed, such as the Coldean turn-off where teacher Jo Walters was fatally struck by a van last July.\n\"The current provision is a disgrace,\" shouts Blinkhorn over the traffic. \"It's no wonder people feel too nervous to ride on this road, despite its convenience for two universities, several schools and businesses, and the forthcoming Falmer Stadium.\"\n\"Our aim is to reclaim road space for cyclists, in a positive and perfectly legal way,\" he continues later. \"We use a fun, 'just do it' approach to draw attention to serious issues about the need for wider bike lanes and raising safety measures above the bare minimum.\"\n\"There are typically 50,000 journeys made on this route each day, of which just 2% – around 1,000 – are by bicycle. We'd like to see that increasing to 10% – around 5,000.\"\nOther ambitions include holding more rides to special events – there was a 100-strong convoy for Lewes bonfire night last November, while 50 cycled to the Springwatch festival at Stanmer park last weekend – and expanding to school runs. \"The council has expressed a cautious interest in this, and we reckon motorists would be more respectful towards children,\" says Blinkhorn.\nHe's referring, no doubt, to the moment when a frustrated bus driver toots at us to get a move on. Panting at the back on my knackered Barracuda, I'm afraid it's yours truly who is holding us up.\nNevertheless, I'm in high spirits when we reach our destination, quite blown away by this devoted bunch of locals who head out in all weathers, every weekday, to encourage car-free commuting. They're helping cyclists of all ages and abilities – from foreign visitors unused to riding on the left, to accident victims who've lost their confidence – to feel safe, supported and empowered.\nTheirs is the only daily scheme of its kind, yet at the opposite end of the country, a similar initiative is in action. Staveley Biketrain operates monthly rides in rural Cumbria, where cyclists encounter rather different challenges – not so much busy highways as unlit country lanes, and, let's face it, a higher likelihood of heavy rain.\n\"We don't have music, but we do bring powerful lights and puncture repair kits,\" says Alistair Kirkbride, who co-runs the five-mile trips between Staveley and Kendal, and Staveley and Windermere. Journeys in both directions depart at 8am and 5.15pm, attracting a small but enthusiastic gang of pedallers.\n\"We're determined to show people that cycling is a viable way of getting to work,\" enthuses Kirkbride. \"One woman even gave her car up after trying the commute with us.\"\nIt's just one example of how these two projects, though small and run on shoestring budgets, are having powerful consequences, both for individuals and the cycling community as a whole. They're practical, sociable, visible and audible, and prove that biking to work can be an exhilarating joy, instead of an early-morning nightmare.\nCould you start a bike train in your area?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6958298683166504}
{"content": "Module Note\n2011\n(Revised from original 2011 version)\nInvestor Demand\nAbstract\nThis conceptual note describes a series of cases on the investor demand approach to investment strategy and management. The cases demonstrate how and why securities market dislocations are driven by non-fundamental demand. I use the cases to progressively build a decision making framework for active investing in public markets. This note serves as an extended guide to the ideas in the cases, and is aimed at instructors forming their own course in Behavioral Finance or Investment Management.\nKeywords: Investment;\nCitation:\nGreenwood, Robin. \"Investor Demand.\" Harvard Business School Module Note 211-101, April 2011. (Revised from original April 2011 version.)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.505359411239624}
{"content": "Description\n[Excerpt from authors]Background The growing AIDS epidemic in southern Africa is placing an increased strain on health systems, which are experiencing rising steadily patient loads. Health care systems are tackling the barriers to serving large populations in scaled-up operations. One of the most significant challenges in this effort is securing the health care workforce to deliver care in settings where the manpower is already in short supply.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9902336001396179}
{"content": "Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Inflammatory Mediators in Failing Implants\nYrjö T. Konttinen, MD, PhD / Jian Ma, DDS / Rejo Lappalainen, PhD /Pekka Laine, DDS / Uula Kitti, DDS / Seppo Santavirta, MD, PhD / Olli Teronen, DDS, PhD\nPMID: 16642902\nIt was hypothesized that peri-implant tissue around loosening dental implants may contain cytokines with a potential to regulate osteoclasts. Peri-implant and/or gingival samples from loosened implants, chronic periodontitis (CP), and normal controls (n = 10 samples in each group) were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining to observe tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin 1-alpha (IL-1a), IL-6, platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGF-A), and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-a). These cytokines were found in foreign-body giant cells, macrophages, fibroblasts, and epithelial cells. TNF-a, IL-1a, and IL-6 were increased (P < .05; unpaired t test) in peri-implantitis and CP, whereas PDGF-A and TGF-a were not. In conclusion, cytokines with a potential to activate osteoclasts were found in both peri-implantitis and CP, but the cytokine profiles differed in that IL-1a was the most prevalent cytokine in the former and TNF-a was the most common in the latter. These cytokines may contribute to peri-implant bone loss/loosening by stimulating formation and activity of osteoclasts and might be an amenable target for local therapies with cytokine modulators. (Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent 2006;26:135–141.)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7512161135673523}
{"content": "Standard Inventory - Furnishings Property Owners Should Include\nGuests choose furnished apartments and holiday homes for several reasons. Perhaps the most important reason guests choose this type of accommodation is for the typically wide range of domestic facilities and features included. It means the guest is able to carry on their usual domestic routines and really enjoy the accommodation.\nAs a property manager or holiday home owner, providing a comprehensive inventory is not only good for ensuring happy customers and repeat business but it also makes financial and safety sense.\nFor example, providing an ironing board ensures that clients don’t iron clothes on the dining table using a bath towel underneath. Similarly providing plastic storage containers will ensure that crockery or pots are not placed in the freezer.\nRent-A-Home provides a suggested standard inventory which we recommend as the minimum inventory of furnishings for corporate accommodation and for holiday rentals. Property managers may find the appropriate inventory may vary for a unique holiday rental property or luxury city apartment and property managers should use their discretion and judgement to provide appropriate inventory.\nTips for maintaining your inventory of furnishings and ensuring longevity and reduced risk of damage or injury include among other things:\n- regular cleaning - regular maintenance - protective covers or dust protectors - instructions for usage - insurance for valuable or sentimental items - record of inventory in a welcome/arrival folder\nSuggested Standard Inventory for a Furnished Property.\nLounge/ living room\n- Television – at least 51 cm diameter screen. - Lounge suite – 3 seat sofa and sofa beds preferred - Side table and lamps - Stereo/ music player - VCR, Cable TV (e) - DVD (e) - Computer/ Internet facility (e) - Display cabinet - Coffee table - Prints / Art work\nDining Room\n- Dining table - Dining chairs - Side board/ Servery (e) - Place Mats - Prints / Art work\nKitchen\n- Set of pots and pans, plus wok and oven baking dish - Crockery: plates, bowls, side plates, cups/mugs* Super strong non chip - Glassware: drinking glasses; wine glasses - Cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons* - Utensils: Chef knife set, spatula, tongs, wooden spoons, bottle opener, can opener, potato peeler - Electricals: refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, kettle - Serving dishes oven proof and suitable for the table - Salad bowls or mixing bowls - Chopping board (wooden or plastic), colander, baking trays - Storage containers e.g. Tupperware - Tea pot/ pouring jugs, coffee plunger - Linen: tea towels, cleaning cloths and sponges - Bin – foot pedal operated - Wine glasses, champagne glasses, vase, decanter, ice bucket (e) - Full dinner setting (e) - Vase x 2 - Fruit Bowl - Salt & Pepper Shaker - Serving Platter - Superior electrical equipment for luxury homes: bread maker, pressure cooker, jaffle maker, coffee percolator, electric fry pan (e)\nBedroom\n- Bed mattress with ensemble mattress or base - Two pillows for each sleeping space (ie Queen size bed 4 pillows) - Mattress protector and pillow protector - Linen: fitted sheet, flat sheet, quilt/ doona cover, additional pillow cases and blankets - Bedside table and bedside lamp - Alarm clock (in main bedroom) - Clothes drawers - Clothes hanging space - Waste paper bins - Prints / Art work\nBathroom\n- Shower and or bath - Vanity unit /sink - Linen provided by commercial linen service: towels, bathmat, hand towels, face towels* - Waste paper bins Laundry and Other Items\n- Iron - Ironing Board - Vacuum - Mop - Bucket - Dust pan - Telephone handset and prefer line available (local call connection available) – Protel or other service - Ashtray - Extension cord - International plug adaptor - Small toolbox containing at least: screwdriver set (essential) Notes:\n- * denotes one must be available for each occupant - all items must be in good condition and in working order - e denotes executive standard properties", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9962366819381714}
{"content": "Obama's re-election could very well mark a shift in American attitudes toward a more expansive role for the government,\nsays economist Edward Glaeser at\nBloomberg . Indeed, a more\nEuropean role for government.\nBut two characteristics peculiar to America hold such change back, according to Glaeser: our political institutions and our racial diversity. The checks and balances built into our Constitution and our non-proportional form of representation prevent a strong, centralized welfare state from emerging. At least very easily. And our ethnic diversity, a veritable rainbow\ncompared to northern Europe, undermines the sense of public solidarity required to\nimplement a broader welfare state.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.592215895652771}
{"content": "To investigate the contributions of amacrine cells (AC’s) to red-green opponency, a linear computational model of the central macaque retina was developed based on a published cone mosaic. In the model, AC’s of ON and OFF types receive input from all neighboring midget bipolar cells of the same polarity, but OFF AC’s have a bias toward M-center bipolar cells. This might arise due to activity-dependent plasticity because there are midget bipolar cells driven by S cones in the OFF pathway. The model midget ganglion cells receive inputs from neighboring AC’s cells of both types. As in physiological experiments, the model ganglion cells showed spatially opponent responses to achromatic stimuli, but they responded to cone isolating stimuli as though center and surround were each driven by a single cone type. Without AC input, L and M cones contributed to both the centers and surrounds of model ganglion cell receptive fields. According to the model, the summed AC input is red-green opponent even though individual AC’s are practically unselective. A key prediction is that GABA and glycine depolarize L OFF and M ON central midget ganglion cells; this may be reflected in lower levels of the chloride transporter KCC2 in their dendrites.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8800915479660034}
{"content": "by George Ball\nOctober closes with Halloween, the most misunderstood holiday, due to its roots not in horror but in rain. Just as seed is the first and the last—the seed and the fruit—so too are rains the alpha and omega of the growing season. Only after the dry heat of summer and early fall—unique to Western civilization, including the Mideast—do the rains (or snow) finally fall and prepare the earth for surviving winter and providing seed with the soil from which it can grow in spring.\nThe demons emerge on Halloween to show us, ironically, their marginal, subordinate status, and their submission to the rule of the natural, agricultural laws we must follow. They taunt us as we proceed at our work, to remind us that we must persist. Halloween is amusement, pure and simple.\nPerhaps its peculiar contemporary mode (“trick or treat!”) foreshadows the vulgarization of Christmas, when the children have the tables turned on them; they are scrutinized, measured and subjected to greater or fewer gifts at least in Santa’s traditional form. But, no matter: Halloween exists to mark not only the agricultural calendar in our collective memory but also the return of the rains of autumn and the moisture to the soil.\nIf you are fascinated by the alpha and the omega that distinguishes the world’s great religions, you need look no further than seed.\nWhile rain contributed to the evolution of plants it lacks the vivid quality of illustrating literally not only “the first and the last”, but also time itself. The seeds of flowering plants seem like the seconds of the earth’s cosmic clock—an endless flowering followed by the ticking and tocking of seeds fruiting, ripening and variously covering the expanse of our planet’s land surface.\nIndeed, mankind invented the calendar to organize and regulate seasonal sowing cycles which, in turn, are caused by the earth circling the sun.\nIf seeds are the seconds, annuals are the minutes, vines are the hours, perennials the days, shrubs the months, and trees the years: a perpetual clock devised by the proverbial invisible watchmaker.\nHowever, seeds—like seconds—are unique. Only brief and ephemeral moments contain the acts that change everything in our lives, from World War I to falling in love. Indeed, seeds remind me of the “alpha and omega” as figuratively expressed in the Judeo-Christian tradition. We plant them, as well as eat them. We transform them into bread, the staff of life. Seeds do not take energy—they give it. As tools for survival, seeds are perfect, as long as you store them carefully (water destroys them and mice love them).\nHappy Halloween!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6580601930618286}
{"content": "Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...\nGenerate a file for use with external citation management software.\nGraduate School of Business, Stanford University, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. ztormala@stanford.edu\nWhen people seek to impress others, they often do so by highlighting individual achievements. Despite the intuitive appeal of this strategy, we demonstrate that people often prefer potential rather than achievement when evaluating others. Indeed, compared with references to achievement (e.g., \"this person has won an award for his work\"), references to potential (e.g., \"this person could win an award for his work\") appear to stimulate greater interest and processing, which can translate into more favorable reactions. This tendency creates a phenomenon whereby the potential to be good at something can be preferred over actually being good at that very same thing. We document this preference for potential in laboratory and field experiments, using targets ranging from athletes to comedians to graduate school applicants and measures ranging from salary allocations to online ad clicks to admission decisions.\nYour browsing activity is empty.\nActivity recording is turned off.\nTurn recording back on\nNational Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9560624361038208}
{"content": "Many analysts have advocated using commodity prices as a guide for monetary policy. A necessary condition is that changes in commodity prices are good predictors of future aggregate price changes. This paper examines that proposition. It shows that while commodity prices can help produce more accurate inflation forecasts, the amount of improvement is small.\nAmanda L. Kramer\n(804) 697-8606", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5510730743408203}
{"content": "In Our Experience: Recommendations by Prisoner Rape Survivors to the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission is a publication derived from the first Prisoner Rape Survivor Summit conducted by Stop Prisoner Rape. Participants pointed out the vulnerability of certain individuals (physically and/or mentally disadvantaged; youthful offenders; smaller individuals; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning) and the legal responsibility of the criminal justice system to provide a safe and humane environment. Their recommendations emphasized the importance of classification, housing assignments, staff training, and the role of authorities in preventing and investigating sexual assaults to ensure the fundamental dignity and safety of incarcerated persons.\nPosted\nThu, Aug 30 2007 11:01 AM\nby\nCC Pro", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.972184956073761}
{"content": "Purée This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (August 2012)\nPurée and (more rarely) mash are general terms for cooked food, usually vegetables or legumes, that have been ground, pressed, blended, and/or sieved to the consistency of a soft creamy paste or thick liquid.[1] Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., mashed potatoes or apple sauce. The term is of French origin, where it meant in Old French (13th century) purified or refined .Purées overlap with other dishes with similar consistency, such as thick soups, creams (crèmes ) and gravies—although these terms often imply more complex recipes and cooking processes. Coulis (French for \"strained\") is a similar but broader term, more commonly used for fruit purées. The term is not commonly used for paste-like foods prepared from cereal flours, such as gruel or muesli; nor with oily nut pastes, such as peanut butter. The term \"paste\" is often used for purées intended to be used as an ingredient, rather than eaten.\nPurées can be made in a blender, or with special implements such as a potato masher, or by forcing the food through a strainer, or simply by crushing the food in a pot. Purées generally must be cooked, either before or after grinding, in order to improve flavour and texture, remove toxic substances, and/or reduce their water content.\nContents\nCommon purées [edit] Common purées include apples, plums, and other fruits smashed or mashed for their juice content.\nBaba ghanoush (eggplant) Bisque (shellfish) Champ Ful medames (fava beans) Hummus (chickpea) Legume soups such as pea soup, bean soup, lentil soup Purée Mongole (a mixed pea and tomato soup) Pimento (olives) These fruits and vegetables are often served as purées:\nApple Arracacha Carrot Cassava Pea Potato Pumpkin Rutabaga Squash, buttersquash, etc. Sweet corn Tomato Pickles See also [edit] References [edit] [edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Purée", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6672307848930359}
{"content": "This core value has been carefully re-examined and re-affirmed in the strategic planning process. Despite the escalating scholarship needs of today’s students, Swarthmore is committed to maintaining its need-blind admissions policies and to meeting families’ demonstrated need. But what does this require today and what might it mean as we plan for the future? Strategic Directions articulates the following objectives:\n• Raise funds specifically for financial aid to increase endowment support and expand to meet anticipated future needs. • Promote the liberal arts locally, nationally, and internationally with renewed vigor, affirming that Swarthmore’s commitment to access is essential for the best liberal arts experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7826558947563171}
{"content": "A group of experts has developed a checklist and flow diagram called the CONSORT Statement. The checklist is designed to help authors in the reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This systematic review aims to determine whether the CONSORT Statement has made a difference to the completeness of reporting of RCTs. Reporting of RCTs published in journals that encourage authors to use the CONSORT Statement with those that do not is compared. We found that some items in the CONSORT Statement were fully reported more often when journals encouraged the use of CONSORT. While the majority of items are reported more often when journals endorse CONSORT, the data only showed a statistically significant improvement in reporting for five of 27 items. No items suggest that CONSORT decreases the completeness of reporting of RCTs published in medical journals.\nNone of the evaluations included in this review used experimental designs, and their methodological approaches were mostly poorly described and variable when they were described. Furthermore, evaluations assessed the completeness of reporting of RCTs within a wide range of medical fields and in journals with a wide variation in the enforcement of CONSORT endorsement. Our results do have some limitations, but given the number of included evaluations and the number of assessed RCTs, we conclude that while most RCTs are incompletely reported, the CONSORT Statement beneficially influences their reporting quality.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5226770639419556}
{"content": "Industry-wide changes are causing automotive dealers, manufacturers and suppliers to take a close look at how to most effectively and efficiently market to customers. IBM® EMM solutions help automotive marketers acquire new customers, streamline marketing processes, and build ongoing relationships with existing customers throughout their ownership life cycle.\nBoost car sales and repeat purchases through timely relevant marketing messages. Leverage customer intelligence and rich analytics to better understand needs, wants and behaviors. With this understanding, automotive companies can determine the most effective and relevant communications for each individual over time. Leverage detailed customer behavioral data to deliver targeted marketing promotions, messages and offers across channels. As a result, your customers feel like you have created a unique experience especially for them. Increase marketing velocity through automation, best practices and collaboration. Streamline the end-to-end marketing process. IBM can enable you to create marketing programs with targeted offers and place relevant marketing messages about new makes, models or timely service options. Synchronize, coordinate and measure marketing efforts across channels - TV, radio, web, print and dealer's communications. Develop targeted cross-sell and up-sell campaigns for aftermarket services. Manage lead qualification, enrichment, distribution and maturation, and the feedback loop on leads shared with dealers. Automate dialogs that drive customer purchases and the car ownership life cycle with acquisition and retention initiatives to drive new model sales. Better predict when a customer is likely to purchase a new vehicle, so the company knows when to initiate a dialog around a new purchase, perform overall segment migration analysis; and identify customers whose lifetime value indicates it is time to migrate them to a higher priced brand.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.511642336845398}
{"content": "Bright Nights Community Forum: Talking Through Depression - What We Know about Effective Psychotherapy for Mood Disorders This event was held on January 26, 2010 at Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room Research has shown that \"combination treatment,\" both medication and therapy, is most effective for treating depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. However, with many different evidence-based therapy treatments currently in use, it can be difficult for a patient to know which mode of therapy would be the best fit for their particular needs.\nHeather Flynn, Ph.D., Asst. Professor and Director of Psychotherapy Services for the UM Department of Psychiatry, and member of the UM Depression Center, will present a brief overview of the latest research on evidence-based pscyhotherapy treatments. This will be followed by a discussion with panelists from the UM Depression Center including Joseph Himle, Ph.D., M.S.W., Assistant Professor, UM Department of Psychiatry and School of Social Work, and Todd Favorite, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry and VA Medical Center. They will be joined by Bruce Gimbel, M.D., from the St. Joseph Mercy Health System Department of Psychiatry. The discussion will include questions from the audience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8301254510879517}
{"content": "3707 W. Maple Rd Suite 201 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301-3212 Phone: 248-644-2701 ext 3336 Email: prudentecon@yahoo.com\nTwo graphs, demonstrating the relationship between key events, such as increasing the national debt ceiling and the rising price of gold.\nClick a thumbnail to view full-size image.\nA growing national debt causes a weak dollar, strong Euro, high gold and oil prices. Increasing the Federal Funds rate did not strengthen the dollar from 2004-2006. This disproves modern Economic theory.\nClick a thumbnail to view document.\nThis graph demonstrates that tariffs have an immediate and profound impact on equity markets. Markets discount future earnings and tariffs represent a tax on those earnings.\nClick a thumbnail to view document.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9832810163497925}
{"content": "Discover how to use essential oils including application methods and cautionary tips.\nPeople want to know how to make essential oils for various reasons. Essential oils can be highly beneficial to people in many ways. Although people can make their own essential oils, they need to have at least a rudimentary working knowledge of aromatherapy and herbology.\n5 popular essential oils for hair growth recipes with mixing instructions and precautions.\nExplore essential oils for acne prone skin that are the most effective with an example recipe.\nCan essential oils really be beneficial for weight loss? Explore recent diet fads.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8604982495307922}
{"content": "The influence of the clinically depressed state on personalityassessment was evaluated by comparing self-report personality inventoriesof patients while clinically depressed and at follow-up 1 year later. Theauthors examined two groups from the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH)-Clinical Research Branch Collaborative Program on the Psychobiologyof Depression: Clinical Studies--patients whose symptoms had completelyremitted and those who had not recovered. The clinically depressed statestrongly influenced assessment of emotional strength, interpersonaldependency, and extraversion. Assessment of rigidity, level of activity,and dominance did not change after symptomatic recovery.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5807939171791077}
{"content": "Small hearts can sometimes conceal big challenges, especially when it comes to congenital heart defects. As the mother of a baby born with this condition, I know firsthand. My son, Jonah, was born July 19, 2009, with numerous heart defects. A pulse-ox screening is what alerted the nurses and physicians that something was seriously wrong with our newborn. He was immediately flown to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where he underwent several open-heart surgeries before succumbing to his defects Aug. 6, 2009. Nearly one in three infants who die from birth defects have a heart defect. We could potentially save these tiny lives if more emphasis is placed on assuring newborns are appropriately screened for heart defects before being discharged from the hospital. By using a test called pulse oximitry, we can detect low oxygen levels in the blood — a significant indicator of heart issues in babies.\nRep. Kim Hammer, along with Rep. Charlene Fite and Rep. Andy Mayberry, has filed a bill that can help our young ones live longer and fuller lives. The bill is HB 1468, and it will require screenings for critical congenital heart defects by a pulse oximitry test that can pinpoint critical or possibly life-threatening heart conditions that might otherwise be missed. This simple, non-invasive test could significantly improve the outcomes for hundreds of Arkansas babies born with heart defects.\nI encourage the state Legislature to help give our children a healthy start in life by ensuring newborns are screened for congenital heart defects using pulse oximitry. So many young lives depend on it.\nWendy Cox\nCedarville", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8172821402549744}
{"content": "Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act\nKey Action: Interim Final Regulation\nThe Department's EBSA published joint interim final regulation on October 7, 2009 together with the Departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury. The interim final rules provide guidance and clarifications regarding GINA's statutory provisions.\nKey Concerns and Issues Addressed\nThe interim final regulation provides clarification regarding GINA's prohibition against discrimination in group premiums based on genetic information, its limitations on genetic testing, and its prohibition on collection of genetic information.\nBackground\nGINA expands the genetic information protections included in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA prevents a plan or issuer from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion provision based solely on genetic information, and prohibits discrimination in individual eligibility, benefits, or premiums based on any health factor (including genetic information).\nGINA provides that group health plans and health insurance issuers cannot base premiums for an employer or a group of similarly situated individuals on genetic information. (However, premiums may be increased for the group based upon the manifestation of a disease or disorder of an individual enrolled in the plan.) GINA also generally prohibits plans and issuers from requesting or requiring an individual to undergo a genetic test. However, a health care professional providing health care services to an individual is permitted to request a genetic test. Additionally, genetic testing information may be requested to determine payment of a claim for benefits. There is also a research exception that permits a plan or issuer to request (but not require) that a participant or beneficiary undergo a genetic test. Additionally, GINA prohibits a plan from collecting genetic information (including family medical history) prior to or in connection with enrollment, or for underwriting purposes. An exception is included for incidental collection, provided the information is not used for underwriting.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5159079432487488}
{"content": "Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is sponsoring H.R. 6575, the Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2012, with co-sponsors Billy Long (R-Mo.), Todd Akin (R-Mo.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The bill would provide guidance for medical necessity audits that include requiring physician validation for medical necessity denial of a claim, establish a limit for medical record requests, improve recovery auditor transparency and restore due process rights, improve auditor performance by implementing financial penalties, and permit denied inpatient claims to be billed as outpatient claims when appropriate, according to a letter AMA sent to Graves.\n“While the AHA has zero tolerance for real fraud and abuse, these recovery auditors are paid contingency fee payments, a potential conflict of interest, leading to concerns that they focus on claims and services that have the highest likelihood of error, in order to increase their fees,” the letter states. “Hospitals are experiencing a significant number of inappropriate denials amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in unjust recoupment payments for medically necessary care. According to AHA data, hospitals are successfully overturning RAC denials 75 percent of the time.”\nText of H.R. 6575 is available at congress.gov.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6941868662834167}
{"content": "This study revealed that the Igbo people, residing in the southeastern part of Nigeria, use mushrooms for food and medicine. On the average, each respondent consumes 8.64±3.70 species of mushrooms. Over 95% of the respondents consume edible mushrooms because of the taste, 86% use them as substitute for meat and fish, while 36.36% use some mushrooms for medicinal purposes. Pleurotus tuberregium, Termitomyces robustus, and Daldinia concentrica are used in ethno medicine among the Igbos.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7805368900299072}
{"content": "I blog often about the importance of food journaling. It wasn't until I started journaling that I was really able to get a grip on my nutrition and make the changes necessary to lose weight. Journaling forced me to be accountable for what I was eating and how much I was eating.\nThe days of consuming a 6 oz filet mignon pan fried in a tablespoon of butter (472 calories) were replaced by my handy George Foreman grill and a 3 oz petite filet (185 calories).\nI typically hear alot of moans and groans when I tell people they'll need to weigh and measure foods. The good news is that after a while, it becomes fairly simple to eye-ball portions.\nIn the meantime, here are a few guidelines you may find useful, courtesy of Cara Regas (MA, ATC, ACE certified), a strength and conditioning coach at Fitness Quest 10:\nGrains\n1 cup of cereal flakes - The size of a fist\n1 pancake/ waffle - A compact disc\n½ cup of cooked rice, pasta - ½ of a baseball or an ice cream scoop\n1 slice of bread - A cassette tape\nPotato - A computer mouse\nFruits and Veggies\nApple, pear, banana - A baseball\n1 cup mixed fruits - A tennis ball\n1 cup cooked veggies - A fist\n1 cup raw veggies - A rounded handful\nDairy\n2 oz low fat cheese - 2 domino's or 6 dice\n1 cup Low fat/ fat free milk or yogurt - A fist\nMeat and Beans\n3 oz fish, 1 chicken breast, ¼ hamburger patty - A deck of cards or palm of hand (no fingers)\n2 Tbsp Peanut Butter - A ping pong ball\n½ cup cooked legumes - An ice cream scoop\nTrain hard; stay strong.\nPeace.\nSusan\nIf you enjoy this article, please consider sharing it via your favorite social media, likeDigg,StumbleUpon, Twitter orKirtsy. Thanks!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9027172327041626}
{"content": "Authors: Jiao S, Hsu L, Berndt S, Bézieau S, Brenner H, Buchanan D, Caan BJ, Campbell PT, Carlson CS, Casey G, Chan AT, Chang-Claude J, Chanock S, Conti DV, Curtis KR, Duggan D, Gallinger S, Gruber SB, Harrison TA, Hayes RB, Henderson BE, Hoffmeister M, Hopper JL, Hudson TJ, Hutter CM, Jackson RD, Jenkins MA, Kantor ED, Kolonel LN, Küry S, Le Marchand L, Lemire M, Newcomb PA, Potter JD, Qu C, Rosse SA, Schoen RE, Schumacher FR, Seminara D, Slattery ML, Ulrich CM, Zanke BW, Peters U Abstract: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified a number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, these susceptibility loci known today explain only a small fraction of the genetic risk. Gene-gene interaction (GxG) is considered to be one source of the missing heritability. To address this, we performed a genome-wide search for pair-wise GxG associated with CRC risk using 8,380 cases and 10,558 controls in the discovery phase and 2,527 cases and 2,658 controls in the replication phase. We developed a simple, but powerful method for testing interaction, which we term the Average Risk Due to Interaction (ARDI). With this method, we conducted a genome-wide search to identify SNPs showing evidence for GxG with previously identified CRC susceptibility loci from 14 independent regions. We also conducted a genome-wide search for GxG using the marginal association screening and examining interaction among SNPs that pass the screening threshold (p<10(-4)). For the known locus rs10795668 (10p14), we found an interacting SNP rs367615 (5q21) with replication p = 0.01 and combined p = 4.19×10(-8). Among the top marginal SNPs after LD pruning (n = 163), we identified an interaction between rs1571218 (20p12.3) and rs10879357 (12q21.1) (nominal combined p = 2.51×10(-6); Bonferroni adjusted p = 0.03). Our study represents the first comprehensive search for GxG in CRC, and our results may provide new insight into the genetic etiology of CRC.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6686261892318726}
{"content": "Dr. DeMarree's research lies at the intersection of attitudes, social cognition, and the self. Projects examine (a) the mechanisms by which primes impact judgments and behavior, including their impact on the self, and meta-cognitive factors influencing priming effects; (b) the role of self-variables, such as self-affirmation and self-confidence, in persuasion; (c) predictors of attitude strength, and in particular subjective ambivalence, and (d) self-strength, or the factors predicting the durability and impactfulness of self-views.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9333913922309875}
{"content": "[en] Taking into account the close antigenic relationship between bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) and caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1), a live attenuated glycoprotein E (gE) negative BoHV-1 vaccine was assessed in goats with the aim to protect against CpHV-1 infection. Vaccine safety was evaluated by intranasal inoculation of two groups of goats with either a gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine or a virulent BoHV-1. The length of viral excretion and the peak viral titre were reduced with the gE-negative vaccine. To assess the efficacy, two goats were inoculated intranasally twice 2 weeks apart with a gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine. Four weeks later, immunised and control goats were challenged with CpHV-1. A 2 log(10) reduction in the peak viral titre was observed and the challenge virus excretion lasted 2 days more in immunised than in control goats. These data indicate the safety and the partial efficacy of a live attenuated gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine intranasally administrated in goats. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6012757420539856}
{"content": "While describing a Congressional Budget Office report that projects government spending on healthcare programs will \"more than double over the next decade,\" David Morgan of Reuters writes:\nMedicare, the federal healthcare program for the elderly, accounts for about half the projected growth, with Medicaid at roughly one-third and the remainder attributed to new federal subsidies to help lower income Americans purchase insurance under President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul.\nFar from being limited to \"lower income Americans,\" these new federal subsidies established under Obamacare will be given to individuals with incomes up to 400% of federal poverty guidelines. Using the 2011 poverty guidelines, this means the subsidies will go to households with annual incomes up to $55,590 for a family of three, $89,400 for a family of four, or $104,680 for a family of five.\nFor comparison, the median household income in 2011 was $49,445.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6198909282684326}
{"content": "by Lambert Schneider and Martin Cames - This report explores a sectoral crediting mechanism (SCM) for developing countries in a post-2012 UNFCCC climate regime. The report explores how a SCM could be implemented in practice. Different options for designing a SCM are identified and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Based on this analysis of options, a consistent policy framework for the introduction of a SCM under UNFCCC is proposed. The report focuses on a bottom-up approach where developing countries make proposals for implementing a SCM which are subsequently reviewed and agreed internationally. The report aims at facilitating the negotiation of such a mechanism under the UNFCC. Schneider, L. and M. Cames (2009). \"A Framework for a Sectoral Crediting Mechanism in a Post-2012 Climate Regime.\" Report for the Global Wind Energy Council Berlin, May 2009.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930478930473328}
{"content": "Covered or lined stents originally developed for the treatment of peripheral artery obstructive disease following balloon angioplasty have become a key tool in the clinician’s arsenal for minimally invasive peripheral therapies. Treatments include a wide range of vascular disease and lesions, aneurysms, dissections, failed PTA, stenosis, trauma, occlusions and fistulas.\nGore's VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis, the next generation vascular endoprosthesis, is an easy-to-use device which allows clinicians to reline patients' arteries to improve blood flow. The GORE® VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis deploys from the tip to the hub. The endoprosthesis is a self-expanding, nitinol stent lined with an ultra-thin ePTFE graft, and can be inserted percutaneously through the groin or upper thigh. This delivery method can reduce a patient's hospital stay to as little as one day.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7641252279281616}
{"content": "While the Iron Is Hot: Six Ways to Capitalize on Crises This paper discusses how business leaders can take advantage of this rare opportunity to make lasting improvements in the structure and operation of their organizations and to rethink how they perform as leaders. Based on direct feedback captured during a recent study of CEOs and senior executives of global corporations, these imperatives encourage leaders to avoid the risk of \"backsliding\" and capitalize on crises.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9699496030807495}
{"content": "By Koki Muli It was an interpretation of the Constitution, which is final and precise and aims to safeguard the supremacy of the Constitution. While relying on Schedule 6 of the Constitution for clarity; its core point of reference was the substantive provisions of Article 89 of the Constitution.\nIt didn’t aim to change or alter the content of the Constitution; it instead upheld it. The Constitution provides that Kenya shall have 290 constituencies, which if the High Court had not upheld, would have meant an amendment to the Constitution.\nThis ruling restores further confidence that the Judiciary will remain steadfast in its functions and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law. Although, there are a few people who may not be satisfied with the outcome of the ruling; it is important to note that, the High Court addressed itself to the fundamental questions touching on its core mandate of interpreting the Constitution.\nIn this regard, it has set the framework for interpreting the law, allowing express and clear provisions to retain their meaning thereby guaranteeing the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.\nKenyans are becoming very litigious because of our newly found confidence and trust in the Judiciary; we want to resolve all our conflicts, disputes and disagreements in the courts. We can’t do this because it will bog the Judiciary down.\nWhile the Constitution guarantees all of us the right to fair trial and our day in court, we must be careful not to become vexatious and frivolous litigants. Therefore, the Judiciary must firmly put a stop to unnecessary litigation.\nOf the three organs of the Government, the Judiciary seems to have taken the lead to provide strategic and even political leadership; for indeed, it was the Chief Justice who categorically stated that the Judiciary will fight in the trenches of reform to stand firm and ensure leaders who fail to meet the threshold of leadership integrity as set out in Chapter Six of the Constitution, are not allowed to run for public office.\nHe has promised the Judiciary will weed out individuals who do not meet integrity and leadership standards.\nSeems that there is no ambiguity regarding what the leadership of the Judiciary believes in; all the other courts must tow the line and end impunity and restore judicial integrity and clarity – the Judiciary should never again cede its power to interpret the law and guard the Constitution.\nThe Judiciary interprets, applies the law and resolves disputes and ensures the respect of the rule of law and equal justice for all. It is key guardian of the Constitution and the protector of human rights.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5207263827323914}
{"content": "You just bought your new home and the buying process with the Realtor, mortgage company and escrow service are all in motion. Packing is well under way and you have determined what you can live with over the next few weeks rather than packing everything in boxes. You have a closing date and everyone in the family is excited. Everything is a go, or so you think.\nThe exact date of escrow these days can sometimes shift by a day, a week or even several weeks. Where does that leave you? You presumably already have provided a moving date at the current residence, the utilities have been scheduled for disconnection and switched to your new location, items you use daily are in boxes and the moving company has been prepaid to show up on a predetermined day. Now, the moving date has been delayed a few weeks, the movers cannot show up on your new date, you lose your moving deposit, and you find yourself in transition — between homes — needing temporary storage.\nThis exact scenario took place with a family who had contracted with a traditional moving firm. Escrow was set to close and the move scheduled for the following day. The problem? Escrow was delayed with no confirmed date provided, leaving this family in limbo.\nDevastated, the family called PODS, to store everything until the new home closed, then had the PODS containers delivered to their new address.\nMoving can be stressful on families during this hectic time. If you are not exact on your date, or the date changes, PODS can accommodate moving and storage needs on your timeframe, leaving you in control of the move.\nTips to remaining flexible during a move:\nExpect the unexpected. A closing escrow date is never guaranteed until you have signed all documents and are officially presented with keys to your residence.\nPlan ahead when packing your home. Label each box clearly and keep a list of items in each box. If you need to retrieve items this will help to streamline efforts.\nDo not pack items you may need to use on a daily basis. Items to hold out until moving day include personal hygiene, medications, at least one week of clothing, phone books and a folder with all moving records.\nStay connected. Leave your home computer connected until the actual moving day to allow for important communication.\nLet there be light (and heat). Allow for overlapping services with electric, gas and other utilities to avoid shut-off while you are still in residence.\n(Steve Yapp has been a franchise owner of PODS — Portable On Demand Storage — for Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since May 2005. For more information, call 644-6503, or visit the Web site: http://www.pods.com/ventura.aspx.)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.583013117313385}
{"content": "This excerpt taken from the C 10-K filed Feb 22, 2008.\nWhile the major risk factors are described individually on the following pages, these risks often need to be reviewed and managed in conjunction with one another and across the various businesses.\nThe Chief Risk Officer, as noted above, monitors and controls major risk exposures and concentrations across the organization. Specifically, this means looking at like risks across businesses (risk aggregation) and looking at the confluence of risk types within and across businesses (risk convergence).\nDuring the course of 2007, including in the fourth quarter, Risk Management, working with input from the businesses and Finance, provided enhanced periodic updates to senior management and the Board of Directors on significant potential exposures across the Citigroup organization arising from risk concentrations (e.g., residential real estate), financial market participants (e.g., monoline insurers), and other systemic issues (e.g., commercial paper markets). These risk assessments are forward-looking exercises, intended to inform senior management and the Board of Directors about the potential economic impacts to Citi that may occur, directly or indirectly, as a result of hypothetical scenarios. These exercises are a supplement to the standard limit-setting and risk capital exercises described later in this section, as the risk assessment process incorporates events in the marketplace and within Citi that impact our outlook on the form, magnitude, correlation and timing of identified risks that may arise. In addition to enhancing awareness and understanding of potential exposures, these assessments then serve as the starting point for developing risk management and mitigation strategies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9763926863670349}
{"content": "Stuart Popham, Vice-chairman EMEA Banking at Citigroup gave a guest lecture to students at the University of Glamorgan this week.\nThe lecture ‘Professions: fit for the future?’ explored the role of professions within financial and professional services in an increasingly digital, urban and global market. He compared the percentages of people worldwide who had a mobile phone compared to those who had a bank account.\nHe suggested that in the near future people would be able to apply for a credit card or bank loan on an ATM – and be issued with the credit card there and then! His lecture was focused on the need for future professions to take on board the changing nature of doing business – particularly in relation to the increased digital, urban and global market.\nStuart considered a number of key skills as being necessary for the professions of the future – skills that were over and above being a subject knowledge expert. These included the need for good communication skills – written and oral; offering value for money for the service; and providing balanced advice – being honest and realistic without worrying a client or over dramatising (or under dramatising) a situation.\nDonna Whitehead, Head of Law, Accounting and Finance at Glamorgan said, “Listening to someone of Stuart’s calibre and experience speak is a fantastic opportunity for our students.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.785449206829071}
{"content": "Environmental tax reform: efficiency and political feasibility Abstract: Although market-based environmental measures like uniform CO2 taxes reach a given standard at minimal cost, they do not prevail in real world policies. An effciency oriented environmental policy fails, as it involves a redistributen of pollution rights, resulting in a strong and generally effective opposition of the groups that forego economic rents. The present paper analyzes the tradoff between efficiency and political feasibility of several CO2 tax and reimbursement schemes, using a computable general equilibrium model of Switzerland. The simulation results indicate that a policy combining a uniform CO2 tax with differentiated labor subsidies preventing intersectoral redistribution is a better solution for the tradeoff than the presently existing tax schemes in various countries.\nDieser Eintrag ist freigegeben.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5441441535949707}
{"content": "Filed under: Boomer's Health A broken toe is a common injury that most often occurs when you drop something on your foot or stub your toe.\nIn most cases, a broken toe can be immobilized by taping it to a neighboring toe. But if the fracture is severe — particularly if it involves your big toe — you may need a cast or even surgery to ensure that your broken toe heals properly.\nMost broken toes heal well, usually within four to six weeks. Less commonly, depending on the precise location and severity of the injury, a broken toe may become infected or be more vulnerable to osteoarthritis in the future.\nMost Viewed Most Emailed", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8565447330474854}
{"content": "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required prevention-based food safety plans – called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, or HACCP plans – for seafood-processing companies since 1997 and for juice companies since 2002.\nPlans for seafood and juice focus on how to prevent contamination rather than how to respond to it, unlike other food safety regulations.\nIn these written plans, domestic and foreign seafood and juice processors must identify biological, chemical and physical hazards that could result in unsafe food reaching consumers. The hazards include improper temperature control and use of contaminated water.\nOnce risks are identified, companies must define and implement ways to minimize or eliminate the chance of contamination.\nThese plans are key to guiding food safety practices in seafood- and juice-processing facilities.\nSeafood products, such as oysters and sushi, are often consumed raw and are more likely to make people sick.\nIn the decade before prevention-based safety plans were required for juice companies, juice was linked to at least 15 outbreaks in the U.S., according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children were victims in many of the outbreaks.\nIn 1996, apple juice contaminated with E. coli sickened 60 people in the U.S. and Canada. Half of the victims were under the age of 5, according to the CDC.\nThe 1996 outbreak along with others raised concerns among public health officials and consumers, prompting additional safety regulations for juice.\n“Some things have definitely improved, but the one thing that has dramatically improved is the awareness of things that can go wrong and how to prevent them,” said Dr. Steve Otwell, a professor at the University of Florida’s Aquatic Food Products Program and the National Coordinator for the Seafood HACCP Alliance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5456396341323853}
{"content": "Document Type Conference Paper\nRIS ID 35796\nAbstract Australia relies heavily on rail for the transportation of bulk commodities and passenger services, and has introduced faster and heavier trains in recent years due to a growing demand. Large cyclic loading from heavy haul and passenger trains often leads to progressive deterioration of the track. The excessive deformations and degradations of the ballast layer and unacceptable differential settlement or pumping of underlying soft and compressible subgrade soils necessitate frequent costly track maintenance works. A proper understanding of load transfer mechanisms and their effects on track deformations are essential prerequisites for minimising maintenance costs. The reinforcement of the track by means of geosynthetics leads to significant reduction in the downward propagation of stresses and assures more resilient longterm performance. The geocomposite serves the functions of reinforcement, drainage and separation, thereby reducing the vertical and lateral deformations. Stabilization of soft subgrade soils by using prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) is also essential for improving the overall stability of track and to reduce the differential settlement during the operation of trains. The effectiveness of using geocomposite geosynthetic and PVDs has been observed through field measurements and finite element analyses. These have been the first fully instrumented, comprehensive field trials carried out in Australian Railways, and it was very encouraging to see the field observations matching the numerical predictions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5344443917274475}
{"content": "Fun First, Message Second All At 4T2 we're passionate about putting fun at the heart of what we do. Entertainment and enjoyment are essential to capturing the fleeting attention of children online.\nThis doesn't mean that fun has to be frivolous. When children play games they are at their most engaged. They love the buzz of learning new skills and applying them with visible success. There's a strong desire to conquer challenges and share the glory with their friends. So, in the process of enjoying themselves, they focus, concentrate and learn.\nKids are also often more media savvy than we give them credit for. They quickly spot online campaigns that carry intrusive branding but lack real content. If you aren't providing a novel, creative or entertaining experience they will move on in seconds. So the marketer's traditional instinct to focus on hammering home their message will fail in front of this most critical of audiences.\nHowever, if you get the balance right and put fun first, then children will spend hours exploring and playing with the interactive worlds you create. They will often amaze you with the new ways they devise to interact with your content and the number of times they return to repeat an entertaining experience.\nThat is why at 4T2 we focus on fun first, message second.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9772338271141052}
{"content": "Impact of open crop residual burning on air quality over Central Eastern China during the Mount Tai Experiment 2006 (MTX2006)\n1Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25, Showa–machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0001, Japan2LAPC and NZC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10029, China3Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Kasuga Park 6–1, Kasuga 816-8580, Fukuoka, Japan4Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10029, China5National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16–2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan6Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China*now at: Asia Center for Air Pollution Research, 1182 Sowa, Nishi-ku, Niigata, JapanAbstract. The impact of open crop residual burning (OCRB) on O\n3, CO, black carbon\n(BC) and organic carbon (OC) concentrations over Central Eastern China (CEC;\n30–40° N, 111–120° E), during the Mount Tai Experiment in 2006\n(MTX2006) was evaluated using a regional chemical transport model, the\nModels–3 Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ). To\ninvestigate these pollutants during MTX2006 in June 2006, daily gridded OCRB\nemissions were developed based on a bottom-up methodology using land cover\nand hotspot information from satellites. This model system involving daily\nemissions captured monthly–averages of observed concentrations and\nday-to-day variations in the patterns of O3, CO, BC and OC at the\nsummit of Mount Tai (36° N, 117° E, 1534 m a.s.l., Shandong Province\nof the People's Republic of China) with high correlation coefficients\nbetween the model and observations ranging from 0.55 to 0.69. These results\nwere significantly improved from those using annual biomass burning\nemissions. For monthly-averaged O3, the simulated concentration of\n80.8 ppbv was close to the observed concentration (81.3 ppbv). The MTX2006\nperiod was roughly divided into two parts: 1) polluted days with heavy OCRB\nin the first half of June; and 2) cleaner days with negligible field burning\nin the latter half of June. Additionally, the first half of June was\ncharacterized by two high-pollution episodes during 5–7 and 12–13 June,\nseparated by a relatively cleaner intermediate period during 8–10 June. In\nthe first high-pollution episode, the model captured the high O3, CO,\nBC and OC concentrations at the summit of Mount Tai, which were associated\nwith OCRB over southern CEC and subsequent northward transport. For this\nepisode, the impacts of OCRB emissions on pollutant concentrations were\n26% (O3), 62% (CO), 79% (BC) and 80% (OC) at the summit of\nMount Tai. The daily OCRB emissions were an essential factor in the\nevaluation of these pollutants during MTX2006. These emissions have a large\nimpact not only on primary pollutants but also on secondary pollutants, such\nas O3, in the first half of June over northeastern Asia. The model\nreproduced reasonably well the variation of these pollutants in MTX2006, but\nunderestimated daily averages of both CO and BC by a factor of 2, when using\nemission data from almost solely anthropogenic fuel sources in the latter\nhalf of the observation period when field burning can be neglected.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7869779467582703}
{"content": "Bikur Cholim receives calls from patients or their families in Rockland, Westchester and Orange Counties, Northern New Jersey, and New York, requesting directed donor blood for patients in need of transfusions. Many patients feel more comfortable receiving blood products from a known source. With this in mind volunteer blood donors are ready to meet these requests at a moments notice.\nAlthough directed blood cannot be provided for emergency transfusions (up to a seven days may be required for processing of blood products), a patient undergoing scheduled surgery or chemotherapy can receive the necessary blood from donors who would direct their blood or platelets to the patient in need. Upon receiving the request for blood, the coordinator sets in motion all the necessary steps for the donation. Since each hospital has different requirements, the steps might differ for each patient. Hospitals, blood banks and donors must be contacted to set up patient files and schedule donor appointments. Often when the need is ongoing the same donors are used repeatedly creating an intangible yet inspiring bond between patient and donor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6457651257514954}
{"content": "Faced with the same threat, city and country birds do not react in the same way despite being from the same species. According to a new study, urban birds have changed their anti-predator behaviour in new environments.\nWhen a bird is faced with a predator, its only objective is to escape. However, city birds do not react in the same way as their countryside counterparts, despite being from the same species. Urbanisation plays an influential role in their survival strategies.\nTo study this phenomenon, Juan Diego Ibez-lamo, researcher at the University of Granada (UGR) and Anders Pape Mller from Paris-Sud University (France) analysed the escape techniques of 1,132 birds belonging to 15 species in different rural and urban areas.\nPublished in the Animal Behaviour journal, the results show that city birds have changed their behaviour to adapt to new threats like cats (their main predator in the city) instead of their more traditional enemies in the countryside, such as the sparrow hawk.\n\"When they are captured, city birds are less aggressive, they produce alarm calls more frequently, they remain more paralysed when attacked by their predator and they loose more feathers than their countryside counterparts,\" as explained to SINC by Juan Diego Ibez-lamo.\nThe surprising thing is that urbanisation is directly linked with these differences, which become more acute the earlier the former has taken place. This suggests that escape strategies evolve alongside the expansion of cities; a concept that is on the increase worldwide.\nAdapt or die in the territory of man\nLike the habitat of many animals and plants, the habitat of birds changes and fragments. Discovering how they adapt to transformations in their habitat is \"crucial\" for understanding how to lessen their effects. \"Predation change caused by city growth is serious,\" outlines Ibez-lamo.\nAs the scientist indicates, tactics a '/>\"/>\nContact: SINCinfo@agenciasinc.es\n34-914-251-820\nFECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology\nSource:Eurekalert\n0\nGOOD", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5442131161689758}
{"content": "We've had an exceptional response from UBC researchers contributing material for UBC Research Week, so even though this is the last official day, we're going to continue highlighting UBC Research next week.\nRuth worked with Dr. Andrew Riseman from the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems and David Bradbeer & John Hart of The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm for today's entry on sweet potato cultivar trials for Pacific Northwest production. Today's photographs are by David Bradbeer and are part of a set available on Flickr: Sweet Potato and UBC@Flickr.\nAndrew and David write:\n\"The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm (CSFS), within the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, promotes food system sustainability through research, teaching, and outreach activities. As part of their research activities, new crop evaluations are ongoing. The climate of the Pacific Northwest represents a challenge for growing many tropical and sub-tropical crops due to relatively low temperatures. However, many valuable crops fall within this category and if suitable genotypes were identified, could add important diversity to a production system. One crop currently under evaluation is sweet potato, a tropical plant in the genus Ipomoea (morning glory). However, short growing seasons can limit yield, especially in cultivars that require >120 days to reach maximum yield. Ideally, sweet potato cultivars that reach maturity early would be appropriate choices for small-scale farmers in the Pacific Northwest that wish to diversify the selection of vegetables they can offer to their clientele.\"\n\"Nine sweet potato cultivars were collected, propagated and grown at the CSFS in 2006 and 2007 as part of a pilot feasibility study. The cultivars evaluated included 'Excel', 'B18', 'T68', 'Georgia Jet', 'Georgia Jet Bicolour', 'Korean Purple', 'Owairaka Red', 'Toka Toka Gold', and 'Nancy Hall'. Results indicated that sweet potatoes can be grown in this climate but that significant challenges remain including heat unit accumulation (i.e., time to maturity) and soil-pest management. Therefore, the 2008 trials focused on evaluating earliness and wire-worm resistance of the eight best cultivars from the previous seasons.\"\nRuth adds: Wireworm is a stage in the lifecycle of a group of beetles called the click beatles, from the family Elateridae.\nAndrew and David continue: \"In 2008, the trial compared yields from plants harvested at 90 and 120 days after planting. Initial results indicate significant differences among cultivars and that some were sufficiently suited to short season growing (i.e., those that produced a marketable amount of biomass before 90 days), and therefore appropriate for small-scale production in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, several remaining challenges were identified and include: the propagation of planting stock, the cost-effective use of clear plastic mulch to provide essential early-season soil heating, management of wire worm infested soils to avoid excessive root damage, and the establishment of climate-controlled systems for curing the roots after harvest.\"\n\"This sweet potato project represents real-world agroecology in action. Small-scale crop evaluations such as this present an ideal opportunity to train the professionals needed to assess, restructure, and develop the cropping systems of the future. However, much work remains for both assessing the role of sweet potatoes in the Pacific Northwest crop rotations but also in designing truly sustainable production systems and training those who will manage them.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9283229112625122}
{"content": "Needle stick injuries are a preventable health risk, and the city is taking the following actions to protect city employees from this risk. We ask for your cooperation in this education program.\nWhen disposing of used syringes and other sharps, city residents may use any of these options recommended by the EPA.www.epa.gov/epaoswer/medical/disposal/node/147 and www.epa.gov/epasower/othermedical/med-govt.pdf\n1. Use a home needle destruction device that clips, melts or burns the needle and allows the resident to throw the syringe or plunger in the garbage without the risk to the collection crews. These are available for purchase at your pharmacy.\n2. Use a sharps collection container purchased at your pharmacy. It may be placed in the refuse collection or some sharps containers have a mail back label.\n3. Place all sharps, lancets, and syringes in a stiff plastic container such as a bleach bottle, seal the lid, mark the container as sharps and place in the garbage NOT recycling.\nWe ask your cooperation in keeping the city crews safe by using one of the disposal options listed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6252582669258118}
{"content": "(MENAFN Press) The Venezuelan personal accident and health insurance segment accounted for the second-largest premium share of the overall insurance industry during the review period (2007’2011). In the presence of rising healthcare expenditure and mandatory health insurance for retirees, the disabled and low-income families, the health insurance category increased at a CAGR of 34.1% during the review period. The Venezuelan health insurance category led the personal accident and health insurance segment with a market share of 95.4% during the review period. Over the forecast period (2012’2016), consumer awareness, with regards to health insurance, is anticipated to be backed by rising healthcare expenditure and is expected to drive the segment. Inadequate public healthcare service The Venezuelan public healthcare service declined during the review period, having previously been one of the most comprehensive and well funded in the region. The decline in public healthcare services supported the growth of private healthcare coverage. In such a mature market it becomes difficult for insurance companies to increase their market share. Considering such growth, Venezuelan health insurance accounted for 95.4% of the segment, posting CAGR of 34.1% during the review period and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.5% over the forecast period. Insurance brokers expected to remain the largest distributers The segment's distribution system was led by brokers during the review period. Although their market share decreased marginally during the review period, it is expected to grow over the forecast period. The channel is also anticipated to remain the largest distribution channel in terms of gross premium new business over the forecast period. Brokers accounted for a market share of 55% in 2007, which decreased to 54.5% in 2011 yet is projected increased to 54.8% in 2016. Rising healthcare cost The Venezuelan population increased from 26 million in 2007 to 28 million in 2011, at a CAGR of 1.5%, whereas, the nation's healthcare expenditure increased at a CAGR of 15.2% during the same period. A rise in the nation's population is expected to support the growth of the segment over the forecast period. In addition, per capita healthcare expenditure grew at a CAGR of 13.5%, and is anticipated to grow over the forecast period. Timetric To purchase the full version of Personal Accident and Health Insurance in Venezuela, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2016, please click here Timetric is an independent economic and business research firm providing critical intelligence on emerging economies and key global industries. It provides detailed economic and sector intelligence, business insights and independent authoritative commentary. Each year Timetric produces hundreds of high-quality research reports across numerous countries, industries and companies. These reports draw on in-depth primary and secondary research, proprietary data, and high-quality modelling and analysis to give deep insight into global market dynamics and economic trends. If you are interested in purchasing this research, please click on the following link: http://www.menafn.com/research/research_rp_details.asp?rp_id=5908", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8570887446403503}
{"content": "MUD-SLINGING has broken out among ecologists over a study suggesting that climate change might not spread tropical diseases far and wide after all. When the paper triggered an uproar, editors at the journal Ecology decided to publish not one but six responses alongside the original research. The collection appears in the April issue.\nMany disease researchers have warned that rising global temperatures could lead to more disease, for example by allowing tropical diseases to expand their ranges into what are now temperate regions. This is a particular fear for insect-borne diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness.\nBut the reality is more complex, argues Kevin Lafferty, a disease ecologist at the US Geological Survey's Western Ecological Research Center in Santa Barbara, California. He argues that a warming climate could favour some diseases in certain regions while inhibiting them in others.\nLafferty does not deny that climate change ...\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9322820901870728}
{"content": "On August 27, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (\"IRS\") issued Notice 2010-60 (the \"Notice\") which provides the highly-anticipated initial insights into how the U.S. Treasury Department (\"Treasury\") and the IRS are approaching the implementation of certain sections of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (\"FATCA\").\nThe Notice is the first step in the efforts of the IRS and Treasury to accelerate the publication of preliminary guidance to allow affected persons time to implement the systems and processes necessary to comply fully with the new withholding, documentation and reporting obligations resulting from FATCA.\nThis whitepaper provides an executive summary of the key points contained in the Notice, as well as a more in-depth analysis on the five sections outlined in the Notice with a Glossary of defined terms.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7511024475097656}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Nonrigid registration of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for group analyses and building white matter and fiber tract atlases. Most current diffusion MRI registration techniques are limited to the alignment of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. We propose a novel diffeomorphic registration method for high angular resolution diffusion images by mapping their orientation distribution functions (ODFs). ODFs can be reconstructed using q-ball imaging (QBI) techniques and represented by spherical harmonics (SHs) to resolve intra-voxel fiber crossings. The registration is based on optimizing a diffeomorphic demons cost function. Unlike scalar images, deforming ODF maps requires ODF reorientation to maintain its consistency with the local fiber orientations. Our method simultaneously reorients the ODFs by computing a Wigner rotation matrix at each voxel, and applies it to the SH coefficients during registration. Rotation of the coefficients avoids the estimation of principal directions, which has no analytical solution and is time consuming. The proposed method was validated on both simulated and real data sets with various metrics, which include the distance between the estimated and simulated transformation fields, the standard deviation of the general fractional anisotropy and the directional consistency of the deformed and reference images. The registration performance using SHs with different maximum orders were compared using these metrics. Results show that the diffeomorphic registration improved the affine alignment, and registration using SHs with higher order SHs further improved the registration accuracy by reducing the shape difference and improving the directional consistency of the registered and reference ODF maps. IEEE transactions on medical imaging. 12/2010; 30(3):747-58.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7761765122413635}
{"content": "How can a CSRP credential Benefit you professionally?\nRoof Integrated Solar Energy (RISE) evaluates and certifies solar energy installers for knowledge regarding critical roof construction and maintenance practices necessary to support successful rooftop solar energy.\nRedefining the industry’s role in solar energy RISE and the Certified Solar Roofing Professional (CSRP) credential program benefit roofing professionals by:\nDemanding a higher standard for all rooftop solar installations Providing a distinguished, nationally recognized professional credential that can enhance your career Satisfying consumers by protecting their roofing and solar investments Increasing the number of successful rooftop solar installations Providing the public with tools to identify skilled rooftop solar energy professionals Promoting a healthier roofing industry by differentiating between those who understand how to integrate those systems with the roof safely and effectively from those who simply understand PV systems Ensuring roof-mounted PV system work is overseen by individuals who are knowledgeable and experienced in roofing and PV system technologies, safety and construction processes Providing you with a competitive edge A CSRP credential benefits you directly by:\nExpanding your rooftop solar integration knowledge Improving your job performance Providing tangible evidence of your knowledge for employers and consumers Differentiating between you and unqualified installers Giving you and your organization a competitive edge in a growing field Taking an integrated approach The CSRP credential evaluates whether candidates have the underlying knowledge required for a successful roof-mounted PV system installationone that recognizes the importance of both the roof system and the PV system for a building's value and uninterrupted use. The credential does not attempt to convert roofing professionals into electricians or PV system engineers.\nCandidates will be asked to demonstrate basic knowledge about different PV system types and key components, benefits and risks applicable to building owners, PV systems' integration with a building’s electrical system, installation guidelines, building codes and post-installation considerations.\nAre you qualified to become a CSRP? Review the process and the requirements now.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.599746584892273}
{"content": "Corporate law deals the formation and operations of corporations and is related to commercial and contract law. A corporation is a legal entity created through the laws of its state of incorporation, treating a corporation as a legal \"person\" that has standing to sue and be sued, distinct from its stockholders. Corporations are taxable entities that are taxed at a lower rate from individuals. Until formally dissolved, a corporation has perpetual life; deaths of officials or stockholders do not alter the corporation's structure. State laws regulate the creation, organization and dissolution of corporations. Many states follow the Model Business Corporation Act. States also have registration laws requiring corporations that incorporate in other states to request permission to do in-state business.\nThere are also federal laws relevant to corporations. For example, Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933, which regulates how corporate securities are issued and sold. Corporations in certain industries are subject to federal reglation and licensing, such as comunications and public transportation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9215086102485657}
{"content": "Date of Award 7-17-2009\nDegree Type Closed Thesis\nDegree Name Master of Arts (MA)\nDepartment Psychology\nFirst Advisor Gabriel P. Kuperminc, Ph.D - Chair\nSecond Advisor Lisa P. Armistead, Ph.D\nThird Advisor James G. Emshoff, Ph.D\nAbstract Despite decreasing rates of teen pregnancy within the U.S., rates remain high for African American girls (Guttmacher Institute, 2006). Comprehensive youth development programs aim to address teen pregnancy. This study examined the role of natural mentors in relation to participation in Cool Girls, Inc. and girls’ sexual efficacy among middle school girls. Furthermore, the quality of natural mentor relationship was assessed. Results provide no support that participation in the program and the presence of a natural mentor significantly affects sexual efficacy. Furthermore, the quality of natural mentor relationship did not significantly increase girls’ sexual efficacy. However, while not explicitly hypothesized, older girls reported significantly higher sexual efficacy. Limitations and strengths of the study are discussed. Directions for future research and intervention are suggested.\nRecommended Citation Ogley-Oliver, Emma J. F., \"Natural Mentors and African American Girls' Sexual Efficacy\" (2009). Psychology Theses. Paper 60. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_theses/60", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9653942584991455}
{"content": "COS 60-8: Context-dependent variation in a plant-pollinator mutualism\nSuann Yang, Matthew J. Ferrari, and Katriona Shea. The Pennsylvania State University\nBackground/Question/Methods In the plant-pollinator mutualism, both species that are involved benefit to some degree. This benefit, however, can vary in strength both spatially and temporally. We examined the relationship between the plant-pollinator interaction and ecological context for two species of invasive thistles, Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, in pure and mixed constructed arrays of different densities and sizes in the field. We recorded pollinator movements within each array, and considered the fitness consequence of these movements for both plant species. Interactions between invasive species are relatively understudied; thus examining their indirect interactions through their shared pollinators is of particular importance.Results/Conclusions Preliminary results reveal that the visitation behavior of insect pollinators varied with the distribution of flowering plants. Visitation rate to pure C. acanthoides arrays was higher than that to pure C. nutans arrays, with mixed arrays receiving an intermediate rate of visitation. Within arrays, the number of flower heads (display size) of an individual was a much stronger predictor of visitation than the distance between plants. In pure C. acanthoides arrays, pollinators preferred to visit plants with larger displays; however, there was no apparent preference for display in pure C. nutans arrays or the mixed arrays. Instead, in mixed arrays, pollinators preferred to visit C. acanthoides individuals regardless of display size. In mixed arrays, the average duration of a visit to a C. nutans flower head decreased compared to in pure C. nutans arrays. In contrast, visits to C. acanthoides flower heads, the preferred species, were the same in single species and mixed arrays. Thus, when C. acanthoides is present, C. nutans experiences not only reduced visitation but also decreased duration of visits, while C. acanthoides is relatively little affected by the presence of C. nutans. Understanding the change in pollinator foraging behavior with ecological context can shed light on patterns of variation in the strength of a particular plant-pollinator mutualism. For our two invasive thistles, these shifts in pollinator behavior may potentially reduce the fitness of C. nutans in the presence of its congeneric invader C. acanthoides, with repercussions for its invasion success.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6915577054023743}
{"content": "Kinderman, Peter and Lobban, Fiona (2000) Evolving Formulations:sharing complex information with clients. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 28 (3). pp. 307-310. ISSN 1352-4658\nAbstract Psychological formulations are central to cognitive behavioural approaches. The use of such formulations presents a number of difficulties when working with clients with psychotic problems. Despite this, sophisticated psychological formulations can be collaboratively developed with psychotic clients. This paper presents one method of developing such formulations through an evolutionary process. Early in the therapeutic process, simple formulations involving straightforward theoretical models are presented, which are systematically elaborated as therapy proceeds. This involves developing, collaboratively with clients, successive layers of formulation. Each of these layers builds on and incorporates the previous one, yet involves an incremental increase in complexity, depth and informational content. The evolutionary process is illustrated with a case example.\nActions (login required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9878117442131042}
{"content": "Research During the process of our project research, we found some information on Listeria itself and how it can manifest.\nListeria Listeria is bacterial genus that has seven species. It is the main cause of the moderately rare bacterial infection Listeriosis. Listeriosis is a potentially fatal human disease that affects mainly pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. It is an intracytoplasmic bacterium, meaning that it enters the cell and takes over its organelles.\nManifestation Listeria is often found in soil, which, in turn, can lead to contamination of vegetables. Uncooked meats, raw vegetables, unpasteurized milk, food made from unpasteurized milk, processed food, and fruits such as cantaloupes can often manifest the bacteria. It can often enter into the soil from the clearing out of roots in the ground by livestock. Since animals can be carriers, it is often that contamination occurs with contact form the mouth or from the animal’s deposits.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8160755634307861}
{"content": "Effects of corn processing with or without the inclusion of wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) on growth and performance were analyzed in two experiments. Treatments for both experiments were a diet including 47% whole-shelled corn (WSC) with no WCGF (WSC/0WCGF), a diet including 29% WSC with 30% WCGF (WSC/30WCGF), a diet including 47% dry-rolled corn (DRC) with no WCGF (DRC/0WCGF), and a diet with 29% DRC with 30% WCGF (DRC/30WCGF). Exp. 1 used 279 crossbred calves (230 kg) that were allocated to treatments in a 2x2 factorial completely randomized block design. No corn processing effects (all P > 0.31) were observed. Final BW was increased when WCGF was included in the diet (P = 0.03). ADG was increased for diets with WCGF (P = 0.03). Efficiency was not affected by the incorporation of WCGF in the diet. Digestibility of DM (P = 0.006) and starch (P = 0.009) was increased by the dietary inclusion of WCGF. There were no benefits observed for processing corn, but including WCGF at 30% (DM) increased gains and overall performance. Exp. 2 was a digestibility experiment using 5 ruminally cannulated Holstein heifers (248 ± 13 kg BW) in a 4 × 4 Latin square with an additional animal that was administered the same treatment sequence as another heifer on trial. No corn processing effects were observed for DM, starch, and ADF intake (all P ≥ 0.09). Dietary WCGF inclusion increased starch, non-starch and ADF intake (all P ≤ 0.01). Digestibility of DM, starch, non-starch, and ADF was not affected by corn processing, but DM, non-starch, and ADF digestibility were increased by WCGF inclusion in the diet (P ≤ 0.03). Ruminal pH was not affected by corn processing (P = 0.90) or dietary WCGF inclusion (P = 0.09). No corn × WCGF interactions were detected. There also was no difference among VFAs or total VFA concentration (all P ≥ 0.12) for corn processing effects. Passage rate (%/h) and ruminal liquid volume was not affected by corn processing or dietary WCGF inclusion (all P ≥ 0.66).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6288340091705322}
{"content": "A Tough Calculation\nWhy don't more women enter the male-dominated profession of engineering? Some observers have speculated it may be due to the difficulties of balancing a demanding career with family life. Others have suggested that women may not rate their own technical skills highly enough.\nHowever, a recent paper co-authored by MIT social scientist Susan Silbey, based on a four-year study of engineering students at four schools, offers a different story.\nRead more from the MIT News Office.\nThis research has also been covered here:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.942478358745575}
{"content": "The U.S. Consumer Product SafetyCommossion (CPSC) warns that older brass flexible gas connectors are dangerous and should be removed. These gas connectors are made of brass, are uncoated, and can crack or break leading to a fire or explosion. They were most often used behinds gas kitchen ranges, ovens and dryers.\nThese gas connectors have not been manufactures for about 30 years, but a few may still exist. The brass fittings on the gas connectors were soldered onto the corrugated brass tube. The CPSC believes the solder can fail that will result in a gas leak,\nCPSC also recommends that all fuel burning appliances be inspected annually to avoid fires and to help guard against carbon monoxide poisoning. Consumers with questions about gas connectors can call the CPSC hotline at (800) 638-2772.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5425159335136414}
{"content": "Last week's snowstorm in various sections of the state resulted in at least one roof collapse on a pig barn in southern Minnesota due to the accumulation of snow and ice.\nResidential roofs can also sustain damage from the snow load.\nFor example, ice dams can form after heavy snowfalls followed by near-freezing temperatures. Snow melts down the roof slope and refreezes near the edge. Melt water builds up behind the ice dam and seeps into the home damaging drywall, carpeting and sometimes even collapsing ceilings.\nIn homes, the key to preventing ice dams is to keep the attic as close to the outside temperature as possible. Insulating the attic floor can accomplish this, and roof vents allow warm air to escape from the attic. Soffit vent allow cold air to enter the attic.\nSometimes the only option is to remove snow from the roof. Clearing the bottom six feet allow water to reach the drains and drain to the ground.\nA person standing on the ground can use a roof rake to pull off snow.\nA press release issued by Larry Jacobson and Kevin Janni, professors and agricultural engineers with University of Minnesota Extension, noted that on agricultural buildings, removing snow from a roof requires physically getting up on the roof and pushing the snow off with a shovel or broom. They said it's important to use ladders, safety ropes and take necessary precautions. When using a snow rake, be careful near overhead electrical power lines. Also, avoid excessive scraping on the roof or trying to chip off ice. These practices can damage the roof and lead to a leaky roof.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9213842153549194}
{"content": "These brief but potent books are welcome additions to the conversation about the thorny relationship between faith, depression and mental illness. In an era when polarizing stances are demanded of us—Do you believe in pharmaceuticals or in faith?—these books are appealingly modest and practical, relying not on intractable ideologies but on shared stories and voices of experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9959678649902344}
{"content": "When to Prune Back Trees & Shrubs The pruning of shrubs and trees is ideally done in the spring, not in the fall. Evergreen shrubs, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, yews, and hollies, continue to need their green leaves to conduct photosynthesis through the winter, so no green foliage should be removed before and during this time. Deciduous shrubs should also be pruned in the spring, simply because it is wise to wait until spring to remove any branches which may be damaged during winter. Summer is not a good time to heavily prune shrubs and trees for the reason that the majority of new growth on all trees and shrubs occurs during spring months, not during the summer.\nThe timing of pruning trees and shrubs also affects flowering of these plants, particularly those plants that flower only in the spring. Spring-only flowering shrubs and trees such as azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs, and dogwoods should be pruned back as soon as all blooming ceases and no later than the middle of July. This is because these plants create their blooms starting in late July, August and September. Pruning after July risks removing flower wood already created during these months. Once created, these flowers will be lost for the following spring. However, shrubs and trees that bloom in the summer will only flower on new wood and blooming is not affected by pruning in any season.\n“Ever-blooming” shrubs, such as roses, should be pruned well in early spring, and may be pruned lightly in the summer during the breaks in the blooming cycle. Roses bloom in cycles, up to about six cycles per growing season. These cycle breaks are resting periods when roses finish one cycle and use this break to produce new foliage, which will set blooms for the next cycle.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6835905313491821}
{"content": "Taming the Market Turmoil: Key Risks and Responses for Asset Managers Source: Ernst & Young\nDealing with the market crisis and its immediate challenges is the top risk for asset managers in 2009. This involves preserving capital and reevaluating risk management capabilities and controls - while maintaining the business. However, other strategic risks warrant the attention of both traditional and alternative asset managers as they manage risk, enhance operational effectiveness and identify opportunities. How should firms prioritize these myriad anxieties and take steps to head them off? The following is a summary based on observations included in The 2009 Ernst & Young business risk paper: asset management.\nFormat: Size: 106.08 Date: Aug 2009", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9941167831420898}
{"content": "The four-way stop at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Liberty Street in downtown Warren has drawn the ire of motorists and pedestrians alike.\nDrivers don't like the congestion that can result, and pedestrians have expressed concern about getting hit.\nBut how is it actually supposed to work?\nReading from the vehicle code, City of Warren Police Sgt. Brandon Deppen said on Wednesday, \"When two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right.\"\nSo, for example, if you're driving south on Liberty Street and a vehicle traveling east on Pennsylvania Avenue stops at the intersection at the same time, by law, you have the right of way.\nStop sign rules also help clarify the situation.\n\"Every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop at a clearly marked stop line\" or cross walk line, the code states. If no line exists, a vehicle is to stop \"at a point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a clear view of the intersecting roadway before entering.\"\nDeppen explained that if a motorist still does not have a clear view after stopping, according to the code, \"The driver shall, after yielding the right of way to any pedestrians in the crosswalk, slowly pull forward from the stopped position to a point where the driver has a clear view of approaching traffic.\"\nBut just because vehicles have to yield to pedestrians, it doesn't mean pedestrians don't have responsibilities. The code says, \"No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close as to constitute a hazard.\"\nThe meaning? It's possible for a pedestrian to get hit in a crosswalk and still be at fault.\n\"If they run out in front of someone who stopped, they (pedestrians) can be at fault,\" Deppen said. \"They still have to exercise care as a pedestrian.\"\nDeppen said the police department has not had any reportable accidents at the intersection involving vehicles or pedestrians. \"We have had complaints of near misses from people,\" he added.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6319756507873535}
{"content": "Principals and Managers play an important role in promoting employee wellbeing and positive working relationships. Identification of employees with early signs of stress enables prompt referral to the employee assistance service for counselling support and advice.\nThe Employee Assistance Service is delivered by Employee Advisors located in each Region and through an outsourced service provider for employees for Central Office, Online Learning (previously known as AccessEd) and Disability Support Services Unit.\nContact details for accessing the Employee Assistance Service are available.\nPrincipals, like any other employee, may benefit from the confidential counselling and psychological health advice provided through the Employee Assistance Service. However, for advice and assistance with performing the role of a Principal, a Principal Connect service has been established. This service is delivered by a diverse network of 36 practising Principals from across the state who are available to contact and share their experience and skills. The service does not provide counselling services, but provides practical assistance in a confidential environment.\nThis page was last reviewed on 27 Sep 2011", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.607314944267273}
{"content": "After unprotected sex, the most effective method of emergency contraception (EC) is the copper intrauterine device (IUD), according to findings from an intervention review and meta-analysis.1 However, the copper IUD also is arguably the least convenient method.\nTo determine which method of EC after unprotected sex is the most effective, safe, and convenient, researchers analyzed 100 randomized controlled trials, 86 of which were conducted in China, that involved a total of 55,666 women.\nAll EC methods are safe when used as directed. For the oral medications, researchers found that both mid-dose (25-50 mg) and low-dose (< 25 mg) mifepristone(Drug information on mifepristone) were significantly more effective than levonorgestrel(Drug information on levonorgestrel). However, the significance was marginalized when only high-quality studies were used. In general, the moderate and low doses of mifepristone had similar effectiveness, but women who took the moderate dose were more likely to have menstrual delay, which is the most common adverse effect of mifepristone, according to the authors.\nWhen taken within 72 hours after intercourse, ulipristal acetate was marginally more effective than levonorgestrel. The effectiveness of mifepristone and ulipristal acetate did not seem to be affected by the time to administration after intercourse, whereas levonorgestrel was significantly more effective at preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours after intercourse than when taken 3 days or more after unprotected sex.\nA single 1.5-mg dose of levonorgestrel was just as effective as the standard regimen of the drug, which is two 0.75-mg doses of levonorgestrel given 12 hours apart, and the time between intercourse and treatment did not affect effectiveness when directly compared with the timing of the standard regimen. The Yuzpe method—a combination of oral contraceptives that contain levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol(Drug information on estradiol) taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex—was the least effective method of EC.\nEstrogen-containing regimens were more likely to cause nausea and vomiting, and progestogen-containing and antiprogestogen-containing methods were more like to alter the menstrual cycle. Menstruation occurred sooner than expected among those who used levonorgestrel and later than expected among those who used ulipristal acetate.\nThe copper IUD is the most effective method of EC and the only method with the added benefit of providing ongoing contraception once placed. However, it’s the least convenient method of EC, requiring placement by a gynecologist, nurse practitioner, or certified midwife. Not all providers have received training for insertion of IUDs, and those who have may not have any open appointments during the 72-hour postcoital window.2 It is also relatively expensive up front, costing uninsured women $500 to $1000 and up,3 but considering that the copper IUD can be used for up to 10 years, this method is highly cost-effective.\nPertinent Points: - The most effective but least convenient method of emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex is the copper intrauterine device. - The most effective orally administered emergency contraception is mifepristone, but all types of emergency contraception are safe when taken as directed and considered effective, especially when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.536274790763855}
{"content": "Jerzy Grotowski's First Lecture at the Collège de France by Allen J. Kuharski\n..It was announced that Polish stage director and theorist Jerzy Grotowski (b. 1933) would be given a chair at the prestigious Collège de France in Paris. In addition to the honorific nature of the position, each faculty member of the Collège is expected to give a series of public lectures over several years. Past faculty have included Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, whose lectures helped to define an era in French intellectual life. Grotowski's inaugural lecture on March 24, 1997, was at once laden with historical symbolism and a sign of change in the institution's traditions.\nGrotowski is the first Pole named to the Collège de France since the poet and playwright Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) gained both artistic fame and political notoriety for his lectures there in the 1840s. Mickiewicz was named to the Collège's first chair in Slavic literature, and his lectures proved a popular sensation with the Parisian public. The poet's unorthodox mixture of religious mysticism and progressive politics in the lectures made both the Roman Catholic Church and the French government uncomfortable, and he was eventually removed from the position. Grotowski has regularly invoked Mickiewicz as a defining influence throughout his theatrical career, a connection whose significance has been rarely grasped outside of Poland. Whether by coincidence or design, Grotowski's nomination thus carries a symbolic charge for Poles that is not to be underestimated. The subject of the artistic relationship of Grotowski to Mickiewicz is fascinating and little discussed--and perhaps one whose time has come.\nPerhaps more significant is the fact that Grotowski is the first theatrical director/theorist of any nationality to be named to the Collège de France. In a further departure from tradition, Grotowski will deliver his lectures in various Paris theatres--the first given in Peter Brook's Théâtre Bouffes du Nord, and the second in the Odéon. The audacity of this move--presumably Grotowski's own suggestion--was contrasted by the modesty and informality of the director's personal presence at the inaugural lecture. In spite of the packed auditorium and considerable media coverage of the event, Grotowski arrived in a rumpled black suit, carrying a backpack from which he removed his few handwritten notes and the cigarettes that seemingly preoccupied him throughout the lecture.\nGrotowski's first lecture provided a critical overview of his theoretical and practical work with actors. It was punctuated with alternating clips of his own landmark productions of Stanislaw Wyspianski's \"Akropolis\" and Calderon de la Barca's \"The Constant Prince\" (in Juliusz Slowacki's Polish version) with Maya Deren's 1951 documentary film on voudun \"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti.\" Grotowski thus emphasized the continuity between his early work with the Polish Laboratory Theatre and his current investigations, acknowledging the importance of such early collaborators as dramaturg Ludwik Flaszen, designer Jozef Szajna, and actor Ryszard Cieslak. He also acknowledged the growing importance of his young American collaborator, Thomas Richards, the author of the recently published book \"At Work With Grotowski on Physical Actions,\" and the director's partner and heir apparent in the running of his Workcenter in Pontedera, Italy.\nThe first lecture emphasized the inseparability of practice and theory in Grotowski's work, with the director calling himself an \"artisan.\" His theme was his search for a \"metaquotidian\" performance practice, defined from the point of view of the performer/practitioner/artisan rather than that of the audience. Grotowski argued for an adjustment in the French critical vocabulary for theatre towards this end, proposing a version of the English phrase \"performing arts\" in place of the French \"les arts spectaculaires.\" He contrasted the search for \"expressivity\" with \"work on the self\" in acting, identifying his current work primarily with the latter. Throughout the lecture, Grotowski emphasized the continuity of his work with that of the late Stanislavsky, seeking to finish the work that his Russian predecessor did not have time to do.\nWhile invoking Stanislavsky, Grotowski also presented his \"metaquotidian\" mission as moving beyond realism. At the same time, he drew a sharp distinction between his work and that of both traditional genres such as Peking Opera and modern theatricalists such as Meyerhold and Brecht. To clarify these distinctions, Grotowski defined his work as \"organic\" rather than \"natural.\" In the director's terms, the \"natural\" refers to the world of received social convention, involving realities that precede the performance composition. In a similar way, the \"inorganic\" is embodied in highly conventionalized (even though anti-naturalistic) traditions such as the Peking Opera. Naturalism seeks to mirror a pre-existing social reality, while inorganic theatrical traditions emphasize the reproduction of conventionalized and artificial codes of theatrical gesture. Grotowski's work, in contrast, seeks organic expression, obtained through rigorous work on the self in the service of an ultimately spontaneous energy flow in the performer's body manifested in a physical gesture without clear social or theatrical precedent.\nThis principle was illustrated in the lecture by both the spontaneous possessions of participants in the voudun rituals in Deren's film and by the end results of Grotowski's own early work with Ryszard Cieslak. Grotowski argued that Stanislavsky in practice successfully combined both \"organic\" discovery on the part of the performer and the clarity and expressiveness needed to engage a spectator--and that in differing contexts the \"organic\" can invade the artificial in performance, and that ultimately the organic must similarly approach the artificial in the service of repeatable performance. In a final twist, Grotowski also noted that within the unrehearsed physical actions of the participants in voudun rituals emerged certain consistent patterns of movement related to the specific spirits called forth--suggesting a deeper \"form\" of movement released through such a \"spontaneous\" organic approach.\nThe lecture ended with a brief discussion of Grotowski's groundbreaking work in the area of performance anthropology. Addressing his ongoing interest in yoga and the different manifestations of energy in the human body, he posed a final question on the relationship between physical energy and a higher--presumably spiritualized--energy. At this point, a continuity with the spirit (if not the letter) of Mickiewicz's mystical poetics could be subtly discerned. Like Mickiewicz before him, Grotowski was enthousiastically received by the Paris public attending. It remains to be seen whether he is able to use the position consistently to command the engagement of French intellectuals and artists with his work, which by virtue of its complex and rigorous concern with performance ultimately stands without precedent in the history of the Collège de France.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6677157878875732}
{"content": "Aboriginal Australian children experience profound oral health disparities relative to their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In response to community concerns regarding Aboriginal child oral health in the regional town of Port Augusta, South Australia, a child dental health service was established within a Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Service. A partnership approach was employed with the key aims of (1) quantifying rates of dental service utilisation, (2) identifying factors influencing participation, and (3) planning and establishing a program for delivery of Aboriginal children's dental services that would increase participation and adapt to community needs. In planning the program, levels of participation were quantified and key issues identified through semistructured interviews. After 3.5 years, the participation rate for dental care among the target population increased from 53 to 70 percent. Key areas were identified to encourage further improvements and ensure sustainability in Aboriginal child oral health in this regional location.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6979582905769348}
{"content": "As reported here and here, the FDA is proposing to reclassify a MDDS from a Class III to a Class I medical device. On the surface this might seem like a big deal. If you read the fine print though (my highlight):\nFDA has already recognized that the class III requirements are not necessary for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of MDDS devices and\nhas been exercising enforcement discretion with MDDS device manufacturers. These firms have not been required to submit PMAs or meet other requirements typically required of manufacturers of class III devices, but the agency believes that all or nearly all firms in this industry have in place good business practices, including quality systems. They’re just formalizing already established practices.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.983550488948822}
{"content": "The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy that inspires students to become life-long learners. It is a movement that has made way for schools filled with questions instead of answers and learning instead of teaching; schools where children are asked what they think and where teachers plan and implement curriculum based on child-initiated activity. It acknowledges children as competent and capable learners that are full of potential and able to communicate with or without words. It is evident that this approach will continue to open doors of endless possibilities for children.\nRecognizing that the journey to becoming a life-long learner begins with the awareness of, and appreciation for, curiosity, it was a clear choice for Richland Academy to adopt a Reggio-inspired approach to inquiry learning beginning three years ago. We find that this philosophy better allows us to follow the natural development of children, as well as the close partnerships they share with their parents, teachers, and the environment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5395267009735107}
{"content": "We live in a society consumed by debt. Everything is available for \"No payments now!\" or \"0% interest for 5 years!\" Gone are the days when we save our money and simply pay cash for things. Instead, we put it on a credit card and worry about paying for it later. Most of us live with debt. We may have a house payment and/or a car payment. We may have medical bills to pay or educational loans. Some may be under the burden of credit card debt. For many of us, debt is unfortunately an all too familiar part of our lives. Each debt represents an obligation that we have. We are obligated to repay the money that we have borrowed.\nIt is easy to understand the financial debts we face, but have you ever stopped to consider the spiritual debts that you have? Let me ask it another way. What are the spiritual obligations which we must fulfill? What is our spiritual duty?\nIn Romans 1:14 Paul writes that he is \"under\nboth to Greeks and to Barbarians.\" (ESV) Paul's term for 'obligation' can also be translated 'debtor' or 'one who is in debt.' The Barbarians Paul mentions are simply non-Greeks. So, when Paul writes that he is under obligation to both Greeks and non-Greeks he is including all of mankind. obligation So, what is this obligation that Paul speaks of? Paul mentions it in the very next verse. \"So I am\nto preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.\" Notice the first word of this verse, 'so.' This is an important word. It connects this verse with the previous one. Paul is saying, \"Therefore, as a result of my obligation, I am eager to preach the Gospel.\" Paul felt obligated to preach the Gospel. eager Notice Paul's attitude about his obligation. He was eager to preach the Gospel. He did not dread his obligation. It was not drudgery to him. It was something he looked forward to doing. There is excitement and energy in his words. He was eager to fulfill his obligation.\nWhat about us? It is important to recognize that you and I are under the same obligation as Paul. 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us that we were bought with a price. Our sin carried a high price. In fact, it was a price which we, in our won strength, could never pay. Miraculously, Jesus Christ paid the price of our sin with His vicarious death on the cross. He took care of our sin-debt for us. Now, as a result of His death, we are under obligation to Him. We, like Paul, have an obligation to preach the Gospel.\nLet us have an attitude like Paul's. Let us be eager to fulfill our obligation to Christ. let us not procrastinate or delay. Let us be filled with excitement and vigor as we eagerly complete our task.\nWe are obligated to preach the Gospel. This is the debt we owe Christ. This is the obligation we have and the duty we must fulfill. Lord, help us be like Paul and be ready and eager to fulfill our obligations.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5907336473464966}
{"content": "Southwestern Deserts January, 2001\nRegional Report Plant Cool-Season Vegetables There's still plenty of time to sow cool-season crops such as carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, onions, lettuce, and greens of all types and to transplant globe artichokes and asparagus. It's also time to prepare beds for warm-season planting, which starts about mid-February to mid-March. Add a 4-inch layer of compost to improve soil fertility, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers such as blood meal and bone meal, and 3 pounds of sulfur per 100 square feet.\nWatch for Aphids Aphids are tiny, soft-bodied insects that suck the sap out of tender plant growth. They come in a range of colors but are most commonly green or grayish black. The easiest way to get rid of aphids is to monitor plants daily and as soon as they're spotted, hose them off with a strong blast of water. Do this daily, or as needed.\nTransplant Colorful Annuals Continue transplanting cool-season flowers such as stock, snapdragon, pansy, petunia, dusty miller, calendula, nasturtium, poppy, and geranium. Deadhead spent blossoms to prolong blooming. Fertilize with a phosphorus fertilizer such as bone meal. Yellowing leaves may signal a nitrogen deficiency, as annuals are heavy feeders and desert soils are low in nitrogen. Water well before and after fertilizing to prevent burning the roots.\nHarvest Citrus Many varieties of citrus are ready for harvest. However, the longer fruit stays on the tree, the sweeter it becomes. This is especially true of grapefruit. Taste-test your fruit to see when it's ready. Clip fruit with pruners rather than pulling it, which can tear plant tissue. If you can't use it all, organize a family or neighborhood harvest and donate the fruit to a food bank.\nSpring Bulb Care Bulbs are poking through the soil by now. Many desert soils have a high clay content, which retains moisture longer. Keep soil consistently moist but don't overwater or bulbs can rot. Let the topsoil layer - 1 to 2 inches - dry out before watering. A layer of mulch will help retain consistent soil moisture and temperature. If foliage is yellowing, apply a nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal or fish emulsion.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8178176283836365}
{"content": "Welcome to OLL's Transitional Kindergarten!\nOur Lady of Loretto School recognizes that there are three main differences between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten. First, the children are at different levels of social maturity. Second, children in Kindergarten are expected to have longer attention spans and a greater ability to concentrate. Third, Transitional Kindergarten places more emphasis on one-to-one attention, while group work is more prominent in Kindergarten. However, a principle common to both grades is that each child will be extended and encouraged academically according to individual needs, abilities, and readiness.\nOur Transitional Kindergarten serves as a bridge for children, who in essence, need the gift of time – time that is essential to absorb and express ideas, learn more about friendships, assert independence, and examine the world around them. This allows the children to become more confident as they move to the next level of academic achievement.\n*Note: For CTN login use these:\nusername: olltk1\npassword: panther\nKendra Antonio\nTransitional Kindergarten Teacher\ntk@ollnovato.org\n415.892.8621", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6665350198745728}
{"content": "In clinical studies on inflammatory skin disorders and dry eye syndromes, GLA is by far the best studied active ingredient. Clincal studies demonstrate a significant anti-inflammatory action on facial skin disorders and better hydration. Love the Omega Twin Liquid. Omega Twin / Omega Twin - Lignan, Flax/Borage Combination Barlean's OmegaTwin is a significant advancement in essential fatty acid nutrition. This product combines our organic flaxseed oil, the world's richest source of alpha-linolenic acid, (LNA) Omega-3 with our borage oil, the world's richest source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), Omega-6. A special synergism exists between these two important fatty acids that may potentiate their effects. Both LNA and GLA are required in balancing the body's hormonal response to conditions associated with allergy, inflammation, pain and swelling.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9276231527328491}
{"content": "Compression Running Socks Knee height compression running socks provide significant benefits to the runner, particularly during longer runs. The added compression keeps blood from pooling in your legs and promotes good blood flow. By better managing circulation you'll reduce that heavy, fatigued feeling. Some research shows that when worn after running they help reduce post-run soreness by supporting fatigued tissues and helping to squeeze out lactate build-up.Page:1 2\nPage:1 2", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7225919961929321}
{"content": "Stochastically independent randomization and uncertainty aversion\nPeter Klibanoff ()Additional contact information Peter Klibanoff: Department of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA\nAbstract:This paper proposes a preference-based condition for stochastic independence of a randomizing device in a product state space. This condition is applied to investigate some classes of preferences that allow for both independent randomization and uncertainty or ambiguity aversion (a la Ellsberg). For example, when imposed on Choquet Expected Utility (CEU) preferences in a Savage framework displaying uncertainty aversion in the spirit of Schmeidler [27], it results in a collapse to Expected Utility (EU). This shows that CEU preferences that are uncertainty averse in the sense of Schmeidler should not be used in settings where independent randomization is to be allowed. In contrast, Maxmin EU with multiple priors preferences continue to allow for a very wide variety of uncertainty averse preferences when stochastic independence is imposed. Additionally, these points are used to reexamine some recent arguments against preference for randomization with uncertainty averse preferences. In particular, these arguments are shown to rely on preferences that do not treat randomization as a stochastically independent event.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6245846748352051}
{"content": "14 February 2012\nToday the Digital Monograph Technical Landscape Study is featured on a new JISC Podcast and blog post, which highlight the significance of ebooks for the higher education sector.\nThe study, which was commissioned by JISC and led by EDINA, brings together expertise from a think tank considering the technical, publishing and usability perspectives on the current state and future development of electronic publishing formats with contributors including Liza Daly of Threepress Consulting Ltd, Peter Sefton, formerly of the Australian Digital Futures Institute, Emma Tonkin of UKOLN and Harsh Khatri, University of Bath.\nSince publication several key announcements around ebook reader hardware and software have appeared making this the perfect time to read or revisit the report as higher education organisations consider how to best explore and exploit these emerging publishing technologies. Decision makers will be particularly interested in the authors' 10 recommendations for future work, which highlight key opportunities for innovative publishing technologies and practices.\nThe report, which is available under a Creative Commons license, can be accessed on the project website or via several alternative formats discussed in the report: epub (usable on most devices); mobi (for Kindle users); and pdf.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5869215726852417}
{"content": "A widely reported study study of 15,000 UK workers found that while the overwhelming majority – 85 per cent – enjoyed their work, a significant minority feel unengaged and indifferent about their organisation's success.\nNick Tatchell, project director at ISR said: \"It is encouraging that Britons enjoy their jobs but disappointing that such a high percentage of employees are indifferent to their organisations' success.\n\"The worrying thing for UK companies is that this indifference can lead to a reduction in profits,\" he added.\nThis would suggest that British companies are not very aware of what it is that constitutes a company. The Relationship Value Model is based on research that showed that employees have tokens in common with other employees which have common values. These are the 'material' tokens that describe the organisation.\nThe role of managers is to identify these tokens and to create cognitive consistency among employees. Otherwise as Nick Tatchell points out, they will loose money.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9717177152633667}
{"content": "On April 16, PPAI reached out to Health Canada to support a recent petition by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) requesting the exclusion of general purpose ballpoint pens from the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA).\nPPAI members who manufacture ballpoint pens are concerned that the regulatory proposal has the potential to eliminate ballpoint pens from major segments of the market. Writing instruments represent 9 percent ($1.5 billion) of the industry’s sales. Extending the domain of the CCPSA’s Consumer Products Containing Lead (Contact with Mouth) Regulations to include “products intended for use in play or learning by children aged 3-13” has the potential to include many ballpoint pens. PPAI and WIMA are requesting a specific exemption be created within the regulation for ballpoint pens, or that written policies or guidelines be drafted to provide that pens not be considered by Health Canada as to fall within the legislation.\nA similar situation was encountered in legislation in the United States. The solution adopted is often referred to as the “WIMA Rule,” with CPSC comments indicating that ball point pens are typically general use items, and thus exempt from testing associated with children’s products. PPAI and WIMA are seeking a similar or equivalent approach be adopted by Health Canada. This makes sense, not only inherently, but also so as to harmonize the Canadian and U.S. systems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7987022995948792}
{"content": "Teachers of anti-Christian philosophers at Christian colleges and universities face a delicate situation created by two apparently antipodal problems. Some students find it difficult to learn from authors who challenge their faith; others find in such texts encouragement for rebellion against Christianity. Moreover, many students are puzzled by the relationship between faith and philosophical argument. Margaret Watkins Tate argues that we can address these challenges constructively by focusing on lessons that philosophers such as Nietzsche and Hume have to offer Christians and by modeling a rich integration of faith and learning. Ms. Tate is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.752960741519928}
{"content": "Dental bonding can be used as a restorative procedure for teeth that are chipped, cracked, discolored or misarranged, and is an alternative to porcelain veneers.The tooth is prepared for the procedure by lightly etching the surface and applying a bonding liquid. Once the liquid sets, a plastic resin is applied and sculpted into the desired shape by the dentist. Once set, the resin is trimmed, smoothed and polished to a natural appearance.\nThe bonding procedure can often be completed in a single office visit, and can improve the appearance of a tooth significantly. However, since the plastic resin used is not as strong as your natural tooth enamel, it is more likely to stain, chip or break than natural teeth. Dental bonding typically lasts three to five years before repair is needed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9755508899688721}
{"content": "OBJECTIVE: To determine whether initial isoniazid resistance is associated with death during the treatment of tuberculous meningitis.\nDESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.\nSETTING: National Tuberculosis Surveillance System at the Centers for Disease Control in the United States.\nPARTICIPANTS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis, reported to the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2005.\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All cause mortality during antituberculous treatment.\nRESULTS: Between 1993 and 2005, 1896 patients had a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and positive cultures from any site. In 123 (6%) of these patients, isoniazid resistance was present on initial susceptibility testing. The unadjusted association between initial isoniazid resistance and subsequent death among these 1896 patients did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.94 to 2.02). However, among 1614 patients with positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures, a significant unadjusted association was found between initial isoniazid resistance and subsequent death (odds ratio 1.61, 1.08 to 2.40). This association increased after adjustment for age, race, sex, and HIV status (odds ratio 2.07, 1.30 to 3.29).\nCONCLUSIONS: Isoniazid resistance on initial susceptibility testing was associated with subsequent death among cases of tuberculous meningitis with positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures. Randomised controlled trials are needed to evaluate the optimal empirical regimen for treating patients with tuberculous meningitis who are at high risk for both initial isoniazid resistance and poor clinical outcomes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9671992063522339}
{"content": "The gene glvA (formerly glv-1) from Bacillus subtilis has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein GlvA (449 residues, Mr = 50,513) is a unique 6-phosphoryl-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl:phosphoglucohydrolase (6-phospho-alpha-glucosidase) that requires both NAD(H) and divalent metal (Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, or Ni2+) for activity. 6-Phospho-alpha-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.122) from B. subtilis cross-reacts with polyclonal antibody to maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase from Fusobacterium mortiferum, and the two proteins exhibit amino acid sequence identity of 73%. Estimates for the Mr of GlvA determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (51,000) and electrospray-mass spectroscopy (50,510) were in excellent agreement with the molecular weight of 50,513 deduced from the amino acid sequence. The sequence of the first 37 residues from the N terminus determined by automated analysis agreed precisely with that predicted by translation of glvA. The chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates, p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate and 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate were used for the discontinuous assay and in situ detection of enzyme activity, respectively. Site-directed mutagenesis shows that three acidic residues, Asp41, Glu111, and Glu359, are required for GlvA activity. Asp41 is located at the C terminus of a betaalphabeta fold that may constitute the dinucleotide binding domain of the protein. Glu111 and Glu359 may function as the catalytic acid (proton donor) and nucleophile (base), respectively, during hydrolysis of 6-phospho-alpha-glucoside substrates including maltose 6-phosphate and trehalose 6-phosphate. In metal-free buffer, GlvA exists as an inactive dimer, but in the presence of Mn2+ ion, these species associate to form the NAD(H)-dependent catalytically active tetramer. By comparative sequence alignment with its homologs, the novel 6-phospho-alpha-glucosidase from B. subtilis can be assigned to the nine-member family 4 of the glycosylhydrolase superfamily.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5143803358078003}
{"content": "The article on the arrest and detention of meteorite hunters Michael Farmer and Robert Ward reads more like an adventure story than an account of how scientists would collect samples in foreign fields (2 July, p 28).\nThey did not seem to have engaged in partnership with academic or government authorities in Oman. There, as in many countries, the export of such materials is forbidden without agreement. Breaking this rule can sometimes lead to unpleasant situations.\nThe normal procedure before collecting rocky or biological material would be to establish cooperation with scientists. Prior to going into the field, this should be formalised through a memorandum of understanding or of agreement. Finally, export permits would need to be secured from the authorities.\nIt is sad that Farmer and Ward suffered hardship, terror even, in an Omani prison. However, it should be noted that Omanis are known as good hosts to ...\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7884860038757324}
{"content": "Directed Panspermia suggests that the seeds of life may have been purposely spread by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, or can be spread from Earth to other planets by humans.\nThe late Nobel prize winner Professor Francis Crick, OM FRS, along with British chemist Leslie Orgel proposed the theory of directed panspermia in 1973. A co-discoverer of the double helical structure of the DNA molecule, Crick found it impossible that the complexity of DNA could have evolved naturally.\nCrick posed that small grains containing DNA, or the building blocks of life, could be loaded on a brace of rockets and fired randomly in all directions. Crick and Orgel estimated that a payload of one metric ton could contain 1017 micro-organisms organized in ten or a hundred separate samples. This would be the best, most cost effective strategy for seeding life on a compatible planet at some time in the future.\nThe strategy of directed panspermia may have already been pursued by an advanced civilization facing catastrophic annihilation, or hoping to terraform planets for later colonization.\nDirected panspermia from Earth to new solar systems has been proposed to expand life in the Universe. For example, microbial payloads launched by solar sails at speeds up to 0.0001 c (30,000 m/s) would reach targets at 10 to 100 light-years in 0.1 million to 1 million years. Fleets of microbial capsules can be aimed at clusters of new stars in star-forming clouds where they may land on planets, or captured by asteroids and comets and later delivered to planets. Payloads may contain extremophiles for diverse environments and cyanobacteria similar to early microorganisms. Hardy multicellular organisms (rotifer cysts) may be included to induce higher evolution. (Mautner, M. N. (1997), \"Directed panspermia. 3. Strategies and motivation for seeding star-forming clouds\", J. British Interplanetary Soc.)\nThere is a chance that humans, at some point in our space explorations, may unintentionally transport microorganisms on manned craft or unmanned probes to other other planetary bodies. Contamination such as this distorting data is a concern among space researchers seeking to find extraterrestrial life. Even the best sterilization techniques can not guarantee that organic materials will not be unintentionally spread.\nDeliberate directed panspermia by humans would seed planetary bodies, securing the of future life. This intentional action would need to be balanced against interference with the quest to find extraterrestrial life. This interference can be minimized by targeting remote solar systems where life would not have evolved yet. Seeding a few hundred young solar systems would secure future life while leaving billions of stars pristine for exploration.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5484782457351685}
{"content": "Founded in 1990 by a group of undergraduate students seeking to extend learning beyond the walls of the classroom, the APPLES Service-Learning program began by supporting faculty in understanding and using service-learning pedagogy. As APPLES opportunities have expanded over the years, the primary purpose continues to be to enhance and deepen learning through meaningful collaborations with community organizations among the growing list of programs.\nFunded by student fees, APPLES is a student organization with permanent staff available for administrative and programming responsibilities. In 2009, APPLES became a program of the Carolina Center for Public Service (CCPS). This collaboration and structure has strengthened the organization as it offers more resources and support for faculty, students and community partners.\nAPPLES is committed to sustainable and collaborative partnerships, both within and outside of the university. Together with staff, student organizers build upon the contributions, lessons and approaches from previous years. APPLES seeks to integrate reflection, an essential aspect of service-learning, into each participant experience. Through these core values, APPLES aims to enhance the undergraduate education of both student organizers and participants.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992486834526062}
{"content": "When it comes to planting corn, how deep is deep enough and how shallow is too shallow? In a planting depth demonstration, DuPont Pioneer agronomy researchers evaluated how corn development is affected when planted at different depths. The results confirmed optimal planting depth in the Midwest is typically 1½-2 in.\nThere are a number of reasons why growers may find varying planting depths within a single corn field. These include planting at too high of speed, planting into heavy residue and planting in less-than-optimum soil conditions.\nCorn planted too shallow may result in:\nDecreased ability to uptake water and nutrients through the roots Potential to develop “rootless corn syndrome” – causing plants to fall over due to the lack of nodal root development in dry soil Increased potential for herbicide injury due to exposure of corn seedlings to herbicide residues To achieve optimum planting depth this spring, consider the following planting depth recommendations:\nSet the planting depth in the field, with the planter being pulled at full operating speed Check for good seed-soil contact Slower planting speeds achieve more uniform planting depths Utilize in-row residue management equipment when needed Utilize in-furrow seed depth control devices Additional management tips, including proper plant spacing to maximize yield, are available at www.pioneer.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9165418148040771}
{"content": "In our previous work, we have analyzed the shortcomings of existing business intelligence (BI) theory and its actionable capability. One of the works we have presented is the ontology-based integration of business, data warehousing and data mining. This way may make existing BI systems as user and business-friendly as expected. However, it is challenging to tackle issues and construct actionable and business friendly systems by simply improving existing BI framework. Therefore, in this paper, we further propose a new framework for constructing next generation BI systems. That is intelligence metasynthesis, namely the next-generation BI systems should to some extent synthesize four types of intelligence, including data intelligence, domain intelligence, human intelligence and network/web intelligence. The theory for guiding the intelligence metasynthesis is metasynthetic engineering. To this end, an appropriate intelligence integration framework is substantially important. We first address the roles of each type of intelligence in developing nextgeneration BI systems. Further, implementation issues are addressed by discussing key components for synthesizing the intelligence. The proposed framework is based on our real-world experience and practice in designing and implementing BI systems. It also greatly benefits from multi-disciplinary knowledge dialog such as complex intelligent systems and cognitive sciences. The proposed theoretical framework has potential to deal with key challenges in existing BI framework and systems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5302151441574097}
{"content": "Editorial: Tougher stance needed against insider trading by brokerages Nomura Holdings Inc. has announced that it is set to replace its chief executive officer and chief operating officer following revelations of insider trading. The leading brokerage has also worked out measures to prevent a recurrence of such wrongdoing after admitting that there is a possibility that more information on companies' plans to increase its capital was leaked to outsiders in addition to three confirmed cases. The company appears poised to make efforts to restore the public's trust in it.\nHowever, its response to the incident has not given the public the impression that it is determined to change its ways. The two Nomura executives appear to have reluctantly decided to step down -- due to a loss of customers and a plunge in the company's share prices following the scandal.\nWhen it announced fresh cases of alleged insider trading, the company merely stated: \"We confirmed multiple cases in which we have deemed that there is a high possibility that insider information was handed over\" to customers. However, the brokerage stopped short of announcing the details of these cases, such as who was involved, the type of issue, and how many illegal acts had been confirmed.\nThe problems involving Nomura Holdings are particularly serious on several points. First, Nomura, which should be contributing to the development of the stock market as a leader in the industry, has been repeatedly involved in acts that have damaged the public's confidence in it.\nNomura drastically reshuffled its board following revelations that it had illegally paid off a corporate racketeer in 1997. At the time, it decided to fundamentally reform its corporate culture, but insider trading involving Nomura officials came to light on three occasions -- in 2003, 2008 and 2012.\nNeedless to say, it is impossible to eradicate illegal acts involving individuals who lack a law-abiding spirit. However, the latest scandal has revealed that the company as an entity gave preferential treatment to certain customers, just like in the racketeer pay-off case. This is fundamentally different from wrongdoing by individual employees. Nevertheless, Nomura has been slow to respond to the incident and appears unenthusiastic about getting to the bottom of the scandal. It may be futile to place hope in Nomura's self-purification ability.\nIf so, there is no choice but to increase outside pressure on Nomura Holdings. The entire industry should consider voluntary rules under which those involved in serious wrongdoing would be permanently expelled from securities markets. Administrative sanctions should also be toughened, and criminal punishments be meted out to violators while the inspection system is strengthened.\nNomura is not the only brokerage that has been involved in insider trading in connection with companies' increases of capital. Daiwa Securities Group has announced the results of its in-house investigation into employees' leak of insider information and punitive measures it has implemented against executives over the case.\nThe Diet should launch efforts to expose insider trading involving brokerages and their employees by summoning top executives of these companies and others to testify over these cases in the Diet.\nJuly 28, 2012(Mainichi Japan)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5021424889564514}
{"content": "(This is a slightly edited version of something I put on Facebook yesterday.) Some thoughts from an early morning bus ride in Xiamen, China:\nEvery day we should consider the following: Do the beliefs, principles, values, tenets, rights, doctrines, etc., that I endorsed and embraced yesterday still serve me today? Do they reflect who I am today, and, more importantly, do they lead me to who I want to be tomorrow?\nThis introspective consideration is not optional. If we refuse to do it voluntarily, life has a tragic way of forcing the issue.\nWe need to do this as individuals.\nWe need to do this as communities.\nWe need to do this as nations.\nWe need to do this as a species.\nEvery day.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5223226547241211}
{"content": "A varied literature has emerged assessing the history and principles of the SDI programme and its individual initiatives. Within the literature, a widespread critique has developed that views the SDIs as falling short in two crucial areas. First, the SDIs have, in general, had limited developmental impacts . Second, many of the initiatives failed to develop adequate institutional responses to the specific conditions they faced in their various localities. The study describes the Lubombo SDI and its anchor project, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. It argues that the Lubombo SDI, from the outset, took institutions seriously with a long view of development. It did not seek to deliver large-scale investment in a short period. Rather, it focused on shifting the development fundamentals - including key aspects of the Lubombo region's institutional arrangements - and concentrating its resources on facilitating a major project capable of pulling the various agencies with a stake in the region's development onto a common platform. This concentration of effort, and the creation of a dedicated authority with a clear statutory mandate to promote development and conservation, has brought advances to an area where development was effectively blocked for many years. But the dynamic nature of the institutional environment remains a key challenge affecting the GSLWP and the execution of the Authority's mandate. The ability of the Authority to continue mediating the multiple tensions and complexities affecting the GSLWP will be crucial if the agenda first set by the Lubombo is to be carried forward in the coming years.\nDescription:\nThesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.992745041847229}
{"content": "By David L. Chandler – Silicon, the material of high-technology devices from computer chips to solar cells, requires a surface coating before use in these applications. The coating “passivates” the material, tying up loose atomic bonds to prevent oxidation that would ruin its electrical properties. But this passivation process consumes a lot of heat and energy, making it costly and limiting the kinds of materials that can be added to the devices.\nNow a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers has found a way to passivate silicon at room temperature, which could be a significant boon to solar cell production and other silicon-based technologies. more> http://tinyurl.com/acc9k7l", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7986299991607666}
{"content": "Founded through a $23,800 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1937, the Windsor Medical Services Plan began operating in 1939. It was a voluntary health insurance plan that covered specific medical services in return for an annual premium. It was a successful offering because it appealed to auto and distillery workers who had steady incomes and needed protection against unexpected medical and hospital expenses. Like many prepaid plans, it sold freedom from worry about unexpected medical bills, yet it failed to address the problems arising from expenses beyond the plan’s coverage, such as those for tuberculosis and extended hospitalization.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9970166683197021}
{"content": "Sustainability Weekly Update: As of Monday, October 8, solar panels at the MCS Farm have saved 61.70 tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. Read more >Our commitment to diversity rests firmly upon a unique and remarkable tuition system. The school’s Family Commitment Plan, which determines a student’s tuition, derives from the principle that a family’s financial commitment should be in equitable proportion to its financial resources.\nWe believe that all families are part of a community jointly engaged in the education of their children. Thus, our tuition policy seeks to eliminate the categories of “financial aid” and “full tuition” families.\nAll families submit a confidential Family Financial Worksheet (FFW) to the Director annually. Student fees are then set on a sliding scale with a maximum fee, graduated by age level.\nA Family Financial Worksheet provides the basis for determining a tuition contract. All families complete one when applying and annually thereafter. The Family Financial Commitment Plan is at the core of our commitment to economic diversity. It replaces set tuitions and scholarships/financial aid with a Contracted Fee calculated for each family on a sliding scale in equitable proportion to families’ financial resources. Please note that the Financial Worksheet is due January 15, 2013.\n4-5s to 9-10s 35,500\nFifth to Eighth Grade 38,000", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.553630530834198}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nSeafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks\nParasites\nConsumption of raw or undercooked seafood products that had not been previously frozen has been implicated in certain human parasitic infections. Table 4-10 lists the parasites and seafood choices that have been involved in previous documented illnesses. Incidence of parasitic infection is far more common in regions of the world where raw consumption is more frequent (Table 4-11). Seafoodborne infections are more prevalent in these regions than in the United States due to agricultural practices and reliance on freshwater sources that support the life cycle of certain hazardous parasites (Rodrick and Cheng, 1989; Sakanari et al., 1995). Since their adoption, HACCP programs, which include specific controls to prevent parasite infections, suggested incidence levels were underreported and expected to increase as consumer trends favored more consumption of raw selections (Jackson, 1975; Olson, 1986; McKerrow et al., 1988). The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) surveyed approximately 30 percent (996 members) of the active AGA practitioners located in coastal states along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico, areas prone to parasite exposure (Personal communication, G. Hoskins, FDA Office of Seafood, December 2005). Survey respondents (over 58 percent) estimated\nTABLE 4-10 Parasites and Products Involved in Documented Incidences of Parasitic Infection\nFishborne parasites involved in human infections resulting from consumptiona\nSome raw and undercooked seafood dishes involved in parasitic infections for products and recipes that are not previously frozenb\nTapeworms (Cestodes)\nDiphyllobothrium latum\nDiphyllobothrium pacificum\nCold-smoked fish (low-temperature smoked fish)\nCeviche (raw fish in lime juice or other pickling)\n“Drunken crabs” (crabs marinated in wine and pepper)\nDutch green herring (light pickled herring)\nFlukes (Trematodes)\nClonorchis sinensis\nOpisthorchis viverrini\nHeterophyes heterophyes\nMetagonimus yokogawai\nGravlax (type of cold-smoked salmon)\nHawaiian lomi lomi (chopped raw salmon with bell peppers and tomatoes)\nJapanese “salad” (raw fish, fresh lettuce, and soy sauce)\nPacific Island poisson cru (raw fish fillet in a coconut milk recipe)\nRoundworms (Nematodes)\nGnathostoma spinigerum\nCapillaria philippinensis\nAnisakis simplex\nPhocanema spp.\nPalu (fermented fish head and viscera recipe)\nPhilippine bagoong (a fermented paste made from whole fish)\nSashimi (raw fish slices)\nSushi (raw seafood with rice and seaweed)\nTako poki (Japanese and Hawaiian raw squid or raw octopus dish)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5119974613189697}
{"content": "Surgeons operating on a young man for what they thought was appendicitis found a rude surprise instead: a two-inch-long red worm.\nThe doctors believe the worm came from homemade sushi the patient had eaten the night before, prompting them to issue a warning about the food.\n''There is a clear danger involved in eating raw fish,'' said Dr. Murray Wittner, a parasitologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York who was sent the worm by the astonished surgeons. ''This underscores that danger.''\nThe patient, a 24-year-old man, had been admitted to Booth Memorial Hospital in Flushing, Queens, complaining of severe stomach pain. Doctors assumed he had appendicitis, but while operating they found a normal appendix. Just as they were about to close the incision, the worm wriggled into view.\nAfter the patient awoke and was told of the worm, he remembered that he had eaten sushi the previous night at a friend's home.\nThe case was described in the current issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The worm was identified as a larval nematode known as eustrongylides.\nAlthough worms have been a long-recognized hazard of eating raw fish, experts say most cases of infection occur when people prepare it at home. At restaurants, most sushi chefs are adept at keeping wormy fish from reaching customers.\nIn an editorial in the journal, Dr. Peter M. Schantz of the Federal Centers for Disease Control noted that only four previous cases of human infection with this particular nematode had been reported. All were fishermen who swallowed bait minnows whole, ''a practice not likely to be widely imitated.''\nThe worms most commonly acquired from raw seafood are larva of the family Anisakidae. In the United States, 25 to 50 cases have been documented, but experts believe most are not recognized or reported.\nOften the worms pass harmlessly through the digestive system or are coughed up a few hours after the meal. But sometimes the worms burrow into the wall of the stomach or the intestines. They must be removed with a tube pushed down the throat.\nDr. Schantz noted that many commercial fish are commonly infected with worms. These include mackerel, herring, salmon and cod. But cooking or freezing kills the worms, rendering them harmless.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9341467022895813}
{"content": "When we consider what is most important to us all, each story of man we follow from any time period ultimately leads to the same goal: seeking true happiness. The underlying motive of life for any being remains constant throughout.\nIt is extremely interesting to observe how happiness, its measure, nature, and power can play such an immense role in our lives. The general trend seems to be that those who attain happiness lead more pleasurable lives and those who do not end up wallowing in despair trying to find it. Why do we seek happiness in the first place? What is in its nature that draws us to it repeatedly, over countless centuries? These are the questions an ascetic ponders in absolute solitude. We may never know the answers to these questions. However, there is an identifiable difference between true happiness and the \"happy illusion\" most of us live under.\nThe three major aspects that constitute our general consensus of happiness are money, beauty, and power. These entities also largely define \"success\" in mainstream society. Numerous influences on our lives determine that these are the methods by which we can happiness. Money is happiness, some say. The ability to live extravagantly with all the comforts in the world, to reach the pinnacle of success by money-making is the path to happiness many follow. This leads one to wonder if the ability to live extravagantly without any care in the world is the secret to happiness, then why does a money-making genius like Warren Buffett live in relative simplicity? Realistically, since few of us are like Mr. Buffett, what happens to the man who becomes seemingly rich and realizes he isn't happy? Well, his natural tendency is to 'try harder'. He continuously puts in effort to accumulate more riches and assumes he will ultimately find happiness.\nOthers believe happiness lies in physical beauty. Despite several attempts to undermine the importance of physical beauty, it still remains an important, sought-after entity of human society. The advent of fashion, the makeup industry, and various fitness regimes all constitute the craze for physical beauty which is believed to lead to happiness. Whether this beauty is sought to attract and attain the opposite sex or to boost one's own self-esteem depends on the situation. Yet it cannot be denied that this method to achieve happiness is at-large globally. Since they believe physical beauty leads to happiness, these people will try to stay young and beautiful forever and such impossibility has already tried to be conquered by innovations such as cosmetic surgery. Ultimately, Mother Nature wins and truth prevails; all physical beauty eventually fades. By the end, it is realized that no happiness has been found, but it is too late.\nThe last aspect we encounter is power. Power has a high correlation with success. If we consider for a moment that power is the ability to successfully carry out one's intentions, we observe that the world's greatest leaders, celebrities, and basically anyone who can influence have all attained this definition of success. The pivotal question remains: has happiness been attained through this acquisition of power? It is important to note that power can range immensely, from an employee trying to land a promotion to conquering the world like Alexander. Both believe they will attain success and therefore that happiness will shortly ensue. This however, is not how it plays out because tomorrow the newly promoted employee will embark on achieving the next promotion and people like Alexander will surely set out to conquer another world after obtaining the first.\nAll three of these detailed aspects fall under the \"happy illusion\" of the 21st century. Notice the vicious cycle all three of these lead to once failure to achieve happiness inevitably results. What about individuals who try to obtain all three: money, beauty, and power? It is only human to assume that the combination of all three to ensure at least a stable form of happiness. What we fail to realize here is that happiness is not quantifiable. Therefore, we are no closer to obtaining it by combining all three than we were before. This leads us to believe that there must be another way through this incredibly frustrating pursuit of happiness. Fortunately, there is another way.\nAccording to Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think Inc., happiness is a choice. Through his research it is explained how essentially by maintaining an optimistic attitude, we are making the conscious decision to reap happiness in our lives. Mr. Achor explains how we can obtain happiness through relatively simple daily exercises such as exercising for ten minutes a day, or even writing down three things we are grateful for every day. His research revealed how this ‘chosen happiness,’ in effect, can measurably raise productivity, health and quality of life.\nThe answer we have been desperately seeking is amazingly simple. If we live life with a more positive outlook, not only do we obtain happiness, but we raise our productivity, which will probably lead to a raise (more money), better health and increased radiance (more beauty), and total improved quality of life (more power). As a society we have been seeking happiness from the inside out. The time has come for us to realize that \"true happiness lies within you” and allow ourselves to be happy by simply choosing it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8023622632026672}
{"content": "News Eighth Regional CBD Workshop Focuses on Biodiversity and Finance 28 July 2011: Participants at the West Africa regional workshop on biodiversity and finance in support of the Nagoya Outcomes shared information on their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and heard presentations on finance-related issues.\nOrganized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) country support programme, and with the financial support of the European Commission, the workshop was held on 22 July 2011, in Monrovia, Liberia. It followed the GEF Expanded Constituency Workshop for the region, held from 19-21 July 2011, in Monrovia. The Monrovia workshop was the eighth regional workshop on biodiversity and finance in support of the Nagoya outcomes.\nThe workshop was attended by CBD and GEF national focal points from Benin, Cote d' Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo. Participants shared information on the progress made in preparing NBSAPs project proposals and heard four presentations from the CBD Secretariat on: the scope of biodiversity activities and finances; the strategy for resource mobilization; market-based innovative financial mechanisms; and governance-related innovative financial mechanisms.\nParticipants highlighted the need to include cost estimation in revised NBSAPs, and called for organizing capacity building and training for resource mobilization focal points. On market-based innovative financial mechanisms, they expressed concern with the distribution of benefits on the value chain, and suggested that markets for green products and offset mechanisms should be examined first under the CBD, while further research should be conducted on payment for ecosystem services to clarify net local and global benefits. The presentation on governance-related innovative financial mechanisms provided an update on environmental fiscal reforms, while participants noted that it is not very clear how biodiversity activities can benefit from such mechanisms. [CBD Communiqué]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7237974405288696}
{"content": "“The Case for Age-Friendly Suburbs Several trends are conspiring to challenge America’s ability to house and care for its senior citizens. Utilizing successful examples, architect and planner Eric C.Y. Fang examines how the suburbs can be adapted to support an aging population. Eric C.Y. Fang. April 5, 2013\nAmerica’s established framework for housing and caring for its senior citizens addresses a range of needs, from those with independent and active lifestyles to those requiring more intensive levels of care. What each of these models has traditionally had in common is they are typically housed in discrete, standalone facilities with an extensive – and expensive – array of on-site services. The focus is on services and amenities, rather than place.\nDespite the demonstrated success of this framework, several trends may challenge its ability to continue as the dominant paradigm for housing America’s senior citizens. The first is the sheer number of people poised to cross the threshold into retirement age. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the anticipated tide of Baby Boomer retirees will double America’s senior population by 2030, increasing its ranks by 35 million [PDF]. The changing lifestyle preferences of seniors will also play a role, as increasing numbers continue working into their 70s and living in their own homes. Finally, the drop in property values resulting from the Great Recession has significantly impacted the retirement choices available. Together, these developments have begun to reverberate in how seniors choose to live, with a dramatic drop in the migration to Sunbelt states, and an increase in the average age of those moving into assisted-living facilities. The need for a greater range of attractive living options for this rapidly growing age cohort has never been more apparent.”\nPhoto: Eric Fang", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5648983716964722}
{"content": "We tested the hypothesis that generics (e.g., *Dogs* have four legs) are a cognitive default, thereby allowing faster and less effortful processing in comparison to quantified noun phrases (e.g., all dogs). Participants judged sentences containing either generics or universally-quantified noun phrases as true or false. Under time pressure, participants treated universally-quantified noun phrases as if they were generics (e.g., responding true to \"All dogs have four legs,\" despite the existence of three-legged dogs). Participants also took longer to respond to sentences with universal quantifiers vs. generics. Data thus support a generics-as-default account.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9859703183174133}
{"content": "Seth has suggested experiments that Dwave can perform to prove if their system is achieving a quantum state.\nThe pioneers of superconducting quantum computation had been able to demonstrate the quantum nature of their devices by zapping them with fast microwave pulses and looking at their responses. But those devices weren't adiabatic; they operated at speeds comparable to those of a conventional computer. The D-Wave device, by contrast, is purposefully slow: therefore, no zapping is possible. As a result, there are a limited number of experiments that can indicate whether the device is really doing quantum computation. One, however, is to vary the slowness with which the device oozes from its initial state to its final state. Halfway through the oozing process, the computer arrives at a point where it must start making the hard choices that lead to the problem's solution. Here the computer is in a weird quantum state, in which every bit registers 0 and 1 at the same time. I urged the D-Wave researchers to explore this critical point and search for the telltale signs. More recently, I [Seth Lloyd] spoke with Herb Martin, the CEO of D-Wave, and Geordie Rose, the company's chief technology officer and cofounder, and emphasized the need for them to pursue these experiments if they are truly interested in explaining how their devices work. One experiment that I [Seth Lloyd] recommended to Rose is a specific protocol for creating and verifying the presence of a so-called Schrödinger's-cat state, a specific instance of the state in which all the qubits register both 0 and 1 simultaneously Scott Aaronson also has a short article with his views.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6506550312042236}
{"content": "Overall, a good communications pattern serves as a focal point, or perhaps more accurately, a center of gravity for creatively drawing together content, tools, practices and team resources to resolve a significant problem.\nMore specifically, a good communications pattern:\nIs discrete, in the sense of having clear boundaries and applicability Is persistent, enduring beyond specific events and products through varying degrees of presence throughout an organizations communications environment; it is more than one speech or a Web site page. Integrates multiple facets of communications by:Informing the scope and substance of content Suggesting the effective use of specific tools and practices (e.g., newsletters, email, speeches, graphic displays) Naturally integrating the efforts of multiple levels and types of staff or team members; a powerful pattern will elicit previously “hidden” or underutilized skills, abilities, and creativity Resolves a significant obstacle or challenge Releases or generates new energy and resourcefulness Builds upon and addresses the gaps in other communications patterns Provides an expanded capacity for meeting new challenges and opportunities", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.861174464225769}
{"content": "I remember the first time I bought real estate. I had absolutely no idea what I could afford nor where I should buy my place. After talking with coworkers, family, friends, and doing my own research, I figured it out. It was quite depressing how much buying power I had but it helped set my personal expectations. In any case, here are my top 3 key performance indicators for those looking to buy a place.\nYour monthly housing costs should not be more than 32% of your gross monthly income. Monthly housing costs typically include:\nMortgage payments (principal...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.914613664150238}
{"content": "This June article on renewable chemicals, “When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Ethyl Acetate,”was not widely read, compared to most Digest Top Stories, covering a trend that was unmistakable at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology: the shift from biorefineries making fuels to integrated biorefineries producing a host of high-value, small-volume chemicals in addition to fuels.\nThe trend has become strong enough that it spawned its own publication, the weekly Biotech Digest, to cover all the developments in renewable chemicals, plastics and other materials made from biomass.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6696082353591919}
{"content": "Innovative practice in schools suggests that students are more engaged with their studies when teachers give them the opportunity to share their work with “authentic audiences.” Authentic audiences are those that are ‘real life’ as in student publication of writing for professional review, dramatic or artistic productions with live audiences or demonstrating their products in competitions such as robotics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9366170763969421}
{"content": "(1) The secretary of the department, or designee, authorizes department staff to request an exception to a rule in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) for individual cases, except as noted in subsection (5) of this section, when:\n(a) The exception would not contradict a specific provision of federal law or state statute; and\n(b) The client's situation differs from the majority; and\n(c) It is in the interest of overall economy and the client's welfare; and\n(d) It increases opportunities for the client to function effectively; or\n(e) A client has an impairment or limitation that significantly interferes with the usual procedures required to determine eligibility and payment.\n(2) The secretary or the secretary's designee makes the final decision on all requests for exceptions to a rule.\n(3) Clients have no fair hearing rights as defined under chapter\n388-02 WAC regarding exception to rule decisions by department staff.\n(4) Clients who do not agree with a decision on an exception to rule may file a complaint according to chapter\n388-426 WAC.\n(5) This section does not apply to requests for noncovered medical or dental services or related equipment. See WAC\n388-501-0160.\n[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057. 04-05-010, § 388-440-0001, filed 2/6/04, effective 3/8/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090. 00-03-034, § 388-440-0001, filed 1/12/00, effective 2/12/00; 98-16-044, § 388-440-0001, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8474188446998596}
{"content": "Background Serum potassium levels affect insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells, and hypokalemia associated with diuretic use has been associated with dysglycemia. We hypothesized that adults with lower serum potassium levels and lower dietary potassium intake are at higher risk for incident diabetes mellitus (DM), independent of diuretic use.Methods We analyzed data from 12 209 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study, beginning in 1986, with 9 years of in-person follow-up and 17 years of telephone follow-up. Using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated the hazard ratio (HR) of incident DM associated with baseline serum potassium levels.Results During 9 years of in-person follow-up, 1475 participants developed incident DM. In multivariate analyses, we found an inverse association between serum potassium and risk of incident DM. Compared with those with a high-normal serum potassium level (5.0-5.5 mEq/L), adults with serum potassium levels lower than 4.0 mEq/L, 4.0 to lower than 4.5 mEq/L, and 4.5 to lower than 5.0 mEq/L had an adjusted HR (95% confidence interval [CI]) of incident DM of 1.64 (95% CI, 1.29-2.08), 1.64 (95% CI, 1.34-2.01), and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.14-1.71), respectively. An increased risk persisted during an additional 8 years of telephone follow-up based on self-report with HRs of 1.2 to 1.3 for those with a serum potassium level lower than 5.0 mEq/L. Dietary potassium intake was significantly associated with risk of incident DM in unadjusted models but not in multivariate models.Conclusions Serum potassium level is an independent predictor of incident DM in this cohort. Further study is needed to determine if modification of serum potassium could reduce the subsequent risk of DM.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5070254802703857}
{"content": "Introduction to the ‘Complex Self’ The ‘Complex Self' represents a fully contextualized understanding of ‘self-identity’, based on ‘inclusional logic’ (as distinct from conventional rationalistic ‘impositional’ or ‘box’ logic), which reciprocally couples distinct but not discrete inner (local) and outer (non-local) spatial aspects through an INTERMEDIARY domain or ‘dynamic self boundary’. Our cultural denial of this ‘triple-aspect Self’ through our conventional rationalistic focus on ‘discrete individuals’ as ‘contents abstracted from context’, is, I suspect, the source of profoundly damaging and abusive internal and external conflicts, including those that induce human beings to indulge in going to war and to punish others who do not share their beliefs and values. In sensitive people, these conflicts manifest in various kinds of ‘escape mechanisms’, including addictions and psychoses, and are at the root of the epidemic of ‘stress in the workplace’.\nOur current environmental and social crises and associated need to develop ‘sustainable ways of living together’ cannot be resolved governmentally without a radical shift from the logical premise of discreteness and consequent independence of material contents (‘objects’ or ‘things’) from their spatial context that has led to these crises. Inclusional logic provides a basis for this necessary shift in understanding, whilst being fully grounded in current knowledge. Here, rather than being an external ‘absence of presence’ that can safely be disregarded, space is regarded as a vital, inductive ‘presence of absence’ or ‘dynamic attractor’, and boundaries are regarded as pivotal intermediary domains through which inner and outer spatial domains of different intensity (curvature) are both distinguished and coupled together. Correspondingly, we perceive the world and Universe about us in terms of dynamic, space-incorporating, uniquely situated, relational places, nested over all scales from microcosmic to macrocosmic, rather than disjunctive objects that can only be moved by external force.\nThe implications of this shift are profound for all fields of human understanding concerned with evolutionary (irreversible) processes, and the need to explore these implications more fully, alongside practical efforts to transform the way we relate with one another and our living space, is urgent. Through this shift, it is possible to reverse the culturally damaging priority that has emerged from conventional impositional logic of profits before people before living space. We can recognize that our local human identities are expressions of energy-space; like all other natural forms, from quarks to galaxies, we are relational products and participants, not primary producers or ingredients of our dynamic context. Two guiding principles emerge from this recognition:\n(1) Love and Respect Other as the Distinct, but not Discrete,\nOuter Aspect of Your Complex Self (2) Give Primacy to Your Living Space, which permeates Everywhere,\nwithin, through and around Every uniquely situated Place. Do these seem familiar?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.943769097328186}
{"content": "School Snacks and Drinks The foods and beverages schools offer outside of meal programs are often called competitive foods because they compete with school meals for students' spending.\nJanuary 1, 2011 | Toolkit\nThese resources from San Souci Community Garden, were designed to serve as guides for gardeners in growing fresh, healthy food in their community gardens.\nNovember 1, 2012 | Journal Article\nA restaurant nutrition-labeling regulation was accompanied by some, but not uniform, improvements in two counties—one regulated and one nonregulated.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8148394823074341}
{"content": "This month, in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Fund, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and notable coalition members such as actor Jeff Bridges and author Bill McKibben, the Plastic Pollution Coalition is calling on the United States Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food and drink containers and packaging. A known endocrine disruptor, BPA has been linked to autism and attention deficit disorders, heart disease in women, diabetes, obesity, depression, and infertility.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988837242126465}
{"content": "Red takes on different properties depending on what colors you pair with it. The most effective framing color for a red-flowered standout is its complement: green. When a border focuses on green foliage, a single red-flower or red-leaf accent truly shines.\nInclude red in your garden's color scheme by partnering it with silver or white. Silver calms red into good behavior in a border; white offers a crisp contrast to richly colored reds.\nWrite mystery into your garden plots by combining the deep reds, such as burgundy, maroon, and russet, with equally dark purple and chocolate brown. Such sultry combinations create the illusion of depth and hidden distances.\nRed berries, twigs, and bark create magic in the winter garden against a snowy background.\nJarring on a large scale, red tends to dominate a scene. Use it sparingly for best results. In thin, weak spring light, red brightens the entire garden. Summer morning and evening light kindles a glow in red petals that appears harsh in midday sun. In fall, red looks deeper and richer; it has a warming effect. Red flowers (especially tubular-shape ones) signal hummingbirds that nectar awaits. Botanical (Latin) plant names often allude to their color. Cardinalis ,coccineus ,rosea ,rubra ,ruber , andsanguineus all refer to kinds of red. Weave red accents, such as linens and candles, into your outdoor living areas for a cheery how-do-you-do when company calls.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8462904095649719}
{"content": "Anesthesiology and Pain Management - Biochemistry - Biophysics - Biotechnology - Cardiovascular Disorders - Chemical Biology - Chemistry - Computer Science - Critical Care and Emergency Medicine - Dermatology - Diabetes and Endocrinology - Ecology - Evidence-Based Healthcare - Gastroenterology and Hepatology - Geriatrics - Hematology - Immunology - Infectious Diseases - Mathematics - Mental Health - Microbiology - Molecular Biology - Nephrology - Neurological Disorders - Neuroscience - Non-Clinical Medicine - Nutrition - Obstetrics - Oncology - Ophthalmology - Otolaryngology - Pathology - Pediatrics and Child Health - Pharmacology - Physics - Physiology - Public Health and Epidemiology - Radiology and Medical Imaging - Respiratory Medicine - Rheumatology - Science Policy - Surgery - Urology - Virology - Women's Health\nCCL2 Is Associated with a Faster Rate of Cognitive Decline during Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease\nPublished:\nMonday, January 30, 2012\nAuthor:\nby Karin Westin, Peder Buchhave, Henrietta Nielsen, Lennart Minthon, Sabina Janciauskiene, Oskar Hansson\nChemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2)-signaling can mediate accumulation of microglia at sites affected by neuroinflammation. CCR2 and its main ligand CCL2 (MCP-1) might also be involved in the altered metabolism of beta-amyloid (Aß) underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD). We therefore measured the levels of CCL2 and three other CCR2 ligands, i.e. CCL11 (eotaxin), CCL13 (MCP-4) and CCL26 (eotaxin-3), in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of 30 controls and 119 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at baseline. During clinical follow-up 52 MCI patients were clinically stable for five years, 47 developed AD (i.e. cases with prodromal AD at baseline) and 20 developed other dementias. Only CSF CCL26 was statistically significantly elevated in patients with prodromal AD when compared to controls (p?=?0.002). However, in patients with prodromal AD, the CCL2 levels in CSF at baseline correlated with a faster cognitive decline during follow-up (r s ?=?0.42, p?=?0.004). Furthermore, prodromal AD patients in the highest tertile of CSF CCL2 exhibited a significantly faster cognitive decline (p<0.001) and developed AD dementia within a shorter time period (p<0.003) compared to those in the lowest tertile. Finally, in the entire MCI cohort, CSF CCL2 could be combined with CSF Tau, P-tau and Aß42 to predict both future conversion to AD and the rate of cognitive decline. If these results are corroborated in future studies, CCL2 in CSF could be a candidate biomarker for prediction of future disease progression rate in prodromal AD. Moreover, CCR2-related signaling pathways might be new therapeutic targets for therapies aiming at slowing down the disease progression rate of AD.\nMore...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998264908790588}
{"content": "Paul Heger, «Source of Law in the Biblical and Mesopotamian Law Collections», Vol. 86 (2005) 324-342 This study argues that the source of the law constitutes the crucial ideological and practical difference between man-made and God-given codices. In the Mesopotamian codices, while the gods grant to the sovereign the authority to govern, it is he who ultimately creates the relevant laws. He is thus the source of the law and controls its application. God is the only source of biblical law, and is involved in its implementation. This crucial difference has far-reaching consequences. In particular, Mesopotamian laws focus on the redress of harm done to humans and on disruption of human order; further, legal procedures, sanctions and modes of compensation can be changed, forgiven or abolished. Biblical law regards some infractions as harms against humans, but others are also perceived as crimes against the Lord and a disruption of the divine order. Punishments are fixed by God in both cases, and are eternal and inalterable.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9849402904510498}
{"content": "colombia: trusting in societies’ strength: the climate justice tribunal\nDespite their vulnerability to such two-pronged threats, it is these societies’ inherent strength, rather than technological change, that will play the greatest transformative role in solving these crises. While alternative technologies are useful tools, comprehensive solutions must embrace social, political, economic and cultural dimensions. These are the fundamental tools of those who struggle to survive, and defend and reaffirm peoples' sovereignty and rights. Based on this analysis, Friends of the Earth Colombia / CENSAT Agua Viva aimed to create a space for victims of climate conflicts, to air their demands and proposals, and build up collective momentum towards key forums, such as the 2007 UN climate negotiations in Bali. FoE Columbia also wanted those responsible for the climate crisis to be judged, at the national and international level.what happened: FoE Colombia coordinated dialogue with their allies, in a quest to incorporate climate-related conflicts into the wider social movement agenda, and strengthen the struggle for environmental justice, specifically climate justice. They analysed climate change causes, implications and solutions. They also identified necessary elements for a national agenda and action plan to fight for climate justice. This process led the creation of a Climate Justice Tribunal. The Tribunal aims to ensure climate change is on the national political agenda. It also aims to coordinate victims and people affected by climate change nationwide. These two objectives reflect FoE Colombia’s national and international climate change strategy. The Climate Justice Tribunal set to out to complete three specific tasks: to identify communities affected by climate change in Colombia and map out anticipated impacts; to raise public awareness and identify affected peoples’ actual experiences of climate change; and to draft an action plan to tackle climate change which reflects the social movements’ proposals. Designed to have both an educational and political function, the Climate Justice Tribunal has three main actors: the plaintiffs, defence and juries. There were also witnesses – people from affected communities, or those whose testimony could reinforce the defence or plaintiffs’ arguments. The Tribunal formally began with the chief justice reading a “Bill of Indictment.” The Bill listed the defendants and charges. It was written by the organizers, and the charges it contained were filed by the prosecutors against the perpetrators of climate change. The tribunal ended with a “Ruling” issued by the judges, based on the debates. The Ruling clearly indicted those responsible for causing climate change, and gave reasons why the indictment was well grounded. The ruling was delivered by the juries to the chief justice, who read it and issued a sentence based on this final declaration. what we learned: While incorporating climate change into the social movements' agenda is relatively easy, getting it onto the academic or political parties' agenda is very challenging and will require substantial further effort. This is especially true if FoE Colombia is to base its work on justice, rather than technological fixes. To ensure the Tribunal has an educational function, work must be done to obtain a deep understanding of the causes, effects and impacts of climate change, in all their dimensions. Illustrating this need, in some instances it is currently difficult to explicitly link climate change to ecological and social impacts. As for the actual cases presented in the Tribunal, in many instances affected communities are unable to relay their experience in a systematic way. Working together with these communities to assist them to analyse and present their cases would help overcome this barrier. what next: FoE Colombia is dedicated to continue building a popular movement to struggle for climate justice and combat climate change. This includes gaining a comprehensive understanding of climate change, and working to put it high on the national political agenda. The lessons learned so far will help inform continuing efforts to ensure that this complex social-environmental conflict is addressed and dealt with.\nwith thanks to our funders: the isvara foundation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5274918079376221}
{"content": "Hint: place your cursor over button for tips.\nEmployer engagement is a key government priority for colleges and training providers. Tribal has developed the Raising Skills series to meet this agenda providing standardised, high-quality learning and support materials for full-cost delivery. The courses are comprehensive, yet concise, and focus on key issues for employers. This series of courses is suitable for a range of delivery models, including face-to-face, distance or blended learning.\nThis programme outlines the role and responsibilities of appointed fire marshals in the context of current fire legislation. On completion of the programme, delegates will be able to understand the principles of current fire legislation; demonstrate awareness of the common causes of fire and methods of prevention; understand the role and responsibilities of the fire marshal; and be aware of the appropriate use of fire-fighting equipment.\nFor the learner, materials include:\nFor the tutor, materials include:\nA comprehensive tutor guide is supplied to accompany these materials. To view a sample of a tutor guide, click here.\nThis programme aims to provide learners with a sound introduction to the fundamentals of fire marshalling. Those wishing to build on this introductory knowledge may want to embark on further study in this area, including Awards, Certificates, Diplomas and NVQs, depending on their situation and previous experience.\nClick here to view a sample.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9423784613609314}
{"content": "ankle sprains are extremely common, especially lateral ankle sprains – where the ankle is rolled over so that the sole of the foot faces inwards and ligament damage is sustained on the outside of the ankle. This can occur in also all sports and regularly in day-to-day life, with stairs and curbs being the most frequent culprits.\nNow, we all know that right away after a sprained ankle we must use the good old RICE protocol, so we rapidly reach for the frozen peas and tubi-grip. And we are right to do so! Icing regularly, elevating the foot and using a compression bandage are very effective in limiting swelling and bleeding. However, after a few days, maybe a week, of", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8773294687271118}
{"content": "Women on the Border is a Texas-based 501c3 non profit organization engaged in educational projects involving contact with women who are fighting against abuses by U.S. based investor corporations under the North American Free Trade Agreement. We are dedicated to supporting the workers in their efforts to bring about justice in the maquiladoras. They complain regularly of the following: workers are not paid living wages, regularl exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace, verbal and sexual harassment, abusive treatment by supervisors who abuse their authority and treat workers more like animals and machinery than like human beings. The pay at hundreds of factories regularly amounts to less than $1 per hour. Lack of proper training or safety gear for working around dangerous machinery or chemicals is a standard feature in many maquiladoras. Chronic illnesses and injuries are also a common feature among workers as a consequence of the toxicity they endure in the workplace. Women on the Border’s educational mission seeks to connect the experiences at the Mexican border with the broader issues of the global economy today.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7561596632003784}
{"content": "Rotational grazing refers to the practice of moving livestock herds into new pastures to allow old fields to recover and regrow. Crops are often planted between grazing cycles since the animal waste deposited by grazing livestock produces richer, more fertile soil. Pasturing or grazing can save farmers the costs associated with buying grain feed for their livestock, and rotational grazing is one way to ensure a reliable supply of healthy grass for consumption by cattle, hogs, chicken or other pastured animals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7069963812828064}
{"content": "Maj. Kuşçu had tried to inform the state of preparations ahead of the bloody 1960 coup but was instead tried by a military court, along with the eight officers he had accused of plotting to overthrow the Democrat Party (DP) government of the time.\nLast week it was reported that the Ministry of Justice is planning to add an article to the new judicial package making it possible to penalize journalists who report on such voice recordings. In Turkey, it is common to hear recordings featuring the voices of senior military officers or bureaucrats expressing their views about political and military-related issues.\nKasap said the release of private conversations is a violation of privacy, and those who record and disseminate them should be punished. However, it does not comply with the principle of freedom of the press to punish journalists who report on these recordings after they are released into the public arena, and when they concern matters of relevance to the public.\n“In its current format, the law will not punish members of the junta but people like Samet Kuşçu who inform the authorities about the activities of the junta,” Kasap said.\nHe also noted that just as there are limits to every human freedom there are limits to freedom of the press, but added that these limits should not render journalists unable to perform their jobs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6086678504943848}
{"content": "Figure 2. Distribution of districts where epidemic meningococcal meningitis are likely to occur. a) observed distribution of meningitis epidemics (1841–1999). b) fitted model of observed meningitis epidemics based on environmental variables.\nThe opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9987013936042786}
{"content": "Customers already use social technologies to wrest power away from large corporations. Now employees are adapting social technologies in pursuit of innovations to support these empowered customers; Forrester calls these employees HEROes (highly empowered and resourceful operatives). By designing social technologies as part of their Innovation Networks, CIOs and their IT teams help establish new Social Innovation Networks — innovation ecosystems employing social technologies to enhance HEROes' innovations. These Social Innovation Networks help drive faster, more effective innovation across the enterprise. And CIOs must rise to the challenge of nurturing and developing these networks while structuring their IT teams to fully support them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9520560503005981}
{"content": "Our first 10 videos in the newborn care series are now available. They were filmed in the developing world with partial support from USAID/MCHIP. The videos follow international standards of care, and several include animation to highlight key learning points. They have been reviewed by global content experts and field-tested among frontline health workers in developing countries. By helping providers learn newborn best practices, these films can help improve newborn survival in low-resource settings.\nJuly 1, 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7292121648788452}
{"content": "a1 Griffith University, PO Box 3428, South Brisbane 4101, Australia scott.harrison@griffith.edu.auAbstract\nDespite three decades of research, gendered participation in music continues to be problematic. While many aspects of Western society maintain a patriarchal stance in the workplace, it is apparent that girls have made some significant changes in their musical choices. Males, it seems, are maintaining the same preferences for instruments as they did 100 years ago, avoiding ‘gentler pursuits’ like singing and playing the flute. This paper seeks to investigate the continued existence of stereotyping of musical participation and to discover some of the underlying reasons for this in the musical choices for boys through the literature. Furthermore, themes arising from existing research are investigated through fieldwork recently conducted in Australia.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9799115061759949}
{"content": "After the first snow crab had been found on the Goose Bank in 1996 the number of reports on the snow crab by-catches in bottom trawl fishery has gradually increased (Pavlov, 2002). Since 2003 the snow crab has been observed in stomachs of cod, haddock, catfishes and thorny skate and thereby became a new food item for bottom fishes in the Barents Sea. In 2005, a snow crab was, for the first time, found during the ecosystem survey. In 2005-2008, the number of trawl stations where this species occurred and the number of individuals per station, increased.\nDuring that period, the crab was found in bottom trawl catches in most of the eastern Barents Sea concentrated mainly in the areas adjacent to the Goose Bank and the southern extremity of the Novaya Zemlya.\nIn 2007-2008, directed trawl surveys for the snow crab was conducted for the first time. At the Goose Bank and adjacent areas in the eastern Barents Sea were surveyed. During the surveys, highest number of snow crabs was 95 specimens per haul/hour. Males predominated (84%) in the catches and the greatest density of crabs (145-320 ind./km2) was registered to the south of the Goose Bank.\nThe results indicate that the snow crab has adapted to the Barents Sea and it is assumed that the abundance of this crab will grow in the eastern Barents Sea in the nearest future. Due to this, it is expedient to monitor the distribution and abundance of the crab regularly, and to estimate any impact on the native ecosystem.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5986581444740295}
{"content": "Spirulina platensis: Potential Biosorbent for Lead\nHeavy metal contamination is one of the problems encountered by industrialized countries due to its harmful implications. At present, biosorption, a biological method in removing heavy metal ions, is deemed as an inexpensive and effective alternative to physico-chemical methods of separation in treating wastewater contaminated with heavy metal ions. This study Spirulina platensis: Potential Biosorbent for Lead aimed to prove the effectiveness of Spirulina platensis in absorbing lead ions from simulated wastewater. S. platensis and lead acetate were obtained from UPLB. Four separate 90 ml lead solutions, each containing 50 ppm of lead, were prepared and inoculated with 10 ml of S. platensis.\nTo test for contact time, each of these lead solutions was filtered and the filtrates were analyzed spectrophotometrically for the remaining lead concentrates. Results obtained from the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer showed that S. platensis biologically absorbed 89.12% lead within the first 6 hours of contact with the solustion. However, in the succeeding hours of contact, fluctuating absorbance was observed but still favorable for biosorption. Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between the final concentration and the contact time. The variance accounted for the concentration by the contact time was only 28.09%. Based on the standard deviation, which is 19.64% between the samples in the concentration, there was a significant decrease between the initial and final concentration. Therefore, S. platensis is an effective biosorbent and can be used to bioremediate lead contaminated water.\nFurther clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.\nResearchers Jose Alfonso A. CasurraAdviser Marygen C. Sitoy Caraga Regional Science High SchoolSource: DOST", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9649264216423035}
{"content": "Teams are usually selected or authorized by the quality council. A team will consist of a team leader, facilitator, recorder, time keeper and members. All team members have clearly defined roles and responsibilities.\nThe team leader, who is selected by the quality council, sponsor or the team itself, has following roles.\nEnsure the smooth and effective operation of the team, handling and assigning record keeping, orchestrating activities, and how overseeing preparation of reports and presentation. Facilitate the team process, ensures that all members participate during the meetings, prevents other members from dominating, actively participates when appropriate, guides without domineering, and uses positive interpersonal behavior. Serves as a contact point between the team and the sponsor or quality council. Orchestrates the implementation of the changes recommended by the team within organizational constrains and team boundaries. Monitor the statues and accomplishments of members, assuring timely completion of assignments. Prepare the meeting agenda, including time, date, and location; and ensures the necessary resources are available for the meeting. Ensures that team decisions are made by consensus where appropriate, rather than by unilateral decision, handclasp decision, majority-rule decision, or minority-rule decision. The facilitator is not a member of the team; him/her neutral assistant and may not be needed with a mature team. This person does not get involved in the meeting content or evaluations of the team’s idea. Roles are as follows.Support the leader in the facilitating the team during the initial stages of the team. Focuses on the team process; is concerned more with how decisions are made rather than the decision itself. Acts as resources to the team by intervening when necessary to keep the team on track. Does not perform activities that the team can do. Provides feed back to the team concerning the effectiveness of the team process. The team recorder , who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a periodic basis, has the following roles.\nDocuments the main ideas of the main team’s discussion, the issues raised, decisions made, action item and future agenda items. Present the documents for the team to review during the meeting and distribute them as minutes after the meeting in a timely manner. Participate as a team member The timekeeper , who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a periodic basic, has the following roles.\nMonitor the time to ensure that the team maintains the schedule as determined by the agenda. Participate as a team member The team member , who is selected by the team leader, sponsor, or quality council or is a member of a natural work team, has the following responsibilities\nContributes best, without reservation, by actively participating in meetings and sharing knowledge, expertise, ideas, and information. Respects other people’s contribution, does not criticize, complain, or condemn. Listens carefully and asks questions. Is enthusiastic-it’s contagious and helps galvanize the entire team. Works for consensus on decision and is prepared to negotiate important points. Supports the decision of the team-badmouthing a decision or a member reduces the effectiveness of the team. Trusts, supports and has genuine concern for other team members. Understands and is committed to team objectives. Respect and is tolerant of individual differences. Encourage feedback on own behavior. Acknowledges and works through conflict openly. Carries out assignments between meetings such as collecting data, observing processes, charting data, and writing reports. Gives honest, sincere appreciation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8726524114608765}
{"content": "A well-constructed salary guide is a crucial element in enabling school boards to meet their staffing goals. As boards strive to remove costly balloon steps and retain recently hired staff, many have met with success after acquiring a better understanding of the issue.\nCentrally Located Program To equip school board members and administrators with the skills needed to address salary guide concerns, NJSBA will conduct a training program, Analyzing and Constructing Salary Guides, on Feb. 23 at the Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center in Mercer County. Participants will engage in a step-by-step analysis of salary guide construction, they will understand how to recognize and address salary guide aberrations, and they will learn strategies to effectively negotiate guide changes.\nDistricts that participated in past NJSBA salary guide training have reported dramatic improvements. For instance, one district eliminated 19 balloon steps from its guide, the largest of which represented a 15 percent increment raise. (The largest increment on the district’s new guide is only 4.4 percent.)\nFor more information about Analyzing and Constructing Salary Guides or to register, contact the NJSBA Call Center at (888) 886-5722, ext. 5217, or by e-mail.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8282178640365601}
{"content": "Marylhurst University and Clackamas Women’s Services Seminar:\nInstructor: Melissa Erlbaum\nSaturday, August 4, 2012\n9AM – 6PM\nLocation: Marylhurst University Campus\nCredit Hours: 1 Credit (Also Offered for CEU and non-credit)\nThis seminar will explore the impact that domestic violence and sexual assault have in the workplace. The seminar will approach these topics from a Human Resource perspective. Employees’ home lives can affect their performance at work, particularly with an issue like domestic and sexual violence. Many abusers attempt to stalk, harass, threaten or injure victims at work. For the victim, actions like these can present barriers to getting and keeping a job and often result in reduced productivity and lost wages. For the employer and co-workers, it can result in increased medical costs, reduced productivity, absenteeism and heightened risks of violence to others.\nHowever, by choosing to proactively address this issue in the workplace, employers can enhance workplace safety, increase employee productivity and moral, decrease absenteeism and turnover, create a powerful, positive impact in the community, and implement effective prevention and intervention strategies.\nFor additional info, e-mail mwellman@marylhurst.edu or call (503) 675-3961.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8674468398094177}
{"content": "According to Science Daily,\nAquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. Their findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the\nProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6451019644737244}
{"content": "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received over 500 consumer complaints about the steering on 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corolla and Matrix vehicles, expressing concerns that the cars wander at highway speeds and can be difficult to control. After an investigation, Toyota has confirmed that the “design and performance of the steering system is appropriate.” However, the automaker has issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that would allow dealers to replace the electronic power steering electronic control unit (ECU) if a customer complains, but will not issue a recall.\nToyota claims the problem is a design characteristic and not a safety issue. By avoiding a formal recall, it will save Toyota from adding almost 750,000 more vehicles to the 8.5 million recalled this past year. In addition, it would save on cost and legal requirements.\nToyota tells us that the revised programming will change the steering feel, but it will not affect the handling performance.\nIn our tests, we noted that “the steering is a bit light and rather vague on center,” but we did not judge it to be a safety issue.\nIf you own one of these models and want the steering fix, you will need to request the change through your dealership.\n—Liza Barth", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5630041360855103}
{"content": "This effective approach to flowmeter selection involves a step-by-step method that begins by matching the application with the flowmeter(s). Then, a series of criteria are applied to narrow the selection.\nWould you like to reuse content from CEP Magazine? It’s easy to request permission to reuse content. Simply click here to connect instantly to licensing services, where you can choose from a list of options regarding how you would like to reuse the desired content and complete the transaction.\nWould you like to access this CEP Article? No problem. You just have to complete the following steps.\nYou have completed 0 of 2 steps.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7240713834762573}
{"content": "Trends in the treatment and outcome of congenital diaphragmatic hernia over the last decade. MedLine Citation:\nPMID: 23089981 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher Abstract/OtherAbstract:\nPURPOSE: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains a challenging and life-threatening congenital anomaly. The aim was to evaluate whether treatment and survival has changed during the last decade. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed all consecutive infants with CDH referred to two European tertiary paediatric surgical centres over 11 years (January 1999 to December 2009). Minimum follow-up was 1 year. χ(2) test for trend was used to evaluate significance. RESULTS: There were 234 infants. There was no significant variation over time in the proportion of infants receiving high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) (p = 0.89), inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) (p = 0.90) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (p = 0.22). 205 infants (88 %) were stabilised and underwent surgical repair; of these, 186 (79 %) survived after surgery. Over time there was a significant increase in the proportion of infants undergoing surgical repair (p = 0.018) without a concomitant significant improvement in survival (p = 0.099). CONCLUSION: This multicentre analysis indicates that the survival rate of infants with CDH referred to two European paediatric surgical centres is high (79 %). The use of HFOV, iNO and ECMO has not changed in recent years. We observed a significant increase in the proportion of infants who undergo surgery but this has not resulted in a significant increase in the overall survival rate. Authors:\nMassimo Garriboli; Johannes Wolfgang Duess; Elke Ruttenstock; Mark Bishay; Simon Eaton; Paolo De Coppi; Prem Puri; Michael E Höllwarth; Agostino Pierro Publication Detail:\nType: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2012-10-23 Journal Detail:\nTitle: Pediatric surgery international Volume: - ISSN: 1437-9813 ISO Abbreviation: Pediatr. Surg. Int. Publication Date: 2012 Oct Date Detail:\nCreated Date: 2012-10-23 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - Medline Journal Info:\nNlm Unique ID: 8609169 Medline TA: Pediatr Surg Int Country: - Other Details:\nLanguages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - Affiliation:\nUCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK, m.garriboli@ucl.ac.uk. Export Citation:\nAPA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex MeSH Terms Descriptor/Qualifier:\nFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine\nPrevious Document: Copolymer-templated nitrogen-enriched porous nanocarbons for CO(2) capture.Next Document: PI3K independent activation of mTORC1 as a target in lapatinib-resistant ERBB2+ breast cancer cells.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5909063816070557}
{"content": "Academic Standards\nIssue Brief and Resources There is strong consensus that improved efforts must be directed to ensure rigorous standards. However, policy differences exist among major stakeholders regarding whether such standards should be developed and mandated by the federal government or whether such efforts can be taken by states and local school districts individually or collectively by groups of states to achieve this goal. NSBA strongly urges Congress to provide maximum authority and flexibility to the states in this effort.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.743061900138855}
{"content": "Even as planetary scientists were going into raptures over images from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) that suggest water may have flowed on Mars in recent years, a lonely rover stood poised on a Martian crater's edge, ready to tackle another big question: was the Red Planet once washed by oceans?\nLast week's pictures from the orbiting MGS spacecraft revealed fresh, light-coloured material in two of the gullies it was monitoring. Over the past three years, NASA's rover Opportunity, operating on the Martian surface, has found physical and chemical evidence showing that water was once present. This could have been groundwater that never appeared on the surface for any significant length of time, but the MGS images now raise the exciting possibility that the marks they show were left by flows of liquid water, indicating that groundwater might still be surfacing.\nTim Parker, a planetary geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion ...\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7395110130310059}
{"content": "Description Transport in the twenty-first century represents a significant challenge at the global and the local scale. Aided by over sixty clear illustrations, Peter Headicar disentangles this complex, modern issue in five parts, offering critical insights into:\nthe nature of transport the evolution of policy and planning policy instruments planning procedures the contemporary agenda. Distinctive features include the links forged throughout between transport and spatial planning, which are often neglected.\nDesigned as an essential text for transport planning students and as a source of reference for planning practitioners, it also furthers understanding of related fields such as urban and regional planning, geography, environmental studies and public policy. Based in the postgraduate course the author developed at Oxford Brookes University, this indispensable text draws on a lifetime of professional experience in the field.\nContents Part 1: The Nature of Transport Part 2: The Evolution of Transport Policy and Planning Part 3: Public Choices – Ends and Means Part 4: Planning Procedures Part 5: The Contemporary Policy Agenda", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6994408369064331}
{"content": "Businesses encouraged to submit entry; must demonstrate improved operations through Vision, Business Rules and Technology Cleveland, OH — May 10, 2005 — The International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) has announced that it will showcase a corporation that has made significant operations improvement by awarding them with a Annual Prize named the \"Ptak Prize for Supply Chain Excellence.\"\nThe corporation that wins the award will have to demonstrate how it improved operations by combining clear objectives with aligned business practices supported by flexible and adaptable technology.\n\"We are pleased to offer this prize to recognize a corporation that has contributed to improving total supply chain operations through Vision, Business Rules and Technology,\" said Lalith DeSilva, executive director of ISCEA.\nDeSilva added that ISCEA is equally pleased to have the opportunity to name the prize after Carol Ptak, (CFPIM, CIRM, Jonah, PMP) whose holistic approach to supply chain is in line with ISCEA's vision. \"We see this prize in line with Shingo Prize and Deming Prize,\" he said.\nCarol Ptak has over two decades of practical experience as a practitioner, consultant and educator in manufacturing operations. She is the past president and CEO of APICS, the Educational Society for Resource Management.\nPtak holds an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology and completed the EMPO program at Stanford University. She is a frequent educator at the university level and presents at many technical conferences around the world. She is also the author of numerous articles and the books, including MRP and Beyond and ERP, Tools, Techniques and Applications for Integrating the Supply Chain . Her book, Necessary but not Sufficient was co-authored with Dr. Eli Goldratt and Eli Schragenheim.\nDr. Charles Watts, executive director of Education & Certification at ISCEA, stated, Carol is one of the top visionaries in supply chain management. She understands the importance of having technology and business rules aligned with a firm's vision. She is on the leading edge of a revolution in how firms manage the supply chain. If we follow her lead, supply chains will soon become the demand chains we have been talking about over the last few years.\"\nThe first \"Ptak Prize for Supply Chain Excellence\" will be given at the 2006 ISCEA Supply Chain Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas, Nev., which takes place May 22-24, 2006. ISCEA said that both members and non-members can submit entries for the \"2006 Ptak Prize for Supply Chain Excellence,\" starting May 15, 2005.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.760140061378479}
{"content": "I saw a recent survey where software developers across the United States revealed they would rather do their taxes or visit a dentist than test their own software. While that might seem cute, the most alarming aspect of the survey indicated developers know and understand the financial risks associated with their disdain for testing. On average, developers estimate their last bug cost their employer at least $200,000. Despite this large financial penalty, less than 20% of respondents indicated the company’s financial pain caused them to change their behavior.\nThese are alarming statistics for those of us in the software industry.\nAs I thought about this survey, I couldn't help contrast these findings with the behavior of my local lawn care provider, Scotts.\nHere me out.\nI hired Scotts to take care of my lawn. They spray for weeds once a month and keep my neighbors happy with me. When I was recently contacted at my home about additional Scott's services, I noticed the salesperson was very familiar with my lawn. Since I tend to notice good upsells (hey, it’s part of my job) I asked the caller how he knew so much about my circumstances. Turns out the caller on the phone that night was the same guy that sprays my lawn for weeds during the day.\nThis approach doesn't work in every business but it should.\nFrom a customer perspective, there is nothing more compelling than buying a product from someone who has ownership in the product they are selling. From Scott's perspective, this approach is not only effective but it’s extremely efficient from a resource perspective.\nIf more software companies asked their developers to be resonsible for client success, developers would think twice before consciously not testing their code.\nWe're blessed at iGoDigital. We have a team of dedicated developers who really are focused on building great product recommendation software and delivering real value to our clients. Despite the talents and passions of our team, I wonder what would happen if we asked our developers to behave like the employees of Scotts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9249598383903503}
{"content": "This week as I was searching for news on borderline personality disorder (BPD), I found this article on Charlie Sheen in the Huffington Post. While the piece is tagged as an article about borderline personality disorder, it is attempting to draw parallels between Charlie Sheen's behavior and a \"high conflict personality\" pattern.\nI had never heard of \"high conflict personality\" before (it is not a DSM-IV diagnostic category), but the symptoms listed in the article sound very much like the features of BPD (i.e., unable to accept or heal from a loss, strong negative emotionality) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD; i.e., difficulty empathizing, blaming others). There is a great deal of comorbidity (co-occurrence) of NPD and BPD-- I wonder if this \"high conflict personality\" construct is merely a description of individuals who have both disorders.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9615922570228577}
{"content": "JURIST Contributing Editor L. Ali Khan, Professor of Law at Washburn University says the Congressional hearings proposed by Representative King violate the dignity of individual Muslim Americans, encourage over-generalizations that promote public panic and fear, and reveal inflated concerns for homeland security...\nD espite calls to stop the proposed Congressional hearings on the inflammatory topic of, \"the radicalization of American Muslims,\" Representative Peter King--a Roman Catholic, the Republican Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and a strong advocate for the Irish Republican Army--is determined to investigate the so-called homegrown Islamic terrorism. Numerous faith groups, including the Catholics, oppose King's Hearings as a crude attack on the religious dignity of Islam. Jewish leaders and rabbis, such as Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, have been most vocal in condemning the undignified implication that, \"there is an inherent link between Islam per se and terrorism [which] is not helpful to religious tolerance in America.\"\nA league of other faith groups warn that, \"singling out a group of Americans for government scrutiny based on their faith is divisive and wrong.\" However, King remains unpersuaded, reaffirming regrettable popular opinions that Islam poses a threat to national security, that mosques are turning into centers of radicalism, and that American Muslims are actively planning to engage in acts of terrorism.\nDignity of the Individual In addition to challenging the religious dignity of Islam, a religion now well-established in the U.S., Representative King's hearings violate the principle of human dignity, the bedrock of the law of human rights. Human dignity requires that group identity should not be the sole criterion for judging individuals. Every individual, regardless of his or her racial, religious, or other group identity, is entitled to human dignity. This principle of dignity of the individual, though it applies to all, is particularly protective of individuals of vulnerable minorities, such as American Muslims. King knows that several million Muslims living in all parts of the U.S. epitomize diversity and individuality. They all are not the same. American Muslims are South Asians, Arabs, African Americans, and Caucasians. They are immigrants and they are native-born; they are men, women, and children. They are cab drivers, students, doctors, engineers, and lawyers. Ignoring complex compositions of American Muslims as individuals, Representative King's hearings endorse an inaccurate impression that American Muslims constitute a violent monolithic community, or, worse, that each and every American Muslim poses a threat to homeland security.\nHarmful Overgeneralization As public figures wielding influence, lawmakers are bound to avoid harmful over-generalizations that cause public panic or fear. Opponents of these hearings point out that Representative King is following Senator Joseph McCarthy, who in the 1950s tilled the popular American fear that Soviet-sponsored communist spies had infested the nation and were planning to overthrow the U.S. Constitution. Senator McCarthy was correct to the extent that communist spies had indeed infiltrated the U. S. What was incorrect with McCarthy's Red Scare was an irresponsible over-generalization under which every egalitarian person, every critic of free markets, and every opponent of the U.S. foreign policy was regarded as a communist spy. Patriotic Americans who disagreed with Senator McCarthy's conservative agenda were seen as state enemies. McCarthyism is now associated with a phenomenon that morphs legitimate concern into an unlawful over-generalization.\nUnfortunately, King's Hearings are charting the McCarthyist path. King underscores a legitimate homeland security concern. A few individuals would likely commit acts of terrorism and some already have. In 2010, Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized Muslim citizen, attempted to detonate a car bomb in Times Squares. In 2009, Major Nidal Hasan, a Muslim born in Virginia, killed 13 persons at Fort Hood. However, select acts of terrorism, no matter how despicable, cannot be inflated into the collective guilt of an entire community. History teaches us, again and again, that over-generalizations lead to error and tragedy. Most Muslim Americans are like most other Americans, engrossed in their daily lives. They commute to work, they take their children to school, they work, they come home, and they look forward to a restful evening. Committing violence against their own country does not cross their mind. Committing the cardinal error of over-generalization, Representative King, despite legitimate concerns he has for homeland security, comes across as a prejudiced lawmaker determined to demonize American Muslims as violent radicals. At a time when the U.S. needs the goodwill of domestic Muslim communities to safeguard homeland security, King is widening the gulf of trust and mutual respect among Americans.\nInflated Concerns for Homeland Security Homeland security is a legitimate congressional concern. Members of Congress are bound by oath or affirmation to defend the U.S. Constitution against domestic and foreign enemies. However, it is the U.S. Constitution that members of Congress must defend. No responsible lawmaker would reduce the Constitution's complex rights-based architecture to mere homeland security. It is no secret that inflated concerns for homeland security can assault civil liberties and protected rights. For instance, Middle Eastern autocrats, as we witness the revolt against them, have for decades denied the people's freedoms in the name of homeland security. Rights-based democracies interweave homeland security into the precious fabric of rights and liberties. The internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War was a grave error precisely because the internment policy threw away rights and liberties for the sake of homeland security. Congressional leaders, including the Speaker of the House, must not allow Representative King to conduct these hearings that challenge the religious dignity of Islam and promote harmful generalizations decline to treat American Muslims as individuals.\nL. Ali Khan is law professor at Washburn University School of Law and the author of A Theory of International Terrorism (2006).\nSuggested citation: L. Ali Khan, King Hearings Targeting American Muslims Must Be Stopped , JURIST - Forum, March 10, 2011, http://jurist.org/forum/2011/03/kings-hearings-targeting-american-muslims-must-be-stopped.php.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8112281560897827}
{"content": "R. van Berkel, P. van der Aa and N. van Gestel\nEuropean Journal of Social Work, vol.13, 2010, p. 447-463\nOver the past decades the role of social security systems has changed from delivery of benefits to passive claimants to being 'stepping stones' to employment. This article explores the impact of the implementation of active labour market policies on the discretionary room available to frontline workers, focusing on local welfare agencies in the Netherlands, which are responsible for the administration of social assistance and the activation of recipients. It is argued that the discretion available to frontline workers involved in the activation of claimants has increased significantly. There is a shift from a bureaucratic towards a more professional treatment of frontline workers, combined with attempts to introduce a more performance-oriented style of management.\nA. Barrientos\nJournal of Human Development and Capabilities, vol. 11, 2010, p. 579-593\nSocial protection has emerged as a strong policy framework addressing poverty in developing countries. Research on social protection has focused on the relative efficiency of interventions, but has not paid sufficient attention to conceptual and ethical foundations. This paper aims to draw attention to the significance of these fundamentals, by arguing that the capability approach can provide a firm basis for social protection, and examining this argument in the context of Chile Solidario. Chile Solidario was introduced in 2002 with the aim of eradicating extreme poverty in Chile. It provides intensive support to the 225,000 poorest households in Chile along seven dimensions of well-being: education, health, income, employment, household dynamics, housing and registration.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8955910205841064}
{"content": "Far too often, America is stunned by the sudden death of a young person. This person seems perfectly healthy and then several hours later will die with no warning.\nSudden Adult Death Syndrome vs. Sudden Cardiac Death A Sudden Cardiac Death is generally caused by a heart condition, known or unknown. If the condition was previously unknown, specific cause can be determined upon autopsy.\nSudden Adult Death Syndrome is also known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS.) When sudden death occurs with no explanation nor previous illness or accident, nor a heart condition, usually a coroner will perform tests on tissue samples, blood samples and study the organs. If the coroner cannot find a reason for the death, sometimes a cardiac pathologist will be called. The cardiac pathologist will do further tests on the heart to determine any underlying condition that contributed to death.\nThe use of the word 'adult' enables the distinction between different forms of Sudden Death Syndrome, making the distinction between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - SIDS and Sudden Adult Death Syndrome - SADS.\nSudden Adult Death Syndrome events are defined as non-traumatic, non-violent, unexpected occurrences resulting from cardiac arrest within as little as six hours of previously witnessed normal health.\nThe Warning Signs Fainting (syncope) or seizure during physical activity. Fainting (syncope) or seizure resulting from emotional excitement, emotional distress or startle. Family history of unexpected sudden death during physical activity or during a seizure, or any other unexplained sudden death of an otherwise healthy young person.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8067167401313782}
{"content": "Sponsor\nRep. Runyan, Jon Date\nMay 23, 2011 (112th Congress, 1st Session) Staff Contact\nJon Hiler\nOn Monday, May 23, 2011, the House is scheduled consider H.R. 1407 under a suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage. The resolution was introduced by Rep. John Runyan (R-NJ) on April 6, 2011, and referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs. The full Committee considered the bill and held a mark-up session on May 12, 2011, with the bill passing by voice vote.\nH.R. 1407 would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, effective on December 1, 2011. The dollar amounts would be increased by the same percentage (Cost-of-Living Adjustment, or COLA) applied to Social Security benefits on the same effective date.\nThe bill would also extend by five years VA’s authority to provide adaptive housing grants to veterans residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member. This pilot program is set to expire on December 31, 2011; the bill would extend that authority to December 31, 2016.\nUnder current law, veterans who are classified by VA as totally disabled and who have certain mobility limitations are entitled to receive housing grants of up to $63,780 to be used to purchase, construct, or modify a home to meet their specific needs. Totally disabled veterans who are blind or have lost the use of their hands are entitled to receive grants of up to $12,756 for those same purposes. Qualifying veterans may use up to $14,000 from the larger grant or $2,000 from the smaller grant to adapt the home of a family member when the veteran resides with that family member temporarily.\nThe Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would increase direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2012-2021 period, relative to CBO’s baseline projections. This estimate assumes that the COLA effective on December 1, 2011, would be 1.1 percent.\nBased on recent rates of usage of housing grant benefit, CBO estimates that the bill would increase direct spending by less than $500,000 over the five years of the proposed extension, 2012-2017.\nH.R. 1407 would affect direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the net effects would be insignificant for each year. The bill would not affect revenues.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5076550245285034}
{"content": "Purpose: This study of fixed partial dentures (FPDs) evaluated the long-term efficacy and determined frequencies and causes of failures. Materials and Methods: A total of 322 FPDs in 193 patients, fabricated at an undergraduate university clinic, were evaluated over a 20-year period. All patients were invited to participate in a supportive maintenance program. Failures of the FPDs were divided into irreversible complications (loss of FPD/abutment) and reversible complications (FPD intact after conservative treatment) and into biologic and technical/patient-related failures. Results: The Kaplan-Meier survival rate after 20 years was 66.2%. Statistically significant differences in survival rates were found between FPDs without post-and-core abutment teeth as compared to FPDs with at least one post-and-core abutment tooth (P = .002) and for vital abutments versus post-and-core abutments (P = .001), but significant differences were not found between restorations in the maxilla and mandible (P = .27). Caries and loss of retention were the main reasons for failure and accounted for 61% of the failures. Conclusion: The survival of FPDs by undergraduate students at a university clinic during a 20-year period was comparable to the results published by university departments or general practitioners. Occurrence of a previously reversible complication is a predictive factor for an irreversible complication later on. A reversible complication within the first 2 years will probably lead to an early irreversible complication.\nInt J Prosthodont 2006;19:143–153.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7274891138076782}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The ability to conduct advanced functional genomic studies of the thousands of sequenced bacteria has been hampered by the lack of available tools for making high-throughput chromosomal manipulations in a systematic manner that can be applied across diverse species. In this work, we highlight the use of synthetic biological tools to assemble custom suicide vectors with reusable and interchangeable DNA \"parts\" to facilitate chromosomal modification at designated loci. These constructs enable an array of downstream applications, including gene replacement and the creation of gene fusions with affinity purification or localization tags. We employed this approach to engineer chromosomal modifications in a bacterium that has previously proven difficult to manipulate genetically, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, to generate a library of over 700 strains. Furthermore, we demonstrate how these modifications can be used for examining metabolic pathways, protein-protein interactions, and protein localization. The ubiquity of suicide constructs in gene replacement throughout biology suggests that this approach can be applied to engineer a broad range of species for a diverse array of systems biological applications and is amenable to high-throughput implementation. Applied and environmental microbiology 09/2011; 77(21):7595-604. · 3.69 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8837010860443115}
{"content": "Objectives To develop a model for determining the level of dose adherence of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clients from the first day of ART to the day of interview and to determine the dose adherence levels of the ART clients using the model.\nMethods A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-tested standardized questionnaires in exitinterviews in three ART centres and eleven social support groups to determine the dose adherence levels of ART clients in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A dose-adherence model was developed from three types of dose records; the observed doses, the expected doses and the missed doses and the frequency at which clients defaulted since commencement of ART. This model encapsulated the short-term recall of missed doses and the long-term default frequency of ART clients to arrive at the observed / expected adherence level ratio; the expected doses being the theoretical number of doses to be taken from the first day of ART to the time of interview and the observed doses being the difference between the expected doses and the missed doses.\nResults Standard adherence levels derived from the model based on literature were 25% [1], 50% [2], 80% [3] and 100% [4]. However, 83.2% of respondents were 100% adherent having honoured all their re-fill appointments and never missed doses since commencement of ART. 14% and 1.7% of the 725 respondents were 80% and 50% adherent respectively whereas the remaining 1.1 % were 25% adherent. Observed adherence levels were statistically significant at a p-value of 0.0517. Further analyses on factors affecting dose adherence were conducted on the respondent's knowledge, attitudes and practices, socio-demographic features, social support received, ARV dispensing consistency and sources of ART information and there was no significance over the adherence levels. Contrarily, the mechanisms adopted for adherence significantly (p-value = 0.0517) affected the adherence levels.\nConclusion The dose-adherence model complements other methods for deducing client's level of dose adherence by considering the long-term default frequency as an addition to the short-term recall of missed doses or self-report.\nReferences Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 2003,34 (3): 281-288. Publisher Full Text Haubrich RH, Little SI, Currier JS, Forthal DN, Kemper CA, Beall GN,\net al .:The value of patient-reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy in predicting virologic and immunologic response. California Collaborative Treatment Group.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5981574058532715}
{"content": "When a veteran is not satisfied with the decision reached by the Regional Office (RO), he/she must file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The RO then offers two options for appeal, review by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) or the traditional appeal process. The RO will issue a letter outlining these two options. You have 60 days from the date of the letter to respond with your selection. If you do not respond, your appeal will be sent through the traditional process. In either process, the reviewer can (1) award a full grant of benefits, (2) award a partial grant of benefits, or (3) confirm the original RO decision.\nTraditional Appeals Process This process involves a review of the claims file and any additional information that is submitted. The reviewer can hold a formal hearing with the veteran to gather additional evidence. However, he is only allowed to change the original decision in two instances, (1) new evidence has been submitted, or (2) the original decision was based on clear and unmistakable error. This means the original reviewer made a mistake. The decision can also be changed based on a difference of opinion, BUT the new decision must be approved by the Central Office.\nThe RO will then issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) explaining the decision. In order to continue to appeal to the Board of Veterans Appeals, you must return the enclosed Form 9 with 60 days of the mailing of the SOC, or within one year of the original decision, whichever is later.\nDRO Review Process This process also involves a review of the entire claims file and any new information that is submitted; however, the DRO considers the evidence without deference to the original decision made by the RO.\nDROs can hold formal hearings, just like in the traditional review process, but they are also allowed to hold informal conferences with the veteran or his representative to discuss the appeal.\nIf the DRO does not award a full grant of benefits, a Statement of the Case (SOC) will be issued and the appeal process will continue in the same way as the traditional appeal process explained above.\nWhy Should You Choose a DRO Review? 1. DROs are senior level RO employees; therefore, they are more experienced than the average VA decision makers that denied your original claim.\n2. DROs have broader powers than regular reviewers. This includes the power to change the original decision without approval from the Central Office.\n3. DROs have the ability to hold informal conferences with veterans to discuss the facts or evidence.\n4. The DRO process takes, on average, a month longer than the traditional appeals process. This is the time period between when you file a NOD and when you receive a SOC. However, a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), found that you are more likely to receive at least partial benefits if you choose the DRO process instead of the traditional appeals process.\n5. According to the same report, the average wait time for decision by the Board of Veterans Appeals is more than 1,000 days from the time a NOD is filed. The average wait time for a decision by a DRO is only 266 days from the time the NOD is filed. Therefore, if you receive a partial grant from the DRO, you will begin receiving your benefits much faster than if you appealed directly to the Board.\n6. If your claim is not granted by the DRO, you can still continue your appeal to the Board without having to start the process over again.\nOverall, the DRO review process gives veterans an additional chance for a favorable decision, is more likely to result in a grant of benefits early on, provides an opportunity to speak directly with the individual making the decision, and does not forfeit the right to appeal to the Board of Veterans Appeals. There is no real downside to choosing this option, and it may end up being more beneficial.\nYou can find the complete report by the GAO at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11812.pdf\nKrystle D. Waldron, J.D. is a May 2011 graduate of William and Mary Law School.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6462767124176025}
{"content": "Hypothesis Precise preoperative staging for gallbladder carcinoma is difficult, despite recent advances in hepatobiliary imaging. However, the most accurate preoperative staging may be possible by integrating preoperative key data.\nObjective To establish useful strategies for the surgical treatment of gallbladder cancer based on information available before resection.\nDesign Retrospective review.\nSetting University hospital and tertiary referral cancer center.\nPatients and Methods From January 1, 1978, through March 31, 2001, 152 patients with gallbladder cancer underwent surgical resection with curative intent. Preoperative diagnoses of the T factor (image-T) and N factor (image-N) in the TNM classification were determined by evaluating all findings of diagnostic imaging, including ultrasonography, enhanced computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasonography, and angiography. The distribution of lymph node metastasis and prognostic factors were also analyzed.\nResults The overall diagnostic accuracy for image-T was 52.6% (95% confidence interval, 44.7%-60.6%) and was lower in patients with pT1 and pT2 disease (37.2% and 33.9%, respectively). However, image-T was a significant predictor of lymph node metastasis and patient outcome. Preoperative staging for N was more difficult, with only 24.5% (95% confidence interval, 12.4%-36.5%) of the node-positive patients being correctly diagnosed. An analysis of harvested lymph nodes showed that the cystic, pericholedochal, and posterosuperior peripancreatic nodes were the most prevalent sites of metastasis, and these were considered key nodes for the lymphatic spread of gallbladder cancer. By combining data on image-T and positivity of these key nodes, more accurate TNM staging was possible. Although an extended lymph node dissection provided significantly better survival in patients with pN2 disease, there was no survival advantage to more radical operations, including bile duct resection or pancreaticoduodenectomy.\nConclusions Although precise preoperative TNM staging for gallbladder carcinoma was difficult, the most accurate staging before resection was possible by integrating image-T classification and data from the intraoperative histopathologic examination of key lymph nodes. Based on this staging, we propose algorithms for the surgical treatment of gallbladder carcinoma.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9375209808349609}
{"content": "Valve graft sterility is a prerequisite for long term success in transplantation of homologous or heterologous aortic valves. Grafts obtained sterilely or unsterilely have been treated with β-propiolactone,1,2 ethylene oxide,3 irradiation,4,5 4% buffered formaldehyde solution (formalin),6 and antibiotic solutions.7 These methods are generally considered effective in eliminating organisms from the tissue. However, the long-term resistance to infection of grafts so prepared is not known. Endocarditis involving the homograft has been reported by several investigators utilizing these techniques,4,6,8-11 although the incidence is not particularly higher than prosthetic substitutes. Analysis of our own experience12 with the β-propiolactone sterilized valve revealed late failure from infection in a high percentage of cases, but common bacteria were not responsible for failure in most patients.\nThe relative importance of factors such as the type of bacteria present at the time of harvest, interval between donor's death and valve procurement,", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7140296697616577}
{"content": "Question: Can I Collect Unemployment if I'm Self Employed?\nAnswer: In most cases, self employed workers and/or freelance workers who lose their income are not eligible for unemployment benefits. That's because employers contribute to a fund for unemployment benefits and if you are operating as self employed, you probably didn't pay into the unemployment fund.\nHowever, if your business is incorporated and pays into unemployment you may be eligible to collect unemployment benefits.\nIf you were unemployed as a result of a major disaster you may be eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance.\nIf you're not sure whether you're eligible, check with your state unemployment office to determine your eligibility for unemployment compensation.\nSelf-Employment Assistance Program\nThere is a federal government Self-Employment Assistance program which offers unemployed workers in some states unemployment benefits when they are starting a business. The Self-Employment Assistance Program pays a self-employed allowance, instead of regular unemployment insurance benefits, to help unemployed workers while they are establishing businesses and becoming self-employed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.937289834022522}
{"content": "WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?Symptoms can be mild or severe, and can vary widely from woman to woman. This is part of the reason doctors often miss the diagnosis. Someone with PCOS may have one or all of the following symptoms in varying degrees:\n- irregular periods: abnormal, irregular, heavy or scanty (oligomenorrhea) - absent periods (amenorrhea)\n- ovarian cysts\n- hirsutism (excess facial and/or body hair)\n- alopecia (male-pattern hair loss)\n- obesity\n- acne\n- skin tags\n- acanthosis nigricans (brown skin patches, often found on the nape of the neck)\n- high cholesterol levels\n- high blood pressure\n- exhaustion and/or lack of mental alertness\n- decreased sex drive\n- excess \"male\" hormones, such as androgens, DHEAS, or testosterone\n- infertility\n- decreased breast size\n- enlarged clitoris(rare)\n- enlarged ovaries\n- enlarged uterus\nNote that symptoms can worsen over time or with weight gain.\nSYMPTOMS of PCOS", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998539090156555}
{"content": "In this rapidly globalizing world, any investigation of architecture inevitably leads to considerations of regionalism. But despite its omnipresence in contemporary practice and theory, architectural regionalism remains a fluid concept, its historical development and current influence largely undocumented. This comprehensive reader brings together over 40 key essays illustrating the full range of ideas embodied by the term. Authored by important critics, historians, and architects such as Kenneth Frampton, Lewis Mumford, Sigfried Giedion, and Alan Colquhoun, Architectural Regionalism represents the history of regionalist thinking in architecture from the early twentieth century to today.\nThese seminal textsmany of which are out of print and hard to locateare organized around themes that include regionalism and rapid modernization, modernism, historicism, regional planning, bioregionalism, and critical regionalism. Also included are a small group of recent, previously unpublished essays that extend the notion of architectural regionalism into the future. Taken as a whole, the collection underscores the continuing relevance of the concept as it fosters thoughtful works that engage the senses, embody and express local cultural processes, promote environmental sustainability, and enhance people's awareness of the world around them. Editor Vincent Canizaro's insightful introduction and his brief analysis of each essay guides readers through the lively debate surrounding this topic, making this the definitive reference on architectural regionalism for faculty, students, and practitioners in design and design-related fields.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6439040899276733}
{"content": "All of Day & Zimmermann's engineering, construction and maintenance projects are managed through a comprehensive safety program that includes policies and procedures that are based on the five “high-impact Zero Injury techniques” identified by the\nConstruction Industry Institute (CII) as best practices used by owners and contractors striving to achieve zero injuries.\nIn our drive for ZERO, Day & Zimmermann has become an industry leader in the development and execution of innovative, industry-specific tools that allow us to prevent injuries while working in often hazardous environments. Our Environmental Safety & Health reporting tool is a robust, web-based application that captures safety and human performance-related incidents; methodically guides supervisors through a thorough safety investigation process; tracks, trends, and graphically outputs key safety performance indicators; and generates real-time reports for both our management team and customer representatives. This vital data, and our ability to share it in real-time, allows us to work with our customers to respond immediately and effectively to incidents and later disseminate lessons learned information across our organization.\nOur senior management champions and exemplifies our safety culture and commitment, including purposeful collaboration with customers in promoting our zero injury philosophy throughout all projects; advocating for comprehensive assessments and detailed analyses by our expert safety teams; sponsoring extensive and specialized safety training for all employees; and fostering an environment that is conducive to the successful implementation of our safety processes.\nNuclear Worker Fatigue Management Program As part of our commitment to stay on the cutting edge of industry safety practices, we have also developed a comprehensive Nuclear Worker Fatigue Management Program in response to evolving worker fatigue rules and guidelines.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6924141645431519}
{"content": "A new study shows that a low-carbohydrate diet changes hepatic energy metabolism. When carbohydrates are restricted, the liver relies more on substances like lactate and amino acids to form glucose, instead of glycerol. These findings are in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).\nOver the past 30 years, the U.S. population has reduced its fat intake, and increased its consumption of carbohydrates. During the same time period, obesity has been rising along with the prevalence of metabolic liver disease in which fatty deposits in the liver can lead to inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Some evidence has suggested that a high carbohydrate diet leads to fat formation in the liver, although confirming the association has been difficult.\nTo better understand hepatic energy production and glucose formation among various types of diets, researchers led by Jeffery Browning of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center measured the sources of hepatic glucose and TCA cycle flux in weight-stable subjects, and in subjects following carbohydrate- or calorie-restricted diets.\nThey recruited 14 subjects whose BMI fell between 25 and 35, and divided them into two groups of seven, matching them for age, BMI, gender and ethnicity. They also included seven lean subjects (BMI < 25) to act as a weight-stable comparison group.\nThe high-BMI groups followed either a low-carbohydrate or a low-calorie diet for fourteen days, while the weight-stable group continued their regular diet. All subjects then underwent an overnight metabolic study in which the researchers simultaneously assessed the metabolic pathways of hepatic glucose production and the TCA cycle.\nIn the weight-stable group, who consumed carbohydrates as a significant proportion of their diet, the TCA cycle alone provided sufficient energy to drive glucose formation. \"This was not the case in individuals undergoing carbohydrate restriction,\" the authors report.\nCarbohydrate restriction increased the rate of glucose formed using lactate or amino acids (GNGpep). \"This suggests that in fasted human subjects undergoing weight loss, the elevated gluconeogenesis associated with carbohydrate restriction is driven by substrates such as lactate or amino acids,\" the authors report. In spite of this, TCA cycle flux in the low-carbohydrate group was similar to the low-calorie group, indicating similar rates of energy generation.\nIn contrast to previous reports, the present study showed similar hepatic glucose production among the dietary groups. The low-carbohydrate group was able to maintain hepatic glucose production at the levels observed for the weight-stable and low-calorie groups by increasing glucose formation using lactate or amino acids to match the reduction in glucose formation from glycerol.\n\"This observation is reminiscent of 'hepatic autoregulation' by which endogenous glucose production remains unchanged in the setting of altered gluconeogenesis or glycogenolysis because the two pathways tend to compensate for each other,\" the authors report.\nThey noted it was interesting that the increased glucose formation using lactate or amino acids in the low-carbohydrate group was not associated with increased TCA cycle flux (i.e. energy production.) However, they did not measure absolute rates of fatty acid delivery to the liver or ketone body production, limiting their ability to further interpret that finding.\n\"We have shown that the sources from which endogenous glucose is produced are dependent upon dietary macronutrient composition,\" the authors write. They suggest that the shift in glucose metabolism associated with a low carbohydrate diet could be beneficial in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to improved disposal of hepatic fat.\nIn conclusion, these findings may partly explain the correlation between carbohydrate intake and severity of liver disease in individuals with NAFLD.\nAAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8005519509315491}
{"content": "Exercise Guidelines Essential exercise information and weight-gain guidance for pregnant women.\nThe following is a summary of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ guidelines for exercising while pregnant:\n1. In the absence of contraindications (see below), pregnant women are encouraged to engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week. (See “Don’t Exercise If ...” below.) As always, check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.\n2. During the second and third trimesters, pregnant women should avoid standing motionless for too long and exercising while lying on their backs.\n3. A wide range of recreational activities appears to be safe. However, activities with a high risk of falling or abdominal trauma should be avoided; these include basketball, soccer, in-line skating, downhill skiing, horseback riding, ice hockey, gymnastics and vigorous racquet sports.\n4. Scuba diving is not safe at any time during pregnancy.\n5. Exertion at altitudes of up to 6,000 feet appears safe. However, engaging in physical activities at higher altitudes carries various risks and should be avoided.\nDon't exercise if...\nAerobic exercise during pregnancy is not safe if you have any of these medical conditions:\n■ Significant heart or lung disease\n■ An incompetent cervix or cerclage\n■ You are carrying more than one baby and are at risk for premature labor\n■ Persistent second- or third- trimester bleeding\n■ Placenta previa past 26 weeks of pregnancy\n■ Premature labor during your current pregnancy\n■ Ruptured membranes\n■ Preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension)\nWarning Signs to Stop Exercising and Call Your Doctor\n■ Vaginal bleeding\n■ Dyspnea (difficult or labored breathing) prior to exertion\n■ Dizziness\n■ Headache\n■ Chest pain\n■ Muscle weakness\n■ Calf pain or swelling\n■ Preterm labor\n■ Decreased fetal movement\n■ Amniotic fluid leakage", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9405905604362488}
{"content": "The eight patients were admitted to the Tropical Disease Institute in Hanoi capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected cases under treatment there to 21. Of the patients, three have been confirmed to contract the bird flu virus H5N1. The distribution of human and bird cases this year has some analogies with last season. The initial human cases were children in Hanoi, while most of the poultry infections were in the south. This year there are initial reports of cases in the south and none of the confirmed cases in the south have recovered. In contrast there has been one discharge in the north and two more are expected this week. The difference in recovered patients and number of cases may indicate two distinct H5N1′s in Vietnam. However, the rapid spread of the virus infecting ducks without causing symptoms is spreading and if there are two distinct genotypes in Vietnam, they may soon be co-circulating in the same region. Co-circulation leads to dual infections involving distinct genotypes, which leads to recombination. If the H5N1 in the north is more infectious and the H5N1 in the south is more lethal, a recombinant could be formed in ducks. This could lead to a virus with both properties, which would be an unfortunate evolution involving an increasingly unstable H5N1 genome.\nCategory : Health", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.913075864315033}
{"content": "Welcome to the more than sound podcast.\nMany of us seek Good Work – work which is excellent, personally meaningful, and ethical. Our challenge is to forge these elements into a rewarding, profitable career. For his Wired To Connect audio series, Daniel Goleman sat down with Howard Gardner to discuss tools that can help us turn our ideals into reality, and connect who we are with what we do. This episode features an excerpt from their conversation, Good Work: Aligning Skills And Values.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6593018174171448}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Two barley transformation systems, Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment, were compared in terms of transformation efficiency, transgene copy number, expression, inheritance and physical structure of the transgenic loci using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). The efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was double that obtained with particle bombardment. While 100% of the Agrobacterium-derived lines integrated between one and three copies of the transgene, 60% of the transgenic lines derived by particle bombardment integrated more than eight copies of the transgene. In most of the Agrobacterium-derived lines, the integrated T-DNA was stable and inherited as a simple Mendelian trait. Transgene silencing was frequently observed in the T1 populations of the bombardment-derived lines. The FISH technique was able to reveal additional details of the transgene integration site. For the efficient production of transgenic barley plants, with stable transgene expression and reduced silencing, the Agrobacterium-mediated method appears to offer significant advantages over particle bombardment. Plant Cell Reports 04/2005; 23(12):780-9. · 2.27 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5137510299682617}
{"content": "Doctors don't always agree on what's \"normal\" for iron, but generally 150 to 170 mcg/dl is considered the healthy upper limit. But don't stress about your number too much: Mild elevations such as yours aren't a worry. Still, asking for a more detailed test might be smart, particularly if your family has a history of high iron; some disorders are genetic and could bring on liver or spleen damage or infertility. Serious complications are rare though. In fact, iron deficiency is more common, especially in women who have heavy periods. Low iron can lead to anemia, which causes fatigue or, in more severe cases, heart problems. Iron-rich foods (soybeans, fish, lean red meat) can help. Talk to your doc if you're anemic.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.886059045791626}
{"content": "Secondary Education A secondary education of quality helps young people realize their full human potential and take their place in society as productive, responsible and democratic citizens.\nProgress towards achieving Universal Primary Education and the rapidly changing needs and requirements of a modern society and economy has led to a growing demand for secondary education. In response, there has been widespread expansion of secondary education in all regions of the world. The most notable increases during 1999 to 2009 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Gross Enrolment Rate for lower secondary education rose from 28% to 43%. Despite significant improvements in access to secondary education, 21.6 million in Africa and 14.1 million in East Asia and the Pacific of lower secondary school-age children were out of school in 2009.\nUNESCO supports national efforts to meet this demand, along with improving access to secondary education and enhancing its quality\nNews\n21.11.12\n10.11.11\n27.10.11\n25.10.11", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9580265879631042}
{"content": "Autism is becoming more and more prevalent. One in every 88 children is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder. Children with Autism face challenges at school and in social situations. Raising a child with Autism presents a challenge to the parents. How do the parents cope? This is what I will explore in my final feature story. I have done research on the Autism Society website, on Autism Speaks, and on a couple medical websites:\nI recently interviewed Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, whose son, Norrin, was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder in 2008. I will also interview Margo Albright and her husband. Their son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a form of Autism. Finally, I will interview Dr. Kathryn Potoczak, a professor at Shippensburg University who specializes in children with special needs.\nMy story will also feature a glimpse of a recent event, Logan’s Run and Walk for Autism, which raised money for Autism awareness and provided a look at how Autistic children interact with families and with the outside world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.548846423625946}
{"content": "I've talked about exercise advice before and the fact that giving it is often a bad idea, even if asked. Like the time a bartender, who found out I was a personal trainer, asked how to get rid of the fat around her belly. Right after that, she took a big bite of a fried chicken wing dripping with grease. I suggested that, perhaps, the chicken wings could go, after which she spit in my drink (well, I didn't see her do it, but from the look on her face at my comment, I'm reasonably sure that's what she did).\nHowever, one piece of advice I've never forgotten came from a fellow trainer who told me: Rest before you're tired.\nInitially, I thought this was a pretty stupid idea (the fact that I was in my 20s and didn't need much rest plays into that). Why would I want to rest if I'm not tired? There's too much to do! But, over the years, I've come to appreciate the meaning behind those words which, is essentially, finding balance.\nTo often, we operate at extremes. We're either 'on' or 'off,' with no in between. And, for many of us, we stay 'on' until it's either time for bed or until we're so exhausted, we have no choice.\nThe same can be true of exercise, pushing our bodies hard because we don't want to waste time. We either go big, or we go home.\nThe problem with this mentality is that we often miss the nuances of both our physical and mental health - The tweak in the knee here, the ache in the back there, the subtle signs of mental burnout - Clock watching during workouts, procrastinating with other activities, finding excuses to skip our workouts.\nThese nuances are the first warning signs that we may need a break - physical, mental or both. Ignoring them or working so hard they go unnoticed, is what often leads to the Bermuda Triangle of Exercise: Overtaining, burnout and injury.\nThinking about your exercise life, do you ever push too hard, only to wish you'd paid more attention? Do you take the time to rest before things go too far? Leave a comment and tell us about how you find, or need to find, balance between exercise and rest.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.528632640838623}
{"content": "Definition: The dawn phenomenon is a term that describes an unexpected rise in blood sugar during the night. It is believed that hormones released during sleep send a message to the body to release stored glucose. This in turn raises the concentration of sugar in the blood. This rise in overnight glucose is often a source of confusion and frustration for people with diabetes and occurs more often in people with type 1.\nEliminating a bedtime snack and checking your blood sugar during the night (around 3 a.m.) will help you and your doctor assess whether high morning glucose readings are the result of the dawn phenomenon or something else.\nSource: Kaufman, F.R. The Dawn Phenomenon. American Diabetes Association. Retrieved November 21, 2008. http://docnews.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/3/7/5", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7881144881248474}
{"content": "In fostering financially sound markets, the Commission's main priorities are to avoid disruptions to the system for clearing and settling contract obligations and to protect the funds that customers entrust to FCMs. Clearing organizations and FCMs are integral to the financial integrity of derivatives transactions – together, they protect against the financial difficulties of one trader becoming a systemic problem.\nSeveral aspects of the regulatory framework that contribute to the Commission achieving Goal Two are: 1) requiring that market participants post margin to secure their ability to fulfill financial obligations; 2) requiring participants on the losing side of trades to meet their obligations, in cash, through daily (sometimes intraday) margin calls; 3) requiring FCMs to maintain minimum levels of operating capital; and, 4) requiring FCMs to segregate customer funds from their own funds.\nAccomplishments related to progress in achieving this goal include:\nGoal Two performance measure results are depicted in the following table:\n# of Measures1 Exceeded Met Not Met Goal Two 15 3 7 5 % of Total 20% 47% 33% 67% 1 Excludes 3 performance measures categorized as \"Not Applicable\" for FY 2011. (back to text)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7805706858634949}
{"content": "When enough is enough Monday, January 24, 2011\nWe go to Target to buy shoes, but my daughter wants sunglasses too. She gets frustrated when it's time to go to bed because she wants to keep playing outside. When we're driving in the car, she gets upset if we don't listen to her music.\nI acknowledge her desires, but I don't always fulfill them. Sometimes she says, \"I never get what I want,\" and I listen because I know she is communicating what she's feeling, but I know in my heart it isn't true. At some point I have to say, \"enough,\" because part of my job is deciding when enough is enough.\nAs parents, we tend to feel guilty if we don't fulfill our kids' wishes, especially if the kids cry or get angry, or if we're trying to make up for something we feel we aren't doing. Saying no can be hard for me, too; I am not immune to guilt. But I also know that my child cannot make me feel guilty. It's something I have to choose to feel.\nMy daughter's desires are developmentally appropriate; I don't think she is greedy or trying to \"manipulate\" me. She is simply being a little girl and asking for what she wants. I respect her ability to ask, but she doesn't always get what she asks for. It can be difficult for her to hear \"no\" and \"enough,\" but that doesn't mean I won't say it.\nI spend time with my daughter every day, I listen to her when she needs to talk, I look her in the eye so she knows I am listening, and I validate her feelings and acknowledge her desires. I hug her, love her and take care of her.\nAnd at some point I say \"enough,\" for her benefit and for mine. I say no because she needs boundaries; they create structure and, unbeknownst to her, they provide a sense of safety. And I say \"no\" so I don't end up resenting her needs. I won't allow her young desires to put a strain on our relationship.\nI have no desire to make her feel guilty for her neediness, and I have no desire to carry guilt for not fulfilling her wishes.\nInstead, I say \"enough\" when it has been enough, and I console her if she is upset or angry about my decision. This is how I love and respect my daughter, and this is how I teach her to love and respect herself.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6520728468894958}
{"content": "I also believe that if your horse does not respect you or is fearful of you, he will never fully trust or obey you. A horse should respect and care for their handlers, cooperate, and try each new task presented. In nature horses establish a hierarchy and pecking order within the herd, and establish boundaries and claim space around them. I believe the same results can be obtained if we duplicate their actions. When I communicate with my horses I’ve found that it’s easier for me to use their language. While I want to be viewed as their superior I am mindful that I do not want to be viewed as a predator or as the bully in the herd. I don't believe that horses should be treated like machines for showing and winning; I have learned that they often perform better when they are treated as friends and partners. This is why I believe in training through rewards rather than punishment; I never use cruel training aids such as short/quick stops or severe bits and rarely use draw reins or whips. Typically, I start each new horse in a full-cheek waterford and standing martingale as I believe they help to encourage proper carriage while allowing the horse some freedom to develop its own unique way of going. My horses learn mainly by positive reinforcement, they receive a \"good boy\", pats on the neck, and a lap off when they have performed each task correctly. As a result of my encouraging and positive methods they trust me, strive to please me, enjoy their work, and are rarely over-whelmed by new challenges in training. Many trainers would have you believe that the horse is first and foremost a wild animal that responds only to \"pressure and release of pressure\". I believe that is only the smallest part of what a domisticated horse is today and I know from my daily experience that they respond best when they have formed the bond based on love, fairness, and trust that only comes with patience and deligence in all aspects of horse ownership.\nA key part of my training is providing personal care to my horses every day; spending hours with them outside of the normal training schedule. During winter months, daily care consists of three hot meals, 8 hour day-time turnout, morning stall cleaning (twice if it is rainy), blanket check, and grooming. Summer care includes three small meals, 14-16 hour evening to morning grazing, twice daily stall cleaning, and grooming. Since my horses get plenty of time out doors they view their time withme as time to focus and work; not playtime. Turnout gives them their own creativetime, and plenty of exercise which allows them to truly focus during training.Since they are attentive we get more accomplished in shorter training sessions(25-40 min), and longeing is rarely required. In addition to top-notch care, and 3-4 training sessions each week, I typicallyperform the farrier work as well. All the time spent with each horse pays offin the end; I believe they can see that they are loved, how hard I work forthem and, usually, they love and work for me in return.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8022935390472412}
{"content": "PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island has entered the battle over the taxing sodas with a proposal before the legislature to tax sugar-sweetened drinks, the Providence Journal reports. The bill would tack on a $1.28 per gallon tax to any soft drink, and powder or syrup beverage sweetened with sugar.\nState Reps. Larry Valencia, Teresa Tanzi, Arthur Handy, Maria Cimini and Edith Ajello sponsored the legislation put forth last week. Their bill lists sugar-sweetened drinks as any \"nonalcoholic beverage€¦containing sugar, corn syrup or any other high-calorie sweetener including€¦sodas, sports drinks or energy drinks.\"\nThe bill has garnered opposition, including the Center for Consumer Freedom, which labeled the tax as \"absurdly misguided when it comes to promoting weight loss. Study after study has demonstrated that soda is not a unique contributor to obesity.\"\nIn Texas, a lawmaker has proposed a penny-per-ounce tax certain types of sweetened beverages. Last year, California voters defeated measures in Richmond and El Monte that would have added taxes to soda.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5550286173820496}
{"content": "The economic climate is much the same as it was heading into 2012: uncertain. Despite that uncertainty, opportunities still exist within the capital markets. Investors should be realistic about what may lie ahead yet still optimistic that with a well-conceived approach and reasonable expectations, they can achieve their long-term financial goals.\nTo download The Road Ahead in its entirety, please complete the form to the right.\nArchived Annual Reports", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9734016060829163}
{"content": "by Missy Jaramillo\nAccording to U. S. name analysts, Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz baby naming trends in 2013 will be strong and powerful, drawing from names of ancient heroes, weather and popular culture.\nNames whose popularity grew significantly between 2007 and 2008 may emerge as front-runners next year.\nA study published in Topics of Cognitive Science indicated that U.S. parents gravitate toward baby names are rising in popularity, instead of those that are treading water or losing steam.\nWill you soon be invited to Juno's christening or encouraging Phoebe to share nicely with Storm?\nLet's take a look at what's expected in the year ahead.\n\"Gladiator\" and \"Rome\" may have kindled the trend, but it has been sparked into full flame by \"The Hunger Games\" and \"Game of Thrones.\" Old-world gods and goddess-inspired names like August, Thorin, Maeve and Persephone may appear on the most popular list.\nLeon has been a top name in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Ireland for a decade. It and other leonine names are crossing the ocean. You can expect to see names like Leo, Lev, Leonora and Lionel.\nWith a future king or queen on the way in Britain, royal names may soon catch everyone's attention. Will you be considering a name like Edward, William, Elizabeth, Charles or Victoria? Perhaps you prefer Maud, the modern form of Matilda, the first female rule of England.\nBaby namers are beginning to appreciate the distinctive charms of the Scandinavian. Some, like Steilan and Liv, have been introduced by celebrities; others by star babies, such as Kai, Magnus and Axel. Appealing Scandinavian choices include Freya, Linnea, Signy, Astrid, Soren, Leif, and Lars.\nAfter hearing \"Sandy\" repeatedly, the use of \"S\" names is statistically more likely in the coming year. “K” names gained popularity following Hurricane Katrina. Analysts expect a rise in names that sound like Sandy, such as Alessandra, Cassandra and Sander, along with people simply naming their child Storm.\nClimate might also bear influence. Crisp names Winter, March and January seem particularly trending.\nCelebrity names like Lindsay, Paris and Jessica have lost popularity over the past five years. What celebrity names will charm us in 2013? We anticipate that names like Jonah, Blake, Miley and Anthony will replace them. You may see a surge of Primroses, Rues and other flora-inspired names such as those common in \"The Hobbit\" and \"The Hunger Games.\"\n2012 Olympics stars will motivate future champions and chances are that they’ll inspire parents searching baby names. A Natalie, Evan, Hope, Ashton, Candace, Abby, Serena, Sanya or Gabby you meet may have been named after an Olympian who capture hearts.\nThanks to \"Mad Men,\" Satran and Rosenkrantz predict an increase in \"grandma and grandpa\" type retro names. We may see a new generation of kids with names like Hank, Hal, Ray, Fay, Millie, Monty and Lou.\nWomen's hemlines aren't the only things that change with the stock market. Baby names are also influenced by economics. Baby-naming gurus have observed that during downturns, parents turn to the classic and straightforward.\nNames like Jacob, Owen, Ryder, Shane, Aubrey, Heidi and Lola evoke the ruggedness and determination of previous generations. You may see more parents choosing this style of name for their newborns.\nDo any of the names you're considering fall under these hot baby-name trends for 2013?\nPhoto courtesy of iStockphoto.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.712166428565979}
{"content": "I'm in Saipan this week to attend the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures. I'll be showing this documentary at a private event and two public events:\nThis unique film, directed and produced by John Weller and Shawn Heinrichs, highlights the important steps needed to protect sharks in the Federated States of Micronesia and the growing movement to prevent extinction and save these threatened species. The film also highlights the most recent shark protections and paints a picture of the global threats faced by these key species. Beginning in 2009 with Palau, protections for sharks have been established by countries and territories as diverse as the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Honduras. More and more nations recognize that sharks are more valuable alive than dead, and that they contribute both to the economy and the stability of ocean ecosystems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9722940921783447}
{"content": "I recently baked, for the third time, two sourdough boules, which besides the primary purpose: Eating, tested the effects of slashing, and steaming methods, and the behavior of a new starter. The latter is posted elswhere (Purchased Dried Starter Reactivation Survey).\nThese loaves were slashed identically, placed in the oven simultaneously, and swapped position after 15 minutes of steaming. The ovenspring realized is shown here,\nand from this placement the loaves look acceptably identical. But...\n...this is the position they were initially placed in the oven. (Note the asymmetric ovenspring outside-to-center of both loaves.\nI normally create steam with a towel-lined half-sheet pan, wetted with boiling water, and placed below the baking stone. This time, thinking I could direct the steam more toward the edges of the stone and, therefore, better direct the maximum volume of the steam upward toward the loaves, I rolled two small towels and placed them on the extreme ends of the half-sheet pan.\nTwo of our regular problem analysts, David and Eric, have argued steam condensing on the bottom of a baking stone causes the stone's surface to cool, and effects ovenspring. I've been a bit skeptical, but I am no longer. It is evident that the rolled towels did focus the steam's rise. but the seventeen-inch pan, below a twenty-inch baking stone created an asymmetric cooled surface on the stone, as is evidenced by the lesser ovenspring on the left and right sides of the left and right loaf respectively.\nSubsequently, I tried placing the pan above the loaves (I've tried it before), rather than below the stone (and the loaves), but I'm still disappointed with the results. I've returned to steaming from below, using a half-sheet pan fully-lined with wetted towels. The ovenspring is again uniform across the loaves, but I suspect reduced from what it could be, due cooling from condensing steam across the entire bottom of the baking stone.\nI'm once again rethinking my steaming process. I like the control the wetted towel vs. lava rocks gives me--I can remove the pan safely when steaming time is completed, but I don't want the stone cooling effect. I'm thinking of fabricating and placing two narrow aluminum troughs in the spaces between the stone and the oven's wall, and filling them with wetted towels five or six minutes before loading the loaves. This, of course, will interrupt the heat convection paths on the sides of the stone, but I'm not certain, nor can I guess, how that will effect the baking.\nStay tuned;-)\nDavid G.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7471808195114136}
{"content": "The idle rich kids out there who are just killing time until they receive an inheritance may be in for a surprise. A recent study by US Trust (which is part of Bank of America) found that, amongst the wealthy, leaving money to the next generation isn’t all that big a priority.\nThe study measured the attitudes towards wealth of 457 Americans with at least $3 million in liquid assets. The vast majority of respondents (84%) attributed their wealth to their own hard work.\nHowever, just because they had achieved significant wealth didn’t mean they were anxious to share it with their children. When asked about their financial goals for using wealth, less than half listed leaving an inheritance as a priority (in contrast, almost two-thirds identified “travel” as a goal).\nFor those planning on including their children in their will, only one-third believed that their children would be prepared to handle the inheritance they received. Respondents also didn’t have a lot of faith their children would get along after their death – only 36% believed that their children would be able to work together to manage the family wealth.\nParents were reluctant to share details about their wealth with their children. Only one-third had fully disclosed details of the family wealth to their kids. The reasons for the non-disclosure varied. A primary concern was how the wealth would affect the children’s behaviour – specifically, that they would become lazy, squander their inheritance, develop addictions, or marry a gold digger.\nWhen questioned about at what age their children would be mature enough to manage family money, the responses varied. However, 45% believed it would be sometime after the child had reached 35.\nPerhaps growing up with too much money but not receiving a big enough inheritance will be an increasing problem in the future…", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6184272766113281}
{"content": "Sections\nHomeless Individuals | Prisoners on Death Row | Children and Teens | Military Personnel\nExcerpt\nHomeless people have high rates of SLP and TBI history. Studies have shown that homeless persons have an elevated prevalence of schizophrenia that ranges between 13.7% (Koegel et al. 1988) and 25% (Susser et al. 1989). Over 40% of homeless individuals with SLP who were treated at a university hospital in New York had a history of premorbid TBI (Silver and McKinnon 1993).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7326229810714722}
{"content": "Summary\nDrosophila Argonaute-1 and Argonaute-2 differ in function and small RNA content. AGO2 binds to siRNAs, whereas AGO1 is almost exclusively occupied by microRNAs. MicroRNA duplexes are intrinsically asymmetric, with one strand, the miR strand, preferentially entering AGO1 to recognize and regulate the expression of target mRNAs. The other strand, miR*, has been viewed as a byproduct of microRNA biogenesis. Here, we show that miR*s are often loaded as functional species into AGO2. This indicates that each microRNA precursor can potentially produce two mature small RNA strands that are differentially sorted within the RNAi pathway. miR* biogenesis depends upon the canonical microRNA pathway, but loading into AGO2 is mediated by factors traditionally dedicated to siRNAs. By inferring and validating hierarchical rules that predict differential AGO loading, we find that intrinsic determinants, including structural and thermodynamic properties of the processed duplex, regulate the fate of each RNA strand within the RNAi pathway.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.697801411151886}
{"content": "Care Workers' Responsibilities It is the care workers responsibility to ensure that care users rights are not infringed. To enable them to do this effectively they must have good lines of communication through which they can seek advice and guidance from experts such as:~ Line managers and supervisors, and Professional organisations.Care workers should also feel confident in seeking advice by reading specific policies, regulations or procedural documents applicable to their care setting.\nYou should now understand how service users rights can be infringed on a personal, physical or financial level. You should also appreciate how care workers should accept some responsibility for ensuring users rights are not infringed.\nHave a go at:~\nTask 2_1a – Professional Organisations & Policies", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9841632843017578}
{"content": "Gorkana Insight & Analysis Team\nFor the first time since reporting began in January 2012 overall coverage volumes for asset management in both mainstream and social media for June decreased.\nHowever, coverage levels are similar to those in March 2012. In June, main stream articles fell by 36% toc. 8,300 articles and social media posts decreased by 43% toc. 2,200 posts compared to the previous month.\nSimilar to May, June was a low profile month for the asset management sector.This can be attributed to a notable absence of any key negative drivers of coverage. Another noticeable difference was the tone of content, which was particularly neutral this month. Key drivers of coverage included industry specific topics such as the impact of the Greek elections on the Eurozone and other general news pieces, including new funds launched and city appointments.\nManGroup was the most featured firm in both mainstream and social media channels with 15% share of voice, followed by Fidelity Investments with10% share of voice.ManGroup saw a noticeable absence of balanced reporting this month compared to May, when Peter Clarke’s comments helped mitigate unfavourable articles. Negative mentions of the firm this month were driven by news of its exit from the FTSE100.\nGorkana Group's Barometers allow organisations to benchmark themselves against competitors within their sector. For further information on the Asset Management Barometer please email getintouch@gorkana.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9978904128074646}
{"content": "Why Set & Save?\nJust click \"Add to Set & Save\" when placing items in your cart.\nCortico-B5B6 supplies significant amounts of pantothenic acid and pyridoxine—water-soluble B vitamins that are important for many physiological functions such as adrenal hormone production and energy metabolism. Pantothenic acid is converted into coenzyme A, which is necessary for the body's production of energy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8266900181770325}
{"content": "True gardeners, it seems to me, aren't interested in \"tips.\" They know that tips will usually fail them in the end because their own garden, its soil, its microclimate, its exposure, will exert an influence that no other person can guess at without first-hand experience. Gardeners realize that a \"green thumb\" comes from deep knowledge and experience, and that \"tips,\" for the most part, are quick explanations of routine mechanics. A tip about pruning rhododendrons can tell you when to cut, but not necessarily the aesthetic aspects of what to cut. However, a gardener who truly understands his rhododendron and its needs can intuit when, and how much, pruning should take place. Gardeners, in my opinion, simply want to know everything about plants. They want to know where they grow, how they look, what conditions they prefer. By inspecting a well-grown specimen, a gardener might deduce whether he would have similar success on his own property. Gardening is a passion, a pursuit, a discipline, the same as throwing pottery or automobile mechanics. There are no magical thumbs involved, just hard work. And for those who insist, here's the universal gardening tip: Dig a hole. Place plant in hole. Cover the roots with earth. Enjoy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9404658675193787}
{"content": "dc.description.abstract This thesis was conducted in order to investigate two issues: (1) how sensitive\nevent related potentials (ERPs), and more specifically the medial frontal negativity and\nthe P3 components, are to the valence and magnitude of reward-related stimuli, and (2)\nwhether individual differences have an effect on the sensitivity of these ERP components\nto these characteristics. This was investigated using two reward-related paradigms.\nIn the \"pure gambling task\" participants were asked to choose between two cards,\neach containing varying dollar amounts (large or small). The outcome of the choice (i.e.,\nwin or loss) was revealed after the choice was made. Additionally, participants were\nshown whether the non-chosen card would have been a win or a loss. In the \"simple\nresponse task\", participants were presented with five cues (large win, large loss, small\nwin, small loss or zero) that labelled the trial as either a potential win, a potential loss or\nno change. Following the cue, a target appeared on the screen and the participant's task\nwas to press the response key while the target was still visible. A success led to a win\n(gain in money) or no loss (no change) depending on the cue. Thirty participants\ncompleted both tasks; afterwards they filled out a set of questionnaires measuring\npersonality and other individual differences relating to risk-taking behaviour.\nThe results of both tasks showed that ERP components can differentiate between\nthe valence and magnitude of reward-related stimuli, although no single component was\nuniquely related to either of the characteristics as previous suggested in the literature.\nAdditionally, the context of the stimulus presentation (e.g., the task structure, condition\nwithin the task) affected the relationships between the ERP components and stimulus\ncharacteristics. en_US", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5217704772949219}
{"content": "Cupping Local congestion is relieved by applying a partial vacuum that is created in a cup either by heat or suction. Superb at drawing up the underlying tissues, cupping is commonly used to relieve pain, draw toxins out of the body, and remove blockages. Cupping involves the use of round vacuum cups that suck up the superficial layers of skin to enhance blood circulation in specific areas of the body. The cups can either remain in a fixed position or moved over a large surface area with oil massaged on the skin. Moving cupping feels like a massage. This may produce a deep redness, discoloration on the skin, which may persist for a few days. These marks are not an indication of complication or injury and resolve on their own.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9262298345565796}
{"content": "Ten simple steps:\n\"Her finals are supposed to be really easy. There's no point in studying a lot.\"One professor's thoughts, for any student who's reading: \"Besides, I'm pretty much assured a B no matter what.\" \"Plus, it's been proved that overstudying leads to lower grades.\" \"I can study later, afterFamily Guy.\" \"I don't need to review that much anyway. After all, I have a photographic memory.\" \"Besides, there's so much material — if I don't know it by now, studying won't help.\" \"Grey's Anatomy!\" \"Facebook!\" \"I can just do an all-nighter. I'll be fine in the morning.\" \"Yeah, I should set my alarm just in case. I'll do it later.\" It always makes sense to take a final examination seriously. If the exam turns out to be easy, wonderful. And if it's difficult, you're prepared. A strong exam performance can have significant redeeming value: if you're on the cusp between grades, it might be enough to decide things in your favor. And turning in a mediocre exam with the expectation that it won't affect your semester grade can backfire, even if your grade remains undamaged. It's the student assured of an A or B who still turns in a strong final exam whom a professor will remember with respect and affection when it's time to write a letter of recommendation.\nI wrote a post some time ago for students looking to do the opposite of\nhorribly :", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8635308742523193}
{"content": "Safari Books Online is a digital library providing on-demand subscription access to thousands of learning resources.\nIn our study of transceiver architectures in Chapter 4, we observed the need for quadrature LO phases in downconversion and upconversion operations. We also noted that flip-flop-based divide-by-two circuits generate quadrature phases, but they restrict the maximum LO frequency. In applications where dividers do not offer sufficient speed, we may employ polyphase filters or quadrature oscillators instead. In this section, we study the latter.\nTwo identical oscillators can be “coupled” such that they operate in-quadrature. We therefore begin our study with the concept of coupling (or injecting) a signal to an oscillator. Figure 8.96 depicts an example, where the input voltage is converted to current and injected into the oscillator. The differential pair is a natural means of coupling because the cross-coupled pair can also be viewed as a circuit that steers and injects current into the tanks. If the two pairs completely steer their respective tail currents, then the “coupling factor” is equal to I1 /ISS .[10] This topology also exemplifies “unilateral” coupling because very little of the oscillator signal couples back to the input. By contrast, if implemented by, say, two capacitors tied between Vin and the oscillator nodes, the coupling is bilateral.\n[10]In this circuit, we typically scale the transistor widths in proportion to their bias currents; thus, gm3,4/gm1,2= I1/ISS. For small-signal analysis, the coupling factor is equal to gm3,4/gm1,2.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.685757040977478}
{"content": "This website uses cookies to give you the best user experience. If you continuewithout changing your settings we'll assume you are happy to receive all RSC cookies.You can change your cookie settings by navigating to our Privacy and Cookies page and following the instructions. These instructionsare also obtainable from the privacy link at the bottom of any RSC page.\nA significant obstacle in the development of YAG:Cenanoparticles as light converters in white LEDs and as biological labels is associated with the difficulty of finding preparative conditions that allow simultaneous control of structure, particle size and size distribution, while maintaining the optical properties of bulk samples. Preparation conditions frequently involve high-temperature treatments of precursors (up to 1400 °C), which result in increased particle size and aggregation, and lead to oxidation of Ce(III) to Ce(IV). We report here a process that we term protected annealing, that allows the thermal treatment of preformed precursor particles at temperatures up to 1000 °C while preserving their small size and state of dispersion. In a first step, pristine nanoparticles are prepared by a glycothermal reaction, leading to a mixture of YAG and boehmite crystalline phases. The preformed nanoparticles are then dispersed in a porous silica. Annealing of the composite material at 1000 °C is followed by dissolution of the amorphous silica by hydrofluoric acid to recover the annealed particles as a colloidal dispersion. This simple process allows completion of YAG crystallization while preserving their small size. The redox state of Ce ions can be controlled through the annealing atmosphere. The obtained particles of YAG:Ce (60 ± 10 nm in size) can be dispersed as nearly transparent aqueous suspensions, with a luminescence quantum yield of 60%. Transparent YAG:Cenanoparticle-based films of micron thickness can be deposited on glass substrates using aerosol spraying. Films formed from particles prepared by the protected annealing strategy display significantly improved photostability over particles that have not been subject to such annealing.\nFetching data from CrossRef. This may take some time to load.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6281160712242126}
{"content": "IFRIC 3 The IFRIC staff introduced the topic by outlining the development of IFRIC 3 and the subsequent developments within the European Union, including the fact that EFRAG had not recommended that IFRIC 3 be endorsed for use in the EU. There followed a long and vigorous debate during which several alternative treatments were proposed.\nBoard Members acknowledged that IFRIC 3 had expressed a correct and appropriate interpretation of existing standards. Board Members expressed similar reservations over the effects of that Interpretation to those that had been expressed by IFRIC members at the time it was finalised but observed that they, like IFRIC, had been under the impression at the time that an Interpretation was needed urgently because of the imminent start of the EU 'cap and trade' scheme. However, it was apparent that this urgency was no longer there. Consequently, the Board decided to take the time to conduct a broader assessment of the nature of the various volatilities resulting from the application of IFRIC 3 to a 'cap and trade' scheme and to consider whether and how it might be appropriate to amend existing standards to reduce or eliminate some of those volatilities.\nThe Board voted to withdraw IFRIC 3 with a public explanation of its plans to conduct such wider assessment (12 in favour; 1 opposed; 1 abstained). How this withdrawal is to be effected will be decided at the July IASB meeting.\nThis summary is based on notes taken by observers at the meeting and should not be regarded as an official or final summary.\nThe IASB publishes summaries of the deliberations at Board meetings in its newsletter", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9202063083648682}
{"content": "The U.S. Department of State (DOS) conducted another comprehensive environmental analysis and released the results in a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS). The analysis found \"no new issues of substance\" and \"does not alter the conclusions reached in the draft EIS regarding the need for and the potential impacts of the proposed Project.\"\n04.25.11 02.25.11 This study, conducted by Ensys Energy and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Policy and International Affairs, evaluates the impacts on U.S. and global refining, trade and oil markets of the Keystone XL project to bring additional Canadian crudes, including oil sands, into the United States.\n02.23.11 According to a study by the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI), Canadian oil sands will boost the nation's economy by creating more than 342,000 new U.S. jobs between 2011 and 2015.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7048773765563965}
{"content": "By relieving employers of the burdens and challenges associated with the \"business of employment,\" professional employers organizations, or PEO's, enhance the profitability of their client companies. PEO clients clear their desks of payroll, benefits, and HR concerns to make room for strategic planning, professional development and increasing profits. Time and costs related to compliance with employment laws are reduced, as are the often significant costs of failure to comply with such laws. PEO clients attract and keep better employees by offering improved benefits packages and professional human resource services.\nCome explore the missing piece to your business", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9901638031005859}
{"content": "Despite recent progress, women seeking leadership positions face persistent and pervasive barriers. These include gender bias in leadership opportunities, gender inequalities in family responsibilities, inflexibilities in workplace structures, and inadequacies in social polices. Women and Leadership brings together in one comprehensive volume preeminent scholars from a range of disciplines to address the challenges involving women and leadership. These experts explore when and how women exercise power and what stands in their way. This groundbreaking volume offers readers an informed analysis of the state of women and leadership and offers the most informed and current thinking. Women and Leadership is indispensable for understanding recent progress toward equal opportunity and the challenges that remain.\nBinding: Hardcover\nSpecs: 528 pages | 1.68 Lbs\nISBN: 0787988332\nISBN-13: 9780787988333\nEdition: 1\nPublisher: Jossey-Bass Incorporated, Publishers | Publish Date 07/07 | Copyright 2007", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997033476829529}
{"content": "Summary: This summary of Bureaucrats in Business is an expanded version of the overview that opens the report itself (no. 15037). Like the overview, it discusses the main findings of the report, summarizes data and analytical approaches, and presents key figures and tables from the main text. The book draws on extensive data and detailed case studies to show how divestiture and other reforms can improve economic performance, why politics often impede reform, and how reforming countries have overcome these obstacles. It compares policies for state-owned enterprises in twelve countries and documents the importance of three contract types for reforms: performance contracts, management contracts, and regulatory contracts. Finally, the book presents detailed recommendations for the reform of state-owned enterprises.\nOfficial DocumentsOfficial, scanned versions of documents (may include signatures, etc.)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8765372633934021}
{"content": "The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland restoration efforts. The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9897160530090332}
{"content": "Examples of thin sheets under boundary constraints abound in a wide range of scales—graphene on a substrate stands at one extreme, with a curtain hanging from a window at the other. At first glance, it seems implausible that these extremely disparate examples might exhibit universal behavior. However, Hugues Vandeparre and coauthors from the Université de Mons in Belgium, with collaborators from France and the US, demonstrate precisely that.\nPresenting results from scanning electron microscopy and theoretical modeling in Physical Review Letters, the authors show that thin boundary-confined sheets spontaneously develop a universal self-similar hierarchy of wrinkles. They develop a formalism based on “wrinklons,” a quasiparticle analogy of the merging of two wrinkles into a unit of a global pattern. The team compares experiments on a large variety of wrinkling systems, and find excellent agreement. One of their finds is that the average wavelength of folds away from a constrained edge follows a power law with universal exponents, which depend on the density of the material. For light curtains made of fabric or paper, the exponent is . For heavy curtains, made from materials like rubber, but also for constrained graphene bilayers, an additional tensile force acts on the sheet and reduces the exponent to . – Sarma Kancharla", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5212204456329346}
{"content": "Your life is precarious. When you were in high school and college, you treated your mortality like it was a crappy purse. You stomped on it, broke a strap, let a vodka bottle spill out and ruin the leather. You did all of this believing it would all be repaired while you were sleeping, and it usually was. You reach a point, however, when the leather stays torn, when the piece of crap bag becomes beaten beyond repair. Simply put, you have to take a more proactive role in maintaining your happiness and well-being. You’re not just someone watching their own life from afar. You’re in it now. And if you don’t take care of it, it will fall to pieces.\nThis is how someone becomes the person they want to be. They make changes.\nYoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7490617036819458}
{"content": "Extracting and processing lithium from brine deposits is relatively simple and low cost. The process relies on evaporation, which is dictated by solar and wind rates, as well as elevation. With lithium brine processing, we are letting nature do the work.\nBrine is typically pumped from subsurface aquifers, through a circuit of evaporation ponds to increase concentration.\nGenerally, lithium is found with other compounds that are sold as co-products. Co-products such as potassium and boron can be very significant contributors to the overall project economics, and in certain cases can significantly offset the cost of producing lithium.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7434786558151245}
{"content": "Avoiding Drug Shortages With Microbial Detection Source: Azbil BioVigilant, Inc.\nBy Aric Meares, President and CEO, BioVigilant\nOver the past year, critical drug shortages used to treat a host of life-threatening illnesses have been making headlines. Microbial contamination has been cited as a major contributor to the shortage, yet the prevailing practices to ensure the safety of drugs have been slow to change. In most cases, quality assurance practices safeguarding the drug making environment continue to rely on periodic air and a culturing method from a prior century. It takes great vision and courage to drive such a fundamental change in your manufacturing processes, especially in a regulated environment. The driving force for such a change is often driven by quality, but they face natural resistance from their financial organizations who expect a short return on investment and their manufacturing teams who are focused on maintaining the continuity of the processes that allow them to meet quarterly production goals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.865190327167511}
{"content": "Cognitive Abilities and Behavioral Biases byJörg Oechssler, Andreas Roider, Patrick W. Schmitz (May 2008) revised version published in: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2009, 72 (1), 147-152 Abstract: We use a simple, three-item test for cognitive abilities to investigate whether established behavioral biases that play a prominent role in behavioral economics and finance are related to cognitive abilities. We find that higher test scores on the Cognitive Reflection Test of Frederick (2005) indeed are correlated with lower incidences of the conjunction fallacy, conservatism in updating probabilities, and overconfidence. Test scores are also significantly related to subjects’ time and risk preferences. We find no influence on anchoring. However, even if biases are lower for people with higher cognitive abilities, they still remain substantial. Text: See Discussion Paper No. 3481", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5248535871505737}
{"content": "The serotonin toxicity (ST) is a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction results from therapeutic drug use, intentional self-poisoning, or inadvertent interactions between drugs. ST can be caused by a single or a combination of drugs with serotonergic activity due to excessive serotonergic agonism on central nervous system and peripheral serotonergic receptors (monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, opiate analgesics, over-the-counter cough medicines, antibiotics, weight-reduction agents, antiemetics, antimigraine agents, drugs of abuse, H2-antagonist and herbal products). The serotonin toxicity is often described as a clinical triad of mental-status changes (agitation and excitement with confusion), autonomic hyperactivity (diaphoresis, fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea), neuromuscular abnormalities (tremor, clonus, myoclonus, and hyperreflexia) and, in the advanced stage, spasticity; not all of these findings are consistently present. In this article, we describe two cases of ST due to interaction between Citalopram and two CYP2D6 inhibitors: Cimetidine and Topiramate and their clinical resolution after treatment discontinuation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7426885366439819}
{"content": "I. The Bedchamber, Or, Optimism\nIn 6445 Greene St., Apt. B202 — the 1,699-square-foot Philadelphia apartment that has housed my family for 25-and-a-half years — my mother slept in what she called a medieval bedchamber. Actually, it was a mattress tucked into a wooden loft in the east corner of the family room, across from a Himalayan-size range of clean but unfolded laundry and a five-shelf bookcase overflowing with (among other things) Polly Pocket houses, Bionic Hulk action figures and plastic parking garages. The bedchamber was perpendicular to the trapeze. If you extended your legs while swinging from the trapeze, you could touch a black-framed poster titled “Rainbow Shabbat” with your toes.\nThe family room/bedchamber is separated from the rest of the house by sturdy pine doors, which we opened at approximately 7 a.m. every school morning, and also in the middle of the night whenever one of us got a headache or had a nightmare or heard a mouse.\nMy mother lived in my siblings’ and my wreckage with what I can only describe as an unaffected joy. She wanted lots of kids. When she was little, she imagined marrying an airline pilot, whom she hoped would enable her to have children and then travel the world and leave her alone. When no airline pilot emerged, she decided to be a single mother. My older two siblings and I have donor dads, and my two younger siblings are adopted from Guatemala.\nMy mom always had a knack for deploying words. On Saturday nights when we complained about eating leftovers, she told us we were participating in “Saturday supper.” When we thought we had bedbugs and threw out all the mattresses and the couch in our apartment, she slept on the rug in our front hall, calling it “extremely cozy.” And when we asked her if she wanted her own room, she said she couldn’t imagine leaving her medieval bedchamber.\nII. The Living Room, Or, Benevolent Dictatorship\nOur living room served as our dining room, our guest room, and my mom’s rabbinical office. We often had young couples sitting on the couch between dinner and bedtime, preparing to get married.\n“How did you know that you wanted to spend your life together?” my mother would ask, as I traipsed barefoot behind her chair, carrying a bag of Barbies or a stack of “Baby-Sitters Club” books to the room I shared with my sister.\nMost importantly, the living room housed our own family meetings. Family meetings were formal affairs with a rotating facilitator and a written-up agenda. Like Supreme Court justices, we deliberated a wide range of topics and paid careful attention to all points of view. How would we share the one computer we had? What chores would we do for the year? Who got to hang his or her backpack on the first hook in the front hall?\nThough my siblings and I were fierce participants in the democratic process, I realize now that my mother was exceptionally conscious of what was to be collectively decided and what was to be unilaterally decreed. She determined who slept in what bedroom and what we ate for dinner each night. She encouraged us to turn our attention instead to the family’s interpersonal dynamics, on which we could have an empowering impact.\nI remember writing brilliant documents with my siblings that propelled our family life forward, but once I was in high school, I realized that family meeting discussions might not have been as sophisticated as I thought. When I was 15, my younger brother Joey put “Pillows” on the agenda. He told us that every morning when he woke up, his pillows were on the ground. He was sure that our youngest sister Mozi had moved them there. I suggested that perhaps they had fallen off the bed due to gravity. Mozi argued fervently that it was the guinea pig’s fault.\nIII. The Bedrooms, Or, Shaking Things Up\nThough we never moved out of B202, we constantly moved around within it. From ages 1 to 5, I shared the “blue rug room” with my older sister and brother; after that, I lived in the “big room” with my older brother. When I was 9, I moved into B202’s third bedroom with my younger sister.\nI was, at times, desperate for my own room. My younger sister painted part of our mirror with red nail polish and breathed too loudly at night. When I had my history final, I made an elaborate concept map out of index cards and she accidentally kicked it, scattering the main ideas across the floor. Sometimes I just wanted to be able to shut my own door.\nWhen I prepared to leave for college, I packed up everything I wanted to keep and arranged it in my closet. My older siblings have closets full of belongings too. On the peeling blue bookshelf behind hangers of dresses, I put my yearbooks, posters of ballet dancers, the instructions for my laptop and an “Obama 2008” sign.\nThree years after I went to college, my mother invited me to a “Room of One’s Own” party in our apartment. She had installed a huge, wall-sized map of the world on one side of the master bedroom, and facing it, her own bed, not tucked away but at the center of the room, with two layers of silky white comforters and pillows in lavender flannel cases. The windows were open, and the sunlight arced through new white linen curtains. After 18 years of sleeping in the medieval bedchamber, my mother was going to sleep like an actual queen.\nIV. Quake\nAt college I have my own room, where no one snores and where I can shut the door whenever I want. But this winter break, my siblings and I were back in B202. We brought cousins and boyfriends and godsiblings, and we faced a common question from our childhood: How would we all fit?\nWe decided to have a “quake,” a word we adopted from my sister’s fiancé, which means everyone sleeps together in one room, on the floor. We gathered our sleeping bags and extra pillows, and we set up next to the medieval bedchamber in the family room. (We moved the laundry heap onto the dryer.) Head to head on the floor, 12 of us slid under our covers. My older brother wanted to tell stories, and I wanted to go to sleep. My cousin was unhappy because she had gotten up to go to the bathroom and her spot was taken. My sister wanted to sing us a lullaby. In the morning, we were totally exhausted, and delighted, and surprised. We had all managed to fit.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5020202994346619}
{"content": "Which NAP enforcement methods provided with Windows can you use together? Here is a section from the upcoming Network Access Protection Design Guide from our technical writer Greg Lindsay:\nWhile the steps presented in this guide may imply that each enforcement method will be implemented alone it is possible to use more than one enforcement method simultaneously. An organization might invest additional resources into combining these enforcement methods because they have complementary strengths and weaknesses. NAP with VPN enforcement can be used to enforce organizational compliance policies on remote clients, while IPsec could be used for local clients. 802.1X and IPsec offer a particularly robust combination because together they can restrict network connectivity at multiple layers of the network protocol stack. The following table illustrates potential ways to combine enforcement methods. Keep in mind that the complexity of your NAP deployment can increase when you combine enforcement methods.\nIPsec\n802.1X\nVPN\nDHCP\nü\nX\nTable 1: NAP enforcement method combinations.\nThis information is also published in the \"Selecting the Right NAP Architecture\" Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guide.\nThese combinations are from the NAP client’s perspective. A NAP deployment can be configured to support all four NAP enforcement methods. However, a NAP client can only use a subset of them, depending on the nature of its connectivity to the intranet.\nFor example, a NAP client can obtain an authenticated Layer 2 connection to the network using 802.1X (wired or wireless) or a remote access VPN connection. It does not use both. Therefore, from the NAP client’s perspective, it will not use both the 802.1X and VPN enforcement methods when attempting to access an intranet.\nSimilarly, a remote access VPN client connection does not use DHCP to obtain an IP address. It uses the IP Control Protocol (IPCP) as part of the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection setup. Therefore, a NAP client does not use both VPN and DHCP enforcement methods.\nAnother combination of NAP enforcement methods is 802.1X, DHCP, and IPsec.\nNAP Guest Blogger: Joe Davies", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9591560959815979}
{"content": "One would expect a race of sentient humanoid plants to be peaceful, nature-loving environmentalists – that presumption is what allows this hyper-aggressive tribal civilisation to thrive. Unwitting explorers are prey of choice to the carnivorous Florans, who frequently salvage or reverse engineer the technology they bring to enable their colonisation of the stars.\nIntroducing space travel to the primitive Florans had the undesired effect of Floran colonies spanning across star systems, each with their own customs and levels of aggression. Despite this, individual Florans have been known to split apart from their society to lead their own lives in isolation or in the solace of other races, at the cost of being cut off from the collective and considered enemies of all flora for good.\nThough a unisex race, Floran culture values survival through reproduction and expansion over environmentalism or any percieved bond to Mother Nature. Cannibalism during funeral rituals and wars with rival factions are commonplace, though it remains unclear whether it’s out of conservation or simple tradition.\nTheir aggressive nature appears to be borne from a lack of a concept of non-plant life as opposed to outright contempt. Owing to their relatively young age as a species, this tenet dominates their culture and justifies their treatment of visiting races, though there are signs of some beginning to question this, implying that Floran individuals might not be inherently “evil” as previously thought.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9042804837226868}
{"content": "Background\nGenetic variation has been shown to play a significant role in determining susceptibility to the salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis. However, the mechanisms involved in differential response to infection remain poorly understood. Recent findings in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have provided evidence for a potential link between marker variation at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and differences in lice abundance among infected siblings, suggesting that MHC genes can modulate susceptibility to the parasite. In this study, we used quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis to test the effect of genomic regions linked to MHC class I and II on linkage groups (LG) 15 and 6, respectively.\nResults\nSignificant QTL effects were detected on both LG 6 and LG 15 in sire-based analysis but the QTL regions remained unresolved due to a lack of recombination between markers. In dam-based analysis, a significant QTL was identified on LG 6, which accounted for 12.9% of within-family variance in lice abundance. However, the QTL was located at the opposite end of DAA, with no significant overlap with the MHC class II region. Interestingly, QTL modelling also revealed evidence of sex-linked differences in lice abundance, indicating that males and females may have different susceptibility to infection.\nConclusion\nOverall, QTL analysis provided relatively weak support for a proximal effect of classical MHC regions on lice abundance, which can partly be explained by linkage to other genes controlling susceptibility to L. salmonis on the same chromosome.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996603727340698}
{"content": "This Morning Outside by Diane Porter December 5, 2010\nScientists have been finding birds with deformed beaks, like this house sparrow in my yard this morning. It's disturbing, because the birds are not adapted to feeding with bills with abnormal shapes.\nPhoto copyright 2010 Michael and Diane Porter\nMany species are affected. Science doesn't know what is causing the deformities yet. It could be disease, pollution, or something missing in the food.\nThe US Geological Survey in Alaska, where many affected birds are found, has asked birdwatchers to report any birds they see with deformed beaks anywhere, to assist in their investigations. It's to be hoped that the cause can be discovered and reversed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.504973292350769}
{"content": "From time to time, we will invite guest bloggers to write about topics of interest. This series, Working Together, will feature posts from other organizations within the \"family of companies.\" This post was written by Sean Wells, IAA Credit Union chief executive officer.\nYou’re us and we’re you… No wonder we think alike!\nI recently ran across the above slogan and felt it related well to the relationship the IAA Credit Union (IAACU) has with GROWMARK. Like GROWMARK, IAACU is a “not-for-profit” cooperative, owned and governed by our members. Our profits are returned to our members in the form of lower lending rates, higher savings returns, and “low-to-no” fees. In addition, all decisions are based on what is best for our members, not what will generate the greatest return for our stockholders - because we don’t have stockholders.\nThe IAACU was organized in August of 1951 as a benefit for the employees of the IAA Family of Companies. It remains today an employee benefit, operated and governed by its members with oversight by the sponsoring companies. Our board of directors is comprised of volunteers nominated by the sponsoring companies and elected by the members. Currently, our board is served in proportion to the number of members represented by each sponsoring company. The breakdown is as follows: two directors from GROWMARK; two from the IAA; and five from COUNTRY Financial.\nAn organization’s ideology comprises its purpose (why are we here?) and values (what do we stand for?). At the IAACU, we define our purpose as “serving our members and advancing their financial well-being.” This is why we come to work every day. We define our values as being focused on our members, insisting on financial strength, operating with integrity, respecting our employees and supporting our sponsoring companies – this is what we stand for.\nThe IAACU’s philosophy is to operate not for profit but for service. We, at the IAACU remain committed to the origins of the credit union philosophy: “Not for profit – not for charity - but for service.”\nBy offering credit union membership as part of the employee benefit package, GROWMARK demonstrates their commitment to their employees’ financial well-being. This real value aids in their ongoing efforts to recruit and retain the best employees in the industry.\nWe offer our sincere appreciation for your membership, and GROWMARK’s continued support!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5873836278915405}
{"content": "We have reiterated our Neutral recommendation onApartment Investment & Management Co ( AIV), or Aimco, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) as we expectthe stock to perform in line with the broader market.\nThe company reported second quarter 2012 funds from operations(FFO) of 38 cents per share compared to 29 cents in the year-agoperiod. The strong quarterly earnings were primarily due to higherrents chargeable.\nAimco is one of the largest owners and operators of multifamilyapartments in the U.S., with a diversified portfolio ofconventional, affordable and student housing communities. Thecompany has a strong portfolio of Class 'B' and Class 'C'properties primarily catering to the middle-income market. Inaddition, Aimco rents and leases its apartment units to a diversebase of residents. This provides a strong upside potential for thecompany.\nAimco continues to sell older assets to reposition its portfolioand focus on fewer markets with higher growth potential.Furthermore, the company is focused on redevelopments to mitigateoperating risk amidst a challenging macroeconomicenvironment.\nThe company's properties are geographically diversified comparedto several of its competitors, which helps to limit the effect of asingle significant local downturn. The company is also ensured of arelatively stable revenue stream, which augurs well for itslong-term growth.\nHowever, Aimco competes with other housing alternatives such asrental apartments, condominiums and single-family homes that areavailable for rent, and new and existing condominiums andsingle-family homes available for sale. This puts considerablepressure on profit maintenance.\nAimco currently retains a Zacks #2 Rank, which translates into ashort-term Buy rating.. One of its competitors, Equity Residential ( EQR) also currently retains a Zacks #2 Rank.\nNote: Fund from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income\nAPARTMENT INVT (AIV): Free Stock AnalysisReport EQUITY RESIDENT (EQR): Free Stock AnalysisReport To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks InvestmentResearch", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.704994797706604}
{"content": "We all know that children are our future and early childhood programs are critical in setting a young person on the right path in life. The projects we support focus on the child as an individual with great potential.\nThe transition between childhood and adulthood can be a difficult process. We support programs that encourage youth to explore their world and gain confidence as they prepare for their adult life.\nThe extracurricular programs we support are designed to engage the youth and the larger community in programs that build the awareness and the confidence to create change in themselves and their community.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8275942206382751}
{"content": "unset($_SESSION['OmniStatsList']); } ?>\nWind turbines have long produced renewable energy but a French engineering firm has discovered another eco-purpose for the towering structures.Eole Water claims to have successfully modified the traditional wind turbine design to create the WMS1000, an appliance that can manufacture drinking water from humid air.\nThe company aims to start rolling out the giant products for sale later in 2012, initially focusing on remote communities in arid countries where water resources are scarce.\n\"This technology could enable rural areas to become self-sufficient in terms of water supply,\" says Thibault Janin, director of marketing at Eole Water.\nYour vote has been counted.\nYes, we predict incredible growth (32%)\nYes, our business continues to grow steadily (44%)\nNo, we expect business to remain the same (20%)\nNo, the economy has greatly affected our business (28%)\n...more", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6566115617752075}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nNeurological, Psychiatric, and Developmental Disorders: Meeting the Challenge in the Developing World\nSuch a program should involve at least three operational components:\nAdaptation of existing screening and diagnostic tools for bipolardisorder, with a view to accounting for differences in the localpresentation of the disorder and making them suitable for use bypersonnel in the primary care setting.\nPharmacological treatment, with specific guidelines for symptom controlin acute episodes, maintenance of stabilization and prevention ofrelapse, and means of ensuring adherence to the treatment protocol.\nMobilization of family and community support, including providingeducation on the nature of the disorder and its treatment, involvingthe family in simple problem-solving training, and involving thelocal community in providing a supportive and nonstigmatizing environment.\nREFERENCES\n1. F. Adams. The extant works of Aretaeus, the Cappadocian. London, The Syndenham Society 1856. Reprinted in the Classics of Medicine Library Series. Gryphon Editions Inc.: Birmingham, AL, 1990.\n2. E. Kraepelin. Manic-depressive insanity and paranoia. E&S Livingstone: Edinburgh, 1921.\n3. C. Friddle, R. Koskela, K. Ranade, J. Hebert, M. Cargill, C.D. Clark, M. McInnis, S. Simpson, F. McMahon, O.C. Stine, D. Meyers, J. Xu, D. MacKinnon, T. Swift-Scanlan, K. Jamison, S. Folstein, M. Daly, L. Kruglyak, T. Marr, J.R. DePaulo, and D. Botstein. Full-genome scan for linkage in 50 families segregating the bipolar affective disease phenotype. American Journal of Human Genetics 66:205–215, 2000.\n4. D.H.R. Blackwood, L. He, S.W. Morris, A. McLean, C. Whitton, M. Thomson, et al. A locus for bipolar affective disorder on chromosome 4p. Nature Genetics 12:427–430, 1996.\n5. E.I. Ginns. A genome-wide search for chromosomal loci linked to bipolar affective disorder in the Old Order Amish. Nature Genetics 12:431–435, 1996.\n6. N.B. Freimer, et al. Genetic mapping using haplotype, association and linkage methods suggests a locus for severe bipolar disorder (BPI) at 18q22–q23. Nature Genetics 12:436–441, 1996.\n7. A.L. Stoll, M. Tohen, Baldessarini, D.C. Goodwin, S. Stein, S. Katz, et al. Shifts in the diagnostic frequencies of schizophrenia and affective disorders from 1972 through 1998; A combined analysis from four North American psychiatric hospitals. American Journal of Psychiatry 151:130–132, 1994.\n8. World Health Organization. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. World Health Organization: Geneva, 1992.\n9. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. American Psychiatric Association: Washington D.C., 1994.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7336240410804749}
{"content": "The space of the nightclub is one of the few cultural spaces where imagination and fantasy often run wild. There is a blurring of different conventions in nightclubs, across architecture, definitions of social acceptability, and function. For many, the nightclub serves as a point of entry into an alternate world, providing a location for entertainment, discovery and desire. Nightclubs are transformative spaces, both in terms of population and architectural-historical purpose. More often than not they are appropriated spaces, formerly housing everything from banks to parking garages. Through the transformative quality of light and photographic documentation, these fantasy spaces become strange stage sets - places where bizarre architecture and interior design meet faux grandeur and whimsical iconography.\nIn, The Merchandise,2005, intentionally cropped portraits showcase muscular models in bluejeans. The five 5.5”x7” images,are individually framed in 11”x14” white matte, and are hung in a setas one artwork.\nThe Exits are light boxes containing durtrans photographs, and range in size, between 48”x52” to 60”x70”. In the Exit's all information has been removed, with the exception of the exit sign indicating perspective.\nThe Doorways and Openings are life-size, cartoon-like black shapes digital printed ontoarchival, heavy-weight paper. These pieces were created to be installed in any space with white wall space. When installed, they are hung simply using thumbtacks to affix the prints onto the wall.\nThe Space,2004 installation provides a temporary site where the audience is madeinto a performer. In this installation, specific tiles within theparquet wood floor have a weight sensors. When an viewer enters the space, their mass sends a signal to a MAX Software program, producing a circular cone of light on top of them for up to 30 seconds.\nThis piece was produced with the generousity and skills of the following individuals: Hillary Karness, Dan, and Matthew Suttor, of the Yale School of Music.\nIn the Entrances and Events, I create interventions in existing doorways and interiors using light and cheap party-related materials. I am interested in territorializing these spaces with these short-lived materials, suggesting a narrative that opposes the architecture’s original function. Rather than thinking in a dualistic model, I see the documentation of these temporal party spaces as an effort to raise consciousness about the occupation of spaces around us. Temporarily subverting conventional uses of the space, I suggest a passageway or portal into an alternative or in-between place, as these ephemeral installations only exist as photographs.\nCreated inantiqued gold vinyl, The Decorative Barriers, 2004 mimic the velvet ropes used to divide and organize both public and parochial social spaces. The Barriers are installed in a distressed and deflated fashion, in lengths from 2’ to 12’ long.\n2-Perspectives on 1-Situation is a pictorial series resulting from time spent in both traditional and non-traditional medical spaces. In the photographs of these sites, I juxtaposed images that portray two distinct perspectives in each treatment environment: the medical provider’s and the patients. The camera is positioned to illustrate the negotiations that take place within these semi-private spaces. In addition, The Details are a collection of images from this series that focus on the tools, instruments, beliefs and credentials found within these environments. I use my camera to explore the differences between clinical and non-traditional medical environments, and how personality was exhibited, both on profound and surface levels. These photographs describe how the spaces themselves can dictate our experiences based on our position within them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5364190340042114}
{"content": "TimingTruth's savings and investment practices are based on these four principles. A principle is something that is fundamental to our character. As such it drives our behavior. Investing for your retirement is not difficult but it must be approached seriously. We believe these principles reflect the proper character to succeed.\nUnless you decide to take responsibility for your own retirement nothing will happen. Nobody cares for your retirement as much as you, regardless of what they might tell you. Conscientious - You must manage your account if you hope to maximize your gains The traditional strategy (Buy & Hold ) no longer works as it once did. We at TimingTruth believe today's investors must conscientiously manage their investments in accord with the long term economic cycles rather than be carried along by them. Disciplined - You must regularly contribute to your retirement account Saving for your retirement requires endurance and consistency. It should be evident that if you rarely contribute to your account that it will rarely grow. Remember that you are first, saving for your retirement and second, investing wisely so that the savings will grow. Purposeful - You must be patient and not greedy People who are impatient or greedy typically make emotional decisions. Emotional decisions are usually not profitable decisions when it comes to investing. Act with purpose, not from emotion. We use several retirement investment strategies based on these four principles to move our savings between several index funds in concert with larger economic cycles.\nWhen you're ready to take responsibility for your own future we invite you to review these strategies. If you're looking for an\nIndividual Retirement Account (IRA) strategy then try EASY IRA. However, if your employer offers an\nEmployer Sponsored Retirement Account (\n401k or similar) then look at EASY 401k.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8573219776153564}
{"content": "Stratford grain store expands market opportunities Arable farmers across the West and Central Midlands have been given a boost ahead of harvest after the 27,000 tonne grain store at Stratford-upon-Avon operated by Arable Crop Storage (ACS) had its application to merge with a store in Cambridgeshire approved by the UK Financial Services Authority.\nFollowing a review of the business in 2010 the board of directors at ACS concluded that a merger would be the best way for it to deliver the level of service and market access needed by members.\nWith ACS already part of the OpenfieldNetwork of stores the decision was taken to approach Camgrain, a fellow member of the Network and the UK's largest farmer-owned central storage business, to consider how a merger could unlock value for members.\nThe Stratford Advanced Processing Centre (Stratford APC), as it is now known, has become the fourth site in the Camgrain operation sitting strategically alongside two stores in Cambridgeshire and a new 70,000-tonne facility at Kettering, Northamptonshire that will be operational for harvest 2012.\nThe merger, which was completed in mid-May, will secure access to more valuable markets meaning growers across the region can invest in their businesses with greater confidence.\nThe merger of ACS with Camgrain is a significant step in the continued development of the OpenfieldNetwork, the central store alliance that covers England and Scotland. Expansion this year of 14% before the recent merger is delivering value for growers and the consumer customers they supply.\nOnce exploratory discussions were concluded last spring Camgrain were invited to manage the store for harvest 2011. The 63 ACS farmer members, covering an area from Buckinghamshire to Worcestershire and the Cotswolds, noticed an immediate improvement in the level of member service.\nOne of the first steps in harvest 2011 was to extend opening hours to 24-hours a day, seven days a week to enable more efficient movement of grain from farm during the peak of harvest, says director Jo Robinson, who farms at Brackley, Northants.\n\"With modern combine harvesters capable of clearing 300 tonnes or more of wheat a day, our members required a level of service that reflected their needs. The programmes we have initiated since working with Camgrain have supported that,\" he says.\nWhile the improved service was greatly welcomed an additional benefit to members has come from improved access to markets. \"A major attraction of Camgrain as a partner was its reputation for delivering quality grain to end-user specifications which has enabled it to secure contracts for its members with high guaranteed premiums,\" says Jo Robinson.\nFor organic growers the Stratford APC will be registered to handle crops from harvest 2012 onwards, offering a valuable facility in close proximity to both growers and primary processors of organic crops.\nWith access to other stores in the Camgrain network, crops such as malting barley, used to make beer and whisky, can be moved directly to the store closest to the point of use which helps improve efficiency levels across the supply chain.\n\"Before the merger malting barley was a crop beyond me as I wasn't able to store it in the manner necessary to retain quality and secure the full premium. Now, my malting barley is moved directly to Camgrain's specialist Malting Barley store at Linton, Cambridgeshire, located on the doorstep of England's malting industry, where it captures its full potential value\", he says.\n\"When you look at how the supply chain is evolving and how end-users are focusing investment activity on producing finished goods, rather than on commodity storage Camgrain recognised that to protect our routes to market we needed to develop a model that moved us up the supply chain and brought us closer to the customer.\"\n\"The Midlands is home to some of the biggest names in baking and flour milling and the investment we have managed to secure following the merger will ensure we are able to upgrade facilities and deliver the raw product as demanded by the end-user. This will ensure we are able to satisfy those markets for quality grain on our doorstep,\" he adds.\nWhile the opportunity to secure top premiums from the market is likely to stimulate interest in both existing and future members, Jo Robinson stated that by merging with Camgrain the membership of ACS, now Camgrain members, enjoy a greatly improved level of protection from both weather and crop price volatility.\n\"The weather is a farmer's greatest foe and many decent crops have been ruined by a wet harvest. The guarantee that a member can harvest his crop, even at higher than average moistures, in order to secure grain at optimum field quality and then have the cereal moved within 24 hours to a high capacity processing facility to stabilise and dress the crop to best advantage is key to success in modern markets. It is the way to secure market premiums and creates a win-win situation with our key customers.\n\"This is more than just off-farm storage; it is a dynamic marketing and storage arrangement that reduces the risk to the farmer while capturing more value from the supply chain for UK farmers,\" he concludes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.67445969581604}
{"content": "Do Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations indicate recent use in chronic cannabis users? Addiction , Vol. 104, No. 12. (1 December 2009), pp. 2041-2048, doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02705.x Key: citeulike:6177075Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract Aims To quantify blood Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in chronic cannabis users over 7 days of continuous monitored abstinence. Participants Twenty-five frequent, long-term cannabis users resided on a secure clinical research unit at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse under continuous medical surveillance to prevent cannabis self-administration. Measurements Whole blood cannabinoid concentrations were determined by two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Findings Nine chronic users (36%) had no measurable THC during 7 days of cannabis abstinence; 16 had at least one positive THC ≥0.25 ng/ml, but not necessarily on the first day. On day 7, 6 full days after entering the unit, six participants still displayed detectable THC concentrations [mean ± standard deviation (SD), 0.3 ± 0.7 ng/ml] and all 25 had measurable carboxy-metabolite (6.2 ± 8.8 ng/ml). The highest observed THC concentrations on admission (day 1) and day 7 were 7.0 and 3.0 ng/ml, respectively. Interestingly, five participants, all female, had THC-positive whole blood specimens over all 7 days. Body mass index did not correlate with time until the last THC-positive specimen (n = 16; r = −0.2; P = 0.445). Conclusions Substantial whole blood THC concentrations persist multiple days after drug discontinuation in heavy chronic cannabis users. It is currently unknown whether neurocognitive impairment occurs with low blood THC concentrations, and whether return to normal performance, as documented previously following extended cannabis abstinence, is accompanied by the removal of residual THC in brain. These findings also may impact on the implementation of per se limits in driving under the influence of drugs legislation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8480710387229919}
{"content": "In the fall of 2009, the SecondCircuit issued its long-awaited decision in Connecticutv. American Electric Power Company, a case alleging a federal common law nuisanceclaim based on the effects ofgreenhouse gases. The SecondCircuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court dismissal of the case.In a lengthy opinion, the SecondCircuit held that plaintiffs-eight states, the City of New York, andthree nonprofitentities-had standing to seek an injunction against six electricalutilitycompanies to restrict their greenhouse gas emissions based on a publicnuisanceclaim. The Court also held thatthe claims were not barred by the political question doctrine, whichforeclosescourts from deciding questions that have been committed for decision totheexecutive and legislative branches.Finally, the Court held that plaintiffs had stated a viable federalcommon law nuisance claim, which had not been displaced by congressionalorregulatory action.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9884058833122253}
{"content": "Background Information\nCongress currently mandates a minimum of $140 million annually for the purchase of food\nby USDA through the federal price-support program and other sources. These funds are\nallocated to each state based on a formula using the current weighted poverty and\nunemployment index. Wisconsins fair share of entitlement dollars earmarked for USDA\npurchases of food for the program in FFY 2002 provided combined amounts of over\n9.8 million pounds of food\nwith a value of over $5.4 million in FFY 2002.\nWisconsin limits the distribution of TEFAP commodities to Emergency Feeding\nOrganizations (EFOs) and outlets (pantries, soup kitchens and shelters) eligible to assist\nin the distribution of commodities received under this program. USDA/FNS defines an\nEmergency Feeding Organization (EFO) as a public or nonprofit tax-exempt agency that\nprovides nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the\nprovision of food to needy persons including low-income and unemployed persons.\nLast Revised: July 12, 2010", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7281020879745483}
{"content": "Oh geez...if I wore mascara, I'd look scary right now...\nOk, in another new study on L-carnitine, researchers investigated the level and the effects of its supplementation in children with moderate persistent asthma (MPA) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial over 6 consecutive months.\nThe children received either L-carnitine or placebo and received pulmonary function tests (PFT) and childhood-asthma control test (C-ACT) before and 6 months after carnitine supplementation.\nResults revealed that initial L-carnitine levels were significantly lower in the patient group as compared to the control group. PFT and C-ACT showed significant improvements in asthmatic children supplemented with L-carnitine, as compared to placebo. These findings suggest L-carnitine supplementation may lead to an improvement of C-ACT and PFT in children with MPA.\nSource: L-Carnitine improves the asthma control in children with moderate persistent asthmaRelated Posts on L-carnitine:\nL-Carnitine May Reduce Inflammation in Hemodialysis Patients Advantages of L-carnitine in Treating Hepatitis C L-Carnitine May Protect Mitochondrial Function in Liver L-Carnitine May Reduce Oxidative Damage L-Carnitine Helps Treat Autism Spectrum Disorders L-Carnitine Benefits Huntington's Disease Click HERE to subscribe to Know Guff by email", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5526597499847412}
{"content": "I believe that education is likely the single most important investment in the future of our people, communities, nations, and world. It is a fundamental element vital to sustainable social and economic success. Technology is an essential part of this endeavor, enhancing and extending educational experiences and opportunities. As such, I thoroughly identify with and appreciate academia where I have been supporting and managing technology in higher education since the 1980s. I have been at NVC since 2000, and am responsible for managing district technology, systems, and staff in support of our college mission and student success.\nPrior to NVC, I was at University of California, Berkeley. I was responsible for a large, technically and geographically diverse staff, where I administered policy for the operation, installation, and repair of campuswide computer and communication networks. At Sonoma State University I was responsible for campus networks as well as other IT infrastructure and support. As a part-time faculty member, I also taught upper division management and computer courses.\nI treasure community colleges such as NVC, SRJC, and schools like them that provide educational opportunities to those who wouldn’t have them otherwise, like me. I’ve been employed to support myself continuously since I was a teenager. I was fortunate to find an occupational program that allowed me to work while completing high school through technical training. I subsequently went on to attend and work at community colleges and public universities. While I don’t recommend it for everyone, my long journey of concurrent employment and academic pursuits over the years has been complementary, symbiotic, and rewarding.\nI have earned A.S., B.A., and M.S. degrees in electronics, communications, and management information systems respectively. I am currently a PhD candidate in management and technology in higher education. I also hold professional certificates and licenses such as FCC amateur and commercial broadcasting licenses.\n\"An atmosphere of collegial sharing, growth, and communication is the key to our success.\" -RB", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7867923974990845}
{"content": "Federal regulation of industrial greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and the implications for Canada\nAlthough the Government of Canada has announced that it intends to harmonize its climate change approach with the U.S., it has not yet introduced regulations to compare to the U.S.'s 2011 requirement that new and expanded large industrial facilities limit their emissions of greenhouse gases. In the face of significant uncertainty posed by legal and legislative challenges in the U.S., Canada urgently needs to implement a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction plan of its own.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9973370432853699}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Angiogenesis has been implicated in the pathogenesis and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In this study, we investigated the relationship between microvessel density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, common morphological and clinical factors, and survival in patients with MDS. We examined the MVD of paraffin-embedded bone marrow sections from 70 MDS patients and 31 controls. VEGF expression was determined in 50 patients and 20 controls. The median MVD in MDS patients was significantly higher than that in controls (p = 0.025), whereas there was no difference in VEGF expression between MDS patients and controls. In univariate analysis, increased MVD was associated with a shorter survival time (p = 0.023). However, in multivariate analysis, MVD was not an independent predictor of survival. The VEGF expression did not influence survival in univariate analysis. Survival was independently influenced by platelet count (p = 0.0073), cytogenetic risk category (p = 0.022), and transfusion dependence (p = 0.0073). Neither MVD nor VEGF expression were predictors for progression to acute myeloid leukemia in univariate analysis. Progression to acute myeloid leukemia was independently influenced only by the cytogenetic risk category (p = 0.022). This study confirmed increased MVD in MDS. It does not support an independent prognostic role of angiogenesis in MDS. Pathology & Oncology Research 01/2012; 18(3):681-90. · 1.37 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5080114006996155}
{"content": "Antarctica is the coldest, driest and least populated region in the world; a continent slightly larger than Europe. It remains one of the least well-understood places on Earth. Last year, a billion-ton glacier about the size of Texas melted into the sea. If our planet is heading for trouble, Antarctica will tell us first.\nConditions on the ice are harsh. Even in the Antarctic summer, the average temperature is around -60 C, while winds regularly reach 120 miles per hour. Antarctica has been the testing ground for many explorers. Survival is difficult, and teamwork is a necessity. In an environment such as this, every decision can be a matter of life and death. Posted by SCE on September 15, 2006 2:53 PM", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9369982481002808}
{"content": "For Immediate\nRelease\n3/4/13\nEichelberger Introduces Bill to\nProtect Pennsylvania's Right to Bear Arms\nHarrisburg, PA – Monday, March 4, 2013 – Today,\nState Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr. (R-30) announced his plan to introduce\nlegislation to safeguard the protections contained in the Pennsylvania\nConstitution against attempts by the federal government to dilute them.\n\"Many, including myself, believe that Pennsylvania's\nconstitutional protections of the right to bear arms are much clearer and\nstronger than those contained in the federal document,\" stated Eichelberger. \"I\nalso believe it is a clear principle of law that a state constitution may not\noffer less protection than the U.S. Constitution, but it can afford greater\nprotections.\"\nPennsylvania's provisions regarding the right to bear arms\npre-date the federal constitution. In fact, Pennsylvania was the first state to\naddress the right to bear arms in its constitution. By the time the Second\nAmendment to the\nUnited States Constitution was adopted, Pennsylvania had already reaffirmed\nthe right to bear arms as a fundamental individual freedom. The year before the\nratification of the federal Bill of Rights, Pennsylvania's protections were made\neven stronger, by adding the clear and unequivocal phrase, \"shall not be\nquestioned .\" The language, in Article I, Section 21, has carried through\nsince that time: \"The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of\nthemselves and the State shall not be questioned.\"\nEichelberger noted: \"My legislation would make it clear\nthat the Commonwealth will not assist the federal government in watering down\nindividual rights protected by its constitution. The bill would prohibit the\nuse of any state or local resources, including personnel, buildings, and\nequipment, to enforce any new federal restriction on the purchase or ownership\nof any firearms and accessories which are currently legal products in\nPennsylvania.\"\nCONTACT:\nLee Derr\n(717) 787-5490", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7549585700035095}
{"content": "Monsanto Charged With Using USPatent Laws to Control Staple Crop Seeds A.V. KREBS / The Agribusiness Examiner i.389, 19jan05\nNORTHERN PLAINS RESOURCE COUNCIL: A study released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety meticulously documents one biotech company's use of U.S. patent laws to control staple crop seeds.\nThe report follows the introduction of the Farmer Protection Act at the 2005 Montana Legislature. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jon Tester (Dem.-Big Sandy), the Farmer Protection Act would shield Montana wheat farmers from unfair lawsuits like those described in the report. A hearing on the bill will take place on February 4th before the Senate Judiciary Committee.\nKEY FINDINGS:\nTo date, Monsanto Corp. has filed 90 lawsuits in 25 states involving 147 American farmers and 39 small businesses or farm companies. Monsanto has set aside an annual budget of $10 million and 75 full-time staff devoted solely to investigating and prosecuting farmers. The largest recorded judgment favorable to Monsanto documented by the report was $3,052,800 Monsanto has received $15,253,602.82 in total recorded judgments to date. According to the report, Monsanto's efforts to prosecute farmers fall into three categories: investigations of farmers; out-of-court settlements; and litigation against farmers accused of patent infringement or \"breach of contract.\"\nCompanies that patent genetically engineered seeds own the right to the technology contained in each seed. Farmers who purchase genetically engineered seeds must sign Technology Use Agreements that specifically shield the patent company from liability for accidental contamination or other adverse impacts. The effect of these agreements is to pit farmer against farmer when conflicts arise.\nThe Farmer Protection Act (SB 218) aims to shield Montana wheat farmers from undue liability for genetically engineered wheat damages. The bill would also prevent patent-holding companies from suing farmers for patent infringement if genetically engineered wheat drifts across property lines and is found on the land of farmers who did not intentionally grow it. [January 13, 2005]\nTHE AGRIBUSINESS EXAMINER January 19, 2005, Issue #389 Monitoring Corporate Agribusiness From a Public Interest Perspective EDITOR\\PUBLISHER; A.V. Krebs", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5781822800636292}
{"content": "The unhealthy eating patterns and obesity among women in the U.S. are indicated by changes in biomarkers, such as insulin, lipoproteins, and estradiol, that are risk factors for breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This article models the inter-relations among diet, serum insulin, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations, plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol, and net triglyceride concentrations, using the data at baseline and 12 mo on 379 and 615 postmenopausal women in the Control and Intervention groups, respectively, of the Women's Health Trial: Feasibility Study in Minority Populations. Subjects in the Intervention group received detailed advice over a period of 1 y for reducing fat intakes and increasing the consumption of whole grains and fruits and vegetables. The main findings were that there were significant differences between the Control and Intervention groups in the changes from baseline to 12 mo in LDL and HDL cholesterol and SHBG concentrations. Second, using a comprehensive random effects modeling framework, the ratio of fiber to energy intake was significantly associated (P < 0.05) with lower insulin and triglyceride levels, and with a higher HDL cholesterol concentration in the Intervention group. Third, the subjects' waist-to-hip ratio and BMI were significantly associated with insulin, SHBG, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations. Fourth, insulin levels were significantly negatively associated with SHBG and HDL cholesterol, and positively associated with LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and estradiol concentrations. Overall, weight loss, especially around the waist, and increased fiber intakes are likely to be beneficial for lipid, cholesterol, and hormone profiles of U.S. women.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5534132122993469}
{"content": "Introduction This chapter begins by noting that the ambiguity of religious traditions on the issue of peace and violence has been recognized and analyzed by scholars since the 1990s. However, these studies are of a general nature, and what is lacking are studies that deal comprehensively with specific religions. This study is therefore meant to begin addressing this lacuna by examining Judaism. The chapter then moves on to explaining why the format of dual readings has been chosen. This chapter also provides definitions for peace and violence as a basis of discussion for the rest of the book. Included in these definitions is the recognition that violence and peace are categories that involve not just immediate and direct physical interactions between human beings but also more indirect interactions that affect the well-being of an individual or community over a lengthy period of time.\nOxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.\nIf you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6956087350845337}
{"content": "1 member(s) found this review helpful.\nThree historians here team up for a worthy, demanding foray into the battle over the academy, taking on \"both the relativists on the left and the defenders of the status quo ante on the right.\" The authors argue that skepticism and relativism about truth, in science, history and politics, stems from the democratization of American society and higher education. They survey the \"heroic model\" of science produced in the Enlightenment, the roots of relativism in Hegel, and the influence of Marx, Durkheim and Weber on latter-day historical schools. They tackle the virtuous mythologies of American history, and critiques by progressives like Charles Beard and post-WW II social historians. They also cite 1960s historians of science who launched politicized critiques and postmodernists who attacked claims of objectivity. The authors urge historians to have a \"stronger, more self-reflexive and interactive sense of objectivity.\" In a final chapter addressing \"political correctness\" and multiculturalism, the authors sensibly call for a middle ground, but diminish their message with a paucity of models. Appleby teaches at UCLA, Hunt at the University of Pennsylvania and Jacob at Manhattan's New School for Social Research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5409311652183533}
{"content": "A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Weakening of the wall of the aorta (the largest blood vessel in the body leading away from the heart) causing enlargement in its diameter. Usually due to atherosclerosis. Rupture can be fatal. Large aneurysms are repaired by vascular surgeons. Acid Reflux The spillage of stomach acid into the esophagus (tube leading from throat to stomach). Can be due to a hiatus hernia. Long term cases can lead to injury or cancer of the esophagus. Adrenal Gland Gland located on each kidney responsible for the release of adrenalin. Allergy Desensitization Shots Repeated injections of the substance responsible for an allergic reaction in gradually increasing concentration. Usually performed by an allergist. Anemia Reduced number of red blood cells in the blood. Appendicitis Inflammation of the appendix. May lead to rupture of the appendix if not treated with appendectomy. Arrhythmia Abnormal or uncoordinated beating of the heart. Many different types and severities. Can reduce heart function and increase risk of stroke. Arterial Bypass Grafting Used for treatment of vascular insufficiency, particularly of the legs. The athero–sclerotic artery segment is bypassed using vein graft or artificial blood vessel material. Arteritis A disorder of the immune system which causes inflammatory changes in blood vessels. Can lead to stroke. May occur with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Arthroscopy Placement of a camera into a joint, the knee and shoulder are common locations, to detect and repair injuries to ligaments, remove free bodies, and inspect internal joint structure. Asthma Increased sensitivity of airways to immune system stimulation, causing wheezing, airway constriction and reduced ability to breathe in severe cases. Atherosclerosis “Hardening of the arteries” caused by deposits (plaques) of cholesterol and fats in the walls of arteries. This may result in reduced blood flow.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9762437343597412}
{"content": "Date of this Version 11-2011\nAbstract We quantified seed production and viability, floral herbivory and fungal infection on blowout penstemon (Penstemon haydenii S. Watson), an endangered species of the Nebraska Sandhills, USA, in order to determine the potential for perpetuation of this, and possibly other short-lived, rare perennials of fragmented habitats. Over three years, the number of seeds per infructescence averaged 518 (SE 29.01). Plants produced an average of 1398 seeds. Seed viability of 38% reduced reproductive potential to 531 viable seeds per plant. Plants in multiple blowout sites in two counties were assigned to one of four treatments: insecticide, fungicide, both, or neither (control). Insect herbivore damage varied between site-year combinations, but was not successfully reduced by treatments. For example, grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Suborder Caelifera) caused high levels of herbivory at the Hooker County sites in 2007. All three non-control treatments reduced visible signs of fungal occurrence, except in Hooker County in 2006. However, total seed number per plant, seed weight, and seed viability were similar among treatments, suggesting fungal attack did not reduce fecundity. The main difference observed was significant variation in each of these parameters of plant performance among site-year combinations. Consequently, we conclude that site-specific conditions are important to blowout penstemon regeneration.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5234699249267578}
{"content": "December 24, 2007 -- SoCs are becoming more complex these days. A lot of functionality is being added to chips and data is frequently transferred from one clock domain to another. Hence, clock domain crossing verification has become one of the major verification challenges in deep submicron designs. A clock domain crossing occurs whenever data is transferred from a flop driven by one clock to a flop driven by another clock.\nTraditional methods like simulation and static timing analysis alone are not sufficient to verify that the data is transferred consistently and reliably across clock domains. Hence, new verification methodologies are required, but before devising a new methodology it is important to understand the issues related to clock domain crossings properly. Different types of clock domain crossings are discussed here along with the possible issues encountered in each one of them and their solutions. A new verification methodology is then proposed which will ensure that data is transferred correctly across clock domains.\nBy Saurabh Verma and Ashima S. Dabare. (Verma and Dabare are with Atrenta, Inc.)\nThis brief introduction has been excerpted from the original copyrighted article.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5754398107528687}
{"content": "Mostly Off-Topic But Still Interesting From the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College:\nWhen economic times are good, deaths in the United States increase. Previous research suggests that a likely culprit is poorer health habits tied to greater job demands. However, the increase in mortality is largely driven by deaths among elderly women in nursing homes. These nursing home deaths may reflect increased shortages of caregivers during economic expansions. Share|", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991337656974792}
{"content": "Timber! We have two dead trees in our yard now; we're waiting for the winter discount rates to take them down. But we're not alone. On my walks through the neighborhood I spot more dead or dying trees than I can count. It's the drought, arborists say. Or it's simply their time.\nDead trees have been in the local news recently, too, since a 140-year-old oak with root rot blew down in a storm, crushed a car and killed its driver. This sparked a search for other ailing trees on state rights-of-way. And now chain saws are buzzing all over Fairfax County.\nI drove past a work crew yesterday at an intersection where I often stop. What used to be closed and private is now open and exposed. It's safer now, that's true. But it has lost its character.\nLabels: trees", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6111147403717041}
{"content": "Source Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.\nHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rising worldwide cause of cancer mortality, making the elucidation of its underlying mechanisms an urgent priority. The liver is unique in its response to injury, simultaneously undergoing regeneration and fibrosis. HCC occurs in the context of these two divergent responses, leading to distinctive pathways of carcinogenesis. In this review, we highlight pathways of liver tumorigenesis that depend upon, or are enhanced by fibrosis. Activated hepatic stellate cells drive fibrogenesis, changing the composition of the extracellular matrix. Matrix quantity and stiffness also increase, providing a reservoir for bound growth factors. In addition to promoting angiogenesis, these factors may enhance the survival of both pre-neoplastic hepatocytes and activated hepatic stellate cells. Fibrotic changes also modulate the activity of inflammatory cells in the liver, reducing the activity of natural killer and natural killer T cells that normally contribute to tumor surveillance. These pathways synergize with inflammatory signals, including telomerase reactivation and reactive oxygen species release, ultimately resulting in cancer. Clarifying fibrosis-dependent tumorigenic mechanisms will help rationalize antifibrotic therapies as a strategy to prevent and treat HCC.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.764639139175415}
{"content": "A liver biopsy involves inserting a needle between the ribs to collect a small sample of liver tissue. Samples of liver tissue can then be examined under a microscope to further check a suspected or known liver disease.\nA liver biopsy may be done after other tests have failed to provide a clear diagnosis or determine the severity of a liver problem. It can also be used to monitor certain forms of liver disease, such as hepatitis C. A liver biopsy can reveal long-term inflammation (chronic hepatitis), scar tissue formation (cirrhosis), or cancer.\nCredits", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7267091274261475}
{"content": "Introduction This chapter introduces the topic of premarital sex in America and highlights several introductory themes before describing the book’s parameters, data sources, and directions. Its brief discussions include the changing definition of premarital sex, the nature of emerging adulthood, the sexual significance of turning 18, and the scope of heterosexuality among contemporary emerging adults.\nOxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.\nIf you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5648938417434692}
{"content": "03 November 2000 Seven of the 22 Welsh unitary authorities were warned that their Best Value performance plans, the strategy outlining how they will deliver services over the next year, contained significant errors and omissions and failed to comply with legislation.\nIn a damning report, the Audit Commission found that while a minority were making good progress, all authorities had areas of significant weakness and would struggle to deliver Best Value services.\n'Our concern must be that in the absence of robust Best Value arrangements, these services will not improve and may well deteriorate,' warned Andrew Wood, director of District Audit Wales. 'Many authorities need to change their culture if they are to succeed. The next year will be a critical period.'\nThe criticism, just two weeks after English authorities were given the thumbs-up for their Best Value plans, highlights the continuing difficulties with the initiative in Wales.\nThe Welsh Assembly was forced to give authorities a three-month extension on the plans earlier this year after it emerged that many were still not ready.\nThe commission suggests that resistance to change, particularly from members, is hampering progress and cites 'little evidence of a willingness to challenge the status quo' from both officers and politicians.\nAuditors have identified a number of areas needing urgent improvement, including a lack of member involvement, an absence of key performance information, particularly missing or flawed progress targets, and inadequate performance management across all services.\nPFnov2000", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9966945052146912}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The process of microtubule elongation is thought to consist of two stages—formation of a tubulin sheet structure and its closure into a tube. However, real-time observation of this process has been difficult. Here, by utilizing phospho-tau binding protein Gas7 (growth-arrest-specific protein 7), we visualized the polymer transformation process by dark-field microscopy. Upon elongation, thin and flexible structures, often similar to a curved hook, appeared at the end of microtubules. Electron microscopic observations supported the idea that these flexible structures are tubulin sheets. They maintained their length until they gradually became thick and rigid beginning in the central portion, resulting in straight microtubules. In the absence of Gas7, the sheet-like structure was rarely observed; moreover, when observed, it was fragile and engaged in typical dynamic instability. With Gas7, no catastrophe was observed. These results suggest that Gas7 enhances microtubule polymerization by stabilizing sheet intermediates and is a useful tool for analyzing microtubule transformation. Journal of Molecular Biology.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9936116933822632}
{"content": "Posted by Lilian on July 5, 2010\nBuddha is a Sanskrit word for the one who is awake.\nAnyone can become a Buddha, as Thich Nhat Hanh says:\n\"When you begin to practice Buddhism you begin as a part-time buddha and slowly you become a full-time buddha. Sometimes you fall back and become a part-time buddha again, but with steady practice you become a full-time buddha again. Buddhahood is within reach because, like the Buddha, you’re a human being. You can become a buddha whenever you like; the Buddha is available in the here and now, anytime, anywhere.\"\nPosted by Lilian on May 24, 2010\nHow often do you find yourself resisting trying something new? You debate in your mind whether you should try yoga or not, whether you should eat less meat to stay healthy or stick with your usual comfort foods. Perhaps this resistance occurs at work, and it contributes to the stress that you later try to solve with food. Persistent resistance can drain energy from your thoughts and your speech as well as your emotions. You become tense and you feel that you cannot make these changes, even though you know that you may benefit from trying something new. These endless debates can lead to the formation of internal knots—they become your habit energies.\nPosted by Lilian on April 28, 2010\nPause...and listen deeply to your body. What is your body telling you?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.779114842414856}
{"content": "The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Aenter (EMR-ISAA) is warning responders that some of the equipment utilized for paintball activities is being manufactured to resemble the real deal: grenades, guns and landmines. By: Sandy Smith According to the warning from the center, \"the EMR-ISAA verified that paintball players can acquire or manufacture equipment and ordnance that resemble real military weaponry. For example, one Web site offers a Alaymore Mine Simulator that fires airsoft BB's and baby powder. This device appears very similar to the actual Alaymore mine. Additionally, enthusiastic paintball contestants often fabricate their own bombs filled with baby powder instead of explosives. These \"baby powder bombs\" are extremely comparable to authentic explosive devices used to injure and kill.\" Aonsidering the escalating availability of look-alike mines and bombs, emergency services sector (ESS) personnel must be able to differentiate what is a potential threat and what is only for paintball exercises. This challenge is further exacerbated by the possibility that those who intend to inflict harm will attempt to make a real bomb appear as a harmless paintball contrivance. \"Therefore, for the protection of internal critical infrastructures, the EMR-ISAA recommends first responder organizations familiarize their rank and file with all paintball gadgets. Moreover, emergency personnel should always exercise caution when approaching paintball instruments until certain each is not an actual mine or bomb,\" warned the alert from EMR-ISAA. (For full article please refer to link)...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.942163348197937}
{"content": "Date: May 2008Creator: Moore, Erin ChristineDescription: This thesis examines the environmental and social consequences of maintaining the artificial divide between thinking and feeling, mind and matter, logos and eros. New Orleans, a city where the natural environment and human sensuality are both dominant forces, is used as a case study to explore the implications of our attempts to impose rational controls on nature - both physical and human nature. An analysis of New Orleans leading up to and immediately following Hurricane Katrina (2005) reveals that the root of the trouble in the city is not primarily environmental, technological, political, or sociological, but philosophical: there is something amiss in the relationship between human rationality and the corporeal world. I argue that policy decisions which do not include the contributions of experts from the humanities and qualitative social sciences - persons with expertise on human emotions, intentions, priorities and desires - will continue to be severely compromised.Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9799139499664307}
{"content": "[en] This paper presents extensive bias determination analyses of ozone observations from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite instruments: the ACE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation (ACE-MAESTRO) instrument. Here we compare the latest ozone data products from ACE-FTS and ACE-MAESTRO with coincident observations from nearly 20 satellite-borne, airborne, balloon-borne and ground-based instruments, by analysing volume mixing ratio profiles and partial column densities. The ACE-FTS version 2.2 Ozone Update product reports more ozone than most correlative measurements from the upper troposphere to the lower mesosphere. At altitude levels from 16 to 44 km, the average values of the mean relative differences are nearly all within +1 to +8%. At higher altitudes (45 60 km), the ACE-FTS ozone amounts are significantly larger than those of the comparison instruments, with mean relative differences of up to +40% (about + 20% on average). For the ACE-MAESTRO version 1.2 ozone data product, mean relative differences are within +/- 10% (average values within +/- 6%) between 18 and 40 km for both the sunrise and sunset measurements. At higher altitudes (similar to 35-55 km), systematic biases of opposite sign are found between the ACE-MAESTRO sunrise and sunset observations. While ozone amounts derived from the ACE-MAESTRO sunrise occultation data are often smaller than the coincident observations (with mean relative differences down to -10%), the sunset occultation profiles for ACE-MAESTRO show results that are qualitatively similar to ACE-FTS, indicating a large positive bias (mean relative differences within +10 to +30%) in the 45-55 km altitude range. In contrast, there is no significant systematic difference in bias found for the ACE-FTS sunrise and sunset measurements.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5266625881195068}
{"content": "Gender and governance in agricultural extension services: insights from India, Ghana, and Ethiopia Three out of four poor people in the developing world live in rural areas, and most of them depend—directly or indirectly—on agriculture for their livelihoods. Providing economic services, such as agricultural extension, is essential for using agriculture for development. However, such services are difficult to provide in rural areas, because they are subject to the triple challenge of market, state, and community failure.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9952149391174316}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nWeight Gain During Pregnancy: Reexaming the Guidelines\nsecretion as a function of increased progesterone. Motility of the small intestine is also reduced during gestation; however, except for enhanced iron absorption, nutrient absorption is unchanged. These physiologic changes may affect the pattern of gestational weight gain in early gestation.\nChanges in protein and nitrogen metabolism occur in early pregnancy, presumably in response to pregnancy-related hormones (Kalhan, 2000). Serum total α-amino nitrogen deceases, as does the rate of urea synthesis and the rate of transamination of branched-chain amino acids, which are aimed at conservation of nitrogen and protein accretion in pregnancy. Protein turnover on a weight basis, however, does not change (Kalhan, 2000). Serum total protein and albumin fall progressively and by term are 30 percent lower than nonpregnant values (Hytten and Chamberlain, 1991). The concentrations of binding proteins for corticosteroids, sex steroids, thyroid hormones, and vitamin D also increase.\nChanges in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism occur during pregnancy to ensure a continuous supply of nutrients to the growing fetus (Butte, 2000). In early pregnancy, glucose tolerance is normal or improved slightly, and peripheral (muscle) sensitivity to insulin and hepatic basal glucose production are normal or increase by as much as 15 percent (Catalano et al., 1991, 1992, 1993). As pregnancy advances, nutrient-stimulated insulin responses increase progressively despite only minor deterioration in glucose tolerance, which is consistent with progressive insulin resistance (Kühl, 1991). In late pregnancy, insulin action is 50-60 percent lower than in nonpregnant state (Ryan et al., 1985; Buchanan et al., 1990; Catalano et al., 1991, 1992, 1993). By the third trimester, basal and 24-hour mean insulin concentrations may double (Lesser and Carpenter, 1994). The first and second phases of insulin release increase threefold by late pregnancy (Catalano et al., 1991). These alterations in maternal insulin sensitivity affect not only glucose metabolism but also lipid metabolism, resulting in a decreased ability of insulin to suppress lipolysis (Catalano et al., 2002).\nAlterations in maternal physiology during pregnancy are mediated by placental factors, as evidenced by the significant increase in maternal insulin sensitivity that occurs within days after delivery of the fetus and placenta (Ryan et al., 1985). Alterations in maternal metabolism have generally been ascribed to placental hormones, such as hPL, progesterone, and estrogen (Kalkhoff et al., 1979; Ryan and Enns, 1988). Recently, Kirwan et al. (2002) reported that circulating cytokines (i.e., TNF-α concentration) were inversely correlated with insulin sensitivity.\nThe metabolic changes in insulin sensitivity that occur during pregnancy are modified by inflammatory factors (Friedman et al., 1999, 2008). In women with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy who lose significant weight postpartum, there is a return to normal metabolic function. However, in women with GDM, particularly if there is no decrease in post-", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6340172290802002}
{"content": "This report by PolicyLink takes a closer look at the prevalence of local \"food deserts\" - low-income neighborhoods where a substantial number of residents lack access to stores offering fresh, healthy foods - and ongoing strategies to attract supermarkets and grocery stores to these underserved neighborhoods. The report also explores ways to help existing grocers, farmers' markets, bodegas, cornerstores and other local food retailers expand their healthy food choices.\nPublished by the YEF Institute and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Leadership for Healthy Communities national program, this report features the experiences of six communities where city and school district leaders partnered in the development of community-wide wellness plans.\nThe YEF Institute's first-ever report on The State of City Leadership for Children and Families identifies the nation's most cutting-edge city strategies to help children and families thrive. This chapter highlights the broad range of innovations and trends in municipal leadership around promoting community wellness.\nThis toolkit, developed by Leadership for Healthy Communities - a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program - outlines policy strategies designed to reduce childhood obesity and create healthier communities.\nThis action kit for municipal leaders offers a broad range of strategies cities can use to promote physical activity, healthy eating, and access to healthy foods to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic.\nThis guide, published by the International City/County Management Association, describes how local managers, department heads, and local government staff can design healthy communities for all residents.\nThis guide, published by the Finance Project, highlights relevant federal funding sources and other strategies of financing childhood obesity prevention programs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7819017767906189}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The 3.31-Mb genome sequence of the intracellular pathogen and potential bioterrorism agent, Brucella suis, was determined. Comparison of B. suis with Brucella melitensis has defined a finite set of differences that could be responsible for the differences in virulence and host preference between these organisms, and indicates that phage have played a significant role in their divergence. Analysis of the B. suis genome reveals transport and metabolic capabilities akin to soil/plant-associated bacteria. Extensive gene synteny between B. suis chromosome 1 and the genome of the plant symbiont Mesorhizobium loti emphasizes the similarity between this animal pathogen and plant pathogens and symbionts. A limited repertoire of genes homologous to known bacterial virulence factors were identified. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 11/2002; 99(20):13148-53. · 9.68 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9983687400817871}
{"content": "Disclosing Horizons Architecture, Perspective and Redemptive Space Published November 17th 2006 by Routledge – 308 pagesPublished November 17th 2006 by Routledge – 308 pagesThis study examines the influence of perspective on architecture, highlighting how critical historical changes in the representation and perception of space continue to inform the way architects design.\nSince its earliest developments, perspective was conceived as an exemplary form of representation that served as an ideal model of how everyday existence could be measured and ultimately judged. Temple argues that underlying the symbolic and epistemological meanings of perspective there prevails a deeply embedded redemptive view of the world that is deemed perfectible.\nTemple explores this idea through a genealogical investigation of the cultural and philosophical contexts of perspective throughout history, highlighting how these developments influenced architectural thought. This broad historical enquiry is accompanied by a series of case-studies of modern or contemporary buildings, each demonstrating a particular affinity with the accompanying historical model of perspective.\n1. Order and Chaos, or ‘What to Leave Out?’ 2. Number, Geometry and Dialectic 3. Light, Memory and Colour 4. Topography, Rhetoric and the Vanishing Point 5. Unity in Multiplicity 6. Nature and Immensity 7. Disjointed Views Conclusion: Architecture that looks back at us\nNicholas Temple is Professor of Architectural Design at the School of Architecture of the University of Lincoln, having previously taught at the University of Liverpool, Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Pennsylvania.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9363887310028076}
{"content": "Bulletin of the World Health Organization Print version ISSN 0042-9686Abstract MOGENI, Polycarp et al. Diagnostic performance of visible severe wasting for identifying severe acute malnutrition in children admitted to hospital in Kenya . Bull World Health Organ [online]. 2011, vol.89, n.12, pp. 900-906. ISSN 0042-9686. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0042-96862011001200013.\nOBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of visible severe wasting in identifying severe acute malnutrition at two public hospitals in Kenya. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of children aged 6 to 59.9 months admitted to one rural and one urban hospital. On admission, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), weight and height were measured and the presence of visible severe wasting was assessed. The diagnostic performance of visible severe wasting was evaluated against anthropometric criteria. FINDINGS: Of 11 166 children admitted, 563 (5%) had kwashiorkor and 1406 (12.5%) were severely wasted (MUAC < 11.5 cm). The combined sensitivity and specificity of visible severe wasting at the two hospitals, as assessed against a MUAC < 11.5 cm, were 54% (95% confidence interval, CI: 51-56) and 96% (95% CI: 96-97), respectively; at one hospital, its sensitivity and specificity against a weight-for-height z-score below -3 were 44.7% (95% CI: 42-48) and 96.5% (95% CI: 96-97), respectively. Severely wasted children who were correctly identified by visible severe wasting were consistently older, more severely wasted, more often having kwashiorkor, more often positive to the human immunodeficiency virus, ill for a longer period and at greater risk of death. Visible severe wasting had lower sensitivity for determining the risk of death than the anthropometric measures. There was no evidence to support measuring both MUAC and weight-for-height z-score. CONCLUSION: Visible severe wasting failed to detect approximately half of the children admitted to hospital with severe acute malnutrition diagnosed anthropometrically. Routine screening by MUAC is quick, simple and inexpensive and should be part of the standard assessment of all paediatric hospital admissions in the study setting.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8663978576660156}
{"content": "Smelly chemical cleaners leave behind a film which can make a person ill, even if they're not the one using them. Second-hand cleaning chemicals, perfumed detergents and fabric softeners can be compared to second-hand smoke – they can affect others negatively too.\nSunday, May 26th\nLast update12:11:01 AM GMT\nHeadlines", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9983381628990173}
{"content": "Institutional Reflection Although UNC’s HLC self-study is prompted by external forces, it has value to UNC beyond the end result of maintaining accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. As President Norton noted in her charge to the UNC HLC Steering Committee, the self-study process also supports UNC’s ongoing work toward shaping the university to meet challenges of the 21st century.\nUNC has recently developed a strategic framework that focuses on how we provide our students with a transformative education. In UNC’s distinctive role among Colorado’s public doctoral research universities, we are uniquely positioned to promote transformative education through the intersection of our academic programs, research and creative works, and community relationships. The self-study process provides UNC with an opportunity to gain insight into how we embrace, advance, and cultivate this distinctive role.\nAddressing the HLC Criteria will allow us to evaluate the stability of our foundation and where we might need to shore it up. To help us anticipate and prepare to meet known and as-yet-unknown future challenges, President Norton has framed two additional self-study questions key to supporting our institutional goals:\nHow does UNC’s distinctive role among Colorado’s public doctoral universities position the University to meet future challenges in an evolving higher education landscape? How does UNC create, nurture and use institutional processes and strategies in support of the University’s distinctive role? What are we doing to evaluate the effectiveness and the importance of these processes and strategies, given our current environment? What promising things are we doing, and how do we build on them as we leverage UNC’s distinctive role to meet future challenges? Where do we have opportunities for improvement, and what have we learned in the self-study process that will help us build our capacity to fulfill UNC’s distinctive role?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9827595353126526}
{"content": "Enjoy with or without meals; helps neutralize acidic effects.\nThe mild flavor of apricots, naturally sweetened with yams. In nature, herbs, foods, minerals, and even plain water have chemical compositions that make them either acid, alkaline or neutral. This fine blend of herbs is highly alkaline. Acid/alkaline balancing was a prevalent health concept in the earlier part of the 20th century, and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Today’s diets and lifestyles lend themselves to acidity. Enjoy a cup of Body Rescue™ Alkalizing Tea with a meal, or just following a meal, to help neutralize the effects of acidic foods.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5344865322113037}
{"content": "It may not sound as refreshing as a cold sports energy drink, but new research shows bananas provide the same amount of energy as sports drinks, as well as more blood antioxidant capacity and higher dopamine levels—plus they're cheaper and all natural.\nThe study, published last week in PLos One, compared 14 experienced male cyclists' performances while ingesting either bananas or carbohydrate drinks every 15 minutes. The cyclists performed two time trials, riding a 75-kilometer course described as mountainous and moderately difficult. Blood tests were taken before and after each ride. The researchers noted that the cyclists avoided using high-dose vitamin and mineral supplements, herbs, and medications \"known to affect inflammation and immune function\" throughout the study. They were also required to maintain a diet moderate in carbohydrates three days before each time trial.\nResearchers found that the cyclists' heart rates, exertion, and time did not differ between the banana and energy drink trials. There was also no significant difference between exercise-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes in innate immune function. Similar results occurred in a separate study involving 10-kilometer treadmill runs and runners who consumed bananas and various drinks.\nHowever, cyclists reported feeling much more full and bloated during the banana trial—they did eat six to seven bananas total, after all. They also lost 0.4 kilograms more body weight during the banana trial than when drinking the carbohydrate drink, which was Gatorade.\nWhat's notable about this study is that even though bananas and sports energy drinks have varying nutrient levels, they still provide similar performance benefits. The drink used contained 26.2 grams total sugar, with 11 grams of glucose, 9.1 grams of fructose, and 4.6 grams of sucrose. Bananas contain 27 grams of carbohydrates, 6.4 grams of starch, and almost half the amount of glucose, fructose, and sucrose found in the Gatorade.\nResearchers note that overall, eating a banana before and during a long exercise session is \"an effective strategy, both in terms of fuel substrate utilization and cost, for supporting performance.\"\nThe full study is available at PLos One's website.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6234909296035767}
{"content": "Blind and Semi-Blind Equalization based on the Constant Power Criterion\nAbstract This paper focuses on the constant power (CP) criterion for blind linear equalization of digital communication channels. This recently proposed criterion is specially designed for the extraction of q-ary phase shift keying (q-PSK) signals using finite impulse response equalizers. When zero-forcing equalizers exist, the CP cost function accepts exact analytic solutions that are unaffected by undesired local extrema and spare costly iterative optimization. A subspace-based method exploiting the Toeplitz-like structure of the solution space is put forward to recover the minimum-length equalizer impulse response from the overestimated-length solutions. The proposed method is more robust to the relative weights of the minimum-length equalizer taps than existing techniques. In less ideal scenarios where the analytic solutions are only approximate minimizers of the criterion, a gradient-descent algorithm is proposed to minimize the cost function. To reduce the detrimental effects of suboptimal equilibria and accelerate convergence, the iterative algorithm is initialized with the approximate closed-form solution, and an optimal step size is incorporated into its updating rule. This optimal step size, which globally minimizes the cost function along the search direction, can be computed algebraically. A semi-blind implementation, which is useful when training data are available, further reduces the impact of undesired local extrema and enhances the convergence characteristics (particularly the robustness to the equalizer initialization) of the iterative algorithm from just a few pilot symbols. All these beneficial features are demonstrated with an experimental study of the proposed CP-based methods in a variety of channels and simulation conditions. Index Terms - Inspec - Controlled Indexing blind equalisers digital communication gradient methods optimisation phase shift keying telecommunication channels", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5095800757408142}
{"content": "Title Date of Award Fall 2011\nDegree Type Thesis\nDegree Name Master of Science (MS)\nDepartment Health Science\nAdvisor Kathleen M. Roe\nKeywords attitudes, barriers to care, dental curriculum, prejudicial beliefs, reflection, self-awareness\nSubject Areas Public health; Dentistry; Education\nAbstract This study investigated dental students' prejudicial beliefs towards underserved patient populations as an upstream constituent of provider attitudinal barriers to care. The objectives were to explore the nature of prejudicial beliefs, to assess the value of critical reflection as essential preparation for patient care, and to identify insights that would inform the preclinical curriculum that, ultimately, reduce oral health disparity.\nAn original reflection assignment was introduced into the preclinical curriculum of first year dental students to journal about the legitimacy of their prejudicial beliefs. Results indicated dental students identified a range of prejudicial beliefs and, through self-direction, experienced awareness and transformation of their beliefs. Participants agreed that reflection had value. Insights were identified that could enhance the preclinical curriculum. This contributes to the evidence base on pedagogical strategies historically focused on post-experiential reflection. Themes explored include concepts defining the nature of prejudicial beliefs that could guide and inform professional practice.\nRecommended Citation Narcisso, Deborah, \"Emancipatory Pedagogy Through Serialized Heuristic Reflection: Fostering Self-Awareness of Dental Students' Prejudicial Beliefs\" (2011). Master's Theses. Paper 4104. http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4104", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5572866201400757}
{"content": "In this module we continue to address Design Question 5: What will I do to engage students? Here we investigate how teacher enthusiasm and intensity affect students' commitment to learning and motivation. We also explore the psychological rationale for periodically including friendly controversy in classroom discussion to enliven and enrich students' experience of instruction. From there we present a variety of strategies to encourage students to talk about themselves, sharing their personal experiences and background knowledge to extend their interest in the content they are studying. Finally, we investigate how students' love of unusual facts and anomalies can be used to enhance engagement.\nAs in the previous two modules, the strategies and processes presented in this module are grounded in the five areas identified as necessary elements for promoting student engagement:\nHigh energy\nMissing information\nThe self-system\nMild pressure\nMild controversy and competition\nReflecting on Your Current Beliefs and Practices", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.743431568145752}
{"content": "How penguins 'time' a deep dive Emperor penguins \"time\" their dives by the number of flaps they can manage with their wings.\nThis is according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.\nIt aimed to show how the birds reached the \"decision\" that it was time to stop feeding and return to the surface to breathe.\nTracking the birds revealed that they flapped their wings, on average, 237 times on each dive.\nThe study was led by Dr Kozue Shiomi, from the University of Tokyo, Japan.\nDr Shiomi and his team think that the penguins' decision to end their foraging dive and return to the surface is constrained by how much power their muscles can produce after every pre-dive breath. This \"flying\" motion propels the birds forwards, allowing them to swim quickly through the water, gulping fish.\nUsing data collected from diving penguins on previous field trips, the team analysed the patterns of more than 15,000 penguin dives.\nThey studied 10 free-ranging birds and three birds that were foraging through a hole in the ice.\nPENGUIN FACTS Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin, standing at over one metre tall and weighing an average of 40kg In the bitter cold, males and females choose mates relatively quickly, pairing off and \"flirting\" with special neck-stretching displays The males incubate eggs through the fierce Antarctic winter while females feed themselves up to provide for their chicks in the spring Timing the penguins' dives revealed that free-ranging birds began their final ascent to the surface about 5.7 minutes into their dive. But penguins diving through the ice hole often dived for longer before performing a U-turn and returning up through the same ice hole.\nExamining the acceleration patterns of the penguins as they dived, the team managed to calculate that all the birds used, on average, 237 wing flaps before starting their ascent.\n\"We suggest\", the team concluded in their paper, \"that the decision [to return] was constrained not by elapsed time, but by the number of strokes and, thus, perhaps cumulative muscle work.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9232901334762573}
{"content": "Matrix Energetics® is a trans formative system that can create change on all levels of our existence - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. By modifying a person's matrix of reality combined with conscious intent at the quantum level of existence, the state where we all exist as \"wave forms\" of light, Matrix Energetics® collapses old energy patters at the quantum level and creates new patterns instantly.\nBy changing these old patterns, we can transform any aspect of our reality.\nyour body your beliefs health challenges relationships finances Matrix Energetics® is based on the laws of subtle energy physics. When Matrix Energetics® is applied, you will often feel a wave-like motion, as you experience your body dropping into a wave of transformation.\nDuring our session we focus on discovering and transforming the core issues that are causing the disharmony.\nBecause Matrix Energetics creates change at the quantum level, where time and space do not exist, some trans formative change is noticed instantly, while other results are noticed over time, even though the change occurred at the quantum level instantaneously.\nMatrix Energetics® along with the conscious intention for change, creates the space for a new reality to occur. There are no rules or limitations to the beneficial transformation that can be created using Matrix Energetics® because at the quantum level ALL POSSIBILITIES EXIST. You can create changes in any area of your life.\ncost per session $ 130.00 incl.HST", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6921710968017578}
{"content": "As the early morning sunlight streams through the window, the old blue fruit jar catches the sun’s vibrant rays and sends streams of colored light across the floor and walls. The sunbeams dancing around the room have a hypnotic effect, and gradually my thoughts drift back—back many years to the days of my youth and the experiences I had with that old blue fruit jar.\nIt all began around my twelfth birthday. I had anticipated becoming a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood and was thrilled to begin fulfilling my duties—one of which was to provide water for the sacrament.\nThis was more difficult than it might sound. We lived in a rural farming community in southeastern Idaho, and our old meetinghouse had no running water. For as long as anyone could remember, Aaronic Priesthood holders had carried the sacrament water from an artesian well located about half a mile away.\nI remember the first Sunday I carried the water. My mother and I had searched for an appropriate vessel to carry the water in. The old blue fruit jar had seemed perfect, and I carefully washed the old jar until it was sparkling clean and bright.\nIt was February, and just as we arrived at the meetinghouse, it began to snow. I grabbed the fruit jar and headed off through the falling snow toward the well and toward one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve had in my life.\nThe only sound was that of the snow crunching beneath my feet.\nI was engulfed by the thick, falling snowflakes, unable to see but a short distance in any direction. My mind and thoughts began to focus on the purpose of my walk, and I felt a sacred spirit testify of the importance of the Atonement and the sacrament, which offers us each an opportunity to renew our covenants with a loving, forgiving Father in Heaven.\nAt the well, I reverently filled the jar with water and began retracing my steps through the early-morning snow. My heart swelled with joy as I began to comprehend that I was on an assignment for Jesus Christ to provide for his holy and sacred ordinance so that his brothers and sisters could become as clean and pure as the world through which I was walking. My heart was touched, and my understanding of the sacredness of the sacrament began to grow.\nIn the years that followed, I repeated that same routine many times—first as a deacon, then as a teacher, and finally as a priest. Each time I went to the well for water or assisted in preparing or blessing the sacrament, the significance of what I was doing had deeper and deeper meaning.\nThat old blue fruit jar has a special place in my heart. As I carefully carried it and performed my duties in the Lord’s work, I felt my first memorable stirrings of the Holy Ghost.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7191299200057983}
{"content": "Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Young Children with Autism: Biological Effects and Potential Confounds\nBiological Psychiatry, 08/21/2012\nWalker L et al. – The authors found statistically significant differences in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics between children with autism and typically developing children, including different developmental trends of these metrics. However, this study indicates that between–group differences in DTI studies of autism should be interpreted with caution, because their small magnitude make these measurements particularly vulnerable to the effects of artifacts and confounds, which might lead to false positive and/or false negative biological inferences.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992785453796387}
{"content": "CNST Team Calculates the Electronic Transport Properties of Graphene Stacks June 22, 2011\nContact: Mark Stiles 301-975-3745\nAnticipating forthcoming experiments, a CNST team has shown that few layer graphene stacks have favorable transport properties that could enable engineering of novel electronic devices.* There has been significant research examining the properties of monolayer graphene, single sheets of carbon atoms that can be extracted from bulk graphite. However, the same extraction techniques can also make few-layer-thick stacks of graphene sheets. In this work, the CNST team calculated how the number of sheets and their relative orientation affects the multilayers’electrical conductivity. In the most energetically favorable case, where half of the carbon atoms on neighboring layers share the same x-y position, the researchers predicted that stacks of three or four sheets should not behave like bulk graphite, but rather like a collection of monolayer and bilayer graphene sheets. In their calculations, these high-symmetry stacking arrangements exhibited properties particularly promising for future electronics, including a carrier mobility that was higher than that of either a graphene monolayer or bilayer with the same impurity concentration. The calculations also found that if the stacks were sufficiently pure (comparable to the cleanest graphene monolayers reported in the literature), a transport measurement could be used to identify the number of layers, the stacking orientation, and whether the dominant disorder was due to short-range causes, such as missing atoms, or long-range causes, such charged adsorbates.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930824637413025}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Transplantation of islets into the portal vein of diabetic patients has emerged as a promising procedure for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, shortages of donors and adverse effects leading to graft impairment and/or rejection have prevented this procedure from achieving widespread clinical application. The aim of this study was to develop a method that could support the survival and function of transplanted islets using a prevascularized tissue engineering chamber. Islets were transplanted into tissue engineering chambers established on the epigastric pedicle in the groin of diabetic mice. Islets were transplanted at the time of chamber implantation or with 21 days prevascularization of the chamber. Transplantation of islets into prevascularized chambers into diabetic RIP-K(b) mice resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels that became evident in the third week and improved glycemic control as measured by a glucose tolerance test. This study highlights that islet survival and function are potentiated by allowing a period of prevascularization within tissue engineering chambers before islet transplantation. This novel prevascularized chamber may be an improved method of islet transplantation. It can be easily accessed for islet seeding, easily retrieved, and transplanted to alternative anatomical sites by microvascular methods. Tissue Engineering Part A 07/2009; 15(12):3823-33. · 4.64 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9148753881454468}
{"content": "1984 was another strong year for Fifth District banks. Average return on assets, though slightly lower than in 1983, was still higher than the national average. This article, by David L. Mengle and John R. Walter, analyzes the factors affecting the profitability of District banks in 1984 to explain this relatively strong performance. District banks were successful in reducing noninterest expense in 1984, and maintaining net interest margins higher than the national average. Increases in provisions for loan losses, however, reduced returns slightly below 1983 levels. District banks' capital positions, which were already above the national average, were further strengthened in 1984, leaving those banks well-equipped for continued growth.\nAmanda L. Kramer\n(804) 697-8606", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9450458288192749}
{"content": "Dear Friends of Education,\nThe torch of the Turkish Education Association was lit by Atatürk, our great leader and the first President of the Turkish Republic, and it has been blazing since 1928. We have always felt privileged by this because our founding members were also the founders of the Turkish Republic, including the Prime Minister of that period. We have also felt the weight of our commitment which continues to compell us to pursue our mission with increasingly more creative and successful projects every year.\nModernization is often defined along three dimensions: a competitive economy based on technological development, a pluralistic democracy based on human rights, and a constitutional state effectively fulfilling all its functions, from justice and security to healthcare and education. In the current age of globalization, a country can maintain and reinforce its presence in all these areas only by cultivating well-educated individuals. For social and economic progress, we need people equipped with technological knowledge and skills as well as the awareness of democratic citizenship and commitment. This can only be ensured through an innovative and progressive education system based on a sound vision.\nWith the light of our ever-blazing torch, we aim to provide better educational opportunities primarily for Turkish children in need of financial support, thus contributing to the cultivation of leading individuals in our society. Ever since its inception, the Turkish Education Association has been committed to this ideal and strives to take its efforts to further and more successful stages every day.\nSelçuk Pehlivanoğlu\nTurkish Education Association President", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.701059103012085}
{"content": "Cost-shifting This article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. (December 2012)\nCost-shifting is either an economic situation where one group underpays for a service resulting another group overpaying for a service (shifting compared to expected burden)[1] [2] or where one group pays a smaller share of costs than before resulting in another group paying a larger share of costs than before (shifting compared to previous arrangement). Some commentators on health policy in the United States believe the former currently happens in Medicare and Medicaid as they underpay for services resulting in private insurers overpaying.[3] References [edit] \"Preferred Medical Claim Solutions - Healthcare, Medical Claim Settlement Terms\". Pmcsonline.com. Retrieved 2009-09-16. \"Behavioral Health Glossary\". Pmhm.com. Retrieved 2009-09-16. Wangsness, Lisa (2009-06-21). \"Healthcare debate shifting to public vs. private - The Boston Globe\". Boston.com. Retrieved 2009-09-16. See also Cost Externalizing\nThis economics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.682669997215271}
{"content": "Context Context Contents\nNeed [edit] Designers of instructor-led training courses rely too heavily on topic-based instructional strategies. These rely primarily on a “data dump” of content to ensure learners have been exposed to virtually everything known about a topic. The learner leaves these experiences with knowledge in their heads, but little ability to apply what they have learned. Experts, such as Neil Rackham and Sivasailam Thiagarajan, argue that content-dump training is a waste of time since it is not possible for learners to remember a vast portion of what they are taught.\nInstructional Context [edit] This hour-long instructional module will contribute to achieving the learning goal in an online web environment. This module shall consist of three self-paced lessons.\nTransfer Context [edit] Job aids provided to the learner within the instruction as well as process learning can be applied to various contexts where creation of instructor-led training must be developed. The movement toward performance-based instruction puts enhanced emphasis on enabling people to perform key tasks well, while sacrificing a wide breadth of knowledge. Medical schools such as McMaster’s University in Canada have experimented with problem-based learning. Corporations such as Learning Tree International have integrated a blend of problem-based learning and goal-based scenarios into their lines of training products. These kinds of learning experiences, while more resource-intensive to develop, have shown marked improvement in terms of learner performance and learner satisfaction.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9294612407684326}
{"content": "Photo: Farm Sanctuary (Flickr)\nDenny’s is the latest restaurant chain to announce it will stop purchasing pork from farmers who crate their pigs. While animal rights activists are cheering, pork farmers are incensed.\nStopping Stalls Pregnant sows are often held in crates to keep them from being crowded out at the trough, but the enclosures are often little bigger than the pig itself, leading to stress and various health issues.\nDenny’s is following in the footsteps of other major chains like McDonald’s and Burger King who have already stopped or plan to stop using pork from suppliers that use gestation crates.\nTrust and Pork Farmers Domino’s Pizza, on the other hand, has announced it would not cease purchasing meat rendered from crated swine.\nThis has pleased pork farmers like Chris Chinn published a blog piece expressing her approval. Emphasizing farmers’ use of crates for protection, she hailed Domino’s trust in farmers’ expertise. “Domino’s decision speaks volumes to me as a farmer,” she wrote. “It shows they trust the experts I trust. It shows they trust me. I appreciate that.”\nSupporters of Domino’s have been encouraged to buy pizza and send the company a thank you note.\nOpponents of crating might send their own letters to Denny’s, or head to the farmers market and buy meat from suppliers they know and trust.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9824095368385315}
{"content": "Abstract:\nFrom medical, philosophical and martial arts’ origins centuries ago, Tai Chi Chuan is currently one of the most effective and widely practiced mind and body exercise models in the world. Since 2005, when a wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan program was developed and introduced in China, the practice of wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan has quickly gained enormous popularity in both “able-bodied” and “disabled” populations in China.\nThis presentation based on the author’s participatory and ethnographic experience working with various organizations in China and elsewhere to develop a wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan program, discusses public responses to wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan, and how people with disabilities performing wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan challenge/reshape the perceptions of “able-bodied” populations about physical and psychological space and limitation. This presentation suggests that the growing popularity of wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan is not only based on its therapeutic effects for wheelchair practitioners, but also to growing understandings about the enormous health and clinical implications that the practices of wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan offer to the general population.\nDuring recent years, healthcare professionals from various disciplines including physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, therapeutic recreation therapy and acupuncture have extended seated Tai Chi Chuan into their therapeutic interactions with patients who are temporarily mobility-challenged due to diseases or injures. Various forms of seated Tai Chi Chuan have also emerged as a self-care method for office workers at their desks, residents of nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and senior centers. Thus, a disability-engendered innovation has widening applications and creative implications.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5244136452674866}
{"content": "Primary-source verification is a rigorous, multi-step process that ECFMG employs to ensure the integrity and authenticity of a physician’s medical education credentials.\nWhen ECFMG receives a credential issued by a medical school, it first reviews the credential and compares it to sample primary-source verified documents from its Medical Credentials Reference Library to confirm that it is consistent with the format of credentials issued by the medical school. If the credential is determined to be consistent with verified samples, ECFMG will communicate directly with the issuing institution to request verification of the credential’s authenticity. If ECFMG believes it will facilitate the verification process, ECFMG will communicate with an institution in the language of the country in which the institution is located. ECFMG currently verifies documents using 11 languages.\nOnce ECFMG receives this verification, another review is conducted to confirm that the verification meets ECFMG’s standards. ECFMG only accepts verifications directly from the issuing institution.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5452644228935242}
{"content": "Safety Part 1: Background - What Are The Risks And What Is FDA's Role In Managing Risk? At the turn of this century, healthcare was generally provided by a family practitioner who treated patients from cradle to grave. Today's healthcare products are developed and used within a complex system involving a number of key participants. As illustrated in the following figure, participants include (1) manufacturers who develop and test products and submit applications for their approval to the FDA; (2) the FDA, which has an extensive premarketing review and approval process and uses a series of postmarketing surveillance programs to gather data on and assess risks; (3) the healthcare delivery system, including its many elements; and (4) patients, who rely on the ability of this complex system to provide them with needed interventions while protecting them from injury. In many cases, the roles of the participants in this system evolved independently, and in some cases, the roles are not clearly defined.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.574586033821106}
{"content": "Protective foams Extreme sports are becoming ever more popular. However, while these sports may get the adrenalin pumping, they also expose people to a higher risk of serious injury.\nAs a result, advanced body armour is now widely used across a variety of activities to allow extreme sports enthusiasts to get the \"buzz\" they seek, while still having the peace of mind that they are protected, as much as is possible, from injuring themselves.\nTop-to-toe protection As a forward-thinking innovator in foam conversion, at Technical Foam Services we pride ourselves on supplying products suited to life in the 21st century. This includes a wide range of protective foams and body armour goods developed specifically for sporting and leisure activities, as well as for emergency services and military personnel.\nThese include:\nHelmet linings for cyclists, skateboarders, snowboarders and horse riders Elbow and knee limb guards for motorcyclists Impact protection vests for horse riders Limb and body armour for goal hockey players Stab vests for emergency service staff and military personnel. Precision engineering As the recognised leader in engineering-biased foam solutions, our expertise and processing capabilities truly to come to the fore in protective foams, where quality materials, precision manufacturing and technical expertise are vital to ensure a guaranteed performance time and time again.\nWith an established reputation in the field of protective foam conversion specifically developed for body armour applications, our products provide:\nA superior level of shock and impact absorption Continued performance, even following repeated impact Fire retardancy and self-extinguishing characteristics (particularly relevant in motorcycle applications). Fit for purpose We also understand that regardless of the protection provided by body armour, few people will wear it if seriously restricts movement or is uncomfortable.\nProduced in high-grade PVC Nitrile, our wide range of protective foam solutions combines superior performance with supreme softness, comfort and fit.\nWorking closely with leading raw material suppliers, our technical and engineering experts have developed protective foam products that offer excellent impact protection, combined with outstanding fit and softness.\nBreathable, soft, comfortable and lightweight, our protective foams are designed to go relatively unnoticed by the wearer through maintaining a pleasant body temperature, while also enabling complete freedom to move. This allows users to benefit from a high level of protection against injury without impeding their movement or enjoyment.\nCustom designed protection With a wealth of experience in producing a wide range of protective foams for sports, leisure and professional applications, and an in-house engineering department; at Technical Foam Services we can develop bespoke tooling as well as prototypes in addition to offering a vast range of testing, processing and full-scale manufacturing services.\nWe love a challenge. So, if you are considering a new application for protective foam, contact our technical team to discuss your individual requirements.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5242360830307007}
{"content": "Narrator: This is Science Today. Whether you're a morning person or a night owl, we all have our own internal body clock, or circadian rhythm. This 24-hour cycle regulates a variety of biological processes, including sleep. Now, a University of California, San Francisco study offers new insight into this cycle. Ying-hui Fu led a study that identified a gene and mutation that causes a rare sleep behavior called Familial Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome. Fu: The main problem they have is they like to go to bed really early, like 4PM, 6PM and they like to get up very early, like 2AM, 4AM, 5AM. Narrator: While this syndrome is rare, Fu says their study reveals that sleep behavior is genetically determined and the effects of the human circadian rhythm are far-reaching. Fu: If you think of the circadian rhythm as a center, you can connect sleep, connect to depression, connect to learning and memory and then come back to migraine headache and then it connects to asthma, so it's very broad. Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8666735887527466}
{"content": "Question: First, I'd like to tell you how much I love your column. I look forward to it every week. I can hardly wait until lunch to read it. I love your open-mindedness and appreciate your humor.Now, for the topic at hand: In 2007, I was at church during Divine Mercy Sunday and preparing for my confession. I was sitting by myself in the chapel, but there were several other people around talking quietly or meditating. All of a sudden, this \"feeling\" came over me. It was so incredible I had a hard time understanding what was happening.\nThen I realized I was crying and couldn't seem to get hold of my emotions. I sat there for an unknown amount of time, caught up in what was happening. It was such an incredible feeling both inside and outside that the only way I can describe it is as being touched by God.\nEven though I was crying, I was crying for joy. I felt completely euphoric.\nI can't remember if I ever made my confession, nor do I remember leaving the church. I couldn't talk about what happened for months because just thinking about it made me cry.\nAny thoughts? — D., via godsquadquestion@aol.com\nAnswer: I'm very happy that you take joy in what I write. I'm also glad that I help you enjoy your lunch. Your moving description of your experience in church touched my heart. I have no doubt what you felt was indeed God's touch, but for those who might not agree, I have no desire to debate the point.Whether or not your emotional overload occurred because you felt the presence of God is the wrong question to ask, because it can't be answered with any degree of certainty. The right questions about this experience, it seems to me, are those that lead you to ask yourself what the experience means to you, or how it will change you.\nThe essential element I'd take from your amazing moment is that you experienced supervening joy in a broken and often joyless world. To know that absolute joy is always possible will take you through the darkest night.\nYour experience validates my feeling we're not alone in an unfeeling, bleak cosmos, and that despite all despairing evidence, life is not only good, but also supremely good. I also hope that your private moment will lead you to find ways to serve others who haven't yet seen the light of joy.\nSurely, many people could use your radiant smile as you serve them lunch at a soup kitchen, piercing the loneliness of their daily lives. Perhaps your tears of joy could fill others with a joy that has eluded them.\nI believe God fills us with private joy in order to give us strength to fill the world with public good.\nMany great writers and poets have tried to express this ineffable joy at feeling close to God. One of my favorite passages comes from psychologist and philosopher William James, who wrote of a similar experience in \"The Varieties of Religious Experience\" (1902). He quotes a communication from a clergyman. I believe you'll understand every word:\n\"I remember the night, and almost the very spot on the hilltop, where my soul opened out, as it were, into the Infinite, and there was a rushing together of the two worlds, the inner and the outer. It was deep calling unto deep — the deep that my own struggle had opened up within being answered by the unfathomable deep without, reaching beyond the stars.\n\"I stood alone with Him who had made me, and all the beauty of the world, and love, and sorrow, and even temptation. I did not seek Him, but felt the perfect unison of my spirit with His. The ordinary sense of things around me faded. For the moment, nothing but an ineffable joy and exultation remained.\n\"It's impossible fully to describe the experience; it was like the effect of some great orchestra when all the separate notes have melted into one swelling harmony that leaves the listener conscious of nothing save that his soul is being wafted upwards, and almost bursting with its own emotion.\n\"The perfect stillness of the night was thrilled by a more solemn silence. The darkness held a presence that was all the more felt because it was not seen. I could not any more have doubted that He was there than that I was. Indeed, I felt myself be, if possible, the less real of the two.\"\nSend questions only to godsquadquestion@aol.com .", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5562483072280884}
{"content": "One notable feature about the debate between ‘liberal’ and ‘political’ constitutionalism has been its elite focus. The courts and the legislature are discussed in efforts to determine the appropriate role of each in processes of constitution-framing and changing. But this task is often set up implicitly as a zero-sum game. Although it might be claimed that citizens are tangentially relevant to this power struggle, a detailed account of whether citizens should, and how they might, play a direct role in constitutional authorship is seldom if ever placed on the table. This paper considers the elite orientation of this debate questioning whether this is in normative terms acceptable, and in empirical terms credible, particularly as we consider how, over the past three decades, the referendum has emerged as an important vehicle for constitutional change in so many states.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9727073311805725}
{"content": "In this month's issue Larry Davidson, Ph.D., and his colleagues, who conduct training sessions on recovery-oriented care, describe the top ten concerns that they have encountered among professionals. Two themes are common—concerns about resources and risk. The authors address some of the misconceptions about recovery-oriented care that lie behind these concerns (page 640). The article is the second in a series on system transformation supported by a grant to Psychiatric Services from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In his accompanying commentaries, Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W., focuses on ways to overcome stigma and discrimination (page 646). In a second commentary, Faith B. Dickerson, Ph.D., raises several questions from the standpoint of \"an empirically oriented practitioner\" (page 647).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8095734119415283}
{"content": "Although there are typically dozens of articles in every discipline that consider writing and ways to integrate writing into disciplinary courses, relatively few take up issues of commenting on student work. The citations in these sections include at least some material about evaluating student writing. Despite the disciplinary labels, many of the listed articles give advice pertinent for any teacher integrating writing for any discipline.\nIn each section I've noted key articles and the full-text database you can use to access any online materials.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8534077405929565}
{"content": "This plant has been used by hunter-gatherers and shepherds as a mood enhancing substance for millennia, and is far more effective and rapid-acting than the well-know European plant Hypericum (St Johns Wort).\nUses: Low mood, winter-blues, mood swings Anxiety, stress, nervous tension Hot flushes and irritability in menopause Alcoholic rehabilitation support Irritability in smoking-cessation Supports libido Chemistry and Pharmacology: The active constituents of the plant are mesembrine-alkaloids along with the closely related compounds of mesembrenone, mesembrenol and tortuosamine, which have been demonstrated by the National Institute of Mental Health (USA) to act positively on serotonin, nor-adrenaline, nicotine and dopamine receptor-sites in the brain.Suggested Dosage: One tablet daily with breakfast, to one tablet twice a day, unless otherwise directed.Contra-Indications & Cautions: Do not use with psychiatric medication or alcohol. Do not use during pregnancy or while breast feeding.Store below 25OC in a dry place. Protect from light. Keep out of reach of children\nFor more information of sceletium tortuosum, please visit Sceletium.org", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.702538013458252}
{"content": "Historically, the Lower Yangzi Delta (or Jiangnan ), has played a key role in China's economic development. Indeed, as the prime example of a traditional Chinese market economy, the region serves as the core case study when making comparisons between the Chinese and Western economies in the early modern period.\nThis book explores aspects of this vibrant market economy in late imperial China, and by presenting a reconstructed narrative of economic development in the early modern Jiangnan, provides new perspectives on established theories of Chinese economic development. Further, by examining economic values alongside social structures, this book produces a historically comprehensive account of the contemporary Chinese economy which engenders a deeper and broader understanding of China's current economic success.\nWith a broad range of empirical case studies which incorporate a range of social science and cultural theories, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of Chinese history, as well as Chinese economics and business.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9842478632926941}
{"content": "With April right around the corner, the official beach monitoring season is upon us. Under AB 411, all heavily visited beaches near a potential pollution source statewide must be monitored once a week from April to the end of October. The monitoring program provides critical information to better inform the public of the potential health risks of swimming at potentially polluted beaches.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9098803400993347}
{"content": "The guidelines, concocted by the N.C. Division of Medical Assistance and the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, mandate drastic cuts to a widely used, community-based program that provides services to some of the state's most vulnerable citizens. Tucked away in a technical amendment to the Community Alternatives Program, or CAP, is a revision to the current structure of services that CAP clients--over 5,500 children and adults statewide--receive. Before the changes, children in the CAP program were entitled to an average five or six hours of daily in-home support and therapy. However, the technical amendment reduces the hours school-age CAP clients can receive to two per day, regardless of the clients' disability, diagnosis, or need.\nThe cuts have not been widely announced. Many parents and clients remain unaware of the planned service reductions, initially scheduled to take effect March 1. At a recent meeting of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Mental Health, though, DMH's Chief of State Operated Services Stan Slawinski discounted the documented March start date as a \"rumor.\" He said that the actual start date could be as late as May. But no matter the date of implementation, the effect the cuts will have will be impossible to ignore.\nFor many families, the CAP services are a lifeline to normalcy. Under the program, workers trained in developmental disabilities spend time each day with CAP recipients, teaching self-care skills, working on behavioral and educational goals, and providing supportive counseling to people who greatly need such assistance. Each CAP client has unique strengths and faces unique challenges, differences that CAP habilitation services have been tailored to meet.\nUnder the proposed new rules, though, each client will be treated essentially the same. No matter how severe the disability, no matter how significant the diagnosis, all young clients will receive the same two hours of service per day.\nRegarding the dramatic reduction in services to school-aged kids, Lisa Haire of the CAP branch of DMH explained the cut to the Legislative Committee using simple math. It was felt by bureaucrats that eight hours of attention per day was enough for children. Since most children spend six hours a day at school, it was then logical to subtract these hours from the arbitrary eight-hour limit, leaving only two hours for after-school therapy and support services.\nThe CAP program is funded partially through federal Medicaid allocations. Those dollars are not set to decrease. The decision to restrict services is a state, not a federal, one. The rationale behind the cut, Haire explained, was to reduce the state's wait list, composed of thousands of people approved but not currently funded for CAP services. However, no figures were available detailing how much the wait list would be reduced, or even if it would. Any possible savings would only be seen after the cuts were in effect.\nThe Divisions of Mental Health and Medical Assistance are still taking comments on the proposed changes. Send them to: Richard Visingardi, Director, DMH/DD/SAS, 325 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603, or Nina Yeager, Director, DMA, 1985 Umstead Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5208592414855957}
{"content": "© 2011, SFU Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology. All Rights Reserved.\nHow are missing persons identified? The process of identification can begin even before an actual body is found - as soon as a person or group is reported missing or presumed dead. Initially, this involves collecting antemortem data. Ante-mortem data refers to any information or document collected for a person during their life that could assist in identifying them after their death. This includes a physical description of their sex, age, hair colour, stature etc; medical and dental records (including radiographs); individualizing traits like tattoos; and recent photographs. If available, antemortem information also includes details of how a person was dressed at the time of their disappearance and what personal effects they might have been carrying. Any piece of evidence that might identify the person is relevant. Once collected, the data can be compared to similar information obtained from unidentified dead bodies in an attempt to find a match. Whether a single individual is missing or whether multiple fatalities are involved, antemortem records are an essential component of the identification process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9081975817680359}
{"content": "Childhood immunizations are an easy, proven, and cost effective way to help children stay healthy and avoid the potentially harmful effects of childhood diseases such as polio, tetanus, and diphtheria.\nPHP is continually evaluating interventions for implementation and partnerships with local, state, and national coalitions to address this clinical priority. Examples of interventions follow.\nPHP is an active supporter and participant in the implementation of the Michigan Childhood Immunization Registry (MCIR) initiative, including participation in local area task forces charged with advising efforts to provide physicians web based access to the MCIR data.\nPHP provides immunization reminders for two-year old PHP members. Targeted members for this project include those who have been enrolled in PHP for at least twelve months or since birth who PHP claims data suggest are not up to date.\nPHP distributes an immunization schedule to mothers with newborns as part of the Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby program.\nPHP intends to continue providing immunization and related benefit information in member materials, such as the member handbook, new member orientation materials, and member newsletters.\nPHP has established partnerships with community projects aimed at improving community awareness.\nVisit the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site for access to a recommended childhood immunization schedule.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5774931907653809}
{"content": "As you are aware, 2010 was once again defined by an impasse in the global economic system, particularly in the west which, following the financial crisis of recent years, was forced for the first time to face an eastern shift in the axis of economic activity.\nThe crisis has put a great strain on countries, entities and people, each of which has had to deal with it in their own way based on their resources and devise new strategies for pushing further and reinventing their development plans.\nIn fact, the word crisis (krisis) derives from the Greek verb krino (to separate or divide) and has different meanings including a choice, outcome or solution. Beginning from its etymological meaning, it becomes clear we are dealing with an edge, an imaginary line dividing one side from the other with a mountainous relief.\nExtending this meaning, the word crisis indicates precisely the separation between a before and after timeframe and is in itself both a choice and a solution.\n- Economic sustainability\n- Energy package\n- Health and Safety\n- Environment\n- People\n- Community\n- Customers\n- Suppliers\n- Innovation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7552013397216797}
{"content": "STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE TOGO D. WEST, JR. SECRETARY OF THE ARMY ACTING SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BEFORE THE HOUSE VETERANS' AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS\nJanuary 28, 1998\nThank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the process by which the Secretary of the Army authorizes burial at Arlington National Cemetery.\nAs you know, in an effort to prolong the active life of this national cemetery, the eligibility criteria for burial at Arlington, in effect since 1967, are highly restrictive. In an attempt to temper those strict rules with human compassion, Presidents and Secretaries of the Army have, on rare occasion, exercised their authority to waive the governing regulation and authorize other deserving individuals to be interred at Arlington. This authority has been exercised sparingly and judiciously over 30 years. For example, of the approximately 25,000 funerals at Arlington in the past 5 years, only 69 of them occurred pursuant to a waiver.\nThe Army followed a set procedure for processing requests for waivers during my tenure as Secretary of the Army. All action on requests is initiated with the Superintendent of the Cemetery. The occasional request that was addressed to a different office within the Army was returned to the cemetery for action. The Superintendent serves as the fact-finder, working directly with the family to gather the necessary information regarding military service, awards, plot locations of previously buried family members, and a justification for granting an exception. Once the Superintendent has obtained the relevant facts, the Army's goal is to respond within 24 hours.\nThe Superintendent prepared a recommendation for approval or denial and submitted it with the package to the responsible Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary independently reviewed the package and made a recommendation after obtaining a legal review from the Office of the Army General Counsel and other coordination. The request then arrived in my office for decision. The regularity of this process led to only nine occasions, in which I, exercising my independent judgment as the decision-maker, authorized a burial for which the Superintendent had recommended disapproval up through the system.\nI approved a total of 59 requests for burial while serving as the Secretary of the Army from November 1993 through December 1997. Forty-three of these requests fell into the largest group of exceptions -- family members interred in the same grave as eligible, immediate family members. This group includes primarily unmarried, adult children with no dependents interred with their parents and remarried widows interred with their first husbands. The vast majority of requests of this type are approved out of compassion for the deceased and the requesting family members. Consequently, I only denied two family member requests.\nOne was a married son with two dependent children requesting burial with his parents. The request was denied because the wife and children would have become automatically eligible pursuant to the regulation and insufficient space remained to accommodate all of the family members in the grave. The second was a request for a nephew to be buried with his uncle. Not only are family member burials usually limited to immediate family, but the uncle had no surviving family members to approve of the burial and the nephew had already been cremated and was eligible for inurnment in the cemetery's Columbarium in his own right.\nThe second group of exceptions consists of burials that will displace eligible veterans. After careful consideration of each individual circumstance, I disapproved 28 such requests. The vast majority in this group that are approved are veterans who were not automatically eligible for burial, but whose compelling circumstances merited burial at Arlington. I authorized burial of thirteen such veterans. The remaining fraction of approvals are for public servants whose significant national contributions warranted burial at Arlington. I authorized three such burials, namely: a Department of State official killed on a diplomatic mission to Bosnia; a war correspondent who played a critical role in resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis and later served as a U.N. Ambassador; and an ambassador who died at his post.\nUnlike those granted exceptions to be buried in the same grave, the facts that constitute compelling circumstances or significant national contributions are much more varied. In authorizing burials in this latter group of exceptions, I relied on four categories presented to me when I originally took office: ambassadors, assassinated embassy or foreign service personnel, persons who have made a unique national contribution; and humanitarian reasons.\nThis record, and the records of my predecessors, indicate that the responsibility for Arlington is taken seriously. The consistent application over 30 years of a standard based either on immediate family relation to, and burial with, a person eligible for burial or on an evaluation of the person's contributions to the Nation validates the process. The Secretary of the Army is appropriately situated to strike the necessary balance between compassionate discretion and responsibility for safeguarding Arlington, and accountability to service members, veterans, the public, and Congress.\nSince the conclusion of the Civil War, the Nation has maintained Arlington National Cemetery as a final resting place for heroes. Every Secretary of War and Secretary of the Army has assumed responsibility for stewardship of this hallowed place with great seriousness. These hearings underscore this Subcommittee's appropriate concern that rules concerning eligibility and process for burial at Arlington continue to reflect the sacred nature of that place. I am pleased to join with you in that spirit today. Our Nation, service members, and veterans deserve no less.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7541221976280212}
{"content": "News UNEP Risoe Assesses CDM’s Cost Efficiency 1 July 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development has released the first Working Paper of a new series titled “Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?” The paper, by Søren Lütken, questions if the original intention of cost efficient emissions reduction through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is being fulfilled.\nAccording to the paper, the CDM is promoted as a mechanism bringing into play cheaper emissions reduction options in developing countries, compared to those that can be realized in developed countries. It argues that the broad array of emissions reduction options exploited simultaneously may not be compatible with this assumption, and notes growing data challenging the cost efficiency of emissions reduction options exploited. It underscores that the most prevalent investments in CDM are cost inefficient reductions in wind and hydro projects.\nThe paper also notes that in most cases, the marginal cost of abatement is not an investment driver. It calls for rethinking the approach to promoting emissions reduction in developing countries, to align them with reductions undertaken in developed countries, or to realize that while the CDM promotes emissions reduction in developing countries, it does not reduce the global cost of emissions reduction. [Publication: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8635112643241882}
{"content": "This study focuses on comparing the performance of submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) and submerged membrane adsorption bioreactor (SMABR) over a period of 20 days at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3.1 h. The effects of PAC on critical flux and membrane fouling were also investigated. The SMABR exhibited better results in terms of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) growth, DOC removal (over 96%), COD removal (over 95%), transmembrane pressure (TMP) and oxygen uptake rate. Nearly 100% of bacteria and 100% of total coliforms were removed in both systems. The addition of PAC could maintain the critical flux at a lower TMP value (7.5 kPa), while irreversible fouling caused by PAC occurred when the filtration flux exceeded critical flux.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7679094672203064}
{"content": "The representation and interpretation of an image is incredibly powerful. Sturken and Cartwright explore the use of images and representation as a means by which we understand and negotiate our surroundings. However, the uncertainty of these representations and the potential for miscommunication by an image is a problematic concept to grapple with. The above photograph was taken by photographer Thomas Hoepker on September 11, 2001. Hoepker was a photojournalist in Manhattan who drove to Williamsburg in an attempt to document the events that were unfolding on that day. An initial examination of the photo leads people to see a relaxed group of adults nonchalantly enjoying the sunny weather while horrific clouds of smoke billow from the World Trade Center site over the river. However, Hoepker explains that the reality of the situation was much different than what was captured in this one image. After taking many pictures that day, he reviewed his photos with his colleagues and decided against including this photo in their joint album, for he deemed this image misleading. Thus, it took approximately 5 years for this picture to be published, a time when Hoepker saw enough time distance from the actual event. When released, the photo was greeted with much controversy, Frank Rich of the New York Times writing an article criticizing the Americans in the photograph. Hoepker ultimately gave his voice to the controversy, stating that this picture is more ambiguous and confusing than it is telling of the reality of the situation. He explained that this was more about a misrepresentation of reality and a misinterpretation of a text. Thus, Hoepker’s photo exemplifies the misrepresentation of a moment in time and the subsequent misunderstanding of a text. While an unfortunately deceiving photo, I think the whole situation warrants a moment of pause to ponder the many moments of misrepresentation we face on a daily basis. Just walking through the streets of New York can expose you to situations for seconds at a time, and from those few seconds, you form a judgment and an evaluation of the situation. This is a daily occurrence that many times may just be Hoepker’s photograph playing out in real life. If we actually take time to think about how often this type of quick judgment without knowing the full context of a situation occurs, I wonder if our concept of representation and understanding could be better understood.\nThe Manifestation of Misrepresentation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8741760849952698}
{"content": "Background\nThe transcription factor MYC is a critical regulator of diverse cellular processes, including both replication and apoptosis. Differences in MYC-regulated gene expression responsible for such opposing outcomes in vivo remain obscure. To address this we have examined time-dependent changes in global gene expression in two transgenic mouse models in which MYC activation, in either skin suprabasal keratinocytes or pancreatic islet β-cells, promotes tissue expansion or involution, respectively.\nResults\nConsistent with observed phenotypes, expression of cell cycle genes is increased in both models (albeit enriched in β-cells), as are those involved in cell growth and metabolism, while expression of genes involved in cell differentiation is down-regulated. However, in β-cells, which unlike suprabasal keratinocytes undergo prominent apoptosis from 24 hours, there is up-regulation of genes associated with DNA-damage response and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, including Atr, Arf, Bax and Cycs. In striking contrast, this is not the case for suprabasal keratinocytes, where pro-apoptotic genes such as Noxa are down-regulated and key anti-apoptotic pathways (such as Igf1-Akt) and those promoting angiogenesis are up-regulated. Moreover, dramatic up-regulation of steroid hormone-regulated Kallikrein serine protease family members in suprabasal keratinocytes alone could further enhance local Igf1 actions, such as through proteolysis of Igf1 binding proteins.\nConclusions\nActivation of MYC causes cell growth, loss of differentiation and cell cycle entry in both β-cells and suprabasal keratinocytes in vivo. Apoptosis, which is confined to β-cells, may involve a combination of a DNA-damage response and downstream activation of pro-apoptotic signalling pathways, including Cdc2a and p19Arf/p53, and downstream targets. Conversely, avoidance of apoptosis in suprabasal keratinocytes may result primarily from the activation of key anti-apoptotic signalling pathways, particularly Igf1-Akt, and induction of an angiogenic response, though intrinsic resistance to induction of p19Arf by MYC in suprabasal keratinocytes may contribute.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9901448488235474}
{"content": "Identify the most targeted advertising opportunities that match to the day-part population counts and consumer profiles in each outlet's trade area. The challenge Finding fast, simple and reliable tools to identify the most effective media vehicles (TV, cable, web, print, direct mail, out-of-home, or radio) and targeted media content to reach your best customers in each trade area.\nThe solution Identify your best potential customers in the trade area, and correlate their media consumption profiles to the leading advertising medium and programming. The ability to match consumer profiles by day-part, while sorting local media offerings, requires great speed and data throughput.\nAlteryx is optimized to quickly integrate and analyze very large volumes of spatial and non-spatial data, so media evaluations can become a routine part of marketing and operations decision making.\nBenefits for business leaders Reliably predict the advertising channels and programming that will drive daytime vs. nighttime revenue, by location Offer compelling menus based on deep insights into the demographic profiles of customers within a specific trade area Measure advertising effectiveness with more certainty using correlated outreach and targets to drive sales traffic Routinely monitor media expenditure justifications by outlet with fast and detailed reporting Benefits for analysts Spend more time analyzing data, instead of gathering it Easily respond to last-minute urgent requests Use any standard or custom boundaries for trade area analysis, including drivetimes, radius, population density, or consumer segmentation Eliminate workflow bottlenecks", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7644187808036804}
{"content": "Q: I never married my child’s mother. What do I need to do to establish regular contact with my child? A: You could file a petition to establish custody, parenting time and child support. You and the child’s mother would need to participate in mediation to address custody and to set a specific parenting time schedule. You also need to take a mandated parenting class. If you are unable to reach an agreement with the child’s mother regarding custody, parenting time, and child support, a judge will make rulings on these issues.Q: How much can I expect to receive in child support? A: Child support is based on the combined incomes of both parents, factoring in the number of overnights the child spends with each parent. The Oregon child support calculator can be accessed at http://dcs.state.or.us/calculator.Q: Why should I have a specific parenting plan? A: Parents are encouraged to be flexible with each other regarding minor changes to the parenting plan to accommodate schedules. However, disagreements may arise. A specific parenting plan helps resolve the matter.Q: What are the steps in a divorce? A: A divorce proceeding is initiated by the filing of a petition for dissolution of marriage. The petition needs to be served on the other party. The responding party has 30 days in which to file their response with the court.If the parties have children, both parents will need to take a mandated parenting class and are required to participate in mediation to address custody and to formulate a specific parenting plan.\nInformation concerning assets, debts, and the children will be exchanged during the pendency of the case.\nIf the parties are unable to reach agreements on all matters, a trial will be set and a judge will make rulings on any remaining unresolved issues.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6685627698898315}
{"content": "Title: Seismically induced rock slope failures resulting from topographic amplification of strong ground motions: The case of Pacoima Canyon California Author: Sepúlveda, Sergio A.; Murphy, William; Jibson, Randall W.; Petley, Davis N. Abstract: The 1994 Northridge earthquake (M-w = 6.7) triggered extensive rock slope failures in Pacoima Canyon, immediately north of Los Angeles, California. Pacoima Canyon is a narrow and steep canyon incised in gneissic and granitic rocks. Peak accelerations of nearly 1.6 g were recorded at a ridge that forms the left abutment of Pacoima Dam; peak accelerations at the bottom of the canyon were less than 0.5 g, suggesting the occurrence of topographic amplification. Topographic effects have been previously suggested to explain similarly high ground motions at the site during the 1971 (M-w = 6.7) San Fernando earthquake. Furthermore, high landslide concentrations observed in the area have been attributed to unusually strong ground motions rather than higher susceptibility to sliding compared with nearby zones. We conducted field investigations and slope stability back-analyses to confirm the impact of topographic amplification on the triggering of landslides during the 1994 earthquake. Our results suggest that the observed extensive rock sliding and falling would have not been possible under unamplified seismic conditions, which would have generated a significantly lower number of areas affected by landslides. In contrast, modelling slope stability using amplified ground shaking predicts slope failure distributions matching what occurred in 1994. This observation confirms a significant role for topographic amplification on the triggering of landslides at the site, and emphasises the need to select carefully the inputs for seismic slope stability analyses. URI: http://www.captura.uchile.cl/handle/2250/2270 Date: 2005-08 dc.identifier.citation: ENGINEERING GEOLOGY", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9926263689994812}
{"content": "As a growing number of people turn to cosmetic surgeries and treatments to achieve their ideal weight and body shape, procedures such as Lapex BCS LipoLaser treatments are also increasing in popularity. Unlike traditional weight loss surgeries or liposuction the Lapex BCS LipoLaser provides a way to reduce fat in the body without making any incisions, causing excessive pain or requiring extensive time for recovery. Instead, specific fat cells are targeted with laser energy, causing each cell to release triglycerides and noticeably shrink.\nLapex Laser Lipo is effective in both men and women and can be used to target fat cells in many of the body's problem areas including the waist, abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs and arms. A treatment session typically lasts between 30 and 40 minutes and a patient must receive treatment three times a week for three to six weeks. Each patient's needs are unique however, and a consultation before treatment determines the number of treatments each patient requires.\nAlthough Lapex BCS LipoLaser treatments aren't for everyone they do provide impressive results without the hassles of invasive cosmetic surgeries. Laser Lipo is an excellent option for anyone seeking a pain-free, relaxing and effective way to contour their body.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5560966730117798}
{"content": "African Peering and Interconnection Forum: Unlocking Africa’s Regional Interconnection 11-12 August 2010 Nairobi, Kenya\nWhy it happened: The African Interconnection Challenge Gradual ongoing policy and regulatory changes have positively impacted a region that is heavily dependent on satellite connectivity for its main regional and global means of communications. Major investments have recently been made on submarine, terrestrial fiber infrastructures, mobile and wireless data technologies. These developments appear to be addressing some of the challenges that have contributed to the slow Internet growth in the region.\nDespite the growing regional infrastructure, most of African cross-border Internet traffic exchange is exchanged, in Europe and North America. This is a clear indication that the satellite routing policies are still predominant in a submarine fiber setting.\nA visible example is a trace of the path followed by an Internet packet from Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda. The packet from Nairobi will go to Europe then back to Kigali. The anomaly is that Rwanda is a landlocked country, and has its international fiber connectivity terrestrially connected via Uganda and the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.\nThe scenario is replicated across the entire region and serves a barrier to growth, innovation and operational efficiency.\nThe Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum: Unlocking Africa’s Regional Interconnection addressed the key Interconnection opportunities and challenges in Africa and provided participants with global and regional insights on maximising regional opportunities. As a multi-stakeholder forum, the event facilitated robust discussion on cross-border interconnection approaches and challenges by encouraging participate by a range key players such as; infrastructure providers, Service Providers, IXPs and regulators.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9302541017532349}
{"content": "Renewable Energy Group (NASDAQ:REGI) produces biodiesel and distributes it various segments of the fuel supply chain. REGI makes its biofuel by converting low cost feedstocks like inedible animal fat, used cooking oil, and inedible corn oil into usable fuels. This compares to other renewable energy producers which rely on more virgin vegetable oils. In addition, REGI expects that the continued growth in demand for biofuels will push demand forward.[1] For the full year 2010, the company's total revenues were $216M. For the same period, the company suffered a net loss of $22M. This compares to $109M in revenue and a net loss of $69M in 2009.[2]\nThe company's initial public offering of stock on the NASDAQ occurred on January 18, 2012. The company offered 7.2M shares each for $10. This was below the $13-$15 initial price range. The deal raised a total of $72M. The lead mangers of the deal were UBS and Piper Jaffray Companies (PJC).[3]\nRenewable Energy Group receives government tax incentives because it is a biodiesel fuel producer. These tax breaks play a role in helping REGI to gain profitability sooner. However, if these incentives are removed due to changes in the tax code or a shifting in the national energy policy, they could have a significant impact on REGI. Further, shifting preferences could also make another renewable energy disproportionately cheap compared to REGI's biodiesel.[4]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8880800008773804}
{"content": "The following linear representation of a problem-solving thought process, developed by Puccio, Murdock, and Mance (2005), provides an excellent example of how characteristics and behaviors of Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking operate.\nSteps\n1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Assessing Situation\nExploring a Vision\nFormulating Challenges\nExploring Ideas\nFormulating Solutions\nExploring Acceptance\nFormulating a Plan\nCognitive Skills\nDiagnostic\nVisionary\nStrategic\nIdeational\nEvaluative\nContextual\nTactical\nAffective Skills\nCuriosity\nDreaming\nSensing Gaps\nPlayfulness\nAvoiding Premature\nClosure\nSensitivity to Environment\nTolerance for Risks\nAs Puccio, Murdock, and Mance have constructed the paradigm, specific cognitive and affective domains are activated – or highlighted – as the process moves from start to finish. For instance, In step #1, the individual assessing the situation, relying upon curiosity and diagnostic skills such as Analyzing, Describing, and Selecting. Curiosity, however, does not again appear, although Puccio, Murdock, and Mance note that openness to novelty, tolerance for ambiguity, and tolerance for complexity underlie all stages of creative problem solving.\nThis Creative Problem Solving has real value in terms of understanding how\nfaculty and students approach a range of problems, both inside and outside\nthe classroom. However, Teagle Project faculty have found that multiple components\nof creative and critical thinking are at work throughout, some emerging more\npredominantly at certain points than at others, depending on context and\nindividual. The Ven diagram below, we offer one example of how and when certain\ncentral characteristics and behaviors of CT and CR might manifest themselves.\nThe numbers beside each text block refer to the steps identified above: For\ninstance, “Openness to Novelty,” generally considered a quality\nof a creative thinking, can be associated with all seven steps; “Imagination” may\ndominate in steps 2 and 6; “Reasoning Through Logic” in 3 and\n6. Please remember, though, that the diagram represents only one possibility\nof which features might dominate; the diagram is not intended to generalize\nacross populations, contexts, or problem-solving events, except to illustrate\nthe dynamic and complex nature of how we think and the kind of thinking we\nhope to nurture in our students.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.585770845413208}
{"content": "Perhaps it's a matter of over thinking things. Running form, like a golf swing, is full of nuance and odd mechanics. Like my golf swing, the more I think about my running form, the worse it seems to get.\n\"Keep your head still\" Great advice for both a golf swing and running form, but also a recipe for disaster when you consciously attempt to follow through. Anchoring my head in the running space time continuum makes controlling the rest of my body akin to wrestling greased boa constrictors while dancing the samba on ice skates. It's ugly, dangerous and fascinating all at the same time.\"Bend slightly at the knees\" For a former heel striker, this feels both unnatural and slightly painful. Is a slight bend ok, or do I need to go into full Groucho Marx mode? What about downhill running? If my knees hurt, does that mean I'm doing it right, or wrong? Or maybe I only have arthritis? It's all very confusing. To quote Groucho - \"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.\"\"Weight on the balls of your feet\" As a former snowboarder with trashed ankles, running on the balls of my feet feels like what I imagine riding two pogo sticks simultaneously would feel like - Awesome! Until I pile drive the ground with my head that is. Really, my right ankle is about as stable as a whisky drunk clown on a teeter totter, and nearly as entertaining. So, screw this rule! My heel comes down and bears some of the load during my stride. Anything that keeps me from leaving face prints on the ground is a good thing in my opinion.\"Relax!\" Yeah, right. How the Hell am I supposed to relax if I'm thinking about head position, knee extension and foot strike every second of the run? Not to mention all the other good form rules that I ignore, like tilting your pelvis, aligning your spine, holding your head upright and level, not bending at the waist, and keeping your arms at 90 degrees with a compact swing across the chest. You might as well ask me to relax while I juggle those boa constrictors, while dancing the samba on pogo sticks strapped to ice skates! Even Groucho would be amused.Running is indeed golf.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8523268699645996}
{"content": "By Lauren Fink, ARB Intern, 2011-2012 Though sayings like, “you can sleep when you’re dead,” abound in American, and especially college, culture, sleep is a crucial activity for maintaining health, conserving energy, and learning. During sleep, the body decreases its temperature by about 1-2 degrees Celsius, rests its muscles, rebuilds proteins, and reorganizing synapses. Increased brain activity occurs in the same areas of the brain that were activated by the learning of a new task during the day and correlates with improved performance on the same task the following day.\nHumans spend 1/3 of their lives asleep, with about 1/5 of that time in Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) sleep. A typical nightly sleep cycle occurs in about 90 minutes with a pattern of stages 1-2-3-4-3-2-REM. Though the exact function of REM sleep remains a mystery, it is known that REM deprivation results in increased time spent in REM when no longer REM-deprived. Dreams, which also remain elusive in terms of function, if not meaning, occur mainly during REM sleep but can also occur during other stages.\nWhile little is known for certain, the role of dreams in waking life is a common topic of exploration in not only science, but also literature, art, music, film, philosophy, and anthropology. Being a repository for archival and rare volumes in any discipline, the Archives & Rare Books Library has an intriguing collection of books relating to sleep and dreaming that spans multiple genres and disciplines.\nA forthcoming web exhibit will explore sleep, dreams, and related topics as they correspond to the collections of the Archives and Rare Books Library. Special topics include how to stay awake while reading, the effects of caffeine on sleep cycles, and the role of dreams in literature and discourse, from ancient Egypt, to Christianity, to Native American visionary experience, to science and psychology. Excerpts from the web exhibit will soon be featured on this blog.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5416982173919678}
{"content": "FIX prepares market for automated bond trading\nFIX Protocol Limited, a provider of messaging standards, has published guidelines for the electronic trading of fixed income ahead of new regulations that will lead to greater automation of bond trading.\nThe guidance has been formed to help market participants establish cost effective connectivity to the growing number of bond trading platforms that are being launched across Europe and the US. They include recommendations on using FIX standards to support bond trading on request-for-quote, central limit order book or quote-driven markets developed by existing and emerging venues, broker-dealers and market makers.\nThe launch of new bond trading venues is a response to regulations like Basel III and MiFID II, which will make it more costly for banks to offer bond liquidity. The rules will shift an asset class that has traditionally been voice-traded into a venue-driven trading environment.\n\"This initiative is expected to play a significant role in the evolution of bond trading,\" commented Sassan Danesh, co-chair of the FIX global fixed income committee and managing partner of ETrading Software. \"In recent years this market has witnessed massive change and as it becomes increasingly electronic encouraging the use of FIX will be vital to its success.\"\nThe latest FIX guidelines follow a similar best practice document that included recommendations for swap execution facilities (SEFs) offering trading in credit derivatives and interest rate swaps.\nSEFs are a category of market emanating from the US' widespread reform of OTC derivatives markets under the Dodd-Frank Act. The rules will require trading of swaps on exchange-like platforms in addition to central clearing obligations, where possible. The Commodity and Futures Trading Commission is expected to unveil the final rules governing SEFs in the coming weeks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5512866973876953}
{"content": "We begin this show with some reflections from addiction specialist\nGabor Maté. His talk, \"Who We Are When We Are Not Addicted: The Possible Human\" is a personal reflection which draws from his book 'In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts'. Going beyond specific medical and psychological insights relating to addiction, he presents a bigger picture of human potential which echoing points made by\nCharles Eisenstein in his\nAscent of Humanity (read in\nepisode 463). Maté notes that the skin encapsulated ego is a mere state of mind - albeit an almost all pervasive one in modern society. He outlines a deep hunger, a painful inner void which is deeply but generally not consciously experienced, and which fuels people's addictive consumption, whether of drugs or consumer goods. He suggests that instead this could be filled by connection to the world around us.We start our second hour with a light-hearted reference to people's gnawing sense of insecurity, disconnection and the feeling that the world is going to pot around them, Tony Hendra's 1972 satirical spoken poem,\nDeteriorata . Then we hear a radio adaptation of the 2009 film,\nConsumed - The Human Experience. This film applies evolutionary psychology to understand\nconsumerism.\nMusic: Deteriorata by National Lampoon The film, Consumed - The Human Experience, makes some claims about the uniqueness of homo sapiens which are directly contradicted by episode 606. Episode 588, also featuring Gabor Maté, tackles similar themes, but focuses specifically on children.. ★ Start a Discussion about this episode (\nLogin Required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9625040292739868}
{"content": "WaterProfessionals® Service Option Operational – Maintenance Survey Application: In some cases, facility maintenance personnel take care of routine day-to-day service and maintenance needs of water and wastewater treatment systems but may not have the time or the skill set to thoroughly evaluate system operation vs. design specifications. Turnover or transfer of facility personnel can result in preventative maintenance programs receiving inadequate attention, resulting in expensive downtime and costly repairs. The operational – maintenance survey, typically conducted monthly, quarterly or semi-annually, assures the system is thoroughly evaluated by a qualified water treatment professional on a periodic basis. Description: An experienced WaterProfessionals® technician conducts a walkthrough of the system following a customized checklist while examining each component, recording all pertinent operational data and noting any operational or maintenance deficiencies. Ideally, during the walkthrough, he is accompanied by a facility equipment operator and / or maintenance person. Following the visit, a report is completed and forwarded electronically to management. Deficiencies and corrective action are spelled out. Advantages:\nMinimal cost – since parts and labor for repairs are not included, the survey cost is predictable and affordable. Flexible – if deficiencies are noted, a decision can be made on a case-by-case basis to handle in-house or to engage the WaterProfessionals® to effect repairs. Continuity – if operators leave or are transferred, the continuity of system operation and maintenance is maintained. Training – if the operator or assigned maintenance person accompanies the WaterProfessionals® Service Tech, on-going training in system operation and maintenance is achieved. Minimal Downtime – by identifying factors that could lead to incipient failure, preventative action can be taken, thus minimizing unexpected downtime. Industrial Water > Operational Maintenance Survey << you are here", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8520221710205078}
{"content": "Mikkilineni and Weinstock1 gave an excellent review of the usefulness of mole self-counting by patients. It would seem that this is especially useful when done by individuals in their second to fourth decades of life. However, the risk for melanoma of any patient must be considered within the context of the patient's genetic heritage, which offers an entry point into the patient's kindred for preventive cancer care.\nFrom this inheritance perspective, the total-body mole count can have multiple interpretations of cancer risks depending on different histories of cancer in kindreds. After establishing that the patient (proband) has an abnormally high total-body mole count, the next steps in the kindred investigation include obtaining medical histories of (1) the presence or absence of atypical nevi in the proband, including previously removed moles; (2) the occurrence of any melanoma in the proband, including intraocular melanoma; (3) the occurrences of the 3 cutaneous phenotypes (atypical nevi, abnormally high mole counts, and melanomas) in first- and second-degree relatives; and (4) the presence of other primary systemic cancer phenotypes in the kindred. Depending on the collected data, a small pedigree may need investigation beyond second-degree relatives. It is imperative that the presence or absence of pertinent phenotypes be documented (by medical records and pathology and/or autopsy reports). Any cancer occurrence should be recorded with a specific cancer diagnosis and the pedigree position, sex, and age of the patient at recognition of the cancer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7067388296127319}
{"content": "Family Farming in the 1970s In the 1970s, the typical landscape of small, family dairy farming in Northern California was shifting. Over the previous two decades, the region had experienced a significant loss of farming acreage and the number of small family farms was in sharp decline.\nLarger dairies, some with up to 5,000 cows, began to appear. Small family farms traditionally grazed their cows on pasture, but larger operations, which relied on purchased feeds and a chemically and technologically driven agricultural system, pressured family farms to follow suit.\nFarming practices that took advantage of large economies of scale changed the price structure for milk in ways that were detrimental, and sometimes adversarial, to family farming and did not reflect the real economic costs of dairy farming.\nIt was during that time, in the mid 1970s, that Albert Straus returned to his family’s dairy farm, after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Sciences at California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) in San Luis Obispo.\nHe took over the management of the dairy with his father and quickly realized that innovative solutions were needed to secure the future of family farming in California and to maintain good stewardship of the land.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6669116616249084}
{"content": "Healthcare preferences among lesbians: a focus group analysis Article comments At the time of publication, Jennifer Tjia was not yet affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.\nAbstract OBJECTIVE: The healthcare needs of lesbians are not well understood. We sought to characterize lesbians' experiences with, and preferences for, women's healthcare.\nMETHODS: We conducted three age-stratified focus groups (18-29, 30-50, and >50 years) with a total of 22 participants using a semistructured interview guide to elicit lesbians' experiences and preferences. We analyzed transcripts of these audiotaped sessions using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. Community-dwelling women who self-identified as lesbian and responded to advertisements were selected on first-come basis.\nRESULTS: Participants voiced experiences and preferences for healthcare that emerged into three themes: desired models of care, desired processes of care, and desired patient-provider relationship. Each theme was further developed into multiple subthemes. Within the subthemes we identified issues that were specific to lesbians and those that were general women's health issues. Participants preferred, but did not always receive, care that is comprehensive in scope, person centered, nondiscriminatory, and inclusive of them as lesbians.\nCONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers, institutions, and society should adopt an inviting, person-centered approach toward lesbians seeking healthcare, assure them access to healthcare information, and establish healthcare delivery systems that take all aspects of health into account.\nSuggested Citation Margaret R. Seaver, Karen M. Freund, Leslie M. Wright, Jennifer Tjia, and Susan M. Frayne. \"Healthcare preferences among lesbians: a focus group analysis\" Journal of women's health (2002) 17.2 (2008). Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jennifer_tjia/25", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7126221060752869}
{"content": "Creating a Climate of Engagement in a Blended Learning Environment. Abstract This article describes the conversational interactions of one online learning group whose task was to identify themes of human development from life histories of the group members. The data were analyzed by a research team using the hermeneutic circle, which involves continually looking at parts of the text in light of the meaning of the larger text, returning to the parts and then back again to the larger whole. A climate of engagement emerged from the data analysis as the overarching theme capturing the essence of the participants' online interactions. Four aspects were found to constitute this climate of engagement: engaging in the online environment; engaging in dialogue; engaging as a group; and engaging in the content. A dialogue pattern connected the four aspects. The authors propose a model of engagement that captures the dynamic nature of these participants' interactions and suggest implications for research and practice.\nSuggested Citation Trena M. Paulus, Mary Ziegler, and Marianne Woodside. \"Creating a Climate of Engagement in a Blended Learning Environment.\" Journal of Interactive Learning Research 17.3 (2006): 295-318.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.978820264339447}
{"content": "Writing Your Will What do I have to do to make my will legally valid? After you’ve drawn up your will, you must take the formal legal step of executing the will. This requires having at least two witnesses who have no potential conflict of interest. As a general rule, the witnesses watch you sign and each witness then signs in the presence of the other. If your will is executed in a lawyer’s office, two other attorneys or support staff might serve as witnesses.\nA valid will also requires that:\nyou are of legal age, 18 in most states; you are mentally competent, i.e., that you know you are executing your will and know the general nature and extent of your property and your descendants or other relatives who would be expected to share in your estate; the will must have a substantive provision that disposes of your property and must indicate your intent to make the document your final word on what happens to your property; with rare exceptions, such as imminent death, the will must be written; you must sign the will unless illness, accident, or illiteracy prevents it, in which case you can designate someone to sign for you in your presence; your signature must be witnessed by at least two adults who understand that they are witnessing a will and are competent to testify in court. If your will doesn’t meet all of these conditions, it might be disallowed by a court and your estate might be distributed according to state law instead.\n>>Why should I go to the trouble of writing a will?\n>>What happens if I die without a will? >>What is a video will?>>What do I have to do to make my will legally valid? >>Can I leave my property to anyone I wish? >>Can I disinherit my spouse and children?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5557769536972046}
{"content": "Clinical trials have demonstrated the benefit of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) with stenting in the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in reducing adverse cardiac outcomes. This study assessed the association between a strategy of routine GPI use and the prevention of adverse cardiac outcomes post-PCI at a large tertiary care institution. Patients who underwent a first PCI at the institution from April 1994 to March 2001 were divided into three cohorts: pre-GPI + selected stent use (P1), selected GPI + routine stent use (P2), and routine GPI + routine stent use (P3). A multiple logistic regression model was constructed to evaluate different strategy periods, with the rate of in-hospital myocardial infarction, death or abrupt closure as the primary composite endpoint.\nThe cohort consisted of 7,702 patients: 2,621 in P1, 3,501 in P2, and 1,580 in P3. GPI use increased from 0% in P1 to 17.5% in P2 and 91.0% in P3. There was a significant difference in the unadjusted composite endpoint between the three periods (4.9% vs. 3.4% vs. 2.6%, respectively for P1, P2, P3; p<0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, the composite endpoint was significantly greater in P1 and P2 as compared to P3 (OR [P1 vs. P3] = 2.61, p<0.0001; OR [P2 vs. P3] = 1.55, p=0.0204).\nThe study found a significant reduction in adverse in-hospital clinical cardiac events observed in association with the strategy of routine use of GPI therapy and stenting in a large consecutive PCI cohort after adjusting for potentially confounding patient characteristics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9528869390487671}
{"content": "Pyrethrins, natural extracts of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium and Chrysanthemum cocineum flowers, and pyrethroids, synthetic analogues and derivatives of pyrethrins, are powerful insecticides. They are widely used in households and insect control in pets or livestock, in textiles such as carpets, wallpapers, furniture and clothes, as well as in agriculture, forestry and public health services. This article brings a list of pyrethrin and pyrethroid insecticides registered for use in plant protection in Croatia. Pyrethrins and pyrethroids can enter the organism by ingestion (accidental or suicidal ingestion or in food), by inhalation and/or by skin contact. Although these pesticides pose a relatively low risk to mammals due to rapid metabolism with no significant accumulation, they can induce adverse health effects, more often in acute poisoning, but also due to chronic exposure. The primary target of pyrethrin and pyrethroid toxicity is the nervous system, since they act directly on the sodium channels of nerve cell axons, leading to hyperexcitation. Another important toxicological mechanism is allergenicity, which is more pronounced with pyrethrins than with synthetic pyrethroids. Because there is no antidote for pyrethrin and pyrethroid poisoning, treatment is symptomatic and supportive. The article discusses the measures for poisoning prevention and alleviation of exposure to pyrethrins and pyrethroids in occupational settings and in general population.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5379760265350342}
{"content": "Nerve damage is a very common side effect of many current cancer treatments, limiting the amount of treatment that patients can receive and often resulting in irreversible damage, leaving patients with life-long neurological symptoms including pain, numbness, weakness and difficulty walking. The mechanisms underlying this nerve damage are not understood and there are currently no established treatments or preventative strategies. This project aims to investigate possible strategies for protecting nerves from the toxic effects of chemotherapy using nerve excitability testing to monitor the nerves. A potential neuroprotective treatment strategy being explored is riluzole.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9782236814498901}
{"content": "Background A number of converging factors influenced and directed the development of the Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network (NSHEN). Increasing attention to ethics in accreditation, for example, was putting pressure on District Health Authorities and the IWK Health Centre to find appropriate ways to meet these standards. At the same time, the Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Wellness) expressed interest in developing ethics-informed decision-making frameworks for key projects. And, correspondingly, the Dalhousie University Department of Bioethics was receiving an increasing number of requests for ethics support which were beginning to exceed its capacity to respond.\nIn 2005, these converging factors lead to the establishment of a provincial working group with representatives from the District Health Authorities, IWK Health Centre and the Department of Health and Wellness. Dr. Christy Simpson and Dr. Jeff Kirby with the Department of Bioethics were invited by the working group to develop a model for provincial ethics support. It was clearly acknowledged by all that a workable model would establish common and consistent approaches to ethics, where appropriate, and be able to reflect the common and unique contexts within the province.\nIn June 2007, the Council of CEOs, the Deputy Minister for the Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Wellness), and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for the Department of Bioethics signed a Memorandum of Understanding which created the Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network. As such, the network represents a unique collaboration in the province between academia, the health regions, and the Department of Health.\nIn November 2007, the NSHEN Advisory Council was formally established, with Lewis Bedford as the Chair. This signified the effective transition of NSHEN from concept, through implementation, and ultimately, to operations, effective January 3, 2008.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6378618478775024}
{"content": "Divide and conquer Juggling multiple tasks may seem productive, but the quality of your work could suffer. \"The prefrontal cortex, a region critical to processing info, is optimally designed to do one thing at a time,\" explains Adam Gazzaley, M.D., director of the neuroscience imaging center at the University of California at San Francisco. \"Think of it as the bouncer at the nightclub of your brain: He's paid to let in one guest at a time. If they rush the door, things get chaotic.\" Dr. Gazzaley suggests that when something requires high performance and focus, shut out distractions. Log out of social-networking sites and email, and turn off your phone. Once you've aced the task, feel free to share your success with friends on your Facebook wall.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8312605619430542}
{"content": "To each of us, work has a different meaning. It may provide an identity, self-esteem, financial security, health coverage, and fulfillment. The loss of an occupation can be a source of anxiety and depression (Peteet, 2000). Continuing or returning to the workplace allows many patients to maintain a sense of normalcy or control.\nAccording to DeBoer (2009), cancer survivors are 1.4 times more likely to be unemployed than healthy people. A meta-analysis showed that the risk of unemployment is 37 percent higher for cancer survivors compared to healthy individuals. This higher rate of unemployment has negative social and economic impact on patients and on society at large.\nExperiences of cancer survivors and supervisors regarding returning to work after cancer were assessed in focus groups and identified that support from colleagues and supervisors aids in returning to work (DeBoer). Interventions are needed to address the plan to return to work. These may include:\nThe topic should be addressed early on by the oncology nurse as part of the normal consultation. The aim of this meeting is to list potential problems concerning returning to work and to plan the interventions that best suit the individual patient.\nSubsequent meetings may include guidance regarding the best way to inform colleagues and supervisors about the patient's illness and to keep them informed during treatment and aftercare. This step is most important as the employer needs to know about the plan to return. I found it helpful to communicate via email to my superior. It allowed me to ensure that she was aware of my physical status, plans to return, and tentative schedule.\nThe patient should be advised to contact the HR department to discuss legal aspects such as a medical leave, impact of FMLA (Family Medical Leave), and any relevant contractual issues affecting employment.\nDiscuss the process of returning to work. How is the patient feeling? Do schedules need to be changed to accommodate fatigue or ongoing treatments?\nWhile returning to work is an individual decision, patients should be provided the opportunity to consider all options. Depending on the particular aspects of the job, are there restrictions? How will the patient manage exposure to infections, episodes of reduced white blood counts, fatigue, and schedule for chemotherapy and physician visits?\nFrom a personal perspective, I have been able to return to work after the incapacitating fatigue subsided with the completion of the Bendamustine cycles. My colleagues and supervisors were updated on an ongoing basis and I was provided the much needed support and care during this most difficult transition. My work provides great satisfaction and allows me to appreciate life.\nIt is strongly recommended that clinicians address work-related concerns directly and appreciate the significance of this issue to their patients. Is this issue identified in your practice? Can you share strategies to support our patients?\nReferences:\nDeBoer A, Taskila, T. (2009) Cancer survivors and unemployment- A meta-Analysis and meta-regression. Journal American Medical Association.301:753-762. doi:10.1001/jama2009.187.\nPeteet, JR. (2000) Cancer and the meaning of work. General Hospital Psychiatry.May-June:22(3):200-5.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6899437308311462}
{"content": "Lind, Amy.\nLind (women and gender studies, Univ. of Virginia) begins by correctly noting that while studies of Ecuador's strong social movements have focused a good deal of attention on indigenous actors, scholars have slighted the roles of women. Nevertheless, much like indigenous peoples, women confronted the 1980s debt crisis and similarly became significant new political actors in the struggle against neoliberal economic policies. Over the past 25 years, these policies have hit women particularly hard and exacerbated gender inequalities. Lind argues that women's interests are best served by directly challenging existing development strategies and forwarding concrete alternatives. By introducing gender, the author provides an important corrective to understanding how social movements engage, negotiate, and challenge government policies. She excels at painting a big picture of understanding the role of gender in nongovernmental organizations, globalization, and development policies. While those interested in women's studies will want to read this book, its message is perhaps more urgent for those who do not typically study gender, in order to understand better how it interacts with race and class to foster systems of domination.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7249289155006409}
{"content": "Building a foundation for advanced study is explored in the context of professionalism and scholarship. Strategies for promoting professional development while preparing for future roles as nurse scholars and nurse scientists are examined. Students are introduced to a model of scholarship that includes discovery, integration, application, and teaching. Issues associated with scientific integrity in academics, research and services are identified and examined. Prerequisite: Admission to the Doctoral Program. LEC View current sections...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8719133734703064}
{"content": "The other morning, as I was reading articles in my computer room, I heard a woman scream. Immediately, my attention was wrested away from my writing, I sat up straight, and waited in silence, listening for any clues that someone was in danger. My heart began to race. (more…)\n30. January 2011 I can still vividly remember walking through run-down Neapolitan suburbs (or, the closest they could get to them, anyway) as a seventeen-year old, firmly within the grasp of an LSD trip. As I walked through the tall, unkempt grass and weeds, they brushed against my knees as though greeting me with a handshake. The summer sun was looking down upon me, and the rays felt as though they were shining into my body, as though I was illuminated, and radiating life back into the universe. Though I usually noticed the garbage on the messy Italian streets, that day it seemed less prominent, if not unnoticeable, and nature’s technicolor vibrance jumped from objects which would have been previously considered not only ordinary, but drab. I was, at least I felt, as though totally connected with reality, as though something that I had lost along the way had suddenly been found, and I was home. (more…)\n23. January 2011 Last year, I learned that the CIA had directly participated in a scheme against Osama Bin Laden, involving the use of fabricated video evidence. Their fake video, consisting of a campfire drinking session, was intended to destroy Bin Laden’s credibility with devout Muslims, by making it appear as though he had been breaking Sharia Law. And if the drinking wasn’t enough to turn Osama’s followers against him, “Osama” spent his time in the video bragging about homosexual conquests. (more…)\n4. January 2011 Must an increase in empathy signal a decrease in law?\nLet us consider, for a moment, that someone has wronged you by stealing your car. When the person is caught by police, you have the option to press charges, but then discover that your neighbor–whose wife is dying from cancer, after they both lost their jobs–stole your car out of desperation to rush to meet her in the hospital, since he thought she was about to die. Begging your forgiveness with tears in his eyes, the man sinks to his knees in court, clasps his hands together, and looks at you directly. At this moment, moved with compassion, in an act of mercy you allow the man to walk free.\nCompassion, then, is our friend. A placing of ourselves in the shoes of others, imagining their hardship and deciding–in some particular instance, to side with them, to recognize that had you been in their position, you would have been desperate as well. And this empathy, in many cases, is noble. (more…)\n1. January 2011 It’s not uncommon, these days, to see misinformed Christians parading around in favor of pacifism, as though Christianity demands that Christians can’t defend their families, as though we as a society must abandon moral stances, capital punishment, self-defense, and our right to bear arms. Going even further, some ignorant Christians even seek establishment of hate speech legislation, believing that dangerous ideologies shouldn’t be morally challenged or honestly discussed in public. As a Christian, few beliefs irk me more than these.\nFortunately, if we take a close look at Jesus’ teachings, quite the opposite can be proven about His commandments. For instance, one of the most widely-bungled teachings of Christ concerns the concept of forgiveness and non-retaliation, as most clearly stated in Matthew 5:38-42: (more…)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9450124502182007}
{"content": "What many people lack in the kitchen is not the desire to cook, but the skills necessary to get cooking.\nKnife skills, or more specifically the lack thereof, can be an enormous roadblock.\nWhen watching a cooking show, do you often think, \"Who has all that time to cut that stuff up?\" Or \"It's easy for them, they're professionals.\" Or \"My knives are so dull, I hate using them.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995926022529602}
{"content": "I usually come home with a bouquet of herbs, a bag full of greens and a mind full of wondering why my own vegie patch is nothing more than a cluster of weeds. I think I've inherited the \"green thumb\" but I'm definitely hindered by time. At least that's my excuse. It seems that growing herbs, cherry toms and snow peas on my balcony is not a problem but wandering down the stairs and into my back garden is.\nSo, it was with serendipitous fortune that I read Greener at the Grassroots in a recent issue of the Sydney Morning Herald (a complimentary gift with my homeshop delivery).\n\"If it's important to you, you'll find the energy for it. It becomes less of a chore and more of a lifestyle...the rhythm of making things becomes a joy.\"\nI stuck the article and it's accompanying photo on my fridge and every day I'm reminded of Annie's words of comforting wisdom.\nMy vegie patch isn't visible just yet, but my intention is blossoming, abundantly so.\nThe rhythm of dreaming, planning and foreseeing is a joy in itself.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.644472062587738}
{"content": "The deadline has been extended for the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Awards (SISCA). Graduate students from Penn State are encouraged to join an international field of universities that are involved in the program.\nThe five finalists will be chosen based on criteria that includes a proposal that has clearly articulated a new and innovative concept; demonstrates balance of social, economic, and environmental success; and has the potential for significant societal benefits and sustainability impact.\nStudent competitors can network with leaders and peers in global sustainability, join a reputable network of SISCA alumni, display their work with various external sustainability media and receive monetary prizes. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 stipend toward the development of a final entry. The overall winner of the competition will win $10,000 and the runner-up will win $2,500.\nThe extended deadline date is now Sept 28. To submit a team proposal for the competition, complete the online form at http://www.cfs.psu.edu/SISCA-entry.aspx online.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9828076958656311}
{"content": "Lucintel's Analysis of Global Glass Fiber Textiles Industry: Market to Reach US $4 Billion by 2017\nThe global glass fiber textile industry experienced significant growth in 2011 and is expected to continue that trend, reaching approximately $4 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 7 % over the next five years.\nCorpus Christi, TX (1888PressRelease) December 12, 2012 - Economic recession and the downturn in the key market segments in 2009 caused the market to decline in 2009 compared to 2008; in 2010, however, the market witnessed double-digit growth over 2009 followed by 8.9% in 2011.\nLucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has analyzed the global carbon fiber market and presents its findings in \"Global Glass Fiber Textile Market 2012-2017: Supply, Demand, and Opportunity Analysis.\"\nAlthough volatility in fuel prices poses a challenge to the glass fiber textile industry, it is expected to meet this challenge. Demand for durable, lightweight, and non-corrosive components, coupled with lower prices of glass fiber textile (GFT) compared to competing materials is anticipated to drive growth through 2017.\nLucintel's research indicates that as a competitor to traditional materials such as iron, steel and aluminum, GFT has gained favor among equipment manufacturers for superior performance. The growth rate of the GFTs differed across the various market segments based on price versus performance criteria and its level of penetration in the particular application.\nLucintel expects higher market fragmentation in the future and increasingly competitive markets are likely to emerge. Companies with innovative capabilities are anticipated to thrive and gain market share. The aerospace, marine, and wind energy industries are expected to experience healthy growth during 2012-2017. Significant differences in growth potential among the application markets and regions exist, and yield better-than-average returns for suppliers that are best positioned accordingly. In the long term, the glass fiber textiles industry is a sustainable industry with good growth potential.\nThe report, which provides trend scenarios and forecast statistics for 2012-2017; details industry drivers and challenges; and highlights glass fiber market by product, applications and regions. The study also describes various glass fiber properties, manufacturing processes, and provides additional insight into this growing industry.\nFor a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely, insightful report, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk ( @ ) lucintel dot com. Lucintel provides cutting-edge decision support services that facilitate critical decisions with greater speed, insight, and cost efficiency. To learn more, visit www.lucintel.com. ###\nspace", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5479877591133118}
{"content": "A company's Director of Sales is responsible for conceiving and implementing sales strategies for its products and services to be sold on the market. The role requires developing strong relationships with customers and analyzing the market for growth opportunities. While some days are spent in the office, other days involve meeting with customers, attending trade shows or visiting other branches of the company.\nSkill Sets: A Director of Sales is an accomplished negotiator with excellent people skills. Exemplary written and verbal communication skills are also necessary for this position. The Director of Sales must be effective under pressure and have a proven ability to analyze and exploit a market's potential.\nEducation: Employers generally prefer a bachelor's degree at a minimum, with a master's degree required for the most desired positions available. Business degrees will typically be an employer's first choice, but a related discipline might suffice, depending on the company's needs.\nCareer Path: Entry level experience in a sales department or marketing role helps prepare professionals for a Director of Sales position. Pursue a degree in a relevant discipline, but also consider membership in a marketing and sales association for experience networking and exposure to current sales trends.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.657820463180542}
{"content": "However, when the parents appealed the judgment in the Alabama Supreme Court, the decision was reversed. This reversal occurred because, according to the court, the parents’ right to raise their children may not be undercut by a judge in a visitation rights case unless a judge has already determined that the parents were \"unfit.\"\nHowever, certain contingencies indicate that grandparents do, in fact, have visitation rights. Cordell & Cordell Atlanta Divorce Attorney Andrea Johnson stresses that even though grandparents don’t have immediate visitation rights, they do have the right to ask the court for visitation.\nA visitation action can only be filed when the parents are unmarried or divorced. The grandparents must also show evidence that the health or welfare of the child is at risk unless this visitation is granted.\nGrandparents are limited to filing no more than one visitation action in a two-year period. Parents can file to reverse this action once in a two-year period.\nRead Related Article: Denying Fathers Rights To Visitation According to a DadsDivorce.com article on grandparents' rights, all states do not recognize these rights. For example, in Missouri, many factors determine if a court will grant visitation rights to grandparents:\nThe parents have divorced. One parent is deceased and the other denies their visitation rights. The child lives with the grandparent for at least six months within a 2-year time period of filing. The grandparent has been denied visitation for more than 90 days without reason. The child is adopted by a stepparent, another grandparent or other blood relative. Even then, the court will question the measures the grandparents have taken to exercise their rights, and the court may consult with the child to determine the best interest of the child.\nIf you would like to inquire about grandparents rights in your state, please contact a Cordell & Cordell lawyer near you.\nBy Tara Brewer Special to MensRights.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5472937822341919}
{"content": "Regeneration of the thymus is a critical function that allows for renewal of immune competence following stress, infection or immunodepletion caused by cytoreductive chemo- or radiation therapy. The mechanisms governing this regeneration remain poorly understood. However, thymic renewal in all (but particularly in adult) patients can be a prolonged process that significantly impairs the recovery of adaptive immunity following cytoreductive therapy and subsequently leads to an increase in opportunistic infections and higher treatment-associated morbidity and mortality. Hence one of the most significant clinical challenges is the need for rapid regeneration of thymopoiesis following induced immunodepletion and transplantation. Understanding the processes involved in endogenous thymic repair will allow for the clinical exploitation of strategies for therapeutic thymic regeneration.\nWe have recently identified an endogenous network of thymic regeneration whereby 1) injury to the thymus, and in particular the depletion of CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes triggers 2) upregulation of Interleukin-23 (IL-23) by a subset of thymic dendritic cells (tDCs), which induces 3) the production of IL-22 by a type of innate lymphoid cells called lymphoid tissue-inducer cells (LTi). This cascade of events leads to IL-22-mediated regeneration of the supporting thymic epithelial cell (TEC) microenvironment and, ultimately, to rejuvenation of thymopoiesis.\nSeveral interesting areas of future study have arisen from this initial discovery including 1) exploring the mechanisms of thymic damage that trigger this regenerative network, 2) the clinical translation of IL-22 as a potential regenerative therapy to boost immune function and 3) the role of IL-22 in age-related thymic involution.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5332188606262207}
{"content": "Many of California's environmental initiatives outside of the cap-and-trade program have grabbed national headlines and even served as models for other states, regions and the federal government. This session will look at these initiatives, including energy efficiency and renewables, clean vehicles and transportation, and will include discussion of U.S. EPA actions to address climate change.\nSarah Rizk is an Environmental Scientist in the Clean Energy and Climate Change Office at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9. In this position, she works with a broad range of partners on reducing greenhouse gases through voluntary action. Sarah’s research focuses on the intersection between climate and health benefits. Her recent work quantifies the monetary health impacts of fossil fuel energy and analyzes policy pathways for reducing black carbon from diesel vehicles, drawing from existing regulatory policies. Sarah holds a M.S. and a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5056644678115845}
{"content": "Bacterial entry is a multistep process triggering a complex network, yet the molecular complexity of this network remains largely unsolved. By employing a systems biology approach, we reveal a systemic bacterial-entry network initiated by Chlamydia pneumoniae, a widespread opportunistic pathogen. The network consists of nine functional modules (i.e., groups of proteins) associated with various cellular functions, including receptor systems, cell adhesion, transcription, and endocytosis. The peak levels of gene expression for these modules change rapidly during C. pneumoniae entry, with cell adhesion occurring at 5 min postinfection, receptor and actin activity at 25 min, and endocytosis at 2 h. A total of six membrane proteins (chemokine C-X-C motif receptor 7 [CXCR7], integrin beta 2 [ITGB2], platelet-derived growth factor beta polypeptide [PDGFB], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 [VCAM1], and GTP binding protein overexpressed in skeletal muscle [GEM]) play a key role during C. pneumoniae entry, but none alone is essential to prevent entry. The combination knockdown of three genes (coding for CXCR7, ITGB2, and PDGFB) significantly inhibits C. pneumoniae entry, but the entire network is resistant to the six-gene depletion, indicating a resilient network. Our results reveal a complex network for C. pneumoniae entry involving at least six key proteins.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.985849916934967}
{"content": "Have you ever felt weak during workout, or you can move anymore during cardio? You might think you low carbs diet is perfect for fat burning. However, too little carbohydrate will hurt your workout.\nCarbohydrate is your primary energy source. It should be around 50% of your calories intake. A low carbs diet can also make you feel carving all the time. You feel weak if you starve and you end up eating more. A balance meal is a must for your diet plan. Make sure your meal is in the right proportion (30-40% from protein, 50-60% from carbs and around 10 to 20% from fat. Also, eat every three hours to maintain your blood sugar level. Eating right will eliminate your low energy, craving and injury potential.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8680510520935059}
{"content": "You might be a pro at maintaining your cuticles and keeping your nails clean, but do you know how to apply nail polish properly? If you're constantly finding your home manicure chipping after just two or three days, you might need to revamp your strategy. Here are a few key tips for making sure your nails look as beautiful as the day you painted them at the end of the work week.\n1. Apply more than one coat If you don't have time to apply more than one coat of polish, wait until you do! Multiple coats are essential to ensuring that your nails stay colorful for an extended period of time.2. Use a top coat A clear top coat is crucial once you're finished using a colored polish. This can make your nails more durable and keep the polish on them for longer.3. Reapply protection daily It might take a little extra effort, but Become Gorgeous states that adding an extra layer of clear top coat every day can ensure that your manicure stays in place.By taking these three tips into account, you'll have beautiful nails to show off without chips or peeling for a longer period of time.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9733637571334839}
{"content": "Abstract:In this paper we determine the optimal combination of taxes on money, consumption and income in transactions technology models. We show that the optimal policy does not tax money, regardless of whether the government can use the income tax, the consumption tax, or the two taxes jointly. These results are at odds with recent literature. We argue that the reason for this divergence is an inappropriate specification of the transactions technology adopted in the literature. JEL Classification: E31; E41; E58; E62.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8808496594429016}
{"content": "Supports healthy thyroid function Iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland and supports the formation of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones have the ability to cross cell membranes, thereby supporting all cells of the body. In the cell, they promote metabolic function by enhancing mitochondrial activity and enzyme synthesis, especially in tissues and organs such as muscle and the liver. Pure Encapsulations Iodine provides natural support for the thyroid gland, helping to maintain proper cellular metabolism.\n60 Capsules.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9247754812240601}
{"content": "Abstract: The aim of this dissertation is to examine gender differences in salutogenic functioning in military deployment.\nSalutogenisis focuses on the origin of health and wellness, and the salutogenic constructs sense of coherence (SOC), hardiness (PVS) and self-efficacy (SES) which were conceptualised focus on how individuals handle stressors positively and still remain healthy. Gender differences in military deployment were discussed, focusing on different stressors that impact on individuals' functioning when deployed.\nEmpirically the salutogenic constructs: SOC, PVS and SES were measured. The population consisted of males and females working at 7 SAI Phalaborwa who were deployed in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Statistical techniques were applied to determine differences between males and females. The data was analysed statistically using the SPSS programme. Statistical significance was found in the SOC sub-scale \"meaningfulness\" and the PVS sub-scales \"commitment\" and \"challenge\".", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7774695754051208}
{"content": "Welcome to the April 2009 issue Inside view from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Ofsted has a tradition of recognising and celebrating providers of outstanding care, education and skills. Each year, for example, along with our annual report, we publish a list of the providers found outstanding in the previous 12 months. A more recent tradition has been the celebratory lunches we give for outstanding providers. I have enjoyed these lunches as much as ever this year; it is always a pleasure to meet so many hard-working, dedicated professionals.\nA report Ofsted published in February showcases 12 outstanding providers, secondary schools in challenging circumstances that have been judged ‘outstanding’ in at least two inspections. The schools featured come from across England and defy the association of disadvantage with low standards. They serve communities where students come from poor urban backgrounds and an above average proportion receives free school meals. They are straightforward maintained schools, included on merit without any evident advantages except the quality of their leadership, their staff, and the teaching and learning provided in them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.952613115310669}
{"content": "Federal taxes withheld from employees' pay, the employer's share of FICA, and the employer's FUTA payment must be timely deposited, by cash, check or electronically with an authorized federal depositary institution. Income and FICA taxes are deposited on a monthly or semiweekly schedule, depending on a look-back rule. Accumulated income and FICA taxes of $100,000 or more are deposited the next banking day.\nMandatory electronic deposits are required for employers whose accumulated federal taxes exceed certain monetary thresholds. FUTA taxes are deposited quarterly on a per-employee wage base of $7,000. Due to these timing considerations, taxes are deposited long before any tax returns are filed. Employers file quarterly tax returns, Form 941, to reconcile the income and FICA taxes withheld from employees' pay. FUTA taxes are reconciled annually on Form 940.\nTwo deposit schedules — monthly or semiweekly — ap...(register to read more)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8853350281715393}
{"content": "The Indian Oil Corporation Limited awarded a contract to AUMA for its Naphtha Cracker and Polymer complex. The Naphtha Cracker project is widely viewed as representing the cornerstone of Indian Oil's entry into petrochemicals. Actuators from AUMA's established range of modular products were supplied to the scheme located in the Northern Indian state of Haryana.\nWith a capacity of 800000MT/year of ethylene production, the Naphtha installation required 75 actuators for valve control. The major scale installation confirms AUMA's ability to support blue-chip schemes. The project is also an excellent illustration of the actuator manufacturer's partnership approach - by working closely with the corporation, AUMA identified that both hard wired and bus technology were required, backed by master station support.\nAll actuators were supplied with control modules suitable for MODBUS RTU protocol. Additionally, SIMA master stations and hot standby master station with loop technology were provided. ESD functionality has also been achieved through hardwired operation.\nThe master stations in redundant configuration communicate through MODBUS RTU protocol with Yokogawa DCS CS 3000. AUMA also provided PCs to monitor the actuators' functions via the SIMA master stations.\nAUMA South Africa has secured a contract for the company's new Generation.2 actuators with Petro SA, formerly MOSSGASS.\nProducts from the new actuator range will be installed in an air separation plant built by Linde Air.\nThe plant has exclusively used AUMA actuators since it was built in 1990. With 24-7 operation, the actuation technology provides essential support ensuring effective valve control. The upgrade took place as existing equipment came to the end of its life cycle.\nPetro SA, which has been a long standing adopter of AUMA's actuation solutions, highlighted reliability and service as two key reasons for continuing to adopt the company's electric actuator solutions.\nThe evolution to AUMA's Generation.2 products will be done during planned maintenance outages. AUMA reports that its new Generation.2 multi-turn actuator range SA 07.2 - 16.2 and actuator controls AC 01.2 follow its modular design ethos which ensures an easy upgrade.\nDesigned to cater for existing market needs, and next generation requirements, capabilities of AUMA's new product series include the integration of field devices into Asset Management systems. A number of enhanced features have been introduced and functionality of the range has been expanded, while retaining proven design principles.\nAUMA's new Generation.2 devices, both actuators and controls, are fully compatible with the company's previous products - this ensures low-risk investment and ensures that AUMA stays at the forefront of technology.\nThe new AUMA multi-turn actuator type range Generation.2 has been on the market since the beginning of last year. AUMA presented the version for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (II2G Ex de IIC T4) at the Valve World Conference for the first time in November 2010.\nEnhanced functionality provided in the Generation.2 range that are advancements over the company's original product series include extended lifetime, larger temperature range and improved corrosion protection.\nBenefits for demanding applications include a new coating offering superior corrosion protection at highest mechanical resistance and a version for modulating duty offers an extended speed range/improved modulating accuracy.\nDevelopment focus for Generation.2 centred on improved handling and operation. An enlarged plug-in electrical connection provides improved connection facilities, a single motor plug/socket connection is incorporated and AUMA's proven handwheel activation was optimised.\nIntegral controls for Generation.2 actuators are equipped with Bluetooth interfaces. With the integration of torque, temperature and vibration sensors, new intelligent diagnostic functions supply significant actuator status information such as torque characteristics which can be captured at any time.\nActuator feedback signals can be classified according to NAMUR recommendation NE 107 and integrated into Asset Management systems. Full compatibility with the company's previous products is offered.\nFeatures include:\n- Torques: 10-1000 Nm.\n- Output speeds for open-close and modulating actuators 4-180rpm.\n- High IP enclosure protection.\n- Explosion proof version available.\n- High corrosion protection.\n- Parallel interface to the DCS: up to 10 binary inputs;up to 12 output contacts; up to 2 analogue inputs and outputs.\n- Interfaces to fieldbus systems Profibus DP-V2 and Modbus RTU, amongst others.\n- Electrical connection via AUMA plug/socket connector with enlarged terminal compartment/cable entries.\nA next step enhancement to support new generation communication technology is the introduction of a wireless interface.\nExpertise in the oil and gas industries is reinforced in a new AUMA video detailing the company's competency in actuation technology. Endorsements and application details from users around the globe are provided on www.auma.com.\nEnter √ at www.engineerlive.com/iog\nMichael Herbstritt, Technical Author, is with AUMA Riester GmbH & Co KG, Muellheim, Germany. www.auma.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6996952891349792}
{"content": "Bred to deliver larger flowers, shorter peduncles and beefier looking plants, New Day gazania is more compact and offers better holdability at retail. Landscapers and consumers will appreciate this drought-tolerant series for its excellent performance in containers and baskets, as well as a garden edging or groundcover.\nUse a well-drained, disease-free soilless media with a pH of 5.8 to 6.2 and a medium initial nutrient charge. Maintain night temperature at 55 to 60° F and day temperature at 65 to 70° F. Keep light levels as high as possible while maintaining the optimal temperatures.\nStarting a week after transplant, apply fertilizer at a rate of 175- to 225-ppm nitrogen using a predominantly nitrate-form fertilizer with low phosphorous. Maintain the media EC at 1.5 to 2.0.\nIf plant growth regulation is needed, use B-Nine/Alar (daminozide) at 3,500 ppm to tone the crop. One application at two to three weeks after transplant will be sufficient.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7463860511779785}
{"content": "Get our tips & specials!\nThe Swing Speed Radar is a small, inexpensive microwave Doppler radar velocity sensor that measures the swing speed of golfers and baseball/softball players. It assists players in optimizing their swing by providing a convenient measure of their swing velocity as they strive to improve their performance. For baseball and softball, it measures the barrel of the bat, not the tip, out front in the hitting zone. Rugged, compact design makes it convenient to carry and use in the batting cage, on the practice field, or in your backyard.\nBaseball and softball players train with it to also improve their distance without sacrificing bat control and contact consistency. Coaches enjoy the immediate feedback provided by the radar to reinforce instructions to \"hit the ball out front\". The Swing Speed Radar measures the barrel of the bat, not the tip, \"out front\" in the hitting zone. Used by Mike Candrea, Coach of the Arizona U 2006 NCAA FastPitch Champions and the U.S.A. National FPSB Team, and by prominent baseball coaches such as Jim Lefebvre, ex-Major League player, manager and hitting instructor, at his baseball school in Scottsdale, AZ.\nHow to Use It\nTo measure bat speed “out front”, in the hitting zone where batters are taught to hit the ball, the Swing Speed Radar can be positioned in front of the batter, or behind the batter. The most important consideration in using the Swing Speed Radar is to position it in the plane of the swing as the bat enters the hitting zone, similarly to positioning a ball at the desired height and location on a tee.\nIf the batter is swinging “in air” without a ball, the Swing Speed Radar can be located forward about six feet in front of the hitting zone, at the height of the bat swing through the hitting zone. The radar can be mounted on a tripod or hung on a net or fence, using the two snaphooks provided. The batter is now swinging toward the radar as though it were the ball coming from the pitcher. This is an ideal location for bat swing training.\nIf the batter is swinging at a ball on a tee, the Swing Speed Radar must be located behind the batter to prevent the batted ball from striking the radar and/or erroneous reading caused by the unpredictable ball flight from the tee. The radar should be about six feet behind the tee, facing the ball on the tee and at the height of the ball. The radar must be sufficiently rearward, where a catcher would ordinarily be positioned, to prevent it from being struck with the bat .In this location, the batter is swinging away from the radar. To accomplish this positioning, the Swing Speed Radar can be mounted on a tripod, or hung on a net or fence by using the two snaphooks.\nWhether the Swing Speed Radar™ is located rearward or forward, it will measure the speed of the bat barrel in the hitting zone. When determining the energy imparted to the ball, the maximum exit velocity results from the ball being struck at or near the “sweet spot” of the bat, which can be about 4” to 6” from the bat tip. Therefore bat barrel velocity is more relevant to ball exit velocity, and ball flight distance, than bat tip speed, which will be about 15%-20% faster than the “sweet-spot” velocity. Thus a 60 mph average barrel velocity will correspond to a bat tip speed of about 70 mph. However, a batter doesn’t intentionally hit the ball with the bat tip—so measure bat barrel velocity with the Swing Speed Radar.\nTIPS FOR USING THE SPEED SWING RADAR FOR BAT SELECTION", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.658089816570282}
{"content": "Jewish ecological discourse has shown that Judaism harbors deep concern for the well-being of the natural world. However, the movement has not articulated a Jewish theology of nature, nor has it submitted the sources of Judaism to a systematic, philosophical examination. This volume intends to contribute to the nascent discourse on Judaism and ecology by clarifying diverse conceptions of nature in Jewish thought and by using the insights of Judaism to formulate a constructive Jewish theology of nature. The twenty-one contributors consider the Bible and rabbinic literature, examine the relationship between the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of revelation in the context of natural law, and wrestle with questions of nature and morality. They look at nature in the Jewish mystical tradition, and they face the challenges to Jewish environmental activism caused by the tension between the secular nature of the environmental discourse and Jewish religious commitments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9910649061203003}
{"content": "Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.\nEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.\nControlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).\nCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.\nUpdating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.\nMonitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.\nCoordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.\nOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.\nIdentifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.\nCommunicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.\nThinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.\nJudging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.\nCoaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.\nEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.\nTraining and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.\nProcessing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.\nDeveloping Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.\nGuiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.\nInterpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.\nEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.\nScheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.\nAssisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.\nDeveloping and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.\nRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.\nAnalyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9178036451339722}
{"content": "Recording is regarded by most social workers as a necessary evil. The research from which this book arises found that recording is a highly complex and demanding aspect of professional practice. Why has such a critical activity received so little attention, despite the concerns over social work records identified with successive inquiries into tragic deaths? This highly topical book explores the often conflicting demands on social workers as they record information on the case files, and will stimulate a long overdue debate as to how to achieve more effective recording in social work.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986405372619629}
{"content": "Apologizing with Class\n\"Please forgive me because when I,\" not quite right yet, thought the mother, \"Please forgive me because I forgot to pick up your child's papers after school yesterday. I was in such a hurry, it slipped my mind. I promise not to forget again.\"\n\"We regret we had to make change to,\" oops, that's wrong, thought the clerk, \"we regret we had to change your travel arrangements on such short notice. We did not know you had already made further plans.\"\n\"We are making up excuses,\" no, that wasn't correct. The businessman scratched his head and thought. \"Please excuse us for making an error on your charge account. We value your business and will see that your account is corrected.\"\nMistakes can be embarrassing, but apologizing with grace is an art worth learning. A graceful apology softens the error, perhaps earning forgiveness for you. The trick is matching the words to the mistake, while paying attention to the level of formality, detail, and intimacy necessary.\nSome apologies begin with an acknowledgment an error was made. Formal statements may begin \"we regret our mistake.\" Less formal, but standard statements might start \"We are sorry.\" Very informal, slangy statements are \"We goofed,\" or \"We messed up,\" or just \"Oops!\" or \"Oh, oh!\"\nThe next part of the apology may be descriptive about the error. Formal language to describe an error made in travel reservations might be, \"Your booking included incomplete information...\" The same error stated less formally would be \"We neglected to mention...\" The informal version might be \"We didn't let you know about...\"\nSometimes, when both the person who made the mistake and the victim of the error know what the mistake was, it is not mentioned in detail. When a company sends out the wrong product to fill an order, and the customer complains, the corrected shipment may include a card with the words \"Sorry, it was our fault! Please accept our apology,\" or \"We're not perfect! Please forgive us.\"\nThe next part of the apology may be an excuse, a way for the person who made the mistake to \"save face,\" or keep their dignity even though they erred. Pointing the finger or placing blame on others is not necessary in making an excuse. To express personal responsibility the common words used are \"it was my fault,\" or \"I am to blame.\" If much effort was spent but the mistake still occurred anyway, you can say \"I tried, but something went wrong anyway,\" or \"no matter how hard I tried, it still didn't work out,\" or \"in spite of my best efforts, it still failed.\"\nIf there is a way to correct the error, this can be described in detail, or in vague terms. A financial error might include specifics of how the account will be corrected, \"The balance of your account will be corrected in the following way.\" Vague terms might be more appropriate for informal mistakes, as in \"I'll make it up to your somehow,\" or \"I'll make it right.\"\nFinally, most apologies end with a promise. It may be formal, \"We guarantee better performance in the future,\" standard, \"We promise to do better next time,\" or informal \"Cross my heart and hope to die, it'll never, ever happen again!\"\nSo, the next time you need to apologize, whether because you, in slang terms, \"boobooed,\" or \"messed up royally,\" or \"really pulled a boner,\" you can \"‘fess up\" with class and keep your family, friends, classmates, co-workers, and customers happy.\nSpeak Read Write Educational Resources Speak Read Write Home\nCopyright 2006-2012 Sally Jennings www.speak-read-write.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6063092947006226}
{"content": "This module offers a critical evaluation of some of the tensions and contradictions found in the current political status of children and young people. Expectations of participation along with the acquisition of civic, social and political knowledge delivered through the curriculum are now a significant feature in the social policy agenda surrounding young people. For example, the communitarian responsibility associated with such participation can be contrasted with the denial of citizenship rights.\nThis module builds on the rights agenda as set out in the UNCRC and critically explores how protection and concerns in relation to safeguarding can equate to a denial of agency, where paternalism embedded in policy agendas functions as control and a denial of political agency. The traditionally dominant ascribed identities frequently placed on children and young people in a globalised context are critically explored here and future political status of this minority group contemplated.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9891961216926575}
{"content": "A common malady we all face is anger. What is the best way to eliminate this undesirable behavior? Many follow the path of trying to avoid the situation that causes it or simply walk away when it arises. While this may be useful, Elder Marcarius calls it a weak way to combat this evil tendency. You will not eliminate anger by this course.\nConsider the person who raises ager in you as someone being used by God to show you your greatest weakness, Elder Macarius tells us. He says,\nAnger was given to us to combat against sin, not to use against our neighbor. It's improper usage is caused by pride. Only humility and prayer will lead to mastering this weakness and directing this force the conquering of evil.This rage slumbers in you at all times but is hidden until this person, the hand of God, reveals discloses it. Combat this temptation through practicing humility, charity, courage. It will take long to conquer; but pray for help and start now. Reference:\nRussian Letters of Spiritual Direction, p78", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5182234644889832}
{"content": "Critical Thinking: The Straw Man About this video How to recognise an argument made from straw. Critical thought and an awareness of faulty logic are essential tools when it comes to holding your own in an argument. This is especially true in science, whether it be justifying work or spotting a poorly constructed argument in the media.\nThis animation – one of six short films exploring concepts in critical thought – explores the basis of a 'straw man' argument. These rhetorical devices are used to refute a statement under false pretences, often making use of over simplifications to misrepresent an opponent's original position. Knowing how to recognise them is useful in spotting poorly framed arguments within the media, particularly in health and science coverage.\nThe series of short animations explore other areas in critical thought, including rationality, probability and logic. Understanding and using these elements is essential to the scientific process, allowing us to construct and critically analyse theories about reality.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.875744104385376}
{"content": "Relative Affordability of Health Insurance Premiums Under CHIP Expansion Programs & the ACA Affordability is integral to the success of health care reforms aimed at ensuring universal access to health insurance coverage, and affordability determinations have major policy and practical consequences. This article describes factors that influenced the determination of affordability benchmarks and premium-contribution requirements for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expansions in three states that sought to universalize access to coverage for youth.\nThe article also compares subsidy levels developed in these states to the premium subsidy schedule under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for health insurance plans purchased through an exchange. The study finds sizeable variability in premium-contribution requirements as a percentage of family income across the three states and in the progressivity and regressivity of the premium-contribution schedules developed. These findings underscore the ambiguity and subjectivity of affordability standards.\nFurther, the analyses suggest that the future of CHIP beyond 2015 is likely to have significant implications for health insurance coverage costs incurred by families who currently rely at least in part on CHIP for coverage.\nRead more in the link below.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9486566185951233}
{"content": "The central objective of ArcticNet is to contribute to the development and dissemination of the knowledge needed to formulate adaptation strategies and national policies to help Canadians face the impacts and opportunities of climate change and globalization in the Arctic.\nA major goal of ArcticNet is to engage Inuit organizations, northern communities, universities, research institutes, industry as well as government and international agencies as partners in the scientific process and the steering of the Network.\nArcticNet is conducting Integrated Regional Impact Studies on societies and on marine and terrestrial coastal ecosystems in the Canadian High Arctic, in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, and in Hudson Bay. In addition to work conducted in northern communities, ArcticNet researchers from various fields use the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen to access the vast expanses of the coastal Arctic. This integrated research offers a unique multi-disciplinary and cross-sectorial environment to train the next generation of specialists, from north and south, needed to manage the Canadian Arctic of tomorrow.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5669306516647339}
{"content": "DESPITE ALL of these efforts to reform schools, a significant minority of parents have concluded that our schools are not fit for educating their children. This frustration has led to a surge in the movement known ashomeschooling. Homeschool families educate their children as they see fit, either basing their education on curriculum available for private purchase or developing their own curriculum. For many years homeschoolers were seen as conservative, religious families who did not accept the notion of secular public education. Even today, a significant number of homeschool families educate their children for religious reasons. But as more families have become exasperated by public schools, hundreds of thousands of children have left school and begun secular homeschool studies. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, 225,000 students were homeschooled in 1988; by 1998 that number had blossomed to over 1.5 million, a six-fold increase.One of the attractions to homeschooling has been research that suggests homeschooled students outperform their public school peers. In a survey of test scores conducted by the National Center for Home Education, homeschool students outperformed public school students by an average of 30 to 37 percentile points in math and reading. The survey also noted that the income and education level of homeschool parents did not effect the success of their children. While there was a direct correlation between public school children's' scores with parents education and income (students with well educated and wealthier parents achieved higher scores than children of poorly educated, low-income parents), homeschool students performed equally well no matter whether their parents were well educated or not, high income or low income. For example, homeschoolers from $100,000+ income families average a 92 percentile in national standardized tests, while homeschoolers from families making less than $15,000 a year scored at the 87th percentile, much higher than their public school counterparts.\nSome homeschooling critics have argued that students educated at home do not receive the significant socialization opportunities afforded to students who attend schools. A guide to homeschooling published by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education cited several studies which concluded that homeschooling is not detrimental to a student's social skills:\nStudies of social adjustment and self-esteem indicate that home-educated students are likely to be socially and psychologically healthy (Montgomery, 1989; Shyers, 1992; Taylor, 1986). Homeschooled students tend to have a broader age-range of friends than their schooled peers, which may encourage maturity and leadership skills (Montgomery, 1989). Homeschoolers are not necessarily isolated from others of their age; they meet and socialize with peers in their neighborhood and at community classes and activities.\nWith the recent growth of the Internet, even more families have become attracted to homeschooling. The Internet allows for communication between homeschool families as well as exchanges in online lesson plans without affecting the independence of parent teachers. Eighty five percent of homeschoolers currently use computers in their education.\nI'd like to examine other reform styles.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7844077348709106}
{"content": "The fundamental flaws in the Massachusetts (and ACA) model The Massachusetts Model of Health Reform in Practice Mass-Care & Massachusetts Physicians for a National Health Program October 2011 The reform has not addressed the health care crisis that most Massachusetts residents face, and that renders our entire health care system increasingly unaffordable. Health care costs – which are straining employer and household budgets, edging out all other spending priorities by the state and municipalities – have increased at even more rapid rates following reform. Administrative waste in the system has grown as a consequence of introducing new payers into an already bureaucratic health care system. Cost shifting under employer-sponsored insurance, particularly for small business employees, has accelerated. Reform has not achieved universal coverage, despite the mandate, largely because the state has been unable to ensure that truly affordable plans are available. Reform has not reduced the burden of medical bills or medical bankruptcy on Massachusetts' families. The demand for safety net services by the uninsured and underinsured has remained high, and has begun to grow, while reform and subsequent state policy has created a financial crisis for safety net providers serving low-income and minority communities in the state. Reform has not been able to significantly slow the rising use of emergency departments for care.\nMost concerning, the modest gains achieved by the reform have come at a high cost – even after the state has successfully shifted many of these costs on to federal taxpayers. The costs of the reform are widely acknowledged to be unsustainable and the state has been forced to restrict benefits and shift costs to residents, employers, and federal taxpayers as a consequence. This may help explain the declining support for reform noted in recent years. Moreover, the costs of the reform have not been born equitably, with low and middle income individuals bearing a disproportionate share of the costs.\nThe Massachusetts reform has not addressed the fundamental deficiencies in the health care system. The reform contained no proven or robust cost-control measures and thus the state has had to struggle to afford expanded coverage in the face of unsustainable cost increases. The Massachusetts reform introduced new programs and rules to an already complex blend of public and private insurers, leaving the state with increasing administrative complexity – and increasing costs.\nThere is every reason to believe that the recently passed national reform law based on the Massachusetts reform (The Affordable Care Act) will result in similar mixed outcomes. Our hope is for an equitably financed health care system that serves all Americans in a cost-effective way, without requiring cost-sharing that prohibits needed care. A Massachusetts-style reform will not achieve these goals.\nComment: By Don McCanne, MD The Massachusetts plan has been successful only in nominally increasing the numbers of individuals insured, but at a trade-off of making almost everything else worse, including the insurance coverage itself. The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) used the Massachusetts model, and experience with the implementation to date indicates that we can expect the same or similar fundamental deficiencies, making unaffordable under-insurance the new national standard.\nIn a PNHP press release, Dr. Rachel Nardin, assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of this study, stated, \"The Massachusetts reform built on a complex blend of public and private insurers, adding to the administrative complexity and cost of the system. To achieve cost-effective, high-quality and truly universal care, we need a single-payer system.\"\nTo better understand why the Massachusetts/ACA model can't work, it would be worthwhile to read the full 46 page report, accessible at the link above.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5047917366027832}
{"content": "Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Originally from Russia, she received her BA, summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her PhD in social/personality psychology from Stanford University. Lyubomirsky currently teaches courses in social psychology and positive psychology and serves as the Department of Psychology’s graduate advisor. Her teaching and mentoring of students have been recognized with the Faculty of the Year and Faculty Mentor of the Year Awards.\nIn 2002, Lyubomirsky was awarded a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize. Currently, she is an associate editor of The Journal of Positive Psychology and (with Ken Sheldon) holds a five-year million-dollar grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness. Her research has been written up in dozens of magazines and newspapers and she has appeared on multiple TV shows, radio shows, and feature documentaries in North America and Europe. She has lectured widely to a variety of audiences, including business executives, life coaches, retirees, students, and scholars. The How of Happiness encompasses her findings on the nature of happiness.\nIn her work, Lyubomirsky has focused on developing a science of human happiness. To this end, her research addresses three critical questions: 1) What makes people happy?; 2) Is happiness a good thing?; and 3) How can we make people happier still? She is currently exploring the potential of happiness-sustaining activities—for example, expressing gratitude, doing acts of kindness, visualizing one’s “best possible selves,” and reflecting on happy moments—to durably increase a person’s happiness level. She has been conducting research on happiness for eighteen years and has published widely in the area.\nSonja and I met and spoke about happiness, the value of challenges and risks, and dealing with life transitions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8414673805236816}
{"content": "Thursday, May 27th, 2010...10:37 am Students move beyond the historical facts and grasp raw emotions.\nThe freshmen class is currently wrapping up their Living Histories project by presenting their final projects to their classmates. During the presentation they reflect upon their learning experiences and the challenges they encountered. This project as helped them move beyond literal interpretation and helped them to recognize the human aspect of writing.\nWhen asked the questions, “Describe your favorite part of the project” and “What was the most challenging aspect of your project,” the vast majority of the students answered the interview for both. They recognized their own faults and weaknesses during the interview: they were nervous, they missed opportunities to get more in-depth answers from their interviewee or they didn’t think they had enough questions. However, they also admitted that this was their favorite part because it made the event real to them. They described interviews where their interviewee broke down crying, showed them pictures and medals, and in general helped them understand what it was really like to live during any specific time in history.\nThe students then successfully portrayed those sentiments into their own fictional writing pieces. They meshed the factual with the emotional.\nProject Examples", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9894370436668396}
{"content": "Claims for Injured Businesses\nThe legal environment in which business must function changes rapidly and without notice. The opening of international markets through the Internet, wide availability of personal computers, and the dropping of trade barriers has made capable, user-friendly legal counsel more a necessity than a luxury. At the same time, greater opportunity exists for unfair competition, including breach of noncompete covenants, trade secret theft, and tortious interference with contract or with business relations. Founded by Plano civil litigation and personal injury attorney Richard L. Armstrong, Armstrong the Law Firm, P.C. has built a reputation for excellence, cutting-edge innovation, and reliability among its business clients. Its attorneys have significant experience in both business litigation and transactional matters. Predatory business practices can be remedied by injunctive relief, or by other judicial remedies where necessary.\nClaims for Injured Individuals\nArmstrong The Law Firm, P.C. is dedicated to zealous advocacy for victims of personal injury, car accidents, trucking and bicycle accidents. Attorneys at the firm also handle wrongful death claims and survival claims.The Firm's personal injury attorneys have achieved significant settlements for clients ranging from young children to the elderly. Armstrong The Law Firm, P.C. is proud of its record in vindicating the rights of personal injury negligence victims: whether from suing a company for negligent conduct leading to wrongful death, or obtaining a successful settlement of a car accident case. The focus is on results for clients with Plano injury lawyers at Armstrong the Law Firm, P.C., the Plano personal injury firm.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8637398481369019}
{"content": "Space requirements and dust control for feedlot cattle\nRobert F. Miller\nCalifornia Agriculture 16(12):14-15. DOI: 10.3733/ca.v016n12p14.\nA feeding trial conducted in Tulare County indicates that dust from feedlots in summer can be controlled by reducing allotted space as low as 50 square feet per head, without adversely affecting performance of cattle.\nRobert F. Miller is Farm Advisor, Tulare County.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9777202010154724}
{"content": "Document Type Journal Article\nDate of this Version May 2005\nAbstract A magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) stirrer that exhibits chaotic advection is designed, modeled, and tested. The stirrer can operate as a stand-alone component or it can be incorporated into a MHD-controlled network. The stirrer consists of a conduit equipped with individually controlled electrodes positioned along its opposing walls. The conduit is filled with an electrolyte solution and positioned in a uniform magnetic field. When a potential difference is applied across pairs or groups of electrodes, the resulting current interacts with the magnetic field to induce Lorentz forces and fluid motion. When the potential difference is applied across opposing electrodes that face each other, the fluid is propelled along the conduit’s length. When the potential difference is applied across diagonally positioned electrodes, a circulatory motion results. When the potential difference alternates periodically across two or more such configurations, chaotic motion evolves and efficient mixing is obtained. This device can serve as both a stirrer and a pump. The advantage of this device over previous designs of MHD stirrers is that it does not require electrodes positioned away from the conduit’s walls. Since this device has no moving parts, the concept is especially suitable for microfluidic applications.\nKeywords Microfluidics, magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD), chaotic stirrer, microreactors, lab on a chip\nDate Posted: 28 March 2006 This document has been peer reviewed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.995608389377594}
{"content": "Since 2001, ICF International has supported the Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Service (IDUES) Annual Performance Report (APR) initiative established by the U.S. Department of Education to administer Title III and Title V programs of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The IDUES APR is a centralized, web-based data collection tool, a performance measurement and data repository for over 700 colleges and universities receiving federal grants through Title III and V programs to strengthen institutional capacity and student outcomes. A significant number of these grantees are minority-serving institutions facing similar, yet distinct student and institutional needs.\nAt the beginning of the initiative, ICF worked closely with the Director of IDUES and others to design, develop, and implement this fully web-based performance measurement system. During the second phase, ICF finalized and rolled out the APR system, including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) reporting. The contract was extended to continue with enhancement, maintenance, and provision of technical assistance (TA) support for the APR, and in 2007, the scope of work was expanded to include enhancement of the system to produce system-generated final performance reports based on each grantee’s annual performance reports. Under the new contract ICF continues to support Title III and V programs by enhancing the APR system to accommodate four additional Title III programs and continuing previous tasks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9213725328445435}
{"content": "Signs You Might Be A Shopaholic The Holidays are over, do you feel like like you’re having withdrawals from shopping and NEED to get to the mall NOW? Well, you just might be a shopaholic. I know people often make light of people’s need for shopping but this is a REAL condition with some life-altering consequences. The similarities to other addictions like alcohol and drugs are scary. Here’s some signs you might be a shopaholic.\nYou lie about your purchases – People with a shopping addiction often find themselves hiding their purchases from family members or sneaking them into the house and pretending they already owned the items.\nYour shopping habits are hurting your relationships. – When people with shopping addictions rack up debt or lie about their activities, it can inflict serious damage on close relationships.\nYOU SHOP ALONE – Bringing trusted friends on shopping trips can help shopaholics keep their impulses in check.\nYou shop to feel better about yourself. – Shopaholics often report that buying a new dress or outfit provides a temporary confidence boost\nYou think of shopping as a hobby – Therapists recommend replacing shopping with other activities that don’t involve making purchases, such as recreational sports or cooking.\nAre you shopping TOO much? Read the full article HERE", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5146012306213379}
{"content": "Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae induces respiratory disease in swine by colonizing cilia causing ciliostasis, cilial loss and epithelial cell death. Heparin binds to M. hyopneumoniae cells in a dose-dependent manner and blocks its ability to adhere to porcine cilia. We show here that Mhp493 (P216), a paralogue of the cilium adhesin P97 (Mhp183), is cleaved between amino acids 1040 and 1089 generating surface-accessible, heparin-binding proteins P120 and P85. Antiphosphoserine antibodies recognized P85 in 2-D immunoblotting studies and TiO2 chromatography of trypsin digests of P85 isolated a single peptide with an m/z of 917.3. A phosphoserine residue in the tryptic peptide (90)VSELpSFR(96) (position 94 in P85) was identified by MALDI-MS/MS. Polyhistidine fusion proteins (F1(P216), F2(P216), F3(P216)) spanning Mhp493 bound heparin with biologically significant Kd values, and heparin, fucoidan and mucin inhibited this interaction. Latex beads coated with F1(P216), F2(P216) and F3(P216) adhered to and entered porcine kidney epithelial-like (PK15) cell monolayers. Microtitre plate-based assays showed that sequences within P120 and P85 bind to porcine cilia and are recognized by serum antibodies elicited during infection by M. hyopneumoniae. Mhp493 contributes significantly to the surface architecture of M. hyopneumoniae and is the first cilium adhesin to be described that lacks an R1 cilium-binding domain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8963363170623779}
{"content": "Recovery Act: Initial Results on States' Use of and Accountability for Transportation Funds GAO-09-597T, Apr 29, 2009 Additional Materials: Contact: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided $48.1 billion in additional spending at the Department of Transportation (DOT) for investments in transportation infrastructure, including highways, passenger rail, and transit. This statement provides a general overview of (1) selected states' use of Recovery Act funds for highway programs, (2) the approaches taken by these states to ensure accountability for these funds, and (3) the selected states' plans to evaluate the impact of the Recovery Act funds that they receive for highway programs. This statement is based on work in which GAO examined the use of Recovery Act funds by a core group of 16 states and the District of Columbia, representing about 65 percent of the U.S. population and two-thirds of the intergovernmental federal assistance available through the Act. GAO issued its first bimonthly report on April 23, 2009.\nAccording to DOT, as of mid-April, the 17 locations that GAO reviewed had obligated $3.3 billion of the over $15 billion (21 percent) in highway investment funds that DOT had apportioned to them. These funds will be used in about 900 projects. States are using existing statewide plans to quickly identify and obligate funding for Recovery Act transportation projects. Several states have generally focused on rehabilitation and repair projects, because these projects require lessenvironmental review or design work. For example, the New Jersey Department of Transportation selected 40 projects and concentrated mainly on projects that require little environmental clearance or extensive design work, such as highway and bridge painting and deck replacement. Some states also reported targeting funds toward projects with an emphasis on job creation and consideration of economically distressed areas. For example, Colorado Department of Transportation officials are emphasizing construction projects, such as highway bridge replacements, rather than projects in planning or design phases, in order to maximize job creation. The Illinois Department of Transportation reported that it is planning to spend a large share of its estimated $655 million in Recovery Act funds for highway and bridge projects in economically distressed areas. States are modifying systems to track Recovery Act funds but are concerned about tracking funds distributed directly to nonstate entities. Officials from all 16 of the states which GAO is reviewing and the District of Columbia stated that they have established or are establishing ways to identify, monitor, track, and report on the use of the Recovery Act funds. However, officials from many of these states and the District of Columbia have concerns about the ability of subrecipients, localities, and other non-state entities to separately monitor, track, and report on the Recovery Act funds these nonstate entities receive. Officials in several states also expressed concern about being held accountable for funds flowing directly to localities or other recipients and indicated that either their states would not be tracking Recovery Act funds going to the local levels or that they were unsure how much data would be available on the use of these funds. Our April 23rd report recommended that the OMB evaluate current reporting requirements before adding further data collection requirements. States vary in their responses to determining how to assess the impact of Recovery Act funds. For programs such as the Federal-aid Highway Surface Transportation Program, some states will use existing federal program guidance or performance measures to evaluate impact. However, a number of states have expressed concerns about definitions of \"jobs retained\" and \"jobs created\" under the act, as well as methodologies that can be used for the estimation of each. Given these concerns, GAO recommended in its first bimonthly report that the OMB continue to identify methodologies that can be used to determine jobs retained and created from projects funded by the Recovery Act.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5317766666412354}
{"content": "We all wish we had more time in the day. However, the reality is we must all complete everything in the same 24 hour period as our friends, family, colleagues and competitors.\nIn a recent post on his leadership blog, John Maxwell wrote about this shared limitation of available time. What distinguishes the most successful people, he suggests, is how they prioritize their tasks to make the best use of their time. In fact, Maxwell provided a simple but effective formula for prioritizing tasks to make the best use of time. This approach is similar to formulas I’ve used to prioritize business requirements on projects. Therefore, I created a spreadsheet to leverage John’s formula and provide a tool for prioritizing tasks. You can download a copy of the spreadsheet here by simply clicking on the appropriate version below:\nPrioritization Tool I encourage you to read John’s “Don’t Manage Your Time, Manage Your Life!” post yourself. Then, you can either use this spreadsheet or find your own solution for prioritizing tasks.\nQuestion: Did you try this spreadsheet or another formula or tool to prioritize your tasks? What works for you?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9974830746650696}
{"content": "Sections\nWho Are the Elderly Bereaved? | Theories About Adjustment to Permanent Losses\nExcerpt\nThe terms bereavement and grief reaction have been used to refer to any number of losses experienced by older adults. These losses include (but are not limited to) the death of a spouse, an adult child, another family member, or a close personal friend; divorce (Cain 1988); prolonged caregiving for a severely impaired relative (Bass et al. 1991); and a significant decline in one's own health, attractiveness, capabilities, opportunities, and so forth (Kalish 1987). When used in its narrowest sense, bereavement refers to the reaction or process that results after the death of someone close. Indeed, death of a spouse is generally accepted as the most common and traumatic life event that older people experience (Jacobs and Ostfeld 1977).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9108938574790955}
{"content": "Them egg-heads never sleep, it seems. Every day brings something new:\nUsing treadmill-conditioned mice, a team led by the Department of Kinesiology's Gianni Parise has shown that aerobic exercise triggers those cells to become bone more often than fat. In sedentary mice, the same stem cells were more likely to become fat, impairing blood production in the marrow cavities of bones.This is a real boon for a couch potato like I. The only question is: should I start my diet with these treadmill-conditioned mice or is there a plan to produce treadmill-conditioned cows, sheep and other more gastronomically attractive critters?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6014487743377686}
{"content": "To the Editor:In Central NJ, nearly 260 people a week are newly diagnosed with cancer; nearly 89 of those individuals have colon cancer, just like Julie Patskin of Bedminster. At Cancer Support Community Central NJ, we want to recognize that March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.\nColon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the United States. For every person affected, there are many people in their lives that are also impacted. CSCCNJ serves all people affected by cancer.\nJulie, a colon cancer survivor, has utilized many of the free activities offered at CSCCNJ. CSCCNJ offers a menu of options for individuals including support groups led by professional staff, education, nutrition, healthy cooking, gentle fitness, yoga and stress reducing classes.\nAll of this is available, FREE, to any person affected by cancer. This includes the individual with cancer, their family and friends. “At CSCCNJ, my entire family found the hope and support we needed on our journey with cancer, ensuring we never felt alone,” said Julie.\nAmy J. Sutton Executive Director Cancer Support Community Central New Jersey\nGot something to say? Email deborah.bell@patch.com with your letters and opinions.\nRelated Topics: Cancer Support Community Central New Jersey, Cancer support, Letter to the Editor, and Opinion", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7841131091117859}
{"content": "The September Business Conditions report, released by the Precision Metalformers Association, or PMA, shows that 24% of participants anticipate that economic activity will improve during the next three months--up from 23% in August. Meanwhile, 51% predict that activity will remain unchanged, up from 46% last month, and 25% report that activity will decline, compared to 31% in August.\nMetalforming companies also expect a slight increase in incoming orders during the next three months, with 32% anticipating an increase in orders, compared to 29% in August; 37% forecasting no change--down from 40% last month--and 31% predicting a decrease in orders, the same percentage reported in August.\nThe PMA report also showed wverage daily shipping levels improved modestly in September, with 22 percent of participants reporting that shipping levels are above levels of three months ago--up from 17% in August. At the same time, 38% report that shipping levels are the same as three months ago, compared to 43% in August, and 40% report a decrease in shipping levels.\n“After several months of flat or modestly negative expectations for new orders and shipments, PMA’s manufacturing member companies have moved to a slightly more positive outlook as Q-3 draws to a close,” said William E. Gaskin, PMA president. “During the first four or five months of 2012, the average metalforming company reported that orders and shipments, year-over-year, were growing at the rate of approximately 10% and 12%, respectively, compared to 2011.\"\nOne area of concern: The percentage of metalforming companies with a portion of their workforce on short time or layoff increased to 15% in September, up from 13% in August. The September figure is higher than it was one year ago when only 12% of metalformers reported workers on short time or layoff. According to Gaskin, a modest contraction in orders and shipments during the summer was seen across many sectors, with the exception of automotive. This, in turn, reduced growth to approximately 8% year-over-year. \"With significant economic uncertainty being exacerbated by the upcoming presidential election, it is expected that the balance of 2012 will continue to show single-digit growth compared to 2011, as we look ahead to Q-4,\" Gaskin noted.\nThe full September PMA Business Conditions Report is available online.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5520689487457275}
{"content": "Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute\nAnthony T. Gallagher\ndoctoral dissertation, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-09-02, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, April, 2009 Download\nCopyright notice: This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.\nAbstract\nSimple Temporal Networks (STNs) have gained increasing acceptance in scheduling applications, and provide key features for dealing with dynamic, uncertain execution environments. STNs provide strong support for flexible-times schedules, which can absorb some of the deviations encountered during schedule execution, lessening the need for rescheduling. Further, they lend assistance to incremental scheduling techniques, which revise the existing schedule instead of formulating a new solution from scratch. This reduces the changes from one schedule to the next, increasing stability. Despite these advantages, STNs have received scant attention in distributed scheduling. A key limitation has been that STNs require consistency of all temporal\ninformation: An inconsistent STN provides no solution. Unfortunately, consistency cannot be guaranteed in a distributed, dynamic, and uncertain environment, where agents frequently have conflicting information due to various factors (such as communication lags). Previous pproaches have concentrated on designing conservative schedules that do not encounter inconsistencies during execution. However, such guarantees are often impractical, and can lead to diminished performance.\nThis thesis investigates three important issues surrounding the use of Simple Temporal Networks (STNs) in a distributed scheduling environment. We start by presenting strategies to recover from the inconsistent information that naturally arises during schedule execution, and restore the STN to a consistent state. We leverage the conflict analysis tools presented by the STN framework to detect, explain and resolve inconsistencies as they arise. Our strategies extend previous work on explaining STN conflicts in centralized scheduling domains, adapting this technology to the additional complexities presented by a distributed environment. We present a set of \"local\" and \"non-local\" conflict resolution actions that an agent can apply to resolve inconsistencies. Local actions make changes to the agent's local schedule. Non-local actions, on the other hand, make assumptions about other agent's activities, restoring consistency while waiting for updated information. Our results show that a team of agents using these conflict resolution actions significantly outperforms a second team of agent that makes conservative assumptions to prevent inconsistencies from arising during execution.\nConflict explanation can also be used on inconsistencies encountered during the scheduling process to enhance the multi-agent schedule. This thesis develops strategies that increase the robustness of the schedule, and enable agents to update previous commitments they had made to each other. Assuming a model of durational uncertainty, we have developed Just-in-Time Backfilling (JIT-BF), a framework that monitors the scheduled activities that are close to execution for potential failures, and takes action to prevent these failures by scheduling redundant activities. JIT-BF extracts low-probability durations from the uncertainty model and inserts them into the STN in a \"what-if\" mode to see what would happen if the duration does occur. Inconsistencies point to potential impending failures. By analyzing the inconsistency, its effect on the schedule can be determined, and preventative action taken to reinforce the schedule. Our results show that a team of agents that uses JIT-BF significantly outperforms a reactive team of agents that recovers from inconsistencies once they arise.\nWe conclude this thesis by presenting a conflict-driven coordination approach to updating existing temporal commitments between agents. When an agent fails to schedule a new activity because of conflicts with the scheduled activities of other agents, it can analyze the resulting inconsistency to discover what these conflicting activities are and by how much they need to move to allow the new activity to be scheduled. We present two alternative strategies that provide a trade-off between the amount of information an agent needs to initiate a coordination session, and the time needed for coordination. Our results show that agents using either strategy significantly outperform an agent team that unconditionally maintains inter-agent commitments once formed. Further, we show that agents using either strategy deliver equivalent performance, yet, the less information-heavy strategy significantly reduces the amount of communication at a negligible computational cost increase.\nNotes\nNumber of pages: 259\nText Reference\nAnthony T. Gallagher, \"Embracing Conflicts: Exploiting Inconsistencies in Distributed Schedules using Simple Temporal Network Representations\n,\" doctoral dissertation, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-09-02, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, April, 2009\nBibTeX Reference\n@phdthesis{Gallagher_2009_6356,author = \"Anthony T Gallagher\",\ntitle = \"\nEmbracing Conflicts: Exploiting Inconsistencies in Distributed Schedules using Simple Temporal Network Representations\n\",booktitle = \"\",\nschool = \"Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University\",\nmonth = \"April\",\nyear = \"2009\",\nnumber= \"CMU-RI-TR-09-02\",\naddress= \"Pittsburgh, PA\",\n}\nThe Robotics Institute is part of the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University.Contact Us | Update Instructions", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.639046311378479}
{"content": "Catechumenate directors and newcomers to the faith operate in four distinct periods punctuated by three steps. Picking up on the theme of spiritual journey of section 5, the Church teaches:\n6. This journey includes not only the periods for making inquiry and for maturing (see no. 7), but also the steps marking the catechumens’ progress, as they pass, so to speak, through another doorway or ascend to the next level.\n1. The first step: reaching the point of initial conversion and wishing to become Christians, they are accepted as catechumens by the Church.\n2. The second step: having progressed in faith and nearly completed the catechumenate, they are accepted into a more intense preparation for the sacraments of initiation.\n3. The third step: having completed their spiritual preparation, they receive the sacraments of initiation.\nThese three steps are to be regarded as the major, more intense moments of initiation and are marked by three liturgical rites: the first by the rite of acceptance into the order of catechumens (nos. 41-74); the second by the rite of election of enrollment of names (nos. 118-137); and the third by the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation (nos. 206-243).\nWorking within the framework of the liturgical year, step three is the Easter Vigil. By long tradition the second step coincides with the commencement of Lent. Working backward from there, the first step may take place at any time. The assumption will be that the length of time between steps one and two accommodate nearly all of the spiritual journey. In the early Church that period lasted one to seven years. Today, in practice, a catechumenate period may last a few months, but most catechists would recommend a minimum of one year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9935218095779419}
{"content": "Canadian Forest Service Publications View Record Stability of surface LiDAR height estimates on a point and polygon basis. 2008. Wulder, M.A.; Magnussen, S.; Harding, D.; Coops, N.C.; Boudewyn, P.A.; Seemann, D. Journal of Forest Planning 13: 279-286.\nYear: 2008Available from: Pacific Forestry CentreCatalog ID: 28147Language: EnglishAbstract Airborne scanning LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data has significant potential to update, audit, calibrate, and validate operational stand-level forest inventories by providing information on canopy height, vertical structure, and ground elevation. However, using LiDAR data as an operational data source in a sampling context requires repeatable and consistent attribute estimation (i.e. height), from data collected over several acquisition flight lines. We examined the consistency of LiDAR height estimates obtained from the Scanning LiDAR Imager of Canopies by Echo Recovery (SLICER) instrument over Jack pine (Pinus banksiana, var. Lamb) and black spruce (Picea mariana, var. Mill.) forest stands in central Saskatchewan, Canada. Two analyses were undertaken: first, estimated tree heights derived from pairs of LiDAR returns, acquired from multiple flight lines and within 9m of a single LiDAR footprint, were compared to assess the consistency of height estimates (point stability); secondly, height estimates from multiple flight lines within individual forest inventory polygons were compared to assess the consistency of within-polygon estimates of tree height (polygon stability). The point stability analysis indicated that over all forest classes estimates of height were consistent, with 94% of LiDAR returns (n = 15,896) having a pair-wise height difference within ± 5m. On a polygon basis, both between- and within-flight line standard deviations were considered. Results indicated that the within-polygon variability in estimated tree heights was captured by LiDAR data collected over any portion of a polygon. This result suggests that the inventory polygons are homogenous with regards to height (and related variability) and may be characterized with LiDAR, independent of actual flight path.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9026904702186584}
{"content": "In Canada, 3793 patients survived to discharge after a cardiac arrest; 628 (16.6%) of these were implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator before discharge. The implant rate rose steadily from 5.4% in 1994/95 to 26.7% in 2002/03. In the United States, 23 688 (30.2%) of 78 538 such survivors received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator before discharge. Wednesday, July 04, 2007 U.S. versus Canada in treatment of survivors of cardiac arrest Survival of cardiac arrest due to ventricular arrhythmia not due to a transient or reversible cause is a slam-dunk indication for an implantable defibrillator. However, almost twice as many eligible patients in the U.S. receive this treatment as do those in Canada according to this report from CMAJ:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6207824945449829}
{"content": "Note: Please understand that I am not in the medical profession. The following recommendation is based on my own experience and I recommend it as an OTC remedy if you're in need while you're traveling in China. Obviously, it's best to check with a doctor before taking any medication. It is pretty common to catch a cold when you're traveling, especially when you're sitting for hours on an airplane breathing recycled air - and germs. And although hopefully, you've packed carefully, including your first aid kit, you still might need some cold meds and you probably don't want to go searching when you've got a packed itinerary and the free time you do have you want to spend shopping and eating.\nI had one of the worst colds I've ever experienced last fall when I went on my tea-trek out to Yunnan Province and the Linden Centre. The trip was still wonderful but I have a feeling my travel partners would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been honking into tissues the entire time.\nWhen I got back, a girlfriend introduced me to Ban Lan Gen Ke Li (板蓝根颗粒) medication that she gets over-the-counter in Chinese pharmacies. Since that cold, I take it religiously to fend off cold symptoms. I find it certainly does make the cold less severe and shorter.\nBan Lan Gen Ke Li is a Traditional Chinese Medicine that typically comes in little packets that you mix with hot water. You drink it like a tea. I don't mind the flavor - it reminds me of warm Coca-Cola. My local pharmacist recommends drinking it three times a day while your symptoms last.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5654409527778625}
{"content": "This study provided an estimate of prenatal smoking based on data from two population-based sources for which smoking information was gathered for the same women at two different time periods and using two different methods. When examining the two data sources separately, the prenatal smoking estimate derived from the PRAMS questionnaires was higher than the BC's estimate; however, the combined estimate identified even more smokers than did either data source alone. These results are consistent with a prior study conducted in six states approximately 10 years earlier.\n10 The combined estimate of 15.1% is likely to be lower than the true prevalence because it is based on self-reported smoking. Studies using biochemical validation have found a wide range in nondisclosure rates, from 6% in a population of pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic in Sweden\n14 to 73% in a population of pregnant women attending one of four publicly funded clinics in Philadelphia.\n15 A study conducted in New Zealand using data from the medical record combined with maternal self-reports from a mailed questionnaire found that 22% of the women in the sample wrongly classified themselves as nonsmokers when using biochemical validation.\n16 Windsor et al. recommended applying a 20% smoking misclassification rate to pregnant women in the U.S.\n17 If this rate were applied to our sample, the true prevalence of smoking during pregnancy would be 18.1%. The accuracy of self-reported smoking status has been shown to be influenced by many factors, including “characteristics of the individual respondents,” “method and setting of encounter,” “cognitive demands imposed by the question,” and “the motivation of the respondents as mediated by the social desirability of the subject of inquiry.”\n18 Additional research is needed to investigate how to improve the accuracy of self-reported measures of smoking during pregnancy.\nWe found systematic differences in the reporting of prenatal smoking by data source. For example, women who were older and more educated were more likely to be identified as smokers on the PRAMS questionnaire and not on the BC. This finding may indicate that these women were more likely to admit smoking in a confidential self-administered questionnaire than to a provider. However, the systematic differences in reporting by data source are unlikely to result in meaningful biases due to their small magnitude. In fact, each data source independently identified the same subgroups of women with the highest prenatal smoking prevalence.\nThe 2003 revised BC questions were based on research indicating that when women were asked these questions directly, the trimester-specific question had a significantly higher sensitivity and a lower smoking misclassification rate.\n19 However, in some hospitals, this information is gathered from the medical record, and in these cases, it would be unlikely that these revisions to the BC questions would affect reporting. In these situations, the revised BC may even pose some disadvantages, because smoking status during each trimester is not typically recorded in the medical record. In a separate sub-analysis, we examined the prevalence of prenatal smoking before and after South Carolina and Washington State began using the 2003 revised BC, and we found the prevalence unchanged: South Carolina, 11.8% (95% CI 9.3, 14.4) to 12.3% (95% CI 9.9, 15.2); Washington State, 12.8% (95% CI 10.3, 15.7) to 9.2% (95% CI 7.2, 11.7). As more states adopt the 2003 revised BC, further evaluation of these questions and how the rates compare between the old and new BC questions will be important.\nLimitations\nOur study has several limitations. First, as mentioned previously, our estimate of the prevalence of prenatal smoking is likely an underestimation of the true prevalence, because both the BC and the PRAMS questionnaire rely on maternal self-reporting of smoking status, which is known to be underreported. Errors in self-reporting can occur for several reasons. Respondents may not fully understand the questions being asked, possibly due to language barriers or poorly written questions. Respondents may fail to report the information to their doctors or on a questionnaire because of the social stigma associated with smoking during pregnancy. Finally, there may be errors in data entry, which could lead to an under- or overreporting of smoking.\nSecond, PRAMS is a retrospective survey, and recall bias may have affected self-reported smoking. Next, because of the different reference time frames, the BC estimate may include women who smoked during their first two trimesters of pregnancy then quit for the last three months of pregnancy, whereas the PRAMS estimate would not include these women. In a separate sub-analysis of the South Carolina and Washington State estimates, we found that 11 (<0.1%) women reported smoking during the first two trimesters and abstinence during the third trimester; subsequently, these women were included on the BC estimate but not captured on the PRAMS estimate. Lastly, our findings are generalizeable only to the 24 states included in this analysis and not to the U.S. as a whole.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7573560476303101}
{"content": "Fellow Student-Author Krystyna Baumgartner and I had the privilege of attending the Major League Baseball Players Association’s (“MLBPA”) memorial for Marvin Miller on Monday, January 21st at NYU’s School of Law. The memorial was a glorious tribute to the life and legacy of one of the most important and successful leaders in labor history.\nThe memorial featured thirteen speakers with clips of Marvin Miller inserted in between. The first speaker was Richard Moss, prominent General Counsel of the MLBPA after Miller was elected Executive Director in 1966. Moss stated that Miller was especially gifted in explaining difficult concepts in a way that everyone could understand, without talking down to the listener, a skill that was echoed by speakers throughout the night.\nExecutive Director of the National Hockey League Players Association, Donald Fehr, also spoke. Fehr reflected on the emotional side of Marvin Miller that he deliberately concealed from the public. Miller was a brilliant tactician, even outside the negotiating room. For example, Fehr noted that Miller would intentionally speak quietly in order to make the players strain to pay attention. Fehr also notably addressed why Marvin Miller is still remembered today, more than 30 years after he retired. He argued that Miller built the MLBPA into a symbol of what a union could be, if run properly. Since former President Regan’s firing of 11,000 striking air traffic controllers in 1981, there has been a general acceptance of attack on labor unions from management, which continues today. Despite the hostile environment, the MLBPA successfully struck in 1981 and 1994. Finally, Fehr stated that Miller’s work to get individual members to take ownership of their union is the reason for the MLBPA’s success and claimed that unions in other industries would be much better off today if they were run with similar principles.\nOf particular interest was the bevy of both current and former players in attendance. Speakers included Hall of Fame members Dave Winfield and Joe Morgan. Many players echoed sentiments that Miller’s most difficult job was to organize a group of individuals who feared for their job security if they joined a union and who wanted to focus on playing baseball rather than deal with labor relations issues. It took several years for the players to realize what could be gained from union solidarity. Buck Martinez and Jim Bouton described Miller as an educator. Current Director of Player Relations, Tony Clark, noted the lasting appreciation that the players have for Marvin Miller and the principles he stood for, inviting several current players in attendance to stand. Just about every single player expressed his offense to Miller’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame.\nFinally, the clips of Marvin Miller were especially poignant. During his vignettes Miller expressed pride in his involvement with numerous unions and noted the value of speaking to each and every member. He also noted the conditions players faced prior to taking ownership of their union, and cautioned the players to not take their current position for granted. Miller stressed that educated, involved union members are necessary for the continuing success of the MLBPA.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5023884773254395}
{"content": "The 2007-09 global financial crisis disrupted the provision of credit in Latin America less than previous crises. We identify key initial macroeconomic conditions that contributed to the higher resilience of real credit in Latin America during this episode. These relate to economies' capacity to withstand an external financial shock and the scope for countercyclical macroeconomic policies. We also show that in most cases current macroeconomic fundamentals have deteriorated relative to those in 2007.\nJEL classification: E65, G2.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8837884068489075}
{"content": "Caregivers of elderly or disabled loved ones work hard. There’s no getting around the sacrifices of time, energy, private life and often financial wellbeing that caregivers, be it family or professional, often make. However, the rewards that accompany this self-sacrifice can be priceless.\nWith a caregiving history involving decades of caring for multiple loved ones, I know quite a bit about the hard times as well as the blessings of caregiving. Yet, because I’m an eldercare columnist, I receive letters from individuals who have caregiving responsibilities far beyond anything I’ve ever imagined. Many people are providing intensive care for adult children, others for parents or spouses.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9893142580986023}
{"content": "Our vice president of communications here at GM recently shared some info on the characteristics of a good communications leaders. These are based on recently updated results from a survey of 300 top communications leaders conducted by Heidrick & Struggles.\nUnderstands all functions within the communications mix (and those aligned to it), including internal/external communications, marketing communications, financial communications, new media, public affairs, investor relations, philanthropy and community relations. Can integrate these functions, even if not directly responsible for them all, into a comprehensive communications strategy. Knows the organization’s key stakeholders and how to engage with them. Appreciates the power of the growing base of “unofficial stakeholders” who use new media to reach mass audiences with their own content and interpretations. Serves as a trusted advisor and counselor to the leadership team. Places a high priority on Reputation Management. Works to ensure that the organization’s actions and decisions flow from authentic values and are guided by ethical standards. Is capable of helping to shape and lead organizational transformation. Has the instincts and experience to create, redefine and/or leverage a brand. Mobilizes employees to embrace and embody the brand. Has the courage to face up to difficult situations and to present bad news. Has strong fundamental skills as a thinker, writer and speaker. Inspires his/her team by creating a sense of purpose and expanding their skills. Balances discipline (planning/measuring) with agility (handling the unexpected). Can navigate in complex, global environments. Forges strong relationships and builds a network of good allies. Knows the business. Listens.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5576772093772888}
{"content": "When was the last time you thought about the cost of paper? Most people believe that paper is cheap or even free, but in managing your business, paper is expensive - in physical cost and personnel cost.\nA Coopers & Lybrand study published in 2004, stated that the typical organization is growing its paper base storage 25% per year. With this growth, you will double your paper storage every three years. Paper is not free!\nConsider the following statistics from the same study:\nTranslated into dollars cost, Coopers & Lybrand studies have stated:\nIn 1999, a study by The Delphi Group found that companies spend an average of $25,000 to fill a typical four-drawer file cabinet. Once the documents are filed, they spend on average $2,000 per year to maintain each cabinet and an average cost of $30 per piece of paper stored over it's life-span.\nWhat is it costing you to maintain your paper files? What is the real reason you have not moved to a document management solution? CASNET can help! Contact us now!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7753778696060181}
{"content": "Abstract:This paper analyzes a model in which a group of rational individuals votes over the composition and time profile of public spending. All voters agree that a balanced budget is ex ante optimal. However, if there is disagreement between current and future majorities, a balanced budget is not a political equilibrium under majority rule. Under certain conditions, a majority of the voters favors a budget deficit, and the equilibrium deficit is larger the greater is the polarization among voters. Copyright 1990 by American Economic Association.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9130247235298157}
{"content": "Feb 18 2008\nGender and War in Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe. Eds. Nancy M. Wingfield and Maria Bucur. Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies, eds. Alexander Rabinowitch and William G. Rosenberg. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006. vii, 251 pp. Select Bibliography. Contributors. Index. Paper.This collection of articles examines the variety of gendered experiences during the first and second world wars in Eastern Europe. The essays cover a wide spectrum of experiences and effects of war, exploring both military and civilian aspects (with emphasis on the latter). They seek to reevaluate traditional war narratives that focus heavily on men, particularly combatant men, and thus, “gender the front” (1). The book is divided into thematic sections: “challenging gender/resorting order,” “gendered collaborating and resisting,” and “remembering war: gendered bodies, gendered stories.”\nAlon Rachamimov’s “’Female Generals’ and ‘Siberian Angels’: Aristocratic Nurses and the Austro-Hungarian POW Relief” demonstrates that women administrative nurses did not enjoy the positive reception of nurses who served in purely medical capacities. These women were not in auxiliary medical positions subordinate to male personnel, but rather in positions of authority assigned with the task of reporting on the conditions of the POWs within the camps and ensuring their loyalty to the Austro-Hungarian government. Rachamimov reveals the considerable gendered tension between male POWs and female administrative nurses. The men often found it difficult to accept women in positions of power over them and reacted to their presence with indifference, sullenness, and even hostility. This stands in stark contrast to the views male POWs had of women serving in purely nursing capacities, who were seen as a source of solace and comfort in their more traditional roles of caregivers and nurturers, and who held little to no authority over male personnel. Continue Reading »", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8976075053215027}
{"content": "A wide-reaching piece of legislation aims to rework the way educators across the state are evaluated, hired and retained — a comprehensive reform effort that has divided many in the state’s K-12 education system, The Greeley Tribune reports.\nThe legislation, Senate Bill 191, comes as increased pressure is placed on states to reform teacher accountability measures related to effectiveness and evaluation — a key component of the federal Race to the Top competition, which pits states against each other for billions in education funding.\nThe legislation calls for the creation of a system to evaluate both teachers and principals based, in part, on their students’ academic achievement.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6172508001327515}
{"content": "A project of the Economic Opportunity Institute\nFrom 1999 to 2009, the percentage of people in Washington covered by private health insurance plans declined by 5%.\nOver the same period, the percentage covered by government insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Basic Health Plan, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, rose to cover one third of all people in the state.\nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License from the Economic Opportunity Institute. Liquid layout thanks to Matthew James Taylor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6058309078216553}
{"content": "Stainless Steel and Glass-Lined Reactors are typically found in API and Specialty Chemical production. The size of SS and Glass Lined reactors can vary from 50 gallons to over 5,000 gallons, and often agitators, dip tubes, coils and baffles are encountered, which can make effective cleaning even more of a challenge. This would also mean that it is important to choose the right tank cleaning nozzle which can effectively clean your reactor, yet do so efficiently so that it minimizes cycle time, chemical usage (e.g., caustic solvent) and effluent discharge. It is also clear that choosing the right tank cleaning nozzle can have a big impact on the financial bottom line, and this is where Lechler, with our engineering team, can help you.\nClick for Cleaning of glass and reactors", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5242180824279785}
{"content": "There are numerous threats facing honey bee populations and the recent losses of honey bee colonies in the United States, Canada, and Europe is alarming. In the U.S., annual honey bee colony losses increased from 17–20% to 32% during the winter of 2006/07 with some operations losing 90% of their hives. Average annual losses have remained high, averaging 32% from 2007–2010. One factor contributing to increased losses is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an unexplained loss of honey bee colonies fitting a defined set of criteria. While factors such as pesticide exposure, transportation stress, genetic diversity, and nutrition affect colony health, the most significant CCD-associated variable characterized to date is increased pathogen incidence. Although greater pathogen incidence correlates with CCD, the cause is unknown in part due to insufficient knowledge of the pathogenic and commensal organisms associated with honey bees.\nTo gain a more complete understanding of the spectrum of infectious agents and potential threats found in commercially managed migratory honey bee colonies, researchers conducted a 10-month investigation. Analysis incorporated a suite of molecular tools (custom microarray, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and deep sequencing) enabling rapid detection of the presence (or absence) of all previously identified honey bee pathogens as well as facilitating the detection of novel pathogens. This study provides a comprehensive temporal characterization of honey bee pathogens and offers a baseline for understanding current and emerging threats to this critical component of U.S. agriculture.\nDiscovery and characterization of four new viruses will facilitate future monitoring of bee colones. Temporal characterization of these and other microbes offers a more complete view of the possible microbe-microbe and microbe-environment interactions. Further studies examining any subtle or combinatorial effects of these novel microbes are required to understand their role in colony health.\nTemporal Analysis of the Honey Bee Microbiome Reveals Four Novel Viruses and Seasonal Prevalence of Known Viruses, Nosema, and Crithidia. (2011) PLoS ONE 6(6): e20656. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020656 Honey bees (Apis mellifera ) play a critical role in global food production as pollinators of numerous crops. Recently, honey bee populations in the United States, Canada, and Europe have suffered an unexplained increase in annual losses due to a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Epidemiological analysis of CCD is confounded by a relative dearth of bee pathogen field studies. To identify what constitutes an abnormal pathophysiological condition in a honey bee colony, it is critical to have characterized the spectrum of exogenous infectious agents in healthy hives over time. We conducted a prospective study of a large scale migratory bee keeping operation using high-frequency sampling paired with comprehensive molecular detection methods, including a custom microarray, qPCR, and ultra deep sequencing. We established seasonal incidence and abundance of known viruses, Nosema sp., Crithidia mellificae , and bacteria. Ultra deep sequence analysis further identified four novel RNA viruses, two of which were the most abundant observed components of the honey bee microbiome (~10^11 viruses per honey bee). Our results demonstrate episodic viral incidence and distinct pathogen patterns between summer and winter time-points. Peak infection of common honey bee viruses and Nosema occurred in the summer, whereas levels of the trypanosomatid Crithidia mellificae and Lake Sinai virus 2, a novel virus, peaked in January.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.844285249710083}
{"content": "Resilient carers and caregivers This chapter examines the resilience of family carers and caregivers in the palliative care setting. It analyses the impact of caring on caregivers using available data from relevant literature and from the personal accounts of caregivers. It highlights the discrepancies between how caregiving is construed by health and social care practitioners and the representation of the lived experience of caring reported by family members and others concerned.\nOxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.\nIf you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8172602653503418}
{"content": "Background: The Presque Isle Bay Watershed Restoration, Protection, and Monitoring Plan (http://pib.psu.edu) serves as the framework for restoring and protecting water resources within the Presque Isle Bay watershed and provides a model that can be adapted to other urban watersheds.The Presque Isle Bay watershed drains a highly urbanized area of approximately 26.22 square miles, including portions of Millcreek Township, City of Erie, Harborcreek Township, Summit Township, and Greene Township in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Tributaries of the bay include, from west to east, Scott Run, Unnamed Tributary One, Unnamed Tributary Two, Cascade Creek, Mill Creek, and its tributary Garrison Run. These tributaries comprise 90% of the bay’s watershed; the remainder of the watershed (10%) is comprised of direct runoff to the bay.Geospatial data collected as part of the watershed characterization of the Plan were used to prioritize restoration needs in the watershed. The 18 watershed characterization parameters were analyzed using geospatial technology and scored on a scale of 0 to 5, based on criteria developed by the watershed planning committee, in each of 78 sub- watersheds.Total restoration scores were then calculated in each of the sub-watersheds by summing each individual parameter score. Higher total restoration scores indicated a higher priority for restoration actions. This Map includes the watershed characterization data that was used to prioritize restoration needs within the Presque Isle Bay watershed.\nContacts: Sean Rafferty sdr138@psu.edu 814-217-9013", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8650882244110107}
{"content": "Explore your resources Piezoelectrics are widely used in the oil and gas industries to perform many valuable functions from low-frequency seismic surveys to design of logging-while-drilling (LWD) ultrasound tools and pressure sensors. PZFlex aids in developing the tools, positioning transducers, and analyzing the data they record during performance. Downhole tools, for example, are inserted inside the hole to check casings for corrosion or damage and aid in remedial work that prevents their rupture. Downhole tools are also used to assess the quality of the cement in the cased hole, measure its porosity, determine the targeted rock’s mechanical properties and lithology, and detect fractures. PZFlex is also used for designing transducers used in ultrasonic oil prospecting. In this application, air guns are positioned so that their shock waves rebound off targeted rock strata on the ocean floor. Arrays of sensitive acoustic receivers are either towed behind seismic survey vessels or positioned in pre-bored inspection wells on LWD wireline tools.\nPZFlex supports the design and operation of a particularly useful LWD tool that employs surface air guns to perform real-time checkshots. They are minimally disruptive to drilling despite the addition of a 90-foot stand of drill pipe. Seismic waves emitted by the guns are aimed at downhole receivers that transmit their arrival time back to the surface. Knowing the correct time-to-depth conversion for the seismic section helps the driller plan a targeted trajectory through the well and avoid high-pressure zones. The alternative of leaving the well and running a wireline checkshot would add significant rig time and expense.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6379852294921875}
{"content": "Higher education institutions are facing numerous data security challenges in the form of tight budgets, the need for unrestricted connections, online learning resources, mobile devices, and through increased regulations. One of the most insidious types of attacks today is Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs.) This whitepaper describes the APT threat to higher education and offers strategies for forming defensive strategies to address the risks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9492393136024475}
{"content": "Garner, P. (2011) Forging ahead in special education. Invited Keynote presented to: Irish Association of Teachers in Special Education (IATSE) Conference, St Patrick's College, Dublin, 09-11 June 2011.\nThis presentation will examine the current agenda for change in special education as it applies across a range of national settings. It will do so by considering lessons from history and by reflecting on examples of what has been viewed as 'effective practice' in more recent times. A coda will highlight the contemporary challenges facing those involved in supporting children and young people with learning difficulties in forging new approaches to their learning.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7631409168243408}
{"content": "About Snoring. What Causes Snoring? Snoring Remedies. Snoring occurs when there is restricted airflow while you sleep. Whether in your nose or in your throat, any obstruction can lead to snoring.\nWhat Causes Snoring? Snoring can be caused by various factors including:\nSinus infections - create inflammation blocking airways Colds/Flu - create mucous blocking airways Drugs - alcohol, muscle relaxers, sleeping aids can cause muscles to collapse and block airflow Deformities of the nasal cavity - reduce the airflow Weak throat or tongue muscles - can shift back and pinch the throat Obesity and/or excessive throat tissue - obstructed airways Snoring and Sleep Apnea. Snoring is sometimes a sign of sleep apnea. Snorers who suffer from excessive fatigue during the day my be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).\nSnoring Remedies A Snoring mouthpiece is one of the most effective snoring remedies. The snoring mouthpiece is commonly used by habitual snorers.\nSnoring surgery - is an excellent option for snorers who suffer from severe snoring that cannot be treated with a snoring mouthpiece. Snoring surgeries typically consist of removing excess tissues to open up airways.\nLight snorers may benefit from over the counter snoring remedies including:\nanti snoring pillow - adjusts the position of your head to improve airflow nasal strips - open the nasal cavity to improve airflow throat sprays - lubricate the throat to minimize vibrations Additionally, snorers may benefit from various exercise that help strengthen throat and tongue muscles. Practicing these exercises during the day can help snorers at night.\nSausalito Dentistry has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9439780712127686}
{"content": "A Brief History FareStart is a culinary and barista job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Over the past 19 years, FareStart has provided opportunities for over 5,000 people to transform their lives, while also serving over 4.5 million meals to disadvantaged men, women, and children in Seattle, Washington.\nIn 2006, FareStart’s board took a first and decisive step toward building our network. With the goal of growing impact beyond Seattle, FareStart lent staff who raised start-up capital to provide technical assistance for foodservice training programs nationwide.\nCalled Kitchens With Mission, this pilot project was given an unusual charge. Instead of teaching a specific, existing model, it was to identify the best of existing models and demonstrate how these could be effectively used together. Over the ensuing five years, Kitchens With Mission (KWM) became a resource to over 100 organizations. Of these, 50 partnered with KWM to expand their operations, including launching 25 new programs. Together these programs graduated over 500 people who entered training with significant barriers to employment—individuals who were homeless or on the verge, who had only a limited formal education, had served time in prison or had no place to turn. Of these, over 70% are now working in living-wage jobs. Together, these trainees have produced over two million fresh, nutritious meals for their communities.\nWith the success of the pilot, FareStart invited ten like-minded organizations to a summit in Seattle to discuss the next phase of the project. All participants agreed the time was right for the loose association of programs to become more impactful through the establishment of a collaborative national network. And together, we set a framework for sharing experience and documenting best practices – to the benefit of member organizations and new organizations looking to replicate this model in their community.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7398614883422852}
{"content": "The 500-hPa circulation during May featured above average heights across the North Pacific from Japan to Alaska, over the southern United States, the eastern North Atlantic, and central Russia, and below-average heights over the central subtropical North Pacific, Canada, Europe, and northern China (Fig. E9 ). The circulation anomalies over the North Pacific and North America were especially persistent during the month (Fig. E11 ), and contributed to a near-record negative value (-3.5) of the Pacific/ North American (PNA) teleconnection index (Table E1, Fig. E7 ).\nProminent temperature departures during May included warmer than average conditions across the southern U.S. and central Russia, and well below-average temperatures across Canada (Fig. E1 ). The prominent precipitation anomalies during May includeded above-average rainfall across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States, and below-average totals over the extreme southeastern U.S. and western North Atlantic (Figs. E3, E5 ).\na. Pacific/North America\nThe circulation over the Pacific/North American sector reflected a near-record amplitude (-3.5) for the negative phase of the PNA teleconnection pattern (Table E1, Fig. E7 ). Key aspects of this pattern included above-average 500-hPa heights over the Gulf of Alaska and southern U.S., and below-average heights over the central subtropical North Pacific and Canada (Fig. E9 ). Associated with this anomaly pattern the mean upper-level ridge and trough axes were located over Alaska and western Canada, approximately 30° west of their climatological positions over the Rocky Mountains and eastern Canada, respectively.\nIn the middle latitudes the negative PNA pattern was associated with a pronounced weakening and westward retraction of the East Asian jet in the vicinity of the date line, and with increased diffluence throughout the jet exit region (Figs. T21, T22 ). It was also associated with an anomalous jet core across the northern U.S. and southeastern Canada (Fig. E10 ).\nOver North America this anomalous jet stream is consistent with an enhanced north-south surface temperature gradient, as indicated by near-record cold surface temperatures (2°-5° below average) across most of Canada and anomalously warm temperatures (1.0°-1.5°C above average) across the southern and central U.S. (Fig. E1 ). In Canada surface temperatures were generally in the lowest 10th percentile of occurrences. These unusually cold temperatures are related to the northwesterly flow of arctic air from Alaska and the Beaufort Sea into western Canada in the area downstream of the mean upper-level ridge axis (Figs. E8, E10 ).\nThe anomalous circulation across North America also contributed to above-average rainfall across the northern United States. The largest surpluses were observed in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions where area-averaged totals reached the 90th percentile of occurrences (Fig. E3 ). These regions were situated downstream of the mean upper-level trough axis within the region of enhanced surface temperature contrast.\nb. North Atlantic\nNorth Atlantic SSTs have been considerably above average during the past year. During May they remained above the 90th percentile across the high latitudes of the North Atlantic (Fig. E1 ), which contributed to ongoing warmth across Iceland and parts of Great Britian. This anomalous warmth is likely associated with the ongoing warm phase of the Atlantic multi-decadal mode that began in approximately 1995.\n2. Southern Hemisphere\nIn the Southern Hemisphere the 500-hPa circulation during May featured above-average heights over the central South Pacific, southern South America, and southern Africa, and below-average heights over southern Australia, at high latitudes over the eastern South Pacific and the central South Atlantic, and over the central Indian Ocean (Fig. E15 ).\nOver Australia the circulation reflected a strengthening and equatorward shift of the jet stream (Fig. T21 ). Southeastern Australia experienced upper-level convergence (Fig. T23 ) and descending motion within the right entrance region of the jet, which resulted in below-average precipitation during the month (Fig. E3 ). An anomalous inland penetration of cold air at 850-hPa from the Great Australian Bight was also evident (Fig. T20 ), which resulted in anomalously cool surface temperatures across southeastern Australia (Fig. E1 ).\nMuch of central extratropical South America experienced significantly below-average surface temperatures during May, with temperatures in many regions east of the Andes Mountains falling within the lowest 10th percentile of occurrences. These cool temperatures appear to be related to the significant weakening of the westerly winds and associated downslope flow equatorward of the strong upper-level ridge (Figs. T20, T21, E15 ). The below-normal temperatures in this region and over parts of Australia contributed to the lowest value of the Southern Hemisphere land-only temperature time series since 1992 (Fig. E2, bottom ).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9423743486404419}
{"content": "A Matter of Life and Death Q: I am a freight forwarder providing a service in which I deliver ISO tanks to my customer, who fills them with hazardous liquids and gas. Once the tanks are filled, I arrange to have them transported from my customer's facility to their destination, usually in a foreign country. I recently read about a case where a tank filled with odorless, colorless argon gas had been delivered to a port for ocean shipment. The tank developed a leak at the port, and three dock workers were overcome by the fumes and died. I am concerned that I might one day face a case like this one. What should I do? A: Tragic as this case is, the unfortunate reality is that such situations are becoming more common. A recent case addressed a similar situation with less dire consequences.An operator arranged to have a tank of ammonia gas delivered to Panama. While at the port, the valve on the tank sprang a leak, and a port worker was overcome by the fumes. The dock worker's illness in that incident was not fatal, but his exposure to the ammonia was severe enough to require medical treatment.\nThe severity of these cases raises fundamental questions about the handling and storage of dangerous substances. Existing guidelines require that qualified personnel handle this cargo and owners periodically inspect their tank containers.\nIn spite of the rules, accidents still occur because service providers fail to perform these actions. The greater your involvement in handling dangerous substances, the greater your risk of exposure.\nComplications arise when you perform transportation services for one or more segments of the shipment, while relying on third parties to provide others.\nAlthough your responsibility is related to the extent of your involvement in handling the material, bear in mind that the extent to which you are responsible for the acts of third parties will also affect your liability. The protections you secure for yourself when choosing those providers will therefore be significant.\nIn a recent case, a ship operator leased a chassis from a leasing company and arranged for a trucker to transport a tank container containing a corrosive colorant. During transit, an accident occurred and the corrosive material leaked onto the road, creating a dangerous condition.\nIn a vicarious liability jurisdiction, the steamship line and trucker would be held equally responsible for injuries resulting from the road accident, even though the ocean carrier did not actually handle the unit.\nForwarders who have no involvement in the actual handling or transportation of goods are nevertheless often accused of breaching their professional responsibility by failing in their duty to hire qualified third-party providers.\nIf you own tanks and make them available for customer use, you must comply with mandatory equipment guidelines. If you lease tanks from third parties or transport goods in tanks that your customer owns, ensure that you receive the proper indemnification from the party responsible for equipment maintenance.\nIf you arrange with third-party providers to transport a unit, make sure they are duly qualified to perform their services, and ask them for an indemnification for any accident arising from their services.\nIn every case, satisfy yourself that both your shipper and your service providers are properly insured for their operations.\nFinally, if you do become involved in an accident, notify your insurer immediately to have the situation assessed by a qualified surveyor. While you may be powerless to prevent a claimant from taking you to court, a properly documented transaction will help your defense.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8674707412719727}
{"content": "Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) exempts from registration under the Securities Act any security issued or guaranteed by a bank. This exemption is based on the notion that, whether state or federal, banks are highly and relatively uniformly regulated, and as a result will provide adequate disclosure to investors about their finances in the absence of federal securities registration requirements. In addition, banks are also subject to various capital requirements that may increase the likelihood that holders of their debt securities will receive timely payments of principal and interest. This article provides an overview of how this exemption applies to a bank’s offering of securities, including structured notes.\nWhat Is a Bank? Under Section 3(a)(2), a “bank” is defined broadly to mean any national bank, or any banking institution organized under the law of any state, territory, or the District of Columbia, the business of which is substantially confined to banking and is supervised by the state or territorial banking commission or similar official. To qualify as a bank under Section 3(a)(2), the institution must meet both of the following requirements: (i) it must be a national bank or any institution supervised by a state banking commission or similar authority and (ii) its business must be substantially confined to banking. Therefore, securities issued by bank holding companies, finance companies, investment banks, and loan companies are not exempt from registration under Section 3(a)(2); even though many investors may think of these institutions as “banks,” their businesses are not substantially confined to banking. An offering of securities by any of these institutions must be registered under the Securities Act unless the offering comes within another exemption from registration.\nSecurities Guaranteed by a Bank As noted above, the Section 3(a)(2) exemption is also available for securities “guaranteed” by a bank. Whether an offering is guaranteed by a bank is interpreted broadly by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The staff of the SEC has taken the position in no-action letters that the term “guarantee” is not limited to a guaranty in a legal sense, but also includes arrangements in which the bank agrees to ensure the payment of a security. However, in a typical guaranteed offering, a bank’s affiliate will serve as issuer of the relevant securities, and the entity that is a bank will execute a written guarantee of the payment obligations on those securities.\nNon-U.S. Banks U.S. branches of foreign banks are entitled to rely on the Section 3(a)(2) exemption. In 1986, the SEC announced its decision to cease granting no-action letters regarding securities issued or guaranteed by foreign bank branches and agencies, and formalized its position that a foreign branch will be deemed to be a “national bank” or a “banking institution organized under the laws of any state” if “the nature and extent of federal and/or state regulation and supervision of that particular branch or agency is substantially equivalent to that applicable to federal or state chartered domestic banks doing business in the same jurisdiction.”1 As a result, several U.S. branches of non-U.S. banks are currently frequent issuers of structured products and other debt securities in the U.S.\nTypes of Securities The exemption under Section 3(a)(2) applies not only to securities issued or guaranteed by a bank but also, to the extent they are considered securities (instead of bank deposits), certificates of deposit issued or guaranteed by a bank. Additionally, structured notes linked to the performance of an index or another underlying asset are also commonly issued by banks in reliance on the Section 3(a)(2) exemption.2 In these instances, even though the return of the note is linked to an underlying asset, the investor is buying debt of the issuer and must rely on the credit of the issuer for repayment of the note, no matter how the underlying asset performs. This strengthens the argument that the structured instrument is covered under the Section 3(a)(2) exemption.\nBecause bank notes are not subject to the SEC’s registration requirements, structured bank notes sometimes are linked to different types of assets than registered structured notes, particularly when the investor is sufficiently sophisticated to understand the relevant risks. For example, because bank notes are not subject to the “strict liability” provisions of Sections 11 and 12 of the Securities Act, an issuer may be more comfortable linking the bank note to a complex underlying asset or investment strategy, which may be difficult to describe adequately in the context of a registered offering. In addition, registered offerings of equity-linked structured notes are typically linked only to large-cap U.S. stocks due to the “Morgan Stanley no-action letter.”3 However, some bank notes may be linked to debt securities (credit-linked notes), small-cap stocks, or securities that are traded only on non-U.S. exchanges. Of course, due to the liability and other concerns described in this article, issuers and underwriters must carefully craft the offering documents for these types of offerings, and broker-dealers must carefully determine the suitability of the relevant investors.\nFINRA Requirements Even though securities offerings under Section 3(a)(2) are exempt from registration under the Securities Act, public securities offerings conducted by banks must be filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) for review under Rule 5110(b)(9), unless an exemption is available. Additionally, transactions under Section 3(a)(2) must be reported through the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (“TRACE”).4 All brokers and dealers who are FINRA members have an obligation to report Section 3(a)(2) transactions to TRACE.\nOCC Registration For national banks or federally licensed U.S. branches of foreign banks regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), an additional layer of federal regulation applies to securities offerings. Part 16 of OCC regulations provides that these banks may not offer and sell their securities until a registration statement has been filed and declared effective with the OCC, unless an exemption applies. An OCC registration statement has a detailed scope that is comparable to an SEC registration statement; as a result, most bank issuers prefer to rely upon an exemption from the OCC’s registration requirements. Section 16.5 provides a list of exemptions, which includes:\nRegulation D offerings to accredited investors Rule 144A offerings to qualified institutional buyers Securities guaranteed by the federal government, such as the 2008 “Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program” Regulation S offerings effected outside of the U.S. In addition, Part 16.6 of the OCC regulations provides an exemption for offerings of “non-convertible debt” to accredited investors in denominations of $250,000 or more. Due to these rules, banks subject to OCC regulation will need to tailor their offerings to meet the Part 16 requirements if they intend to seek an exemption from the requirement to file a registration statement with the OCC. However, in light of these limitations, banks regulated by the OCC tend to have somewhat less flexibility in selling structured products and other types of securities compared to bank holding companies that have an SEC shelf registration statement, particularly with respect to sales to retail investors.\nFDIC Guidance Additionally, for federally-insured state banks and state-licensed branches of foreign banks, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) adopted a Statement of Policy Regarding the Use of Offering Circulars in Connection with Public Distribution of Bank Securities for state non-member banks.5 This policy requires that an offering circular include prominent statements that the securities are not deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency, and are subject to investment risk. The policy states that the offering circular should include detailed prospectus-like disclosure, similar to the type contemplated by Regulation A or 12 CFR 563g. The policy further states that the goals of the policy will be met if the securities are offered and sold in a transaction that, among other options, satisfied (i) the requirements of Regulation D of the Securities Act relating to private offers and/or sales to accredited investors or (ii) the information and disclosure requirements of the Office of Thrift Supervision’s (“OTS”) regulations regarding securities offerings, which require that debt securities be issued in denominations of $100,000 or more. To the extent an offering meets these requirements, it will be deemed to satisfy the FDIC requirements. Nonetheless, an issuer may still want to include more detailed disclosure, as the policy emphasizes the applicability of the anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act and Exchange Act to offerings by banks.\nBlue Sky Laws Securities issued under Section 3(a)(2) are considered “covered securities” under Section 18 of the Securities Act; as a result, blue sky filings are not need in any state in which the securities are offered. Additionally, for intrastate offerings made by state banks, many states have their own exemptions.\nExchange Act Reporting Securities issued by banks under Section 3(a)(2) are also not subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Section 12(g)(2)(C) and 12(i) of the Exchange Act provide that the enforcement of Sections 12, 13, 14(a), 14(c), 14(d), 14(f), and 16 of the Exchange Act is vested in the Comptroller of the Currency with respect to national banks, the Federal Reserve Board as to member banks of the Federal Reserve System, the FDIC as to all other insured banks, and the OTS as to savings associations. Therefore, a bank which would be subject to the Exchange Act reporting requirements would submit its financial reports to the appropriate banking authority, and not to the SEC.\nSecurities Liability Securities offerings by a bank or guaranteed by a bank under Section 3(a)(2) are not subject to the civil liability provisions under Section 11 and Section 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act. However, the anti-fraud provisions of Section 17 of the Securities Act are applicable to offerings under Section 3(a)(2). Additionally, offerings under Section 3(a)(2) are also subject to Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and the anti-fraud provisions of Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Therefore, when considering an offering under Section 3(a)(2), a bank must take into consideration what disclosure is necessary to avoid liability under the anti-fraud provisions, even if the document does not need to comply with the specific form requirements of the SEC or another regulator. As a result, the form and content of structured note offering documents issued under Section 3(a)(2) are similar in many respects to that used for a registered offering.\nOffering Documents As a result of these various rules and regulations, the offering documentation for structured bank notes is somewhat similar to that of a registered offering. An issuer typically has a base offering document, usually called an “offering memorandum” or an “offering circular” (instead of a “prospectus”). That base document is supplemented for a particular offering by one or more “pricing supplements” and/or “product supplements.” The form of these documents is not subject to the relevant SEC form rules, and may vary somewhat from those used in a registered offering. However, the content (as well as the types of documents incorporated by reference) tends to be somewhat similar.\nThese offering documents may be supplemented by additional offering materials, including term sheets and brochures. Because these offerings are not registered with the SEC, these additional documents are not subject to the SEC’s “free writing prospectus” rules that apply to registered offerings. However, in order to ensure that the disclosure is adequate, the issuers and underwriters that use these documents are careful about their content.\nConclusion Section 3(a)(2) provides bank issuers with the ability to issue securities, including structured notes, without registering the offering with the SEC. When relying on Section 3(a)(2), an issuer must carefully consider the disclosure included in its offering document, so as not to subject itself to liability under the anti-fraud provisions of the securities laws and to comply with the regulations and other guidance adopted by the various banking regulators. Banks and underwriters seeking to employ industry best practices typically utilize disclosures and suitability determinations that are very similar to those used in the context of registered offerings.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9264482259750366}
{"content": "Request for Nullification: law 78 On May 25th at around 11:30 a lawsuit was submitted to the Superior Court by the FEUQ and the FECQ to enable students to receive instruction from the institutions they attend, or the special law, deemed null and void immediately. This action is a temporary measure to avoid irreperable damages while the case is brought through the standard legal venues.\nBelow is a brief summary and overview of the request for relief that was submitted earlier today, with the ultimate goal of having certain sections of “An Act to enable students to receive instruction from the postecondary institutions they attend,” or the special law, deemed null and void immediately. This action is a temporary measure to avoid irreperable damages while the case is brought through the standard legal venues, which take significantly more time.\nPlease note that this document is a summary meant to explain the request, is not legal advice, and does not hold any “legal weight.”\nProcedures\nThe claimants (comprised of the FEUQ, FECQ, and dozens of individuals and associations), wish to have certain provisions within the special law deemed void. These provisions represent for their respective members a violation of guaranteed rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and personal dignity.\nGeneral Considerations\nSummarizes the broad outcry of the legal community against Law 78, including the Bar Association of Quebec, M. John Gomery (a retired Quebec Superior Court Judge).\nApplicable Criteria for the request for relief:\nIn short, the claimants argue that the special law is unconstitutional, as it is in contradiction with Section 2 of the Canadian Charter, to Sections 3 and 4 of the Quebec Charter, and cannot be justified under Section 1 of the Canadian Charter nor Section 9.1 of the Quebec Charter.\nSection 2 of the Canadian charter guarantees the right to “[...] (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.” but is limited by Section 1, which suggests all rights are subject to “reasonable limits…. as can be demonstrably justified…”\nSimilarly, Section 3 of the Quebec Charter guarantee the right to liberty, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association, Section 4 guarantees the right to dignity, honour and reputation. Section 9.1 requires that these (an all freedoms) are exercised with respect to democratic values, public order, and the general well-being of Quebecers.\nThis sort of request for relief requires that three standards are met before the law is voided:\n1. There must be a serious legal question at the basis to judge. 2. The claimants must be subject to irreparable damage if the request is denied. 3. It must be determined who will suffer greater damages with the approval or denial of the request, and the effects of the granting or denial of the request on the public interest.\nSeriousness of the legal question\nThe criteria of a “serious question” is only that the question is judged neither futile nor vicious, and then the second and third criteria must be evaluated. In summary these are:\n- Sections 16 and 17 contains restraints that are unnecessary, vague, impossible to implement, and accord troubling discretionary power to the police.\n- Due to deficiencies in the Accreditation Act (which accords certain rights to student associations, not including mediation, negotiation, etc.), the only real medium of expression and advocacy are demonstrations.\n- The provisions to stop the collection of student fees are contrary to the Accreditation Act, and threaten the ability of these organizations and their members to express themselves.\n- This law is valid only until July 1st, 2013, an election year. Most provisions apply to students and non-students alike.\n- As such, this law violates the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression, and constitutes a “serious [legal] question.”\nIrreparable Damage\nThe claimants submit that irreparable damage includes the grave violation of fundamental rights.\n- The damage caused by the cancellation or displacement of a demonstration cannot be undone or compensated for. In other words, the ultimate reversal of the Special Law does not account for and cannot compensate for the period the law was in effect.\n- Similarly, excessive fines and prison time cannot be compensated for.\n-This law is designed to bankrupt student associations and national student associations. This, also, cannot be undone.\nPublic Interest and the Balance of Harm\nIn the context of a constitutional challenge to a law, the court must analyze the “balance of harm,” in this instance the claimants must detail the harm done by the refusal of this injunction (eg the maintenance of the law), and the defendants (the MELS and Ministry of Public Security) must prove the harm done by the granting of an injunction.\n- It is unnecessary to limit or qualify the freedom of expression and right to protest to achieve the (nominal) goal of allowing students to receive instruction at their post-secondary institutions.\n- The Criminal Code already contains provisions for illegal gatherings and riots.\n- Many provisions of this law, including particularly those to fine and (ultimately) destroy student associations are completely unrelated to the ostensible goal of allowing students to return to class.\n- The claimants are subject to far more substantial harm by the maintenance of this law than the respondents, who still have legal avenues of recourse.\nsource: http://1625wontpass.ca/2012/05/request-nullification-information/", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7969372868537903}
{"content": "Cornea Treatment The cornea is the clear, protective outer layer of the eye that plays a key role in vision by refracting light as it enters the eye. The curvature of the cornea helps determine how well your eye can focus on objects that are near or far. Vision can be distorted if the cornea becomes damaged from disease, infection or injury.\nSymptoms Following infection or injury, the cornea will often heal well with no long-term problem. However, if there is significant tissue damage, a variety of symptoms may occur, including pain, blurred vision, redness, tearing, and light sensitivity.\nIn severe cases, there is actual visual loss due to scarring and distortion of the cornea.\nTreatment Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics in eyedrop form. However, there are viral and fungal infections of the cornea which do not respond well to medications.\nIn cases of severe scarring, whatever the cause, a corneal transplant may be necessary to restore vision.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988154768943787}
{"content": "In high school, I grew increasingly reliant on Adderall; I lost weight while gaining confidence; my grades improved, which gave me leeway to smoke weed on my parents’ property. At that time, my Adderall use wasn’t extreme, but week-long stretches of “one pill here, one pill there” left me agitated, paranoid, and physically exhausted. I had decided to leave the Adderall alone for a while; I’d take the day off of school to sleep away my discomfort. I was usually out of weed by this time, just looking for an excuse to lash out. My parents would confront me, and I’d attack verbally, sometimes physically. I had always struggled academically, and the pressure of the “college prep” environment began to mount by my sophomore year. The Adderall hadn’t even been my idea; I didn’t enjoy it. I only took it to meet social and academic expectations. And while there was no physical detox from the Adderall abuse, my emotional state had corroded: I would punch walls, weep, and pass out.\nBefore entering AA, I made several attempts to quit alcohol using the white knuckle approach. I was a binge drinker, usually finishing a handle of cheap vodka in about 36 hours. I would generally plan to conserve enough alcohol to last me through the week; however, I’d often down nearly half of the handle in the first evening. Upon awakening, it was obvious that my condition necessitated early morning shots: The alcohol would ease my debilitating shakes, allowing me to roll a blunt; the weed would in turn soothe the painful cramps in my stomach. I would rarely leave my constricting apartment during these indulgent stretches; my impaired mobility and destructive streak often led to broken possessions. I had a good-hearted weed dealer from a family grow-op; he’d buy me liquor despite his concerns over my sallow skin and sunken eyes.\nA friend from the East Coast came to visit me in Boulder for a long weekend; he funded 3 days of potent back-to-back blunts, absinthe Jello shots, and tequila straight from the bottle. During the visit, several staff from my outpatient stopped by my apartment. They informed me I was kicked out of the program: I had used cocaine and filled my Ativan prescription without their permission, resulting in a memory lapse of nearly 2 days. They had alerted me that my lease was up in two weeks, and my parents would only support me if I went to rehab. I was scared and embarrassed, but I laughed them away.\nWhen my friend left, so did the substances. I had left my apartment in ruins, and the sudden cessation of marijuana and alcohol left me highly paranoid and physically sick. My legs ached as I hobbled to the window, trying to appear casual as I peered through the blinds. I was convinced that someone would burst through the door, see my appalling living conditions (glass stuck in my toe, a cesspool in the sink, fruit flies on the wall, maggots under a trash bag) and commit me to a psych ward. I broke open my larger pipe, and scraped out the black resin to smoke in my smaller pipe. I felt nothing. Steeped in sweat, heart racing, I didn’t even want a drink. I knew it was over.\nRelated posts: Filed under: Addiction, Alcohol and Drugs, Featured, Latest News · Tags: adderall, Adderall Detox, Addiction, Addrerall Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, ativan, blunts, detox, marijuana, physical addiction, Powerlessness", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8819900751113892}
{"content": "Among countries colonized by European powers during the past 500 years, those that were relatively rich in 1500 are now relatively poor. We document this reversal using data on urbanizations patterns and population density, which we argue, proxy for economic prosperity. This reversal weighs against a view that links economic development to geographic factors. Instead, we argue that the reversal reflects changes in the institutions resulting from European colonialism. The European interventions appears to have created an \"institutional reversal\" among these societies, meaning that Europeans were more likely to introduce institutions encouraging investment in regions that were previously poor. This institutional reversal accounts for the reversal in relative incomes. We provide further support for this view by documenting that the reversal in relative incomes took place during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and resulted from societies with good institutions taking advantage of the opportunity to industrialize. This paper documents a reversal in relative incomes among the former European colonies. For example, the Mughals in India and the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas were among the richest civilizations in 1500, while the civilizations in North America, New Zealand, and Australia were less developed. Today the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia re an order of magnitude richer than the countries not occupying the territories of the Mughal, Aztec, and Inca Empires.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7580330967903137}
{"content": "Ask Your Senators to Stand up for Refugees Thirty years ago, Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, a landmark bill that affirmed the United States' commitment to providing refuge to victims of religious, political, ethnic and other forms of persecution.\nIn recent years, however, a barrage of new laws, policies, and legal interpretations have eroded the institution of asylum in the United States, undermining the commitments the United States enshrined when passing the Refugee Act and, consequently, leading the United States to deny asylum or other protection to victims of persecution.\nRefugees seeking asylum now face prolonged detention in prison-like conditions without due process safeguards, such as a custody review by an immigration court, and denials of their requests for asylum based on an arbitrary filing deadline and overly broad exclusion provisions, including those that define victims of terrorism as \"terrorist.\"\nSenators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced the Refugee Protection Act of 2010 (S.3113), a bill that corrects many of the most egregious policies towards refugees and re-establishes the United States' commitment to protecting the persecuted. The bill needs cosponsors.\nContact your senators today. Tell them to stand up for refugees, and ask them to support this much-needed bill that would help those fleeing persecution and seeking safe haven in the United States.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5000243186950684}
{"content": "Title Subject Area Sociology\nDescription Mental health care professionals will inevitably encounter all types of “unsuccessful cases” in their line of work. Patient suicide is the extreme of these cases and can have a negative impact on their personal and professional life. This study sought to continue and expand research in this area by investigating the experiences and impact of patient suicide on all mental health professionals, the services available to them, and their opinions on best practice methods. Twenty- eight in-patient and five out-patient mental healthcare workers in Rhode Island were surveyed for this study. Analysis confirmed the impact of patient suicide on professionals and revealed that a systemic plan and/or group of support is crucial in helping them to cope with a patient suicide effectively and appropriately. These findings can serve as evidence for social workers who may need to advocate that these necessary support services be provided for all mental healthcare professionals, with their profession being included. This study also offers helpful information on methods utilized successfully by professionals, which can be used by others for guidance on how to deal with similar difficult experiences and encourages further investigation on the subject.\nPublisher Providence College\nDate 4-7-2009\nType Article\nFormat Text\nLanguage English", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6915991902351379}
{"content": "This paper by Watt AD et al Jan 25.2013 (including Masters and Barnham) may change a lot of thinking or will it??\n\"The formation of low-order oligomers of β-amyloid (Aβ) within the brain is widely believed to be a central component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. However, despite advances in high-throughput and high-resolution techniques such as xMAP and mass spectrometry (MS), investigations into these oligomeric species have remained reliant on low-resolution Western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The current investigation compared Aβ profiles within human cortical tissue using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), xMAP and surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight MS and found that whilst there was significant correlation across the techniques regarding levels of monomeric Aβ, only SDS-PAGE was capable of detecting dimeric isoforms of Aβ. The addition of synthetic di-tyrosine cross-linked Aβ(1-40)Met(35)(O) to the AD tissue demonstrated that the MS methodology was capable of observing dimeric Aβ at femto-molar concentrations, with no noticeable effect on monomeric Aβ levels. Focus turned to the association between SDS-PAGE and levels of observable dimeric Aβ within the AD brain tissue. These investigations revealed that increased levels of dimeric Aβ were observed with increasing concentrations of SDS in the sample buffer. This finding was subsequently confirmed using synthetic Aβ(1-42) and suggests that SDS was inducing the formation of dimeric Aβ. The findings that SDS promotes Aβ dimerization have significant implications for the putative role of low-order oligomers in AD pathogenesis and draw into question the utility of oligomeric Aβ as a therapeutic target\".\nSo at least there was correlation across the techniques regarding levels of monomeric Abeta. But PBT2 works in any case.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8862069845199585}
{"content": "Published February 18, 2013\nTensions over trans-boundary water issues with Iran and Pakistan have been a major hurdle to investments in Afghanistan's water infrastructure despite significant international aid over the last decade. Donors have stayed away from major projects out of fear that they might anger the neighbors. As a result, the largely agricultural economy has not had much of a boost and the country faces a major economic crisis as the international gaze begins to shift away.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.967795729637146}
{"content": "Experimentally Comparing Uncertain Inference Systems to Probability Ben Wise Abstract: This paper examines the biases and performance of several uncertain inference systems: Mycin, a variant of Mycin. and a simplified version of probability using conditional independence assumptions. We present axiomatic arguments for using Minimum Cross Entropy inference as the best way to do uncertain inference. For Mycin and its variant we found special situations where its performance was very good, but also situations where performance was worse than random guessing, or where data was interpreted as having the opposite of its true import We have found that all three of these systems usually gave accurate results, and that the conditional independence assumptions gave the most robust results. We illustrate how the Importance of biases may be quantitatively assessed and ranked. Considerations of robustness might be a critical factor is selecting UlS's for a given application. Keywords: Mycin, Axiomatic, Minimum Cross Entropy Pages: 319-332 PS Link: PDF Link: /papers/86/p319-wise.pdf BibTex: @INPROCEEDINGS{Wise86, AUTHOR = \"Ben Wise\", TITLE = \"Experimentally Comparing Uncertain Inference Systems to Probability\", BOOKTITLE = \"Proceedings of the Second Conference Annual Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence (UAI-86)\", PUBLISHER = \"AUAI Press\", ADDRESS = \"Corvallis, Oregon\", YEAR = \"1986\", PAGES = \"319--332\" }", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6661452651023865}
{"content": "The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a non-profit organization that connects Canada’s apprenticeship community. Participants work collaboratively to support vibrant and innovative apprenticeship systems and policies with a view to developing a highly-skilled, inclusive and mobile skilled trades workforce. Employers, unions, equity-seeking groups, educational institutions and the jurisdictions support CAF-FCA operations through membership.\nAs a national voice for the apprenticeship community, CAF-FCA influences pan-Canadian apprenticeship strategies through research, discussion and collaboration. Its research agenda is based on the premise that stakeholders require accurate, unbiased insights into apprenticeship challenges in order to address them. CAF-FCA is a national forum for apprenticeship dialogue, connecting stakeholders to share promising practices, identify barriers and collaborate on solutions. The organization also promotes apprenticeship as a valued post-secondary pathway to youth, parents and employers, leading to rewarding careers in high-demand professions.\nSince 2000, CAF-FCA has fundamentally changed the conversation about apprenticeship in Canada. It has provided research insights, facilitated dialogue, profiled promising initiatives and promoted apprenticeship. By creating opportunities to share successes and address common issues, CAF-FCA has contributed to effective local, regional and national solutions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9950360655784607}
{"content": "Professional Dispositions for All Candidates Professional dispositions are valued by the unit and are systematically assessed to ensure that candidates develop and model dispositions including fairness and a belief that all students can learn. The unit has established a set of “Unit Dispositions” based on the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and aligned the dispositions with the conceptual framework and the unit assessment system. All courses within the programs at both the initial and advanced levels are aligned with the unit dispositions. Programs within the unit may develop dispositions that are unique or specialized within the program of study; however, these dispositions clearly align with the unit dispositions. For example, the School Counseling Program has established a set of program dispositions that are aligned with the unit dispositions that counselor candidates are expected to demonstrate and are expected as part of the CACREP accreditation.\nIn fall 2006, the unit hosted a retreat whereby the unit dispositions were discussed and the alignment with the conceptual framework was examined. Faculty within programs discussed the dispositions and reviewed when and how dispositions were assessed within the transition points of their programs.\nDispositions are integrated and assessed within programs at various transition points. For example, candidates in the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) receive a copy of the dispositions when they meet with their advisors after filing an “intent to major” application. Candidates then complete a dispositions self-assessment during the admission interview process. This helps candidates become familiar with department expectations and encourages reflection upon their own professional attitudes and behavior. A faculty member who observes a regular pattern of candidate behavior that demonstrates a failure to meet disposition standards completes an incident report that is placed in the candidate’s file. The report is shared with the candidate, allowing the candidate the opportunity to work on changing his/her attitude/behavior related to the identified disposition. Advisors systematically review candidates’ files when an application for student teaching is submitted and discuss any disposition incident reports and progress the candidate has made before approving the student teaching application. Candidates who have not made progress toward the disposition standards are not allowed to student teach. Candidates may appeal this decision through the CFS Appeals Process. The dispositions process in the CFS Department is similar to other programs within the unit depending upon the identified transition points.\nKey assessments of dispositions include performance-based assessments, follow-up surveys, and cooperating teacher surveys. A review of unit data indicates that dispositions are a strength for the unit and candidates have the dispositions to be successful in the professional education field.\nThe unit is especially interested in ensuring that candidates are developing dispositions related to fairness and the belief that all students can learn. To that end, the unit dispositions have been directly aligned with our major assessments allowing us to provide evidence on an ongoing basis. Even though several of our dispositions directly or indirectly address fairness and a belief that all students can learn, disposition 3.1 – The educator believes that all students can learn at high levels and persists in helping all students achieve success is most closely aligned. A review of the disaggregated data from several sources indicate that on average, 94.12 percent of our candidates are rated as prepared on that particular disposition.\nEach department within the unit has also established a formal process to address issues often related to candidates who do not demonstrate the expected professional dispositions. For example, the Special Education Department has a “Professional Concerns Process” whereby a candidate can be referred by a faculty member, cooperating teacher, or university supervisor for a professional concern. A meeting is then scheduled with the candidate to develop a “professional improvement plan” to address the concern. A timeline is established, if appropriate, and the plan is placed in the candidate’s file for monitoring throughout the program of study. The professional concerns process is typically outlined in the program handbooks.\nAdvanced Candidates and Other School Professionals\nDispositions are also important for other school professionals or candidates at the advanced level. The majority of programs at the advanced level work with program specific dispositions based on professional or state standards or competencies. However, as stated earlier, all programs are aligned with the unit dispositions.\nDispositions are introduced in a systematic manner within the transition points and are assessed through course related activities or clinical and field experiences. For example, advanced teacher candidates in special education are provided with information about dispositions during a formal admission interview. Dispositions are discussed throughout the program of study and integrated into course activities and application exercises. During the culminating student teaching/practicum experience, cooperating teachers evaluate the professional dispositions of teacher candidates using formative and summative evaluations that include a comprehensive Professional Behavior Observation Checklist. Candidates who do not meet the expectations related to dispositions go through the professional concerns process or are counseled out of the profession.\nFor candidates in the School Library Media Program, dispositions are introduced in IM 620, a course typically taken during the first semester. The dispositions are integrated throughout the program through course-based activities and assessed during the internship by the supervising library media specialist, the university supervisor, and the candidate.\nCandidates in the Curriculum and Instruction Master’s Program are licensed teachers and have, therefore, demonstrated basic competency in the dispositions of effective teaching. Given that dispositional foundation, the program focuses on development of dispositions related to teachers at the advanced level: professional communication, engagement in the profession, professional collaboration, consideration of multiple perspectives, willingness to challenge and analyze one’s own perspective given alternatives, critical self-reflection, and attention to preparation and contributions to class. Assessments in each of the four core courses allow candidates to reflect on the development of dispositions; for example, students write a teacher identity essay, keep journals of their reflections/processing, create projects in small groups, write critical analyses of readings. Finally, the second transition point involves an oral presentation to a committee whereby candidates’ dispositions are evaluated as part of the assessment of their understanding of core content.\nCandidates in Educational Administration and Leadership are licensed teachers either with a minimum of three years teaching or for alternative licensure, are required to have a minimum of 1050 hours of documented teaching. Candidates have demonstrated fundamental competency in the dispositions of effective teaching. Dispositions of effective school administration and leadership are further developed through the program application essay, coursework, mentoring with educational administration faculty, field experience activities, and the completion of an electronic portfolio. Assessments of candidate dispositions occur formatively by the development of professional leadership and goal statements; reflective essays and journaling; a self-assessment validated by advisors, professional networking and collaborating with peers; and by attending professional conferences. Summative assessment of candidates’ dispositions occur by means of a situational observation whereby the candidate is given a series of case studies and asked to respond to each situation orally with a university supervisor and on-site administrative supervisors. Rubrics are used to evaluate responses.\nA review of program data indicates that our candidates have the professional dispositions to be successful and effective when working with students, parents, and other professional colleagues.\nSummary: Candidates demonstrate a clear understanding of the professional dispositions expected within the education profession. Data from a variety of sources provide evidence that candidates demonstrate these dispositions when working in classrooms with students and interacting with parents and other professionals. The unit has also developed processes and support systems to address issues related to candidates who do not have the essential professional dispositions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5340447425842285}
{"content": "RL33697 - Potential Challenges to U.S. Farm Subsidies in the WTO26-Apr-2007; Randy Schnepf and Jasper Womach; 58 p.\nUpdate: Previous releases:October 25, 2006 (/NLE/CRSreports/06Nov/RL33697.pdf)\nA review of current U.S. farm programs measured against these criteria suggests that all major U.S. program crops are potentially vulnerable to WTO challenges. In addition, a review of recent economic analyses suggests that a partial policy reform of the nature suggested by the U.S. Doha-Round Proposal would do little to diminish the causal relationship between U.S. crop subsidies and adverse effects in international markets. Instead, the most clear method for decreasing exposure to WTO legal challenges is through extensive decoupling of U.S. programs — i.e., removing the linkage between payments and producer or consumer behavior. Such decoupling would sever the causality linkage necessary to consummate a successful WTO challenge.\nThe potential success of WTO challenges against U.S. farm programs is of concern to the U.S. Congress. If such challenges occur and are successful, the WTO remedy likely would imply either the elimination, alteration, or amendment by Congress of the programs in question to remove their adverse effects. Since most governing provisions over U.S. farm programs are statutory, new legislation could be required to implement even minor changes to achieve compliance. Alternately, in light of an adverse ruling the United States could choose to make compensatory payments (under agreement with the challenging country) to offset the alleged injury.\nThis report, which will not be updated, provides background regarding the vulnerability of U.S. agricultural support programs to potential WTO dispute settlement challenges. It does not predict which WTO members might challenge U.S. commodity subsidies, nor the likelihood that such challenges will be brought. Instead, this report reviews the general criteria for successfully challenging a farm subsidy program, and then uses available data and published economic analyses to weigh U.S. farm programs against these criteria. For a summary version of this report, see CRS Report RS22522, Potential Challenges to U.S. Farm Subsidies in the WTO: A Brief Overview.\n1763", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.894101619720459}
{"content": "My good friends could tell you that I am highly affectionate. There is no one who would know this better than my parents, to whom I probably say “I love you” multiple times a day, if not an hour.\nBecause I love my parents greatly, I would not hesitate to say that, given a particular situation, I would definitely place them in a nursing home one day.\nThis statement might sound bold, but the topic has been on my mind lately. Recently, I had a lengthy discussion with friends, sparked after reading an unusual news story one morning during breakfast.\nThe Chinese government recently updated a law regarding the elderly, to stipulate that adult children need to visit their aged parents “often” or face getting sued. The reasoning? In China, there have been many elderly abuse/neglect cases surfacing, mostly credited to financial burdens related to China’s rapidly expanding population.\nThe word “neglect” often surfaces in discussions about nursing homes. This negative imagery might originate from the concept of almshouses. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, most elderly people ended up in these houses, particularly if they were from a lower class. Almshouses were notorious for their less-than-ideal conditions, and were seen as “symbols of despair and failure.”\nMany people feel that adult children should do their best to personally care for their aging parents, including bringing them into their own homes. Some suggestions often include hiring a private nurse for feeding and giving medication, or having one spouse remain at home to care for the parent. This is a noble argument and one that deserves respect. If a family has the financial resources to manage it, it would be a great way to thank their parents. Parents not only raise, clothe and feed us, but also guide us to enter into the world independently.\nHowever, this situation should not be viewed in such a black and white manner.\nNursing homes are designed to provide safe and adequate care 24/7. They are designed specifically to help older people who cannot safely perform basic daily functions necessary for their health and survival (eating, bathing, taking medication, etc). Good-quality nursing homes provide nutritious meals, entertainment, and best of all- companionship.\nPrivate nurses are much more costly. Additionally, many elderly patients (particularly with different forms of dementia) need constant supervision. Some families often cannot afford financially to provide this constant care, (either by hiring a nurse or staying home) particularly if they need to work full-time to help pay for their parent’s medical bills. Additionally, most people do not have the training or knowledge necessary for dealing with patients with dementia or other illnesses, and may not be equipped to properly treat them on a daily basis.\nOf course, nursing homes vary in the quality of care provided, and families should always take time when choosing. Also, regular visits will help the parent feel loved and secure in their new home.\nSome people have argued that if you truly love your parents, you would do your best to make sure they can stay in your care. I personally feel that choosing to put a parent into a home should not be viewed as a sign of neglect, but as a demonstration of love.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7268438339233398}
{"content": "Diagnostic criteria for 308.3 Acute Stress Disorder\nA. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present:\n(1) the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others\n(2) the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror\nB. Either while experiencing or after experiencing the distressing event, the individual has three (or more) of the following dissociative symptoms:\n(1) a subjective sense of numbing, detachment, or absence of emotional responsiveness\n(2) a reduction in awareness of his or her surroundings (e.g., \"being in a daze\")\n(3) derealization\n(4) depersonalization\n(5) dissociative amnesia (i.e., inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma)\nC. The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in at least one of the following ways: recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, illusions, flashback episodes, or a sense of reliving the experience; or distress on exposure to reminders of the traumatic event.\nD. Marked avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma (e.g., thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places, people).\nE. Marked symptoms of anxiety or increase arousal (e.g., difficulty sleeping, irritability, poor concentration, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, motor restlessness).\nF. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning or impairs the individual's ability to pursue some necessary task, such as obtaining necessary assistance or mobilizing personal resources by telling family members about the traumatic experience.\nG. The disturbance lasts for a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 4 weeks and occurs within 4 weeks of the traumatic event.\nH. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a druge of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition, is not better accounted for by Brief Psychotic Disorder, and is not merely an exacerbation of a preexisting Axis I or Axis II disorder. (p. 431-2)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5017944574356079}
{"content": "Internal resorption is an unusual condition of a tooth when the dentin and pulpal walls begin to resorb centrally within the root canal. The first evidence of the lesion may be the appearance of a pink-hued area on the crown of the tooth; this condition is referred to pink tooth of Mummery , after the 19th century anatomist James Howard Mummery, and represents the hyperplastic, vascular pulp tissue filling-in the resorbed areas.The cause can sometimes be attributed to trauma to the tooth, but other times there is no known etiology. If the condition is discovered prior to perforation of the crown or root has occurred, endodontic therapy, known as root canal thepary in lay terms, may be carried out with the expectation of a pretty high success rate.\nReferences Kahn, Michael A. Basic Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Volume 1. 2001. Oral Pathology: Oral pathology (K00-K14, 520-529) Developmental Anomalies Anodontia/Hypodontia - Hyperdontia - abnormalities of size and form of teeth (Concrescence, Fusion, Gemination, Dens evaginatus/Talon cusp, Dens invaginatus, Enamel pearl, Macrodontia, Microdontia, Taurodontism) - disturbances in tooth formation (Dilaceration, Regional odontodysplasia, Turner's hypoplasia) - other hereditary disturbances in tooth structure (Amelogenesis imperfecta, Dentinogenesis imperfecta, Dentin dysplasia) Hard, Soft and Periapical Tissues Attrition - Abrasion - Ankylosis - Dental caries - Denticles - Erosion - External resorption - Fluorosis - Gingivitis - Impaction - Internal resorption - Periodontitis - Pulpitis - Ulcer Dentofacial Anomalies Malocclusion - Micrognathism - Prognathism - Retrognathism - Temporomandibular joint disorder Maxillomandibular anomalies Odontogenic keratocyst - Torus mandibularis - Torus palatinus - Cherubism - Ameloblastoma Salivary glands Drooling - Benign lymphoepithelial lesion - Necrotizing sialometaplasia - Ranula - Sialadenitis - Sialolithiasis - Stomatitis - Xerostomia - Aphthous ulcer Lip and Oral mucosa Angular cheilitis - Erythroplakia - Hairy leukoplakia - Leukoplakia Tongue Geographic tongue - Fissured tongue - Glossitis - Glossodynia - Black hairy tongue", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9963796138763428}
{"content": "Heavy Drinking Rewires Brain, Increasing Susceptibility to Anxiety Problems, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Study\n9/4/2012 7:43:08 AM\nDoctors have long recognized a link between alcoholism and anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those who drink heavily are at increased risk for traumatic events like car accidents and domestic violence, but that only partially explains the connection. New research using mice reveals heavy alcohol use actually rewires brain circuitry, making it harder for alcoholics to recover psychologically following a traumatic experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9027143120765686}
{"content": "Niklas Luhmann and the sociology of the constitution Abstract This article argues that, from the first emergence of sociology as a distinct discipline, the sociology of constitutions, as a body of critical responses to the facts/norms dichotomy at the core of Enlightenment constitutionalism, has been an important but rather submerged area of sociological inquiry. Currently, there are unmistakeable signs that constitutional sociology is being consolidated as a distinct sub-discipline of theoretical sociology as a whole. This is evident in particular in the body of sociological constitutionalism associated with post-Luhmannian systems analysis, which focuses especially on the constitutions of world society. However, the article argues that the plausible premises for a fully sociological approach to constitutions and their normative functions of legitimation have not yet been established, and it offers a normative re-reading of Luhmann’s own theory as a foundation for a constitutional sociology.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.997289776802063}
{"content": "Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin?. Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?. Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?. Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?. And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?. When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?. In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.. Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world--one small decision at a time [book description from Amazon 9/17/2010]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8901591300964355}
{"content": "Missouri labor market conditions weakened further in June, as national economic conditions took their toll on manufacturing and business services.\nThe state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by three-tenths of a point, from 3.8% in May to 4.1% in June, the highest since 1998. Part of this jump is the usual seasonal increase that occurs in June, as some students and others entering the labor force for the summer don't immediately find jobs. However, this June's increase is slightly higher than in the past.\nThe national unemployment rate also rose slightly, 0.1 percentage points, to 4.5% in June from 4.4% in May. Five of Missouri's neighboring states had lower unemployment rates during the past month. These include Iowa (2.8%), Nebraska (2.9%), Oklahoma (3.1%), Kansas (3.8%), and Kentucky (4.0%).\nUnemployment levels are not distributed evenly\nacross Missouri, with pockets of high unemployment persisting in several areas\n(county-level rates are not seasonally adjusted). Counties with\nthe highest unemployment levels are particularly pervasive in southeast\nMissouri. Twenty-nine counties had unemployment rates that were 6.0% or higher.\nConversely, there are several pockets of very low unemployment mainly in metropolitan areas and northern Missouri. Nine counties had unemployment rates that were lower than 3.0%.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.86062091588974}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nIs America Falling Off the Flat Earth?\nWhat will all the National Academies’ recommendations cost? Can we afford it? The answer to the first question is $9 billion the first year, growing to $19 billion per year steady-state. The answer to the second question is that we cannot afford not to do these things or the equivalent. Last year, as a nation we spent $7 billion gambling on the Super Bowl. We devoted $13 billion to pornography. We spent $32 billion on movies and DVDs. We have a federal budget of $2.8 trillion, and a GDP of $13 trillion. The affordability of funding for education, research, and innovation is simply a matter of whatever priority we wish to assign to meeting the competitiveness challenge and offering our children and grandchildren the opportunity to enjoy a high-quality standard of living.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9949711561203003}
{"content": "The Maastricht-Urteil of the German Constitutional Court of October 1993 has left a deep mark onEuropean Union law. Although some may consider it as part of legal history, the decision has neverbeen overruled, and the ideas behind it are very much alive. This paper tries to examine the legacy ofthat decision. From a practical point of view, the paper focuses on the following issues: the currentsituation in Germany; the influence on other constitutional or supreme courts and on constitutionalreforms in some Member States; the influence on the European Court of Justice and on the Treatyestablishing a Constitution for Europe. Regarding theory, three sections of the paper discuss a numberof widespread ‘idées reçues’ contained in the Maastricht-Urteil on notions such as the State,constituent power (pouvoir constituant), and democracy. The next section presents the movement oflegal pluralism as an attempt to come to terms with the Maastricht-Urteil and its legacy. It criticisesthe radical versions of legal pluralism in view of the damage they may cause to essential dimensionsof the rule of law. The final section reflects on the real motives behind the Maastricht-Urteil and itslegacy, and on possible future developments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6841570734977722}
{"content": "With a population of 10.7 million, it is estimated that 12.8% of the population in Tunisia live on less than USD 2 day. Despite recent economic growth, the situation remains fragile due to economic disparity, as south-west mining region in Gafsa remains economically deprived with high unemployment (14.7% in 2009). Human Development Index gives the country a rank of 94th out of 182 countries in 2011. Following the 2011 uprising, Tunisia’s economy witnessed a slowdown with a drop in tourism revenues. However, Tunisia remains more prosperous than its neighbors, with strong trade links with Europe.\nThe microfinance market potential is estimated between 700,000 and 1.2 million clients, of which near 40% of them are currently served.\nGrameen-Jameel works with Enda inter-arabe (enda) in Tunisia.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986177086830139}
{"content": "Self-Defense Many people confuse the ability to defend themselves with the ability to fight. If you believe self-defense is being able to defend yourself against an assailant, you will probably direct you efforts toward learning physical techniques. However, self-defense training should first be directed toward avoiding the need for physical techniques.\nThe sequence of a self-defense situation is:\nIf you cannot prevent trouble, avoid it. If you cannot avoid it, defuse it. If you cannot defuse it, escape. If you cannot escape, then you may have to fight your way out of the situation. The sooner you detect and recognize a threat, the more options you have to respond to it and the more successful your actions are likely to be. Awareness is the key to detection.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9803282618522644}
{"content": "Introduction The situation in Tasmania represents a unique perspective. Within the public system, the entire patient population is available for examination in a linked and costed dataset covering the past 10 years. This dataset provides the opportunity to examine the effect of high levels of co-morbidity on patient-care pathways, as well as the associated cost estimates.\nMethods For the present analysis, a subset of the existing casemix dataset - encompassing admitted and emergency department care - was examined. An approach to identifying multi-morbidity cases was created based on the occurrence of distinct conditions in the coded dataset. A further analysis of PCCL scores was made by using a modified version of the AR_DRG-V5.1 grouper.\nResults The primary dataset comprised 191,000 individuals with 433,000 episodes of admitted data over a four-year period. The 3,376 individuals having multi-morbidity were identified. These individuals encompass nearly 48,000 episodes with 1,550 deaths.\nConclusion The paper outlines an approach to identifying these individuals, and analyzing some aspects in terms of occurrence, cost, and outcome. It builds on work already undertaken in identifying the impact of tertiary care using Australian and European data. The high level of disease burden, and disproportionate use of hospital resources, requires that this analysis be undertaken to identify the scope for improvement in the care of these individuals, as well as creating a model for a better allocation of resources.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8483875393867493}
{"content": "Discover God's Character E-Devotionals Staying Healthy “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener” (John 15:1). \"Sucker shoots\" is, by design, not a complimentary designation. Gardeners often find such shoots growing on plants, sucking nutrients away from the healthy branches on a vine, and creating knots of fibers where debris collects. A good gardener cuts away these shoots so that the branches can stay healthy and produce fruit. Jesus explained that we are like branches and God is like a good gardener. He prunes away anything distracting or detrimental, cleaning us up so that we can produce the fruit of Christ likeness (John 15:1-2). God wants us to depend on Christ alone for our sustenance. Jesus said, \"Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.\" (John 15:4) Because God is ever-present we never need to doubt that He is with us. However, there are many ways to know whether we are remaining in Him. John 15 identifies one sign to look for---obedience. Jesus said, \"When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father's commandments and remain in His love.\" (John 15:10) To remain obedient to God's commands is a sure sign that His love sustains us.\nYour View of God Really Matters ... What is the one thing you must do today if you want to bear fruit tomorrow? How does Jesus' statement, \"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,\" relate to John 15:4?\nBecause God is ever-present, He is always with me. Learn more about God’s character at Discover God, a ministry of Campus Crusade .", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5805972218513489}
{"content": "Marampa Haematite Iron Ore Mine, Sierra Leone Key Data The Marampa mine is a brownfield haematite iron ore mine located approximately 150km north-east of Freetown in Sierra Leone, West Africa. 100% owned by London Mining, the project includes a 319km² exploration licence that borders the Marampa mining lease, which was mined extensively between 1933 and 1975 by the Development Corporation of Sierra Leone (DELCO). The property was acquired by London Mining in 2006.\nFull development of the project began on 11 February 2010 on receiving final parliamentary approval. The project will also include an $80m tailings reprocessing development operation that is expected to result in an output of 1.5Mtpa by 2011. The $85m operation will be expanded in a phased manner to 3Mtpa before production from the primary resource begins. Primary resource mining will increase production to between 5Mtpa and 8Mtpa upon completion of the project, by the end of 2013. Decision on the expansion remains pending in a pre-feasibility study that is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010.\nThe development will initially be fast tracked into production before expanding to a larger scale, thereby achieving short-term cashflow. The mine has historically operated at a peak production of 2.5Mtpa before it was suspended owing to low iron ore prices in the 1960s.\nMarampa reserves The Marampa mining lease combines two main ore deposits at the Masoboin hill and the Ghafal hill besides tailing deposits from earlier operation that cover low ground directly east of the Masaboin hill. Ten tailings deposits account for 85% of the estimated tailings tonnage and five peripheral deposits account for the balance.\nThe primary ore bodies within the deposit consist of 122.8Mt inferred resources graded at 31.19% Fe. The tailings portion of the mine contains an estimated 42.5Mt of indicated resources graded at 21.67% Fe.\nHaematite iron ore geology The deposit lies within the Marampa Schist formation, a pre-Cambrian aged complex structure that hosts one primary quartz haematite schist horizon. The horizon that ranges in thickness up to 65m is isoclinally folded and thrusted, plunges east southeast at 45° to 85° and has steep contact with its quartz mica schist host rock. At least four stages of deformation have occurred at the schist. Iron oxide minerals formed due to prograde metamorphism include specularite-haematite (up to 60 modal%) and subordinate magnetite (usually less than 2-3 modal%). The schist hosts ultramafic and mafic units but does not include any detrital zircons of the Archaean period.\nMining and processing The tailings resource will be extracted using conventional techniques including the truck and shovel method and hydraulic mining. A two-phase high intensity magnetic separation process will result in 65.5% iron with 2.5% SiO2 and 2.9% Al2O3 from approximately 3t of tailings. A milling circuit, if included, will produce higher-grade 67.1% iron with 1.2% SiO2 and 2.1% Al2O3. This option is however currently not being considered as the demand for lower-grade Marampa products is higher in the region.\nThe concentrate will be hauled to barge-loading facilities located at Tawfayim on Loko Creek, 40km from the mine site. It will be shipped from there to floating cranes, 60km offshore for loading at a place that accommodates Handymax, Panamax and Capesize ships.\nThe mine is connected to Tawfayim via a 22km tarmac road besides a 18 laterite road that is currently under construction. The road will be ready for use before mine production starts.\nMarampa exploration and drilling Exploration activities at the mine have identified a number of iron ore prospects. These include outliers and extensions of the same formation that hosted the iron mined during operations by DECLO. A significant amount of iron ore tailings on the mine area that were remnants of DELCO operations have also been identified.\nBy the end of 2009, London Mining had drilled 2,700m on the primary ore deposits. It plans to complete a further 6,000m of drilling in 2010. Successful completion of the drilling programme will allow the company to obtain a JORC-compliant estimate for the main ore resource besides completing the pre-feasibility study.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7480852603912354}
{"content": "International Memoranda of Understanding The OSC has signed a number of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with regulators in other countries. These MOUs provide a framework for the OSC to express its commitment to close co-operation, collaboration and information sharing with other regulators in the interest of fulfilling our respective regulatory mandates. This includes promoting investor protection, fostering the integrity of, and maintaining confidence in, capital markets, and reducing systemic risk.\nThe OSC has the legal authority to share supervisory information contemplated in MOUs based on the Securities Act (Ontario). The OSC may provide information to, and receive information from, other securities or financial regulatory authorities, in Canada and elsewhere.\nA key MOU is the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Multilateral MOU. Endorsed in 2002, it is based on the IOSCO Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation and the experience gained by securities regulators in using bilateral MOUs. The MOU is effective in encouraging regulators to share information and provide assistance on cross-border enforcement-related matters.\nOnce an MOU between the OSC and another regulator has been signed, it is published in the OSC Bulletin. You can find a list of MOUs in the International Memoranda of Understanding.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6874803900718689}
{"content": "September 1, 2012\nOpening the general public to potentially fraudulent, and certainly risky, investments is a dangerous policy. Most Americans will not understand the risks and deceptions involved in such investments, as our history demonstrates.\nOpening us to such advertisements without ensuring that the potential investors are actually \"accredited investors\" further endangers the general public. Those offering such private investments will face tremendous moral hazards. Some will undoubtedly surrender to those moral hazards and skimp on ensuring investors are really properly accredited, as the law requires.\nProtect citizens and our economy from these dangers and at least establish effective regulations on establishing who are \"accredited investors\" and penalties for companies that accept investors inappropriately.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8376888036727905}
{"content": "What is Alternative Dispute Resolution? Peaceful Effective Methods Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provides peaceful effective methods of resolving conflicts. Neutral third parties assist individuals engaged in conflict - find a settlement, through the use of mediation and arbitration. Alternative Dispute Resolution is a growing practice and helps individuals in a variety of fields including:\nEmployment issues Commercial disputes Landlord-tenant issues International disputes Public policy issues Neighbor-to-neighbor disputes and Family issues This rapid rise is primarily attributed to the desires of parties on both sides of a dispute to reach a settlement and avoid slow, costly litigation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9803788661956787}
{"content": "Earlier a crop adjustor who agreed to speak to us noted that there are heavy restrictions if you declare prevented planting on corn at the June 5 date, but still think you're going to plant soybeans. Basically, you can't plant beans and still collect the prevented corn payment unless you wait until July 1 to plant, plus many strings are attached, such as only getting 35% of the prevented planting payment for corn and accumulating less corn base history.\nHere are some more clarifications for both corn and soybeans that you should be aware of before deciding on your best options if you have ground that is pushing the limit on being unable to be farmed this year,.\nTake money, you're done- If you declare prevented planting, don't intend to plant soybeans, and take the payment allotted under your policy, then no crop can be grown in that field until November 1. For example, you can't decide to go out and plant a few spots that dry out in beans and expect to harvest them. If you take the full payment, the field is done for crop production for all intents and purposes for the year. That includes no harvesting of hay as well.\nSkip the payment, soybeans still insured- If you decide you don't want to plant corn on June 7, but want to plant beans instead, and haven't declared prevented planning on corn, you're free to do so. When you turn your acreage into your agent later, the soybeans will be insured, and premiums will be adjusted to reflect the change.\nOne more restriction- If you declare prevented planting and decide to go for the plant soybeans July 1 option, you must take out crop insurance on those soybeans.\nThe 72- hour rule- By crop insurance policy, you have 72 hours after the late planting period, which ends June 30, to declare prevented planting. After the 72 hours elapses, you can no longer claim it if you change your mind. You can declare prevented planting anytime after June 5, the final plant date, for corn. However, if you declare prevented planting, you can elect to withdraw the claim and plant soybeans without having to wait until July 1.\nSpecial note- Crop insurance officials emphasize that these are crop insurance reporting dates. The Farm Service Agency follows a different set of dates. Prevented planting for corn must be reported to FSA by June 20.\nLate-plant date for soybeans- The date for soybeans that corresponds with June 5 for corn is June 20 in Indiana. The final date for planting soybeans is July 15.\nOne more restriction- Just in case you're still hung up on declaring prevented planting for corn but planting beans later, you lose 1% of your guarantee per day, as with corn. So if you plant soybeans July 1, the first allowable date if you took prevented planting for corn, you must have insurance on the beans, but you've already lost 10% on your guarantee on the soybean insurance contract..\nPrevented planting payment rate- If you choose to file for prevented planting on corn and walk away from the field for the year, realize that the calculation rate for payment is different in 2011 than in 2010. Before, you received the higher of your rate at the start of the season, or the harvest price in the fall. The harvest price option was eliminated. So you can calculate what you would get from delayed payment before you decide.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8220875263214111}
{"content": "The survey shows that, over the 2007–10 period, the median value of real (inflation-adjusted) family income before taxes fell 7.7 percent ; median income had also fallen slightly in the preceding three-year period. The decline in median income was widespread across demographic groups, with only a few groups experiencing stable or rising incomes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997256398200989}
{"content": "The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and the American Securitization Forum (ASF) have created a U.S. Covered Bonds Council. The jointly sponsored Council will be a collaborative forum through which a diverse group of market participants will promote the U.S. covered bonds market. The group will focus on the development of market policies and practices that uphold public confidence in U.S. covered bonds. The Council will further represent the industry's interests through constructive dialogue with legislative, regulatory and other policymaking bodies.\n\"The members of the Council believe that covered bonds can and will offer a vital complement to existing funding sources for financial assets, particularly mortgage products,\" said Sean Davy, managing director at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, in a press release. \"The ability for financial institutions to economically fund consumer credit is essential to our economic recovery. Given market dislocations and the introduction of government-guaranteed debt alternatives for depository institutions, it may take somewhat longer to jump start this market. However, this pause allows us the opportunity to further develop the covered bonds framework and educate market participants on the covered bond asset class and its differences from other debt securities,\" he added.\nThe Council will be led by a steering committee comprised from a rotating group of issuers, investors, dealers and legal advisors. The initial steering committee will include representatives from Bank of America, Barclays Capital, BlackRock, The Capital Group Companies, Citi, Clifford Chance, Deutsche Bank Securities, J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch & Co., Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, PIMCO, RBS Greenwich Capital, Sidley Austin LLP, TIAA-CREF, and Wells Fargo. The Council will operate primarily through its working groups and committees including a Regulatory and Legislative Working Group, a Technical Issues Working Group and a Traders Committee. These working groups and committees will benefit from the input of a large and diverse group of market participants.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7585650682449341}
{"content": "Using a prop like a medicine ball as a depth gauge when teaching the squat can be helpful by giving the client feedback before he or she develops better body awareness. This should be a temporary solution, however—everyone must be weened away and learn to recognize proper positioning and depth without external help. Also avoid allowing your clients to use the prop in question to reduce the demand of the movement, e.g. bouncing off the ball.\nPictured is\nEva T performing Tabata squats during a Ski Fitness seminar at\nNorCal Strength & Conditioning.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8570770025253296}
{"content": "This\ninteractive tool estimates how many calories are burned during common\nactivities. The food you eat is measured in calories. The energy you use every\nday is also measured in calories. You are using energy all the time, even at\nrest. The more vigorous the activity and the longer the time you do it, the\nmore calories you burn.\nThis tool also uses your weight to\ncalculate calories burned, because a heavier person burns more calories during\nactivity than a lighter person.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9704011082649231}
{"content": "What Is FAFSA?\nAll students are expected to contribute towards the cost of their college education.\nHow much you and your family will be expected to contribute depends on your financial\nsituation—and is what is referred to as your Expected Family Contribution or EFC.\nThe Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form\nused by the U.S. Department of Education to determine your Expected Family Contribution\n(EFC) by conducting a “need analysis” based on financial information, such as income,\nassets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a\ndependent student )\nwill be asked to provide. The form is submitted to, and processed by, a federal\nprocessor contracted by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the results are\nelectronically transmitted to the financial aid offices of the schools that you\nlist on your application.\nFAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine\neligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants,\neducational loans, and work-study programs.\nFAFSA Eligibility\nNearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, including low-interest\nFederal Stafford and/or parent PLUS loans, regardless of income or circumstances,\nprovided that you:\nare a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or an eligible non-citizen;\nhave a valid Social Security Number;\nhave a high school diploma or GED;\nare registered with the U.S. Selective Service (if you are a male aged 18-25);\ncomplete a FAFSA promising to use any federal aid for educational purposes;\ndo not owe refunds on any federal student grants;\nare not in default on any student loans; and\nhave not been found guilty of the sale or possession of illegal drugs during a period\nin which federal aid was being received.\nApplying for Aid...FAFSA is step #1\nTo be considered for federal financial aid, you must complete and submit a FAFSA.\nAdditionally, most states, colleges and universities use the FAFSA to award other\ntypes of institutional financial aid, including state- and college-sponsored financial\naid, such as grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.\n(Note: In addition to the FAFSA, some states/colleges require additional forms or\napplications for aid. Check with your school’s financial aid office for any state-\nand/or school-specific requirements.)\nFAFSA Deadlines\nMany states, colleges and universities have filing deadlines that are much earlier—some\noccurring as early as the first few weeks in January. Additionally, applicants have\nto pay particular attention to deadline specifics, as some refer to the date by\nwhich individual FAFSAs must be submitted (Transaction Receipt Date), while\nothers refer to the date by which individual FAFSAs must be fully processed\n(completed by the federal processor and made available to the school financial aid\noffice).\nIMPORTANT: We strongly encourage all students to check with\ntheir school’s financial aid office to determine their exact FAFSA deadline requirements,\nand to file their FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st.\n(Note: Student Financial Aid Services maintains a comprehensive database of individual\nstate and school filing deadlines as a convenience to our clients, and offers special\nassistance to late filers, including those facing impending deadlines. See FAFSA Deadlines for details.)\nFile a FAFSA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5978659391403198}
{"content": "A project to develop materials that can be printed on flexible, lightweight substrates, enabling the manufacture of electronics with novel form factors such as roll-up displays and flexible solar panels has been successfully completed by FlexTech Alliance and Polyera Corporation.\n\"The outcome of this FlexTech Alliance funded project will have significant impact on the printed electronics industry,\" said Michael Ciesinski, CEO of FlexTech Alliance. \"Applications like radio frequency identification tags (RFID), disposable diagnostic devices, rollable and low-cost solar cells, and flexible displays represent a multi-billion-dollar market for printed electronics in the future. This project has enabled Polyera to develop viable materials to help build this market.\"\nCMOS processes have long been the standard for traditional semiconductor manufacturing. Historically, CMOS, which utilizes both n-type and p-type materials, has not been possible with printed and flexible electronics, because only p-type organic semiconductors have shown the requisite level of performance on flexible substrates. With the advent of Polyera's high-mobility n-type organic semiconductors, printable CMOS circuits are now possible for the first time, leading to simpler circuit design and lower device power consumption.\nAdditionally, organic materials have several advantages over inorganic materials. These new organic materials function similarly to traditional inorganic materials but with a major difference: they can be dissolved into solution. Because the materials are like ink, electronics devices can be printed using ink-jet, rotogravure, and other roll-to-roll printing processes, significantly reducing fabrication costs.\n\"There is a growing list of novel applications previously impractical due to the limitations of traditional materials,\" said Brendan Florez, Assistant General Manger, Polyera. \"During the project we have developed and optimized several new n-channel organic semiconductors for printed thin film transistors demonstrating unprecedented performance. These environmentally friendly formulations are now available to customers.\"\nNick Colaneri, Director of Flexible Display Center, Arizona State University said, \"In addition to achieving targeted performance metrics, Polyera has successfully printed functional thin film transistors, CMOS inverters, and complementary ring oscillators--basic building blocks for consumer devices, displays and photovoltaics.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9023617506027222}
{"content": "Learn something new every day More Info... by email\nA herniated disc occurs when the casing holding the gel-like fluid between vertebrae — known as the spinal disc — ruptures and presses against the nerves of the spine. The term \"herniated disc protrusion\" is actually a misnomer, as a protrusion and a herniation are two different states. A protrusion occurs when the spinal disc bulges outward, but the gel-like fluid does not leave the spinal disc. In other words, the spinal disc does not rupture, which would be termed a herniated disc. When people mention a herniated disc protrusion, they are actually referring to a disc protrusion, not a herniation.\nThe concept behind the term \"herniated disc protrusion\" remains the same: the gel-like fluid is contained within an encapsulation, and when that encapsulation bulges outward, a protrusion occurs. When that protrusion leads to a rupture, a herniated disc has occurred. These conditions are caused by spinal compression, which can happen when the spine endures a direct trauma, an awkward twisting motion, or a gradual degradation of the spinal disc itself. A herniated disc or a herniated disc protrusion — known simply as a disc protrusion — can lead to other health issues such as sciatica, lower back pain, chronic headaches, and leg pains.\nRegular heavy lifting can lead to a herniated disc or herniated disc protrusion. The constant compression of the spine can put undue stress on the spinal disc, leading to a bulge or rupture. Athletes often endure herniated discs due to the regular strain placed on the spine, and regular twisting motions can also lead to the likelihood of a herniated disc or protrusion. Injuries are not limited to athletes only, however, as long periods of sitting or standing can also lead to spinal compression. Automobile accidents or falls can also cause a direct trauma resulting in spinal compression.\nPoor posture while sitting in an office chair can lead to a herniated disc, especially if the person does not exercise regularly. As muscles weaken, they can no longer support the spine in the manner that they are designed to. The spine is then more likely to compress, especially if the office chair does not offer adequate lumbar spine support as well as neck and shoulder support. A regular workout routine that strengthens the core muscles of the body — that is, the lower back muscles, stomach muscles, and hip and groin muscles — can help prevent a herniated disc or a protrusion in the future. Regular stretching can also help keep the muscles of the spine healthy and limber, which will in turn prevent spinal compression.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7371410131454468}
{"content": "Global proteomic analysis is not limited to the examination of known set of factors, and therefore has been a transformative technology that facilitates the identification of novel disease pathways and markers. In this study we employed mass spectrometry-based proteomics to better understand pregnancy malaria pathogenesis by identifying biomarkers associated with inflammation and anemia during placental malaria. We found that SA in infected primigravidae is associated with a significant change in proteins involved in lipid metabolism. Several previous studies found that severe infections or chronic inflammatory diseases other than malaria will also modulate the expression of proteins involved in lipid metabolism. During severe sepsis or chronic inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokine and triglyceride (TG) levels are increased, while HDL-cholesterol, Apo-AI, Apo-B and LPa levels are decreased\n[22],\n[23],\n[24],\n[25]. Among patients under intensive care for severe sepsis, low levels of Apo-AI are associated with exacerbations of inflammation and poor prognosis\n[26].\nChanges in lipid parameters have also previously been described in malaria-infected individuals. In several hospital-based studies of mild and severe malaria cases, TG levels were increased and HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased\n[27],\n[28],\n[29],\n[30]. In a study of asymptomatic children harboring low parasite levels, malaria treatment was followed by increases in HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, and a decrease in TG concentrations\n[31]. However, these changes were not associated with improvements in hemoglobin levels or other clinical parameters.\nWe earlier showed that SA is associated with high TNF-α levels in primigravid but not in multigravid women with PM, suggesting a role for other factors in the pathogenesis of SA. Apo-AI is a candidate factor for such a role. Apo-AI binds T cells\nin vitro and blocks contact with monocytes, thereby playing an anti-inflammatory role by inhibiting TNF-α and IL-1β production by monocytes\n[32]. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lipids change during chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA)\n[33]. Apo-AI levels decrease in the plasma but increase in synovial fluid of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis\n[34]. Immunohistological studies have co-localized Apo-AI with T lymphocytes and macrophages in the inflamed synovium from patients with active arthritis but not patients with inactive arthritis, suggesting that Apo-AI may have a role in limiting inflammation\n[35]. In parallel, TNF-α inhibits the expression of Apo-AI transcription in a dose-dependent manner\n[20],\n[21] suggesting a counter-regulatory relationship between TNF-α and Apo-AI during inflammatory responses.\nCytokines have a major role in stimulating the production of acute phase proteins (APP) as part of the host immune response to infection (reviewed in\n[36]), but prolonged inflammatory immune responses may be harmful to the host. Like albumin, Apo-AI is classified as a negative APP. While the role of negative APP is unclear, reduced levels of negative APP with anti-inflammatory activity, such as Apo-AI and transthyretin, may promote pro-inflammatory responses\n[35],\n[36]. This may be useful during the acute response to infection, but a prolonged pro-inflammatory environment may be deleterious to the host, leading to poor outcomes like anemia and impaired growth\n[36].\nSeveral studies have identified associations between inflammatory immune responses and disease severity during malaria infection. In particular, TNF-α has been found to have both protective and harmful effects. TNF-α promotes parasite killing and has a protective role in controlling parasite levels, but high TNF-α levels have been associated with severe malaria syndromes like severe anemia and cerebral malaria\n[8],\n[37],\n[38]. In this study, Apo-AI levels negatively correlate with TNF-α levels in all women. Among primigravid women but not multigravid women, Apo-AI levels are significantly lower during SA. Multigravid women have specific immunity to placental parasites and are able to rapidly clear the infection, unlike primigravid women who lack specific immunity and often experience a prolonged pro-inflammatory state during PM. Moreover, a previous study demonstrated that the recovery in plasma lipoprotein levels after\nP. vivax infection is a slow process, with levels returning to normal 12 months after treatment\n[30]. We propose that the longer duration of PM or more frequent infection in primigravid women results in longer exposure to a proinflammatory environment that could lead to excessive reductions in Apo-AI levels and increases in the risk of SA.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5330768823623657}
{"content": "Study finds the bulk of shoes’ carbon footprint comes from manufacturing processes.\nTwo MIT professors have won 2007 Franklin Institute Awards, joining the august company of past winners including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Orville Wright.\nMIT Professor Emeritus Klaus Biemann of the Department of Chemistry and Merton C. Flemings, the Toyota Professor of Materials Processing, Emeritus, are two of nine 2007 Franklin Institute Laureates. Winners are being honored \"for their significant discoveries and achievements, which directly impact our daily lives or contribute to our present and future well-being.\"\nBiemann will receive the Benjamin Franklin Medal in chemistry \"for pioneering the development of mass spectrometry, used to determine structure of complex molecules including sequencing of peptides and proteins, thus enabling the field of proteomics.\"\nFlemings, who is also director of the Lemelson-MIT Program, will receive the Benjamin Franklin Medal in materials engineering \"for contributions to understanding aspects of solidification of metallic alloys (and) the development of (the) semi-solid metalworking industry, which helps make sporting equipment, household appliances and cars strong and light.\"\nThe new laureates will receive their awards April 26 at the end of a weeklong series of events and activities at the Franklin Institute open to middle school, high school and college students, as well as the general public.\nThese events include the Laureates' Laboratory, which will feature interactive demonstrations illustrating the specific concepts behind each laureate's work, and Meet the Scientists, a lively discussion and Q&A session geared toward students.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6286280155181885}
{"content": "The School District of Amery\nAmery, WI Top Performer (2010) The School District of Amery, located in western Wisconsin, operates four buildings on a central campus comprised of 434,000 total square feet. The district serves 1,750 students from early childhood through 12th grade. With a mission to foster academic excellence, life-long learning and citizenship, ensuring wise use of energy within our facilities is a natural extension. The district is proud of the award-winning Amery School Forest and designated prairie land, part of a 40-acre tract of environmental land located just east of our Intermediate and Middle Schools. This outdoor classroom is an exciting and engaging learning environment that helps students understand the importance of protecting natural resources. The district's ENERGY STAR partnership provides additional tools and targets to demonstrate our district-wide commitment to conservation.\nThe School District of Amery has been recognized by EPA as an ENERGY STAR Leaders Top Performer for achieving an overall energy performance rating of 78. The district has also reduced its annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 metric tons, the equivalent of planting more than 50 acres of trees. Specific strategies implemented by the district's energy management team have contributed significantly to these successes. Consistent adjustments to thermostat set points are now based on season and building occupation. New high-efficiency condensing boilers are on a reset schedule based on outside air temperatures. Older, domestic water holding tanks were replaced with smaller more efficient water heaters. Fluorescent lights replaced metal halide lights in the gymnasium and overall lighting was reduced to state minimum foot candles. A continued emphasis on energy management, replacement of inefficient equipment, mechanical system upgrades, and commissioning will further enhance the School District of Amery's energy performance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5677058100700378}
{"content": "Learn Adding Iron to Soy Sauce and Other Nutritional Tricks for the Developing World Proper diet and nutrition are key to children's well-being, keeping them healthy and supporting cognitive development. A diet without nutrients like iron or folic acid can have serious effects. But in the developing world, the correct nutrients aren't always in children's diets. Adding those nutrients to the available food—even to foods in which they don't naturally occur—can be a huge boost to public health. It's a lesson we learned in the United States long ago, and one we need to apply to the rest of the world.\nA collaboration between GOOD and Kiss Me I'm Polish.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5199835300445557}
{"content": "If you submitted your retirement plan for a determination letter review, hopefully you got your determination letter back in quick order and it was perfect. However, everyone makes mistakes, even (sometimes) the IRS. It pays to double-check to make sure that all amendments you submitted are referenced in the favorable determination letter to the extent they were not covered by a prior determination letter. If all amendments since the last determination letter are not referenced in the current determination letter, you could have a potential issue down the road in an IRS audit or during the next determination letter application submission. The good news is that the IRS has a program for reviewing and correcting determination letter errors. The program requires you submit a request in writing detailing the corrections you believe are required.\nBut what if, during the course of your determination letter review, the IRS required you to submit a proposed amendment? The general rule is that the proposed amendment has to be adopted within 91 days of the date on the determination letter. So how does this rule apply if you submit a request to correct the letter?\nAccording to the IRS, you should go ahead and adopt the amendment within 91 days of when the original letter was issued. The rationale (as communicated informally by IRS agents) is that if the IRS does not agree with your proposed correction to the letter, you will be bound by the original deadline. Therefore, as a protective measure, you should adopt the amendment within 91 days of when the original (potentially incorrect) determination letter was issued. The IRS will only extend the 91-day period if (1) the IRS agrees that the determination letter was issued in error and (2) the error relates to the proposed amendment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7452418208122253}
{"content": "Definition: Overtraining is constant, intense training that doesn't allow enough time for recovery. Physical signs of overtraining include decreased performance, increase of musculoskeletal injuries, lack of energy, poor sleep patterns, muscle soreness, headaches, and loss of appetite. The psychological and emotional signs of overtraining include depression, apathy, reduced self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996803998947144}
{"content": "WORKED EXAMPLE ABOUT WORKED EXAMPLES This is an overview about the what, the why, the when, and the how of a worked example. Please share your thoughts and help evolve the usefullness of this offering.\nOverview This is an overview about the what, the why, the when, and the how of a worked example. In our view, a worked example is a form of invitational scholarship that leverages purposively-selected instances and multiple modes of discourse (e.g., videos, pictures, expositions, games, quotes, walkthroughs, etc.) to establish an invitation, in response to which readers can engage theoretical claims along with contextual particulars that reflexively illuminate the theory.\nWe believe that scholarly publication must transcend the custom of printed texts published at particular intervals by central authorities, and instead we regard scholarship as an interactive exhibition of various data and theoretical claims and examples, carefully assembled to illuminate particular ideas, and treated as an ongoing manifestation that evolves in relation to critical dialogue with peers.\nOur interest in the use of worked examples as a form of invitational scholarship entails several related points:\nTo advance plausible conjectures about contemporary society and culture, we must not simply present the context of justification but relate the context of discovery; To present these contexts in an effective and compelling way, we must employ various media in the sharing of our work; To invite the audience of scientific publication to participate in the context of discovery, we must employ not only expository modes of composition but also chronological exhibitions like narrative and process analysis; To engage a shared dialogue that advances scientific knowledge, we must select instances that may elicit or illuminate a class of phenomena; To critically engage and evolve core issues, we must not only advance the verification of our claims but invite the critical involvement and dialogue of others. In leveraging the worked example as the means for advancing scholarly understanding, we position our work in contrast to traditional modes of scholarly dissemination.\nIndeed, “the familiar essay,” wrote Young, Becker, and Pike (1970), “has come to seem less relevant as a means of communication than, for instance, popular songs, group discussion, or articles written as tentative contributions to a continuing discussion within a large community of scholars” (p. 8). Thus, we advance the use of the worked example as an alternative mode of discourse, one reflecting a participatory and interpretivist stance.\nRather than being judged by standards of verifiability, worked examples can be though of as making plausibility arguments and offering illuminative proof-of-concept instantiations; the focus is less on presenting patterns and offering predictive claims and more on revealing mechanism and process to afford insight, promote dialogue, and inspire change.\nParticipants in the conversation around a worked example access content tailored to their degree of involvement, expertise, or interest; in this way, the worked example, including the appended comments and reflections, are differentially accessible . As such, we view the worked example as invitational and as inclusive. It is inclusive in that it allows for the publication of both tentative hypotheses and substantiated assertions, and does so in a manner that is invitational in that it allows people to converse across disciplines. Note that this work is directly pulled and only slightly modified from the paper (See Paper ) written by Sasha Barab, Tyler Dodge, and James Gee and presented at AERA.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6706456542015076}
{"content": "Mesotrione minor use registrations extended Syngenta announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the exclusive use data period for the herbicide active ingredient mesotrione for one additional year, from June 4, 2013, until June 4, 2014. During the exclusive use period, third parties are not permitted to cite data that support the mesotrione registration without the permission of Syngenta as the original registrant.\nSyngenta’s right to petition for this extension was provided by an incentive in the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA). By making the investment necessary to obtain registrations of minor crops, registrants can extend the original 10-year exclusive use period for a maximum of three years—one year for every three minor use crops registered. The third-year extension for Syngenta was approved for the minor use crop registrations of okra and blackberries.\n“This is a great incentive for companies to pursue minor use registrations which contribute greatly to the production of healthy and abundant fruits and vegetables,” said John Abbott, Syngenta Regulatory Affairs team lead.\nThe active ingredient mesotrione is found in several top-performing Syngenta herbicide brands, including Callisto, Callisto Xtra, Halex GT, Lumax, Lumax EZ, Lexar, Lexar EZ and Zemax herbicides.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9564324617385864}
{"content": "Submitted to: Soil Science Society of America Annual MeetingPublication Type: Abstract OnlyPublication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2002Publication Date: November 1, 2002Citation: Wilson, C., Zeng, L., Liu, X., Cross, E. 2002. Carbohydrate partitioning in salt-stressed rice grown under elevated carbon dioxide. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, held in Indianapolis, IN. Nov. 10-14, 2002. (CD-ROM).Technical Abstract:Rice, cultivar M202, was grown using Yoshida nutrient solution (EC = 0.9 dS/m, control) in SPAR chambers at 350 and 800 ppm CO2. NaCl/CaCl (5:1 on molar basis) was added to achieve an EC of 3.9. Salinity significantly reduced tiller number, leaf area, shoot and root dry matter and leaf gas exchange. Elevated CO2 significantly (P<0.05) increased afternoon leaf starch accumulation relative to 350-ppm grown plants in both the control and salt-treated plants. Afternoon leaf total soluble sugar level of 800-ppm grown plants (control? stressed) was 22% and 20% higher than that of the 350-ppm grown plants for both control and salt-treated plants, respectively. Leaves of 800-ppm grown plants accumulated significantly (P<0.05) higher level of total soluble sugar (at the end of the day?), compared to morning levels. However, no such significant (P>0.05) difference was found in the leaves of 350-ppm grown plants. Leaf afternoon starch and total soluble sugar concentrations of salt-stressed 800-ppm grown plants were found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of non salt-stressed 350-ppm grown plants. These results suggest that the enhancement of carbohydrate availability may be involved in the alleviation of the reduction in tillering and growth of salt-stressed rice.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8213950991630554}
{"content": "Central Florida is the most lightning prone area in the United States with about 90 thunderstorm days a year. Because of this, Florida is often referred to as \"The Lightning Capital of the U.S.\" Damage costs from lightning are estimated at 4-5 billion each year. When lightning strikes your business, it sends an electrical surge through the building's wiring and appliances. The best way to protect your business form lightning damage is to install a surge protection system which includes a variety of components that serve as a passage way for the lightning's electrical currents to escape and flow to the ground. This prevents the lightning currents causing extensive damage. A small investment now can avoid expensive repairs later on.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6824126243591309}
{"content": "Business in Maldives Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives. 20% of the GDP and 60% of the foreign exchange that flows into the country is through the tourism sector. Also, over 90% of the government tax revenue comes from tourism related taxes and import duties.\nFishing is the second leading economic sector of the Maldives. A significant amount of country’s income is generated through export of live fish and other fish/marine products.\nLargely constrained by the limitedness of cultivable land and domestic labour, agriculture and manufacturing play only a minor role in the economy of the Maldives.\nOther economic activities in the Maldives include garment production, boat building and handicraft production. However, these are not major income generating activities and accounts only for about 16% of the GDP.\nThe GDP of Maldives totalled US$435 million in 2000 – about US$1,400 per capita. The Maldives has experienced relatively low inflation in recent years. Real GDP growth averaged about 10% in the 1980s. It expanded by an exceptional 16.2% in 1990, declined to 4% in 1993, and has since bounced back to the 7% to 9% range.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6435619592666626}
{"content": "Schools, Skills, and Synapses This paper discusses (a) the role of cognitive and noncognitive ability in shaping adult outcomes, (b) the early emergence of differentials in abilities between children of advantaged families and children of disadvantaged families, (c) the role of families in creating these abilities, (d) adverse trends in American families, and (e) the effectiveness of early interventions in offsetting these trends. Practical issues in the design and implementation of early childhood programs are discussed.\nPublished: James J. Heckman, 2008. \"Schools, Skills, And Synapses,\" Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 46(3), pages 289-324, 07.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6599371433258057}
{"content": "« Read other entries… » | Borrowing wise words from those truly market-based, Private Independent schools… |\n|\nIf rating teachers based on standardized test scores was such a brilliant revelation…, we’d expect to see these strategies [at] leading private independent schools…\nLately it seems that public policy and the reformy rhetoric that drives it are hardly influenced by the vast body of empirical work and insights from leading academic scholars which suggests that such practices as using value-added metrics to rate teacher quality, or dramatically increasing test-based accountability and pushing for common core standards and tests to go with them are unlikely to lead to substantial improvements in education quality, or equity.\nDue to “comment spam” it has become necessary to remove the commenting feature from the pages of this site. Please read, “Like,” and comment at our Facebook page: Facebook.com/NotWaitingforSuperman.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5584927797317505}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Secondary (amyloid A [AA]) amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterized by amyloid deposition in many organs, leading to impaired function. Although cardiac involvement may occur with AA amyloidosis, significant deposition of amyloid in the heart is considered an infrequent observation and is rarely the cause of death. It occurs in 5% of patients with poorly controlled chronic inflammatory disease, mainly rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and familial Mediterranean fever. The authors report a case of AA amyloidosis diagnosed by rectal and skin biopsies, with cardiac involvement demonstrated by typical echocardiographic features in the presence of low voltage on electrocardiography. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography: official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography 04/2009; 22(5):542.e5-7. · 2.98 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6144810318946838}
{"content": "What is in this article?: 2011 National Electrical Code Changes 1. 110.24 Available Fault Current 2. 210.8 GFCI Protection 3. 210.12 Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Dwelling Units 4. 210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlet Requirements 5. 250.2 Bonding Jumper, Supply-Side 6. 250.30 Grounding Separately, Derived Systems 7. 250.52(A) Electrodes Permitted for Grounding 8. 250.53(A) Rod, Pipe, and Plate Electrodes 9. 250.121 Use of Equipment Grounding Conductors 10. 300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage 11. 300.5 Underground Installations 12. 300.11(A)(2) Nonfire-Rated Ceiling Assemblies 13. 300.22 Wiring in Ducts and Other Spaces for Environmental Air (Plenums) 14. 310.15 Conductor Ampacity 15. 314.28(E) Power Distribution Block in Junction Box 16. 404.2(C) Switches Controlling Lighting 17. 406.4(D) Receptacle Replacements 18. 406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Dwelling Units 19. 406.13 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Guest Rooms and Guest Suites 20. 406.14 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Child Care Facilities 21. 450.14 Disconnecting Means 22. 517.16 Receptacles with Insulated Grounding Terminal 23. 680.26 Equipotential Bonding 24. 680.73 Accessibility 25. 690.47 Grounding Electrode System Top 25 changes to the 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC)\n24. 680.73 Accessibility The accessibility of the receptacle supplying a hydromassage tub has been revised.\n680.73 Accessibility. Electrical equipment for hydromassage bathtubs must be capable of being removed or exposed without damaging the building structure or finish. Where the hydromassage bathtub is cord-and plug-connected with the supply receptacle accessible only through an access opening, the receptacle must face toward the opening and be within 1 ft of the opening.\nAnalysis: When a hydromassage tub is cord- and plug-connected, it isn’t uncommon to find the receptacle beneath the tub arranged in a manner that makes it nearly impossible to see, much less use. Oftentimes, these receptacles are several feet away from the access opening, facing away from the person trying to access the receptacle. This change now requires that such a receptacle be installed close to the access opening (within 1 ft), and it must also be facing toward the opening.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8293933272361755}
{"content": "Although the disease was first described in the hip, reports of chondrolysis in nearly all diarthrodial joints have since emerged with considerable variations in the literature.\nDespite speculation among clinicians and researchers about the implicit causal pathways and etiologic contributors associated with chondrolysis, definitive answers remain elusive.\nThe term chondrolysis has been applied to varied levels of joint cartilage destruction from focal chondral defects to diffuse cartilage loss, revealing a lack of consistency in the application of diagnostic criteria to guide differential disease classification.\nDifferentiating between the various potential etiologies associated with chondrolysis provides opportunities for the prevention of the disease.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7791126370429993}
{"content": "The four principles approach (principlism) is widely implemented in medical curricula. However, there is ongoing debate about the “universality” of this approach. A frequent criticism is that principlism reflects Western ideals such as the importance of individual rights. Some Asian scholars have argued that Asian bioethics is essentially different from Western approaches. This paper reports on a qualitative study investigating the impact of “Western-developed” medical ethics teaching on clinical experiences of 40 medical students in Malaysia. Our data suggest the possibility of shared understandings of ethical issues across different cultures. Our research also demonstrates that ethics education can be enhanced by tailoring the content to specific cultural contexts. The debate over the application of the four principles approach is frequently couched as a tension between the acceptance of either universal values or cultural norms. However, student responses suggest that it is possible to mediate between “the universal” and “the particular.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9647544026374817}
{"content": "Biopharmaceutical Outsourcing Trends: The Next Decade\nNew outsourcing industry sectors have become multibillion-dollar industries.\nConsiderations in Biopharmaceutical Outsourcing\nBecause of the complexity of the manufacturing processes for biologics, transfer of these processes to a contract manufacturer presents challenges.\nMeeting Challenges in Contract R&D\nRepresentatives from leading CROs weigh in on key challenges tied to the biopharmaceutical R&D, including issues regarding bioequivalence, platform technologies, process analytics, and more.\nBiotherapeutics Outpace Conventional Therapies\nGrowth in infrastructure and process-development capabilities will be required to support the biologics market.\nEmpire State Drug Development\nAn architectural wonder teaches the biopharmaceutical industry a valuable lesson in project management.\nKey Considerations for Development and Production of Vaccine Products\nChallenges of vaccine development include regulatory, technical, and manufacturing hurdles in translating a vaccine candidate into a commercial product.\nSmart Outsourcing: Strategic Alignment, Risk Management, and New Relationships\nOutsourcing in the pharmaceutical industry, until recently, has been largely confined to commercial manufacturing, packaging, and support for clinical trials.\nManaging the Quality Relationship for a Contractual Agreement: A CMO Perspective\nThe author describes an equation that can be used to define the Quality relationship between a contract manufacturing organization and a client, including how to factor in both party's needs and regulatory commitments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.631894052028656}
{"content": "OligoHyaferre Loss of elasticity is typical for aging skin. OligoHyaferre improves the viscoelastic properties of skin, as has been demonstrated in vivo. This effect is achieved by stimulating the synthetic activity of skin cells and promoting angiogenesis. These two interrelated mechanisms are necessary for the recovery of the extracellular matrix, which is essential for maintaining the desirable properties of the skin.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9942412972450256}
{"content": "PACE exploration presents a 21st century approach to developing the mineral and energy resources of South Australia, by expanding the exploration search space for explorers and providing them with new pathways for discovering the next generation of world-class mines.\nPathways to prospectivity focuses on key elements fundamental to understanding exploration opportunities within South Australia.\nProjects target frontier areas such as the western and northern Gawler Craton and Musgrave Province, as well as proven terranes such as the eastern Gawler Craton, Flinders Ranges and southern Curnamona Province.\nResearch in these areas utilise a multidisciplinary approach to mapping, resulting in the expansion of potential target areas and broadening of mineral systems footprints.\nPathways to discovery focuses on statewide geophysical datasets and hyperspectral coverage, coupled with regional geochemical and hydrogeochemical programs and the multi-element reanalysis of DMITRE's calcrete sample library. It will ensure explorers have access to the latest and most complete datasets on offer.\nInnovation through integration synthesises the data and information gathered in the pathways to prospectivity and the pathways to discovery programs in a series of unique and innovative products.\nThe products are designed for direct integration with company data libraries and immediate use in exploration programs, offering unique insights into the geology and prospectivity of South Australia and a broader spectrum of information for high-level decision making.\nThe latest technologies for data capture, analysis and management will be utilised for delivery through SARIG 2020.\nThe state's drill core archive and mineralogical characteristics will be delivered online through the National Virtual Core Library (external site), allowing explorers to view South Australian drill core from any location worldwide (in collaboration with CSIRO and AuScope).\nCurrent", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8578044176101685}
{"content": "Freedom-to-Work provides workplace fairness and equality, giving workers more control over their own lives, pocketbook and employment. Michigan workers will be free to choose how they engage with labor organizations.\nA total of 23 other states currently provide working families workplace fairness and equality. With this reform, in Michigan, a person, employee or any other organization, may not require an individual to:\nBecome or remain a member of a labor organization;\nPay dues, fees, assessments or other charges of any kind or amount to a labor organization; or\nPay any fees or donations to a third party as a condition of employment.\nFreedom-to-Work simply protects employees from being required to join and /or pay dues to a labor union as a condition of getting or keeping a job. It prohibits the inclusion of “security” provisions in labor contracts that force workers to join a union against their choice.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6395047903060913}
{"content": "OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect of physical violence during pregnancy on perinatal and early-childhood mortality.\nMETHODS: We estimated the prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy among a population-based sample of 2199 women in Uttar Pradesh, India. We used a survival regression model to examine the risks for perinatal, neonatal, postneonatal, and early-childhood (aged 1-3 years) mortality by mother's exposure to domestic violence, after we controlled for other sociodemographic and maternal health behavior risk factors.\nRESULTS: Eighteen percent of the women in our study experienced domestic violence during their last pregnancy. After we adjusted for other risk factors, births among mothers who had experienced domestic violence had risks for perinatal and neonatal mortality that were 2.59 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.35, 4.95) and 2.37 (95% CI=1.21, 4.62) times higher, respectively, than births among mothers who had not experienced violence. We found no significant associations between domestic violence and either postneonatal or early-childhood mortality.\nCONCLUSIONS: Domestic violence is a significant risk factor for perinatal and neonatal mortality.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9604610800743103}
{"content": "Habitats for vectors of disease This chapter considers the many disease-causing and disease-carrying organisms, chiefly invertebrates that live in temporary water habitats. Important examples include blood flukes (schistomiasis), nematodes (Guinea worm), and mosquitoes (malaria, yellow fever, elephantiasis). The biology of these species is presented alongside a discussion of their economic and humanitarian costs, and the eradication/control methods aimed both at these organisms and their habitats.\nOxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.\nIf you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8586333394050598}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: The clinical evidence base for ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity outcomes with once-daily dosing (ODD) of gentamicin in children is suboptimal. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in once-daily gentamicin regimens is variable and its role in predicting or preventing clinical toxicity is unclear. We aimed to assess the safety of ODD of gentamicin and the usefulness of TDM in a pediatric cohort. METHODS: Children with suspected sepsis were prospectively enrolled to receive ODD of gentamicin at 7 mg/kg/day. Hearing and renal function were objectively as sessed at baseline, during therapy, and after therapy. TDM was performed using an interval-adjusted graphical method (Hartford nomogram). RESULTS: A total of 79 children (median age: 5.6 years; range: 1 month-16 years) received 106 episodes of therapy. In all, 61% of these episodes were for febrile neutropenia. Evaluation was complete in 88% for ototoxicity and 92% for nephrotoxicity. Two patients (1.88%, 95% confidence interval: 0.10%-7.13%) experienced permanent hearing loss. One patient (0.94%, 95% confidence interval: <0.10%-5.73%) experienced transient nephrotoxicity. No abnormal serum gentamicin values were detected, even in those experiencing toxicity. Children experiencing toxicity were undergoing treatment for malignancies and had received nephrotoxic or ototoxic medicines before gentamicin. CONCLUSIONS: In this pediatric cohort receiving ODD of gentamicin, nephrotoxicity was uncommon and reversible, but irreversible ototoxicity occurred more frequently. TDM using a nomogram neither predicted nor prevented toxicity, which was only observed in those with risk factors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.925247848033905}
{"content": "AU\nGinzburg K, Koopman C, Butler LD, Palesh O, Kraemer HC, Classen CC, Spiegel D\nThis study examined evidence for a dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women seeking psychotherapy for childhood sexual abuse (CSA). One hundred and twenty-two women seeking treatment for CSA completed a battery of questionnaires assessing PTSD, dissociative symptoms, and child maltreatment. Using signal detection analysis, we identified high and low dissociation PTSD subgroups. A constellation of three PTSD symptoms-hypervigilance, sense of foreshortened future, and sleep difficulties-discriminated between these two subgroups (OR = 8.15). Further evidence was provided by the finding of a nonlinear relationship between severity of childhood maltreatment and dissociation in the women with PTSD. These results provide support for a dissociative subtype of PTSD that may stem from more severe childhood experiences of neglect and abuse.\nAD\nBob Shappel School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel. karnig@post.tau.ac.il", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7708251476287842}
{"content": "A service launched yesterday, which will aggregate National Broadband Network (NBN) capacity across Australia, is \"no magic bullet\" that could completely resolve perceived issues with the NBN's pricing model, according to Internode managing director Simon Hackett. The service launched by wholesale and fibre telco Nextgen Networks will combine its own national fibre network and points of presence with a direct connection to the NBN Co's own fast-growing networks, allowing small to medium ISPs with a presence in a single datacentre to provide services across the whole NBN.\nThe launch of the product is already being seen as going some way towards addressing complaints by industry players such as Internode that NBN Co's pricing model would prove too expensive to allow smaller ISPs to compete in an NBN world.\nIn an emailed statement yesterday, Internode's Hackett noted that his company was a major long-term Nextgen customer already, and was evaluating the telco's offering (alongside offers from other potential aggregators) to cover the part of the NBN between its core and its points of interconnect (POIs) scattered around the nation where Internode didn't already have its own infrastructure.\nHowever, he added, Nextgen's solution only represented half of the NBN pricing puzzle.\n\"One is backhaul from 121 POI's to where ISPs' core infrastructure is; the other is about the NBN Co pricing model from those POIs onward to customers,\" said Hackett. \"The announced NextGen aggregation service is an instance of wholesale aggregation for the first of those two pieces.\"\n\"But it's not the magic bullet in and of itself, as (a) it covers half of the issue (the piece external to the NBN Co pricing model) and (b) in the end, in both the core-to-POI paths and the NBN Co pricing model itself; it is, of course, all about the price.\"\nHackett said his point was that the cost for ISP traffic to get from core networks to the POIs would be additional to the existing NBN Co wholesale costs, which were also additional to \"existing underlying cost structures for the industry\". As such, whatever fees an NBN aggregator like Nextgen charged would need to be factored into the resulting end-user retail prices to actual ISP customers.\n\"If one had infinite funds,\" Hackett added, \"Telstra would be a viable supplier here, for instance, except, of course, nobody does have infinite funds.\"\nThe Internode MD noted that it was \"early days\" for aggregation offerings such as the one Nextgen announced yesterday, and he was sure that the company's offering wouldn't be the only one to launch in the coming months.\n\"Given that we're still a year or two away from many of those POIs actually being in existence, this is still very much early days for the story, with a lot left to unfold,\" he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7755893468856812}
{"content": "▪ Objective: To determine the efficacy of fish oil supplementation in patients with active ulcerative colitis.\n▪ Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with 4-month treatment periods (fish oil and placebo) separated by a 1-month washout.\n▪ Setting: Four gastroenterology divisions.\n▪ Patients: Twenty-four patients with active ulcerative colitis entered the study. Five dropped out, and one was noncompliant. Eighteen patients completed the study. All patients had active disease as manifested by diarrhea and rectal inflammation.\n▪ Interventions: Treatment with prednisone and sulfasalazine was continued. Fish oil supplementation consisted of 18 Max-EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) capsules daily (eicosapentaenoic acid, 3.24 g; and docosahexaenoic acid, 2.16 g). Placebo supplementation consisted of 18 identical capsules containing isocaloric amounts of vegetable oil.\n▪ Measurements: Patients were evaluated at study entry and after each diet period. Evaluations included a review of symptoms, flexible sigmoidoscopy, rectal biopsy, and rectal dialysis to measure prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 levels.\n▪ Results: Fish oil supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in rectal dialysate levels of leukotriene B4 from 71.0 to 27.7 pg/mL (average change, - 43.3 pg/mL; 95% Cl, - 83 to - 3.6). Significant improvements were seen in acute histology index (average change, - 8.5 units from a baseline of 10.5 units; Cl, - 12.9 to - 4.2) and total histology index (average change, - 8.5 units from a baseline of 14.80;CI, - 13.2 to - 3.8) as well as significant weight gain (average weight gain, 1.74 kg, Cl, 0.94 to 2.54). No significant changes occurred in any variable during the placebo period. Seven patients received concurrent treatment with prednisone. During the fish oil supplementation period, the mean prednisone dose decreased from 12.9 mg/d to 6.1 mg/d and rose from 10.4 mg/d to 12.9 mg/d during the placebo diet period (P > 0.20).\n▪ Conclusions: Four months of diet supplementation with fish oil in patients with inflammatory bowel disease resulted in reductions in rectal dialysate leukotriene B4 levels, improvements in histologic findings, and weight gain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8579524159431458}
{"content": "As children, many of us were fascinated by the odd materials, looming forms and complex structures of urban industrial buildings – all the more intrigued when we learned we were not allowed to explore them directly. This remarkable building conversion project captures the industrial heart of the original rag factory while integrating impressive sustainable innovations for contemporary condo living.\nOn top of the colorful and engaging aesthetics, there are an abundance of incredible eco-friendly innovations employed in this reconstruction project by Onion Flats in Philadelphia. Captured rainwater stored in underground tanks is routed to water rooftop gardens and wall-climbing vegetation. Photovoltaic panels add solar-collecting functionality and visual interest along the roof lines.\nThe resulting residential complex is an amazing synthesis of old and new, in terms of structure, space and sustainable technology. It reflects its origins as a hodge-podge factory complex but reflects contemporary spatial design approaches and contains forward-thinking green architectural strategies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5630884170532227}
{"content": "Breathe Easy Outcomes\nPlease click here.\nBiodiverse Carbon Greening Australia’s Biodiverse Carbon provides whole of landscape repair and improves agricultural sustainability in the face of a changing climate. Our Biodiverse Carbon will leave a century-long legacy of social, economic and environmental benefits.\nAfter 5 years of accepting donations for emissions offsets into native biodiversity plantings, the Breathe Easy program has now closed.\nWell over 1,000 individuals have chosen to contribute to the establishment of 450 hectares of Biodiverse Carbon in Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania that Greening Australia will continue to manage for biodiversity and carbon outcomes. These contributions have been supplemented by several larger corporate carbon transactions and a significant contribution from Greening Australia’s own financial reserves. As a not-for-profit this is one example of how Greening Australia continues to reinvest in projects that have significant public good outcomes.\nOver the coming months Greening Australia will be developing new opportunities to build on the success of Breathe Easy, and enable the ongoing contribution of individuals and business to meet the significant climate and environmental challenges facing our country.\nIf you would like to receive notification of these developments please drop a line to [email protected]. You can also donate to Greening Australia’s carbon programs directly through contacting [email protected] Outcomes from Breathe Easy can be found here . Greening Australia would like to thank those individuals and businesses who contributed to the program for their generous support, and provides our commitment to the ongoing management of these projects to ensure that we meet our commitment to achieve high quality biodiversity, carbon and ecological outcomes.\nCommunity Carbon\nLandscape Carbon\nProductive Carbon", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5527186393737793}
{"content": "Learn about reducing the risk of blood clots using CRESTOR 20mg in this report from Insider Medicine. Read the full transcript »\nDr. Susan Sharma: This is Insidermedicine in 60. From Orlando - CRESTOR 20 mg can reduce the risk of blood clots, according to an analysis from the JUPITER study. Patients were selected based on high sensitivity C-reactive protein and low-to-normal cholesterol levels. The study found that CRESTOR 20 mg, compared with placebo, reduced risk of venous thromboembolism by 43%. CRESTOR is a statin medication used to lower LDL cholesterol and prevent plaque buildup in the arteries. From Boston - According to a study published in the Journal Pediatrics, infants who gain weight suddenly in the first six months of life are more likely to obese by age three. The study examined nearly 560 mother-child pairs, measuring changes in the child's weight and length over three years. Rapid weight gain was found to be a more significant factor than the weight of the parents, the weight of the mother during pregnancy, and the weight of the child at birth. Finally, from Atlanta - Exercise is a necessary measure for preventing heart disease, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition. Modifiable risk factors for heart disease include: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and an inactive lifestyle. Exercise affects one's inactivity and consequently improves the other modifiable risk factors. For Insidermedicine in 60, I am Dr. Susan Sharma.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5113686323165894}
{"content": "Two large-scale yeast two-hybrid screens were undertaken to identify protein-protein interactions between full-length open reading frames predicted from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome sequence. In one approach, we constructed a protein array of about 6,000 yeast transformants, with each transformant expressing one of the open reading frames as a fusion to an activation domain. This array was screened by a simple and automated procedure for 192 yeast proteins, with positive responses identified by their positions in the array. In a second approach, we pooled cells expressing one of about 6,000 activation domain fusions to generate a library. We used a high-throughput screening procedure to screen nearly all of the 6,000 predicted yeast proteins, expressed as Gal4 DNA-binding domain fusion proteins, against the library, and characterized positives by sequence analysis. These approaches resulted in the detection of 957 putative interactions involving 1,004 S. cerevisiae proteins. These data reveal interactions that place functionally unclassified proteins in a biological context, interactions between proteins involved in the same biological function, and interactions that link biological functions together into larger cellular processes. The results of these screens are shown here.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7221490144729614}
{"content": "Relief in Sight for Seasonal Allergy Sufferers\nUnpredictable and abnormal weather conditions can catch allergy sufferers off guard. Due to an unusually wet winter and spring in many parts of the country, we could see greater pollen counts from trees and grass in the late spring and early summer.\n“Allergy sufferers could be in for a rough spring and summer,” says Pamela A. Georgeson, DO, a board-certified osteopathic allergist and immunologist at the Kenwood Allergy and Asthma Center in Chesterfield Township, Mich. “Anyone with seasonal allergies, especially those whose allergies are triggered by pollen, should start preparing now.”\nDr. Georgeson is available to discuss tips for preparing for allergy season, such as showering at night and washing linens frequently. To schedule an interview, contact pr@osteopathic.org.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7133464813232422}
{"content": "Arlington, VA (PRWEB) March 3, 2011\nThe budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives drastically cuts funds for a program vital to the survival of tens of thousands of older, low-income job seekers. The budget reduces funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) from $825 million down to $300 million - a drop of nearly 64 percent.\n\"If these budget cuts become law they will have catastrophic implications for individuals who will be forced to leave the SCSEP program, their lifeline to self-sustainability,\" said Billy Wooten, executive director of program operations for Experience Works.\"The vast majority of those that enter the program face daily struggles - rationing food, choosing whether to pay rent or buy medications, or having to borrow money for gas to drive to job interviews. Many SCSEP participants are 70, 80 and 90 years old and are already on the brink of becoming homeless.\"\nExperience Works, a nonprofit organization that operates the SCSEP in 30 states and Puerto Rico, conducted a survey of SCSEP participants that underscores the forthcoming crisis if they are forced out of the program. According to the survey:\n\"These older Americans want to continue working,\" said Wooten. \"This is a crisis for vulnerable, low-income seniors who face many challenges in becoming reemployed. The alternative is for them to turn to dwindling public assistance for basic needs, without the benefit of advancing their own skills, earning a paycheck and contributing to their communities through work.\"\nFormerly known as Green Thumb, Experience Works is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of low-income older people through employment, community service, and training.\n# # #", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5257752537727356}
{"content": "Individual SALT Services Income taxes imposed on individuals, trusts and estates are one of the top sources of revenue for state and local jurisdictions. The complexities of business ownership, investment and the mobility of the workforce can cause traps. Similar to the common scenario of professional athletes who travel from state to state, company executives working in multiple states should also file a return for the period of time spent in those jurisdictions. Failure to report income in all applicable states can be embarrassing not only to the executive, but also to the company. However, with these complexities, significant opportunities for planning also exist.\nOur experienced state and local tax (SALT) professionals provide proactive planning, compliance, consulting and audit defense services for individuals, trusts and estates with complex tax situations.\nSpecific areas in which our SALT specialists provide services include:\nResidency Issues State residency rules can be quite complex and vary from state to state. Our experts can assist in determining a taxpayer’s state of residency and defend clients who have been challenged to support their residency status.\nIncome Sourcing Determining how much salary, business or investment income should be sourced to a particular state is complicated and inconsistent among the state jurisdictions. Our SALT professionals regularly identify the issues and provide the methodology to determine the appropriate amount of income/loss to be reported to a jurisdiction.\nAudit Defense WTAS professionals can manage, assist and/or represent clients to rigorously defend and reduce any potential assessment.\nRefund Opportunities Individuals may be allowed certain deductions or credits unique to the state or local jurisdiction, which are often missed. Our SALT team has expertise in identifying these opportunities for our clients.\nCompliance The patchwork of state filings for individuals who derive income from multiple jurisdictions can be challenging. Our SALT professionals have a proven, efficient and results-oriented process to manage complex multi-jurisdiction filings for individuals.\nPlanning Individuals who maintain varied investments and business activities may structure their activities to achieve tax efficiencies. WTAS can assist individuals in meeting their planning goals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5512546300888062}
{"content": "As a species we’ve become increasingly proficient at acquiring and storing data. This elevated access and recall allows for the creation of companies both on and offline that appear to be omniscient. This power can be interpreted as “creepy” or even “magic”.\nThree factors that appear to strongly influence the creepy level are:\nHow the data was obtained How the data will be used Comprehension of what access and recall to the data might enable A case in point Waze, a community-based traffic and navigation application uses social driving data sourced from its users to help avoid traffic and report road issues along your drive. Is this creepy? I argue it depends on how much you know about the system. If I told you there was an app that always knew where you were, you might think that was creepy. If I told you there was an app like Google Maps that made it so you never get stuck in traffic again, you might think that was magical. If you knew how the app performed this bit of magic, you might not be phased at all.\nAt my previous company, Hunch, we used hundreds of billions of preferences (likes, tweets, reviews, demographic data, etc.) collected from across the internet and woven into a Taste Graph to predict user behavior. When explaining how the system works I observed people would go through similar phases – creeped out, then nonplussed, and finally in acceptance. It is important to note that during the explanation only the person’s perception changed; our data collection methods and uses remained constant. Given this fact, I believe comprehension and ultimately end-user knowledge determines what gives them the creeps.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5331747531890869}
{"content": "Radical contingency in sharing behavior and its consequences\nAbstract The data of Henrich et al., when combined with other research, suggest that sharing behavior probably varies systematically across cultures, situations, and individuals. Economic policies founded on recognition of this “radical contingency” would, I argue, nurture economic pluralism rather than attempting to bring the world under one system.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9932273626327515}
{"content": "by Sanjay G. Reddy T H E\nP O O R\nHistorically, especially in Latin America,\nmore effort has gone into assessing the extent of “income poverty”—\nwhether individuals possess sufficient income to live a minimally\nadequate life—than into determining the extent of non-income depri-\nvations such as access to water and sanitation, adequate educational\nopportunities and basic health care. Thanks to the rising influence of\nthe “human development” perspective that emphasizes non-income\nachievements, greater attention has been given in recent years to such\nfactors as health status, education, quality of shelter, and access to\nclean water. However, whether or not people have adequate resourc-\nes to achieve basic requirements continues to be a crucial factor in\ndetermining whether a person is poor. It is hard to imagine a practical", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9555996656417847}
{"content": "Climate-change denial is spreading like a contagion across the land, with fewer Americans believing the world is warming than the number who did just a few years ago—all while the scientific consensus has solidified in the opposite direction. What on earth is happening here? George Monbiot speculates in Conservation magazine about the psychological factors at work behind climate change denial, specifically the finding that people over 65 are more likely to be skeptics about climate change:\nIn 1973, cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker proposed that the fear of death drives us to protect ourselves with “vital lies” or “the armor of character.” We defend ourselves from the ultimate terror by engaging in “immortality projects”—projects and beliefs that boost our self-esteem and grant us meaning that extends beyond death. Over 300 studies conducted in 15 countries appear to confirm Becker’s thesis. When people are confronted with things that remind them of death, they respond by shoring up their worldview, rejecting people and ideas that threaten it, and working to boost their self-esteem.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8226202726364136}
{"content": "Steps to a Healthier Cleveland Steps to a Healthier Cleveland was a city-wide program designed to engage all Clevelanders to live longer, better and healthier lives. The program encouraged physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco-free choices. These efforts were intended to reduce the burden of diabetes, overweight/obesity, and asthma in all of the Cleveland’s diverse neighborhoods.\nThe City of Cleveland Department of Public Health identified and grouped fourteen leading community development corporations with neighborhoods that would benefit the most from the Steps to a Healthier Cleveland initiative. BBC was selected to deliver neighborhood-driven interventions to the Kinsman neighborhood. These interventions encouraged and taught residents how to make neighborhood improvements such as bike lanes, walking trails, community gardens, safe routes to school, and markets for fresh produce.\nIn the Fall 2007, BBC distributed new and exciting neighborhood maps that displays the positive assets in the Kinsman neighborhood such as Bridgeport Place at East 72nd and Kinsman Road, Marion Motley Playfield, located on Carson Avenue, and Zelma Watson-George Recreation Center at MLK Boulevard. They also include maps of four one- to two-mile Kinsman neighborhood walking routes with specific points of interest in and around the community.\nAdditionally, BBC has worked with the City of Cleveland Department of Public Health and Safe Routes to School Coalition to develop safe routes for children who attend Anton Grdina K-8 school. These routes will feature restriped crosswalks, new crossing lights, and additional crossing guards within a one-mile radius of Anton Grdina.\nIn 2008, residents were given the opportunity to start and manage a community vegetable garden through the Ohio State Extension Summer Sprout program. Those who participated in the gardening will be able to select which fruit and vegetables they would like to grow and eat.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5201815962791443}
{"content": "-------------------------------\nKorff, T., Romer, L. M., Mayhew, I., & Martin, J. C. (2007, June). Effect of Pedaling Technique on Mechanical Effectiveness and Efficiency in Cyclists. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(6), 991-995.\nQuoted Abstract The article aims to determine the effects of various pedaling techniques on mechanical and gross efficiency during constant cycling. The study was participated by eight male cyclists whose four pedaling techniques were observed. The cyclists employed the preferred pedaling method, pedaling in circles, pull emphasized during upstroke, and push emphasized during downstroke. Researchers found that mechanical effectiveness is larger, while gross efficiency is lower when the cyclists pull on the pedal during the upstroke method. Moreover, no significant differences were noted in mechanical and gross efficiency during pushing and circling conditions.\nNotes\nEvenness of torque distribution greater during pulling compared to pushing and preferred\nDuring pulling, index of force effectiveness was significantly greater than other conditions. Yet, gross efficiency (power output in relation to oxygen consumption) was significantly less than other conditions. Could this be generalized to highlight the importance of pulling during short bursts of power needs in races? Track cycling, sprinting, attacking, steep hill climbing? The authors allude to this in their conclusion.\nDuring preferred pedaling, circling, and pushing a significant amount of negative torque occurred during the upstroke.\nThe authors speculate that in steady state cycling, the extensor muscles may be more efficient power producers.\n\"Interestingly, the preferred pedaling condition did not differ significantly from the pushing or circling condition in terms of mechanical effectiveness or gross efficiency. It is, perhaps, unsurprising that the preferred pedaling technique was metabolically the most efficient (although not significantly different from the circling and pushing conditions), because the participants are likely to have adopted an efficient pedaling style as a result of training and physiology adaptations. More importantly, however, the type of instruction did not influence gross efficiency unless participants were instructed to actively pull up on the pedal. We can speculate that during steady-state cycling, the pedaling technique may not be a major determinant of cycling performance, because a wide range of pedaling techniques results in similar levels of gross efficiency\" (p. 994).\nPowerCranks are intended to reduce negative torque during the upstroke. Within the context of the data from this study, would developing strength & efficiency in the flexor muscles overcome the inefficiency reported in this study (thus taking advantage of the better torque of the pull up style)? A study just like this should be done with subjects who ride PowerCranks regularly during training.\nThe authors indicate a limitation of the study is that it does not rule out the possibility a rider may learn a more efficient pedaling style if they are given enough time to adapt to it in training. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore this.\nMy conclusions from this study is that cyclists should intentionally improve their flexor muscles during training, in order to get the maximum torque benefits of a pull-up pedaling technique. This can be done through overload of the flexor muscles (hamstrings, soleus, hip fexors) through strength training, one leg pedaling, PowerCranks, steep hills works, sprinting, etc. Normal riding should emphasize the efficiency of the downstroke, activating mostly the extensors (quadriceps, calf). Concentration on developing flexors should be done before a race phase of training, and these should be maintained during the race phase with targeted workouts once per week assuming that racing itself will also provide overload on flexors.\nThis paper also mentioned the effects of gravity.\nsee reference list for other good articles to read\n-------------------------------", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5109189748764038}
{"content": "Weeds impact soybean yields by competing for limited resources, primarily light, water, and nutrients. The demand for these resources early in the growing season is small enough that weeds and soybeans can coexist without yield loss. However, as plants increase in size, competition for resources begins and yields are impacted. The critical period is the point of time when soybean yields begin to be affected by weeds. Controlling weeds before the critical period is reached is essential to protect yields and maximize profits.\nThe majority of Iowa soybean producers utilize total postemergence systems to control weeds. These systems are facilitated by glyphosate's ability to control large weeds, therefore providing flexibility in application timing. Fields may be weed-free at harvest yet suffer significant yield losses because weeds that emerged with the crop were allowed to grow until after the critical period was reached. Once the critical period is reached, soybean yield may be reduced 1 percent for every day that weed control is delayed. Thus, controlling weeds before the critical period is critical to maximize profitability.\nUnfortunately, there is no simple rule to determine the critical period for early-season competition.\nResearch at the University of Nebraska found that the critical period was at the V1 soybean stage in 30\" row spacing, but reducing row spacing to 15\" delayed the critical period until the V2 stage of growth. However, in Iowa State University research, the critical period was not reached until after the V6 stage in five out of six studies. Several factors determine the critical period, including weed species, weed density, time of weed emergence in relation to the soybean, environmental conditions, and production practices. The complex interactions among these factors make it impossible to accurately predict when weeds will begin to impact yields.\nSo what is the best approach to dealing with the uncertainty of the critical period? A good way of estimating the risk of early-season competition is determining the density of weeds present shortly after the soybeans emerge. If densities are greater than 3 to 5 weeds/ft2 when soybeans are at the VE stage, there is a good likelihood that the critical period will occur relatively early in the season, and weeds should be controlled before the soybeans reach the V2 or V3 stage. At lower densities, applications probably can be delayed to the V4 or V5 stage with little risk of yield loss.\nTotal postemergence programs in fields with high weed pressures carry a relatively high risk of early-season yield losses due to the narrow application window created by the critical period occurring early in the season. Unfavorable weather (wet fields, windy conditions, conflicts with other field operations, etc.) may prevent herbicides from being applied before the critical period. Application of preemergence herbicides in fields expected to have high weed densities can reduce the risk of early-season competition by reducing the number of weeds and delaying their emergence in relation to the crop. Full rates of preemergence herbicides are not required since the objective is not to provide full-season control but rather delay the timing of the critical period. A properly selected preemergence herbicide should allow the postemergence herbicide application to be delayed until the crop canopy has developed sufficiently so that weeds emerging after the application are not a concern.\nIn summary, a weed management program should be designed not only to minimize weeds present at harvest but also to eliminate yield losses caused by weeds. Under many conditions, weeds can begin to impact soybean yields very early in the growing season. Delaying application of postemergence herbicides beyond the critical period can result in significant yield losses even though the field may be clean at harvest. The risk of early-season competition can be managed through timely application of postemergence herbicides and the use of preemergence herbicides.\nThis article originally appeared on page 76 of the IC-498 (3) -- March 26, 2007 issue.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5431180000305176}
{"content": "We welcome you to JobBank USA and hope your job hunting experienceis a pleasant one. We hope you find our resources useful.\nAerospace engineers create extraordinary machines, fromairplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft thattravel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop, and testaircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture ofthese products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are astronautical engineers.\nAerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation,defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areassuch as structural design, guidance, navigation and control,instrumentation and communication, or production methods. They oftenuse computer-aided design (CAD) software, robotics, and lasers andadvanced electronic optics. They also may specialize in a particulartype of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, militaryfighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets.Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, thermodynamics,celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and controlsystems.\nAerospace engineers typically are employed in theaerospace product and parts industry, although their skills arebecoming increasingly valuable in other fields. For example, in themotor vehicles manufacturing industry, aerospace engineers designvehicles that have lower air resistance and, thus, increased fuelefficiency.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.891911506652832}
{"content": "Assistance to the Poor in a Federal System\nThis paper explores the roles of different levels of government in assisting the poor. Using a model with utility interdependence, the paper presents some theoretical results on how levels of poor relief vary with the extent of mobility of the poor under both centralized and decentralized systems of support. After surveying the relevant empirical work and the experience under the English Poor Laws, the paper argues for a basic role for central government in this function.\nPublished: Brown, Charles and Wallace Oates. \"Assistance to the Poor in a Federal System,\" Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 32, No. 3, April 1987, pp. 307-330.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9330620169639587}
{"content": "Susan Hasty, Publisher\nTable of Contents . . . April 24th, 2006\nGastroenterology - Helicobacter pylori infection prevents nocturnal gastric acid breakthrough\nInflammatory Bowel Disease - Inhibition of CHI3L1 activity may be a novel therapeutic approach for IBD\nColorectal Adenocarcinoma - Colorectal adenocarcinoma linked to G274A isoform of hnRNP K protein mRNA\nColorectal Adenocarcinoma - Colorectal adenocarcinoma survival and prognostic factors identified\nColorectal Cancer - Attitudes toward colorectal cancer screening in Hong Kong reviewed\nColorectal Cancer - Changing trends in the management of colorectal cancers reviewed\nColorectal Cancer - Colon cancer DNA microarray study reveals novel markers of chemotherapy response\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer angiogenesis predicts patient outcomes\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer prognosis linked to indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer risk linked to serum C-reactive protein levels\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer should be treated according to age and comorbidities\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer tissues analyzed for distinct gene expression patterns\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal cell-induced apoptosis involves c-Abl-independent p73 stabilization\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal liver metastases prognosis improved by repeated surgery\nColorectal Cancer - Colorectal liver metastases treated by surgical resection\nColorectal Cancer - Data advance knowledge in colorectal cancer research\nColorectal Liver Metastases - Colorectal liver metastases effectively treated by hepatic wedge resection\nColorectal Liver Metastases - Surgery for four or more colorectal liver metastases justified\nDiabetes Monitoring - FDA approval of continuous glucose sensor accelerates development of artificial pancreas\nDiabetes Pathogenesis - Diminished PKC isoenzymes levels influence lead to disturbed insulin secretion in GK rat\nDiabetes Pathogenesis - Findings advance knowledge in diabetes pathogenesis research\nDiabetes Pathogenesis - New data illuminates research in diabetes pathogenesis\nDiabetes Therapy - Researchers detail new studies and findings in the area of diabetes therapy\nDiabetes Therapy - Researchers' work adds to diabetes therapy body of knowledge\nDiabetic Nephropathy - Diabetic nephropathy diagnosis allows identification of patients with high cardiorenal risk\nDiagnostics - Recent findings in diagnostics provide new insights\nDiagnostics - Studies describe new findings in diagnostics research\nDiet & Nutrition - Reports add new data to diet & nutrition research\nDrug Development - Amgen, Abgenix complete BLA for U.S. FDA approval of panitumumab\nDrug Development - Axcan submits U.S. FDA amendment to its new drug application for Helizide\nDrug Development - Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopts multiple opinions\nEsophageal Cancer - Esophageal carcinoma poor prognosis linked to activated NF-kappa B\nEsophageal Cancer - Siewert type II adenocarcinomas distinguished from type III\nGallbladder Cancer - Gallbladder cancer could be treated by extended cholecystectomy\nGastric Cancer - Gastric cancer staging improved with peritoneal lavage cytology\nGastric Cancer - Gastric cancer treatment standards in the 21st century reviewed\nGastrointestinal Carcinomas - Gastrointestinal carcinoma prognosis linked to plasminogen activator activity\nGenetics & Genomics - Melanocortin-4 receptor gene was not related to complications after gastric banding\nHead & Neck Cancer - Findings describe new data in head & neck cancer research\nHelicobacter Vaccine - CTA1-DD adjuvant enhances immunity against Helicobacter pylori infection\nHepatitis B Virus - HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B lamivudine monotherapy outcome predicted\nHepatitis B Virus - Recent findings in hepatitis B virus provide new insights\nHepatitis C Virus - Findings advance knowledge in hepatitis C virus research\nHepatitis C Virus - HCV NS3-4A Ser protease is inhibited by orally bioavailable compound\nHepatitis C Virus - Hepatitis C virus genotype 3 is associated with histopathologic liver disease\nHepatitis C Virus - Hepatitis C virus liver fibrosis predicted in patients coinfected with HIV\nHepatitis C Virus - Researchers describe findings in hepatitis C virus studies\nInflammatory Bowel Disease - Antihuman CD48 antibody treatment may represent a novel therapy for IBD patients\nKidney Disease - In end-stage renal disease, mitral E/Ea ratio predicts mortality\nLiver Transplantation - Despite medical advances, children wait longer to receive a liver transplant than a decade ago\nLiver Transplantation - Study predicts successful outcomes in living-donor liver transplants\nMergers & Acquisitions - Calypte invests in Chinese joint venture\nMergers & Acquisitions - NutraCea signs binding letter of intent with StoneBridge Pharma LLC\nMyelodysplastic Syndromes - Pharmion Corporation submits Vidaza new drug application supplement for IV administration\nPancreatic Cancer - Pancreatic cancer cell invasion declines upon Notch-1 inhibition\nPancreatic Cancer - Pancreatic cancer diagnosis via RT-PCR for alpha4GnT shows promise\nPancreatic Cancer - Recent studies add new data to pancreatic cancer research\nRectal Cancer - Findings describe new data in rectal cancer research\nRectal Cancer - Rectal cancer staged by transrectal ultrasound\nRectal Cancer - Selected rectal cancer patients treated by transanal excision\nRotavirus Vaccine - Rectally delivered vaccine protects mice against rotavirus infection\nRotavirus Vaccines - New findings in rotavirus vaccines described\nStem Cell Transplantation - Cultured BMCs differentiated into liver cell lineage are cell transplantation source\nSurgical Technology - Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is essential for diagnosis of GI diseases\nSurgical Technology - Gastric greater curvature invagination significantly decreases weight in rats\nSurgical Technology - Noncolorectal cancer treated by hepatic metastasectomy in selected patients\nSurgical Technology - Tissucol may prevent leaks and internal hernias in morbidly obese undergoing LRYGBP\nTissue Engineering - Cell-cell competition replaces functional organ tissue under nonselective conditions\nTransplant Medicine - Pancreatic islets develop lymphatic vessels after transplantation\nType 1 Diabetes - Diabetes trial to launch at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh\nNewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9032429456710815}
{"content": "I didn't grow up eating Brussels sprouts, and due to the vegetable's notorious reputation, I didn't think I was missing out on much. When I had my first bite of the vegetable a few years ago, I found that it wasn't bitter; rather, it was rich, sweet, and tender. I've been a devotee of the nutritious Brussels sprout ever since.\nWhile Brussels sprouts are often available yearround, they're in their prime now: Peak season is from September to February. To find out what to look for, read more.\nChoose firm, round, and heavy sprouts with leaves held tightly together. Smaller heads have the sweetest taste. Avoid overcooking Brussels sprouts at any cost; they'll taste bitter. Aim to select heads of similar size, so they'll cook evenly. Some preparation tips:\nHalve sprouts and sauté them in a pan with olive oil and chopped bacon until brown crust develops. Then simmer until tender in chicken stock. Shred sprouts by hand or in a food processor, sauté until crisp and tender, and drizzle with lemon juice before serving. Boil whole Brussels sprouts until tender (do not overcook). Plunge in cold water bath, then toss with butter, salt, and pepper. Toss whole with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake until crisp on the outside and cooked on the inside. Slice and eat raw with olive oil, lemon juice, toasted almond slivers, and pecorino. What tips do you have for preparing Brussels sprouts? Do you have a favorite method of cooking them?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.938911497592926}
{"content": "Daniel Kahnemann continues his exploration into utility theory and the decisions under risk. In this paper, Kahnemann summarizes his research that highlights the differences between empirical decision making and the choices individuals are expected to make based on conventional rational agent models. Tevy Chawwa, Igor Hernandez, Nan Li, and Laura Paul provided the notes summarizing Maps of Bounded Rationality and presented them paper to the Econ 206 class.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995510578155518}
{"content": "Given the rapid and ongoing integration of the global economy, the International Monetary Fund needs to renew its role, governance structure, and functions if it is to maintain its relevance as the institution charged with promoting global financial stability. Lecavalier and Santor examine the areas of possible reform, including quota, voice, and representation; internal governance; surveillance; lending instruments; finances; and the Fund's role in low-income countries. They also review current Bank of Canada research that supports these reform efforts, including an integrated framework for IMF surveillance recently developed at the Bank.\nTopics: International topics", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9233685731887817}
{"content": "L1CAM ELISA kit (EIA5074) Utilized in Study of Preterm\nResearchers at Washington University of St. Louis recently utilized DRG International’s L1CAM Elisa Kit in their study of\nNeurological outcomes of preterm infants with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus are among the worst in newborn medicine. There remains no consensus regarding the diagnosis or treatment of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, and the pathological pathways leading to the adverse neurological sequelae are poorly understood. In the current study, we developed an innovative approach to simultaneously identify potential diagnostic markers of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus and investigate novel pathways of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus-related neurological disability.\nThe researchers plan to continue studying this topic, utilizing DRG’s Elisa Kits. This first study found that the late preterm period is a critical interval for neurodevelopment, and the relationship of the observed CSF protein increases to long-term developmental disability remains unclear at present. We look forward to their continued findings.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9419522881507874}
{"content": "Bioinformatics The worldwide market for bioinformatics is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2006, driven by bioinformatic technologies that decrease the time and money required for drug discovery and development. Emerging bioinformatic applications could reduce the cost of drug discovery by 33% and also accelerate the process by 2 years, according to a new Front Line Strategic Market Report entitled Bioinformatics, A Strategic Market Analysis.\nConsisting of the content, analysis software, and IT infrastructure provider segments, bioinformatics will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%, with the largest growth in the analysis software segment. Large volume data mining and the need for analysis and visualization tools to support complex analysis, such as relationship modeling, will drive the $202 million analysis software segment to grow to $634 million in 2006.\nOne of the biggest questions facing users of bioinformatics is whether to purchase content or technologies from commercial vendors, or to develop tools in-house to meet the company's specific needs. Front Line estimates that pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will continue to allocate 60% of their total bioinformatics spending to commercial vendors, totaling $1.1 billion in 2006.\nCurrently, companies allocate the largest share of their bioinformatics budgets to content, spending $225 million in 2001, and doubling to $445 million in 2006 as the availability of comprehensive and annotated data sets increases. Leading content suppliers include Celera, which provides genome data for DNA sequencing, and Incyte, which provides gene expression data.\nWhile genomics currently represents the largest application segment for bioinformatics spending, the most significant growth opportunities are presented in proteomics and pharmacogenomics, which will account for $469 million and $351 million in 2006, respectively. Specifically, proteomics will grow at a 39% CAGR through 2006, given that it is the most direct way of identifying and studying drug targets. In addition, pharmacogenomics will grow at a 38% CAGR, enabling the development of therapeutics tailored to patients' genetic profiles. Tempering the growth will be a lack of standard data formats, the lack of common protocols, and interoperable technologies. This will present a significant barrier for end-users when it comes time to integrate data from various sources.\nNonetheless, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will continue to seek tools to aid them in identifying relationships across biological data types. As bioinformatics is more widely applied to discovery and development, end-users will adopt solutions that streamline the access, tracking, interpretation and sharing of data from disparate sources and data types, with minimal impact on resources.\nSource: DSstar", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8167820572853088}
{"content": "Freedom v. Meijer Great Lakes Ltd. The plaintiff appealed the trial court's action.The plaintiff was a cashier who had filed a workers compensation claim. While the claim was pending, she was questioned about a number of unusual transactions traced to her register. She was interviewed by a loss prevention officer. At the conclusion of the investigation, she was terminated on the same day that two other employees who had also filed workers compensation claims were terminated. She filed suit, and her case was tried before a jury. At the conclusion of plaintiff's case, the trial court granted a direct verdict to defendants on this issue.\nThe court of appeals stated the only evidence presented was that she was fired while her workers compensation claim was pending and that two other workers who had filed claims were terminated on the same day. There was no evidence linking the her claim to her termination. The loss prevention officer had no knowledge of the workers compensation claim. The store manager who may have had knowledge of the claim played no significant role in the decision to investigate and to terminate the employee.\nWith respect to the other workers who were terminated, the plaintiff failed to present any circumstances concerning the two terminations, other than that there were claims pending. As a result, plaintiff failed to produce any evidence which might have given rise to an inference of discrimination.\nThe court of appeals noted that there was substantial evidence to indicate that the termination was justified. In addition to the fact that the investigating representative had no knowledge of the claim, the court noted that plaintiff was the only employee who had 19 questionable transactions in one week while other cashiers who had questionable transactions were spread out over 5 weeks to 3 months. As a result, the other cashiers were not similarly situated. In light of the absence of direct or cumulative evidence showing a retaliatory motivation on the part of the company, the jury would have been left to\nspeculate whether plaintiff was fired for mishandling the cash register or out a desire to punish her for filing her claim.The court's decision re-affirmed that the mere fact a claim was pending when a termination took place will not be sufficient to establish a retaliatory discharge claim. The fact that the company's representative did not have knowledge of the claim was a key factor. At the end of the day, the plaintiff must present proof, not speculation, to get to the jury.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.829585075378418}
{"content": "You list the most exciting games, defined as those that most often have unexpected outcomes, as soccer followed by baseball, hockey, basketball and American football (7 January, p 13). With the exception of the final two, these are the sports with the lowest scores at the end of the game.\nCould it simply be that in lower-scoring games there is a greater chance of a statistical outlier (or, in sport-speak, an underdog), coming out ahead? When the typical expected score is 2-3 it takes only one point to get a tie. In a high-scoring game there is more opportunity for the score to correct itself.\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7269648313522339}
{"content": "Landforms Iowa is often considered to be one of the flattest states in the Midwest. But Iowa has a distinct collection of landforms. Unique shapes and features change from one part of the state to another.\nIowa’s landforms reflect a unique history of geologic events. These geologic events have shaped the land also influence the distribution of native plant and animal communities in Iowa.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8830877542495728}
{"content": "Publication: Vibrant Life Author: Schiffmann, Ruth Date published: November 1, 2011 You're sitting in the passenger seat of your family's SUV, watching trees rush past in a blur. Your head spins, your stomach lurches, and a warm, clammy feeling comes over you. No, you're not in love. You're experiencing motion sickness.\nThanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day are among the busiest travel periods of the year. If you're headed over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house, consider these strategies to stop travel sickness in its tracks.\nEat light, but do eat. Everyone knows not to eat a big meal before riding a roller coaster. For people prone to motion sickness, the same holds true for any form of transportation. What many travelers may not realize, however, is that an empty stomach is just as bad as one that's too full. Make sure you've had a little something to eat before taking a ride on a plane, train, car, or boat.\nChoose the best seat. In a car, driving is best, because your movements (as you steer) match with what you're seeing. If you can't take the wheel, the next-best option is the front passenger's seat, where you can see the road ahead and anticipate upcoming bumps and turns.\nDon't look out the side windows. The faster the movement outside appears, the worse you'll feel.\nSit stili! Lean back on the headrest and focus on the horizon or a distant stationary object to bring things back into balance.\nBreathe. Take slow, deep breaths to reduce anxiety and alleviate symptoms. And keep the fresh air coming! In the car, crack a window. On a plane, rum up the fresh air feed overhead.\nDon't read. Looking down at something motionless while your body detects motion only makes things worse.\nHave some sugar and spice. Ginger and peppermint both have stomach-calming effects. Either can be taken as tablets before a trip. Or suck on peppermints or ginger lozenges during the ride.\nTry acupressure wristbands. These wristbands won't make you a traveling fashionista, but they could help eliminate nausea. Built-in buttons apply pressure to a specific location on the wrist. For best results, apply additional pressure to the buttons every so often. Wristbands are reusable and can be -worn without side effects.\nExplore medication options. For severe travel sickness, you can give over-the-counter meds a try, or talk to your doctor about prescription options. (Be warned, though: these can cause drowsiness and may have side effects.)\nAuthor affiliation:\nRuth Schiffmann writes from Falmouth, Massachusetts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5658614635467529}
{"content": "Agent-based models (ABMs) are powerful in describing structured epidemiological processes involving human behavior and local interaction. The joint behavior of the agents can be very complex and tracking the behavior requires a disciplined approach. At the same time, equationbased models (EBMs) can be more tractable and allow for at least partial analytical insight. However, inadequate representation of the detailed population structure can lead to spurious results, especially when the epidemic process is beginning and individual variation is critical. In this paper, we demonstrate an approach that combines the two modeling paradigms and introduces a hybrid model that starts as agent-based and switches to equation-based after the number of infected individuals is large enough to support a population-averaged approach. This hybrid model can dramatically save computational times and, more fundamentally, allows for the mathematical analysis of emerging structures generated by the ABM.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7024729251861572}
{"content": "Link: http://www.futureal.net/\nFutureal is a company that I came across many years ago. They \"use quantitative and qualitative research, logic and creativity to hep (sic) their clients build strategy for an uncertain future.\"\nIn a recent article (http://bit.ly/QDdrDq), the founder of Futureal Tamar Kasriel was listed as one of the worlds most influential futurists. When asked about what makes her company different from their competitors, Tamar had this to say.\n\"I think the way we approach questions is quite unique. The answers to questions about the future won't come just from one place - we can't just rely on, say, primary research. If we use it at all, we need to combine it with what we can glean from academia, what's going on within the industry, find parallels in other sectors, and create a workable model for putting it all together. We're also finding that despite all the hype, social media is largely an untapped resource in terms of understanding shifts in consumer attitudes, and we find ourselves increasingly drawn to create our own innovative social media analytics.\" This article focuses on multiple aspects of research that we touched on this semester. Concepts of qualitative and quantitative, but also the idea about what questions we are asking, and the strategy behind them. This is one of the first examples where I have clearly seen a direct relationship between class and the real world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6183463335037231}
{"content": "Even though modern retrieval systems typically use a multitude of features to rank documents, the backbone for search ranking is usually the standard tf.idf retrieval models.\nWe address a limitation of the fundamental retrieval models, the modeling of the vocabulary mismatch between query terms and relevant documents. Vocabulary mismatch happens when query terms fail to appear in the documents that are relevant to the query, causing suboptimal retrieval. Mismatch is a well-known and long standing problem in retrieval. However, it is not well understood how often query terms mismatch relevant documents, neither how mismatch affects retrieval performance. We formally define term mismatch. We show that mismatch is a very common problem in search, that it allows us to understand the common failures of the current retrieval models and the behaviors of many of the retrieval techniques, and that a large potential gain is possible by simply making the retrieval models mismatch-aware. We also demonstrate several initial successes in addressing term mismatch in retrieval using novel mismatch prediction methods and theoretically motivated retrieval techniques, which could lead to even larger gains in retrieval.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7833337783813477}
{"content": "From: Joseph Schilz (meingolem@gmail.com ) Date: Mon Dec 19 2005 - 20:48:38 MST\nI hope I'm not waxing too philosophical on my first response here.\nIt seems to me that a lot of this play about free will is a matter of semantics.\nYou can think of free will in a couple of different ways. To me, the words free will represent the concept of unbounded potential for the ego. It's not merely the notion that you make decisions, it's the concept that decisions are even possible, or that a human decision is a more significant event than playing a game of Plinko(think Price is Right). I think that this is generally what is meant by free will, and I believe that it is the most significant interpretation.\nOf course, few here would argue that such a notion should be upheld. Unless you believe in weird physics, and furthermore that those weird physics are /you/, it's absurd to argue that the ego--not the faculties in the brain that produce it, but the ego itself, if you catch my connotations--performs any decisions. Resolving to accept this completely, however, is tantamount to insanity, not to mention a bit ironic.\nSo, in order to preserve this comforting illusion of control, an alternative definition of free will has been offered. This is the notion that though our actions are ultimately out of our control, that thing which we call ourselves is capable of a much finer presence and thought due to its introspective nature.\nJust as it is absurd to support the first notion of free will, it's just as absurd to argue against the second.\nIn the context of this list, my questions become: How might we create an intelligence endowed with the second property, while we, avoid a clouded pursuit of the first.\n------------------------------- http://www.josephaeron.com \"Which thing happens, that I bit of the barman of the dog?\"\nThis archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat May 25 2013 - 04:00:59 MDT", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7392346858978271}
{"content": "First Amendment Architecture Abstract The right to free speech is meaningless without some place to exercise it. But constitutional scholarship generally overlooks the role of judicial doctrines in ensuring the availability of spaces for speech. Indeed, when scholarship addresses doctrines that are explicitly concerned with speech spaces such as public forums and media or Internet forums, it generally marginalizes these doctrines as “exceptions” to standard First Amendment analysis. By overlooking or marginalizing these decisions, scholarship has failed to explicate the logic underlying important doctrinal areas and what these areas reveal about the First Amendment’s normative underpinnings.\nThis Article adopts a different interpretive approach. It identifies and interprets the Court’s role in ensuring, requiring, or permitting government to make spaces available for speech. Across a range of physical and virtual spaces, the Article identifies five persistent judicial principles evident in precedent and practice that require or permit government to ensure spaces to further particular, substantive speech-goals.\nFurther, rather than quarantining these speech-principles as exceptions to the standard analysis, this Article explores the significance of these principles for “core” speech doctrine and theory. The resulting analysis poses fundamental challenges to conventional wisdom about the First Amendment and the normative principles generally believed evident in doctrine. Consequently, the Article provides timely guidance for legislators and judges, particularly for shaping access to the technology-enabled virtual spaces increasingly central to Americans’ discourse.\nSuggested Citation Marvin Ammori. 2011. \"First Amendment Architecture\" ExpressO Available at: http://works.bepress.com/marvin_ammori/1", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9211059212684631}
{"content": "My husband and I both have ADHD, but we manifest it differently. I’m disorganized in the typical ADHD way. He manages his ADHD by staying hyper-organized. He refuses to learn more about ADHD and the reasons for my disorganization.\nby Melissa Orlov\nIt sounds like he is trying to shame you into doing better. Perhaps your husband believes you’re using ADHD as an excuse for your disorganization.\nFirst, help him understand that his anger and criticism damage your self-esteem and your marriage. Ask him to be loving and supportive, not critical.\nSince he thrives on staying organized, work with him on specific strategies for creating a less cluttered home, while gently reminding him of your many contributions to the household.\nDevelop a system that takes advantage of your combined strengths — he keeps the house organized, you work with the children on homework and their recreational activities. A balanced approach should solve the problem.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8649531006813049}
{"content": "Scaling Agile to the enterprise can be challenging once you start looking at the Program and Portfolio level. How do you design an effective coordination system that encourages collaboration, communication, transparency and is flexible, easy to implement and rapidly evolvable? We will explore key aspects of creating a simple but effective agile-ready coordination system for managing such initiatives, based upon the authors' observations and experiences across widely differing companies.\nMany otherwise astute agilists have struggled when faced with the challenge of scaling methods like Scrum to large, multiteam projects and programs. Luckily, this shared hardship has resulted in some creative solutions to the problems such efforts can pose. We will explore key aspects of creating a simple but effective agile-ready coordination system for managing such initiatives, based upon the authors’ observations and experiences across widely differing companies.\nGuiding Principles The goals of an agile-appropriate portfolio coordination system might be stated as follows: Build trust and engagement through transparency by making priorities, dependencies, and capacity visible and discussing them regularly. Facilitate informed strategic guidance via clear communication to key stakeholders about current and potential delivery challenges. Bridge silos and functional organizations with regular, coordinated collaborative touch points. Provide rapid, targeted portfolio management with minimal time or capital investment. We will explore how these objectives might be achieved in a process with minimal overhead and setup time.\nThe Scrum of Scrums Is Not Enough Much of the early agile literature spoke from the perspective of a single team. Scrum, the most popular agile framework today, espoused a simple mechanism called the Scrum of Scrums for coordination between multiple teams. However, this mechanism is rather loosely defined and often is inadequate for complex dependency management across multiple releases and a portfolio of projects. Originally, the Scrum of Scrums was described as a daily meeting between ScrumMasters across teams, which followed a similar structure to the daily scrum but focused on progress, plans, and blockers at the team rather than individual level. One key problem with this system was that it implicitly relied on ScrumMasters to know the details of every issue. Also, the fact that external stakeholders are often needed for negotiation, communication, or blocker removal can make their absence a progress-killing issue.\nMany teams have moved beyond the Scrum of Scrums or modified it in ways that they find better suited to the complexities of their situations.\nThe Ubiquitous Visual Management System Large, visible “information radiators” have been a common theme in agile implementations, and they figure perhaps even more prominently in the lean manufacturing implementations that inspired many agile values and practices. For example, Japanese companies such as Toyota long shunned complex material resource planning systems in favor of simple paper charts, bins sized to fit just so many parts, and other similarly low-tech tools. The persistent presence, ease of creation and change, and ability of such systems to facilitate group interactivity was hard to beat.\nIn today’s agile teams, one continues to encounter physical Scrum taskboards being used alongside full-fledged software suites, proof of the efficacy and persistent appeal of physicality.\nCreating a Portfolio Management System and Team Let us tell a story by way of example: Nine teams are working together on the delivery of several major projects on an enterprise business intelligence platform. The teams are mostly focused on delivery of independent feature groups, but there are two exceptions. One team helps to create and manage shared data services and enterprise service bus integration; this team’s backlog is populated by the other teams. Another team is a vendor that is implementing its software to provide some visualization pathways for mobile and tablet devices. It’s operating on a slightly modified waterfall development lifecycle. The rapid pace, continuous integration, and high information flow across a set of agile teams require an equally nimble coordinating structure. The teams also want to engage frequently with high-level stakeholders, so meetings have to be short and focused, which will be a welcome change in any case. The system as a whole will consist\nAttachment Size 3604399.pdf 1.16 MB", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6015140414237976}
{"content": "L. Hemingway\nBristol: Policy Press, 2011\nThis book provides a comprehensive investigation of housing issues for disabled people from a social model perspective. Documenting historical and current trends, it looks at policy, barriers to housing options and meanings of 'home'. Such a review is crucial to understanding the varying housing needs and desires of disabled people, particularly in the current economic climate.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9689067006111145}
{"content": "Federal Real Property: National Strategy and Better Data Needed to Improve Management of Excess and Underutilized Property - GAO Report Date: June 20, 2012 Report No.: GAO-12-645 Pages: 90 Download PDF Now Summary: The Federal Real Property Council (FRPC) has not followed sound data collection practices in designing and maintaining the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP) database, raising concern that the database is not a useful tool for describing the nature, use, and extent of excess and underutilized federal real property. For example, FRPC has not ensured that key data elementsincluding buildings' utilization, condition, annual operating costs, mission dependency, and valueare defined and reported consistently and accurately. GAO identified inconsistencies and inaccuracies at 23 of the 26 locations visited related to these data elements (see the fig. for an example). As a result, FRPC cannot ensure that FRPP data are sufficiently reliable to support sound management and decision making about excess and underutilized property.\nThe federal government has undertaken efforts to achieve cost savings associated with better management of excess and underutilized properties. However, some of these efforts have been discontinued and potential savings for others are unclear. For example, in response to requirements set forth in a June 2010 presidential memorandum for agencies to achieve $3 billion in savings by the end of fiscal year 2012, the General Services Administration (GSA) reported approximately $118 million in lease cost savings resulting from four new construction projects. However, GSA has yet to occupy any of these buildings and the agencys cost savings analysis projected these savings would occur over a 30-year periodfar beyond the time frame of the memorandum. The five federal agencies that GAO reviewed have taken some actions to dispose of and better manage excess and underutilized property, including using these properties to meet space needs by consolidating offices and reducing employee work space to use space more efficiently. However, they still face long-standing challenges to managing these properties, including the high cost of property disposal, legal requirements prior to disposal, stakeholder resistance, and remote property locations. A comprehensive, long-term national strategy would support better management of excess and underutilized property by, among other things, defining the scope of the problem; clearly addressing achievement goals; addressing costs, resources, and investments needed; and clearly outlining roles and coordination mechanisms across agencies.\nWhy GAO Did This StudyThe federal government has made some progress addressing previously identified issues with managing federal real property. This includes establishing FRPCchaired by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)which created the FRPP database managed by GSA. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which (1) the FRPP database accurately describes the nature, use, and extent of excess and underutilized federal real property, and (2) progress is being made toward more effective management of these properties. GAO analyzed the data collection process and agency data, visited 26 sites containing excess and underutilized buildings from five civilian federal real property holding agencies with significant portfolios, and interviewed officials from these five agencies and OMB staff about how they collect FRPP data and manage excess and underutilized properties.\nWhat GAO RecommendsGAO recommends that, in consultation with FRPC, GSA develop a plan to improve the FRPP and that OMB develop a national strategy for managing federal excess and underutilized real property. GSA agreed with GAOs recommendation and agreed with the reports findings, in part. OMB agreed that real property challenges remain but raised concerns about how GAO characterized its findings on FRPP accuracy and other statements. GAO believes its findings are properly presented. The details of agencies comments and GAOs response are addressed more fully within the report.\nFor more information, contact David Wise at (202) 512-5731 or at wised@gao.gov.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8377715945243835}
{"content": "40 Percent of Deaths Linked to Environment Hmmm... Maybe it's not so bad to drink Dr. Pepper after all. A recent Cornell University study has found that nearly half of deaths worldwide are caused or exacerbated by environmental pollution, including water pollution.\nDavid Pimentel, the Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who conducted the research, links 62 million deaths each year to organic or chemical pollutants, placing these factors alongside long-known killers such as heart disease.\nIncreasing rates of Malaria, E. coli, Salmonella, AIDS, and Tuberculosis all are linked to environmental degradation, according to Pimentel. \"In the United States alone, 76,000 people are in the hospital each year, with 5,000 deaths, just due to pollution of air, food, or water,\" he said. \"Cancers are increasing in the U.S., and AIDS is on the rise.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9881119728088379}
{"content": "Emotional baggage. It's a term we hear often and a burden that many of us deal with daily. Finding freedom from emotional burdens often involves a frustrating struggle between our hearts and minds-thinking one way but feeling another. In Keys to Emotional Freedom , Counselor Robin Martens explains that releasing emotional burdens has to become a habitone in which we learn to accept not only in our heads but also in our hearts. Finding freedom from emotional and relational burdens begins and ends with trusting God to do the healing, allowing Him to unlock the doors of our hearts and minds. Keys to Emotional Freedom offers specific advice, encouraging examples, relevant Scripture, and practical steps for you to begin the habit of leaving emotional baggage at the foot of the cross, allowing you to rest in the joy and peace of emotional freedom.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9944795370101929}
{"content": "Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Regulation Number(s):\nRegulation 57 - General\nBill or Act: Bees Act Summary of Decision:\nThe proposal has been approved. The amendments to Regulation 57 under the Bees Act will take effect July 1, 2013. The amendments will apply to all Ontario beekeepers.\nTwo diseases that were proposed in the posting will not be added to the regulation: Paenibacillus larvae and Mellisococcus pluton. The previous scientific names of these diseases (Bacillus larvae and Bacillus pluton/alvei respectively) and the common names of these diseases, American Foulbrood and European Foulbrood respectively, are currently listed in the Bees Act, and the proposal was intended to update the scientific name to reflect the names currently used for these two diseases. However, these changes would require amendments to the Bees Act itself, which was not considered in the present proposal.\nThree additional diseases and two additional pests have been added to the proposal. The diseases are: Nosema sp resistant to antibiotics; Tropilaelaps sp resistant to miticides; and, Euvarroa sp resistant to miticides. The strains of these diseases that are resistant need to be added because they represent a unique threat to bee health because there are no treatment options available for them. The additional pests are Vespa vellutina and Large Hive Beetle. Vespa vellutina is capable of killing entire colonies of honey bees, and can seriously affect humans and animals with its venom. Large Hive Beetle may enter a nest and feed on the honey bee brood and food stores. These diseases and pests have been proposed as a result of stakeholder feedback during the posting and additional consultation with industry and academic experts.\nFurther Information:\nLink to Environmental Registry\nBees Act\nRegulation 57 under the Bees Act\nProposal Number: 12-AFRA015 Posting Date: December 13, 2012 Summary of Proposal:\nOMAFRA is asking for feedback on its proposal to amend Regulation 57 - General under the Bees Act to designate additional diseases and pests. Inspectors have authority to inspect and take action to control diseases and pests listed in the Act and Regulation 57.\nIt is proposed that the following diseases should be added to Regulation 57:\n- Nosema sp\n- Varroa sp (varroa mite)\n- Varroa sp resistant to miticides\n- Paenibacillus larvae\n- Paenibacillus larvae resistant to antibiotics\n- Mellisoccus pluton\n- Mellisoccus pluton resistant to antibiotics\n- Tropilaelaps sp (Tropilaelaps mite)\n- Eurvarroa sp (Eurvarroa mite)\nIt is proposed that the following pests should be added to Regulation 57:\n- Apis mellifera capensis (Cape honey bee)\n- Apis mellifera scutellata species hybrid (African honey bee hybrid)\n- Apis cerana species complex (Asian honey bee)\n- Apis florea species complex (Dwarf honey bee)\n- Apis dorsata species complex (Giant honey bee)\n- Vespa mandarinia (Giant Asian Hornet)\nThis proposal is intended to enhance Ontario's ability to detect and respond to additional diseases and pests that could impact Ontario's apiary sector and pollination services. Early detection and response is beneficial to the entire industry by promoting bee health and reducing economic impact of diseases and pests.\nInspectors will be able to inspect for more diseases and pests. Their response powers, including treatment, disinfection or destruction, would extend to these additional diseases and pests.\nThe proposal will harmonize Ontario's regulatory requirements with certain other jurisdictions. The harmonization is intended to improve access to other markets by providing beekeepers with inspection reports that demonstrate their colonies have been inspected for these additional diseases and pests designated in regulation.\nLastly, the proposal is intended to reflect scientific information that has been developed since the diseases and pests were designated.\nContact Address:\nJulie Jamieson\nPolicy Advisor\nMinistry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs\nPolicy Division\n1 Stone Road West\nFloor 2 SW\nGuelph Ontario\nN1G 4Y2\nPhone: (519) 826-3753\nFax: (519) 826-3492\nEffective Date: July 1, 2013 Decision: Approved\n|", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5177026391029358}
{"content": "In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote three different types of structures:[1]\nFibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones. They are sometimes called \"articular ligaments\"[2] , \"fibrous ligaments\", or \"true ligaments\". A fold of peritoneum or other membrane The remnants of a tubular structure from the fetal period of life The first meaning is most commonly what is meant by the term \"ligament\". After briefly discussing the other two types of ligaments, the remainder of this article will focus upon the first type.\nPeritoneal ligaments Certain folds of peritoneum are referred to as ligaments .\nExamples include:\nThe hepatoduodenal ligament surrounds the hepatic portal vein and other vessels as they travel from the duodenum to the liver. The broad ligament of the uterus is also a fold of peritoneum. The suspensory ligament of the ovary Fetal remnant ligaments Certain tubular structures from the fetal period are referred to as ligaments after they close up and turn into cord-like structures:\nArticular ligaments In its most common use, a ligament is a short band of tough fibrous dense regular connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. Ligaments connect bones to other bones to form a joint. (They do not connect muscles to bones; that is the function of tendons.) Some ligaments limit the mobility of articulations, or prevent certain movements altogether.\nCapsular ligaments are part of the articular capsule that surrounds synovial joints. They act as mechanical reinforcements. Extra-capsular ligaments join bones together and provide joint stability.\nLigaments are only elastic; when under tension, they gradually lengthen. (Unlike tendons which are inelastic). This is one reason why dislocated joints must be set as quickly as possible: if the ligaments lengthen too much, then the joint will be weakened, becoming prone to future dislocations. Athletes, gymnasts, dancers, and martial artists perform stretching exercises to lengthen their ligaments, making their joints more supple. The term double-jointed refers to people who have more elastic ligaments, allowing their joints to stretch and contort further. The medical term for describing such double-jointed persons is hyperlaxity and double-jointed is a synonym of hyperlax .\nThe study of ligaments is known as desmology.\nThe consequence of a broken ligament can be instability of the joint. Not all broken ligaments need surgery, but if surgery is needed to stabilise the joint, the broken ligament can be joined. Scar tissue may prevent this. If it is not possible to fix the broken ligament, other procedures such as the Brunelli Procedure can correct the instability. Instability of a joint can over time lead to wear of the cartilage and eventually to osteoarthritis.\nExamples Knee Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) Medial collateral ligament (MCL) Cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) - quadruped equivalent of ACL Caudal cruciate ligament (CaCL) - quadruped equivalent of PCL Head and neck Pelvis Anterior sacroiliac ligament Posterior sacroiliac ligament Sacrotuberous ligament Sacrospinous ligament Inferior pubic ligament Superior pubic ligament Suspensory ligament of the penis Thorax Suspensory ligament of the breast Wrist References ^ ligament at eMedicine Dictionary ^ l_09/12488504 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary Joints and ligaments of Head and Neck Atlanto-axial anterior atlantoaxial ligament - posterior atlantoaxial ligament - cruciform ligament of atlas (transverse ligament of the atlas) Atlanto-occipital anterior atlantoöccipital membrane - posterior atlantoöccipital membrane - tectorial membrane - alar ligament - ligament of apex dentis Temporomandibular capsule - temporomandibular ligament - sphenomandibular ligament - stylomandibular ligament - articular disk\nJoints and ligaments of upper limbs Shoulder sternoclavicular: anterior sternoclavicular - posterior sternoclavicular - interclavicular - costoclavicular acromioclavicular: acromioclavicular - coracoclavicular (trapezoid, conoid) - coracoacromial - superior transverse scapular - inferior transverse of scapula\nglenohumeral: coracohumeral - glenohumeral (superior, middle, and inferior) - transverse humeral - glenoid labrumElbow proximal radioulnar, humeroradial, humeroulnar: ulnar collateral - radial collateral - annular - oblique cordForearm distal radioulnar: volar radioulnar - dorsal radioulnar wrist/radiocarpal: palmar radiocarpal - dorsal radiocarpal - ulnar collateral - radial collateralHand intercarpal, midcarpal: pisohamate ligament - pisometacarpal ligament carpometacarpal: dorsal carpometacarpal - palmar carpometacarpalintermetacarpal: deep transverse metacarpal - superficial transverse metacarpal\nmetacarpophalangeal , interphalangeal\nJoints and ligaments of torso Vertebral column articulations of vertebral bodies: anterior longitudinal ligament - posterior longitudinal ligament - intervertebral disc (annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus)articulations of vertebral arches : ligamenta flava - supraspinous ligament (nuchal ligament) - interspinal ligament - intertransverse ligament\nzygapophysial joint Costovertebral articulation of head of rib: radiate ligament - interarticular ligamentcostotransverse Sternocostal interarticular sternocostal ligament - radiate sternocostal ligaments - costoxiphoid ligaments interchondral , costochondral Pelvis articulation of the vertebral column with the pelvis: iliolumbar ligament sacroiliac: anterior sacroiliac ligament - posterior sacroiliac ligament - interosseous sacroiliac ligament ligaments connecting the sacrum and ischium : sacrotuberous ligament - sacrospinous ligament sacrococcygeal symphysis: anterior sacrococcygeal ligament - posterior sacrococcygeal ligament\npubic symphysis: superior pubic ligament - inferior pubic ligament\nJoints and ligaments of lower limbs Coxal/hip iliofemoral - pubofemoral - ischiofemoral - head of femur - transverse acetabular Knee-joint patellar - popliteal (oblique, arcuate) - collateral (medial/tibial, lateral/fibular) - cruciate (anterior, posterior) - menisci (medial, lateral) Tibiofibular Superior tibiofibular: anterior of the head of the fibula - posterior of the head of the fibulaInferior tibiofibular: anterior of the lateral malleolus - posterior of the lateral malleolusTalocrural/ankle deltoid - external lateral of the ankle-joint (anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, calcaneofibular) Foot - intertarsal Subtalar/talocalcaneal: anterior talocalcaneal - posterior talocalcaneal - lateral talocalcaneal - medial talocalcaneal - interosseous talocalcaneal Talocalcaneonavicular: dorsal talonavicular Calcaneocuboid: dorsal calcaneocuboid - bifurcated - long plantar - plantar calcaneocuboid\nTransverse tarsal: plantar calcaneonavicular/springFoot - other Cuneonavicular, Cuboideonavicular, Intercuneiform and cuneocuboid, Tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc, Intermetatarsal, Metatarsophalangeal, Interphalangeal Arches of the foot (Longitudinal, Transverse) Plantar cuneonavicular ligaments\nPeritoneal ligaments , mesenteries, and folds From ventral mesentery Lesser omentum: Hepatoduodenal ligament - Hepatogastric ligament Liver: Coronary ligament (Left triangular ligament, Right triangular ligament, Hepatorenal ligament) - Falciform ligament (Round ligament of liver and Ligamentum venosum in it, but not of it) From dorsal mesentery Greater omentum: Gastrophrenic ligament - Gastrocolic ligament - Gastrosplenic ligament Mesentery: Transverse mesocolon - Sigmoid mesocolon - Mesoappendix - Root of the mesentery Splenorenal ligament - Phrenicocolic ligament Uterus/ovaries Broad ligament of the uterus (Mesovarium, Mesosalpinx, Mesometrium) - Ovarian ligament - Suspensory ligament of the ovary Folds Umbilical folds (Supravesical fossa, Medial inguinal fossa, Lateral inguinal fossa) - Ileocecal fold - Rectouterine folds Recesses Rectouterine pouch - Vesicouterine excavation - Rectovesical excavation - Pararectal fossa - Paravesical fossa Peritoneal cavity Greater sac - Lesser sac - Foramen of Winslow\nFetal vascular remnant ligaments Heart Ligamentum arteriosum Liver Round ligament of liver - Ligamentum venosum Umbilical Medial umbilical ligament (see also Median umbilical ligament and Lateral umbilical ligament)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8161126375198364}
{"content": "Industry News Sponsored by\nInterMed Discovery has partnered with the University of Saarland to develop a eco-friendly source of omega-3. The university harbors the knowlege of microbial omega-3 fatty acid production strains.\nThe concentrations and ratios of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are directly related to the utility of omega-3 in different therapeutic settings. At present, omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those with high levels of EPA, are derived from fish.\nAccording to InterMed, dwindling fish populations and rising demand for omega-3 has instigated a search for more sustainable alternatives. The company also noted that the omega-3 concentration can exhibit significant batch variation. This is also a problem with potential alternative sources such as algae, which generate mainly DHA while the yields for EPA are very low or even none at all.\nThe microbial strains that IMD has acquired are sustainable sources that generate reliably high yields of omega-3 fatty acids, which significantly out-perform current sources. This source also offers a more favourable ratio between the fatty acids DHA and EPA. This is expected to lead to the development of enhanced omega-3 formulations allowing for outstanding and new product applications for the pharmaceutical, food and dietary supplement industries. As omega-3 is a popular ingredient in skin care and hair care products, perhaps the personal care industry will follow suit in searching for alternative sources for the ingredient.\nIMD will lead the collaborative R&D project with the team at the University of Saarland. Financial terms were not disclosed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9849084615707397}
{"content": "The Neoproterozoic carbonate and siliciclasic successions of the São Francisco Craton were deposited in epicontinental basins that covered the cratonic area, and in passive-margin basins, which were later intensely deformed creating fold belts. The epicontinental basins include three mega-sequences: glaciogenic, carbonate platform and molasse, which likely correlate with the Vaza Barris/Miaba groups on the northeastern border of the São Francisco Craton (Sergipano Fold Belt). At least two transgressive-regressive sea-level cycles occurred during the evolution of the carbonate mega-sequence, which lies unconformably above iron-cemented glacio-marine diamictites of probable Sturtian age. Carbon, oxygen, strontium and sulfur isotope trends from analyses of well-preserved samples, together with lithostratigraphic observations provide reasonable correlations of these successions, but the precise ages of the sedimentation is still a matter of debate. They were probably deposited during extensional events related to the fragmentation of the Rodinia supercontinent, starting around 950 Ma and extending until approximately 600 Ma. These events occurred diachronously with the closure of the Pan-African-Brasiliano rift. The same cyclicity has been observed on the craton as well as in the fold belt, suggesting that the sedimentation spread continuously across the craton margins. In all studied successions there is at least one horizon of glacial diamictite. The glaciogenic mega sequence is comprised of siliciclastic rocks at the base, including conglomerate, metagraywacke, diamictite, pelite and quartzite. These lithofacies are dominantly glaciogenic, glacio-marine, glacio-continental or locally eolian in origin. Striated pavements, dropstones and other evidence of glacial origin for most of these lithofacies have been described previously for the Jequitaí and Bebedouro formations (Bambui and Una Groups). These successions unconformably overly the Paleoproterozoic/Archean basement complex or the Mesoproterozoic Espinhaço Supergroup. In the Sergipano Fold Belt, the Palestina Formation is believed to be a glaciogenic sequence. It is formed by diamictite, phyllite and lenses of iron-cemented quartzite unconformably overlying the Simão Dias Group. Diamictite clasts are heterogeneous in size, shape, and composition, including gneiss, granite, quartz, quartzite, phyllite, and metacarbonate, which are supported by a quartz-sericite matrix. In a lower stratigraphic position, the Juetê and Ribeirópolis equivalent formations overly crystalline basement (gneisses) and are composed of diamictite and arkosic sandstone, and are believed to correlate with the Jequitaí and Bebedouro formations in the cratonic area. In all the studied successions negative δC anomalies have been observed in the carbonates above the diamictites, providing likely similarities to Neoproterozoic counterparts worldwide.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9838342666625977}
{"content": "CREATING POSSIBILITIES: A QUARTER-CENTURY RETROSPECTIVE ON \"SEEDING STRATEGIES\" FOR INDONESIA'S EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTKrafft, L.J., Temple University, USAFrom the mid-1970's through the early 1990's the author was involved in delivery and assessment of a succession of educational development efforts throughout Indonesia. These efforts are described as they evolved in a dynamic political and multicultural milieu. While domestic involvement and control prevailed each of these efforts included significant international technical assistance and funding. The various endeavors provided direct exposure of Indonesians to models and practices across Asia, Western Europe and North America. These efforts emerged under conditions that were targeted to meet immediate demand while most people involved had high awareness of extreme uncertainty. The presentation describes how a process of \"seeding\" for the co-evolution of collective and individual understanding or \"mind\" in preparation for alternative but unknown futures functioned as \"the elephant-in-the-room\" of these development efforts. Chaos and uncertainty were resisted resolutely through a centralizing government, educational system and language. As participants assessed national and local needs through global and local lenses they engaged in complex-adaptive processes of learning and practice. While constructing centralizing curricula, practices and institutions, participants internalized context-based cross-cultural emergent design approaches. Recognizing realities of current systems participants realized and prepared psychologically for of a range of alternative trajectories. Although there was no single master plan for the series of development interventions, patterns emerged. While describing interventions and products the presentation emphasizes the nature of major shifts in mind and practice that may occur more than what tangibles did occur.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6487524509429932}
{"content": "By Deirdre Anne Carter\nMaster’s Thesis, Florida State University, 2009\nAbstract: In the mid-thirteenth century, the English monk, author, and artist Matthew Paris produced a rich collection of illustrated manuscripts. Although he is best known for his historical chronicles, Matthew also wrote and illustrated several saints’ lives, including those of Saint Alban, Edward the Confessor, and Thomas Becket. The existing copies of these works reveal that Matthew frequently infused his saints’ lives with additional historical material, blurring the lines between history and hagiography.\nThis thesis focuses on the Life of Edward the Confessor (Cambridge, University Library, MS Ee.3.59) and explores the way in which Matthew visually represents the lengthy historical sequences that he has added to the more traditional account of the saint. I argue that these additions have a significant impact on the narrative and that they suggest that Matthew had an unusual understanding of how history and hagiography relate to one another. I begin with an exploration of the differing approaches that Matthew took in the illustration of his saints’ lives as opposed to his chronicles and demonstrate that Matthew decorated both types of manuscripts with innovative images that were tailored to suit their accompanying texts. I then investigate the nature of Matthew’s alterations to his Life of Edward the Confessor and argue that these historical additions provide a contextual frame for the hagiographic narrative by placing Edward’s saintly life within the broader context of English history.\nFurthermore, I suggest that Matthew carefully designed the illustrations of this historical material in order to present his intended reader, Queen Eleanor of Provence, with a very special manuscript that suited her age, lineage, and status as an influential woman. I argue that Matthew’s historical additions created a narrative that was not only spiritually affective, but also entertaining, educational, and representative of contemporary changes in the notion of both history and sainthood.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9208322763442993}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: DNA methylation aberration and microRNA (miRNA) deregulation have been observed in many types of cancers. A systematic study of methylome and transcriptome in bladder urothelial carcinoma has never been reported.\nMETHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The DNA methylation was profiled by modified methylation-specific digital karyotyping (MMSDK) and the expression of mRNAs and miRNAs was analyzed by digital gene expression (DGE) sequencing in tumors and matched normal adjacent tissues obtained from 9 bladder urothelial carcinoma patients. We found that a set of significantly enriched pathways disrupted in bladder urothelial carcinoma primarily related to \"neurogenesis\" and \"cell differentiation\" by integrated analysis of -omics data. Furthermore, we identified an intriguing collection of cancer-related genes that were deregulated at the levels of DNA methylation and mRNA expression, and we validated several of these genes (HIC1, SLIT2, RASAL1, and KRT17) by Bisulfite Sequencing PCR and Reverse Transcription qPCR in a panel of 33 bladder cancer samples.\nCONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We characterized the profiles between methylome and transcriptome in bladder urothelial carcinoma, identified a set of significantly enriched key pathways, and screened four aberrantly methylated and expressed genes. Conclusively, our findings shed light on a new avenue for basic bladder cancer research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5467117428779602}
{"content": "Improving Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Storage Conditions During Transport European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published a concept paper on storage conditions during transport (EMA/INS/GMP/638479/2010). The goal is to create new Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and GMP guidance and may lead to the need to revise the guideline on declaration of storage conditions (CPMP/QWP/609/96/Rev2).\nOver the past few years, significant changes continued to occur in the globalisation of manufacture with a consequent increase in the complexity and vulnerability in the supply chain, leading to a lack of clear guidance on the regulatory expectations for ensuring that medicinal products and APIs are not damaged or compromised during transportation.\nWithout key consideration for these guidelines, risk of freezing during transport increases and the effects on the products can lead to quality compromise and ultimately loss of profits.\nIQPC’s Cold Chain South Africa 2011 will provide practical knowledge on key operations within cold chain logistics and supply chain. Held in together original and generic Pharmaceutical manufacturers, Biotechnology firms as well as Government and Regulators to share best-practise in cold chain management.\nThis is your opportunity to exchange best-practices and practical solutions that can be implemented to improve service delivery and future planning.\nAttendees will benefit from four days of industry-leading presentations and exclusive workshops. Industry experts who will be sharing their knowledge include: Chain Management, DairyBelle, Exelsius – Cold Chain Management Consultancy, Fisher Clinical Services, Naratech Pharma Consultancy, Pharmaceutical Industry Association of Group, Parenteral Drug Association, RTT Group, SA Refrigerated Distribution Association, sanofi Pasteur, Strategnos, South African National Blood Services, SSI Schaefer Systems International DWC LLC, University of KwaZulu Natal, World Courier\nFor more information, visit http://www.coldchainafrica.co.za\nAbout IQPC Middle East:\nFor over thirty years, IQPC has helped the world’s leading corporations solve their business challenges through the sharing of practical industry solutions and global best practice. In the process, the company has built a formidable reputation for quality and value. The world’s most progressive companies have benefited from IQPC’s unrivalled global reach, which has connected international expertise with regional and local leaders.\nFor more information, please contact Eileen Espelita Marketing Manager IQPC Middle East +971-4-364-2975 SOURCE IQPC Middle East\nSource: newswire", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5068503618240356}
{"content": "Between peering into binoculars and keeping meticulous checklists, for some outside the activity, bird watching may seem perplexing. Why do people enjoy it, and what does the practice reveal about human-animal relationships? Or, consider aquariums, with their carefully choreographed performances and animal-touching activities. What ideas about animals and conservation are encouraged through such institutions, and what insights might be drawn from academic critique?\nJoin us as we explore these, and other questions, with Traci Warkentin and Gavan Watson, doctoral students in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. Including themes of ethics, representation, and phenomenology, Warkentin and Watson’s respective research is both challenging and engaged. Watson, a naturalist, works at the intersection of animal studies, environmental education and natural history, while Warkentin’s scholarship draws together environmental ethics, education, and animal geographies from a feminist and interdisciplinary approach.\nListen right now:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997277855873108}
{"content": "Practice or Retreat?\nDuring intensive meditation retreats, we practice. We practice sitting without perusing the television or internet. We practice eating without wasting the smallest morsel. We practice walking without music or a cell phone blaring in our ear. We practice a simplified daily routine, happily dedicating ourselves to the most mundane tasks, instead of ignoring them.\nWhen the retreat is over, do we apply this practice to our lives? Or do we jump right back into the fray, doing the very things we just spent two days (or weeks) trying not to do? While these things aren’t all inherently bad (especially in moderation), if we spend the next fifty weeks looking forward to escaping them at the next retreat, perhaps we’ve missed the point.\nAre we practicing for life, or retreating from it?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9446765780448914}
{"content": "We are swimming upstream against a great torrent of disorganization, which tends to reduce everything to the heat-death of equilibrium and sameness described in the second law of thermodynamics. What Maxwell, Boltzmann, and Gibbs meant by this heat-death in physics has a counterpart in the ethics of Kierkegaard, who pointed out that we live in a chaotic moral universe. In this, our main obligation is to establish arbitrary enclaves of order and system. These enclaves will not remain there indefinitely by any momentum of their own after we have once established them. Like the Red Queen, we cannot stay where we are without running as fast as we can. Nothing describes my attitude to, at least, my work, better than this quotation...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8346424698829651}
{"content": "Start Small If networking is challenging to you, start small. Set a goal to attend a networking event or other networking opportunity once or twice a month, and then increase it as you feel more comfortable. For many, networking one-on-one seems easier, so consider inviting a business associate to lunch as a way to get started. Remember, regardless of how you network, it is important to be yourself.\nBe Strategic and Then Evaluate After attending a range of professional networking events, evaluate your experiences to determine which ones interested you and provided the most value. These are the ones you want to revisit.\nLeverage the Internet The Internet offers many opportunities to make professional connections through websites, like LinkedIn. You can also participate online through professional or industry forums and blogs.\nPrepare before an Event Your networking success at professional events will increase if you’ve prepared in advance. For example, research the speakers and topics that will be addressed. Investigate current trends or issues that might be of interest to those attending the event. This preparation may help you generate a few open-ended questions to spark conversation with attendees.\nReciprocate Assistance When networking, there should never be an expectation that everyone is there to assist you or vice versa. However, when someone is able to provide professional assistance, it is nice to reciprocate when possible.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8591297268867493}
{"content": "Many of us are aware that cranberries are effective in maintaining urinary tract health. Unfortunately most cranberry products come with a large dose of refined sugar. Cranberry Forte is an enriched cranberry supplement that provides the benefits of cranberry juice without the refined sugars. The unique formula in Cranberry Forte starts with antioxidant rich cranberries which form the foundation for maintaining urinary tract health. The synergistic herbs buchu, uva-ursi, horsetail, and echinecea along with beta-carotene and mannitol are then added to create one of the most unique and effective urinary tract supporting supplements available today. At OVitaminPro we are confident in recommending Cranberry Forte as an alternative to Cranberry Juice for maintaining urinary tract health.\nCranberry Forte contains per serving: Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) 20,000 IU, Cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Extract 25:1 500 mg, Buchu leaf (Agathosma betulina) Extract 4:1 200 mg, Echinacea angustifolia root Extract 4% echinacosides 200 mg, Horsetail aerial parts (Equisetum arvense) Extract 7% silica 200 mg, Mannose 200 mg, Uva-Ursi leaf (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) Extract 20% arbutin 200 mg. Other Ingredients: gelatin capsule (gelatin and water), microcrystalline cellulose, and silicon dioxide. Does not contain: artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, corn, dairy products, gluten, preservatives, salt, soy, sugar, wheat, yeast.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9766831994056702}
{"content": "The recent focus on the use of steroids and human growth hormones by major league baseball players has once again put the spotlight on the role of Internet pharmacies in distributing these substances.\nThe report by former US Sen George Mitchell, released in December following his investigation into the illegal use of performance-enhancing substances in baseball, underscores the threat posed by sales of these substances over the Internet.\nThe Mitchell report highlights 2 methods for illegal distribution: one, whereby the Internet is used \"instead of gym locker rooms or street corners as a semi-anonymous marketplace for drug transactions.\" The other method, the report notes, \"involves rejuvenation centers that troll the Internet for customers, corrupt physicians who write prescriptions for patients they have not seen, and compounding pharmacies that fill these dubious prescriptions and deliver performance-enhancing substances to end users by mail.\"\nMajor League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. Selig has expressed support for bills pending in Congress to combat the problem, including anticrime legislation sponsored by Sen Joseph Biden (D, DE), that incorporates the online pharmacy safeguards included in a bill sponsored by Sen Dianne Feinstein (D, CA) and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in September (S 980).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6029990315437317}
{"content": "Physical Layer TrellisWare’s core technologies enable new regimes of radio operation and yield products with industry leading performance – measured in terms of range, throughput, reliability, cost, power consumption, etc. Two broad categories of improvement are robustness and efficiency .\nRobustness TrellisWare links remain reliable under an extremely wide range of operating conditions including\nExtreme, fast channel variations due to user mobility and harsh multipath environments Distortions due to transmit/receive chain nonlinearities, channelization filters, and non-ideal components (e.g., oscillators) Interference caused multiple access and adversarial jamming Not only is this robustness a key component of working when nothing else does, but it also often allows for substantial reductions in cost and transceiver power consumption. Advanced signal processing allows us to employ lower-power, lower-cost components in our designs.\nEfficiency TrellisWare links not only provide connectivity in severe channel conditions, but also operate with maximal throughputs in these environments. This is achieved via\nReceiver sensitivity near the Shannon limit Lower overhead for channel identification and synchronization allowing for higher effective data rates Flexible and adaptive coding and modulation enable TrellisWare links to approach the maximal theoretical throughput offered by current – not just worst case or average – channel conditions", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9874683618545532}
{"content": "This excerpt taken from the WEN 10-K filed Mar 1, 2007.\nThe quick service restaurant industry is often affected by changes in consumer tastes, national, regional and local economic conditions, discretionary spending priorities, demographic trends, traffic patterns and the type, number and location of competing restaurants. ARGs success depends to a significant extent on discretionary consumer spending, which is influenced by general economic conditions and the availability of discretionary income. Accordingly, ARG may experience declines in sales during economic downturns. Any material decline in the amount of discretionary spending or a decline in family food-away-from-home spending could hurt ARGs revenues, results of operations, business and financial condition.\nIn addition, if company-owned and franchised restaurants are unable to adapt to changes in consumer preferences and trends, ARG and Arbys franchisees may lose customers and the resulting revenues from company-owned restaurants and the royalties that ARG receives from its franchisees may decline.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5420858860015869}
{"content": "Average annual precipitation is a vital piece of climatic data - one that is recorded through a variety of methods. Precipitation (which is most commonly rainfall but also includes snow, hail, sleet, and other forms of water falling to the ground) is measured in units over a given time period. In the United States, precipitation is commonly represented in inches per 24-hour period. This means that if one inch of rain fell in a 24-hour period and water wasn't absorbed by the ground nor did it flow downhill, after the storm there would be a layer of one inch of water covering the ground.\nThe low-tech method of measuring rainfall is to use a container with a flat bottom and straight sides (such as a cylinder coffee can). While a coffee can will help you determine whether a storm dropped one or two inches of rain, it's difficult to measure small amounts of precipitation.\nWeather observers use more sophisticated instruments, known as rain gauges and tipping buckets to more precisely measure precipitation. Rain gauges have wide openings at the top for rainfall. The rain falls and is funneled into a narrow tube, one-tenth the diameter of the top of the gauge. Since the tube is thinner than the top of the funnel, the units of measurement are further apart than they would be on a ruler and precise measuring to the one-hundredth (1/100 or .01) of an inch is possible. When less than .01 inch of rain falls, that amount is known as a \"trace\" of rain.\nA tipping bucket electronically records precipitation on a rotating drum or electronically. It has a funnel, like a simple rain gauge, but the funnel leads to two tiny \"buckets.\" The two buckets are balanced (somewhat like a sea-saw) and each holds .01 inch of water. When one bucket fills, it tips down and is emptied while the other bucket fills with rain water. Each tip of the buckets causes the device to record an increase of .01 inch of rain.\nSnowfall is measured in two ways. The first is a simple measurement of the snow on the ground with a stick marked with units of measurement (like a yardstick). The second measurement determines the equivalent amount of water in a unit of snow. To obtain this ratio, the snow must be collected and melted into water. Generally, 10 inches of snow produces one inch of water. However, it can take up to 30 inches of loose, fluffy snow though as little as 2-4 inches of wet, compact snow can produce an inch of water.\nWind, buildings, trees, topography, and other factors can modify the amount of precipitation that falls so rainfall and snowfall tend to be measured away from obstructions. A thirty-year average of annual precipitation is used to determine the average annual precipitation for a specific place.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7498988509178162}
{"content": "Thomas Renné Professor of Clinical Chemistry and Coagulation Research at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery since 2008.\nCoagulation factor F XII is normally present in mammals, and it has previously been believed that it is not significant in coagulation. Thomas Renné's group has shown that mice that lack F XII have a lower tendency to form blood clots, without this increasing the risk of haemorrhage. Thus, F XII is now considered to pay a critical role in thrombosis, but not in haemostasis.\nThe coagulation factor is also involved in conditions such as inflammation and the development of oedema. Mutations in the gene that codes for F XII are associated with oestrogen, and with a particular type of oedema that women experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9333217740058899}
{"content": "The Second Bill of Rights and The New Federalist Papers offers a non-partisan package of eleven amendments to the United States Constitution, accompanied by fifty brief essays, all aimed at re-energizing three core principles named by the Founders—limited government, individual freedom, and liberty. As in 1787, these principles are essential in overcoming factional politics in any government administered by some citizens over others. Each essay is contributed anonymously, as James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton contributed to the original Federalist Papers. The Founders established among the States the world’s first free-trade zone—the most fabulous success in history. Unlike so many revolutions on the ash heap of history—the American Revolution succeeded because citizens accepted power as their due, and both freedom and liberty were guaranteed to citizens by the Constitution. The Founders didn’t “talk” about giving power to citizens: they gave it. They did not think they were indispensable; they assured regular transition of power. They did not presume to know what was best for fellow citizens; they encouraged individual choice and responsibility. George Washington described the constitution’s amendment process in a letter to his nephew. He took for granted that experience would reveal the constitution’s imperfections, requiring careful consideration and future amendment by the people. Washington wrote, “I do not think we are more inspired, have more wisdom, or possess more virtue, than those who will come after us.” With this same perspective, and with a focus on principles that unite us rather than divide us, The Second Bill of Rights and the New Federalist Papers: Eleven Amendments to the United States Constitution and Fifty Papers that Present Them offers an innovative, holistic, and humble path forward, a path that Miller and his contributors hope is worthy of Washington’s confidence.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7079732418060303}
{"content": "Objectives\nPartial seizures are often believed to be associated with EEG signals of low complexity because seizures are associated with increased neural network synchrony. The investigations reported here provide an assessment of the signal complexity of epileptic seizure onsets using newly developed quantitative measures.\nMethods\nUsing the Gabor atom density (GAD) measure of signal complexity, 339 partial seizures in 45 patients with intracranial electrode arrays were analyzed. Segmentation procedures were applied to determine the timing and amplitude of GAD changes relative to the electrographic onset of the seizure.\nResults\n330 out of 339 seizures have significant complexity level changes, with 319 (97%) having an increase in complexity. GAD increases occur within seconds of the onset of the partial seizure but are not observed in channels remote from the focus. The complexity increase is similar for seizures from mesial temporal origin, neocortical temporal and extra-temporal origin.\nConclusions\nPartial onset seizures are associated with early increases in signal complexity as measured by GAD. This increase is independent of the location of the seizure focus.\nSignificance\nDespite the often predominant rhythmic activity that characterizes onset and early evolution of epileptic seizures, partial seizure onset is associated with an early increase in complexity. These changes are common to partial seizures originating from different brain regions, indicating a similar seizure dynamic.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6287978887557983}
{"content": "Authors of a study published in the journal ‘The Breast’ state that alcohol’s effect on women who carry a BRCA gene mutation is unclear.\nThe researchers conducted a case-control study of 1925 matched pairs of predominantly premenopausal women who carry a BRCA1 or a BRCA2 mutation. Information on current alcohol consumption was obtained from a questionnaire administered during the course of genetic counselling or at the time of enrolment.\nA modest inverse association between breast cancer and reported current alcohol consumption was observed among women with a BRCA1 mutation (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.96), but not among women with a BRCA2 mutation (OR = 1.00; 95% CI 0.71–1.41).\nThe study concluded that compared to non-drinkers, exclusive consumption of wine was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer among BRCA1 carriers (p-trend = 0.01).\nAlcohol consumption does not appear to increase breast cancer risk in women carrying a BRCA gene mutation.\nSource: Alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers The Breast, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 12 June 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7804557085037231}
{"content": "Grow, Baby, Grow! It's part of the normal routine of well-baby care: Your pediatrician measures your child's length, weight, and head circumference and notes them on a chart. You eagerly await the results, excited to hear that your bundle of joy is in the 90th percentile for height (Wow!), the 80th percentile for weight (Cool!), and the 75th percentile for head size (Ooh!). But what do these numbers really mean ? Why are they important? Can they predict what your child will be like in the future?\nIf you're confused, you're not alone. Here's everything you need to know about baby growth percentiles: where they come from, what they reveal about your child's health, and when you should be concerned.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9602692723274231}
{"content": "Gay & Lesbian Issues and Psychology Review, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2009 TO ENTRAP AND EMPOWER: UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF MATERNAL INTUITION WITHIN HETERO- SEXUAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS TONI DELANY Abstract Introduction Throughout this paper I explore the concept Intuition refers to a way of knowing; that is, a of maternal intuition and argue that it serves way of understanding, interpreting and ex- multiple, and sometimes contradictory, func- plaining events that occur in our lives. The tions within heterosexual family relationships. concept of intuition has been applied within In one sense a belief in the power of maternal various academic disciplines to explain forms intuition serves to reinforce gendered child of knowledge that arise from an “inner wis- care dynamics by naturalising the position of dom” (Staton Savage, 2006, pp. 10,13). Given women as primary caregivers. Concurrently, the widespread application of the concept, the this process may exclude and excuse men relevant literature is dispersed across various from equal parenting responsibility. However, academic fields. Multiple definitions of intuition maternal intuition can also operate to provide have been developed across these fields in women a means of social empowerment. This conjunction with different understandings occurs particularly through the role of intuition about the origins and potential applications of in providing evidence of a woman’s ability to intuitive knowledge (Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox fulfil the role of ‘good’ mother. The ideas that & Sadler-Smith, 2008). I will provide a brief are developed in this paper are drawn from a introduction to the concept of intuition by discourse analysis of narratives collected dur- identifying some of the main ideas that per- ing in-depth interviews. The interviews were meate the existing literature. I will then focus with 28 women who mother children with con- specifically on exploring the concept of mater- genital health problems. Throughout the nal intuition through an analysis of interview analysis various theories are applied in order data. to explore the origins and effects of maternal intuition from both a biologically determinist The existing literature on intuition can be and social perspective. The findings of the grouped loosely into five main categories. analysis extend existing theory, particularly First, there is a considerable body of literature about the operation of intuition within hetero- about the psychological origins of intuition. sexual parenting relationships and about its Within this work intuition is generally regarded role in reinforcing maternal responsibilities. as a form of thought which involves uncon- sciously accessing information previously Keywords: Maternal intuition, parenting, ma- stored in the brain (Hodgkinson et al., 2008). ternal responsibility, biological determinism. Due to the unconscious nature of this process, intuitive knowledge is commonly interpreted ————————————————————————— as arising from a ‘feeling’, a ‘sense’ or a 1 The data presented in this paper focus solely on ‘hunch’ rather than from explainable thought how maternal intuition operates within heterosexual relationships. While some of the findings presented processes (Hodgkinson et al", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7475637197494507}
{"content": "Bacteria could be exploited to recapture dwindling phosphate reserves from wastewater according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week.\nPhosphorus – in the form of phosphate - is essential for all living things as a component of DNA and RNA and its role in cellular metabolism. Around 38 million tonnes of phosphorus are extracted each year from rock. Most of this extracted phosphorus goes into the production of fertilizers to replace the phosphates that plants remove from the soil. However, it is a scare natural resource and current estimates suggest that reserves of phosphate rock may only last for the next 45-100 years.\nResearchers at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) are developing a novel biological process to remove extracted phosphate from wastewater – where it ultimately ends up after manufacturing. Dr John McGrath who is leading the project explained, \"Phosphate in wastewater is a pollutant that causes increased growth of algae and plants, reducing the oxygen available for aquatic organisms. This is known as eutrophication and poses the single biggest threat to water quality in Northern Ireland and indeed globally.\"\nThe work at QUB has focused on microorganisms that capture and store phosphate from wastewater, and how this process varies under different nutritional and environmental conditions. \"A variety of microbes in wastewater accumulate phosphorus inside their cells and store it as a biopolymer known as polyphosphate. In some cases, this can represent up to 20% of the dry weight of the microorganism!\" explained Dr McGrath. \"If we can harness this process we have a feasible biotechnological route to remove and recycle phosphate from wastewater.\"\nThe team have recently discovered a physiological 'shock' treatment which significantly increases microbial uptake of phosphorus and its accumulation inside cells. \"It's similar to jumping into the sea on a winter's day – the first thing you do is take a sharp intake of breath. When we shock the microorganisms, their response is to take in phosphorus,\" explained Dr McGrath. \"We've demonstrated this using activated sludge, containing a variety of microbes, from wastewater treatment works and shown this shock treatment is effective at producing a phosphorus-rich biomass suitable for phosphorus recycling.\"\nDr McGrath believes that developing such biotechnological processes is essential for regenerating valuable mineral resources. \"No alternative to phosphorus exists – we urgently need to find ways of recovering and recycling phosphates. It's a pollutant we can't live without.\" he said. \"Phosphates are currently removed from wastewater by chemical methods, however this is expensive and results in the production of large volumes of sludge. In contrast, the process we are developing is sustainable and efficient.\"\nAAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5451836585998535}
{"content": "Congressional Record: October 12, 2001 (Extensions) Page E1880 INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002 ______ speech of HON. RON PAUL of texas in the house of representatives Friday, October 5, 2001 The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill. (H.R. 2883) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2002 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes: Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, HR 2883, the Intelligence Authorization Act, is brought before us today under a process which denies members of Congress our constitutional right as elected officials to be informed on crucial aspects of the programs we are asked to authorize. Information about this bill is limited to dollars amounts and personnel ceilings for the individual intelligence programs and even that information is restricted to viewing in a classified annex available to members during regular business hours for \"security reasons.\" Given the many questions the American people have about the performance of the intelligence agencies prior to September 11, and the many concerns as to whether the intelligence agencies can effectively respond to the challenges of international terrorism, I believe that the American people would be well served by a full debate on the ways the intelligence community plans to respond to these challenges. I also believe the American people would be well-served if members of Congress could debate the prudence of activities authorized under this bill, such as using taxpayer monies for drug interdiction, is an efficient use of intelligence resources or if those resources could be better used to counter other, more significant threats. Perhaps the money targeted for drug interdiction and whether it should be directed to anti-terrorism efforts. However, Mr. Speaker, such a debate cannot occur when members are denied crucial facts regarding the programs authorized in this bill or, at a minimum, are not free to debate in an open forum. Therefore, Congress is denied a crucial opportunity to consider how we might improve America's intelligence programs. We are told that information about this bill must be limited to a select few for \"security reasons.\" However, there are other ways to handle legitimate security concerns than by limiting the information to those members who happen to sit on the Intelligence Committee. If any member were to reveal information that may compromise the security of the United States, I certainly would support efforts to punish that member for violating his office and the trust of his country. I believe that if Congress and the Executive Branch exercised sufficient political will to make it known that any member who dared reveal damaging information would suffer full punishment of the law, there would not be a serious risk of a member leaking classified information. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, it is inexcusable for members to be denied crucial facts regarding the intelligence program authorized by this bill, especially at a time when the nation's attention is focused on security issues. Therefore, I hope my colleagues will reject HR 2883 and all other intelligence authorization or funding bills until every member of Congress is allowed to fully perform their constitutional role of overseeing these agencies and participating in the debate on this vital aspect of America's national security policy. ____________________", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5430063009262085}
{"content": "Read More: Success, Careers, Leadership, Deirdre Maloney, Goals, Self-Help, Life Transition, Emotional Wellness, Transitions, Life Goals, Career, Life Changes, Life Change, Goal, Journey, Life Journey, Life Goal, Healthy Living NewsAs we prepare to turn the page on 2012 and ring in 2013, it's highly likely that most of us will be making resolutions regarding weight loss that go something like, \"I want to lose 30 pounds in three months.\" Over the past 20 years, I have come to realize that having a goal by itself does not lead to success.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5330122709274292}
{"content": "Why I don't buy presents for kids Gifts under the Christmas tree.\nPicking out gifts is one of my favorite things. And really the only child in my life is my 2-year-old nephew, who I'm obsessed with. I love this little guy and wish I had the money to shower him in squeaky toys, stuffed animals and adorable designer shoes. Before his 2nd birthday party, I stopped at a kids store, one of the nice ones with wooden stoves and intricately painted pretend food. I saw so many things I wanted to get him. I could picture us playing with a dollhouse and giggling about shiny, pop-up storybooks. Oh the fun we'd have, bonding over all the stuff I bought him.\nShopping for him was exciting and addictive, a lot like shopping for myself. I've accumulated thousands of dollars in credit card debt from self-gifting. Knowing those bills were waiting on me at home made it tough for me to justify buying more stuff, even if it was for my precious nephew.\nI left the store without a gift, and arrived at his two-year bash empty-handed. Ashamed, I sat on my hands during the present-opening and felt a pang of regret when his face lit up at a new train set. I wished that I was the one who had gotten it for him, this beloved new treasure that would surely bring him endless hours of entertainment and perhaps even plant the seeds for a career as a conductor. Then, an amazing thing happened: my young nephew put the gift box on his head like a hat and danced around with equal delight. That's when I decided that this gift-free approach would be my new norm.\nI will not buy him presents: not for his birthdays, not for Christmas, not just because. Buying stuff didn't make me happy. And I'm willing to guess that me buying him stuff won't make either of us happy. Instead, I've named a savings account for him and after that party, I made the first deposit. Last week when I was tempted by the cutest pint-sized puffy vest, I made another. On my limited budget, I'd rather play the long game with that money than buy something he might love for a minute…or might not.\nI'm saving for him instead of spending on him, something I've never done for myself. I look forward to one day transferring the account to him. Until then, I'll remain the only one at the party sitting on my hands, but no longer ashamed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9721922278404236}
{"content": "Can business play a role in creating a peaceful society? That’s what participants explored during a June 24-25 conference hosted by the Institute for Corporate Responsibility. Tim Fort, interim director of the institute and Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics, hosted the 12th in a series of conferences on how businesses can contribute to the creation of peaceful societies. The most recent workshops have focused on religion as a catalyst for positive change toward more responsible business practices and more peaceful societies.\nThe June discussion centered on spiritual traditions rooted in Asia. Last fall, the focus was on these issues within the context of the Abrahamic traditions. During this year’s workshop, participants began a networking process and explored new ideas for empirical and conceptual research for publications in 2011.\nPanelists included Rev. David Lowry, director of the Center of Peace and Reconciliation at the Desmond Tutu Center, Susan Heyward of the United States Institute of Peace, Michael Jarvis of the World Bank Institute and Kishor Trivedi of Duke University. Other event highlights included a live videoconference session with Yamashita Shinji and Yasunobu Sato of Tokyo University aimed at bringing together different points of view from across the globe.\nPosted by gwsb on July 15, 2010 | Filed under: GWSB News.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7789636254310608}
{"content": "Every activity has some Risk involved in it. Analyzing the Risk involved in a transaction is importantto decide whether to proceed with the transaction or not. Risk has been discussed extensively in different areas,like Investment, Finance, Health, Environment, daily life activities and Engineering. All these areas havedifferent interpretations of Risk, which is not suitable to apply to a transaction in the area of Computer Science.In this paper we focus on defining Risk involved during a decentralized transaction in e-commerce.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9698662757873535}
{"content": "Many argue that the private sector is more entrepreneurial and innovative than the public sector. Commercial enterprises—responding to market pressures and the need to stay competitive—incorporate new technologies into their operations as a way to boost efficiency and productivity. In contrast, government agencies don’t have customers in the traditional sense and aren’t required to show a profit on their revenues. Most public departments have multiple constituents, such as voters, taxpayers, legislators, administrators, the media, advocacy organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Still, to understand the real factors facilitating technology innovation and advancing entrepreneurship, systematic data evaluating innovation in business and government is needed. The following paper evaluates the websites of leading U.S. corporations with state and national governments, grades their overall performance, and examines nearly two dozen features of digital innovation, including: personalization, interactivity, transparency, PDA access, disability access, language translation, number of online services, privacy, security, and user feedback. We found that many government websites lacked multimedia, interactivity, and personalization—key features that allow users to tailor information to their own needs. On the other hand, public sector agencies were more effective at providing disability access than commercial enterprises. When it came to privacy policies, public sector websites also offered stronger consumer protections than commercial sites. Also included in this paper are interviews with key leaders from companies that have implemented successful strategies for developing and maintaining first-rate websites. We draw on their experiences to determine the keys to successful innovation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7807532548904419}
{"content": "Teams represent a dominant approach to getting work done in a business environment. Creativity enables teams to solve problems and leverage opportunities through the integration of divergent thoughts and perspectives. Prior research indicates that a collaborative culture, which affects how team members interact and work together, is a critical antecedent of team creativity. This study explores other antecedents of team creativity, namely, team emotional intelligence and team trust, and investigates the relationships among these precursors to creative effort.\nUsing a survey of 82 student teams at a large university in the northeast United States, our findings suggest that team emotional intelligence promotes team trust. Trust, in turn, fosters a collaborative culture which enhances the creativity of the team. Cognitive trust also moderates the relationship between collaborative culture and team creativity. Implications of these results for managers and academics are discussed.\nEmotional Intelligence 2.0 :: Amazon By now, emotional intelligence (EQ) needs little introduction - it's no secret that EQ is critical to your success. But knowing what emotion", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8812341690063477}
{"content": "IL-1β reactivity and the development of severe fatigue after military deployment: a longitudinal study\n1 Laboratory of Neuroimmunology and Developmental Origins of Disease (NIDOD), University Medical Center Utrecht, KC.03.068.0, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB, Utrecht, the Netherlands\n2 Research Centre - Military Mental Health, Ministry of Defence, Lundlaan 1, 3584 EZ, Utrecht, the Netherlands\n3 Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands\n4 Integrative Immunology and Behavior Program, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA\n5 Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, the Netherlands\nJournal of Neuroinflammation 2012, 9 :205 doi:10.1186/1742-2094-9-205Abstract Background It has been suggested that pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling to the brain may contribute to severe fatigue. We propose that not only the level of circulating cytokines, but also increased reactivity of target cells to cytokines contributes to the effect of cytokines on behavior. Based on this concept, we assessed the reactivity of peripheral blood cells to IL-1β in vitro as a novel approach to investigate whether severe fatigue is associated with increased pro-inflammatory signaling.\nMethods We included 504 soldiers before deployment to a combat-zone. We examined fatigue severity and the response to in vitro stimulation with IL-1β prior to deployment (T0), and 1 (T1) and 6 months (T2) after deployment. IL-8 production was used as read-out. As a control we determined LPS-induced IL-8 production. The presence of severe fatigue was assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-20R). Differences in dose–response and the longitudinal course of IL-1β and LPS-induced IL-8 production and fatigue severity were investigated using repeated measures ANOVA.\nResults At T2, the group who had developed severe fatigue (n = 65) had significantly higher IL-1β-induced IL-8 production than the non-fatigued group (n = 439). This group difference was not present at T0, but developed over time. Longitudinal analysis revealed that in the non-fatigued group, IL-1β-induced IL-8 production decreased over time, while IL-1β-induced IL-8 production in the fatigued group had not decreased. To determine whether the observed group difference was specific for IL-1β reactivity, we also analyzed longitudinal LPS-induced IL-8 production. We did not observe a group difference in LPS-induced IL-8 production.\nConclusions Collectively, our findings indicate that severe fatigue is associated with a higher reactivity to IL-1β. We propose that assessment of the reactivity of the immune system to IL-1β may represent a promising novel method to investigate the association between behavioral abnormalities and pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6835638284683228}
{"content": "Finding God We have all heard evangelists quote from Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Usually the evangelist applies this text as an appeal to the unconverted, saying: “Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. If you open the door, then He will come in.” In the original saying, however, Jesus directed His remarks to the church. It was not an evangelistic appeal.\nSo what? The point is that seeking is something that unbelievers do not do on their own. The unbeliever will not seek. The unbeliever will not knock. Seeking is the business of believers. Jonathan Edwards said, “The seeking of the Kingdom of God is the chief business of the Christian life.” Seeking is the result of faith, not the cause of it.\nWhen we are converted to Christ, we use language of discovery to express our conversion. We speak of finding Christ. We may have bumper sticker that read, “I Found It.” These statements are indeed true. The irony is this: Once we have found Christ it is not the end of our seeking but the beginning. Usually, when we find what we are looking for, it signals the end of our searching. But when we “find” Christ, it is the beginning of our search.\nThe Christian life begins at conversion; it does not end where it begins. It grows; it moves from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from life to life. This movement of growth is prodded by continual seeking after God.\nIn your spiritual walk, are you moving from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from life to life? Are you continually seeking after God?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7941646575927734}
{"content": "Says states need more flexibility, time Ohio Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor, CPA, has submitted\ncomments on proposed health insurance exchange rules issued this past summer by the federal government.\nThe proposed rules, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), laid out the federal government’s interpretation of how states must operate health insurance exchanges, should they choose to do so, starting in 2014.\n“States need flexibility to do what is best for their citizens,” Taylor said. “For that reason, I am urging the federal government to consider significant changes to their proposed rules.”\nIn her comments, Taylor responded to several HHS proposals by reiterating the Ohio Department of Insurance has been a strong regulatory agency on behalf of Ohio businesses and consumers for years. Therefore, state departments of insurance should have the right to work with their businesses, consumers and insurance carriers to implement something that meets their specific needs. Further, she argues states should have the right to make adjustments to their insurance exchanges without seeking federal approval every time they wish to do so.\nTaylor also expressed concern over the mandated timelines for creating a compliant exchange without proper, well-defined guidance. Planning in Ohio – and across the country – to this point has involved assumptions and rough projections due to a lack of final guidance from the federal government.\nIssues not finalized yet by HHS include what benefits must be covered in plans offered through the exchange, how states might partner with the federal government in running exchanges should they choose to do so and what is required of the technology responsible for running the exchange.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7329543232917786}
{"content": "The price of tomatoes has fallen with predictions that they would continue to go down after weeks of skyrocketing prices. A kilogramme of the commodity is now trading at Rwf 300, down from Rwf 600.\nAccording to farmers, the prices are expected to continue dropping even further as two of the major tomato growing areas, Ngoma and Kirehe districts, are expected to register bumper harvests.\nHowever, a tomato farmer in Ngoma District, Chantal Uwanyirigira, complained about the frequent fluctuation of tomato prices.\n\"The prices are either very high or very low...this has been the case for long which undermines our efforts. Once other areas begin to harvest their produce this season, we expect the tomato prices to fall further,\" she said.\nMost farmers sell their produce in large quantities due to lack of storage facilities.\nMeanwhile, bananas, a staple food in Eastern Province, have also registered a price decrease.\nAccording to Rwamagana District Agricultural Officer, Innocent Ukizuru, consumers are spending less on bananas and signs are that they would continue to enjoy low prices up to November when food prices are expected to rise drastically.\n\"That's how the market forces work...the dictates of supply and demand. A bunch of bananas is now at Rwf 200 from Rwf 600. It's not good for farmers but it's good for consumers,\" he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5673691034317017}
{"content": "Sir .—Ekblad and colleagues1 infer from their study that the infusion of sodium acetate corrected acidosis in very-low-birth-weight neonates. However, without controls it might not be valid to make this assumption. It is quite possible that the resolution of metabolic acidosis which they observed might have occurred independent of acetate therapy.In a study of 62 acidemic neonates, Corbet and co-workers2 demonstrated that the correction of serum pH was not significantly effected by the administration of sodium bicarbonate. Arterial pH at 2, 3½, and 6 hours following birth was similar whether infants were given liberal amounts of bicarbonate or none at all. Corbet et al emphasized the importance of adequate ventilation and control of blood pressure in the correction of acidosis.\nThe metabolic acidosis commonly observed in preterm infants following birth is due to a number of factors. Efforts to establish adequate ventilation, cardiac output, peripheral perfusion, renal", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9898182153701782}
{"content": "Contracts as a fish bone I was on a panel last week where we were discussing some of the findings from IACCM’s ‘Future of Contracting’ study. One of my co-panellists (the COO of a major insurance company) gave her observations and experiences, especially in the context of outsourcing.\nShe mentioned that her company, like most organizations, had allowed outsourcing to develop without strong central controls or coordination. While there were rigorous approval processes, individual deals and relationships were typically implemented by a project owner. Over time, it became evident that outsourcers were a key part of the business fabric; indeed, internal research revealed that a total of 153 outsource agreements had ‘emerged’ over the past 10 years.\nThis had led to realize that they needed a focus on how to make such relationships work better; how to ensure coordinated priorities; how to create an improved balance of rewards and penalties to generate the right behaviors. There were several revelations when it came to contracts and the contracting process:\nContract discussions must occur early in the process. This should be to ensure the right shape to the deal and also to validate needs and capabilities. ‘Storing away the contract is storing away problems’. Contracts must be living instruments of governance and relationship management. The contract is central to relationships and conversations. A failure to keep it updated causes renegotiation to be a major event that occurs when everyone has become unhappy. In a fantastic analogy, mty fellow panellist described the contract as being ‘like the skeleton of a fish – it holds everything together and without it, the fish would simply flop around and go nowhere’.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8079983592033386}
{"content": "Title Publication Date November 2000\nAbstract This research examines the influence of job satisfaction and three dimensions of organizational commitment (i.e., affective, continuance, and normative) on the intention to leave, job search activity, performance, and leadership effectiveness of executives. Job satisfaction and the commitment dimensions were hypothesized to negatively predict the retention-related variables. Results generally supported the hypotheses. Job satisfaction had the strongest relationship, but both affective and continuance commitment showed an incremental effect even in the presence of job satisfaction. We also hypothesized that job satisfaction and affective commitment would positively and continuance commitment would negatively associate with general performance and leadership. As predicted, job satisfaction associated positively with performance, though not with leadership. Continuance commitment negatively associated with both performance and leadership.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5846773386001587}
{"content": "Last July, the\nWall Street Journal reported that China had overtaken the U.S. to become the world's largest energy consumer. According to theWSJ , data gleaned from the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) confirmed that China's energy consumption surpassed all other nations. The IEA's report showed that China had consumed 2.252 billion tons of oil equivalent in 2009 (a metric that's used to represent all forms of energy consumed, including crude oil, nuclear power, coal, natural gas and renewable sources. Think of it as mpge for a country). For the sake of comparison, the IEA claimed that the U.S. had burned through 2.170 billion tons of oil equivalent in 2009.However, China immediately disputed the IEA's claim, but failed to offer sufficient data to prove that it was not the world's largest energy consumer. Now, there seems to be additional evidence suggesting that China leads way. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China Monday, China imported 239 million tons of oil in 2010. This is a 17.5 percent increase over its crude imports in 2009. Furthermore,\nChina Business News indicates that the increase in imported oil reflects the nation's growing energy demand and reinforces the notion that China has overtaken the U.S. in the position of biggest energy consumer in the world.[Source: People's Daily Online | Image: D'Arcy Norman – C.C. License 2.0]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5253291130065918}
{"content": "What is this agile stuff anyway, and why does it work?\nAgile teams don't do this. They don't use that. What do they do? What, exactly, makes a project or a team \"Agile\"? Without lots of pre-ordained processes and techniques to guide (or restrict) them, Agile teams rely on key Agile values and principles as guardrails. Those values guide their decisions, and help them create the right amount of risk mitigation for their project, while still building business value. Understanding those values and principles and how they can be applied enables a richer understanding of Agile methods and their value.\nThis short course and related paper provide an overview of the principles collectively referred to as \"Agile development.\" In this session, Kent focuses on explaining the overall value system behind the various Agile approaches and techniques, and why those values can lead to better projects.\nWhen you've finished this course\nYou'll be able to discuss the strengths of Agile development practices and key aspects of agile planning.\nYou'll know the core principles of Agile project management as outlined in the documents central to its values.\nYou'll have several ideas for benefiting from Agile techniques now, without requiring an all-out culture shift in your organization.\nIncluded in this download:\nCourse recording by Kent McDonald of Knowledge Bridge Partners\nA complete course transcript\nThe paper referenced in the course, plus related templates and articles, to provide deeper understanding of the course material\nA quiz with instructions for receiving 1 Category A PDU upon completing the course", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6163670420646667}
{"content": "Uptake, biotransformation, and elimination rates were determined for pentachlorophenol (PCP), methyl parathion (MP), fluoranthene (FU), and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP) using juvenile Hyalella azteca under water-only exposures. A two-compartment model that included biotransformation described the kinetics for each chemical. The uptake clearance coefficients (k(u)) were 25.7 +/- 2.9, 11.5 +/- 1.1, 184.4 +/- 9.3, and 251.7 +/- 9.0 (ml g(-1) h(-1)) for PCP, MP, FU, and HCBP, respectively. The elimination rate constant of the parent compound (k(ep)) for MP was almost an order of magnitude faster (0.403 +/- 0.070 h(-1)) than for PCP and FU (0.061 +/- 0.034 and 0.040 +/- 0.008 h(-1)). The elimination rate constants for FU and PCP metabolites (k(em)) were similar to the parent compound elimination 0.040 +/- 0.005 h(-1) and 0.076 +/- 0.012 h(-1), respectively. For MP, the metabolites were excreted much more slowly than the parent compound (0.021 +/- 0.001 h(-1)). For PCP, FU, and MP whose metabolites were measured, the biological half-life (t(1/2p)) of the parent compound was shorter than the half-life for metabolites (t(1/2m)) because the rate is driven both by elimination and biotransformation processes. Thus, H. azteca is capable of metabolizing compounds with varying chemical structures and modes of toxic action, which may complicate interpretation of toxicity and bioaccumulation results. This finding improves our understanding of H. azteca as a test organism, because most biomonitoring activities do not account for biotransformation and some metabolites can contribute significantly to the noted toxicity.\nDescription:\nClick on the DOI link below to access the article (may not be free).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7502952814102173}
{"content": "The purpose of the Methodological Toolbox is to provide a practical aid for the implementation of the Right to Food Guidelines. It contains a series of analytical, educational and normative tools that offer guidance and hands-on advice on the practical aspects of the right to food. It covers a wide range of topics such as assessment, legislation, education, budgeting and monitoring. It emphasises the operational aspects of the right to food and contributes to strengthening in-country capacity to implement this right.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9403782486915588}
{"content": "If you're longing for more ITM, and especially for more Eileen (whose comments are always so explosively cool), go to Kris Coffield's Fractured Politics. There's much great discussion after Jeffrey's interview (with a comment by Eileen, here) and after my interview too.\nThere, Coffield writes:\nIn a sense, that's what Karl Steel is attempting to produce - de-essentialized subjectivities that deploy interspecies relations in the imagining of alternative political and aesthetic sensibilities. Stepping outside of one's own skin is a difficult task, however, when it involves not only a discursive injunction, but a voluntary dehumanization. To get to the materialism of 'the human', where transformative political work can begin, we must first realize that in articulating (or interrogating) claims from an anthropocentric perspective, we perform 'humanity' itself, the normative historicity (Butler's \"chains of iteration\") that grant discourse the power to enact what it names. 'Human' is more than just a species indicator, it is also a fundamental identity marker, a promise to universality and solidarity that catalyzes political action. How else could governments speak of \"species emergencies\" and be narratively recognized? Critiques of any identity, then, including 'human', reveal the failure of identity formation to fulfill that promise.For this, I can only say thanks! Although if you want more of me, see here and following for a GIANT (Eileen worthy?) set of responses. A paradigm shift may be helpful in unraveling the failed promise of 'the human' and the political functions it has birthed - human nature, human rights, human beingness. For example, instead of asking how diseased animals were dealt with historically, we might ask how 'life' was constituted such that certain animals appeared as 'sick' or certain conditions were labeled 'illness'. Instead of asking how animals are imbricated within putatively human technospheres, we might ask how technospheres penetrate animal spaces. I don't think Julian Reid would necessarily object to such lines of flight, as they deliberately subvert the martial ordering of biopolitics under liberal regimes by prompting a self-conscious shedding of logistical accounts of life. Logisiticization inheres homogenization of life, and life's capacity for proliferation, along the informational lines Reid elegantly elucidated; what counts as life is that which can be disciplined to respond to the permanent crisis always immanent to the (il)liberal life. Absolutely, animal lives are also disciplined within neoliberal regimes, but control of animal populations is not the objective of these regimes, so long as the animal/human binary is maintained - is it any wonder that lifeforms resistant to liberal accounts are described in terms typically reserved for animals and, indeed, are treated in the same manner as animals, a la Guantanamo Bay (the human zoo)? After all, animals signify the nonnarratizable, instinctual, traumatic. Blurring these boundaries highlights a suppressed materiality that challenges informationalized biopower, along with its genealogical heritage. To that end, medieval deterritorializations of animal identity might be extremely helpful. (picture of me at Sean Landers 'Around the World Alone' at Friedrich Petzel gallary)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6039096117019653}
{"content": "New University Senate chair encouraging collaboration on decisions Joan Fulton, chair of the University Senate and professor of agricultural economics. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)\nJoan Fulton, professor of agricultural economics, wants to build a strong community of collaboration as the 2010-11 University Senate chairperson.\nFulton, whose term began June 1, takes great pride in Purdue and wants to be part of the important decisions that are being made at the University.\n\"I agreed to let my name stand for vice chairperson of the Senate a year ago because I want to be part of tackling the challenges that Purdue faces,\" she says. \"I want to be part of the process of finding innovative and creative solutions to move Purdue forward.\"\nAfter becoming involved in the Senate as the at-large member for the College of Agriculture in 2006, Fulton quickly climbed the organization's ladder. She was elected chair of the Steering Committee in 2008 and vice chair of the Senate in 2009.\nMany faculty and staff share Fulton's pride in the University, and she hopes this will help them engage in and work to collaborate with the administration.\n\"I firmly believe in the value of the collaborative decision-making approach — with faculty and staff being truly involved,\" she says. \"I understand through my research in agribusiness and my role as an Extension specialist at Purdue that collaborative decision making can seem time-consuming and less efficient, but in the long run collaboration offers great benefits.\"\nThis year, budget concerns are at the forefront of the Senate's attention. Discussions on a core curriculum for the University also will take place. Fulton and Morris Levy, vice chair of the Senate, will meet with Dale Whittaker, vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs, to discuss the next steps in examining undergraduate education.\nFulton is working with Purdue Marketing and Media to train members of Senate leadership for media interviews. Fulton hopes to arm senators with the right tools to be excellent representatives for the University. Provost Timothy Sands also will participate in the training.\n\"There are key skills associated with effectively conducting interviews that I believe we can all learn well with good training,\" Fulton says. \"I want the messages that are communicated from Senate leaders via the media to be clear and consistent with the intended message.\"\nFulton believes that faculty and staff involvement comes from the deep connections they feel for the University.\n\"We have chosen to make Purdue University our home — the home where we nurture our careers,\" she says. \"We want to be part of the difficult decisions, and when we are a part of that we will be more committed.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6177886724472046}
{"content": "They affect how we understand our world, our societies, our economies, our bodies, and our minds. They affect how we think, what we believe and how we act. Science and technology matter so much, in fact, that many take them to be the defining institutions of the Modern world. And with each passing day, the impact of science and technology grows.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7841551899909973}
{"content": "For maximum pleasure and maximum performance, your bike should fit you perfectly.\nThere are a number of factors to consider when fitting a bike. The first step is to select a bike of the correct frame size. Frame sizes are essentially a vertical measurement. Taller riders will take a bigger frame size. A petite lady will take a small frame size. We stock a depth of frame sizes in all models. We'll set you up in a bike which perfectly fits your height and torso.\nOnce we've determined your frame size in the bike you want, we will address other fitting issues. Is your saddle height correct? Are you over extended across the top? Is the handlebar too wide for your shoulders? we'll ask you to test ride the bike and to be forthright in telling us how you feel on the bike. When you ride out, it will be with the perfect fit.\nFor advanced riders, especially road racers and triathletes, we provide a more in-depth fitting service. This service is available in our Arlington store. Initially, we will apply the method described above. Then we will discuss with you any potential changes or additions to equipment, such as pedals, shoes, aerobars, or adjustments to stem or bar length.\nFrom there we will move on to cleat position, saddle height, including saddle fore-aft, handlebar/aerobar reach, drop, and angle. Then we will take a comprehensive measurement of your body using the latest in fitting tools and technique. Following this, we input all of your data into special software designed specifically to assist in bicycle fitting and review the results. This software will provide us with the correct measurements for your bike, including the recommended frame size and angles, stem length, handlebar length, and saddle height.\nWe don't end there, of course. We'll review the computer results with you and explain what they mean. We'll apply the changes and see if you're comfortable. If you're not, we'll make the appropriate adjustments. It's what we do. That is the art of bike fitting and we are masters of it.\nTo take advantage of our more comprehensive fitting package, please contact us to make an appointment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.784654974937439}
{"content": "Economic Importance for Humans: Negative It is difficult to speculate on how these acquatic mammals might negatively impact humans. There are no reports of negative interactions, but it is possible that through their predatory behavior, populations of Peale's dolphins could negatively impact commercial or subsistence fisheries. However, this is just speculation, and there are no reports of this being the case.\nLatest updates No one has provided updates yet.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9954870939254761}
{"content": "Requirements Engineering is recognized as a crucial part of project and software development processes. This is due to the fact that the different stakeholders involved in a development project have to establish common terminologies as well as goals, scenarios and requirements expressed using these terminologies. Within the Semantic Web initiative various standards emerged for the creation and use of terminologies,\nexpressed in the shape of semantic networks, taxonomies and ontologies. We develop an approach for semantic based Requirements Engineering. We present an ontology for capturing requirements relevant information. We report about a tool for\nsemantic based Requirements Engineering and its application in a real-world development project scenario from the eGovernment domain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9798927903175354}
{"content": "Includes Guidance Expanding the Universe of \"Waters\" Subject to Federal Regulation On April 27, 2011, the Obama administration released a National Clean Water Framework that reemphasizes its commitment to protecting the health of America’s waters. The Framework, a multi-agency effort, is intended to implement the purpose of the Clean Water Act (CWA): “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”1 It outlines seven broad focus areas, including: (1) promoting innovative partnerships between states, tribes, municipalities and communities on pioneering approaches to protect clean water; (2) enhancing communities and economies by restoring important water bodies such as the Chesapeake Bay,2 Great Lakes, Everglades and the California Bay Delta; (3) innovating for more water efficient communities by updating conservation policies and technology; (4) protecting public health by updating drinking water standards and protecting drinking water sources in rural and urban communities; (5) enhancing use and enjoyment of our waters by developing new programs that encourage the use of waterways and water bodies for recreation; (6) supporting science to solve water problems; and (7) updating CWA and water resources guidance and regulations.\nAs part of the seventh area of focus, and concurrent with the Framework, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Draft Guidance describing how the agencies will identify waters protected under the CWA. The Draft Guidance states that it “clarifies how EPA and the Corps will identify waters to be protected under the [CWA] consistent with the statute, regulations, Supreme Court case law, relevant science related to aquatic ecosystems and the agencies’ field experience.”3 The Draft Guidance replaces guidance issued by the Bush administration in 2007 and amended in 2008, and effectively expands the reach of CWA jurisdiction over tributaries, open waters and wetlands by directing field staff to apply a “watershed based” approach that does not require extensive site-specific data and analysis. The agencies will seek public comment for 60 days and then issue final guidance. The agencies will then conduct a formal rulemaking process to further clarify the extent of CWA jurisdiction.\nDraft Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected Under the CWA The Draft Guidance is by far the most controversial aspect of the new Framework. The Corps and EPA state that the Guidance is intended to reduce complexity, improve predictability and increase consistency of Corps and EPA jurisdictional determinations in light of the Supreme Court’s decisions in SWANCC 4 and Rapanos .5 In those two cases, the Supreme Court addressed the scope of “Waters of the United States” protected by the CWA.\nIn SWANCC, the Court addressed the question of CWA jurisdiction over isolated, non-navigable intrastate ponds, and concluded that CWA jurisdiction could not be based solely on the presence of migratory birds. In Rapanos , the Court addressed CWA protections for wetlands adjacent to non-navigable tributaries, and the case resulted in five separate opinions with no single opinion commanding a majority of the Court. Justice Scalia authored the plurality opinion, which stated that “waters of the United States” extended beyond traditional navigable waters to include “relatively permanent, standing or flowing bodies of water.”6 Justice Kennedy’s concurring opinion concluded that “waters of the United States” included wetlands that had a “significant nexus” to traditional navigable waters, “if the wetlands, either alone or in combination with similarly situated lands in the region, significantly affect the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of other covered waters more readily understood as ‘navigable.’”7\nAfter each case, the Corps issued guidance designed to further explain the Court’s decision.8 Despite such further “clarification,” there remained a great deal of confusion among courts and agency field staff over weather the Scalia or Kennedy test applies, which has led to inconsistent jurisdictional determinations across the country.\nThe Draft Guidance explains that the agencies intend to assert jurisdiction over waters that satisfy either the Scalia (plurality) or Kennedy “significant nexus” tests. Importantly, the Draft Guidance allows the Corps and EPA to expand the universe of waters covered under Justice Kennedy’s “significant nexus” definition by sanctioning use of “watershed analysis” to “aggregate” similarly situated waters and wetlands within a given watershed without requiring the kind of detailed site-specific analysis for individual tributaries and their adjacent wetlands required under the prior guidance. Additionally, the Draft Guidance finds that a hydrologic connection is not necessary to establish a significant nexus. The agencies acknowledge and expect that the number of water bodies found subject to CWA jurisdiction will increase greatly under this new guidance. The Federal Register Notice even states that “the agencies believe that ... the number of waters identified as protected by the Clean Water Act will increase compared to current practice and this improvement will aid in protecting the Nation’s public health and aquatic resources.”9\nThe Draft Guidance allows field staff to make expansive CWA jurisdiction determinations, beyond the reach of the prior guidance, in seven major ways by:\nclarifying that interstate waters and wetlands are “jurisdictional in their entirety,” therefore including as jurisdictional the entire upstream and downstream extent of a stream or river of the same stream order that crosses a state boundary, including interstate wetlands essentially creating a presumption that a tributary has a significant nexus to a Traditionally Navigable Water10 based on the evidence of some flow within that tributary through an observed Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM)11 or evidence that the tributary has a bed or bank; in other words, if there is an indirect hydrological connection to a Traditionally Navigable Water, and the tributary has a OHWM or bed and bank, then the Draft Guidance presumes the tributary has a significant nexus and is jurisdictional allowing the agencies to include all “similarly situated” tributaries, their adjacent wetlands and “other waters” within a watershed that discharge into a “single point” of entry to a Traditionally Navigable Water as meeting the significant nexus test clarifying that “adjacent wetlands” include wetlands that may be separated and a distance away from a tributary to a Traditionally Navigable Water if field staff finds that the wetland has a physical or ecological connection to the tributary finding that wetlands that are “proximate,” e.g ., separated by a man-made berm or the like, even without a hydrological connection, are considered jurisdictional based on scientific literature that shows that proximity alone provides an ecological connection broadly including as jurisdictional “other waters,” such as isolated vernal pools, that are not connected to any tributaries flowing to a Traditionally Navigable Water, based on a finding that “collectively” such waters located within the watershed have a significant nexus finding that “other waters” that are “proximate,” e.g ., separated by a man-made berm or the like, even without a hydrological connection, are considered jurisdictional Implications of the Draft Guidance Overall, the Draft Guidance is designed to sanction more “desktop” and inclusive jurisdictional determinations. It relies on broad ecological “watershed” principles and presumptions of ecological connection based on scientific literature to include waters based on minimal tributary-specific data and evidence.\nThis “aggregation” principle potentially allows field staff to “sweep in” hundreds of tributaries, wetlands and open waters under the CWA by making it much simpler for staff to find that there is, in fact, a significant nexus to a Traditionally Navigable Water. For example, the Draft Guidance would arguably allow field staff to rely on regional studies of large watersheds such as the Chesapeake Bay or the California Bay Delta to include all “similarly situated” waters and their adjacent wetlands/other waters, no matter how remote from the main part of the Bay/Delta, on the theory that excluding any single “similarly situated” water would adversely effect the ecological integrity of that entire watershed.\nThe impact of this Draft Guidance could especially be felt in the arid West, with many isolated “waters” that are normally wet only during seasonal rain events. Under this Draft Guidance, field staff could “aggregate” normally dry vernal pools or prairie potholes that do not have any noticeable hydrogic connection to the closest navigable water by finding that they perform functions such as flood control during the wet season.\nThe agencies also concede that the Draft Guidance could significantly increase the costs of mitigation. The report released with the Draft Guidance estimates that the total mitigation costs could go from a current baseline of $82,252,900 to a projected $222,311,906 for wetland, stream and other mitigation required of permittees. These costs will likely have a direct impact on a wide range of other activities including development and infrastructure projects.\nIn sum, this Draft Guidance allows the agencies to find most waters and wetlands, even ephemeral or intermittent streams, as falling under the CWA’s jurisdiction, except for certain waters that have always been excluded, such as artificial lakes or ponds excavated on dry land. Clearly, the costs of such expansion of jurisdiction will be felt by the regulated community.\nConclusion The Corps and EPA intend to propose a rule making to accomplish revisions of existing regulations in 2011 “to provide further clarification” of the definition and scope of waters that are jurisdictional under the CWA. The agencies will be seeking comments on the Draft Guidance for 60 days – comments due on July 1, 2011 – to allow all stakeholders to provide input before the final guidance is published.\nThe final guidance could potentially impose major costs on public and private entities. Holland & Knight is prepared to assist clients in understanding these quickly evolving issues.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.831056535243988}
{"content": "Many women (pregnant or not) experience spotting after routine Pap smears. This doesn't mean anything is necessarily wrong with your pregnancy. In fact, pregnant women are more likely to have spotting after a Pap test, since your uterus, vagina, and surrounding tissues are more engorged with blood. However, if the bleeding becomes heavy or lasts longer than a few hours, give your doctor a call.\nFor the same reasons you've probably had Pap smears before getting pregnant, it's important to continue getting them while you're expecting. The test looks for changes to cells in the cervix (the lower end of your uterus) that could lead to cervical cancer if left untreated. A Pap is a routine part of ob-gyn visits, and you'll probably have one at your first prenatal appointment.\nCopyright 2009", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7807056307792664}
{"content": "In the literature\npertaining to the RSA algorithm, it has often been suggested that in choosing\na key pair, one should use so-called \"strong\" primes p\nand q to generate the modulus n . Strong primes have certain\nproperties that make the product n hard to factor by specific factoring\nmethods; such properties have included, for example, the existence of\na large prime factor of p -1 and a large prime factor of p +1.\nThe reason for these concerns is that some factoring methods - for instance,\nthe Pollard p -1 and p +1 methods (see Question 2.3.4)\n- are especially suited to primes p such that p -1 or p +1\nhas only small factors; strong primes are resistant to these attacks.\nStrong primes are required in for example ANSI X9.31 (see Question 5.3.1).\nHowever, advances in factoring over the last ten years appear to have obviated the advantage of strong primes; the elliptic curve factoring algorithm is one such advance. The new factoring methods have as good a chance of success on strong primes as on \"weak\" primes. Therefore, choosing traditional \"strong\" primes alone does not significantly increase security. Choosing large enough primes is what matters. However, there is no danger in using strong, large primes, though it may take slightly longer to generate a strong prime than an arbitrary prime.\nIt is possible that new factoring algorithms may be developed in the future which once again target primes with certain properties. If this happens, choosing strong primes may once again help to increase security.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7298287153244019}
{"content": "Quick Facts: Sugar\nA grain of sugar under a microscope is a translucent crystal, reflecting light from its 14 facets like a jewel.5\nA pinch of sugar on the tongue is a traditional remedy for hiccups.5\nA spoonful of sugar added to a vase will prolong the life of freshly cut flowers.5\nBabies are born with an innate preference for sweet tastes.5\nChemical manufacturers use sugar to grow penicillin.5\nSugar has been used for centuries to successfully aid in the healing of wounds by drying the wound, helping to prevent the growth of bacteria.5\nThree or four cubes of sugar in a suitcase before storage will help prevent odors.5", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6183502078056335}
{"content": "IAN MacDOUGALL,\nAssociated Press Writer\nOSLO, Norway—Two years after receiving its first deposits, a \"doomsday\" seed vault on an Arctic island has amassed half a million seed samples, making it the world's most diverse repository of crop seeds, the vault's operators announced Thursday.\nCary Fowler — who heads the trust that oversees the seed collection, which is 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the North Pole, said the facility now houses at least one-third of the world's crop seeds.\n\"In my lifetime, I don't think we'll go over 1.5 million. I'd be rather surprised if we go over a million,\" Fowler told The Associated Press. \"At that point, we'd have all the diversity in the world ... and the most secure samples.\"\nLocated in Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a safeguard against wars or natural disasters wiping out food crops around the globe. It was opened in 2008 as a master backup to the world's other 1,400 seed banks, in case their deposits are lost.\nWar wiped out seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan, and another bank in the Philippines was flooded in the wake of a typhoon in 2006. The Svalbard bank is designed to withstand global warming, earthquakes and even nuclear strikes.\nDespite the rapid progress, Fowler said the bank still has significant holes in its collection.\n\"There are a few unique collections that we don't have up there yet — Ethiopia and some of the Indian materials and some of the Chinese materials,\" he said.\nThe most recent additions include a mold-resistant bean from Colombia and a collection of nearly every agricultural soybean species developed in the U.S. in the last century.\n---\nFollow U.S. News Science on Twitter.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5894059538841248}
{"content": "Inspiring Innovation The Warner Consulting team has saved Magnolia Hotels thousands of dollars over the years, and they offer unparalleled customer service in a world where the telcos simply seem indifferent.\nInspiring Innovation…\nHowever, with today’s rapidly changing technology forefront, we sought to highlight the impact we can offer clients with mission-critical decisions. Hotel technology and telecommunications has become an essential aspect of the guest stay and operational imperative. And there are financial implications to these decisions. For example, with today’s expectations, guests will leave (or not return to a hotel) because of a poor connecting experience. This can translate to lost repeat guests or corporate customers and significantly diminished room revenue. Yet many hoteliers are not making the best decisions for the hotel long-term because they don’t fully acknowledge potential impact. Our goal is to\ninspire exceptional choices for how you lead your hotel or portfolio in this area of operations.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9802232980728149}
{"content": "With the April 17th tax filing deadline mere days away, taxpayers across America are making a crucial decision: how to spend their tax refunds. While the size of a refund varies from person to person (ranging from zero to many thousands of dollars), where it gets used can dramatically affect one’s personal finances.\nContinue reading to view this infographic….\nContinue Reading →", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6209034323692322}
{"content": "Home|Overview|Journals|Submit Manuscript|Contact Us|FrançaisEnter Your Search:Search tipsSearch criteriaArticlesJournal titlesAdvancedResults 1-1 (1)Sort by:AuthorJournal TitlePublication DateRelevance« PreviousPageGo to page number:of1Next »Clipboard (0)NoneClear All FiltersJournalsBMC Biophysics (1)« lessAuthorsDotti, Carlos GMartín, Mauricio G (1)Menchón, Silvia A (1)« lessYear of Publication2012 (1)« lessDocument Typesproduct-review (1)« less+1.APM_GUI: analyzing particle movement on the cell membrane and determining confinementMenchón, Silvia A|Martín, Mauricio G|Dotti, Carlos GBMC Biophysics2012;5:4.BackgroundSingle-particle tracking is a powerful tool for tracking individual particles with high precision. It provides useful information that allows the study of diffusion properties as well as the dynamics of movement. Changes in particle movement behavior, such as transitions between Brownian motion and temporary confinement, can reveal interesting biophysical interactions. Although useful applications exist to determine the paths of individual particles, only a few software implementations are available to analyze these data, and these implementations are generally not user-friendly and do not have a graphical interface,.ResultsHere, we present APM_GUI (Analyzing Particle Movement), which is a MatLab-implemented application with a Graphical User Interface. This user-friendly application detects confined movement considering non-random confinement when a particle remains in a region longer than a Brownian diffusant would remain. In addition, APM_GUI exports the results, which allows users to analyze this information using software that they are familiar with.ConclusionsAPM_GUI provides an open-source tool that quantifies diffusion coefficients and determines whether trajectories have non-random confinements. It also offers a simple and user-friendly tool that can be used by individuals without programming skills.doi:10.1186/2046-1682-5-4PMCID:PMC3337278PMID:22348508Related ArticlesResults 1-1 (1)« PreviousPageGo to page number:of1Next »-+Remove citation from clipboardAdd citation to clipboardThis will clear all selections from your clipboard. Do you wish proceed?Clipboard is full! Please remove an item and try again.NonemorelessPMC Canada|Copyright|DisclaimerPubMed Central Canada is a service of theCanadian Institutes of Health Research(CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council'sCanada Institute for Scientific and Technical Informationin cooperation with theNational Center for Biotechnology Informationat theU.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to thePubMed Central International archiveby participating publishers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.536540150642395}
{"content": "Cell 2010 Apr\nSancak Y, Bar-Peled L, Zoncu R, Markhard AL, Nada S, Sabatini DM\nAbstract\nThe mTORC1 kinase promotes growth in response to growth factors, energy levels, and amino acids, and its activity is often deregulated in disease. The Rag GTPases interact with mTORC1 and are proposed to activate it in response to amino acids by promoting mTORC1 translocation to a membrane-bound compartment that contains the mTORC1 activator, Rheb. We show that amino acids induce the movement of mTORC1 to lysosomal membranes, where the Rag proteins reside. A complex encoded by the MAPKSP1, ROBLD\n...[more]3, and c11orf59 genes, which we term Ragulator, interacts with the Rag GTPases, recruits them to lysosomes, and is essential for mTORC1 activation. Constitutive targeting of mTORC1 to the lysosomal surface is sufficient to render the mTORC1 pathway amino acid insensitive and independent of Rag and Ragulator, but not Rheb, function. Thus, Rag-Ragulator-mediated translocation of mTORC1 to lysosomal membranes is the key event in amino acid signaling to mTORC1.\n[less]\nMesh Headings:\nAdaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing, Amino Acids, Animals, Cell Line, Drosophila, Humans, Intracellular Membranes, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Lysosome-Associated Membrane Glycoproteins, Lysosomes, MAP Kinase Signaling System, Models, Biological, Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins, Mutation, Neuropeptides, Protein Binding, Protein Transport, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, Proteins, Recombinant Proteins, Signal Transduction, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases, Transcription Factors", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5037268996238708}
{"content": "Renewable Energy Clarke Electric Cooperative offers a renewable energy program that gives individual member-owners the ability to voluntarily contribute to a fund. All of the money collected from member-owners will be used for the development of alternative energy production facilities in Iowa. Alternative energy productions facilities may include wind energy, biomass, solar, and other nontraditional generation technologies.\nThrough this program, member-owners will not be directly purchasing alternative energy, but rather participating in the development of these resources. Contributions may be retained until they reach a sufficient level to pursue a particular development, make a grant to another entity pursuing alternative energy development in Iowa, or arrange for purchases from alternative energy production facilities.\nRenewable Energy Program highlights include:\nAvailable to member-owners within any of our rate classifications. Member-owners can contribute a one-time dollar amount or on a monthly basis. The minimum contribution is $1.00. The forms of participation include: cash, check, credit card, ACH, or paying the additional amount with your monthly electric bill. Once you have signed up, your participation will continue at the same level until you notify us that you wish to change the amount of your contribution or end your participation in the program.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8149766325950623}
{"content": "Constructive proof From Conservapedia A constructive proof demonstrates the existence of a mathematical function, number or object by producing (constructing) it. This is in contrast with other styles of proof, such as proof by contradiction, which asserts the existence of an object by finding a contradiction if it did not exist. Such a proof is called nonconstructive and is not rarely valued by mathematicians, especially in applied mathematics and computer science.\nPresently, certain theorems have only been proved using nonconstructive methods. However, even after a nonconstructive proof is found for a result, work will still continue until a more useful constructive proof is found. A classical example of this is in Ramsey theory where a unsatisfactory proof using random graphs can determine Ramsey numbers. However, mathematicians will attempt to construct such a graph. Merely proving a hypothetical existence is not enough.\nThe easiest way to prove the existence of transcendental numbers is by a nonconstructive proof, arguing that the set of real numbers is uncountable while the set of algebraic numbers is countable, and thus (many) transcendental numbers must exist. Of course, finding a specific example is a much more difficult endeavor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7994369864463806}
{"content": "The Golden Hour\nIn emergency medicine, the “golden hour” refers to the first 60 minutes after a trauma has occurred. It is widely believed that a victim’s chance of survival is greatest if he or she receives emergency care within the first hour.\nThe golden hour was first described by R Adams Cowley, M.D., at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Dr. Cowley’s personal experiences and observations in post-World War II Europe, and then in Baltimore in the 1960s helped him recognize that the sooner trauma patients reached definitive care—particularly if they arrived within 60 minutes of being injured—the better their chance of survival.\nThe concept of the golden hour comes from U.S. military experience. MASH units and medevac helicopters in the Vietnam War contributed to increasing survival rates. Improvements in medications, techniques and instruments were key to survival, but none of these were of any value if the patient remained separated from the surgeon.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9845854043960571}
{"content": "Chris Eley, owner of Goose the Market and Smoking Goose Meatery, chuckles at what he describes as the \"butcher/rock star phenomenon\" sweeping the nation. \"It's not flashy, not glorified. It's physically-demanding work in a cold room.\"\nAs if to illustrate his point, he's wearing a heavy knit stocking cap, a hoodie, long pants, and a white button-down butcher's frock on a day that will see 98 degrees. He has just come out of the butchering area at Smoking Goose, where he can be found most days from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. carving various carcasses in a room kept at a nippy 50 degrees.\nThe Meatery, originally envisioned by Eley as a small-scale production house for Goose the Market, opened last September with 6,000 square feet of refrigerated space.\n\"Everything just got bigger and bigger,\" he says of the design and building process. \"We realized that we would have outgrown the original plan very quickly - and that if we'd stayed small and only opted for state certification we would be cutting ourselves out of larger regional markets that have a demand for what we're making.\"\nThe decision to scale up the Meatery had much to do with getting USDA certification, which allows Smoking Goose to sell their products across state lines to urban regional markets like Chicago and Louisville. \"We're the only USDA facility with a dry-cure fermented program in the region,\" Eley says. He adds that while the current space allows for room to grow, it's still considered a \"very small\" facility by federal standards.\nThat niche of the cured-meat world - dry-cure fermented - is the ultimate art of the Meatery. It's also the most time-consuming: While a cooked sausage can be mixed, stuffed into casings, and packaged in 24 to 48 hours, a dry-cured fermented salumi must hang for four to eight weeks before it's ready to eat, making it a rarity among larger production facilities.\nSmoking Goose processes eight to nine hogs a week, along with ducks and chickens. They're mostly sourced from Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Ind., and always drawn from small regional farms raising hormone-and-antibiotic-free animals in healthy, free-range environments. Bacon is their bread-and-butter, shipping out at a couple thousand pounds a week. But it's time-consuming products like the elk, blueberry and mead salumi (available locally at Goose the Market) that make the Meatery truly unique.\n\"Right now we're operating at one-third to one-half capacity,\" says Eley, adding that the area where he'd most like to expand is the high-demand dry-cure market. When asked what keeps him from expanding, he explains it's a lack of labor. The rock-star delusion falls apart after a few weeks in the cold room, and butcher retention has been a challenge.\n\"I sleep about five to six hours a night, and am butchering every day,\" he says. \"But it's what I love to do.\"\nSmoking Goose products can be found locally at farmer's markets and at Goose the Market, 2503 N. Delaware St. The Meat Locker at the Smoking Goose Meatery is open limited hours, offering a selection of fully-cooked sausages and salumis available for purchase.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8137434124946594}
{"content": "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- October 24, 2012 (Washington,D.C.): Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual Legal Reform Summit in Washington, D.C., former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani stressed the need for New York to enact meaningful lawsuit reform. He noted that past efforts to pass tort reform had been stalled by the powerful trial lawyer lobby, and highlighted the substantial fiscal and social costs of frivolous lawsuits.\nThe cost of lawsuits for New York City was hundreds of millions during Giuliani’s tenure as mayor. Frivolous lawsuits are a major issue for local governments, with the cost of lawsuits on New York City alone estimated to exceed $730 million in the coming year. Lawsuits have taken a toll on taxpayers and diverted resources from critical services, such as city teachers, police officers, and firefighters, noted the former Mayor. Giuliani highlighted a case in which a criminal fleeing from the police tripped on a pothole and was awarded $70 million for his injuries. “When a jury in New York sees NYC as a defendant, they forget that they are really the defendant – that they are paying out their money and they pay out money in huge quantities,” he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.965271532535553}
{"content": "Preheating a shaft-sprocket assembly\nFebruary 13, 2007 We are welding 1018 cold-rolled, 2.5-inch-diameter shaft to a sprocket made from 1045 steel. We preheat the shafts to about 200 to 250 degrees. We are having some failure of the shaft, and I'm wondering what the proper procedure is for welding the assembly together. The sprockets are welded full-diameter on both sides. The shaft usually breaks at the transition from the edge of the weld. Should we be preheating to a higher temperature, heating both the shaft and the sprockets, or not preheating at all?\nJohn A. Andrew, Unity, Wis. You're joining a low-carbon (less than 20 percent) shaft to a medium-carbon (more that 40 percent) sprocket. You're on the right track, but your preheat must include the sprocket. It also should be in the 200- to 400-degree range, depending on the process used and joint thickness.\nMaintain this same range for interpass temperature. Use a low-hydrogen procedure and filler metal; hydrogen pickup through dilution will contribute to a high weld metal hardness, which will increase susceptibility to cracking and brittleness. Minimize dilution by depositing small weld beads in a multipass technique.\nFinally, use a postweld heat treatment. If this isn't practical, maintain the preheat/interpass temperature for two to three hours per inch of joint thickness.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9518866539001465}
{"content": "Practice Guidelines for Recovery-Oriented Behavioral Healthcare Through our long-standing partnership with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction services, PRCH has developed a comprehensive set of recovery-oriented practice guidelines which offer specific guidance on how to translate the concept of recovery into the concrete day-to-day practice of behavioral health care practitioners and systems. These guidelines have been developed with contributions and guidance from a wide range of stakeholders including persons in recovery, families, direct support professionals, policy makers, private nonprofit service providers, the academic community, advocacy organizations, and community members. They are also informed by an extensive review of the recovery literature, consultations with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the various lessons that have been learned by PRCH through our experiences in research, evaluation, training, and consultation. The Guidelines have already begun to influence Requests for Proposals and Qualifications, provider contracts, performance indicators, and outcomes monitoring procedures in the state of Connecticut, and they have been requested by JCAHO in their preparation of recovery-oriented accreditation standards for 2006. While the realization of truly recovery-oriented care will require a long-term and steadfast commitment of all stakeholders, we offer these guidelines to you as an initial, and important, step forward in the overall process of system transformation.\nLink to Practice Guidelines (PDF).\nFor more information, please contact Janis Tondora, PsyD.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5176329612731934}
{"content": "University Park, Pa. --- Don't blame it on your hormones. A Penn State study has shown that, contrary to popular notions, women don't necessarily gain weight, overeat and binge on chocolate or carbohydrates during the premenstrual phase of their menstrual cycle or when taking contraceptive hormones.\nIn a study conducted by Christine L. Pelkman, a Penn State doctoral candidate in biobehavioral health, women ate about 4 percent more but also burned about 4 percent more calories during the premenstrual phase of their menstrual cycle. Suppressing the cycle with a contraceptive drug didn't significantly alter food intake, change food preferences, or cause weight gain.\nThe study was the first randomized, placebo-controlled investigation to examine how eating and calorie burning are affected both by the menstrual cycle and by a popular injectable long-acting contraceptive drug, Depo-Provera, in the same women. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, more than a million American women used Depo Provera in 1995, the most recent year for which statistics are available.\n\"The theory has been that if you administer contraceptive hormones, you lower a woman's basal metabolism and she will gain weight,\" Pelkman says. \"We saw no dramatic increase in calorie intake and didn't see a dampening of the number of calories the women burned. There were no changes in food preferences or diet composition either.\"\nShe adds, \"There was no shift in chocolate intake or in how much they liked chocolate. No shift in their taste for sweet foods in general. No shift in carbohydrate preferences.\"\nThe Penn State researcher will present her findings July 7 at the annualmeeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in Clearwater,Fla.,in a paper, \"Reproductive Hormones and Eating Behavior in Young Women.\" Herco-authors are Robert Heinbach, Penn State physician, and Dr. Barbara Rolls, whoholds the Guthrie Chair in Nutri '\"/> Contact: Barbara Hale aem1@psu.edu 814-865-9481 Penn State 7-Jul-1999", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9852555394172668}
{"content": "Core principles of effective integrated care include a patient-centered care team providing evidence-based treatments for a defined population of patients using a measurement-based \"treat-to-target\" approach.\nThe role of the psychiatrist in a collaborative-care model is a significant departure from traditional psychiatric care, which focuses on face-to-face evaluations. Moving from traditional office-based practice to being \"consultant specialists\" who can be effective on a population level will require a new skill set.\nThe first five modules of a training program for psychiatric consultants, developed by the AIMS Center, will be presented at this year's Institute on Psychiatric Services in San Francisco this month.\nThe model of psychiatric practice within a collaborative-care team is not for every psychiatrist, but those who have experienced it say the model offers an escape from the \"hamster wheel\" of doing 15-minute med checks, while offering the opportunity to educate fellow clinicians and to have an impact on public health at a population level.\nDownload citation file:\nPlease confirm that your email address is correct, so you can successfully receive this alert.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7257518768310547}
{"content": "Clearly, coconut water has been one of the fastest growing categories in the beverage industry, but are its highly touted rehydration benefits as helpful as advertised? In a recent article, National Public Radio (NPR) posits that while coconut water does provide an electrolyte-packed punch, most individuals can rehydrate just as well with plain water. The article cites the opinion of Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who explained that while the draw for coconut water is based on its potassium content, the drink is “not magical.”\nYou can read the full article here.\nHave news? Have a new product? Tell us", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8569952845573425}
{"content": "Ineffable investigates the limits of language. People who are native or fluent in a language other than English are asked the question: “Is there a word, phrase, or an expression in your native (or second) language that you can not translate to English?” The goal was to pin down the divergence among languages which is hopefully conceptual rather than just technicalities. These differences must have been rooted in the culture, which the language was closely tied to. It turned out, the answers were trivial when compared to the struggle the interviewees were having. The project revealed the glass walls between languages. Through gestures, examples, analogies, or ambiguous words, interviewees strove to express the ineffable. The question was a paradox by its nature.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8958353400230408}
{"content": "Question:From Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:\nMy mum said I might have diabetes. She had a sister who had it. I heard from a friend they have to take some blood. I have a phobia of needles so I wanted to check out with you guys if I might have diabetes before I get my sugar levels checked. I have cravings for sugar and I faint if I don't eat every 4 hours. Like I've lost a lot of weight but I eat a lot. I'm like really moody and weak, my legs especially. I know I'm probably wasting your time but I'm really scared. I heard they can cut your legs off and stuff. Thanks for your help. I'm 14 and about 5 foot 6.\nAnswer:Try not to be afraid. Your symptoms could indicate diabetes, but they could also indicate something altogether different. Have you seen a doctor yet?\nSometimes you find that what you fear never happens. If you are indeed diagnosed with diabetes, do not assume that your legs will be amputated! Listen only to people who are trained in diabetes care.\nOriginal posting 17 Oct 1998 Posted to Diagnosis and Symptoms\nadvertisement\nLast Updated: martes abril 06, 2010 15:09:00\nThis Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional.\nThis site is published by Children With Diabetes, Inc, which is responsible for its contents.\nBy using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use, Legal Notice, Privacy Policy, and Safe Harbor Policy.\n© Children with Diabetes, Inc. 1995-2013. Comments and Feedback.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5164393782615662}
{"content": "Greenpeace congratulates the Green Scorpions on their exposure of Eskom as the organ of state with the highest rate of non-compliance with environmental legislation. This report adds to the body of evidence already uncovered by Greenpeace on Eskom’s environmental recklessness. It is crucial that all organs of state are held responsible for their activities, and that they comply with all legislation. If Eskom is breaking the law, the utility should be prosecuted.\n“Talk is cheap. This report clearly illustrates that Eskom is not committed to anything that is in the best interests of this country. It comes as no surprise that the utility continues to believe that it is above the law, and that transparency and accountability simply do not apply. Section 48 of Nema must be amended so that organs of state are not immune from criminal liability. Eskom must be prosecuted for the reckless damage being created through its activities” stated climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, Melita Steele.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8692091703414917}
{"content": "RE-INFUSION OF STORED RED BLOOD CELLS DOES NOT ENHANCE BLOOD CHARACTERISTICS OR PERFORMANCE\nMarek, E. M., Franke, J., Hinrichs, T., Hawener, I., & Platen, P. (June 03, 2010). Alterations in VO2max by blood donation and re-infusion after a 4-week storage period in moderately trained athletes. Presentation 2111 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; June 2-5.\nThis study investigated the effect of blood donation and autologous blood re-infusion in a heterogeneous group of moderately trained athletes (M = 8; F = 5) from different disciplines after four weeks of blood storage. Ss were tested during an incremental treadmill-test until individual exhaustion several times prior to and after a blood donation of 500 ml, and prior to and after the re-infusion of the red-blood cell concentrate of 300 ml after a four weeks of storage. The highest measured oxygen uptake value of each test was defined as the respective VO2max.\nIn the subgroup of females, VO2max prior to blood donation was ~47.6 ml/kg/min. Immediately after the blood donation, VO2max declined to ~44.3 ml/kg/min and remained reduced up to 28 days. Re-infusion led to a significant increase in VO2max, which remained elevated up to seven days, but did not exceed the pre-donation value. In the subgroup of males, VO2max decreased from ~60.3 to ~56.1 ml/kg/min immediately after donation. This decline remained stable after 24 hours and after seven days. Re-infusion induced an immediate and significant increase in VO2max by ~3.5 ml/kg/min, which was comparable to the previously observed decline of 4.1 ml/kg/min after blood donation. This re-infusion increase in VO2max remained stable for up to three weeks.\nImplication. 500 ml of blood donation decreased VO2max in both genders with a more prolonged effect in female moderately trained athletes. Re-infusion of the 300 ml red blood cell concentrate after four weeks of storage normalized aerobic performance, but did not induce a higher performance level. Reinfusion simply restored the blood to the pre-donation values.\nReturn to Table of Contents for this issue.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6599017381668091}
{"content": "Report by India Education bureau, New Delhi: Seeking to generate awareness among students on environmental issues, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) recently launched the Dubai Cares’ “Million Book Challenge” initiative in schools across the city amid much fanfare.\nAs part of the programme, TERI organised workshops and distributed books in Delhi schools. In the event held at New Delhi’s Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector – 3, Rohini, over 100 students and 5 teachers were sensitised on issues pertaining to sustainable development through entertaining activities such as puppetry. Over 1,000 books published by the Institute’s publishing arm--TERI Press--were also distributed among the attendees. Similar activities were held in Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Delhi Cantonment for nearly 240 students and 7 teachers. TERI Press also distributed 3000 books--ranging from environmental conservation to biodiversity—among the students free of cost.\nThe Dubai Cares initiative—widely viewed as a paradigm-altering philanthropic venture--aims at funding and ensuring the distribution of books on a variety of topics to underprivileged children in third world nations and is the flagship project of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It aims at enabling the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals, and currently is operating in over 24 nations, and has already reached out to over 5 million people.\nIn India, Dubai Cares is working alongside TERI to ensure that underprivileged Indian children are accorded the opportunity to receive world-class education.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.740082859992981}
{"content": "The Demtroys™ System Efficient management of heating costs\nEfficient management of heating costs and energy control Designed by Demtroys and sponsored by the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), the Demtroys™ System offers since 2004 an unequalled solution to hotel and residence owners who must absorb high heating costs for their properties and who want to ensure a comfortable living environment for their clients. Be it for a hotel, a vacation resort or any other multi-unit apartment building, the Demtroys™ System and its smart approach to energy control, especially heating costs, allow you to regulate automatically, intelligently and safely your building's heating capacity.\nCombining energy saving and comfort to your clients\nWith the Demtroys™ System, you can now safely eliminate all losses due to negligence, bad habits or your clients' heating whims. The Demtroys™ System allows you to recover any exceeding heating capacity by modulating the amount of energy required to ensure your clients' welfare, while allowing them to regulate their own comfort. You can then avoid all excessive costs. To achieve this, the Demtroys™ System automatically controls the heating capacity required to heat your building based on the external temperature. Losses due to inefficient heating management are sometimes very high and can represent 25% and even 35% of your total annual heating bill. Stop wasting your money – efficiently manage your heating requirements with the Demtroys™ System. Ask for our leasing programs.\nAre your heating costs high?\nAre heating costs one of your biggest expenses? Is there wastage in your building? Could you reduce your heating costs? How much money are you losing annually due to negligence by tenants/clients who don't care about energy costs? Are your thermostats on high all year long? Does your building have peaks in energy consumption, which in turn can result in penalties imposed by your energy supplier? Do your tenants leave their doors and windows open unnecessarily? Do tenants who smoke leave their door slightly open to freshen the air inside? Is the heating system on while the air conditioning is on?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6129906177520752}
{"content": "Alpha-Secretase Cleavage of the Amyloid Precursor Protein: Proteolysis Regulated by Signaling Pathways and Protein Trafficking\nAuthor(s):\nStefan F. Lichtenthaler\nPages 165-177 (13)\nAbstract:\nα-secretase is the name for a metalloprotease activity, which is assumed to play a key role in the prevention of the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimers disease (AD). Proteases similar to α-secretase are essential for a wide range of biological processes, such as cell adhesion and embryonic development. The molecular culprit in AD is the amyloid β peptide (Aβ), which derives from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through sequential cleavage by the two proteases β- and γ-secretase. In contrast, α-secretase, which is the metalloprotease ADAM10, cleaves APP within the Aβ domain, thus preventing Aβ generation. Additionally, it produces a secreted APP ectodomain with neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties. An increase in α-secretase cleavage is considered a therapeutic approach for AD, but the molecular mechanisms regulating α-secretase cleavage are only partly known. Protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase constitute central signaling hubs for the regulation of α-secretase cleavage. Additionally, recent studies increasingly demonstrate that the correct spatial and temporal localization of the two membrane proteins APP and α-secretase is essential for efficient α-secretase cleavage of APP. This review highlights the role of signaling pathways and protein trafficking in the control of APP α-secretase cleavage.\nKeywords:\nAlzheimer's disease, secretases, metalloprotease, signaling pathways, protein trafficking, neurodegeneration, regulated, intramembrane proteolysis, ectodomain shedding, Phorbol esters\nAffiliation:\nAdolf Butenandt-Institute,Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 Munich, Germany.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989652633666992}
{"content": "Team building retreats: A time for renewal, reflection\nThe thought of holding a team building retreat might sound like a frivolous bonding experience to some busy physicians. But in the ever-changing and highly innovative healthcare industry, retreats can be a critical component in helping maintain your practice's focus on quality care and productivity.\n\"The challenge for physicians is that they have to care for their patients, but they also have to manage their practice,\" says Randy Bauman, president of Delta Healthcare in Brentwood, TN. \"They have to realize that not only are they in charge as a doctor, but they are responsible as a leader and a manager. They need to step back and look at their business with a strategic perspective.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6631827354431152}
{"content": "Short-term effects of enhanced UV-B and CO2 on lichens at different latitudes Avdelning/ar: Publiceringsår: 1995\nSpråk: Engelska\nSidor: 547-557\nPublikation/Tidskrift/Serie: The Lichenologist\nVolym: 27\nNummer: 6\nDokumenttyp: Artikel\nFörlag: Elsevier\nSammanfattning Interaction effects of UV-B and CO2 on three lichens species, Cladonia arbusculo, Cetraria islandica and Stereocaulon paschale, from two latitudinal sites, 68N and 56N, were studied in a laboratory experiment. The response of the plants was recorded by measuring their chlorophyll fluorescence. All species had a similar response to enhanced UV-B depending on the latitude from which the population came and the time of the season when they were sampled. Overall, there was a significant increase in photosystem II yield (as measured by a fluorescence technique) due to UV-B and no separate effect due to enhanced CO2, although there was a significant interaction between CO2 and UV-B. The increase due to UV-B was at the low CO2 level. There were also significant differences in response due to latitude. The results contradict our hypotheses that negative effects of UV-B would be larger in the North than in the South and that a negative response should be especially large during the early season.\nDisputation Nyckelord Biology and Life Sciences Övrigt Published\nYes\nISSN: 0024-2829", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8159937858581543}
{"content": "The medical records of all patients born between 1 September, 2000, and 31 August, 2002, and undergoing the first stage of Norwood reconstruction, were retrospectively reviewed for details of the perioperative course. We found 99 consecutive patients who met the criterions for inclusion. Hospital mortality for the entire cohort was 15.2%, but was 7.3%, with 4 of 55 dying, in the setting of a \"standard\" risk profile, as opposed to 25.0% for those with a \"high\" risk profile, 11 of 44 patients dying in this group. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was utilized in 7 patients, with 6 deaths. Median postoperative length of stay in the hospital was 14 days, with a range from 2 to 85 days, and stay in the cardiac intensive care unit was 11 days, with a range from 2 to 85 days. Delayed sternal closure was performed in 18.2%, with a median of 1 day until closure, with a range from zero to 5 days. Excluding isolated delayed sternal closure, and cannulation and decannulation for extracorporeal support, 24 patients underwent 33 cardiothoracic reoperations, including exploration for bleeding in 12, diaphragmatic plication in 4; shunt revision in 4, and other procedures in 13. The median duration of total mechanical ventilation was 4.0 days, with a range from 0.7 to 80.5 days. Excluding those who died, the median total duration of mechanical ventilation was 3.8 days, with a range from 0.9 to 46.3 days. Reintubation for cardiorespiratory failure or upper airway obstruction was performed in 31 patients. Postoperative electroencephalographic and/or clinical seizures occurred in 13 patients, with 7 discharged on anti-convulsant medications. Postoperative renal failure, defined as a level of creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dl, was present in 13 patients. Eleven had significant thrombocytopenia, with fewer than 20,000 platelets per microl, and injury to the vocal cords was identified in eight patients. Risk factors for longer length of stay included lower Apgar scores, preoperative intubation, early reoperations, reintubation and sepsis, but not weight at birth, genetic syndromes, the specific surgeon, or the duration of surgery. Although mortality rates after the first stage of reconstruction continue to fall, the course in the intensive care unit is remarkable for significant morbidity, especially involving the cardiac, pulmonary and central nervous systems. These patients utilize significant resources during the first hospitalization. Further studies are necessary to stratify the risks faced by patients with hypoplasia of the left heart in whom the first stage of Norwood reconstruction is planned, to determine methods to reduce perioperative morbidity, and to determine the long-term implications of short-term complications, such as diaphragmatic paresis, injury to the vocal cords, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and postoperative seizures.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9716569781303406}
{"content": "Ochre House and Pinstripe Create Strategic Workforce Planning Roadmap\nAs HR professionals look to be more strategic in a tough economy, there are still barriers to implementing Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP). In a series of global think tanks held in London, Holland, Germany, Singapore and San Francisco, Ochre House and international partner Pinstripe brought together HR leaders from global organizations to discuss the success criteria for effective SWP.\nWith involvement from organizations including Arcelor Mittal, Barclays Wealth, Xerox, Gilead, BAE, Nokia, Shell, T-Mobile, BT, Vodafone and Siemens, Ochre House and Pinstripe have developed a roadmap to SWP.\nThis framework – outlined in the whitepaper A Blueprint for Effective Strategic Workforce Planning – consists of seven key stages:\nCreate a vision for success that aligns talent with the strategic direction of the organisation\nEngage stakeholders to build support for your vision\nStart simple . It doesn’t need to be overly complicated\nDefine your deliverables in the early stages to give you clear goals to aim for\nIdentify the right internal talent to help execute your plan and achieve your vision\nLeverage market intelligence and internal data\nIterate . SWP is a continuous process that must evolve so always leverage feedback\n“As HR professionals we’ve long been talking about Strategic Workforce Planning, but with so many barriers to overcome and a lack of examples, there has been no clear guidance on how to implement it.” According to Sue Brooks, Managing Director at Ochre House. “Whilst there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution, we hope these seven pillars to success will give HR departments the guidance they need to develop a structured and fully strategic workforce plan.”\nA copy of the full whitepaper including the detailed roadmap and on-demand webinar featuring a Case Study by Arcelor Mittal’s Ali Gilani are available for download here: http://resources.pinstripetalent.com/GlobalTalentWebinar-SWP.html.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6364203095436096}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: To identify the gut-associated tick aspartic hemoglobinase, this work focuses on the functional diversity of multiple Ixodes ricinus cathepsin D forms (IrCDs). Out of three encoding genes representing Ixodes scapularis genome paralogs, IrCD1 is the most distinct enzyme with a shortened propeptide region and a unique pattern of predicted post-translational modifications. IrCD1 gene transcription is induced by tick feeding and is restricted to the gut tissue. The hemoglobinolytic role of IrCD1 was further supported by immunolocalization of IrCD1 in the vesicles of tick gut cells. Properties of recombinantly expressed rIrCD1 are consistent with the endo-lysosomal environment because the zymogen is autoactivated and remains optimally active in acidic conditions. Hemoglobin cleavage pattern of rIrCD1 is identical to that produced by the native enzyme. The preference for hydrophobic residues at the P1 and P1' position was confirmed by screening a novel synthetic tetradecapeptidyl substrate library. Outside the S1-S1' regions, rIrCD1 tolerates most amino acids but displays a preference for tyrosine at P3 and alanine at P2'. Further analysis of the cleavage site location within the peptide substrate indicated that IrCD1 is a true endopeptidase. The role in hemoglobinolysis was verified with RNAi knockdown of IrCD1 that decreased gut extract cathepsin D activity by >90%. IrCD1 was newly characterized as a unique hemoglobinolytic cathepsin D contributing to the complex intestinal proteolytic network of mainly cysteine peptidases in ticks. Journal of Biological Chemistry 04/2012; 287(25):21152-63. · 4.77 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7722669243812561}
{"content": "Wiki Wednesday: Twenty’s Plenty\nIn July 2008, the British Medical Association called for the application of 20 mph zones throughout residential neighborhoods, not just in the vicinity of schools, where they are commonly applied. Stockport public health director Dr. Stephen Watkins stated that \"a child hit at 20mph has a 5% chance of dying compared to 50% at 30mph.\" He noted the difference between a two mile journey at 20mph and a two mile journey at 40 mph was just three minutes. \"We are killing our children for the sake of a couple of minutes,\" he said.\nAnd since we're in stimulus mode, here's another excerpt:\nThe UK study of best traffic practices across the Europe and the U.K. concluded that 20 mph streets also increased pedestrian activity, bicycling, a sense of safety among residents, and economic activity. The study cited evidence from the city of Horsham, U.K., where 20 mph speed limits, along with a bypass road, public arts, gardens, and other pedestrian amenities have lead to the opening of new shops and restaurants, and a higher level of overall economic activity.\nOkay, I'm convinced. Let's get some shovels in the ground on those ped safety plans.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9860543608665466}
{"content": "In a decision that has wide-ranging implications for photo enforcement, speeding tickets and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) charges, the US Supreme Court yesterday reconfirmed the Sixth Amendment right to confront one’s accuser applies to analysts who claim to have certified evidence from a machine. The 5-4 decision concluded that “stand-in” expert witnesses are not a substitute for the individuals who actually conducted the tests. The decision broadens the applicability of the landmark Melendez-Diaz ruling from 2009, which has already led to appellate division cases in four California counties to throw out red light camera evidence.\nThe high court examined the case of Donald Bullcoming whose vehicle rear-ended a truck belonging to Dennis Jackson in Farmington, New Mexico on August 14, 2005. Jackson went to exchange insurance information with Bullcoming and noticed that the man smelled of alcohol. Bullcoming fled the scene on foot before police arrived, but Officer Marty Snowbarger caught up to him and arrested him for DUI. After a breath test was refused, Snowbarger obtained a warrant to take Bullcoming’s blood. Forensic analyst Curtis Caylor’s test of this sample showed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.21, a result that served as the primary evidence against Bullcoming at trial.\nThe blood testing process is performed by a gas chromatograph machine but remains subject to human error. The court noted a “fairly complex” Colorado lab mistake systematically produced high BAC readings for 206 defendants. Caylor did not testify at trial because he had been put on unpaid leave from his job for an unspecified reason. Instead, Gerasimos Razatos testified regarding the results which he had neither observed nor reviewed.\nThe high court examined the question of whether a lab report could be introduced as evidence by an “expert” who did not actually conduct the tests in question. The prosecution argued that the gas chromatograph machine was the accuser in the case and that Caylor simply wrote down the result without exercising independent judgment. For that reason, Razatos was an equivalent substitute. The court disagreed.\n“Suppose a police report recorded an objective fact — Bullcoming’s counsel posited the address above the front door of a house or the read-out of a radar gun,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for the majority. “Could an officer other than the one who saw the number on the house or gun present the information in court — so long as that officer was equipped to testify about any technology the observing officer deployed and the police department’s standard operating procedures? As our precedent makes plain, the answer is emphatically ‘No.’”\nThe court majority noted that using a surrogate witness would conceal any lapses or lies on the part of the certifying analyst. It also noted that the burden on the prosecution from the requirement of live testimony could have been cured by having Razatos retest the blood sample, which was preserved in accordance with New Mexico law.\n“As a rule, if an out-of-court statement is testimonial in nature, it may not be introduced against the accused at trial unless the witness who made the statement is unavailable and the accused has had a prior opportunity to confront that witness,” Ginsburg concluded.\nThe decision represented a rare coalition of the most liberal and most conservative members of the court. Ginsburg and President Obama’s nominees to the court, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, were joined by Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.\nA copy of the decision is available in a 275k PDF file at the source link below.\n[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7591027021408081}
{"content": "Hey Blueberry,\nI'm reading Peace at the moment - wonderful book; really inspires you to look within, you know? Challenge your perceptions of yourself and others.\nUsually when we make mistakes out of anger, jealousy or hatred, we justify our actions. \"Yes I did this or that, but only because I was angry at this thing or this person\". We rarely \"back down\", and even when we know within ourselves that what we did was wrong, we can still find some justification for what we did, as view it as being right.\nHowever, when we admit we are wrong, when we sincerely regret the actions that came from these negative emotions, we face ourselves. We take responsibility for ourselves and we hold ourselves accountable for our actions. As a result of this, we acknowledge the consequences, the harm our actions bring to others and ourselves. When we stop running away from the situation (i.e. justifying our actions), from there wisdom is born.\nWhen people react badly to our confessions, we become frustrated or upset. Surely they should forgive us, right? That's not for us to expect. How they deal with you is their business, and if we have hurt people in some way, there's no guarantee that a confession/apology will bring a positive reaction.\nBut it's not about their reaction. You can't control how they feel, or what they think. However, by facing up to what you have done, by admitting your mistakes, you take the first step that many don't: you take ownership, responsibility for your actions and in doing this, you really learn to chip away at the negative actions and become more mindful of the consequences that your actions have - therefore, you eventually stop making the same or similar mistakes.\nBy not admitting mistakes, by not taking responsibility, how can we recognise that we are making mistakes? It's impossible to be wrong when you think you are right.\nIn the end, your practice is about your own self development, it's not about anyone else. Admitting your mistakes is not about getting forgiveness from others; it's about taking the steps necessary to wake up to yourself.\nHope this helps! (Moreso, I hope it's accurate...)\nKind regards,\nSandy", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9680845141410828}
{"content": "Formation and Transport of the Sulfonic Acid Metabolite of Alachlor and Metolachlor in Soil By D.S. Aga and E.M. Thurman\nABSTRACT Alachlor and metolachlor are dechlorinated and transformed into their corresponding ethane sulfonic acie (ESA) metabolites in soil. In a\nfield-disappearance study, it was shown that alachlor ESA was formed at a faster rate and at concentrations 2-4 times higher than metolachlor ESA,\nconforming with the observed longer disappearance half-life of metolachlor (15.5 d) in the field as compared to alachlor (8 d). Runoff data also showed\nhigher concentrations of alachlor ESA as compared to metolachlor ESA, even though they were applied at the same levels. Data from soil cores showed\ntransport of the ESA compounds in soil to as far down as 75-90 cm below the surface, at concentrations ranging from less than 0.5 Î/L to about 50 Î/L.\nIn contrast, no parent herbicide was detected at these depths. This observation correlates with the higher log\nAdditional information about the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory can be found at: http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pages/9-Research-Lab To request a paper copy of this journal article, email: scribner@usgs.gov", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7096147537231445}
{"content": "The Rev. Trudy Bradley, M.Div. alum and former Marylhurst faculty member, was remembered at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Annual Community Awards & Celebration Dinner on April 25, 2013.\nOur Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Care is designed for students who have completed a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree.\nWhile our graduate certificate courses are ideal for changing career direction or enhancing a current career in ministry, caregiving or teaching, they also serve as a foundation to complete a Marylhurst Master of Arts in Applied Pastoral Theology or Master of Divinity.\nWe schedule classes to not conflict with services, so that ministers and other spiritual professionals may attend.\nWhat You Will Learn In our pastoral care program, you will explore specialized subjects within religion, integrating studies in scripture, ministry, theology and psychology.\nIn this program, you will:\nTrain in methods for ministering to the sick, the elderly, those in need and those who simply require guidance Learn about the relationship of religion and philosophy Engage in an internship Career Paths Individuals and organizations increasingly are seeking a source of personal and philosophical growth. Pastoral care careers include caregiver, educator, author, spiritual practitioner and ministerial service provider.\nOccupational Profile on O*NET (21-2011: Clergy)\nProgram Length & Costs The estimated time to complete the program is 11 ½ months.\nEstimated costs are: Tuition* (47 credits) = $27,166 Books & Supplies ($50 per credit) = $2,350 TOTAL = $29,516*Calculated at the current 2013-14 tuition rate.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6155505776405334}
{"content": "Obamacare Ruling Post-Mortem Thoughts\nAt a Federalist Society event on Capitol Hill, two attorneys\nwho spoke at the RNLA’s 2012 National Policy Conference and were intimately\ninvolved in the Obamacare litigation provided their insights into last week’s decision.\nMichael Carvin, who represented the National Federation of\nIndependent Business before the high court, spoke about the majority opinion\nupholding the Obamacare individual mandate.\nCarvin remarked that it is hard not to be cynical about the\nprocess, with the Court finding the individual mandate exceeds Congress’\ncommerce power, but somehow fits within its taxing power.\nHe believes that the court effectively changed the\nindividual mandate statute, as on its face, the statute establishes fines as a\nconsequence to the mandate. “No rational person can think this wasn’t a\nre-write,” he said.\nFurther, Carvin was disillusioned about re-writing the\nstatute to be a tax, considering Congress and President Obama explicitly told\nthe American people the individual mandate was not a tax. He claimed that\ndeferring to Congress and the Administration on the individual mandate being a\ntax is like “deferring to Bernie Madoff because you believe in the free market\nprocess.”\nCarrie Severino, Chief Counsel of the Judicial Crisis\nNetwork and author of an amicus brief in the Obamacare case, also spoke at the\nevent.\nShe refuted comments that have labeled Chief Justice\nRoberts’ opinion as “statesmanlike,” saying that such actions are judicial\nactivism. “Decisions based on considerations other than the law itself” are\njudicial activisim, Severino said, citing a definition promulgated by Judge\nRobert Bork.\nDespite the setbacks for opponents of the individual mandate\nin the ruling, Severino proffered that there are three “silver linings” that\nthose on the losing end could take away from the holding.\nFirst, she noted that the holding exposes the dishonesty in\ncomments by congressional Democrats and President Obama that the individual\nmandate does not constitute a tax. As Chief Justice Roberts declared, the\nindividual mandate only stands because it is an exercise of Congress’ taxing\npower.\nSecond, she believes the holding provided some key narrowing\nin commerce clause jurisprudence. Despite upholding the individual mandate,\nChief Justice Roberts provided a fifth vote for establishing that there is an\nend to Congress’ oft-cited commerce power, which could be applied in future\nCommere Clause cases.\nFinally, Severino noted that the decision has created an\nopportunity for citizens to become educated on constitutional issues. She\nproffered that conservatives benefit when Americans learn more about the\nconstitutional structure and that Congress is a branch of limited, enumerated\npowers under Article I.\nWhile on the same side of the case as Severino, Carvin said\nthat he is “not of [the] silver lining view.” He called the outcome a “fundamentally\nfrustrating episode” and repeatedly called the Chief Justice’s reasoning\n“sophistry on stilts.”\nHowever, he did say that the politics may benefit\nRepublicans, and that he hoped this November’s election leads to the decision\nthat many contend Chief Justice Roberts avoided making – striking the\nindividual mandate.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5411984324455261}
{"content": "Affirmative action measures, particularly the use of quotas, are contentious because they are assumed to contravene the merit principle. This piece challenges the assumption with reference to a proposal by Victoria Police that 50% of all new recruits should be women. It argues that the normativity of the white male police officer has shaped the construction of the 'best person'. The article includes an overview of affirmative action law in Australia.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9956465363502502}
{"content": "Students with loans prefer to be contacted by either email or text when it comes to discussing their loans.\nThat's the findings of a study by First Associates Loan Servicing, which suggests that two-thirds of individuals prefer communication either through text or email when it comes to loan firms.\nFurthermore, out of the 250 respondents to the study, more than 90 per cent stated that was either 'important' or 'very important' that loan lenders contact them through the consumers' preferred avenue of communication, reports marketwatch.com.\nAs a result, this could influence the marketing decisions of a loan servicing company; perhaps convincing them to add email marketing to any multi-channel campaigns.\nDavid Johnson, the CEO of First Associates Loan Servicing, commented on the figures: \"There's a big disconnect with many companies that operate in this market and borrowers, so it's no wonder that a lot of firms are struggling with high delinquency and default rates within the portfolios they service.\n\"Loan servicers must do a better job to recognise the numerous and changing consumer preferences and incorporate them into operations that drive enhanced performance for lenders and superior customer experiences for borrowers,\" he added.\nJohnson's comments coincide with an article written by technology-led sales specialist Dick Jones, writing for northfulton.com, who stated that by ignoring digital correspondence techniques, small to medium-sized business would be losing out to their competitors.\n\"Today, 94 per cent of internet users between the ages of 18-64 send or read email,\" he stated, highlighting the prevalence of email in the digital world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5644611120223999}
{"content": "As you, your child, and your entire family struggle with what the chromosome 22 deletion diagnosis means for you, you'll not only want to learn everything you can about the disorder — you'll probably also want to reach out to others who have faced the same problems, ask lots of questions and explore all the available information.\nFortunately, you're not alone. Many other parents and families have faced this diagnosis, and they're happy to share what they've learned. So we've gathered a list of many of the available resources (both on- and offline) here.\nWe hope you find these resources helpful. If you know of helpful information that hasn't been included here, please feel free to contact us.\nYou can also find a list of medical journal articles on the chromosome 22q11.2 deletion on our Resources for Healthcare Professionals page.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9879798293113708}
{"content": "By Ed Bolen, President and CEO, National Business Aviation Association Recent actions on both sides of the Atlantic have given hope to North American business aircraft operators for a reprieve from a deeply flawed policy known as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, or EU-ETS.\nFirst unveiled in 2005, EU-ETS requires aircraft operators flying within EU airspace to participate in a carbon credit trading program. The amount of credits required is determined not by the distance flown within EU airspace, however, but rather by the total distance flown – even if the flight originated outside the 27 member states of the European Union.\nThe estimated cost to U.S. operators to comply with EU-ETS is more than $3.1 billion over the next 10 years, with a significant portion of that figure incurred by non-commercial operations not eligible for certain incentives available to airlines.\nFor example, a scheduled airline conducting twice-daily flights from South America to Europe is considered a “small emitter” under EU-ETS, and not subject to the carbon credit requirement – but a U.S.-based business jet flying to Europe just once a year would have to pay the fees. EU-ETS also creates a costly administrative burden to operators, and the requirement that operators share sensitive personal data raises serious privacy and confidentiality concerns.\nFaced with a resounding outcry from operators across the globe against those policies, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard announced on November 13 her intent to temporarily “stop the clock” on EU-ETS implementation for some foreign operations until April 2014.\nThat date comes after the upcoming fall 2013 General Assembly meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which now appears likely to issue some determination on global aviation emissions standards.\nDuring the proposed reprieve, non-European based operators conducting flights originating outside Europe would not be subjected to EU-ETS requirements, though European operators and intra-EU flights conducted by foreign operators would still be required to comply with the policy. At this writing, the European Commission has not yet ruled on Ms. Hedegaard’s proposal.\nAs European regulators appeared to recognize and take steps to address the backlash against the EU-ETS, lawmakers in the United States also took unprecedented action against the policy.\nOne day after Hedegaard’s announcement, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan measure (S.1956) prohibiting U.S.-based aircraft operators from participating in EU-ETS. The bill, first sponsored in the Senate by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), is the second EU-ETS prohibition measure passed by the House. It now awaits President Obama’s signature.\nI was delighted to see the bipartisan, bicameral support the bill received in Congress. Having the President’s signature on the bill will further send a strong message that America has spoken with a truly united voice on a topic that greatly impacts issues of trade and U.S. sovereignty.\nOur industry remains determined to minimize its impact on the environment, and is committed to working with international regulators on effective methods to reduce the carbon footprint for aviation. However, it is also important to recognize that the global aviation industry should not be subjugated by policies determined by a single country or entity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8289485573768616}
{"content": "The largest healthcare administration school in University Center, by student population, is Delta College. In 2010, Delta College graduated approximately 49 students from its healthcare administration program.\nA reported 49 students graduated with credentials in healthcare administration in University Center in 2010. In 2009 tuition at healthcare administration schools in University Center was $2,667 per year, on average.\nIn addition to tuition costs, plan on spending an average of $1,500 for healthcare administration related books and supplies each year.\nMany healthcare administration graduates choose to work as healthcare administrators after graduation. If you choose to follow that path and remain in University Center, your job prospects are good. The government projects that the number of healthcare administrators in University Center will increase by 13% by the year 2018. This projected change is slower than the projected nationwide trend for healthcare administrators.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9513617753982544}
{"content": "There are many instances when a parent seeks to relocate with a child out of New York State, claiming economic necessity as the basis for such a move. Parents seeking to relocate out-of-state have various reasons for doing so, from an out-of-state job offer to a more affordable lifestyle.\nIn determining whether to grant a parent's request for relocation, a court will look to whether a parent will foster a relationship between the child and the other parent. Convincing a court that a parent is genuinely concerned about the child's relationship with the other parent is crucial in any successful application for relocation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9790860414505005}
{"content": "Following the November elections, Congress is expected to embark\non a major tax and spending debate that may have significant fiscal\npolicy implications for years to come. In addition to expiring\nBush-era marginal tax rates for individuals, expiring business tax\nincentives, steep budget cuts and a scheduled increase in the\nfederal debt limit, Congress must act to avoid a major increase in\nthe estate tax.\nIf current estate tax rates are allowed to expire after 2012,\nsmall and mid-sized family-owned businesses seeking to transfer\nbetween generations could be subject to a potentially crippling tax\nhike.\nIn a broad tax bill passed in late 2010, Congress set the estate\ntax rate at 35 percent with a $5 million exemption per individual.\nAfter 2012, these levels will revert to pre-Bush-era levels (55\npercent with a $1 million individual exemption) unless Congress\npasses legislation by the end of the year to extend the...\nLog in or register for FREE access to this article and other Professional Roofing online content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9638183116912842}
{"content": "Growing up in a family of nine children, Glen learned early about the importance of sharing, acting responsibly and living within a budget. As a retirement plan consultant, Glen draws on his background to guide him as he responds to his clients’ needs. A successfully managed pension plan can help individuals achieve a secure retirement — and Glen and his team do their best to make that scenario a reality for their clients.\nGlen has more than 25 years of pension plan actuarial experience. He works with employers within several industries, including healthcare, insurance, financial, not-for-profit and governmental. He is highly knowledgeable in the areas of performing and communicating actuarial valuations for funding and accounting purposes, retirement plan designs and implications of new and proposed legislative changes. He performs complex transactions, including plan mergers, acquisitions, plan designs, regulatory compliance and their funding and accounting impact. He believes this responsibility has given him the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally, as he faces the challenge of providing viable solutions in a changing marketplace.\nHe advises clients regarding their unique situations and solves challenging issues for both large and small employers. Glen and his team offer actuarial and consulting services for employer pension plans and defined contribution plans. Every interaction is planned with one goal in mind — to serve the clients to the best of their ability.\nGlen has authored numerous articles for SilverLink magazine. He is a member of community and professional associations including the Society of Actuaries, American Academy of Actuaries and Dundee Presbyterian Church. He volunteers his time serving as a youth coach, at Open Door Mission and the Nebraska Children’s Home. Glen is a devoted family man who appreciates the security and loyalty one finds within the family unit. He and his wife provide transitional foster care to newborns as they proceed through the adoption process.\nContact Information e-mail: ggahan@ssgi.com | phone: 402.964.5490 | fax: 402.963.4089Professional Certifications Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) Enrolled Actuary (EA) Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) Education Bachelor of Science | MathematicsUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5703071355819702}
{"content": "The Hartford’s Catastrophe Information Center Resources to Help You Be Better Prepared Need Help with a Claim? Our Claims Team is Equipped to Help Here’s how The Hartford claims team responds when disaster strikes:\n1. Claim response teams set up just beyond impact areas in advance of major weather events to ensure they can assist customers as quickly as possible.\nThe Hartford employs dedicated catastrophe claim handlers, who focus solely on major events, and “large loss” adjusters, who focus on the most significant and complex losses including catastrophe claims.\n2. Leaders in our centralized Catastrophe Claims Operation deploy staff, direct activity and coordinate communication to ensure a swift and effective response.\nThe Hartford’s Catastrophe Claims Operation is strategically located in the Chicago area, away from the most common severe weather targets, to ensure continuous operation. It houses catastrophe claim leadership, desk-based adjusters, and administrative staff to manage and support our onsite operations.3. Mobile technology allows our claim teams to issue payments on site.\nThe right technology in the hands of our claim teams helps ensure they stay organized, remain in communication with leadership and, regardless of physical obstacles, can find customers—and help them as quickly as possible.More Advice These well-known organizations provide detailed online information on storm-related preparations.\nGo Mobile With The Hartford's mobile app, assistance is just a touch away.\nSteps to Follow After a disaster strikes, getting your life back together seems like a daunting task. Here are six steps to follow.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.926050066947937}
{"content": "Abstract: While many university administrators, faculty and other stakeholders are happy to support service learning in theory and in press releases, demonstrating the actual effectiveness of service-learning in times of ongoing budget crisis remains a challenge. This session will explore a developmental model for reflection, discuss reflective techniques using spaces of dislocation to engage with complexity and diversity, and review qualitative methods for demonstrate service-learning's effectiveness. We argue that one path for the future of service-learning can be charted through engaging in innovative and academically rigorous forms of reflection.\nPresenters:\nJake Peters\nSusan Harris\nPowerpoint Presentation (pdf)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999588131904602}
{"content": "This study utilized the College of American Pathologists' (CAP) database to outline a series of performance measures targeted at improving patient safety. Investigators examined summarized data from ongoing studies of the CAP database and evaluated the error rates and prevention strategies implemented to develop recommendations. The author discusses eight performance measures, including customer satisfaction, test turnaround times, patient identification, and critical value reporting, while generating benchmarks and practical guidance for integrating the measures into every laboratory. Conclusions call for wide application of such performance improvement activities, both to establish best practices and to ensure standards for patient safety in the laboratory setting.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9691218137741089}
{"content": "On September 3, 2004, the faculty held an orientation meeting with the incoming class of students. At this meeting, they outlined the memo from August 23, 2004, which explained that the program had adopted the positions of the APA on “same-sex marriage” and same sex parenting. (See Parts, I, II, III, IV, and V of this series ).\nThe faculty also indicated that they would not write letters of recommendation for any student who did not approve of “same-sex marriage” or same-sex parenting. The faculty further indicated that anyone who was found to be “discriminatory” toward “LGBT” individuals had no place in the program. According to them, “healers” could not take positions contrary to the political allies of the homosexual movement.\nOn September 7, 2004, Mr. Ford had a follow up meeting with ProfessorWetchler. During that meeting, Wetchler inquired as to whether Mr. Ford had changed his views on “same-sex marriage” and again insisted that Mr. Ford apologize for writing the letter to the editor. Mr. Ford stated that his views on the subject had not changed and that he would not apologize for exercising his First Amendment freedoms.\nIn the fall of 2004, Professor Hecker’s ethics class focused on reparative therapy, which is therapy for those who wish to overcome attraction to members of the same sex. At the end of class on September 29, 2004, she handed out worksheets that described an ethical dilemma. This dilemma involved a male, church-going therapist who recommended that a client and his family consider reparative therapy and directed them to the National Association of Research andTherapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). This counseling involved reparative therapy, which Hecker characterized as completely unethical.\nAt the beginning of class on October 6, 2004, Professor Hecker passed out new worksheets, stating that the old ones were incorrect. The new worksheets involved a female church-going therapist who was counseling a client whose parents believed that homosexuality was a sin. But the rest of the details remained unchanged.\nDuring the ethics class, Professor Hecker spent six class hours discussing an article she had co-authored with Ms. Duffy-Greslo, which consistently portrayed nonreligious individuals as tolerant, healthy, mature, and well-developed. In contrast, it portrayed religiously orthodox people as stunted, immature, and less developed.\nDuring October of 2004, Professor Hecker began evaluating Mr. Ford’s work with scrutiny she did not apply to others. For the first time, she began requiring", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9466315507888794}
{"content": "Legalizing Gender Inequality Paperback ISBN:9780521627504 Publication date:August 1999 412pages 10 b/w illus. 35 tables Dimensions: 228 x 152 mm Weight: 0.55kg Legalizing Gender Inequality challenges existing theories of gender inequality within economic, sociological, and legal organizations. The book argues that male-female earnings differentials cannot be explained adequately by market forces, principles of efficiency, or society-wide sexism. Rather it suggests that employing organizations tend to disadvantage holders of predominantly female jobs by denying them power in organizational politics and by reproducing male cultural advantages. These findings contradict major legal precedents which have argued that labor markets and not employers are the source of inequality. The authors further argue that comparable worth is an inappropriate remedy, as such an approach misdiagnoses the causes of gender inequality and often falls prey to the same organizational processes that initially generated this differential. The book argues that the courts have, by uncritically accepting the market explanation for male-female wage disparity, tended to legitimate and to legalize a crucial dimension of gender inequality in American society.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7964413166046143}
{"content": "Individual and Executive Coaching Senior CMPartners professionals can provide on-site and remote coaching to individuals who commit to concrete goals on specific projects or in terms of personal awareness and skills. Our coaching work often stems from prior training or consulting work we have done with clients, as they begin to apply the skills and tools they have learned.\nOur experience, which is supported by most studies in cognitive psychology, is that cataloguing one's current strengths, building on them, and committing to concrete goals and timelines yield the highest rerun in the shortest time. Beyond development, true change - meaning the identification and transformation of gaps and weaknesses in an individual's repertoire - is possible, with deep and sustained commitment.\nA coaching engagement with CMPartners would include:\nrigorous goal-setting to establish your negotiation-related aims; planning and executing a discrete coaching plan that includes diagnostics, advice, and skills practice; creating an implementation plan and review process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9524093270301819}
{"content": "Abstract:  This paper summarizes the results of a focus group on\nsaving and financial planning. The group consisted of eight\nindividuals with relatively high income and wealth. The\nsavings behavior of such people is of interest partly due to\ntheir large contribution to total personal saving. The\nparticipants expressed concerns about how their circumstances\nwill change as they age, and about uncertainties in income and\nhealth. While these concerns are consistent with theories\nemphasizing life-cycle and precautionary motives, the idea\nthat saving involves self-control was also mentioned repeatedly.\nKeywords: Financial planning, saving\nFull paper (40 KB PDF)\n| Full paper (81 KB Postscript)\nHome | Economic research and data | FR working papers | FEDS | 1996 FEDS papers\nAccessibility\nTo comment on this site, please fill out our feedback form.\nLast update: July 16, 1997", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5012416839599609}
{"content": "25 Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease Trouble planning or problem-solving As dementia progresses, your loved ones may have trouble concentrating and find that fairly basic activities take them longer to do than before. In particular, they may struggle to develop and follow a plan, like creating and using a grocery list, following a recipe, or keeping track of monthly bills. This difficultly is far more pronounced than making the occasional error when balancing a checkbook or forgetting an item on your grocery list.\nNext: Misplacing things", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6140800714492798}
{"content": "This splendid collection of 22 essays could just as well be titled \"How Capitalism Saved Millions from Starvation.\" It answers one of the most crucial, enduring allegations about free market capitalism-that it made people poorer and exploited children, necessitating extensive government regulation. A standout is the essay by Ludwig von Mises, which reads in part: \"The factories freed the authorities and the ruling landed aristocracy from an embarrassing problem that had grown too large for them. They provided sustenance for the masses of paupers. They emptied the poorhouses, the workhouses, and the prisons. They converted starving beggars into self-supporting breadwinners.\" Other essays tell how capitalism enabled millions to lift themselves up from wretchedness; chronicle government exploitation of people with taxes, trade restrictions and paper money; review the appalling legacy of Karl Marx; show how trade restrictions have destroyed jobs; and explain how capitalism liberated women. 178 pages.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7712330222129822}
{"content": "Neurophysiological experiments with monkeys have demonstrated that working memory (WM) is associated with persistent neural activity in multiple brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the parietal cortex, and posterior unimodal association areas. WM maintenance is believed to require the coordination of these brain regions, which do not function in isolation but, rather, interact to maintain visual percepts that are no longer present in the environment. However, single-unit physiology studies and traditional univariate analyses of functional brain imaging data cannot evaluate interactions between distant brain regions, and so evidence of regional integration during WM maintenance is largely indirect. In this study, we utilized a recently developed multivariate analysis method that allows us to explore functional connectivity between brain regions during the distinct stages of a delayed face recognition task. To characterize the neural network mediating the on-line maintenance of faces, the fusiform face area (FFA) was defined as a seed and was then used to generate whole-brain correlation maps. A random effects analysis of the correlation data revealed a network of brain regions exhibiting significant correlations with the FFA seed during the WM delay period. This maintenance network included the dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC, the premotor cortex, the intraparietal sulcus, the caudate nucleus, the thalamus, the hippocampus, and occipitotemporal regions. These findings support the notion that the coordinated functional interaction between nodes of a widely distributed network underlies the active maintenance of a perceptual representation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988609552383423}
{"content": "The government’s loudly trumpeted ‘‘War on Terror’’ is not the solution to the problem. It has become the problem. The War on Terror does not reduce public anxieties by thwarting terrorists poised to strike. Rather, in myriad ways, conducting the anti-terror effort as a “war” fuels those anxieties. By stoking these public fears and attracting vast political and economic resources in response to them, the War on Terror encourages, indeed virtually compels, every interest group in the country to advance its own agenda as crucial for winning the war. As a result, widening circles of Americans are drawn into spirals of exaggeration, waste, and fear.\n©2006 The Pennsylvania Gazette", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9464548230171204}
{"content": "Date of this Version 2010\nAbstract Background\nHypothermia is a common battlefield trauma occurrence. This study compared the effectiveness of the hypothermia, environmental, exposure, and trauma (HEET) garment (Trident Industries, Beaufort, SC) with and without thermal inserts with a control group of two wool blankets in the prevention of hypothermia in a treated hypovolemic porcine model.\nMaterials and methods\nFive female swine (Sus scrofa-Yorkshire cross) were assigned to each of three groups: HEET with thermal inserts (n=5); HEET without thermal inserts (n=5); or control (n=5). After the animals were anesthetized and stabilized for 30min, the swine were hemorrhaged to a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 30mm Hg, simulating a battlefield injury. Hetastarch 6% (500mL) was rapidly administered, simulating initial field resuscitation. One hour later, the animals’ shed blood was reinfused, simulating transfusion at a field medical facility. The investigators moved the animal into a cooler set at 10 °C±0.5 °C. A pulmonary artery catheter was used to monitor core body temperature over a 6-h period.\nResults\nA repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test were used to analyze the data. There was a significant difference between the groups. At the end of 6h, the mean core temperature for the HEET with inserts group was 32.69 °C±1.5; the HEET without inserts, 31.02 °C±1.8; and control, 34.78 °C±1.2 (P<0.05). While all groups became hypothermic, thewool blanket group was most effective in maintaining body temperature closer to normothermia. Conclusion. The HEET garments with and without heaters are ineffective in preventing hypothermia.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8418387174606323}
{"content": "Some studies suggest that attention can be captured by irrelevant, salient objects when they appear rarely. We addressed this issue using the N2pc effect, a lateralized, negative voltage spike in the brain potentials in parietal cortex, thought to reflect attentional allocation. A cue display was followed by a target display where participants identified the letter in a specific color. Experiment 1 examined rare, irrelevant color singleton cues (10% of the trials for one color, 10% for the other color, and 80% with no singleton). Despite being rare and salient, these singleton cues produced very little N2pc effect and cue validity effect, indicating little or no attentional capture. Experiment 2 pitted a rare, irrelevant, abrupt onset (appearing on only 20% of the trials) against a target-relevant color cue (appearing on 100% of the trials). Overall, this \"relevant\" color cue produced N2pc effect and cue validity effects. Most importantly, these effects persisted even when the relevant color cue had to compete with a salient, simultaneous abrupt onset. We argue that salient, irrelevant objects do not necessarily capture attention even when they occur rarely.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.99612957239151}
{"content": "Researchers at King?s College London, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital have identified for the first time a key factor responsible for declining muscle repair during ageing, and discovered how to halt the process in mice with a common drug.\nAlthough an early study, the finding provides clues as to how muscles lose mass with age, which can result in weakness that affects mobility and may cause falls.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9029820561408997}
{"content": "Legal Questions for the Psychology of Home Abstract Intuitions often play a significant role in shaping debate about legal issues. This is particularly the case when homes and homeownership are involved, because the experience of everyday life gives lawyers and legal scholars a foundation for intuitive judgment. Intuitions, however, can be unreliable and misleading. They therefore provide a shaky basis for legal decisionmaking. This brief essay, published as part of a special issue on Property and Psychology, begins by suggesting that the legal academy should follow the lead of the Experimental Philosophy movement and actively solicit empirical research on human behavior relevant to legal issues. It then describes a series of legal issues relating to the home that could benefit from this type of research, and concludes by suggesting that researchers interested in the psychology of home seek collaborators within the legal academy to develop legally-informed empirical studies.\nSuggested Citation Benjamin Barros. \"Legal Questions for the Psychology of Home\" Tulane Law Review 83 (2009): 645. Available at: http://works.bepress.com/benjamin_barros/4", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9160969853401184}
{"content": "Volume 2, Issue 9 (October 2005)\nTests were conducted with a widely used herbicide (glyphosate) that is available in a range of formulations and a selection of commonly used nozzle types [XR TeeJet, extended range flat spray tip (XR), Turbo TeeJet, wide angle flat spray tip (TT), AI TeeJet, Air Induction spray tip (AI)] and determined the rebound characteristics of each combination using a difficult-to-wet foliar crop target (cabbage), an easy-to-wet hairy weed (velvetleaf), and a difficult-to-wet weed (lambsquarters). The rebound was determined under standard spraying conditions in a track room using a “bounce chamber” constructed at The Laboratory for Pest Control Application Technology (LPCAT). The amount of spray liquid retained and reflected from the leaf surfaces was determined by weight. The data showed that there were no significant differences between the nozzles, but that formulation differences did occur and were a reflection of surfactant level in the spray mixture. There was a significant formulation X leaf interaction and leaf X nozzle interaction, but not a formulation X nozzle interaction.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9854931831359863}
{"content": "Lessons in breaking the curse of the good girl-from the bestselling author of \"Odd Girl Out\" Rachel Simmons argues that in idealizing the \"good girl\"-unerringly nice, polite, modest, and selfless-we teach girls to embrace a version of selfhood that curtails their power and potential. Drawing on the exercises Simmons herself uses in her work with girls, parents, and educators, \"The Curse of the Good Girl\" provides a catalog of practical strategies to foster girls' assertiveness, resilience, and integrity. At the core of Simmons's radical argument is her belief that the most critical freedom we can win for our daughters is the liberty not only to listen to their inner voice but also to act on it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9384857416152954}
{"content": "Evaluating Transitions of Care of Hospitalized Medical Patients to Long-Term Care Facilities: A Retrospective Review of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Abstract Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant but preventable cause of hospital-related morbidity and mortality. Prevention of in-hospital VTE, thus, has become a major quality improvement initiative within hospitals. However, addressing VTE prophylaxis rates and appropriateness on transition to other facilities has not been fully characterized to date. The authors of this study retrospectively evaluated VTE prophylaxis on transfer from medical inpatient settings to long-term care facilities. Analysis indicated that on transfer to other facilities, VTE prophylaxis recommendations were not routinely documented. Interfacility communication is crucial to ensure that appropriate prophylaxis recommendations are addressed during transitions of care. New processes evaluating VTE prophylaxis recommendations at the time of care transfer warrant further study.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.999910295009613}
{"content": "Human papillomavirus (HPV) types differ profoundly in cervical carcinogenicity. For the most carcinogenic type HPV16, variant lineages representing further evolutionary divergence also differ in cancer risk. Variants of the remaining 10 to 15 carcinogenic HPV types have not been well studied. In the first prospective, population-based study of HPV variants, AECC investigator Burk and collaborators explored whether, on average, the oldest evolutionary branches within each carcinogenic type predicted different risks of >2-year viral persistence and/or precancer and cancer [cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3+ (CIN3+)]. They examined the natural history of HPV variants in the 7-year, 10,049-woman Guanacaste Cohort Study, using a nested case-control design. Infections were assigned to a variant lineage determined by phylogenetic parsimony methods based on URR/E6 sequences. Globally, for HPV types including HPV16, the P value was 0.01 for persistence and 0.07 for CIN3+. Excluding HPV16, the P values were 0.04 and 0.37, respectively. For HPV16, non-European viral variants were significantly more likely than European variants to cause persistence [odds ratio (OR), 2.6; P = 0.01] and CIN3+ (OR, 2.4; P = 0.004). HPV35 and HPV51 variant lineages also predicted CIN3+. HPV variants generally differ in risk of persistence. For some HPV types, especially HPV16, variant lineages differ in risk of CIN3+. The findings indicate that continued evolution of HPV types has led to even finer genetic discrimination linked to HPV natural history and cervical cancer risk. The authors concluded that larger viral genomic studies are warranted, especially to identify the genetic basis for HPV16's unique carcinogenicity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7928605675697327}
{"content": "For more information: Phone: 205.949.2043\nEmail: ddonner@foundersib.com\nOur firm believes that every client is unique and important; therefore, our philosophy is to provide each client with an integrated and customized solution tailored to meet their specific needs and objectives. For engagements involving our corporate advisory services, including buy-side, sell-side, corporate finance and corporate development services, Founders typically works with clients that meet the some or all of the following criteria:\nWe do make exceptions to these typical criteria on a case-by-case basis, and are especially focused on servicing smaller companies in our technology and healthcare practices. Specifically for these two industries, our typical criteria are extended to include companies that have:\nFurthermore, Founders understands the opportunities and challenges facing family-owned companies as they address the operating requirements of their business and the evolving and sometimes divergent interests of their family shareholders. We realize that human dynamics are often paramount in aligning family objectives with those of the business, whether the issue at hand is selecting an internal or external successor to manage the family business or providing liquidity to a family member not directly involved in the business.\nAs such, we recognize that family businesses have many constituencies. They include family members actively involved in managing the business, family members who rely on their ownership position in the business as a significant source of current income or personal wealth, non-family managers and employees, customers, suppliers and the local community where the business is located. Our goal is to help families achieve unanimity among all of these constituencies as they embark on strategic initiatives to grow, recapitalize or sell their business.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8851658701896667}
{"content": "In March 2010, a proposal was placed before the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species which would have banned international trade in bluefin tuna. It failed. So once again, the tuna fishing season has begun in the Mediterranean, even though bluefin tuna face extinction.\nHowever, the Spanish government has the opportunity to take the initiative and set an example by creating a marine reserve for bluefin tuna in the Balearic Islands. The waters south of these islands are one of the bluefin's key breeding grounds, making it the ideal location for a reserve to help protect this iconic species. The Balearic government, supported by Balearic stakeholders and citizenship, is pressing for the creation of a bluefin tuna sanctuary in the Balearic Islands. The decision now rests in the hands of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9993746876716614}
{"content": "I Envy You I had always been jealous of Lynn. Despite a close friendship, Lynn and I had always been in unspoken competition with each other in high school—at least, I always felt that way. I longed to be like her. She was pretty, intelligent, talented, and fun to be around. I, on the other hand, lacked confidence in my appearance and felt socially inept.\nOne night on my mission I knelt at my bedside, desperately asking the Lord in the first of many prayers to help me overcome this sickness. Over time, the Lord answered my prayers. I learned to value my own worth. I learned that God does not love me for my intelligence or the number of my friends or the wealth of my possessions. He loves me for myself alone.\nAfter I had been home from my mission for nearly a year, I met Lynn for lunch. I told her how I had always envied her. She listened quietly and then looked at me in astonishment. “I was always jealous of you!” she said. I realized then how pointless my unspoken envy had been. I asked her if she could forgive me.\n“Of course,” she said. “As long as you can forgive me, too.”\nWe laughed then and cried a little. I felt an old bitterness melt away to be replaced by peace and an intense gratitude for Lynn’s friendship.\nI do not mean to make overcoming envy sound easy. It isn’t—at least not for me. It has taken me a long time to admit my weakness to myself and to understand the nature of my spiritual illness. I am particularly grateful for Jesus Christ, the true Healer, and for His Atonement, which allows us to overcome our weaknesses and transform them into strengths.\nFacing Challenges The hymn “Come, Come, Ye Saints” (Hymns, no. 30) has a special place in my heart. When the song was first written, it was meant to comfort the pioneer Saints and encourage them to strive to accomplish their seemingly far-fetched goals. Those pioneers were facing new, extremely difficult challenges every day. Yet they had to keep their spirits high and strong.\nToday as I sing “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” I feel an overwhelming desire to put my best foot forward and keep pushing until I reach my goals. “And should we die before our journey’s through, Happy day! All is well!” No matter how hard or impossible life may seem, my journey is preparing me for a future of joy. I can only do my best and do it with a smile, trusting the Lord to help me make it all the way back home.\nFeeling Sure My good friend introduced me to the Latter-day Saint missionaries. At the time I met them it was hard to understand English, but my friend helped me to understand them and the teachings they brought. When the missionaries invited me to be baptized, I found it hard to leave my old culture and teachings. They shared their testimonies and said I needed to ask the Lord for a testimony, too.\nOne night I prayed after reading the Book of Mormon, and I received the confirmation by the Spirit that what I had been taught was true. I was baptized in June of 1998. I felt a strong spirit that day.\nTwo years later I was called to serve the Lord in the Singapore Mission. I was called to bear my testimony to others. I am eternally grateful for that opportunity.\nToday my testimony grows stronger as I read the Book of Mormon. I love this Church and the teachings that come from the prophet of the Lord. I am grateful to those who taught me and changed my life by bearing their faith-promoting testimonies.\nFreed of Pain My family and I had been on a cruise, and I had become really sick. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much medicine with us and were not near any local doctors to get the help I needed for my infection and the pain I felt.\nOne night I felt tremendously sick. The little medicine we had was not working. I could not sleep, and my moans and groans were waking my brothers and sisters. After all that my parents and I could do, my father asked, “Do you want a blessing?”\nI had never had a priesthood blessing because of an illness before. I didn’t know what to say. I thought it would help, but I was still not sure. “Please, Heavenly Father,” I prayed, “please let the blessing work.”\n“Sure, I would love one,” I weakly said to my dad.\nDuring the blessing I had a wonderful feeling inside, despite all my pain. Very slowly I felt the pain go away, and suddenly I felt very tired. I could tell that my infection had not gone away, but the pain left. After the blessing I was filled so much with the Spirit I was unable to speak.\nI now know that priesthood blessings are given to help us through life’s troubles. I know what to do now when I am asked the question “Do you want a blessing?”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9346263408660889}
{"content": "Published in Women's Health Weekly, August 30th, 1999\nDXA, a method of body composition analysis, divides the body into fat, lean, and bone components with minimal radiation. Additionally, the technique is quick (5-6 minutes/scan), and it can quantify bone mineral density and bone mineral content.\nWhile these characteristics make DXA a convenient tool, its accuracy in older patients is not clear. To clarify this grey area, Ross D. Hansen, of the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues compared the accuracy of DXA to that of a nuclear method...\nWant to see the full article?\nWelcome to NewsRx!\nLearn more about a six-week, no-risk free trial of Women's Health Weekly\nNewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6172130107879639}
{"content": "Comprehensive Program Development (CPD) is appropriate for organizations/programs/schools prior to operation, in the initial stages of operation, or involved in comprehensive re-organization and development of program operations. CPD examines the philosophy, mission, and goals/objectives of the organization and assists in ensuring that these reflect the intended outcomes of the organization. CPD offers programs structure and format for developing operating principles and guidelines and instructs program leaders in training staff for implementation of guidelines. CPD also supports programs in gaining clarity regarding their intended outcomes and identifying the components, operating procedures, guidelines, and structure necessary for realizing desired results.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9762345552444458}
{"content": "Specialty pharmaceuticals refer to pharmaceuticals used to treat diseases diagnosed by a specialist, often connected to a hospital, and where the patient’s treatment is controlled by the specialists. Patients can be treated either in open care or in hospitals.\nOrphan drugs\nOrphan drugs are part of the market for specialty pharmaceuticals and refer to drugs used for diagnosis, prevention or treatment of rare diseases that are chronic, debilitating and often life-threatening.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9315414428710938}
{"content": "Source Naturals Diet Tonalin® - CLA Description\nMay Help Reduce Body Fat\nTonalin® Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a fatty acid derived from safflower oil. TONALIN's potential benefits are cited in U.S. Patent 5,554,646, which states that CLA plays a role in reducing body fat and increasing body protein (muscle) in animals. Clinical trials are currently being conducted to confirm its effects in humans.\nFree Of\nYeast, dairy, egg, gluten, corn, wheat, sugar, starch, salt, preservatives, artificial color, flavor, and fragrance.\nDisclaimer\nThese statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989164471626282}
{"content": "Episode 15 - James and Madeline talk with WeoGeo’s CEO and co-founder, Paul Bissett, who describes where it all began, and explains the differences between data marketplaces and data-as-a-feature offerings in the spatial data industry. Marketplaces connect buyers and sellers of data reducing the importance of a customer’s software package to the process. In contrast, data-as-a-feature offerings bring high-quality data directly into a software package, allowing software vendors to use their purchasing power to bring free or low-priced data to their customers and creating lock-in potential for the software vendor. He argues that data-as-a-feature arrangements serve the software vendors well, but that in the long run commercial data providers might do better to take their products directly to individual consumers.\nThe IRC Log is here:\nThanks for watching!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9724730253219604}
{"content": "A fragment from the skull of a prehistoric child provides the oldest-known evidence of anaemia caused by malnutrition – suggesting that hominids were regularly eating meat much earlier than previously thought, archaeologists say. While it is known that early human ancestors did eat meat, it was not previously certain whether this was something consumed frequently, or only a sporadic part of their diet.\nNow new research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE suggests that meat-eating was common enough 1.5million years ago that not consuming it could lead to anaemia.\nThe skull fragment, thought to belong to a child aged younger than two, was found during ongoing excavations at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, led by Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo from Complutense University, Madrid.\nClose examination of the piece of bone revealed lesions that commonly result from a lack of B-vitamins in the diet – the first time that such lesions have been observed in a hominid fossil from the early Pleistocene record. Nutritional deficiencies such as anaemia are most common in children during weaning, when an infant’s diet changes significantly.\nIt is thought that the Olduvai Gorge child may have died when he or she was first starting to eat solid foods but had little access to meat, or if they were still breastfeeding, that their mother might have suffered from malnutrition due to lack of meat, which would have affected the B-vitamin content of her milk.\nEither case would imply that ‘early humans were hunters, and had a physiology adapted to regular meat consumption at least 1.5million years ago,’ say the authors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7599573135375977}
{"content": "Some people use extreme diets like fasting and juice cleanses. But these aren’t necessary for most people and may be dangerous without medical supervision. Here are five foods that support the body while cleansing.\nTag: sparkling tea I’m a wino. I’m a wino, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I don’t consider my evening meal complete unless I have something red, white, or pink thumped in my glass. For me, leaving off the wine is like leaving off the salt. Having firmly established myself to you as a overly particular diner [...]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.841915488243103}
{"content": "Course Repetition Policy permits a student to repeat certain activity courses for credit. Any activity course that may be repeated is so designated in the College Catalog. These courses require increasing levels of student performance or provide significantly different course content each subsequent semester. Students may also re-enroll in non-activity, variable credit courses to complete course segments not yet initiated (e.g., students who have earned 1.5 units in CBOT 417 may re-enroll in CBOT 417 for an additional 1.5 units for a total of 3 units of completion.)\nEnrollment Limitations for Courses not designated as repeatable: A student may attempt a course designated as non-repeatable a maximum of three times. A \"course attempt\" occurs when a student receives an evaluative or non-evaluative symbol for the course. All symbols (A,B,C,D,F,W,P,NP,C,NC,I) are identified as a \"course attempt.\" Beginning with summer 2012, enrollment limitations (maximum of three attempts) apply to student enrollment. Furthermore, all prior course attempts in a student's academic record count toward the limit. As a result of limitations on course attempts, students' decisions to repeat or withdraw from courses may have serious implications and affect their educational planning.\nOne additional enrollment (a fourth enrollment) may be considered for approval under the following circumstances.\nRecency: A student may enroll one additional time if he/she successfully completed the course and the following conditions have been met: a. A significant lapse of time of at least three years has occurred since the course was taken. b. The enrollment is for the purpose of establishing recency in the course content, but not for the purpose of improving an established grade. If the fourth enrollment is approved, the units and grade of the most recent attempt are not included as part of the student's grade point average or cumulative units. Extenuating circumstances: A student may only enroll for o9ne additional attempt if documentable extenuating circumstances exist. Examples of extenuating circumstances are fire, flood, accident, or other extraordinary documentable conditions beyond the student's control.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7813678979873657}
{"content": "Title Understanding and engaging with problematic substance use\nAbstract This chapter will introduce the reader to the complex issue of substance use. The term substance use rather than drug use includes all legal substances such as alcohol, tobacco, prescribed substances such as benzodiazepines and anti-depressants, solvents such as aerosols and glue, and the more commonly known illicit substances such as crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis. The knowledge and value base underpinning policy and practice in this area is not without with confusion, conflict and contradiction. These tensions will be highlighted throughout the chapter. In keeping with the focus of the book on addressing offending the primary focus of the chapter will be to examine substance use which is more commonly associated with legal consequences to the individual and or others. The chapter will explore the changing patterns of substance use over recent decades, types of substance use, the legal context, the nature of ‘addiction’, the links with crime, before finally exploring what can be done to help problem substance users.\nDisciplines Criminal Law | Criminology and Criminal Justice | Law Enforcement and Corrections | Social Work\nRecommended Citation Buchanan, J. (2008) Understanding and engaging with problematic substance use. Green, S., Lancaster, E., & Feasey, S. (Eds.), Addressing Offending Behaviour Context, practice and values (chapter 14). Devon: Willan.\nDigital Commons Citation Buchanan, Julian, \"Understanding and engaging with problematic substance use\" (2008). Social Inclusion Research Unit. Paper 11. http://epubs.glyndwr.ac.uk/siru/11", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9520206451416016}
{"content": "Background\nUnconjugated bilirubin (UCB) is an unstable substance with very low aqueous solubility. Its aqueous pKa values affect many of its interactions, particularly their pH-dependence. A companion paper shows that only our prior solvent partition studies, leading to pKa values of 8.12 and 8.44, met all essential requirements for valid pKa determinations. Other published values, generally lower, some below 5.0, were shown to be invalid. The present work was designed to derive suitable models for interpreting published data on the pH-dependent binding of UCB with four agents, mentioned below, chosen because they are not, themselves, sensitive to changes in the pH range 4-10, and the data, mainly spectrometric, were of reasonable quality.\nResults\nThese analyses indicated that the high pKa values, dianion dimerization constant and solubilities of UCB at various pH values, derived from our partition studies, along with literature-derived pH- and time-dependent supersaturation effects, were essential for constructing useful models that showed good qualitative, and sometimes quantitative, fits with the data. In contrast, published pKa values below 5.0 were highly incompatible with the data for all systems considered. The primary species of bound UCB in our models were: undissociated diacid for phosphatidylcholine, dianion for dodecyl maltoside micelles and cyclodextrins, and both monoanions and dianion for sodium taurocholate. The resulting binding versus pH profiles differed strikingly from each other.\nConclusions\nThe insights derived from these analyses should be helpful to explore and interpret UCB binding to more complex, pH-sensitive, physiological moieties, such as proteins or membranes, in order to understand its functions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6303431391716003}
{"content": "Programming by demonstration\n(PbD) is a technique for programming robots that holds much promise in making\nrobots more accessible to ordinary, non-technical users. However, a well-known\ndifficulty with the method is that a human will often demonstrate the task\nto be programmed inconsistently or even erroneously, leading to the inclusion\nof what is essentially noise in the demonstration. A number of techniques\nexist in the literature for filtering out this type of noise; however, most\nfocus on very low level control command details. In this paper, we propose\na new, complementary direction of research. We take a “task-level”\nview of the demonstration, and note that noise can exist at this level also.We\npropose a framework, based on a hybrid dynamic system modeling approach,\nto select the most optimal, task-level execution strategies that were demonstrated.\nWe apply our framework to a real household task of inserting the compressible\nspindle of a paper towel holder into its supports. We conduct experiments\nto show that significant improvements in robot performance of the task can\nbe achieved by a PbD regime that includes our method.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6527295708656311}
{"content": "L.J. Star has developed a bubble trap specifically designed for sanitary service. The trap is the first of its kind in that it is designed to be crevice-free and self-draining, efficiently removing unwanted gas or air bubbles in process fluids without areas where harmful bacteria can accumulate.\nAdditionally, these traps are ASME BPE compliant with full traceability on all wetted components, gaskets meet USP Class VI and are FDA compliant and fully traceable. The surface finish is 15Ra with electropolish, they utilize hygienic sealing O-rings and there are no threads exposed. Washdown is simple and efficient and both disassembly and reassembly are quickly and easily accomplished.\nThese bubble traps provide a user with assurance that the trap will function and remain sterilized with less need for frequent SIP/CIP cleaning and associated downtime. Most significantly, they reduce the risk of product contamination which can cost thousands of dollars and require time-consuming cleaning of the entire process.\nL.J. Star sanitary-service traps are available as standard in sizes ranging from four to ten inches and in custom designs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9142795205116272}
{"content": "There was only one precedential opinion this week and it involved a patent related to a computerized method for administering variable annuity plans. In Lincoln Natl v. Transamerica Life, the CAFC reversed the judgment of infringement. Although Transamerica’s benefit riders required making scheduled payments even if the account value was exhausted, which was an element of the patent claim, there was no evidence that the payment was made by a computerized method. On the contrary, the evidence indicated that a manual check was produced, and the claim at issue recited a computerized method.\nAfter finding that Transamerica did not infringe, the CAFC did not consider whether the denial of Transamerica’s request to amend the complaint to include invalidity, due to lack of patentable subject matter after the CAFC’s Bilski decision, was erroneous. By not considering that issue, the CAFC avoided considering the effect of its Bilski decision, in view of the expected (June 28, 2010) Supreme Court decision on Bilski.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6958764791488647}
{"content": "Preliminary version:\nThis report provides strategic guidance to address systemic shocks, and outlines several common challenges confronting efforts to manage them. It explains that global shocks can arise from an event that impacts the entire world more or less at once, such as the collision of the earth with a massive asteroid, or they may result from more subtle events that begin locally and spread to distant points around the world - including 'natural disaster'. The report indicates gaps in various governance capacities and suggests courses of corrective action, ranging from the diversification and/or redundancy of complex systems where economically feasible, to the cultivation of societal resilience when they are not.\nThe report begins the next phase of OECD reviews of risk management policies. It draws primarily from analysis contained in five case studies on different types of events that could lead to global shocks, and a background paper that provides an overview of concepts, ideas, and examples of extreme events.Contents :\nChapter 1. Definition and drivers of future global shocks\nChapter 2. Risk assessments for future global shocks\nChapter 3. Tools to prepare for future global shocks\nChapter 4. Emergency management of future global shocks\nChapter 5. Strategic approaches for managing future global shocksTag This Document", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9316326379776001}
{"content": "Irving, TX (PRWEB) June 21, 2012\nChina’s economy has experienced a strong annual GDP growth rate of 10% during the last five years. It is expected to continue its growth momentum and surpass the US in GDP by 2020. A high rate of savings, abundant and increasingly skilled labor, healthy export business, and potential urban growth is likely to drive the Chinese economy to sustained growth during 2012-2017.\nLucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, performed a Political, Economical, Sociological, Technological, Legal, and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis of China and presents its findings in “PESTLE Analysis of China 2012.”\nAs indicated in the study,foreign direct investment (FDI) has proven to be the driving force for China’s ongoing economic growth. The large and expanding market of China is attracting leading multinationals, encouraging local innovators, allowing domestic manufacturers to produce low-cost products, and permitting formation of industry clusters and business groups. Successive governments’ focus on reform processes and simplification of China’s tax law and FDI procedures makes China an ideal destination for investment and growth. The report also indicates that large-scale production diminishes production costs, leading to less-expensive exports. China’s strong presence as an export platform supports income and employment growth in the economy.\nThe Chinese economy is plagued by challenges from theEuropean economic crisis that could adversely affect its growth rate, regional disparity, and growing environmental concerns.Rapid economic development and accelerated domestic demand in China, however, offers significant opportunities for growth.\nLucintel’s study outlines China’s need to address several significant challenges and risks, such as its aging society, rising income inequality, large and growing environmental impact of its industrialization, and stubborn external imbalances for its transformation into a leader of the global economy.\nThe report also provides a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis and an examination of the past, present, and future economic policies of China.\nFor a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely, insightful report, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk(at)lucintel(dot)com. Lucintel provides cutting-edge decision support services that facilitate critical decisions with greater speed, insight, and cost efficiency.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9333950877189636}
{"content": "Books\nREMI and its models have been included in numerous publications. We have selected a few of those publications for reference, please select from the listing on the left for further information. If you are looking for something specific and do not find it here, please contact our offices.\nConsumption Equations for a Multiregional Forecasting and Policy Analysis Model The paper is part of a book which contains contributions from friends of Ben Stevens, remembering and celebrating his life and his work. Following his untimely death, a set of special sessions were organized for the program of the November 1998 meetings of the Regional Science Association International, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico.\nREAD MOREMonopolistic Competition Estimates of Interregional Trade Flows in Services This paper is part of a book where distinguished contributors discuss issues including the impact and implications of European expansion as well as developments in the Asia-Pacific region. They also examine the driving forces, backgrounds, obstacles and opportunities for regions to become powerful global players.\nREAD MOREOn the Comparative Accuracy of RPC Estimating Techniques This paper is part of a collection of articles by thirty-five prominent economists, regional scientists, and geographers from nine countries includes contributions from Lawrence R. Klein, Clopper Almon, Faye Duchin, Yasuhiko Torii, Peter Nijkamp, Jeffery Round, Edward Wolff, Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, and Benjamin Stevens. The book makes available for the first time recent research using Nobel Laureate Wassily Leontief's theory of input-output analysis. Topics discussed include input-output and econometric models; alternative accounting frameworks; extended models and multiplier decompositions; regional, interregional, and international issues; measurement error and data scarcity; and measurement and implications of technological change.\nREAD MORERegional Economic Modeling: A Systematic Approach to Economic Forecasting and Policy Analysis Regional economic models are the key to predicting the effects of transportation, economic development, energy, fiscal and environmental policies. Despite this, the principal regional economic policy analysis model used throughout the United States by government agencies, universities, and the private sector has not been presented in a book until now.\nREAD MOREThe Evaluation of Programs aimed at Local and Regional Development: Methodology and Twenty Years of Experience using REMI Policy Insight This paper describes the REMI Policy Insight model, the leading regional economic forecasting and policy analysis model. Over one hundred institutes, universities, government agencies and other organisations use custom-built REMI model specified to states, counties, cities, and other regions. These model users are located primarily in the US, but also include organisations using or planning to use models for regions in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.\nREAD MORE", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6405672430992126}
{"content": "Delayed Diagnosis for Ovarian Cancer Can Cost Lives continued... A pelvic exam must probe the rectum as well as the vagina, Sood emphasizes. \"You can miss 25% of ovarian masses if you don't do a rectal exam. Of course, not every woman with abdominal bloating will turn out to have ovarian cancer. Still, a pelvic exam, including a digital rectal exam, is such a simple thing to do. It should be part of every good physical exam.\"\nHowever, about a third of the surveyed women said when they first discussed their symptoms with the doctor, no pelvic exam was done. \"Physicians need to comprehend the potential significance of these symptoms,\" Sood says. \"If a woman finds her doctor doesn't perform a pelvic exam, she should feel free to seek out someone who does.\"\n\"It is so critical that patients not ignore this,\" Fiorica says. \"At a bare minimum, have a pelvic done. Then the physician can decide if anything additional is needed. If we take these steps, hopefully we can detect these cases earlier, and cure more of them.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986077547073364}
{"content": "This paper presents initial results from my PhD study that investigated the variation inadult learners' experiences of developing personalised, collective learning networksusing weblog technologies. A pedagogical framework developed from practiceunderpinned the research which was designed to test the original model. Thequalitatively different ways of experiencing weblogs is described by categories ofdescription which highlight critical aspects of learning that can inform further expansionof pedagogical strategies.The research contends that learning through self-publishing in a collective learningnetwork has the potential to produce a deep approach to learning that enhancesreflective, meta-cognitive, and critical writing skills.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8623831272125244}
{"content": "Transportation Resources and Challenges in and beyond Schaumburg in and beyond Schaumburg\nBy Kevin Eagan, Alexa Pateras, and Bradford Goff (May 2012)\nA crucial factor in one’s day-to-day life involves one’s particular mode of transportation. City dwellers may rely on public transportation options such as the CTA in Chicago for their commutes as they offers convenience. While this option for travel is ideal, there are still issues that need to be addressed to improve service—specifically, repairs and expansions on the rail lines and bus systems.\nIn the suburbs, the public transportation system, PACE bus service, needs to be tweaked as well. PACE is an excellent option for suburban commuters as it helps reduce the amount of travelers on the road—in turn decreasing the amount of air pollution—and covers an enormous territory. One immediate improvement could be the frequency with which certain bus lines operate, thereby allowing more people could take advantage of this option. Lastly, alternative modes of transportation such as cycling need to be expanded and encouraged. A few benefits cycling offers are, again, reduced vehicle traffic and pollution as well as the physical exercise riders experience. However, one major drawback is that cyclists’ safety is often comprised.\nOur group researched these issues and discovered both alarming and encouraging news. While the current infrastructure needs overhauling, there is moderate progress being made. Hopefully the Chicagoland area will have a 21st -century transportation infrastructure within the next decade.\nNext page: Regional Transportation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6282075643539429}
{"content": "As I teach, I aim to help others develop a deeper intuition about when (and when not to) use the techniques and concepts of mathematics. To achieve this end, I design lessons that actively engage students in mathematical thinking. I am a conversationalist in the classroom and believe in the construction of mathematical understanding through dynamic interaction with students. At an elemental level, I discover personal joy and peace while discussing mathematics with others. The moments when I can help someone assemble a new framework for understanding a mathematical concept are truly rewarding to me.\nAfter working as a high school math teacher for three years, I returned to school to pursue a PhD from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University at Albany where Alexandre Tchernev was my thesis advisor. My mathematical research interests lie at the intersection of commutative alebra, combinatorics and algebraic topology. In a broad sense, I look for combinatorial descriptions of objects which originate in commutative algebra and work to find commutative algebra interpretations for interesting combinatorial objects.\nIn addition to my research pursuits, I enjoy learning about mathematical applications and how mathematical ideas can be communicated. From time to time I bear left from PureMathLand and work as consultant for Lecky Integration and for US Lacrosse.\nThe math quote I am currently enjoying most comes from Blaise Pascal; who said, \"We are usually convinced more easily by reasons we have found ourselves than by those which have occurred to others.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9181592464447021}
{"content": "[1401] Increased Expression of Inhibitory B7 Family Members Associated with Chronic Hepatitic Necroinflammatory Disease MW Cruise, R Kassel, TL Pruett, YS Hahn, JC Iezzoni. University of Virginia, Charlottesville; University of Virgina, Charlottesville Background: Several of the chronic hepatitic diseases are characterized by infiltrating lymphocytes, which are thought to be a key component in the pathophysiology of the disease. Recent data has demonstrated that PBL from patients with HCV and HBV express increased levels of PD-1 and regulation of this pathway may contribute to treatment failure and inability to resolve the infection. The immunomodulatory PD-1 along with its receptors, B7-H1 and B7-DC, induces tolerance and dampens the immune response. However the expression of these proteins within the liver is not well studied. We examined the expression profiles of PD-1 and its ligands to determine the utility of these molecules as markers of clinical disease.Design: Liver biopsy from 74 patients were examined: HBV(n=11), HCV(n=17), AIH(n=14), NAFLD(n=13), and normal(n=19). Study exclusion criteria included: HIV+, acute HAV, antiviral therapy, cirrhosis, and EtOH abuse. Normal patients demonstrate elevated LFTs with normal histology. Blinded analyses was performed on the biopsies utilizing the Ishak modified HAI and fibrosis score or the NAS system, as appropriate. The biopsies were stained for CD3, PD-1, B7-H1, B7-DC and MHC I and graded by quartiles, reflecting frequency and intensity of expression.Results: Liver biopsies from patients with HBV, HCV, and AIH demonstrated an increase in intrahepatic PD-1 positive lymphocytes, as compared to NAFLD and normal biopsies. While the PD-1 is expressed on primarily CD3 cells, the PD-1 ligands are expressed on Kupffer cells, LSECs, leukocytes, and hepatocytes. HBV, HCV, and AIH demonstrate increased B7-H1 and B7-DC expression by liver parenchymal cells and leukocytes. The increase is statistically significant and demonstrates a positive correlation with the Ishak scores.Conclusions: The biopsies demonstrate an increase in the hepatic expression of B7-H1 and B7-DC along with increased numbers of infiltrating PD-1 positive lymphocytes in chronic viral and autoimmune hepatitic diseases. These increases correlate with the level of inflammation and fibrosis across these etiologies, however they do not correlate with damage in NAFLD. These findings document the expression profile of this class of molecules and may suggest a possible target for therapy (humanized antibody recently released for phase I trial) as well as a marker for treatment outcomes. Category: Liver & PancreasTuesday, March 10, 2009 9:30 AM Poster Session III # 153, Tuesday Morning", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8087198138237}
{"content": "We believe that every student can be successful, and that every student can be a valuable leader. However, even the most academically-competent students do not have the professional skills that are necessary to excel in the workplace today. We develop these students by complementing their academic successes to be successful.\nEach year, numerous students graduate at the top of their classes, whether they be graduating high school or college. Many of these same students however struggle to find jobs upon graduating despite their strong academic resumes. And even if they find jobs, many lack essential professionals skills, and must spend extra time and resources to prepare themselves to lead within a workplace. Currently, students lack crucial professional support due to the high emphasis on academics over professional development. After doing our research, we have found that this lack of professional support results in two outcomes: 1. inefficient and ineffective professionals and leaders, or 2. inability to secure a job. The former outcome results in both employers and employees investing time and money into training professionals; the latter results in mental illnesses and personal instability. Furthermore, our society needs valuable leaders, and due to the lack of resources provided to our bright students, we are developing inefficient and ineffective individuals. We need leaders who are well-rounded and both academically and professionally competent so that they can make positive contributions within society and influence others to do the same.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9868095517158508}
{"content": "If supraventricular tachycardia occurs in someone\nwho has significant\ncoronary artery disease, the heart may not receive\nenough blood to keep up with the demands of the increased heart rate. If this\noccurs, the heart may not get enough oxygen, potentially causing chest pain\n(angina) or a\nheart attack.\nMild supraventricular tachycardia,\nwith short episodes that don't happen often, doesn't typically weaken the heart or lead to heart failure. But some people have a higher risk of getting heart failure, such as those who have a heart valve disease. If tachycardia is left untreated,\nrepeated and long episodes of tachycardia can lead to\nheart failure (known\nas a tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy). But this heart failure might be stopped, or reversed, if the supraventricular tachycardia is stopped with treatment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9953117966651917}
{"content": "The Challenge of Hyponatremia Full Text\nJournal of the American Society of Nephrology, 05/25/2012\nClinical Article\nAdrogue HJ et al. – Treatment of hypotonic hyponatremia often challenges clinicians on many counts. Despite similar serum sodium concentrations, clinical manifestations can range from mild to life threatening. Some patients require active management, whereas others recover without intervention. Therapeutic measures frequently yield safe correction, yet the same measures can result in osmotic demyelination.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9819809794425964}
{"content": "Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...\nGenerate a file for use with external citation management software.\nRheumatology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.\nIschemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. A functional role for platelets in tissue damage after mesenteric I/R is largely unknown. The hypothesis that mesenteric I/R local and remote injury are platelet dependent was tested. Using a murine mesenteric I/R model, we demonstrate that platelets orchestrate remote lung tissue damage that follows mesenteric I/R injury and also contribute, albeit to a lesser degree, to local villi damage. While lung damage is delayed compared with villi damage, it increased over time and was characterized by accumulation of platelets in the pulmonary vasculature early, followed by alveolar capillaries and extravasation into the pulmonary space. Both villi and lung tissues displayed complement deposition. We demonstrate that villi and lung damage are reduced in mice made platelet deficient before I/R injury and that platelet transfusion into previously platelet-depleted mice before I/R increased both villi and lung tissue damage. Increased C3 deposition accompanied platelet sequestration in the lung, which was mostly absent in platelet-depleted mice. In contrast, C3 deposition was only minimally reduced on villi of platelet-depleted mice. Our findings position platelets alongside complement as a significant early upstream component that orchestrates remote lung tissue damage after mesenteric I/R and strongly suggest that reperfusion injury mitigating modalities should consider the contribution of platelets.\nYour browsing activity is empty.\nActivity recording is turned off.\nTurn recording back on\nNational Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8890108466148376}
{"content": "LAX99LA248LAX99LA248 On July 10, 1999, at 1230 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-180, N6597P, collided with ground obstructions during a forced landing following a loss of power during the takeoff initial climb at San Luis Obispo, California. The aircraft, owned and operated by the student pilot, sustained substantial damage. The student pilot and his instructor were not injured. The cross-country instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and a VFR flight plan was filed. The dual cross-country flight originated at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California at 1030. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight instructor told Safety Board investigators that he met the student pilot at the airplane and watched him preflight the airplane. The airplane was being fueled at the time. He stated he verified the fuel quantity (full left and right main tanks), and fuel cap security after the fueling. The student sumped both tanks with no reported discrepancies. The flight instructor reported that they took off and flew the entire flight to San Luis Obispo on the left tank. They taxied to the ramp area and did not shutdown the engine. He said he had the student change the fuel selector to the right tank at that time, closed their flight plan, and reviewed the return flight. He estimated they were on the ground about 10 minutes, asked for their taxi clearance, and were given taxi instructions to runway 29. The instructor reported that the power came up smoothly on the takeoff roll. He reported that the engine quit approximately 600 feet above ground level (agl). He reported that there was no roughness or surging, and that it just suddenly quit. The flight instructor said he took the controls at that point and lined up on Highway 101. He said he verified that the fuel selector was on the right tank, mixture rich, and the carburetor heat and boost pump was on. He said he had to maneuver the airplane to miss an overpass and proceeded to touchdown in the northbound lanes of the highway. The flight instructor said that the right wing struck a bush, which spun the airplane off the highway and down the embankment next to the highway. At the request of Safety Board investigators, the airplane was removed from the side of the road and taken to an aircraft recovery facility near Pleasant Grove, California. A follow-up examination of the aircraft and engine took place on July 23, 1999, at the recovery facility. The engine had been removed from the airframe and placed on a stand to facilitate the engine examination. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors from the Sacramento, California, Flight Standards District Office and a technical representative from Textron Lycoming conducted the subsequent engine examination. According to a report received from the Textron Lycoming investigator, the two bladed constant speed propeller remained attached at the crankshaft flange. The engine data plate identified the subject engine as an O-320-A1A. The top spark plugs were removed and examined. The spark plug electrodes remained undamaged, and, according to the Textron investigator, their coloration was consistent with normal operation. The cylinders were examined at the combustion chamber utilizing a lighted borescope. In the written report, the Textron investigator stated there was no evidence of internal mechanical malfunction or foreign object ingestion. The propeller was turned and piston movement was observed at each cylinder. The Textron investigator noted that during the turning of the propeller, the vacuum pump drive did not turn. The accessory gearbox cover was removed for further examination of the accessory gears. During the removal of the accessory case, the Textron investigator noted that the crankshaft idler gear (left magneto) was detached from the mounting pad at the back of the crankcase. Additionally, he noted that the crankshaft gear was not secure to the crankshaft, and the locating dowel pin was fractured and separated. He did not notice any other damage or mechanical malfunctions. The full flow oil filter was removed and cut open to gain access to the filter media for examination. The filter media contained a large amount of bright silver colored material. Further examination of the idler gear shaft and attaching parts revealed severe wear signatures on the attachment bolts and locking plate. The non-threaded or shank portions of the two 1/4-inch diameter attachment bolts were worn away to approximately 50 percent of their original diameter. The hex head end of the bolts displayed signatures consistent with prolonged contact with the rotating idler gear. Additionally, according Textron's written report, the threaded bolt holes located on the engine case were severely worn and elongated. The bore at the idler gear shaft-mounting pad was \"severely worn, elongated and had displaced aluminum material around the circumference.\" The Textron investigator stated that the wear patterns and material loss were consistent with a condition that \"had existed for an extended period of time.\" He concluded that the two bolt holes of the metal locking plate were elongated and missing a significant amount of material. Further examination of the crankshaft counterbore and corresponding gear revealed fretting and corrosion signatures at the mating surfaces. The dowel pin was separated in line with the parting surfaces of the gear and counterbore. The dowel pin fracture surface displayed visually obvious beach markings. The attachment bolt and locking plate remained intact and undamaged. The locking plate appeared to have been bent against the head of the bolt. The FAA and Textron investigator reviewed the aircraft logbook and located an invoice documenting a field overhaul of the engine in March 1987. The engine had accumulated approximately 1,200 hours of operation since the overhaul. No evidence of a propeller strike or sudden stoppage of the engine was noted during examination of the engine, airframe, and propeller logbooks. It was noted that the current logbooks were begun on August 3, 1988, when the engine had accumulated 400 hours of operation. According to the logbook entries, the original logbooks had been lost. An examination of the propeller logbook revealed that a propeller overhaul had been completed on April 16, 1999, approximately 20 hours prior to the malfunction of the engine. The propeller overhaul facility was subsequently contacted by the FAA inspectors, and it was determined that the propeller was undamaged when the propeller was received. A dynamic propeller balance had been performed after the installation of the propeller. The Chadwick-Helmuth balance card attached to the logbook indicates that 33.6 grams of weight were added to balance the propeller. Safety Board investigators reviewed the standard practices manual section pertaining to static and dynamic balance of the Hartzell propeller. Section C of the manual addresses modification of the spinner bulkhead to accommodate dynamic balance weights. The section states that the placement of balance weights should be outboard of the deice slip ring, or bulkhead doubler, and inboard of the bend at the point the bulkhead creates a flange to attach the spinner dome. Additionally the manual states, \"Do not exceed a maximum weight per location of 0.9 oz (25.51 grams) . . . this is approximately equal to six AN970 style washers.\" The bulkhead on the accident airplane was examined. The FAA and Textron investigator noted that the weights were placed on the outside of the bend at the point the bulkhead created a flange to attach to the spinner dome. Additionally, it was noted that there were seven washers placed in the one location, with a total weight of 36 grams. Textron Lycoming issued Service Instruction SI 1310 in February, 1977, that offered the availability of an improved idler gear shaft and attaching hardware that utilized slotted shear nuts, bolt, and locking wire. Although not required, the examination revealed that the subject installation did not employ the referenced components.\nUse your browsers 'back' function to return to synopsisReturn to Query Page", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5691804885864258}
{"content": "In a recession we all take steps to cut our spending both at home and in business but is this really always the best strategy?\nWith so many companies falling by the wayside, the desire to hold on to what money we have is understandable but not necessarily pragmatic. However, there are ways to maximise on potential client opportunities without breaking the bank.\nLet’s explore a few affordable options.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9625629782676697}
{"content": "Effective Informed Consent: Fostering a Dialogue Hippocrates once promoted the beneficence model of medicine, which encouraged minimal communication with patients about their condition. Like Hippocrates, those days are long gone, and guidance now supports the idea that patients need to understand planned medical procedures adequately so they can make informed decisions about their treatment. Effective informed consent requires a dialogue with the patient wherein he or she feels comfortable fully participating by asking clarifying questions and offering personal concerns.\nRequirements for informed consent have not changed in modern healthcare, but the delivery has seen strong consumer momentum to encourage a better exchange of information. Traditionally, informed consent was limited to operative procedures, but, in recognition of the high-tech nature of medicine and the potent medications that have been developed, it must now encompass a broader range of medical care, including:\nsurgical procedures significant medical treatments prescriptions with severe side-effects Physicians are bound, in advance of this medical care, to provide the patient with detailed information on the risks, benefits, and alternatives, including the option to not perform the procedure or treatment regimen and the effect that doing nothing would have on that patient’s health status. They are also required to inform the patient about any potential clinically significant adverse drug reactions or other concerns when a new medication is ordered.\nPatients can be overwhelmed by medical jargon and may be medically naïve, so it is imperative for the physician to foster an open dialogue with the patient and allow adequate time for discussion, translating key terms to common language and providing commonly asked questions that may put the patient at ease and stimulate further questions. It is important to base information not only on personal experience, but on broader sources as well. Verify understanding by asking patients to restate or recall key elements so the patient has an accurate understanding and does not develop unrealistic expectations, which often result in unfair complaints about the practitioner’s care.\nAn area often minimized prior to medical care is the recovery period. Prior to treatment, the physician should discuss any limitations or unwelcome surprises that may arise. Often the focus is on early medical issues (e.g., pain, possible infection, drainage), but it is valuable for the patient to also understand what life will be like for a longer period of time. Perhaps they will require readily accessible restrooms or will not be able to perform household activities. Finally, physicians will strengthen understanding and reduce potential complaints by including family members or friends in the discussions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.542303740978241}
{"content": "Professor Warns of Death by Pooch Smooching? 01/26/2011 A veterinary professor has written an article for a scientific journal showing that people who allow their pets to lick them, give them \"kisses\" or sleep with them are at risk for a variety of diseases known as zoonoses. Zoonoses ? What the heck? Is this what what happens when you have zoonose?\nAccording to a University of California, Davis professor and his fellow researchers, the risks associated with smooching your dog or cat, or even letting them sleep on your bed, can range from the mundane to the life-threatening, particularly among infants and people whose immune systems have been weakened by disease, chemotherapy or other medicines.\nOkay, okay - we get that, but conversely, I'm thinking that the health benefits of smooching our pets or allowing them to share our beds with us far outweigh the risk of zoonose...right? Given that recent studies indicate that 50% of all dog owners and up to 75% of all cat owners sleep with their pets, it sounds like most of us pet lovers are willing to take the risk!What do you think?\nAs a animal lover, I'm all for an occasional lick from my pooch on the cheek or forehead, but I must draw the line at those who literally make-out with their dogs, essentially allowing their pet to conduct a tooth enamel cleaning..that's what a toothbrush is for. (See Exhibit A). What do you think ?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.905813992023468}
{"content": "Presentation coaching is critical for any executive wanting to deliver impactful presentations that influence audiences to act. Great ideas and charismatic personality alone won't move people to action. You need the confidence in your message and the ability to engage with your audience to get the results you want.\nEach presentation coaching initiative is developed to compliment the communication coaching program. You'll learn and put to practice active listening and other communication techniques on audience and group dynamics, and to adapt to any situation to influence more people more frequently. Coaching is tailored to each presenter's strengths so you'll be able to successfully engage with the audience in your own words.\nConnie's proven method takes you beyond experience alone, and helps you grow your presentation skills through evaluated experience. This approach will greatly improve your confidence, helping you adapt to any situation and ensure your messages stick.\nWhen you're presentations connect with, convey to, and convince your audience, you'll influence people to positive action and get the results you want.\nEvery engagement is customized to your specific style and abilities. We'll bring out and enhance your inherent strength.\nAs you watched the London Olympics, you may have wondered, \"Why does one athlete reach her golden goal while another with equal talent falters?\" Sports psychologists tell us the athlete who hauls in the hardware has learned to manage her anxiety. Same with influential leaders and presenters. After a decade of coaching executives, I've learned the key is to manage your anxiety, not try to control it. Managing and controlling are two different mindsets. If you manage your anxiety, you'll stay focused, which radically reduces your stress and improves the outcome. If you try to control it, you give the anxiety too much power. Trying to control your nerves while delivering a presentation makes you vulnerable because...\nIt was the silence heard around the world: Rick Perry's brain freeze. Perry's mental cramp during the GOP presidential debate stole the show and was quickly hailed as one of the worst memory meltdowns in history. It was a cringe-inducing 53 seconds as Perry scrambled to recall the name of the third federal agency he'd shut down, to no avail.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7869499325752258}
{"content": "All equipment used for the production and transportation of Roundup Ready alfalfa must be cleaned before it's used for conventional alfalfa, and the transgenic hay or silage must be segregated and clearly labeled. Those are among the Roundup Ready alfalfa production requirements outlined in a July 12 administrative order issued by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The order was mandated in the May 3 permanent injunction that outlawed the planting of Roundup Ready alfalfa until USDA completes an environmental impact statement. The judge in the case ruled that existing Roundup Ready alfalfa fields can continue to be grown, harvested and sold, provided safeguards are implemented to minimize commingling of Roundup Ready and conventional alfalfa.\nBefore moving mowing, raking, merging, baling or stacking equipment from a Roundup Ready to a non-Roundup Ready field, growers and custom harvesters must \"sweep, blow with forced air, or wash exterior parts clean,\" the order says. The same procedure is sufficient for choppers; no internal cleaning is needed. For square balers, the first three bales made in a non-Roundup Ready field must be removed and stored with Roundup Ready alfalfa from the previous field. Wagons and trucks used to haul the crop must be swept clean after they're unloaded, and buyers must be notified if the hay or silage they're buying contains Roundup Ready alfalfa. To read the order, which includes detailed instructions for cleaning Roundup Ready alfalfa seed-handling equipment, click: www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/alfalfa.shtml. Then scroll down to \"View the July 12, 2007 APHIS Administrative Order.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5788133144378662}
{"content": "Truckers/users of lime must comply with DEQ/MI Department of Agriculture regulations.\nA brief outline of the applicable regulations are as follows:\nTruckers: the same regulations for hauling quarry lime apply. You may need to take steps to prevent blowing of dust from the truck.\nUsers: the nutrient loading should be accounted for in your fertilizing program. The sugarbeet lime contains: Nitrogen 5.5 pounds per ton, Phosphorus 1.0 pound per ton, Potassium 0.36 pounds per ton, Calcium 570 pounds per ton (80% as CaCO3 or limestone), Organic content 8%, Moisture content 10%-15%, and Micro nutrients typical background levels.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990795254707336}
{"content": "Corpora Space is about collaboratively curating and exploring large-scale corpora. By curation we mean \"the activity of managing and promoting the use of data from its point of creation, to ensure it is fit for contemporary purpose, and available for discovery and re-use.\" (Lord 2004) This involves both the enrichment and maintenance of content and metadata. By exploration we mean discovery, analysis, visualization, and ways of generating new results and provoking new research questions. Curation is doing things to texts; exploration is doing things with texts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5156371593475342}
{"content": "User Login: A group of Irish economists have an interesting joint article in today’s Irish Times. It is available here. It usefully goes beyond the rather sterile austerity/no austerity debate to focus mainly on the mix of adjustments.\nDrawing on the available evidence, the article notes that fiscal consolidation measures lead to slower growth and job losses.\nThe evidence is clear: contractionary fiscal policy does indeed restrict economic activity and employment.\nThe austerity-focused policies being pursued in Europe and in Ireland will continue to drive down employment and living standards, while embedding high levels of long-term unemployment in the economy.\nHowever, the article does not claim that consolidation is unnecessary (though it does not offer a preferred time path for bringing the deficit down), but rather focuses on the mix of consolidation and financing measures. The authors argue for a mix that involves higher capital spending and higher taxation aimed primarily at higher income individuals. (For the medium term, they also argue for higher social expenditures financed partly by increased PRSI contributions.)\nSuch an investment programme must be accompanied by “smart” fiscal consolidation, focusing on the least contractionary forms of fiscal adjustment. This requires progressive and equality-proofed taxation targeting high-income groups, property assets, unproductive activity and passive income, as well as environmental measures.\nIn the medium term, we should explore the potential of social insurance and local taxation to broaden the tax base while providing real benefits in return. PRSI can be expanded and combined with general taxation to provide free universal healthcare and earnings-related pensions. Stronger local taxation has the potential to be more accountable while providing investment in services responsive to local needs.\nThe mix of adjustments is also receiving recent attention in the international debate. For differing perspectives on the most effective mix from a macroeconomic perspective see Alberto Alesina and Francesco Giavazzi here and Simon Wren-Lewis here.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6383681297302246}
{"content": "This concentration explores the processes of tradition that move through multiple expressive forms, such as folktales, folk beliefs, folk medicine, folk art, folksong, and literature. A discipline based on ethnographic fieldwork, folklore offers students a chance to work in communities and collect living traditional materials that are critical to human identity and values. Interdisciplinary by nature, folklore thrives on local particularities and compelling global connections. Internships in the many Washington, D.C., metropolitan area folklore organizations are central to students’ experiences.\nThis course of study prepares students for careers in cultural agencies, governmental organizations, and teaching institutions, and advanced study in the humanities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.987169086933136}
{"content": "The Rio Conventions Pavilion (RCP) continued on Thursday, 14 June 2012, convening for Africa Day, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Day. Three sessions were held addressing: economic valuation of land (EVL) - an approach to advance sustainable development in the context of a green economy; facilitating green growth in Africa - perspectives from the African Development Bank (AfDB); and the contribution of traditional knowledge to climate mitigation and adaptation.\nECONOMIC VALUATION OF LAND: AN APPROACH TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF A GREEN ECONOMY\nCo-chaired by Aly Abou-Sabaa, AfDB, and Simone Quatrini, Global Mechanism, the session was moderated by John Soussan, Offering Sustainable Land-Use Options (OSLO) Consortium.\nQuatrini noted increases in foreign direct investment (FDI) in land acquisition as “a potential catalyst for the African green revolution,” highlighting the concern about hidden costs for society and environment from unsustainable land use. Quatrini explained the OSLO Consortium seeks to unlock responsible investment by providing incentives and safeguards to investors while emphasizing: costs of inaction; net economic benefits from internal rates of return; and social, environmental and future values.\nSoussan highlighted the economic case for investing in sustainable land management (SLM). He emphasized the need for policymakers to incorporate the full value of land resources and the wide range of ecosystem values that they generate into national accounting systems.\nAbou-Sabaa noted that Africa has no choice but to manage its natural resources sustainably and build resilience to the increased incidence of droughts and floods, and desertification. Underlining that the notion of valuing ecosystem services is relatively new, he called for a gradual approach in introducing the concept in order to ensure buy-in from key stakeholders.\nElijah Phiri, University of Zambia, presented a case study on the economic land valuation in Zambia. He highlighted the contribution of land use to the economy including, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and wetlands, reflected by the distribution of Zambia’s resources into these sectors. He also observed the highest economic value is carbon sequestration in forestry and wetlands. Noting the economic value of these ecosystem services is estimated at US$ 240 million, Phiri emphasized that failure to address rapid land degradation can have negative economic affects.\nWilliam Ehlers, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), described GEF’s investments over the last two decades through the Land Degradation Focal Area as a major catalyst of innovation in SLM, leveraging an additional US$ 2 billion in co-financing. He highlighted this strategy includes explicit links between SLM and human well-being, establishing a foundation for improving the livelihoods of millions of rural people who rely on agriculture and livestock management. He emphasized the focus on agriculture, rangelands and forest landscapes where the potential for maximizing global environment and development are greatest, and the value-added of land-based investments will show the greatest returns in a Green Economy.\nAndrew Seidl, IUCN, spoke on IUCN’s recent experience in economic valuation and development. Noting that this involves “recognizing value, demonstrating value and capturing value,” he highlighted a global-level assessment linked to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Target 15 that found US$ 84 billion global annual net benefit of forest landscape restoration. Seidl highlighted challenges including: inadequate local technical and human capacity; methodological issues such as “answering the right questions,” transferability and scaling, and dealing with communal tenure systems; and political considerations such as the misuse of information, and ensuring distribution and equity are taken into account.\nTimo Busch, ETH Zurich, presented on the private sector perspective. He observed that the growing interest in ecosystem services among large institutional investors and a rising number of socially-responsible investors provide important opportunities for investing in sustainability. Noting, however, that the short-term focus of financial markets presents a greater challenge, he suggested that it might be necessary for valuation processes to explore appropriate policy incentives for longer-term investments, modeled for instance on feed-in tariffs within the renewable energy sector. In conclusion, he highlighted government involvement in securing sustainable investments and negative externalities in the value chain as critical issues for investors.\nDuring discussions, panelists responded to questions on environment and gender equity inter-linkages, with Soussan observing “women are principle users but not controllers of land resources” and Abou-Sabaa acknowledging the need to increase inclusiveness in development and to distribute economic growth in a more equitable manner, including through better shares of land use. Seidl noted the incorporation of women and vulnerable populations is still in the early awareness raising stages with a long way to go.\nFACILITATING GREEN GROWTH IN AFRICA: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK\nDaniel Makokera, CEO, Pamuzinda Productions, South Africa, introduced the panel. Kate Raworth, Oxfam, presented a vision for inclusive and sustainable economic development as a safe and just space for humanity. Raworth noted scientists’ emphasis on global climate change, soil degradation and biodiversity loss where environmental boundaries have already been over stepped. She stressed the need to focus beyond green limits and that national level analysis must also include assessment of the social foundations, including meeting human rights to resources such as food, water and jobs. She stated all countries are developing nations, because no country yet lives in the safe green economic space.\nFrank Sperling, AfDB, provided perspectives on facilitating green growth in Africa, which he defined as a transformative and iterative process towards more sustainable pathways. He pointed out that Africa’s bountiful natural resources and low ecological footprint at present offer real opportunities for this transition, noting that the priorities for the continent include: addressing the infrastructure deficit; sustainable management of natural resources; enhancing resilience to natural disasters; and food security. He noted that meeting these needs requires strong political leadership, an enabling regulatory environment, multi-stakeholder engagement and a focus on the quality of growth. Stressing that African countries run the risk of lock-in to unsustainable pathways, he called for adequate financing of the upfront investments required in this transition.\nDuring the panel discussion, Anthony Okon Nyong, AfDB, stressed that green growth should be a priority for all countries. Highlighting initiatives by Japan, Junya Nakano, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, remarked that green growth offers additional opportunities for leapfrogging Africa’s development challenges while avoiding the negative social and environmental impacts of economic growth. Noting that some of the misconceptions around the concept arise from a narrow interpretation of the green economy as an “anti-growth” development trajectory, Sperling emphasized the need for each country to map its own green growth path.\nResponding to a question about reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation’s (REDD) role in African green growth during discussions, Sperling stressed carbon as an asset and huge opportunity for Africa to benefit from global interest in carbon mitigation. He emphasized the need for capacity building to up-scale African project proposals to meet performance-based criteria to attract investments in REDD at a comparable level to Brazil and Indonesia. Abou-Sabaa explained how the AfDB serves as catalyst, covering upfront costs and providing technical and design support for project proposals. Okon Nyong emphasized that AfDB also finances public goods and development projects that may not recover all costs as required by private sector investments.\nRaworth noted that besides finance, “we need an injection of creativity” and stressed that leadership on green growth should be taken by developed countries whose traditional economic growth model has neither solved poverty nor been sustainable. She explained an inclusive and sustainable development course would allow low-income countries to focus on poverty alleviation while avoiding being locked into unsustainable pathways, learning from emerging economies that have the highest potential to transform resource use while increasing well-being. Noting the need for political will at all levels of governance for such a transition, Okon Nyong lauded the Brazilian government for its leadership and engagement in South-South Cooperation with the AfDB.\nTHE CONTRIBUTION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION\nModerator Johnson Cerda, Conservation International, noted the importance of respecting the rights of indigenous peoples, underscoring that indigenous peoples have valuable traditional knowledge that could be contributed to international processes. He said Conservation International has started a fellowship programme to encourage the study of traditional knowledge in specific indigenous communities and how it could contribute to multilateral negotiations. Cerda said the panel would also address work on indigenous peoples by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a case study on Central America.\nDiana Nacimiento, Conservation International Fellow, said her project supports the recovery and restoration of indigenous lands in the Kaingang territory in Brazil. She highlighted that Kaingang territory has a complicated background due to colonization, noting that in 1949 17000 hectares were taken from the indigenous peoples and turned into a state park. She stressed that the indigenous population relied on this land for their livelihoods, but said that in 1989 the state park was abandoned by the government and reverted to indigenous management. She noted the resulting challenges, including illegal logging and exploitation, are harming the Kaingang area, which she characterized as “an island of biodiversity floating in a sea of monocultures.” She said the objective of her study was to develop appropriate methodologies in consultation with local communities, noting that external agencies with proposals of recovery and restoration do not consider what local communities desire or local and indigenous knowledge. She highlighted the role of intergenerational transfer of knowledge, in particular as outside cultural influences creep in, and noted the goal of “rescuing” traditional stories and knowledge to preserve them for future generations. She said a next step is to engage indigenous school children in planting native species to restore degraded areas.\nJennifer Rubis, UNESCO, announced the book launch of “Weathering Uncertainty: Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation” and explained that Climate Frontlines supports the voices of indigenous peoples and promotes traditional knowledge in climate adaptation working at the science and policy level. She noted that after having claimed “full participation in issues that affect us” indigenous peoples’ knowledge has been recognized in several texts including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the CBD. Rubis reported that while their communities can be targets of interventions, indigenous people “do not see themselves as passive victims but actively engage: they have negotiated; resisted; and adapted.” She highlighted the need for flexibility in programming and climate financing. She explained that moving beyond recognition towards respect for indigenous traditional knowledge that challenges reductionism would require a conceptualization of traditional knowledge on the same footing as science, giving them equal inputs and looking at complementary areas that can benefit communities.\nJadder Lewis, Center for the Indigenous Peoples Autonomy and Development, Nicaragua, lamented the many misconceptions at the heart of mainstream approaches to supporting traditional knowledge. He noted that ignorance of how indigenous social institutions work and the assumption that they want to “conserve nature for the sake of it” has resulted in an overemphasis of the protected area approach, which often exacerbates the marginalization of indigenous communities and increases poverty. He stressed the need for support programmes to strengthen local governance capacities by enhancing equitable access to the benefits of ecosystem services and involving them more meaningfully in global value chains. He also highlighted the role of education and exchanges among indigenous communities in protecting local institutions and enabling indigenous peoples to consolidate their territories as viable economic, social and political systems.\nIn the ensuing discussion, panelists emphasized the need to strengthen learning alliances between indigenous and academic communities and noted the opportunities that South-South cooperation offers for scaling up good practices.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9300087690353394}
{"content": "OLDWICK, N.J., Dec 13, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of the insurance subsidiaries of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UnitedHealth) (Minnetonka, MN) [NYSE: UNH]. Additionally, A.M. Best has upgraded the FSRs to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the ICRs to \"a\" from \"a-\" for the following subsidiaries of UnitedHealth: Health Plan of Nevada Inc. (Las Vegas, NV) and Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc. (Los Angeles, CA). Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed the ICR of \"bbb+\" and debt ratings of UnitedHealth. The outlook for these ratings is stable.\nA.M. Best also has assigned debt ratings of \"bbb+\" to $625 million 0.85% senior unsecured notes, $625 million 1.4% senior unsecured notes, $625 million 2.75% senior unsecured notes and $625 million 3.95% senior unsecured notes all issued on October 17, 2012 by UnitedHealth. The outlook assigned to these debt ratings is stable.\nAdditionally, A.M. Best has withdrawn the FSR of A (Excellent) and ICR of \"a\" of PacifiCare Life Assurance Company (Denver, CO), as the company is inactive.\nThe rating affirmations for the organization reflect its premium growth, strong earnings, highly liquid assets, ability to adjust to market changes and high degree of technological innovations. These strengths are further supported by the significant market presence, diverse non-insurance operations and financial strength of UnitedHealth. The organization has a wide geographic reach and a diversified portfolio, which includes commercial, Medicare and Medicaid managed care products. UnitedHealth also continues to expand its profitable non-regulated businesses and its share of non-regulated earnings remains significantly higher compared to its peers. Furthermore, UnitedHealth's non-regulated subsidiaries are well positioned for continuous revenue growth. Non-regulated earnings enhance UnitedHealth's financial flexibility by contributing to its already strong interest coverage as well as reducing its reliance on dividends from its regulated subsidiaries.\nPartially offsetting these positive rating factors are A.M. Best's concerns, which arise from UnitedHealth managing to a lower level of risk-based capitalization at its regulated entities. Following consistently high dividends to UnitedHealth, the level of risk-based capitalization at the leading regulated subsidiary, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (UHIC) (Hartford, CT), though improved in 2011 remains low compared to its peers and A.M. Best's expectations. However, this is offset by the parent's ability to support the legal entities through capital infusions.\nA.M. Best does acknowledge that UHIC is a significant source of dividends and consistently produces strong operating results. In addition, UHIC's improved ability to predict claims trends and better fund transfer mechanisms within UnitedHealth enhances the entire organization's ability to support each subsidiary and mitigate lower capitalization concerns. Although A.M. Best expects earnings to remain strong, operating margins at UnitedHealth, in line with the industry trend, have declined compared to its historical levels and are likely to moderate further. The earnings deterioration is due to competitive pressure, implementation of minimum loss ratio requirements related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the changing business mix within the organization's growing share of Medicare and Medicaid products where the margins are lower. In the near term, A.M. Best notes that UnitedHealth's financial flexibility is reduced because of the expected increase in its financial leverage as well as the increase of the level of goodwill in its related acquisition of Amil Participacoes SA (Brazil). However, both UnitedHealth's financial leverage and goodwill are in line with peers. Furthermore, UnitedHealth has proven its ability to quickly reduce financial leverage.\nThe upgrading of the ratings for Health Plan of Nevada Inc. and Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc. acknowledges their strong earnings, improved capitalization and integration into UnitedHealth.\nKey rating drivers that may lead to positive rating actions for UnitedHealth and its subsidiaries include substantial earnings growth, improvement in risk-adjusted capital at regulated entities and reduction in financial leverage. Key rating drivers that may lead to negative rating actions include a sizeable decline in risk-adjusted capital at UnitedHealth's lead operating entity, UHIC, significant weakening of operating performance across the enterprise, an increase in financial leverage beyond A.M. Best's expectations or substantial deterioration in interest coverage.\nFor a complete list of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and its subsidiaries' FSRs, ICRs and debt ratings, please see www.ambest.com/press/121311unitedhealth.pdf.\nThe methodology used in determining these ratings is Best's Credit Rating Methodology, which provides a comprehensive explanation of A.M. Best's rating process and contains the different rating criteria employed in the rating process. Key criteria utilized include: \"Understanding BCAR for Life/Health Insurers\"; \"Insurance Holding Company and Debt Ratings\"; \"Rating Members of Insurance Groups\"; \"Risk Management and the Rating Process for Insurance Companies\"; \"Rating Commercial Paper\"; and \"Evaluating Country Risk.\" Best's Credit Rating Methodology can be found at www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology.\nFounded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.\nCopyright (C) 2012 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.\nSOURCE: A.M. Best Company, Inc.\nA.M. Best Co. Doniella Pliss, 908-439-2200, ext. 5104 Senior Financial Analyst doniella.pliss@ambest.com or Kenneth Frino, 908-439-2200, ext. 5012 Group Vice President kenneth.frino@ambest.com or Rachelle Morrow, 908-439-2200, ext. 5378 Senior Manager, Public Relations rachelle.morrow@ambest.com or Jim Peavy, 908-439-2200, ext. 5644 Assistant Vice President, Public Relations james.peavy@ambest.com Copyright Business Wire 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9007757902145386}
{"content": "a1 School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Australiaa2 Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlandsa3 Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africaa4 Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, Arizona State University, USAa5 Institute for Development Management and Policy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKa6 Institute for Public Service, Seattle University, Seattle, WA, USAa7 School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australiaa8 Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, USAa9 Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaSUMMARY\nCommunity-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has been on the ascendancy for several decades and plays a leading role in conservation strategies worldwide. Arriving out of a desire to rectify the human costs associated with coercive conservation, CBNRM sought to return the stewardship of biodiversity and natural resources to local communities through participation, empowerment and decentralization. Today, however, scholars and practitioners suggest that CBNRM is experiencing a crisis of identity and purpose, with even the most positive examples experiencing only fleeting success due to major deficiencies. Six case studies from around the world offer a history of how and why the global CBNRM narrative has unfolded over time and space. While CBNRM emerged with promise and hope, it often ended in less than ideal outcomes when institutionalized and reconfigured in design and practice. Nevertheless, despite the current crisis, there is scope for refocusing on the original ideals of CBNRM: ensuring social justice, material well-being and environmental integrity.\n(Received September 02 2009)\n(Accepted December 18 2009)\n(Online publication June 14 2010)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9251480102539062}
{"content": "This article provides a broad theoretical and clinical overview of thethree regional prefrontal syndromes. An understanding of the extendedneural connectivity of the prefrontal cortex provides the template fordescribing the three distinct prefrontal syndromes (dysexecutive,disinhibited, and apathetic types), each associated with dysfunction in oneof the three prefrontal regions. This clinical approach should aid theclinician in determining the etiology of the specific regional prefrontalsyndrome and developing effective treatment strategies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8030832409858704}
{"content": "Watch Registration Video\nPortland cement concrete (PCC) structures deteriorate with age and need to be maintained or replaced. Early detection of deterioration in PCC (e.g., alkali-silica reaction, freeze/thaw damage, or chloride presence) can lead to significant reductions in maintenance costs. However, it is often too late to perform low-cost preventative maintenance by the time deterioration becomes evident. Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are potentially among the most useful techniques developed for assessing constructed facilities. They are noninvasive and can be performed rapidly. Portland cement concrete can be nondestructively evaluated by electrically characterizing its complex dielectric constant. The real part of the dielectric constant depicts the velocity of electromagnetic waves in PCC. The imaginary part describes the conductivity of PCC and the attenuation of electromagnetic waves, and hence the losses within the PCC media. Dielectric properties of PCC have been investigated in a laboratory setting using a parallel plate capacitor operating in the frequency range of 0.1MHz to about 40MHz. This capacitor set-up consists of two horizontal-parallel plates with an adjustable separation for insertion of a dielectric specimen (PCC). While useful in research, this approach is not practical for field implementation In this research, a capacitance probe has been developed for field application. The probe consists of two planar conducting plates and is made of flexible materials for placement on exposed surfaces of the specimens to be tested. The calibration method of both capacitive systems has been extensively studied to minimize systematic errors in the measurement process. These two measurement systems will be discussed and compared to one another on the basis of sensitivity and measurement repeatability.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7458400726318359}
{"content": "Internal combustion engines generate globe-warming CO2 and create air pollution in cities. They're inefficient, too, as a large slice of the energy stored in their fuel is wasted as heat during combustion and braking. Alternative cars driven by electric motors, which can be powered by batteries or fuel cells, will unquestionably play a central role in reducing transport emissions.\nIn Manchester, the case for alternative vehicles was made by Hugo Spowers of Riversimple, a company that has produced a prototype two-seater city car running on hydrogen gas. Even if the hydrogen is produced using natural gas, the emissions of the car are many times lower than those of a petrol-hybrid model.\nThe panel members believe that electric rather than hydrogen cars will dominate the future, but they were impressed with many elements of the Riversimple project. These include the use of lightweight composite materials rather than steel in the chassis, and the company's plan to lease rather then sell their cars, something that removes a major financial barrier for the consumer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5084185004234314}
{"content": "This paper uses factor models to identify and estimate distributions of counterfactuals. We extend LISREL frameworks to a dynamic treatment effect setting, extending matching to account for unobserved conditioning variables. Using these models, we can identify all pairwise and joint treatment effects. We apply these methods to a model of schooling and determine the intrinsic uncertainty facing agents at the time they make their decisions about enrollment in school. Reducing uncertainty in returns raises college enrollment. We go beyond the “Veil of Ignorance” in evaluating educational policies and determine who benefits and loses from commonly proposed educational reforms.\nJEL Code: C 31", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9669680595397949}
{"content": "For large-scale, multi-tenant cloud service providers, balancing the performance and capacity expectations poses a unique challenge in the storage arena.\nWhile modern hypervisors have advanced to the point where that performance/capacity balance can be achieved in compute, storage has lagged behind, according to SolidFire, a three-year-old startup based in Boulder, Colo., that offers a high-performance storage architecture catering to cloud service providers with massive, multi-tenant deployments.\nFor SolidFire's customers, the \"objective is not about delivering massive amounts of performance to [a] single application at any cost. Instead, these providers are focused on profitably delivering consistent performance to thousands of applications [and] tenants at the same time,\" explained Dave Wright, the company's founder and CEO.\n\"Conversations with service providers throughout the past year have only reinforced our belief that this customer segment is unique in its scale, business model and the solutions that it requires,\" Wright said.\nSolidFire's SSD storage systems are meant to address a number of pain points common to large cloud service providers, including distinct challenges associated with multi-tenancy architectures deployed at a massive scale. Wright noted recently that \"scale is not a checkbox feature,\" but rather a set of challenges that span across all facets of a system, highlighted by capacity and performance, which SolidFire notes are often at odds with one another. Flash systems, for example, offer robust performance but can fall short in their ability to scale capacity across a deployment. Hard-disk systems, in contrast, offer abundant capacity scale but are generally weaker on performance.\nThen, too, service providers are challenged by the expectation of delivering predictable performance while retaining a measure of visibility at the application level.\n\"Individually, each of these factors impose unique pressures on the IT environment,\" Wright said. \"Taken together, they demand an entirely new approach.\"\nFor SolidFire, that approach comes in the form of a performance virtualization technology that facilitates what the company describes as a more granular level of provisioning, enabling service providers to efficiently allocate storage resources to the unique demands of a given application.\nSolidFire systems run the company's Element operating system, which offers a standard feature set that includes data protection, real-time compression and real-time deduplication.\nAdditionally, SolidFire offers a guaranteed quality-of-service (QoS) that enables customers to configure minimum, maximum and burst IOPS. Once set, those configurations can be adjusted through SolidFire's API to modify the system's performance, with the changes taking effect instantly.\n\"Armed with [a] previously unavailable level of performance control, service providers can now confidently offer hard SLAs around storage performance,\" Wright said.\nSolidFire's clusters are designed to scale incrementally, so that as additional nodes are incorporated, each brings an equal balance of capacity and performance without requiring an elaborate reconfiguration.\nWright, whose former firm JungleDisk was acquired by Rackspace, believes that his latest venture is well positioned as cloud computing continues its march into the mainstream and the use cases and business value of the technology grow more apparent.\n\"We are charging hard toward general availability later this year,\" Wright said. \"This has us mostly focused on product development and servicing key early access customers.\"\nAdditionally, the firm is working to achieve certifications from an array of cloud computing components, continuing in the vein of SolidFire's recent announcement that it had completed an initial integration with the open source cloud operating system OpenStack.\nKenneth Corbin is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. He has written on politics, technology and other subjects for more than four years, most recently as the Washington correspondent for InternetNews.com, covering Congress, the White House, the FCC and other regulatory affairs. He can be found on LinkedIn here", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9420391917228699}
{"content": "Tribenzor well-tolerated among older patients in study PARSIPPANY, N.J. — A drug made by Daiichi-Sankyo was safe and effective in maintaining reductions in blood pressure in older patients, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s 26th annual meeting in New York.\nThe “TRINITY” study of Tribenzor (olmesartan medoxomil, amlodipine besylate and hydrochlorothiazide) showed the drug was well-tolerated and effective in patients ranging in age from younger than 65 years to older than 65 years, after a year.\n“Older patients generally have a more difficult time achieving recommended blood pressure levels and as a result, their hypertension often remains uncontrolled,” University of Alabama medical professor Suzanne Oparil said. “However, this analysis shows that long-term blood-pressure control can be achieved safely and effectively across all studied dosing strengths with a triple combination therapy regardless of age.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.571742057800293}
{"content": "2009 Fortune 500 rank: 143In the past year, Kathy Soenderby has become a more visible presence for the 300 workers at Union Pacific's West Colton, Calif., shop.\nAs the location's occupational health nurse, her contact with employees has increased 30% in the last six to eight months. Her scope has also broadened, expanding beyond nurse to life counselor, as more employees report stress-related symptoms such as high blood pressure and sleepless nights. They tell her they're worried about job security and the economy.\n\"This is a complication that's not just unique to Union Pacific but is a sign of the times,\" says Soenderby. \"Our focus is to be a little bit more like social workers.\"\nAt the railroad company, which has furloughed 4,000 of its 48,000 employees through mid-April, reducing stress and distractions are essential to safety on the job. Along with tackling anxiety-related health issues, Soenderby has created a space where workers can vent their fears. She helps run a peer-support network and regularly screens videos about such topics as resiliency and depression. She collaborates with managers, helping them become aware of the workers' concerns so they can be addressed and quash rumors.\n\"So many times I feel like the employees are keeping a lot of things to themselves,\" she says. NEXT: Dan Bickett - CarMax", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9318339824676514}
{"content": "On January 2, President Barack Obama signed a bill designed to avert the fiscal cliff. At the same time, to slightly less fanfare, he averted the “milk cliff.” By extending the 2008 farm bill another nine months, he prevented the automatic revival of a 1949 law requiring the federal government to buy dairy products under certain circumstances, effectively setting a floor for the price of milk. While the actual fate of milk prices was far from clear, the milk cliff provided cover to continue the practices of subsidizing wealthy farmers, to the detriment of just about everyone else. The time has come, writes Veronique de Rugy, to end farm subsidies once and for all.\nadvertisement", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5874851942062378}
{"content": "Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine City: Tulsa State: OK Links:Commentary:This institution participated for the first time this year in the AMSA PharmFree Scorecard. They supplied AMSA with a previously approved policy conflict of interest policy after the submission deadline had passed. This policy is currently being evaluated and the final grade increased from an F to a D.\nThis institution did not provide any new or additional for the 2012-13 AMSA PharmFree Scorecard.\nGifts & Meals Policy does not adequately address small gifts and does not explicitly discuss on-site meals. Consulting relationships Policy does cover consulting in its disclosure policy and all consulting relationships are subject to University review. However, there are not specific provisions or frameworks related to creating formal consulting contracts or language to ensure payment is appropriate for tasks. Instead, these issues would be reviewed on an individual basis. Industry-funded speaking relationships Institutional review is required for all potential conflicts of interest, which would include speaking engagements. No explicit discussion of \"speaker's bureaus\" is included. Disclosure The policy includes an extensive discussion of disclosure policies. However, disclosures are not publically reported and instead are considered confidential. Pharmaceutical samples Samples are not explicitly discussed in this policy. Purchasing & Formularies Employees are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest in purchasing decisions. However, the policy does not explicitly state that committee members with financial conflicts of interest will be forbidden from participating in purchasing decisions. Instead, this would be done on a case-by-case basis. Industry Sales Representatives Policy does not address the presence of industry sales representatives at the school/medical center. On-campus Education This policy does not explicitly address on-site education and industry influence. Attendance at Industry-Sponsored Lectures & Meetings Off-Campus Industry support for travel/off site education would be covered under the disclosure policy, however this type of support is not banned outright. Industry Support for Scholarships & Funds for Trainees The disclosure policy covers scholarships/trainee funds, however there should be more regulation of these funds written into the policy. Medical school curriculum This policy does not include any details on the school's conflict of interest curriculum. Do the policies specify an oversight mechanism? The Appropriate Administrator for each employee unit provides oversight. Are there explicit sanctions for noncompliance? Potential consequences are delineated in the policy under the \"Consequences of Policy Violations\" section.\nModel policy Good progress toward model policy No policy, or policy unlikely to have a substantial effect on behavior Did not report Policy not relevant to this institution (e.g., does not make purchasing decisions)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9188644886016846}
{"content": "Perceptible changes in regional precipitation in a future climate Geophys. Res. Lett. , Vol. 39, No. 5. (1 March 2012), pp. n/a-n/a, doi:10.1029/2011gl050738 Key: citeulike:12057074Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract Evidence is strong that the changes observed in the Earth's globally averaged temperature over the past half-century are caused to a large degree by human activities. Efforts to document accompanying precipitation changes in observations have met with limited success, and have been primarily focussed on large-scale regions in order to reduce the relative impact of the natural variability of precipitation as compared to any potential forced change. Studies have not been able to identify statistically significant changes in observed precipitation on small spatial scales. General circulation climate models offer the possibility to extend the analysis of precipitation changes into the future, to determine when simulated changes may emerge from the simulated variability locally as well as regionally. Here we estimate the global temperature increase needed for the precipitation “signal” to emerge from the “noise” of interannual variability within various climatic regions during their wet season. The climatic regions are defined based on cluster analysis. The dry season is not included due to poor model performance as compared to measurements during the observational period. We find that at least a 1.4°C warmer climate compared with the early 20th century is needed for precipitation changes to become statistically significant in any of the analysed climate regions. By the end of this century, it is likely that many land regions will experience statistically significant mean precipitation changes during wet season relative to the early 20th century based on an A1B scenario.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5377287864685059}
{"content": "Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. has issued what is considered a voluntary recall of spinach products due to possible E. coli contamination.\nThe spinach that might be contaminated with E. coli was reported to be in 39 states, which include the following: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.\nThe recalled products from Taylor Farms Retail Inc. are sold under names such as Central Market Organics, Full Circle Organics, Marketside Organics, Simple Truth Organics and Taylor Farms Organic. These recalled packages are all marked with the best by date of February 24, 2013.\nAs with any recalled food item, customers may return the recalled spinach to the place of purchase for a complete refund. The recalled spinach should not be eaten in any manner. If someone has eaten the recalled spinach and feels this has caused a health issue, they should seek medical attention.\nIngesting a food contaminated with E. coli may cause symptoms such as stomach cramps and diarrhea. Some experience vomiting and may have a fever. Those wishing to contact Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. with questions about the recalled spinach may call 855-293-9811.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.981022298336029}
{"content": "Foreclosure rates in the greater Miami area remain astonishingly high, but they’re headed in the right direction. In March, 13....\nA debate is stirring in Michigan over legislation that aims to shorten the redemption period for homeowners in foreclosure, The...\nThe Obama administration’s latest housing scorecard reflects an improving market, with the number of underwater borrowers falling 5.8% in the first quarter to 11.4 million from 12.1 million the previous quarter.\nThe administration, citing data from Corelogic ($26.70 -0.48%), reported that a year earlier, 11.5 million borrowers were underwater.\nHowever, the housing market remains on fragile ground.\nForeclosure starts and completions declined in May, though officials expect activity to increase in the coming months as firms lift delays in foreclosure processing. Also, the inventory of houses for sale remained low. At the current pace, it would take 6.6 months to sell the supply of existing homes on the market and 4.9 months to clear the new homes on the market.\nExperts consider a six-month supply of homes to be a balanced market.\nThe inventory of existing homes for sale slid to 2.39 million in June from 2.47 million in May, according to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Treasury .\nHome prices grew to $139,000 on average for June, compared to $135,900 in the previous month, according to Standard & Poor's /Case-Shiller data cited in the scorecard.\nNew home sales totaled 29,200 in June, up from 25,300 a year earlier. And existing home sales hit 364,200, up from 348,300 in the year-ago period. First-time homebuyer numbers grew to 145,500 from 138,300 in June 2011, according to the scorecard.\nForeclosure starts rose slightly to 64,100 in June from 63,900 the year before, according to the scorecard. Foreclosure completions, in contrast, fell during the same period to 54,300 from 68,900. (Click on graph to expand.)\nMortgage originations for the purchase of new homes declined to 493,000 in the second quarter from 541,800 in the year-ago period. Refinance originations rose to 1.23 million from 869,100 in that period.\nMortgage delinquency rates rose to 4.1% from 3.9% the previous month, but are below last year’s rate of 4.4%.\nDon’t miss out: get HW delivered via email", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6585167050361633}
{"content": "Macroeconomic Forecast Puerto Rico June 2012 | Macroeconomic ForecastsPuerto Rico's debt load continues to rise. As of end-2011, we estimate total government debt of US$66.3bn, representing just over 100% of GDP. Moreover, in the first four months of 2012, the island sold US$4.8bn worth of bonds, as investors were attracted by a full exemption from federal, state and local income taxes. However, we believe this level of debt may become difficult to sustain in the long run, noting substantial imbalances in the economy. These include weak growth, with real GNP averaging just 1.8% over the next decade, a high unemployment rate (at around 15% as of April 2012) and a weak fiscal position.\nTo read the full article, please choose one of the following options:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9782671928405762}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The health system must develop effective solutions to the growing challenges it faces with respect to individuals who suffer with mental health disorders and addictions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability and potential impact on outcomes of a knowledge translation system aimed at improving client-centered, evidence-based care for hospitalized individuals with schizophrenia.A pre-posttest design was used. The e-Volution-TREAT system was implemented on two inpatient units at a large mental health facility. Thirty-seven nurses, allied health workers, and physicians participated from two units. Data collection involved questionnaires, semistructured interviews, and observations. Thirty-eight consenting clients' outcome data were collected from organizational records.Overall, staff participants were very satisfied with the functions of the e-Volution-TREAT system. Barriers to using the system were identified by participants related to the work environment, to understaffing, equipment problems, discomfort with technology, and a focus on short-term rather than long-term goals. There was moderate uptake of guidelines related to social issues, and low uptake of guidelines related to family support and addictions. There were significant improvements in four client outcomes over time, specifically aggressive behavior, depression, withdrawal, and psychosis.In conclusion, users were overall satisfied with the e-Volution-TREAT system, although expressed challenges related to workload that interfered with time to utilize the system. It would be premature to conclude the change in client outcomes was related to the e-Volution-TREAT system without a randomized controlled trial with outcomes compared to a control group. Future research needs to incorporate strategies for modifying the context and engage clinicians who are in a position of influence to model change. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing 03/2010; 7(3):174-84. · 1.24 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.961300790309906}
{"content": "Full Article Birthmark Shape and Location Meanings Birthmarks, which are simply colored spots on skin, have long been suspected of having a meaning. Different cultures have different beliefs based on folklore and superstition.\nCommon Folklore Folklore suggests that what a woman was experiencing during pregnancy is imprinted on the child in the form of a birthmark. For instance, many believe that gazing upon an unattractive individual during pregnancy would result in either an unattractive baby or a baby with an unattractive birth mark, often a port wine stain. Others believe a birthmark is the result of something a pregnant mother wanted and did not receive.\nBirthmark Location Has Meaning to Some\nCommon birthmark locations intertwined with folklore:\nAbdomen: A greedy and selfish person Left breast: This person will enjoy success Right breast: This person will enjoy fortune Center of chest: This person will NOT enjoy fortune Chin:This person will enjoy success Left cheek: This person will have financial difficulties Right cheek: Indicative of someone who will enjoy a happy marriage Near mouth: This person will enjoy great wealth and happiness Right side of forehead: This person has great mental power Left side of forehead: This person likes to spend money Center of forehead: This individual is attractive to the opposite sex and has many love affairs. Birthmarks can have real meaning and can be indicative of serious medical conditions, particularly in they change in size, shape or color.\nCongenital Nevus: This dark mole can indicate that individuals have a higher risk of skin cancer. Port-Wine Stain: This pinky colored birthmark often grows darker, and could indicate Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome or Sturge-Weber syndrome, both of which require medical attention. Strawberry birthmarks: When located near the eye, these can make it difficult to see and can be linked to glaucoma.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.513508677482605}
{"content": "English 258. Introduction to Film Studies Current trends stemming from the globalization of the media and its accompanying media synergies make it untenable to view the cinema as a discrete, unitary phenomenon. This course addresses this phenomenon in a parallel manner by bridging the disciplinary divides between film theory, media and cultural studies. Conjoining theoretical and historical approaches to cinematic texts, institutions and audiences, this course explores the multidimensional nature of the cinema and its place in society: (1) as representational spaces with textual properties and reading protocols enabling the creation of “meaning,” (2) as a unique industry driven by political and economic agendas; and (3) as a social practice that audiences “do,” involving relations of subjectivity and power.\nAs such, we shall survey various approaches to the study of the cinema, and work through crucial questions regarding film analysis (e.g., what is the relationship between film and literature?), the political economy of the media (e.g., is the cinema a democratic institution?) and audience reception (e.g., what is a fan? Why do we adore “stars”?). By engaging these issues, this course will teach you not only how to engage critically with media texts, but also how to “talk” to the powerful media institutions that touch our lives.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9931627511978149}
{"content": "Ask your MEPs to support the accurate labelling of ritually slaughtered produce\nIn the UK, up to two-thirds of kosher and halal meat is sold on into the general market but it is not labelled as such. In June 2010 the European Parliament agreed that meat and meat products derived from animals that have not been stunned prior to slaughter should be labelled as 'Meat from slaughter without stunning'. Unfortunately this was rejected by the European Council. The issue has now returned to the European Parliament, where amendments 353 and 359 to the EU 'Proposal for the Provision of Food Information to Consumers' calls again for meat derived from non pre-stunned animals to be labelled 'Meat from slaughter without stunning' Please write to your MEPs to urge them to support the amendments due to be debated on 11th April 2011.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6136897802352905}
{"content": "Consumer math Consumer math comprises practical mathematical techniques used in commerce and everyday life. In schools, these techniques are often taught to students who are not planning a university education. In the United States, consumer math is typically offered in high schools, some elementary schools, or in some colleges which grant associate's degrees.A U.S. consumer math course might include a review of elementary arithmetic, including fractions, decimals, and percentages. Elementary algebra is often included as well, in the context of solving practical business problems. The practical applications typically include: changing money, checking accounts, budgeting, price discounts, markups and markdowns, payroll calculations, investing (simple and compound interest),[1] [2] taxes, consumer and business credit, and mortgages.\nThe emphasis in these courses is on computational skills and their practical application, with practical application being predominant. For instance, while computational formulas are covered in the material on interest and mortgages, the use of prepared tables based on those formulas is also presented and emphasized.\nSee also [edit] References [edit] Bibliography [edit] Brechner, Robert. (2006). Contemporary Mathematics for Business and Consumers, Thomson South-Western. ISBN 0-324-30455-2 T. R. Ittelson, (2009), \"Financial Statements\", Career Press, 2009.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6562627553939819}
{"content": "In a significant jump, the U.S. oil market recorded significantly high profits, accompanied with significantly high net income, in the second quarter of the year 2010. The rise is directly attributed to the increase in the prices of petroleum and natural gas, for, during this fiscal quarter, oil prices reached $71 a barrel.\nOn Friday, Chevron Corporation scored profits of $2.70 a share, exceeding the $2.44 a share profits expected by Thomsen Reuters analysts. This rise tripled the Company’s profit, reporting net income of $5.41 billion. The oil giant recorded 2010 sales of $51 billion, soaring up from the $40 billion sales noted in 2009. These series of victories dashed last year’s poor performance, which resulted in Chevron discharging a big lot of its employees.\nIn addition, profits of Exxon Mobil Corporation showed a massive rise from 2009’s $4 billion profits, scoring $7.6 billion profits in 2010. Occidental Petroleum, as well, increased its earnings by 61% and its sales by 30%, during this lucrative second quarter of 2010. ConocoPhillips reported a rise in its share value from 57 cents to $2.77 a share.\nDespite this marathon of growth, Fadel Gheit, a Senior Energy Analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. warned the investors that this climb will not last for long due to the slow pace of the economic recovery.\nOne particular Company remained out of the race, which is British Petroleum, recording net loss of around $15 billion, as a result of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.\nUK News Inquest into Death of Dylan Crean, 3, Finds Communication Failings between Agencies Denise Welch Shares Her Experience during Fight against Depression Toy Car Helps 16-Year-Old Girl Recover of Paralysis Lack of Support Makes Carers in Scotland Fail in Relationships Vodafone pays no corporation tax in UK for second consecutive year, despite earning over £5bn", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9839191436767578}
{"content": "This study is a qualitative enquiry into the experiences of grade 12 Business Studieseducators in the process of compiling school-based assessment portfolios for learners in2009. It answers the question: “What are the primary challenges in the process of compilingSchool Based Assessment (SBA) portfolios for FET Business Studies?The literature review covers the strengths and limitations of portfolio-based assessment as astrategy for combining formative and summative assessment purposes, the complexities ofcurriculum change and implementation, and bureaucratic and professional forms ofaccountability. In order to understand what is involved in the portfolio assessmentimplementation processes, I analyzed six assessment policy documents, two circulars and twoChief Moderators’ reports. I also interviewed four teachers and four principals, two eachfrom more and less advantaged schools in Johannesburg.Findings from the document analysis illustrate the incomplete and at times contradictorynature of the assessment policies and circulars, while the interviews highlighted a lack ofcommunication and mutual adaption between stake holders in the compilation of SBAportfolios. The key recommendation is that the concept of mutual adaptation may be usefulto overcoming the challenges encountered in SBA portfolio compilation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5639277696609497}
{"content": "A new report by two Delhi pediatricians suggests that the sharp rise in childhood paralysis in India is due to the increased usage of the oral polio vaccine, a drug that was banned in the U.S. over a decade ago.\nDr. Neetu Vashisht and Dr. Jacob Puliyel of St. Stephens Hospital created the report after analyzing data from India’s 10-year-old National Polio Surveillance Project, which is available online.\nTheir findings, which were published in the Indian Journal of medical Ethics, revealed that rates of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (NPAFP) have increased 1200% since the oral polio vaccine was introduced to India a decade ago.\nThe oral polio vaccine contains a live polio virus and has been linked to polio-like paralysis. Polio vaccines used in other countries do not include the live virus, but polio vaccines used in India do.\nRead more: polio vaccine", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8078780770301819}
{"content": "The volume of distressed property in Portugal is expected to increase over the first quarter of 2012, compared to the final three months of 2011.\nIn the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) new Global Distressed Property Monitor report, respondents are anticipating that demand for such assets will be significantly lower than supply.\nHowever, professionals in the nation did record a substantial increase in the level of interest in distressed real estate from specialist property funds during the final quarter of 2011, compared to the previous three-month period.\nSimon Rubinsohn, Rics chief economist, explained these problems are not solely limited to eurozone countries.\n\"The economic news flow remains mixed at best and sentiment in the real estate sector is still fragile in much of the world as a consequence,\" he asserted.\nInvestors with property in Portugal may have been encouraged by comments made by Rics senior economist Josh Miller last month.\nAccording to the expert, a lack of available mortgage finance has forced many homeowners into the rental sector, presenting opportunities for those who can find an alternative way to fund real estate purchases.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9969239234924316}
{"content": "Most people experience water retention or bloating at some point or another. Eating certain foods or health conditions can increase it. It leads to increase water storage in your body, leading to increased weight, bloated feeling and overall feeling heavy.Wonder how you can avoid it or reduce it. We have tips for you, on how you can reduce your bloating belly.\nNote, that these won’t reduce the fat! For that, you need to get on a proper weight loss plan. Read below for tips to reduce the bloating", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7534594535827637}
{"content": "This tool is provided to help estimate potential estate taxes and should not be relied upon without the assistance of a qualified estate tax professional. Unless specifically stated, this calculator does not estimate separate estate or inheritance taxes which are levied in many states. A properly crafted estate plan may significantly reduce potential estate tax liabilities.\nAssumptions\nAnnual growth rate of your estate\nEstimated Date of Death\nAssets in Your Name\nReal Estate\n$\n(ex., market value of primary residence, vacation home)\nBank Account\n$\n(ex., checking, savings, CDs)\nRetirement Investments\n$\n(ex. IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, Keoghs, current value of deferred annuities)\nNon-Retirement Investments\n$\n(ex., stocks, bonds, mutual funds)\nPersonal Property\n$\n(ex., autos, boats, art, jewelry)\nBusiness Ownership Interests\n$\n(ex., closely held business interests)\nOther Assets\n$\n(ex. potential inheritance)\nYour Liabilities\nLife Insurance on Your Life\nCharitable Bequests from Your Estate\nThe Elder and Special Needs Law Center - Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a service of attorney John H. Baker III, of counsel with the law firm of Bullock, Fly, Hornsby & Evans. Offices are located at 307 Hickerson Drive, Murfreesboro (Rutherford County), TN 37129. Surrounding communities include Smyrna and LaVergne (Rutherford County), Franklin and Brentwood (Williamson County), Woodbury (Cannon County), Manchester and Tullahoma (Coffee County), Lebanon (Wilson County) and Shelbyville (Bedford County).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9723929762840271}
{"content": "A reaction I'm going to be running to determine the efficacy of a catalyst uses benzaldehyde and butyl acrylate. The butyl acrylate is polymerization inhibited with hydroquinone monomethyl ether (MEHQ). The MEHQ requires a 5-21% O2 by volume concentration to remain effective and avoid explosive polymerization. However, the benzaldehyde undergoes oxidation with O2 to yield benzoic acid. I'm unsure of the rate at which the benzaldehyde is oxidized, but the reaction duration will be 2+ days, and I have reason to believe from past experiments that there would be a significant amount of oxidation taking place in that time. The problem is not that the benzoic acid would hurt the reaction - it would most likely serve to expedite it. However, the if we're seeking to determine the efficacy of a proposed catalyst, the benzoic acid would be an x factor - we wouldn't be able to determine whether the benzoic acid was necessary for the reaction to proceed or not. The reaction would be performed small-scale (~5g total) and neat - benzaldehyde, butyl acrylate, catalyst. Any ideas on potential ways to run this? Or any comments in general?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997647404670715}
{"content": "Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD)\nHalliburton utilizes measurement-while-drilling (MWD) surveying technology to determine the well path and its position in three-dimensional space. MWD is a valuable tool that can establish true vertical depth, bottom-hole location, and orientation of directional drilling systems.\nA range of measurements of the drillstring, BHA and wellbore properties are available to ensure the drilling is occurring according to plan and to identify conditions that could lead to equipment damage or other non-productive time events. These measurements provide information on:\nThe forces acting on the drillstring and BHA including dynamic behavior and the occurrence of vibration The static and dynamic pressures internally within the drillstring and the annulus The size and shape of the wellbore itself Sperry Drilling services leads the industry with the largest and most robust high pressure, high temperature offering, and invests in significant research and development in HP/HT technology. In HP or HT wells, equipment is required to withstand temperatures higher than 300°F/149°C and pressures above 18,000 psi/124 MPas. Today, the majority of Sperry Drilling's measurement/logging-while-drilling (M/LWD) tools are rated to 347°F/175° C and 25,000 psi/172 MPas.\nSperry now offers ExtremeHT-200™ M/LWD sensors (392°F/200°C and 20,000 psi/138 MPas) and UltraHT-230™ M/LWD sensors (446°F/230°C and 30,000 psi/207 MPas), making it possible to operate reliably at higher temperatures than ever before and gaining access to reservoirs that were previously uneconomical.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7907809019088745}
{"content": "Violence permeates all parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since the onset of the Al-Aqsa Intifada on the September, 28, 2000, through October 31, 2003, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been injured and 2700 have been killed. Palestinian children suffer from various physical aliments due to their disadvantaged situation, including 10% who suffer from moderate to severe malnutrition. The children also suffer from significant mental health disorders, including 33% with acute levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, 49% with moderate levels and 15.6% low levels. In \"hot\" areas, 55% of the children have acute levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, 35% moderate levels, and 9% low levels.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8861438035964966}
{"content": "Forward Exchange Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 encourages reinvestment in qualifying business and investment assets by enabling companies and individuals (exchangers) to reallocate their capital into new assets more suitable to their current business or investment objectives, without the imposition of income taxes.\nUnder Section 1031, a Forward Exchange allows exchangers to achieve substantial tax deferral on gains from the sale of property, when they also acquire like-kind property. A Forward Exchange may also defer the tax on depreciation “recapture,” which is taxed as ordinary income, rather than capital gains.\nSection 1031 offers a “safe harbor” to exchangers that use a Qualified Intermediary (QI), such as NES Financial. A QI is an independent third-party that serves as the exchanger’s exchange counterparty and holds the exchanger’s funds during the period between the sale of the relinquished property and the purchase of the replacement property, so that the exchanger does not receive those funds and trigger taxable gains from the sale of the relinquished property.\nNES Financial services NES Financial offers an unsurpassed level of expertise and experience in conducting smooth and secure Forward Exchanges and works closely with clients and their advisers through every stage of the exchange. NES Financial’s comprehensive services include:\nOpening a new exchange account and working closely with clients and their advisers through every stage of the exchange Establishing a Qualified Escrow or Qualified Trust account to hold and protect the proceeds from the sale of the relinquished property Assisting with timely notifications of deadlines Persistent digital archive of executed exchange documentation Click on the link below for more in-depth information about NES Financial’s Forward Exchange Solution: Forward Exchange Sheet > Download", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7761455178260803}
{"content": "Seizures are the basic indicator of epilepsy. They vary widely:\nStaring straight ahead, repetitive swallowing, and lapsing into complete immobility for a few seconds characterize absence (petit mal) seizures, which can recur many times in a day.\nTonic/clonic (grand mal) seizures, which usually last several minutes, typically begin with a loss of consciousness and a fall, followed by rigidity, then jerking motions and incontinence of urine. After the seizure ends, there is usually a period of confusion and deep sleep.\nRepetitive lip smacking, aimless fiddling movements, and a sense of detachment from surroundings may indicate temporal lobe seizures. They may be preceded by a vague feeling of abdominal discomfort, visual/sensory hallucination, and distorted perceptions such as deja-vu.\nMotor or Jacksonian seizures start with localized rhythmic twitching of muscles in a hand, a foot, or the face, which may spread to the whole body. Such seizures are often followed by a period of weakness or paralysis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6240251660346985}
{"content": "A fellow mom recently asked us about babysitting rates. It's a good question. When my first child was a newborn, I paid a local teen $5 an hour to watch him sleep while I spent 90 minutes or so running errands. Now I pay a teacher from my kids' daycare $12 an hour to feed two boys dinner, entertain them for the evening and then put them to bed.\nWhether you hire your neighbor's 16-year-old daughter or an experienced adult, your sitter should have your phone numbers and be trained in first aid and CPR. If a teen has completed the American Red Cross Babysitter's Training course, all the better.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7746739983558655}
{"content": "Dennis C Bolton Payment Breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Total USDA - Subsidies$716,717 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies $497,414 Subtotal, Conservation Programs $13,685 Subtotal, Disaster Payments $205,618\nCommodity subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies$497,414 Total Direct Payments $158,414 Direct Program Payments - 2008 Farm Bill $52,433 Direct Payment - Barley $49 Direct Payment - Corn $105,913 Direct Payment - Oats $19 Total Counter Cyclical Payments $52,330 Counter Cyclical Payment - Barley $9 Counter Cyclical Payment - Corn $52,321 Production Flexibility Contracts $123,409 Production Flexibility - Barley $10,924 Production Flexibility - Corn $108,413 Production Flexibility - Oats $651 Production Flexibility - Wheat $3,421 Mkt. Loss Asst. - Commodity Crops $65,849 Market Loss Assistance - Barley $6,517 Market Loss Assistance - Corn $57,062 Market Loss Assistance - Oats $372 Market Loss Assistance - Wheat $1,898 Deficiency Payments $14,016 Advance Deficiency - Barley $604 Deficiency - Barley $-588 Advance Deficiency - Corn $6,562 Deficiency - Corn $7,428 Advance Deficiency - Oats $146 Deficiency - Oats $-136 Advance Deficiency - Wheat $228 Deficiency - Wheat $-228 Loan Deficiency Payments $61,332 Loan Deficiency - Corn $61,332 Total Commodity Certificates $14 Commodity Certificates - Corn $14 Marketing Loan Gains $22,050 Market Gains Farm - Corn $22,050\nConservation subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Conservation Programs$13,685 Conservation Reserve Program $319 CRP - Annual Land Rental $319 Env. Quality Incentive Program $13,366 EQIP - Regular $4,145 EQIP - Ground And Surface Water $9,221\nDisaster subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Disaster Payments$205,618 Misc. Disaster Payments $205,618 Crop Disaster - Program $205,618\nNote: The information on conservation spending for 2011and 2012 are incomplete due to missing data from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In addition some payments made in 2010 were not assigned to recipients in the data received from NRCS. Those payments are also not included.\nThe information provided for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) provides an inaccurate picture of how WRP payments are distributed. USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service uses title companies as intermediaries to finalize wetlands easements under the Wetlands Reserve Program. As a result, the data provided to us shows large sums of money going to these title companies. In reality, the payments are ultimately distributed to landowners participating in the WRP.\nUnfortunately, NRCS has not provided the data to show where these farms and wetlands are located or which farmers or landowners are enrolling in the program, so EWG is unable to allocate these large sums of money to individuals beyond the title companies. Therefore, these companies skew the conservation rankings and payment concentration, which EWG cannot avoid unless and until NRCS makes available the additional farm attribution data. Therefore, we have not included WRP payments in the 2011 or 2012 data update.\nWe have separated data on farm commodity, disaster and conservation payments in order to provide a more accurate picture of top recipients and concentration of payments among the three main categories of USDA programs.\nFinally, EWG works hard to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides through its products and services, but obtains data for the Farm Subsidy Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, EWG cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information USDA provides or any analysis based thereon. If you find an error or discrepancy on the site, please contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office to check its records before contacting EWG.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6509823799133301}
{"content": "Discussion Paper Abstract There is a growing evidence that political corruption is often closely associated with the rent seeking activities of special interest groups. This paper examines the nature of the interaction between the lobbying activities of special interest groups and the incidence of political corruption and determines whether electoral competition can eliminate political corruption. We obtain some striking results. Greater electoral competition serves to lessen policy distortions. However, this in turn stimulates more intense lobbying which increases the scope of corrupt behavior. It is shown that electoral competition merely serves to alter the type of corruption that eventuates, but cannot eliminate it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9282770752906799}
{"content": "619.988.0181\nB-Complex Quick Guide: B-Complex\nThe vitamin B-complex refers to all of the known essential water-soluble vitamins except for vitamin C. These include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin, folic acid and the cobalamins (vitamin B12). Each member of the B-complex has a unique structure and performs unique functions in the human body. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and biotin participate in different aspects of energy production, vitamin B6 is essential for amino acid metabolism, and vitamin B12 and folic acid facilitate steps required for cell division.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9706027507781982}
{"content": "Knowledge and Understanding\nDepending on the choice of modules, students will acquire detailed knowledge and understanding, across a range of Geography topics:\n- Past Environments and their reconstruction\n- Freshwater and Marine environments and processes\n- Glacial environments and processes\n- Solid Earth environments and processes\n- Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing\n- Political economy, geo-politics, inequality and justice\n- Globalisation, urbanisation and culture\n- Geographies of science, technology and nature\n- Environment and society\n- Health, development and migration\n- Students will be given guidance on an appropriate choice of modules. Students will also have developed an understanding of physical and human geography in the context of N American society and environment, and have acquire knowledge and understanding specific to topics available at the N American university they attend in their 2nd year\nIntellectual skills\n- Synthesising and critically evaluating information from a variety of sources\n- Interpreting textual, cartographic, and numerical data\n- Assessing the merits of contrasting theories, explanations and policies in geography\n- Analysing, problem-solving and decision making\n- Developing a reasoned argument and intellectual integrity\nPractical skills\n- Plan, execute and report on fieldwork and geographical research in the human and physical realms, and an ability to use the technical skills needed for this\n- Carry out risk assessments and list appropriate safety precautions associated with practical or project work\n- Appreciate the ethical issues in geographical debates, as a citizen and researcher\nTransferable skills\n- Adapted to life and study in a foreign country\n- Work independently or as part of a team\n- Use relevant Information Technology\n- Demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills\n- Design and prepare project proposals\n- An ability to learn new, diverse and complex material\n- Take responsibility for, and reflect on one's learning, at university and later in life", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7600634694099426}
{"content": "Any fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains solid organic matter (kerogen) and yields significant quantities of oil when heated. This shale oil is a potentially valuable fossil fuel, but the present methods of mining and refining it are expensive, damage the land, pollute the water, and produce carcinogenic wastes. Thus, oil shale will probably not be exploited on a wide scale until other petroleum resources have been nearly depleted. Estonia, China, and Brazil have facilities for producing relatively limited quantities, and the U.S. government operates an experimental plant in Colorado.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5607563257217407}
{"content": "Antisocial behavior by young adults is more likely for those who had a diagnosis of conduct disorder as children, particularly if they also had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Biologically, antisocial behavior is predicted by blunted physiological responses to stimuli. Are these two predictors directly related? Herpertz et al. (p. 1100) measured the change in electrical skin conductance in response to pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures in 8–13-year-old boys with conduct disorder, boys with ADHD, boys with both conditions, and healthy boys. Both groups of boys with conduct disorder showed less physiological response than the ADHD-only and healthy boys, regardless of the type of picture. This hyporesponsiveness suggests a problem in cognitive-emotional associations among children with conduct disorder. The boys’ own assessments of their emotional responses were misleading, since these measures showed differences for the conduct disorder groups only on the unpleasant pictures.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.626685619354248}
{"content": "For the study, 35,016 women (ages 50 to 76) were surveyed about their use of supplements. Results revealed that those who used fish oil supplements had a reduced risk for breast cancer. However, use of the following supplements was not linked to a lower risk of breast cancer: black cohosh, dong quai, soy, and St. John's wort. It's possible that fish oil supplements may protect against breast cancer by curbing inflammation, according to the study's authors.\nRich in anti-inflammatory substances known as omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil has been found to fight against several other inflammation-related conditions in previously published studies. For instance, upping your fish oil intake may help treat asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8041551113128662}
{"content": "Two years ago a 32 year old female was admitted to the hospital for atypical pneumonia- pulmonary infiltrates and a high fever. Her illness was preceded by a rash on her legs, fever, cough and severe diffuse joint pains. In the hospital she was treated with two weeks of IV Rocephin and Zithromax, to \"cover\" her for various causes of pneumonia. When I saw her in the office for a follow up visit I noted a significant circular red rash on both lower limbs. Labs at that time showed an elevated CRP of 12, a borderline ANA antibody and a single 41 IgG WB Lyme band out of the standard 13 bands. I continued oral antibiotics. The rash improved within a couple of weeks. She complained only of fatigue and nausea. The physicians who saw her initially could not explain her findings. It was suggested that she had an autoimmune disease. The rash was biopsied. The findings were: non-specific lymphocytic dermatitis. She continued antibiotics for several months and generally did well. Additional symptoms included: persistent fatigue, strange visual changes and bouts of numbness and tingling. She developed right upper quadrant abdominal pain, suggesting gall bladder disease; this improved without intervention. After 6 months of antibiotics, she stopped them without consulting with me. I saw her about 2 months later. She had been hospitalized again. She had experienced acute weakness of her extremities and a loss of sensation in both legs. She also experienced transient double vision. The neurologists who evaluated her listed various differential causes: MS, stroke, Guillain-Barre syndrome and vasculitis. Her work up was negative. She was sent home without a diagnosis. In the medical history provided by the neurologist,\"Lyme disease\" was mentioned parenthetically. The verbiage in the consultation notes essentially mocked the diagnosis, treatment and physician. Repeat lab testing showed that a C6 peptide antibody test sero-converted from 0.29 to 1.2. This information was not considered relevant. The patient improved and her symptoms were stable when she came to see me after this adventure in the local hospital. I explained to the patient that I felt her symptoms and findings were consistent with chronic Lyme infection. My exam revealed numerous neurological abnormalities- not noted by the neurologists. I don't think she fully believed me. She works in a doctor's office and was hearing many conflicting points of view. Despite this, she continued antibiotics for an additional 4 months. Two months after stopping antibiotics (again!) she came into my office. She had marked numbness and weakness of the left side, upper and lower extremity. She had nearly absent pinprick and vibratory sensations of both legs. This time she was really sick. Her presentation was typical of MS or an acute stroke. I thought it was all Lyme related. She decided to follow my recommendations. An MRI of brain and spine were normal. She was immediately started on IV Rocephin along with a short course of IV steroids. She experienced a brief episode of confusion. Within 4 days the weakness was improving. Withing a month she was 80% better. Within 8 weeks she was almost normal. She has stayed on antibiotics and done well since this episode. She continues to have only minor symptoms. Her markers of inflammation have improved. Her CRP is less than one. Her ANA is negative. She continues to have abnormal physical findings which are slowly improving. Needless to say, she is no longer anxious to stop antibiotics. I think she agrees with my approach and has become a reader of this blog. She came to me by accident. I was/am her primary care physician. I can imagine how things might have turned out if she had been treated by standard paradigms. Her primary care physician would have said: \"I don't know what it is.\" A rheumatologist would have diagnosed a non-specific autoimmune disorder and treated her with immune modulating therapy. A neurologist would have diagnosed an atypical form of MS and suggested other therapy. She might be disabled with paralysis on one side of her body. She would likely suffer with profound cognitive deficits and diffuse pains. Perhaps fibromyalgia would be added to the list of symptoms. It seems unlikely that she would be working full time and taking care of her young child. But she is. These other physicians who encountered my patient on this journey are unaware of her story. She was a consult, an undiagnosed case- lost to follow up. They are busy- seeing new patients and are not looking back.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9153494834899902}
{"content": "Nomura puts a 'Buy' on IGL Nomura has recommended a 'Buy' on Indraprashtha Gas and set a target price Rs 550. IGL has announced a CNG price increase of Rs 2.90/kg effective July 7 in Delhi. The hike will be marginally higher at Rs 3.3/kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.\nSince March 2010, this is the 12th price hike, and the price has increased by a cumulative 81%. Over the past several years, IGL has demonstrated a surprising ability to raise prices to pass on any input cost increases and maintain margins. \"\nCIL can touch Rs 400: HSBC HSBC remains 'Overweight' on Coal India with a target price of Rs 400. HSBC has marginally changed its estimates - while EBITDA is unchanged for FY13-14, net profit is up by 2-4% due to higher other income.\nRisks include lower-than-expected offtake due to logistics constraints or a decline in production, and the impact of wage increases or implementation of the MMDR bill not being passed onto customers.\nCatalysts include better operational performance in Q2, higher realisation over the next 1-2 quarters on the back of a new pricing system. HSBC expects CIL to report a volume increase of c25MT p.a. over the next two years due to stronger demand and increased production.\nCLSA maintains 'Sell' on DLF CLSA has maintain its 'Sell' rating on DLF and a set target price of Rs 180. The DLF stock has run 15% over the past one month on the asset sale excitement. CLSA remain unimpressed as over the past three years, DLF's net debt has increased despite asset sales due to poor operating cash flows. Hence, a similar possibility of disappointment exists on the debt reduction expectations.\nPotential delays in the deal closure, as has happened in the past, could be an additional risk. DLF did not launch any major new project in Q1FY13 nor did it complete any large asset sale —which is likely to result in weaker Q1 results. At 21x March '14 earnings the stock already builds in a lot of optimism.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6594197750091553}
{"content": "Posted on Thursday Jan 24th at 10:00am\nBusiness and sports recruiters tend to be biased toward generalists over specialists. In a series of experiments, Long Wang of the City University of Hong Kong and J. Keith Murnighan of Northwestern University found, for example, that people who were recruiting players for a fictitious game chose generalists at least 70% of the time, even though a specialist was clearly the optimal choice. And salary figures from the National Basketball Association show that even though three-point shooters are crucial to success, teams reward two-point shooters for their two-point shooting but don't reward three-point specialists for their three-point shooting. Many organizations overvalue generalists and overlook the contributions of specialists, the researchers say.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8732049465179443}
{"content": "Document Your School Neighborhood This could be implemented as a school-wide project, including teachers from a variety of disciplines, and include historical research, interviews, writing, art-making, and more. It could also occur each year to create a record of your school and neighborhood’s history—and what students want to see for its future.\nDefine the characteristics of your school community based on people, places, and events. Create a list of the class’s ideas.\nResearch the history of your school. This might include interviews with teachers, family, and community members as well as finding sources on the internet and in the library.\nDiscuss how you are learning about history, as well as contributing to and preserving the school and neighborhood’s history.\nShare your findings with a larger community. Remember visual arts are a way to understand and exchange ideas, so how can findings be shared visually? Think about the variety of places to share these ideas, including bulletin boards, the yearbook, school newspaper, website, blog, etc.\nDiscuss how your students’ research and discoveries might lead to visions about the future of their school and the community surrounding it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.681471049785614}
{"content": "A series of status reports, collated by the FSF Secretariat, on recent and ongoing work relevant to strengthening financial systems by various international financial institutions, groupings and committees. This document is published twice yearly in March/April and September/October. The document is accompanied by a cover note which highlights and summarises those initiatives started during the previous six months, out of the initiatives in the document.\nThe document also includes an overview table of major ongoing international regulatory initiatives, including information on their schedules for public consultation and target dates for finalisation. This overview table is intended to provide a snapshot of key regulatory initiatives in the implementation, public consultation and development phases, along with an indication of their timing where applicable. It is intended to assist national authorities, firms and other stakeholders in keeping abreast of and better preparing for major regulatory initiatives as they are taken forward. Initiatives are included in this table, drawing on the advice of the principal international institutions, groupings and committees. The table captures only summary information on major initiatives, and is concerned largely with the timing of implementation. Thus readers are encouraged to refer to the document on Ongoing and Recent Work relevant to Sound Financial Systems for further insight on the background and objectives of these and other initiatives of the principal international institutions, groupings and committees. Readers should also be aware that decisions regarding implementation are in most cases left to national discretion, and thus the timing of implementation may vary across jurisdictions. Lastly, the authoritative sources on dates are the committees and bodies responsible for the initiatives. The timing of initiatives indicated in the table is based on information as of 6 March 2009, and the relevant bodies should be consulted directly for more recent developments. Continue reading", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7972532510757446}
{"content": "HealWithFood.org's Guide to Preventing Oily Hair Tips on How to Prevent Greasy Hair Naturally Looking for tried-and-true tips on how to prevent an oily scalp and greasy hair naturally? From stepping up your dietary intake of B vitamins to eating more oatmeal and crimini mushrooms, natural remedies for oily hair are a dime a dozen.\nThe scalp has a high concentration of sebaceous glands which produce skin oils (sebum) to protect the scalp and hair. However, excessive sebum on the scalp can make hair appear greasy. As sebum production is typically at its peak during puberty, teenagers are particularly prone to developing excessively greasy hair.\nIf you suffer from an oily scalp and greasy hair, don't fret; there are numerous remedies for tackling your problem. Washing the scalp and hair more frequently and using shampoos and conditioners specifically designed for oily hair are among the most common remedies for oily hair. However, these solutions do not address the root cause of greasy hair.\nExcess sebum production is often caused by certain dietary habits, and therefore, dietary modification can offer a simple and natural solution for greasy hair. The purpose of this online guide is to provide you with tips on how you can prevent greasy hair naturally by making smarter food choices. To learn all about nutritional factors that affect the health of your scalp, check out the diet, food and recipe sections of this guide:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5019009113311768}
{"content": "Science fiction often portrays dystopian scenarios of the future, often involving repression of the human race by machines. In this article I argue that taking these warnings seriously might not be a bad idea. Science fiction reflects a lot of the mentality of its makers and society in general, and often builds and comments on existing societal issues.\nOne of the defining qualities of human beings is the urge and the ability to transcend past limitations through self-directed action. This essentially makes a definition of human beings a moving target. This is our wildcard, and it represents our greatest potential and greatest curse.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.962923526763916}
{"content": "If you're a tenant and rent a large number of sites in multiple\nlocations, then you'll be familiar with the complex, time-consuming\nprocess of property management, regulations, local levies and\nenergy costs. And these are the transparent costs.\nThe hidden costs can also be large and complex. The\nadministration process is an intense undertaking. Simply\nmaintaining the overview, or even achieving cost savings, is often\na time-consuming and expensive affair.\nBy outsourcing your administrative process to Orangefield we\nwill be able to control and lower your costs by moving to a more\nfixed cost structure. Our complete and tailored solution will\nalso give you the freedom to focus on your core activities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8504739999771118}
{"content": "One of the most common questions we get asked is how to match certain wines with certain foods. Ultimately, there are no steadfast rules. However, if you take your favourite Pelee Island wine and pair it with your favourite meal it's sure to be a great evening. Here are a few suggestions to help you with your pairings:\nDecide whether you are complementing or contrasting your wine with your meal. If you've prepared a rich and creamy lobster dinner with butter and salt, complement it with our oak-aged premium select Chardonnay. Chardonnay will add additional buttery and vanilla flavours to the palette. If you want to contrast the lobster, try our un-oak-aged Chardonnay with racy acidity to cut the intense creamy flavours. It will cleanse your palette with every sip. With delicate white meats like fish, choose a delicate white wine (our Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc). With salmon or grilled tuna, consider moving to more intense white wines like our oak-aged Chardonnay or light red wines like our Gamay Noir Zweigelt or Pinot Noir. Red meats are classically paired with red wine. Though it's not a rule, it's a solid suggestion. The proteins in red meat pair well with tannins found in most red wines. If a sauce is accompanying the meat, consider what affect it will have on the meal before deciding which wine to select, as the sauce will likely be the dominant flavour. Barbequing red meat adds additional flavour, so consider selecting a wine that can stand up to and match the intensity of the meal. Baco Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc are always great choices here. Spicy food is often difficult to match, but consider this: high natural acidity in wine can make a spicy dish explosive on the taste buds. Therefore, aim for a wine that has low acidity, like our Gewurztraminer. Also, wines with higher residual sugar can lessen the impact of certain spices. Our Gewurztraminer, off-dry Riesling and Pinot Gris are all excellent choices. If you are still unsure, you can contact us at 519-733-6551 to get answers to any of your questions. We look forward to hearing from you.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5762965679168701}
{"content": "Due to the global economic downturn, branded pharmaceutical sales are suffering in countries such as the US, which lack a nationalized healthcare system. The rising number of unemployed, and therefore uninsured patients, are switching to cheaper generic alternatives, the result of which will be a knock on effect on branded prescription drug sales, which are now forecast to decline by 1-2% in 2009 (IMS Health). This is not the case however in the UK, where patient out-of-pocket costs are capped at GBP7.20 ($10) for prescriptions of either generic or branded drugs (where no generic is available). Moreover, in many cases, the prescription charge is waived due to the financial status of the patient. Nevertheless, the global economic downturn has exacerbated challenges that branded drug makers face in the UK market.\nThe UK pharmaceutical market is highly genericized, with generic drugs responsible for 65% of drug volume and 25% of sales (European Generic Medicines Association, 2007). Indeed, uptake is set to rise as many big name branded products lose patent protection in the UK within the next decade. Furthermore, more than 87% of prescriptions are written generically, with the remaining 13% likely attributable to branded biologic drugs which are yet to face non-branded 'biosimilar' competition. Furthermore, following agreement during the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) negotiations, generic substitution by pharmacists will become mandatory from 2010, unless the physician has ticked a 'do not substitute' box.\nThe latest initiative undertaken to reduce the NHS drug bill is to cut spending on branded pharmaceuticals by GBP550m ($800m) during 2010-11, as part of a wider scheme to save the NHS GBP2.3 billion ($3.4 billion) over the same period, as announced in the UK's 2009 budget. The savings will be derived from the newly revised PPRS, which came into effect on February 1, 2009 with a 3.9% reduction of prescription drug price. A further 1.9% price cut from February 1, 2010 will provide additional savings to the NHS, which could in fact exceed the GBP550m ($800m) target announced by the government.\nHowever, the branded drugs industry has been compensated by price increases of 0.1% in January 2011, 0.2% in January 2012, and 0.2% in January 2013, plus the introduction in February 2009 of a flexible pricing scheme aimed at rewarding innovation, to offset the impact of the PPRS price cuts and growing generic incentivization initiatives.\nThe government has also announced a new GBP750m ($1.1 billion) Strategic Investment Fund to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance, which can potentially be accessed by struggling UK biotechnology companies. However, with GBP250m ($363m) earmarked for low-carbon investment, the GBP500m ($727m) to be allocated across the rest of UK R&D is too little too late for small biotechs, many of which have already gone to the wall, with more undoubtedly to follow before the year's end.\nOn top of the PPRS price cuts and growing genericization of small molecule drugs, branded drug makers now face a new threat from biosimilars (generic versions of biologic drugs), which are expected to enter the UK market imminently' providing a lower cost alternative to expensive branded biologics. While uptake may initially be slow, it will inevitably grow, driven by the need to cut healthcare costs coupled to a growing physician and patient confidence in the drugs over time. Consequently, with the volume of branded drugs having remained flat over the last four years, total sales of the UK branded pharmaceutical industry are forecast to decline from 2009 onwards due to the multitude of negative factors facing the industry. Â\nAlistair Sinclair - Datamonitor Â\nLast updated on: 27/08/2010 11:40:18", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6582232713699341}
{"content": "There are four things you can do to help protect yourself online.\nDon't wait for something to go wrong,. Take proactive steps to help keep you safe by keeping your PC secure, keeping passwords and PINs secret, installing patches and security updates, protecting your identity online and being careful if using the internet in public places.\nWhile email is useful, it can also have risks. This can be with receiving emails you don't want, emails not being delivered or emails being intercepted.\nWriting an email is a bit like writing a postcard when you're on holiday:\nWhile social networking sites e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin connect people across the world to share news etc, there can be danger in sharing too much information. Fraudsters can use the information posted which can lead to identity fraud.\nWhile online shopping may be useful, it also has dangers if you use sites which are not always what they seem. Know how to protect yourself by checking out the site, and the company details, before you enter your payment details. If paying by card, it can be safer to use a credit rather than a debit card.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9287149906158447}
{"content": "Pulmonary Embolism Overview of Pulmonary Embolism The lungs are particularly vulnerable to emboli, since the entire body's blood supply passes through them. These emboli pass through the heart and are pumped through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs. As the vessels progressively narrow, emboli may become lodged and occlude a blood vessel. Blockage of an artery can lead to damage or death of a portion of the lung. The symptoms that develop may vary with the size of the emboli. They may also vary if there are multiple emboli. Pulmonary emboli lead to rapid and substantial dysfunction of the lungs. In severe cases, the resistance to blood flow in the pulmonary arteries is rapidly increased. This forces the right side of the heart to contract more forcefully. It can lead to heart failure. Severe pulmonary emboli, in the form of a saddle embolism (a large clot that blocks the major pulmonary artery at its first division), can lead to rapid death. Causes of Pulmonary Embolism The most common cause of a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot. These frequently develop in the deep veins of the legs or the pelvis. They can occur in other locations as well. Extensive bed rest or recent surgery are contributing factors for the development of a deep vein thrombosis. Disorders that increase the likelihood of your blood clotting can also increase the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism. Heart attacks and Atrial fibrillation can lead to the production of blood clots in the heart, itself. Disease of the heart valves can also produce pulmonary emboli. Emboli can also be produced by a clump of bacteria or a clump of tumor tissue that is swept into the blood vessels. Fat lobules sometimes will lead to emboli, especially from extensive fractures. Air embolism can occur, if air has access to the venous system. Signs and Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary emboli lead to sudden onset of shortness of breath. There is pleuritic chest pain (pain that increases with breathing). Rapid or irregular heart beats occur. Cough and bloody sputum may develop. Increased sweating often develops. Change in the level of consciousness or coma may occur, if the oxygen content of the blood is severely lowered or the function of the heart is severely compromised. The symptoms of pulmonary embolism often occur from clots which develop in the legs. Prior to a pulmonary embolism, the legs may develop swelling and tenderness, particularly in the calf. Extensive fractures may give rise to emboli in the form of fat globules from the bone marrow.\nFind more information", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6580782532691956}
{"content": "Public broadcasting stations located in the Gulf and Atlantic Coast states have begun installing the new Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS) to improve the delivery of Presidential alerts and severe weather warnings. This was timed to prepare for the start of the 2007 hurricane season, which runs from June to November.\nThe first phase is focusing on coastal states in the eastern United States, with the first 20 public television stations to be integrated into the DEAS network by the end of May. By the end of 2007, all public television stations will be equipped to receive and retransmit the digital emergency signal.\nThe Association of Public TV Stations (APTS), working through a grant provided by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is leading the rollout of the first phase of a nationwide deployment. Overall, the new warning system is expected to cost $4.5 million to test and deploy nationally, and $1 million annually to maintain.\nThe transition to digital has created an opportunity for public broadcasting to use its broadcast infrastructure to distribute emergency notifications to citizens nationwide.\nThe need to upgrade the existing EAS system became apparent after the 2001 terrorists attacks and after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast states, when communications problems hampered government response and notification efforts.\nFor more information, visit www.apts.org.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5015996098518372}
{"content": "Sections\nDefinitions | Historical Perspective on the Scheduling of Prescription\nDrugs | Epidemiology of Prescription Drug Abuse | Comorbidity | Medical System Issues\nExcerpt\nDespite data indicating high rates of prescription drug abuse, a major limitation of the existing research is that the terms misuse, abuse, dependence, and addiction are used in idiosyncratic ways. To make the nomenclature consistent, a minimum guideline would be for each researcher and author to specify their definitions clearly. In this chapter, abuse is defined as any intentional use of opioids outside of a physician's prescription for a bona fide medical condition, excluding accidental misuse. Note that our use of the term abuse is distinct from the abuse diagnosis specified in DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association 2000). However, addiction in this chapter is synonymous with the standard DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of dependence, which is a psychiatric syndrome defined as including compulsive use, impaired control, tolerance, withdrawal, and continued use despite physical and psychological problems caused or exacerbated by use (American Psychiatric Association 2000).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6261729001998901}
{"content": "Crisis Communication Ethos: Media and Credible Images Media impact in perception of authorities in Hurricane Katrina Many organizations treat the media as a necessary evil to communicate with the public, but it can actually be a valuable tool for organizations (Seeger, 2006, p. 10). To work positively with the media, organizations need to keep in mind that the media has power over public views, as Littlefield & Quenette (2007) highlight in their study of media impact in Hurricane Katrina. By analyzing the media’s the word choices in portraying organizations managing the crisis, they revealed that the media’s rhetoric was important in “creating early definitions of effective crisis leadership and responses” (Littlefield & Quenette, 2007, p. 28). To avoid the negative influence media had on the public in Hurricane Katrina, organizations in crises should follow Seeger’s (2006) advice to admit shortcomings instead of pretending all is well (p. 10).\nMeritCare uses credible media effectively in a crisis MeritCare admitted its own reputational shortcomings in the fen-phen drug crisis by entering a partnership with the well-known Mayo Clinic to gain credibility for their message. This strategy allowed them to get their message out and get the public to take it seriously. They further enhanced their credibility by critically choosing their media partners, using only those that had sufficient standing to maintain the credibility of the message (Streifel et al., 2006, pp. 392-3).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6146601438522339}
{"content": "Edward L. Glaeser rightly touts the many proven benefits of high-quality preschool, as demonstrated by his teacher, Nobel laureate James Heckman, and other leading economists (“Preschool alters lives — or adds to status quo,” Op-ed, Feb. 22). However, Glaeser misses the mark in describing the plan for increased investments in early education that Governor Patrick has sent to the Legislature. The day Glaeser yearns for — “to let parents choose from a variety of systems” — is already here.\nWhen the Legislature, working closely with my organization and others, created the nation’s first Department of Early Education and Care in 2005, it charged the new department with infusing quality into all the settings where parents choose to send their children. These include community-based centers, public school pre-kindergarten, family child care homes, and Head Start.\nSince 2005, Massachusetts has laid a strong foundation for a statewide system of high-quality early education and care that includes an oversubscribed scholarship for working educators earning college degrees, developmentally appropriate standards aligned with the K-12 system, and a shared definition of quality. The plan before the Legislature would help bring this system to scale. It emphasizes quality and respects parent choice.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6759423613548279}
{"content": "The historic signing of the America Invents Act on September 16, 2011, represented a huge win for innovators and took needed steps to improve U.S. competiveness globally by aligning new patent laws more closely with those of other countries. This new law is the most significant overhaul of the U.S. patent system in 175 years. Lilly has championed efforts to modernize the patent system for many years, and we’re extremely pleased that the America Invents Act is now a reality.\nThe America Invents Act will provide a simpler path forward for innovators by reducing red tape and enhancing the quality of patents that are granted, and it will provide resources needed to help eliminate the backlog of 700,000 applications awaiting action in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, transitioning the U.S. from a “first-to-invent” to a “first-inventor-to-file” system, the new law creates a set of transparent, objective, predictable and simple standards for gaining a patent – securing the U.S. as a leader in international efforts aimed at achieving greater consistency in global patent laws.\nA strong patent system is crucial to driving America’s economic competitiveness and global leadership in fields like biopharmaceutical research, which employs more than 650,000 people and supports more than three million U.S. jobs. Intellectual property protections – such as patents – help drive the economy in three key ways: they promote incentives for innovation; they provide holders with certainty regarding their rights; and they provide enforcement tools to defend one’s property.\nBiopharmaceutical innovation is costly and risky. However, maintaining a predictable and reliable patent system helps to encourage the innovation that supports jobs and leads to real and significant health benefits for America’s patients. Biopharmaceutical research companies generally file relevant patent applications early in the R&D process, years before a new medicine actually reaches patients. This means a significant part of the medicine’s patent life is spent prior to reaching the market; in fact, the average time on the market for the vast majority of innovative medicines is only 11.5 years before generic versions can enter the market, dramatically – and rapidly – reducing brand share by up to 90% in the first month alone. What’s more, generics can apply for approval as early as four years after the innovator medicine is approved.\nInnovation is cyclical, and the ability to protect and defend their current patents provides an incentive for biopharmaceutical research companies to continue innovating, perhaps leading to the groundbreaking new technologies – and life-saving new medicines – of the future.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8395209312438965}
{"content": "1.\nLet the\ncoaches coach: Leave the coaching\nto the coaches. This includes motivating, psyching your child up,\nafter game critiquing, setting goals, requiring additional\ntraining, etc. You have entrusted the care of your child to the\ncoaches; they need to be free to do their job. \"Too many\ncoaches spoil the player.\"\n2.\nBe your\nchild's best fan: Support your\nchild unconditionally. Do not withdraw love when your child\nperforms poorly. Your child should never have to perform to win\nyour love.\n3.\nSupport all\nplayers on the team:\nFoster teamwork. Your child's teammates are not the enemy.\nThere will always be greater and lesser players than your child.\nWhen a teammate plays better, your child has a wonderful\nopportunity to learn.\n4.\nDo not\nbribe or offer incentives:\nYour job is not to motivate. Leave this to the coaching\nstaff. Bribes will distract your child from properly concentrating\nin practice and game situations.\n5.\nEncourage your\nchild to talk with the coaches: If your\nchild is having difficulties in practice or games, or can't make a\npractice, etc., encourage her to speak directly to the coaches.\nThis \"responsibility taking\" is a big part of being a\nmember of any team. When your child handles the off-field tasks\n(knowing the schedule, preparing equipment for practices and\ngames), she is establishing ownership of all aspects of the game.\n6.\nUnderstand and\ndisplay appropriate game behavior: Be\nsupportive, cheer, but be appropriate. Players need to focus only\non the parts of the game that they can control (fitness,\npositioning, decision making, skill, aggressiveness, reacting to\nwhat the game is presenting). When a player focuses on what she\ncannot control, (what others are shouting), performance suffers.\nDo not tell a player what to do. Do not critique a play or player\nduring the game. Never yell at the referee. Ever.\n7.\nHelp your child\nkeep priorities straight: Help your\nchild maintain a focus on schoolwork, relationships and the other\nthings in life beside soccer. Also, if your child has made a\ncommitment to soccer, help her fulfill her obligation to the team.\n8.\nReality test:\nIf the team loses a match, but your child has played her best,\nhelp her to see this as a \"win\" and that you are proud\nof her. Remind her that she is to focus on \"process\" and\nnot \"results\". Her fun and satisfaction should be\nderived from \"striving to win\".\n9.\nKeep soccer in\nits proper perspective: Soccer should\nnot be larger than life for you. If your child's performance\nproduces strong emotions in you, suppress them. Your relationship\nwill continue with your children long after their competitive\nsoccer days are over. Keep your goals/needs separate from those of\nyour child.\n10.\nHave fun:\nThat is what the coaches will be trying to do! We will\nchallenge your child to reach beyond her \"comfort level\"\nand improve as a player. We will do this in an environment that is\nfun, yet challenging. We look forward to this process. We hope you\ndo too!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7459254264831543}
{"content": "Carefree Car Ownership Safety tips for driving overnight While it's not the most enjoyable time to drive, sometimes traveling through the night is necessary to meet a tight deadline. However, it's important to keep in mind that driving in the dark for extended periods poses unique challenges for even the most cautious travelers. Here are some car travel tips and car safety tips for driving overnight. Leave more room for error When visibility is low, you need more time to register and adjust for upcoming traffic changes and obstacles. Because of this, you should leave more room for error in case the unexpected occurs on the road. Road & Travel recommends increasing your following distance and reducing speed at night to avoid an unfortunate accident. High beams High beams are a great help when you're driving on a road with bad lighting, but they can actually be a detriment to your safety when used improperly. Make sure you lower your high beams when vehicles are approaching from the opposite direction or you're following one, as the bright light can be blinding to them, reports the news source. Be aware of driver fatigue It's vital that you remain well rested when driving overnight, but even if you got a good eight hours of sleep, you might discover you're becoming fatigued after a long day of driving. Take frequent breaks to stay rested and alert on the road at night, suggests Weather.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8072361946105957}
{"content": "Today, based on arguments raised by the Pretzel & Stouffer trial team, led by Ed Ruff, the Illinois Supreme Court summarily denied the plaintiff’s petition for leave to appeal the 1st District Appellate Court’s ruling in favor of the defendants which reversed an $11 million judgment against a former New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) president and two of his partners. The Supreme Court’s ruling signals an end to the litigation with a complete victory for the for the defense.\nThe appeal arose from a fraud claim originally tried before a Cook County jury. The plaintiff, a former commodities trader, had partnered with the defendants to form a company called Chicago Trading and Arbitrage, which allowed traders to submit stock orders electronically. The defendants later formed a second company called Archipelago – without the plaintiff – that also offered electronic trading. Archipelago eventually merged with the NYSE in a lucrative deal, and the plaintiff claimed he was defrauded out of his share of the business opportunity.\nAt trial, Mr. Ruff argued that the settlement of a 1998 lawsuit arising out of Chicago Trading and Arbitrage’s dissolution had released the plaintiff’s claim. The trial court disagreed and prevented Mr. Ruff from questioning the plaintiff about the release and similar allegations made in the previous lawsuit. The trial court also shifted the burden of proof to the defense, adding a significant obstacle. Despite this and the fact that the plaintiff requested more than $100 million in damages, the jury awarded just $11 million in the case.\nIn a rare move, the appellate court quoted Mr. Ruff’s plea to the trial court in support of its reversal. Mr. Ruff argued that by preventing him from questioning the plaintiff regarding the earlier lawsuit and release, the trial court “has essentially allowed [the plaintiff] to perjure himself” and “[denied] the defendants a fair opportunity to challenge [the plaintiff] on this point.” Through rigorous defense at trial in the face of major setbacks, the Pretzel trial team protected its clients’ interests so that the proper result could ultimately be achieved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5721395015716553}
{"content": "Non-BioPsychiatric Treatments for the Deeply Disturbed\nTalk Therapy Lifts Severe Schizophrenics--New York Times October 2011Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Cotgnitive Therapy for Low-Functioning Patients With Scizophrenia October 2011Cognitive Therapy for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia--Editorial October 2011Peer Support Services, New Zealand 2011Addressing non-adherence to antipsychotic medication: a harm-reduction approach , M.A. Aldridge, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 2011. Many people decide not to take prescribed antipsychotics once they are discharged from the hospital. Stopping antipsychotics suddenly without support may result in harmful reactions and possible re-admission to the hospital. The ‘Non-Adherence Harm Reduction’ approach aims to reduce the harm of stopping antipsychotics, by informing and supporting those who make this personal decision. This approach values personal autonomy and may reduce the likelihood of harm and readmission in those who choose not to adhere to prescribed antipsychotics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9474064111709595}
{"content": "Earlier this week, The New York Times ’ Hannah Fairfield published a wonder graph of miles driven and traffic fatalities. So I figured we should revisit an earlier, similar graphic on the relationship between the price of gasoline and miles driven. It was also created by Hannah Fairfield and uses a similar approach: using values on the x- and y-axis while representing time with meandering lines.\nThis graph effectively demonstrates the law of demand, but forgoing the typical graphical relationship used in economics classes. This diagram clearly demonstrates the rise in gas prices are met with reducing the number of miles driven. Moreover, we see how inelastic consumers reaction to increase in prices. Only during the recent spike in prices did miles driven bend backward. The dramatic price increases only reverted the miles driven by a few years; however, the recent surge in prices reduce miles driven to 1999 levels.\nEconomic graphs of this relationship can be confusing, but this graph makes it clearer than the supply and demand models in textbooks try to communicate. Likewise, it makes a point economists struggle to highlight. By increasing fuel efficiency—which reduces the per mile cost of driving—how many more miles will be driven as a result?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6287562847137451}
{"content": "Title Factors affecting the cycling of dimethylsulfide and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in coral reef waters of the Great Barrier Reef\nDocument Type Article\nPublication details Jones, GB, Curran, M, Broadbent, AD, King, S, Fischer, E & Jones, RJ 2007, 'Factors affecting the cycling of dimethylsulfide and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in coral reef waters of the Great Barrier Reef', Environmental Chemistry , vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 310–322.\nThe publisher's version of this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EN06065\nAbstract A study of dissolved dimethylsulfide (DMSw), dissolved and particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd, DMSPp), and atmospheric dimethylsulfide (DMSa) was carried out at two inshore fringing coral reefs (Orpheus Island and Magnetic Island) in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to investigate the variation of these organosulfur substances with season, sea surface temperature, tides, and time of day. Highest concentrations of these organosulfur substances occurred in the summer months at both reefs, with lowest concentrations occurring during winter, suggesting a biological source of these compounds from the reef flats. At the Orpheus Island reef, where more measurements were made, DMSw and DMSPd were significantly correlated with tidal height during the flooding tide over the reef (r = 0.37, P < 0.05; r = 0.58, P < 0.01 respectively), and elevated DMSw and DMSa concentrations generally occurred in the daylight hours, possibly reflecting photosynthetic production of DMSw from the reef flats. Chamber experiments with the staghorn coral Acropora formosa confirmed that corals produce DMSw in the day. DMSw (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) and DMSPd (r = 0.59, P < 0.001) were significantly positively correlated with sea surface temperatures (SST) at the Orpheus Island reef. During severe coral bleaching at the eutrophic Magnetic Island reef in the summer, DMSw concentrations decreased at SSTs greater than 30°C, suggesting that reef production of DMSw decreases during elevated SSTs. This was later confirmed in chamber experiments with Acropora formosa, which showed that when this coral was exposed to temperatures at its bleaching threshold (31°C), decreased production of DMSw occurred. These results suggest that DMS and DMSP in coral zooxanthellae may be functioning as antioxidants, but further experiments are needed to substantiate this.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9162453413009644}
{"content": "Abstract: When an economy is at the upper part of the Laffer curve, a reduction in tax rates will, somewhat paradoxically, lead to a rise in the amount of money, both relatively and absolutely, the taxpayer will retain, but, also, to an increase in government revenues collected. The former result is a welcome one, from the libertarian perspective, not so the latter. Does this example exhibit a slight anomaly for the free enterprise philosophy (a rare case when a reduction in statism does not lead, unambiguously, to benefits), or does it furnish a true conundrum. The present paper argues that both are true.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.637747049331665}
{"content": "Building Tune-Up Programs\nIncentives for Optimizing Existing Building Systems\nAt Puget Sound Energy, we believe that cost-effective and substantial energy savings can be achieved through improved operation and maintenance (O&M) of a wide variety of non-residential buildings. That is why we offer financial incentives to building owners who engage in our Building Tune-Up programs for optimizing existing building systems.\nWhat is a Building Tune-Up?\nA Building Tune-Up is a systematic process for investigating, analyzing and optimizing the energy performance of a building’s systems. It focuses on the operation of the building, its mechanical equipment, lighting and related controls, and helps them to perform interactively to achieve energy savings and improve occupant comfort.\nWhy is a Building Tune-Up Necessary?\nOver time, changes in occupancy and function can challenge the operation of original building systems. A building’s mechanical and electrical systems often become less efficient as the building ages and experiences change. Small problems, lack of maintenance or errors in equipment settings can create inefficiencies that result in higher costs for utility bills, repairs and maintenance.\nWhat is the difference between PSE’s Custom Retrofit Grants and the Building Tune-Up Programs?\nRetrofits for energy-efficiency involve replacing outdated or inefficient equipment. Building Tune-Ups, on the other hand, focus on improving the operational efficiency of what is already in place, meaning that efficiency can be achieved with no major capital expense for the building owner.\nPSE offers two approaches to Building Tune-Ups—a simple approach and a comprehensive approach. Both programs serve PSE customers with buildings larger than 50,000 square feet. Both programs offer financial incentives for owners who participate in the optimization of existing buildings’ systems.\nOne-on-one off-site technical support\nENERGY STAR® Benchmark\nAnalysis and tracking of energy usage\nRelevant webinars\nPerformance incentives\nExisting building commissioning process\nComprehensive on-site review of systems\nAnalysis and tracking of energy usage\nPSE-approved Commissioning Providers\nSystems Manual\nHands-on training\nIncentive for Commissioning Provider’s costs\nPerformance incentives", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7770018577575684}
{"content": "What explains high unemployment? The aggregate demand channel We are grateful to the National Science Foundation, the Initiative on Global Markets at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Center for Research in Security Prices for funding. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6171534061431885}
{"content": "Many terpenes are used therapeutically, and as flavor and fragrance materials. (R)-(-)-Carvone, the main constituent of spearmint oil, and (S)-(+)-carvone, found as major component of caraway and dill seed oils, have several applications and are used in cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical preparations. In this study, the effect of enantiomers of carvone on the central nervous system (CNS) was evaluated in mice. The LD50 value was 484.2 mg/kg (358.9-653.2) for (S)-(+)-carvone, and 426.6 (389.0-478.6) mg/kg for (R)-(-)-carvone. Both enantiomers caused depressant effects, such as decrease in the response to the touch and ambulation, increase in sedation, palpebral ptosis, and antinociceptive effects. (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-carvone caused a significant decrease in ambulation. (R)-(-)-Carvone appeared to be more effective than its corresponding enantiomer at 0.5 and 2.0 h after administration. However, (S)-(+)-carvone was slightly more potent at 1 h. In potentiating pentobarbital sleeping time, (R)-(-)-carvone was more effective than (S)-(+)-carvone at 100 mg/kg, but was less potent at 200 mg/kg compared to the (+)-enantiomer, indicating a sedative action. (S)-(+)-Carvone at the dose of 200 mg/kg increased significantly the latency of convulsions induced by PTZ and PIC, but (R)-(-)-carvone was not effective against these convulsions. These results suggest that (S)-(+)-carvone and (R)-(-)-carvone have depressant effect in the CNS. (S)-(+)-Carvone appears to have anticonvulsant-like activity.\n(c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9097479581832886}
{"content": "Transport Most of us still use the car as our primary mode of transport. However, one-quarter of all car journeys are less than three kilometres. Car travel has a very significant environmental cost and impacts negatively on our health and wellbeing. To ride a bike the same distance uses less than one-fiftieth of the energy required to drive. Explore sustainable transport options.\nIf you have to use the car, those regular trips to work, the market or school can be done with others and you'll have more fun, use less petrol and save money. more »", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7180658578872681}
{"content": "\"Do you know why you're here?\" Benita Forest, Juvenile Diversion Officer for the Youngstown Police Department, asks the third-grader sitting across the table from her. \"Behavior,\" he mumbles through his hands that are covering his mouth. \"What about your behavior?\" Benita presses. The third-grader shifts in his seat, eyes to the floor and responds incoherently. \"Sit forward. Face me,\" Benita instructs. \"I don't want to listen,\" the boy finally admits. \"Do you think you want to work on that?\" she continues. The question is met with a half-nod, half-shrug. Grandma, sitting next to her third-grade grandson, describes a history of failing grades, fights and disrespect for teachers. \"That's gettin' you nowhere,\" Benita states firmly. To this, the third-grader responds freely with a resolute nod of his head. He seems to know where he's headed. He has no clue how to change directions. \"Let me tell you a little bit about the Diversion Program,\" Benita explains. \"Our program is for people [who] we believe can be helped.\" She pauses and waits for the boy to look her in the eye. \"Do you want to be helped?\" He stares, defiance still in his eyes, but now they are shaded with a glimmer of hope. No response comes from his lips, but he is still looking at her. That's a good sign. On the right path: The Juvenile Diversion Program, created in October 2000, is part of the Juvenile Division of the Youngstown Police Department. The goal of the program is to educate and counsel 7- to 17-year-old first-time misdemeanor offenders and lead them on a path of noncriminal behavior. The program is voluntary and serves, in many cases, as an alternative to formal criminal charges. \"Locking them up doesn't solve their problems,\" says Alice Garro, Director of the Diversion Program. \"YPD ends up seeing them again in 3 months.\" Though involvement in the program is voluntary, compliance is not. \"We have a waiting list,\" Alice explains. \"Three strikes and you're done.\" Another aspect of compliance in the program involves parents. \"We don't work with a child unless the parent is involved,\" Alice continues. \"It is very, very difficult to be successful in diversion if the parent is not involved.\" Benita is one of four Juvenile Diversion Officers involved in the program. Each officer handles 20 cases and works with each individual up to 90 days. The diversion officers assess if a youngster can be helped by the services they provide. Then, they develop a program based on the specific needs of each juvenile. Role models: \"We are not counselors,\" says Dan Barwick, a diversion officer. \"We utilize services in the community for that. But we do become a positive influence for a kid.\" Dan relates a success story from the program. \"I had a kid that came in with a bad attitude and behavior problems. I brought the reality to him about where he was headed. It opened something up in his head.\" Today, that reformed youth is interviewing for a job. Dorina Shine, another diversion officer, is working with a young fifth-grader who is nearing the end of her diversion experience. Clearly adoring of Dorina, the young girl explains what she has learned. \"I am learning to do the right things and not the wrong things.\" Dorina adds, \" And there [are] consequences to everything we do, right?\" The fifth-grader nods her head vigorously. \"This has helped me change my behavior. I don't have the 'I don't care' attitude anymore,\" she proudly explains. \"I'm doing better.\" As if to summarize her diversion experience, she adds, \"I understand that doing the right thing is good and doing the wrong thing is wrong.\" Diversion in a nutshell, YPD style. www.gwhite@vindy.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8652783036231995}
{"content": "The new welfare system takes for granted that all claimants are scroungers and cheats who need to be penalised. Political Scrapbook:\nThe £1.1 billion cost of fraud (a modest 0.7% of the total benefits spend) averages out to £59 across 18.5 million claimants. In contrast, MPs were ordered to pay back £1.2 million in the wake of Thomas Legg’s inquiry into expenses, an average of £1,858 for the 646 members of the Commons. Especially if the claimant supposedly has a “disability” and yet doesn’t fill in their ESA50 (Limited capability for work questionnaire). The claimant’s wife contacts ATOS and offers as an excuse that the claimant is in a coma, and presents a letter from the hospital where the claimant is staying which confirms that the claimant is in a coma, but really: if you don’t fill in your ESA50 yourself, or at least check and sign it, you are obviously a scrounger and a fraud.\nEmployment and Support Allowance focuses on the patient’s abilities – on what they can do rather than what they cannot. The overarching principle of Employment and Support Allowance is that everyone should have the opportunity to work and that people with an illness or disability should get the help and support necessary for them to engage in appropriate work, if they are able. It builds on the successful “Pathways to Work” programme, which is now available nationally. We are investing in every region to ensure that a range of services is available for your patients, including condition management programmes specifically designed to help your patients manage their conditions in preparation for a return to work.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8312356472015381}
{"content": "9 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT\nWe record property and equipment at cost, including interest and real estate taxes incurred during development and construction. Interest capitalized as a cost of property and equipment totaled $32 million in 2009, $55 million in 2008, and $49 million in 2007. We capitalize the cost of improvements that extend the useful life of property and equipment when incurred. These capitalized costs may include structural costs, equipment, fixtures, floor, and wall coverings. We expense all repair and maintenance costs as incurred. We compute depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets (three to 40 years), and we amortize leasehold improvements over the shorter of the asset life or lease term. Depreciation expense totaled $151 million in 2009, $155 million in 2008, and $162 million in 2007.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5632697343826294}
{"content": "Title Document Type Journal Article\nRIS ID 21806\nAbstract The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of an exploratory study on the characteristics of New Zealand start up IT firms that survived the dot.com collapse. The paper is based on the in-depth interviews of nine entrepreneurs of start-up IT firms in New Zealand. The findings reveal how moderate strategy types influence survival, and what core organizational characteristics influenced the realisation of these strategies. These findings indicate that the firms that survived projected characteristics of holistic strategic balance, mastering resources and unifying focus. Successful firms made purposeful choices on resource allocations and realized moderately simple strategies. In contrast, firms that failed projected a general lack of strategic balance, mastering and trade off. These firms’ organizational themes realized excessively complex strategies with no distinct focus.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.808229923248291}
{"content": "Saharan and Asian dust: similarities and differences determined by CALIPSO, AERONET, and a coupled climate-aerosol microphysical model\nDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA\nAbstract. This study compares the properties of atmospheric dust from the Saharan deserts and the Asian deserts using data from CALIPSO and AERONET during 2006 and 2007 along with simulations using a coupled climate-microphysical sectional model. Saharan deserts are largely south of 30° N, while Asian ones are primarily north of 30° N, hence they experience different meteorological regimes. Saharan dust lifting occurs all year long, primarily due to subtropical weather systems. However, Asian dust is lifted mostly in spring when mid-latitude frontal systems lead to high winds. Rainfall is more abundant over Asia during the dust lifting events, leading to greater local dust removal than over the Sahara. However, most dust removal is due to sedimentation. Despite the different meteorological regimes, the same dust lifting schemes work in models for Asian and Saharan dust. The magnitudes of dust lifted in Africa and Asia differ significantly over the year. In our model the yearly horizontal dust flux just downwind of the African dust source is about 1088 Tg (10° S–40° N, 10° W) and from the Asian dust source it is about 355 Tg (25° N–55° N, 105° E) in 2007, which is comparable to previous studies. We find the difference in dust flux is mainly due to the larger area over which dust is lifted in Africa than Asia. However, Africa also has stronger winds in some seasons. Once lifted, the Saharan dust layers generally move toward the west and descend in altitude from about 7 km to the surface over several days in the cases studied. Asian dust often has multiple layers (two layers in the cases studied) during transport largely to the east. One layer stays well above boundary layer during transport and shows little descent, while the other, lower, layer descends with time. This observation contrasts with studies suggesting the descent of Saharan dust is due to sedimentation of the particles, and suggests instead it is dominated by meteorology. We find the size distributions of Asian and African dust are similar when the dust is lifted, but the mode size can differ and secondary size modes can develop probably due to differences in vertical wind velocities during transport. The single scattering albedo of African and Asian dust does differ, due primarily to the imaginary parts of the refractive indexes being different, which in turn is likely due to different dust composition. This study is a step towards a global understanding of dust and its properties.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9902833700180054}
{"content": "Quartermaster Harbor closed for all species of shellfish harvesting\nTuesday, July 3, 2012\nParalytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) levels pose health risk\nParalytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) has been detected at levels of concern in shellfish samples collected from Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon-Maury Island. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed Quartermaster Harbor to the recreational harvest of shellfish.\nPublic Health Seattle & King County is posting advisory signs at Quartermaster Harbor warning people to not collect shellfish. The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of mollusks. Crabmeat is not known to contain the PSP toxin, but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (\"butter\"). This closure does not apply to shrimp.\nCommercial beaches are sampled separately and commercial products should be safe to eat.\nPSP poisoning can be life-threatening and is caused by eating shellfish containing a potent neurotoxin. A naturally occurring marine organism produces the toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.\nA person cannot determine if PSP toxin is present by visual inspection of the water or shellfish. For this reason, the term \"red tide\" is misleading and inaccurate. PSP can only be detected by laboratory testing.\nRecreational shellfish harvesting can be closed due to rising levels of PSP at any time. Therefore, harvesters are advised to call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit the Biotoxin website before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Puget Sound.\nProviding effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.9 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.739936351776123}
{"content": "Five representatives from the two houses would sit together to discuss the Domestic Violence Prevention Bill of Bhutan, 2013, as National Assembly members yesterday refused to endorse 20 clauses amended by the National Council.\nOf the 51 clauses National Council members made changes to, National Assembly member refused to endorse clauses that mentioned about who should conduct physical verification; and report the matter to police; to grading of offences of domestic violence and who the designated protection officer should function under.\nThe Women and Children Committee chairperson, Karma Lhamo, explained to assembly members that offences were graded differently as there are different types of violence perpetrated, inclusive of emotional and psychological violence.\nIn the discussion that took about four hours, most of it was on whether a separate court should be established for the trial of domestic violence cases.\nWhile the National Assembly members stated that establishing a separate court is not practical and if necessary, His Majesty, on recommendation of National Judicial Commission, may establish a separate court.\nTrongsa’s Drakten-Langthel MP, Rinchen Dorji, said it would be difficult to establish a separate court for domestic violence trial even in Thimphu, as courts in other dzongkhags might not deal with domestic violence cases and refer it to Thimphu, which would complicate things.\nNational Assembly members also refused to endorse the clause that mentioned about how media should report domestic violence cases. While the draft clause stated that media shall maintain professional standards including privacy in reporting and covering domestic violence, the National Council members included media ethics in the clause.\nHowever, the National Assembly members refused to endorse it, stating that ethics is synonymous to standard. Meanwhile, the National Assembly would have seek the approval of His Majesty to conduct a joint sitting.\nBy Tashi Dema", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8741155862808228}
{"content": "Let's try this during the show! :-0\n7 a.m. When you wake up, immediately hit the floor and do 10 pushups. As you get stronger, add an extra two pushups each week. As you increase the amount of reps, you'll spot a real difference in your upper arms. 7:10 a.m. For a high-protein breakfast, microwave eggs for two minutes. Fit in cardio by doing 20 jumping jacks, 20 squats, 20 front lunges, and 20 tricep dips on your kitchen chair before the buzzer goes off.\n7:30 a.m. When you're brushing your teeth, alternate between calf raises and squeezing your butt muscles for toning every other day. 7:45 a.m. Squeeze in 50 crunches before you get dressed. It's great to do abdominal exercises before you put on your clothes. You feel skinnier. 8:00 a.m. Whether you're dropping the kids off at school or heading to work, skip the elevator. Make sure you're wearing flats or comfortable shoes, and run up the stairs to burn some calories and help strengthen your glutes.\n8:05 a.m. When you reach the final flight, work the outside of your thighs by sidestepping halfway to the landing, leading with your left leg. 8:10 a.m. Work your other side by sidestepping up the stairs until you reach your floor, this time leading with your right leg.\n9:00 a.m. Use your desk or or your coffee table to do 15 inclined pushups. Different angles work different muscle groups. Doing pushups flat on the ground when you first wake up and then doing them inclined later helps work different parts of your chest, upper back, and core for a more complete workout. 9:30 a.m. Rather than sitting still when you're on the phone, keep moving. Take hold of a chair, extend one of your legs to the side, and pulse it out for 20 seconds while focusing on squeezing your thighs. Repeat with the opposite leg. This move is great for core for stabilization as well as toning the outer thighs, which minimizes saddlebags. 9:45 a.m. You've earned a coffee break! Drop down for 10 squats, and head out for a latte.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5280089974403381}
{"content": "Linking Assessment With Instruction\nMetaMetrics® is focused on improving education for learners of all ages. We develop scientific measures of academic achievement and complementary technologies that link assessment results with real-world instruction.\nFor more than twenty years, our work has been increasingly recognized worldwide for its distinct value in differentiating instruction and personalizing learning. In the U.S., our research on postsecondary reading demands informed the Common Core State Standards for college- and career-readiness.\nOur products and services for reading, mathematics and writing provide unique insights about academic ability and the potential for growth, enabling individuals to achieve their goals at every stage of development.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9049469232559204}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Crohn's disease (CD) and Takayasu's arteritis (TA) are inflammatory granulomatous autoimmune disorders. Simultaneous occurrence of CD and TA in the same individual is rare. We report two cases treated with biologic agents. Case 1: A 16-year-old male presented with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. CT angiogram showed thickening of the terminal ileum, wall thickening and narrowing of multiple large and medium arteries including aorta and left common carotid. Colonoscopy with biopsy of the stenotic ileocecal valve confirmed CD. Resected carotid artery pathology was consistent with TA. Treatment was initially begun with prednisone, then methotrexate was started followed by infliximab. Due to side effects, methotrexate was switched to azathioprine. He remained asymptomatic. Case 2: A 38-year-old male with well-characterized Crohn's ileocolitis for 15 years, who had been treated with prednisone, mesalamine, sulfasalazine, and azathioprine presented with chest, upper back and abdominal pain. CT angiogram showed vasculitis of large and medium arteries, with stenosis of the right renal artery, and wall thickening of the sigmoid colon. He was diagnosed with TA. He underwent treatment with infliximab and adalumimab on different occasions, which were later discontinued due to fever, bacteremia and complications from sepsis. He remained on prednisone and azathioprine. In these two patients with both CD and TA the diagnoses were confirmed by imaging and pathologic findings. Both patients developed vascular complications. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy was effective in one patient but discontinued in the other due to infection. Further research into the association of CD and TA may provide clues to their etiologies and guide effective interventions. Case Reports in Gastroenterology 01/2010; 4(1):35-40.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8373438119888306}
{"content": "The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has issued a decision (MCA/D/13-1475) on broadband quality of service (QoS) standards obliging internet service providers (ISPs) to make additional information available to users and the regulator, such as advertising a typical speed range (TSR) for each of its tariffs. Under the new rules, ISPs are required to measure and report to the MCA QoS parameters, including data transmission speed, internet access availability, latency and packets lost. Further, ISPs must display a TSR in any advertising material, at the point of sale and in all subscriber contracts, giving it the same importance as the headline speed. The TSR for existing tariffs is to be calculated on a quarterly basis by analysing the connection speed of a statistical sample of customers, representative of all connections under the same headline speed, over the course of thirty days. The 80th and 20th percentile marks are then used as the TSR for the package. For new tariffs, ISPs must use ‘realistic and prudent estimates’ based on existing network information to give a TSR. If the estimated TSR should differ significantly from the actual figure, the provider must inform its customers.\nThe decision also covers the inclusion of additional data in subscriber contracts, such as maximum time for initial connection and disconnection, repair time for faults and minimum access speeds for internet services.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6916857957839966}
{"content": "Publication Details\nThe acquisition of stimulus equivalence in individuals with fragile X syndrome. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2006; (Pt 9): 643-51\nFew studies have employed stimulus equivalence procedures to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) new skills. To date, no studies of stimulus equivalence have been conducted in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common known cause of inherited ID.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6825644969940186}
{"content": "Abstract:\nStringano, E., Gea, A., Salminen, J-P, Mueller-Harvey, I. J. Chromatogr. A 2011, 1218, 7804-7812.\nThis study was undertaken to explore gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for estimating molecular weights of proanthocyanidin fractions isolated from sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia). The results were compared with data obtained by thiolytic degradation of the same fractions. Polystyrene, polyethylene glycol and polymethyl methacrylate standards were not suitable for estimating the molecular weights of underivatized proanthocyanidins. Therefore, a novel HPLC-GPC method was developed based on two serially connected PolarGel-L columns using DMF that contained 5% water, 1% acetic acid and 0.15 M LiBr at 0.7 mL/min and 50 oC. This yielded a single calibration curve for galloyl glucoses (trigalloyl glucose, pentagalloyl glucose), ellagitannins (pedunculagin, vescalagin, punicalagin, oenothein B, gemin A), proanthocyanidins (procyanidin B2, cinnamtannin B1), and several other polyphenols (catechin, epicatechin gallate, epicallocatechin gallate, amentoflavone). These GPC predicted molecular weights represented a considerable advance over previously reported HPLC-GPC methods for underivatized proanthocyanidins.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997509717941284}
{"content": "We know to stay away from people when they're sick with the flu—but what about when our friends, family, and colleagues are stressed or angry?\nThe moods of others may be just as contagious as their germs, suggests Monmouth University professor Gary W. Lewandowski, Jr., in an article written for\nScientific American .Psychologists dubbed this as \"emotional contagion,\" a phenomenon that Lewandowski describes in three steps:\n1. Our nonconscious mind mimics facial expressions through our Mirror Neuron System. This system records expressions and body movements of another person's smile or scowl. In response, it signals activity to\nyour facial muscles, causing a mirrored expression on your face.2. The expression generated by nonconscious mimicry spirals into a corresponding emotion. When you smile, you generate happiness within yourself. When you scowl, you trigger anger.\n3. You and the other person will share these experiences until you reach a shared emotional state.\nIt's wonderful to catch another person's good mood, but should you run away when a friend is upset? How do we shield ourselves from others' negativity?\nLet's say your day is humming right along, and you're in the flow, perhaps celebrating a personal victory or simply in a state of silent appreciation for the blessings in your life. When all of a sudden—wham! You cross paths with someone who is down on their luck, in a foul mood, or is otherwise irritable.\nIn the presence of this person you no longer feel quite so happy. You start to catch their emotions, feeling resentful, annoyed, and or perhaps downright depressed.\nIn these situations you're faced with a choice: You can either invite the other person to synchronize with your emotional state, or you'll unwittingly synchronize with theirs.\nThe next time you find yourself dealing with someone who's angry, depressed, or otherwise oozing negativity, try this technique from Marci Shimoff's\nHappy for No Reason course:1. Keep your emotional balance by tuning in to your body. Deepen your breathing, and notice any sensations that arise within you. This will keep you from a knee-jerk reaction.\n2. Point out the positive—gently and without judgment. Most people who are feeling cranky and upset aren't deliberately trying to bring others down. Look beyond their behavior and you'll see that they're just trying to find a way to feel some relief.\n3. Offer a lighthearted comment—or better yet, a bit of praise or appreciation—and they may see the situation from a new perspective. When you can't think of anything positive to say, know that simply staying neutral in the face of their negativity is a gift in itself.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7013975381851196}
{"content": "Nexium.\nNo Prescription Nexium is prescribed to patients who are suffering from ulcers and for patients who have abnormally high stomach acidity. Nexium is prescribed for the treatment of acid-reflux disorders (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease. Nexium is in a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which block the production of acid by the stomach. Proton pump inhibitors are used for the treatment of conditions such as stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome which all are caused by stomach acid. Nexium, like other proton-pump inhibitors, blocks the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. By blocking the enzyme, the production of acid is decreased, and this allows the stomach and esophagus to heal. Side Effects The most common side effects are: - Abnormal heartbeat; - Diarrhea; - Dizziness; - Headaches; - Leg cramps; - Muscle pain; - Nausea; - Nervousness; - Rash; - Vomiting; - Water retention; - Weakness; Side effects regularly include: - Nausea; - Headache; - Dryness of mouth; - Diarrhea; - Constipation; - Abdominal Upsets; - Constipation; - Diarrhoea; - Headache; - Nausea; - Vomiting; Contraindications Nexium is contraindicated if you have any of the following conditions: - If you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breast-feeding; - If you have noticed any of the following: major weight loss, continuously being sick or noticing blood in your sick, difficulty swallowing, or blood in your stools; - If you take a medicine called atazanavir; Overdose Reported Nexium overdose symptoms are: - Sweating; - Rapid heartbeat; - Nausea; - Dry mouthflushingheadache; - Drowsiness; - Confusion; - Blurred vision; Other Brand Names In some countries Nexium may also be known as: - Axagon; - Esopral; - Lucen; - Nexiam; - Nexium IV; - Nexium; Form. Capsules: 20 milligrams, Capsules: 40 milligrams; Intravenous: 20, Intravenous: 40 milligrams. Dosage. For GERD, 20 or 40 milligrams of Nexium is given once daily for 4-8 weeks. For the treatment of H. pylori, 40 milligrams is administered once daily in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin for 10 days. Nexium capsules should be administered one hour before meals, swallowed whole and should not be crushed or chewed. Patients with difficulty swallowing can open the capsule and mix the pellets with applesauce. The applesauce should not be hot and the pellets should not be chewed or crushed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9980809092521667}
{"content": "Significance and Use\nThe amount of cobalt drier used in oxidizing-type coatings significantly affects their drying properties. This test method may be used to confirm the stated cobalt content of a pure liquid cobalt drier soluble in glacial acetic acid and manufactured for use by the coatings industry.\n1. Scope\n1.1 This test method covers a titrimetric determination of cobalt in liquid paint driers that can be dissolved in glacial acetic acid and utilizes the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dihydrate (EDTA).\n1.2 This test method is not applicable to drier blends. If driers other than cobalt are present, they may interfere by reacting with EDTA under the conditions used for analysis.\n1.3 All cations that can be titrated with EDTA in alkaline media interfere and must not be present in the sample.\n1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.\n1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.\n2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.\nASTM Standards\nD600 Specification for Liquid Paint Driers\nD1193 Specification for Reagent Water\nE180 Practice for Determining the Precision of ASTM Methods for Analysis and Testing of Industrial and Specialty Chemicals\nE300 Practice for Sampling Industrial Chemicals\nKeywords\ncobalt drier analysis; EDTA method; Paint driers; Cobalt content; EDTA method;\nICS Code\nICS Number Code 87.060.99 (Other paint ingredients)\nDOI: 10.1520/D2373-05R11 ASTM International is a member of CrossRef. Citing ASTM Standards\n[Back to Top]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8937130570411682}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Proteolytic cleavage of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) by calpains impairs calcium homeostasis, leading to a delayed calcium overload and excitotoxic cell death. However, it is not known whether reversal of the exchanger contributes to activate calpains and trigger neuronal death. We investigated the role of the reversal of the NCX in Ca(2+) dynamics, calpain activation and cell viability, in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor-stimulated hippocampal neurons. Selective overactivation of AMPA receptors caused the reversal of the NCX, which accounted for approximately 30% of the rise in intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). The NCX reverse-mode inhibitor, 2-[2-[4-(4-nitrobenzyloxy)phenyl]ethyl]isothiourea (KB-R7943), partially inhibited the initial increase in [Ca(2+)](i), and prevented a delayed increase in [Ca(2+)](i). In parallel, overactivation of AMPA receptors strongly activated calpains and led to the proteolysis of NCX3. KB-R7943 prevented calpain activation, cleavage of NCX3 and was neuroprotective. Silencing of NCX3 reduced Ca(2+) uptake, calpain activation and was neuroprotective. Our data show for the first time that NCX reversal is an early event following AMPA receptor stimulation and is linked to the activation of calpains. Since calpain activation subsequently inactivates NCX, causing a secondary Ca(2+) entry, NCX may be viewed as a new suicide substrate operating in a Ca(2+)-dependent loop that triggers cell death and as a target for neuroprotection. Cell Death and Differentiation 10/2007; 14(9):1635-46. · 8.85 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8524044156074524}
{"content": "Title Date of Award 8-11-2006\nDegree Type Dissertation\nDegree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)\nDepartment Computer Information Systems\nFirst Advisor Mark Keil - Co-Chair\nSecond Advisor Arun Rai - Co-Chair\nThird Advisor Edward Rigdon\nFourth Advisor Lynette Kvasny\nAbstract Digital inequality, or the disparity in the access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), is one of the most critical issues in the knowledge economy. This inequality prevents under-privileged people from exploring digital opportunities to enhance their life quality. Governments, business, and the public have devoted tremendous resources to address this issue, but the results are inconclusive. Theoretical understanding, complemented with theory-based empirical assessment of the phenomenon, is essential to inform effective policy-making and interventions. This dissertation explored the key factors that lead to the inequality in the access and use of ICT, particularly the high-speed Internet, between the privileged and under-privileged. I applied a belief-based perspective to understand how distinctive beliefs concerning ICT acceptance differentially influence under-privileged and privileged people¡¦s innovation decision and behavior at different stages of the implementation process. A theoretical model that drew upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, Motivation Theory, Social Learning Theory, Diffusion of Innovation, and Trust was developed to explain how cognitive, social, behavioral, and institutional factors inform digital inequality as a whole. The conceptual model and forwarded hypotheses in the dissertation were empirically tested using data collected from a large-scale field survey. The survey investigated the adoption and usage behavior of residents in the city of LaGrange, Georgia where the city government, aiming to address digital inequality, provided high-speed Internet connection and devices to residents at no cost. A complementary case study was subsequently conducted to examine a multi-stage process model in which various barriers and facilitators may prevent or promote the progress of individuals¡¦ ICT innovation. The results of this research reveal valuable insights into the differential patterns of ICT access and usage, and the key factors that cause them, for under-privileged and privileged people. The findings, in turn, suggest a segmentation and stepwise technology implementation strategy for people with different backgrounds and at different stages of their innovation processes. This dissertation makes several notable contributions for both researchers and practitioners. First, the dissertation contributes a holistic and theoretically grounded perspective that extends beyond the technology-centered view in most digital inequality studies. It also highlights the multifaceted nature of the phenomenon. As such, this research meets the challenge set forward by notable researchers to develop theoretical models capable of revealing the complexity embedded in this issue. Second, the dissertation presents a unifying theory reflected upon adoption and diffusion of innovation. Testing theories in the context of digital inequality extends and complements our existing knowledge about these related fields. Most importantly, the empirical findings derived from the rich data set identity powerful leverage points for stimulating the adoption and use of ICT among the under-privileged. With such insights, practitioners, particularly policy-makers and service providers, can formulate effective interventions to address the problem of digital inequality.\nRecommended Citation HSIEH, JJ PO-AN, \"Leverage Points for Addressing Digital Inequality: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective\" (2006). Computer Information Systems Dissertations. Paper 14. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cis_diss/14", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8378992080688477}
{"content": "We examined (a) whether motivational orientation can spread from teachers to students during 2 consecutive teachingâlearning sessions and (b) mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in a special physical education session delivered to high school students. Participants who were taught a sport activity by an allegedly paid instructor reported lower interest in learning and exhibited less persistence in a free-choice period than students taught by a supposedly volunteer instructor, despite receiving the same standardized lesson across experimental conditions. When participants taught the activity to their peers in a subsequent unconstrained learning session, lower levels of interest and behavioral persistence were also exhibited by learners who received the second lesson. A structural equati… Journal of Educational Psychology via MedWorm.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7150723934173584}
{"content": "Strouble Farms Ltd Payment Breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Total USDA - Subsidies$305,314 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies $303,164 Subtotal, Disaster Payments $2,150\nCommodity subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies$303,164 Total Direct Payments $57,691 Direct Program Payments - 2008 Farm Bill $18,952 Direct Payment - Corn $24,897 Direct Payment - Oats $354 Direct Payment - Soybeans $8,403 Direct Payment - Wheat $5,085 Total Counter Cyclical Payments $10,233 Counter Cyclical Payment - Corn $10,233 Production Flexibility Contracts $67,968 Production Flexibility - Corn $58,423 Production Flexibility - Oats $464 Production Flexibility - Wheat $9,081 Mkt. Loss Asst. - Commodity Crops $38,981 Market Loss Assistance - Corn $33,728 Market Loss Assistance - Oats $248 Market Loss Assistance - Wheat $5,005 Market Loss Assistance - Non-commodity $9,221 Market Loss Assistance - Dairy $9,221 Oilseed Program $3,310 Oilseed Program - Soybean $3,310 Deficiency Payments $-4,572 Deficiency - Corn $-3,939 Deficiency - Wheat $-633 Loan Deficiency Payments $86,973 Loan Deficiency - Corn $39,954 Loan Deficiency - Oats $938 Loan Deficiency - Soybeans $36,604 Loan Deficiency - Wheat $9,477 Total Dairy Program $33,359 Milk Income Loss Contract Payment $25,429 Milk Income Loss Transitional Payment $5,736 Dairy Ecomonic Loss Assistance Program $2,194\nDisaster subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Disaster Payments$2,150 Misc. Disaster Payments $732 Quality Losses Program $732 Livestock Compensation Program $1,418\nNote: The information on conservation spending for 2011and 2012 are incomplete due to missing data from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In addition some payments made in 2010 were not assigned to recipients in the data received from NRCS. Those payments are also not included.The information provided for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) provides an inaccurate picture of how WRP payments are distributed. USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service uses title companies as intermediaries to finalize wetlands easements under the Wetlands Reserve Program. As a result, the data provided to us shows large sums of money going to these title companies. In reality, the payments are ultimately distributed to landowners participating in the WRP.\nUnfortunately, NRCS has not provided the data to show where these farms and wetlands are located or which farmers or landowners are enrolling in the program, so EWG is unable to allocate these large sums of money to individuals beyond the title companies. Therefore, these companies skew the conservation rankings and payment concentration, which EWG cannot avoid unless and until NRCS makes available the additional farm attribution data. Therefore, we have not included WRP payments in the 2011 or 2012 data update.\nWe have separated data on farm commodity, disaster and conservation payments in order to provide a more accurate picture of top recipients and concentration of payments among the three main categories of USDA programs.\nFinally, EWG works hard to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides through its products and services, but obtains data for the Farm Subsidy Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, EWG cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information USDA provides or any analysis based thereon. If you find an error or discrepancy on the site, please contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office to check its records before contacting EWG.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5740468502044678}
{"content": "Published July 1, 2008. The key to avoiding the charred skin and dried-out meat that plague most grilled chicken breasts is all in how you set up the fire.\nGrilling chicken breasts isn't all that easy to get right. Burnt, limp skin and sooty, parched meat are too often the reality.\nThe perfectly grilled chicken breast should be cooked bone-in with the skin on for extra flavor and juiciness, the smoke-infused meat tender and succulent, and the skin golden and crisp.\nBrining the chicken breasts for an hour or so before grilling helped ensure juicy, seasoned meat throughout, but consistency was an issue. We needed to focus on developing a precise grilling technique to minimize temperature fluctuation, thereby ensuring perfect meat every time. To do so, we created a sort of oven within an oven by covering the chicken with a piece of foil before closing the lid. This approach, combined with cooking the breasts skin-side down on the cooler half of a modified two-level fire, finished cooking all six of the chicken breasts simultaneously. But we had one remaining problem: flabby skin. To solve it we developed a three-step dance: Cook the chicken on all sides over the hotter part of the grill until lightly browned; move it to the cooler half and cover with foil; finish the breasts on the hotter side, cooking on both sides until the skin is brown and crisp.\nlist of recipes", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8377398252487183}
{"content": "by Cathrine Hagem and Bjart Holtsmark - We argue that the CDM is not an efficient tool for achieving deep cuts in global emissions and conclude that maintaining the CDM as an option for developing countries may in itself be a serious obstacle to more binding participation by these countries. Hagem, C. and B. Holtsmark (2009). \"Does the Clean Development Mechanism have a viable future?\" Statistics Norway, Research Department, Discussion Papers No. 577, February.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9904012680053711}
{"content": "Libya Special Weapons Guide\nFollowing a series of consultations in Tripoli on this issue, UNSMIL began facilitating informal coordination among the Libyan authorities, Member States providing or offering assistance, and the relevant international organizations, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This informal group serves, on a temporary basis, to facilitate information flows on actual or suspected chemical, nuclear or other non-conventional arms, material and sites, including security conditions at such sites, and on offers of assistance by international partners.\nThe National Transitional Council forces appear to be controlling all relevant chemical and nuclear material sites; centralized command and control remains a concern. Although IAEA has recognized the importance of verifying and safeguarding existing nuclear materials, its primary immediate concern was to account for nuclear material used for commercial and medical purposes. Regarding stocks of uranium fissile material (“yellowcake”), IAEA has noted that these do not pose a major proliferation concern or radiological hazard. Discussions with Libya are under way for possible missions by IAEA to cover both safeguards and nuclear security-related activities.\nOn 3 November 2011, a team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons carried out an inspection at the Ruwagha depot in the south-east of the country, the first since February 2011. It confirmed that the depot’s full stockpiles of sulphur mustard and other chemical agents remained in place, and it took further measures to ensure the integrity of the stockpiles until destruction operations can resume under verification by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Importantly, however, two previously undeclared sites have been identified and secured by Libyan counterparts in recent weeks. The Libyan authorities officially notified the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of the discoveries on 1 November, and that organization will continue to work with the Libyan authorities to verify and destroy any newly declared stocks.\nNEWSLETTER\nJoin the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.883834958076477}
{"content": "An environmental group is suing the U.S. Forest Service for not protecting the endangered Mexican spotted owl that resides in the national forests of the Southwest. The Mexican spotted owl was one of the first animals to be listed on the Endangered Species Act of 1993. However, its population remains low and in certain areas is declining and its habitat diminishing.\nThe WildEarth Guardianss allege the U.S. Forest Service is considering projects that would further endanger the spotted owl such as allowing commercial timber harvesting and grazing. It also alleges the U.S. Forest Service is not following protocol called for in the Endangered Species Act that would provide detailed impact assessments of any activity occurring on the 8 million protected acres. The suit only covers projects being proposed in Arizona and New Mexico but the protected national areas span two other states, not part of the lawsuit, Utah and Colorado", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9225395917892456}
{"content": "The National Myopia Prevention Programme aims to reduce/delay the onset and progression of myopia among children in Singapore through a multi-pronged approach.\nSingapore has one of the highest prevalence rates in the world for myopia. This is a cause for concern as the earlier a child develops myopia, the higher the tendency of developing severe myopia later in life. It is important to be aware that severe myopia may lead to complications which can result in blindness.\nThe Health Promotion Board (HPB) launched the National Myopia Prevention Programme (NMPP) in August 2001 with the aim of preventing and reducing myopia progression as well as to delay the onset of myopia in children. This is achieved mainly through public education and vision screening for children.\nVision screening aims to detect poor vision early so that children can be referred for vision correction. It is conducted for Kindergarten1 and Kindergarten 2 students at the pre-schools. For the primary and secondary students, it is conducted as part of the annual health screening.\nPreschoolers and Primary 1 students found to have poor visual acuity (of 6/12 or worse) are referred to Refraction Clinics at Geylang Polyclinic and the Student Health Centre at HPB. Students from other educational levels are given a referral letter to visit a private optometrist of their choice. In addition to vision screening, there are other various myopia prevention activities that reach out to the public and schools to educate children, parents and teachers on good eye care habits.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.786240816116333}
{"content": "Everyone in the world depends on the oceans for resources, transportation of goods, tourism, food, climate regulation, and natural beauty. Yet within a few decades, our oceans may be devastated by a human-created environmental…more\nThis profile may constitute attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Any correspondence with this profile holder does not constitute a client/attorney relationship. Neither the content on this profile nor transmissions between you and the profile holder through this profile are intended to provide legal or other advice or to create an attorney-client relationship.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9916016459465027}
{"content": "Becoming World Wise offers an integrated approach to cross-cultural learning aimed at transforming our consciousness while also contributing to the flourishing of the communities that host us.This book guides independent and purposeful learners considering destinations off the “beaten path” on connecting with a wider world. Whether traveling on their own, or as part of a group arranged by an educational institution, humanitarian organization, or congregation, this book will enable them to make their international encounter rewarding, authentic, enriching, and learning-oriented.\nWhile primarily intended for foreign study and service situations, the ideas are just as relevant to intercultural learning within domestic settings. In a “globalized” world, diverse cultures intermingle near and far, at home and abroad.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9979441165924072}
{"content": "Keep bugs away this holiday | Health This time of year is bustling with holiday travels and families are preparing to gather for the season.\nThe unfortunate reality is that some of our favorite things can lead to the spreading of bedbugs this holiday season. Intense travel, like that during the holidays, allows the pests to spread from one location to another.\nAlthough they are found in beds, many neglect to think of other places bedbugs can be found. Sitting on a plane or in the seats waiting at your terminal before boarding can be a prime time for bedbugs to latch on from the previous sitter. They won’t begin biting until you’re settled such as on the long flight or once you’ve reached your bed that night (whether it be at home, a hotel or family’s house).\nMany families take in a holiday movie. Unfortunately movie theaters have become a place where bedbugs spread as well. Even a stack of coats at holiday parties can spread bedbugs. Please find the tips below from Terminix, the nation’s largest pest control company, which can help curb the spread of bedbugs this holiday season.\nTry getting to movie theaters early to brush seats and check between seats and armrests for signs of infestation. Check plane seats for sign of infestation. If you feel that you have been through an area where many pass through, such as airports, wash travel clothing in warm water and run through a warm dryer cycle once you reach your home. Be mindful of strong, musty odors permeating from seats, beds, clothing or linens. This odor is a sign of infestation. Hang all clothing, including winter coats, to prevent spreading from laying clothing on furniture or beds. Party hosts, the bed of blankets could be unsanitary for both you and your guests. Instead hang them in a coat closet. Upon returning home, leave suitcases in the basement or garage until you have had the opportunity to inspect for bedbugs. Vacuum luggage thoroughly. If you suspect bedbugs to be in your home, have it inspected by a professional. Do-it-yourself remedies traditionally worsen the situation. Terminix offers free, no-obligation home inspections.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.77401202917099}
{"content": "I\nIBP - One of the three largest beef-packing companies.\nimmunity - Ability of an animal to resist or overcome infection.\nimplant - To graft or insert material to intact tissues.\ninbreeding - Mating of individuals more closely related than the average individuals in a population. Inbreeding increases homozygosity in the cattle population but does not change gene frequency.\nincome Difference between revenue and expenses that is referred to as net income; gross income refers to total income.\nincome statement - Financial statement that summarizes all revenues and expenses and used to determine the net income or net loss for a given period of time, usually a year.\nindependent culling level - Selection method whereby minimum acceptable phenotypic levels are assigned to several traits.\nindex - Overall merit rating of an animal.\ninflation - General increase in prices that decreases the purchasing power of a dollar.\ninsemination - Deposition of semen in the female reproductive tract.\nintake - The amount of feed consumed by an animal per day. Intake is usually expressed as a percent of bodyweight or in pounds per day.\nintegrated resource management (IRM) - Multidisciplinary approach to managing cattle more efficiently and profitably; management decisions are based on how all resources are affected.\nintegration - Bringing together of two or more segments of beef production and processing under one centrally organized unit.\nintensive grazing management (IGM) - Grazing management where a grazing unit is subdivided into subunits (paddocks) with grazing periods typically less than 5 days.\nintensive rotational grazing - Synonymous with “intensive grazing management.”\ninterest rate - Charge or fee associated with borrowed money.\nintermuscular fat - Fat located between muscle systems. Also called seam fat.\nintramuscular fat - Fat within the muscle or marbling.\ninter se mating - Mating of animals within a defined population. Literally to mate among themselves.\nintravenous - Within the vein. An intravenous injection is made into a vein.\nin vitro - Outside the living body; in a test tube or artificial environment.\nin vivo - Within the living body.\ninvolution - Return of an organ to its normal size or condition after being enlarged (e.g., the uterus after parturition). A decline in size or activity of other tissues; the mammary gland tissues normally involute with advancing lactation.\nionophore - Antibiotic that enhances feed efficiency by changing microbial fermentation in the rumen.\nIRM - See integrated resource management (IRM).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5682752132415771}
{"content": "The role of tectonic uplift, climate and vegetation in the long-term terrestrial phosphorous cycle\n1Max Planck Institut für Biogeochemie, P.O. Box 10 01 64, 07701 Jena, Germany2Department of Civil Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USAAbstract. Phosphorus (P) is a crucial element for life and therefore for maintaining ecosystem productivity. Its local availability to the terrestrial biosphere results from the interaction between climate, tectonic uplift, atmospheric transport and biotic cycling. Here we present a mathematical model that describes the terrestrial P-cycle in a simple but comprehensive way. The resulting dynamical system can be solved analytically for steady-state conditions, allowing us to test the sensitivity of the P-availability to the key parameters and processes. Given constant inputs, we find that humid ecosystems exhibit lower P availability due to higher runoff and losses, and that tectonic uplift is a fundamental constraint. In particular, we find that in humid ecosystems the biotic cycling seem essential to maintain long-term P-availability. The time-dependent P dynamics for the Franz Josef and Hawaii chronosequences show how tectonic uplift is an important constraint on ecosystem productivity, while hydroclimatic conditions control the P-losses and speed towards steady-state. The model also helps describe how with limited uplift and atmospheric input, as in the case of the Amazon Basin, ecosystems must rely on mechanisms that enhance P-availability and retention. Our analysis underlines the need to include the P cycle in global vegetation-atmosphere models for a reliable representation of the response of the terrestrial biosphere to global change.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8147016167640686}
{"content": "In \"Vibrant Matter\" the political theorist Jane Bennett, renowned for her work on nature, ethics, and affect, shifts her focus from the human experience of things to things themselves. Bennett argues that political theory needs to do a better job of recognizing the active participation of nonhuman forces in events. Toward that end, she theorizes a \"vital materiality\" that runs through and across bodies, both human and nonhuman. Bennett explores how political analyses of public events might change were we to acknowledge that agency always emerges as the\" \"effect of ad hoc configurations of human and nonhuman forces. She suggests that recognizing that agency is distributed this way, and is not solely the province of humans, might spur the cultivation of a more responsible, ecologically sound politics: a politics less devoted to blaming and condemning individuals than to discerning the web of forces affecting situations and events.Bennett examines the political and theoretical implications of vital materialism through extended discussions of commonplace things and physical phenomena including stem cells, fish oils, electricity, metal, and trash. She reflects on the vital power of material formations such as landfills, which generate lively streams of chemicals, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can transform brain chemistry and mood. Along the way, she engages with the concepts and claims of Spinoza, Nietzsche, Thoreau, Darwin, Adorno, and Deleuze, disclosing a long history of thinking about vibrant matter in Western philosophy, including attempts by Kant, Bergson, and the embryologist Hans Driesch to name the \"vital force\" inherent in material forms. Bennett concludes by sketching the contours of a \"green materialist\" ecophilosophy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9939547181129456}
{"content": "Men benefit more than women from nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation because nicotine affects a key neuroreceptor differently in the two sexes, a NIDA-sponsored study suggests. The findings highlight the need for alternative therapies for women smokers, and point to the female hormone progesterone as a potential therapeutic target.\nMarijuana-dependent outpatients who were treated with the medication gabapentin in a pilot clinical trial reduced their cannabis use more and reported fewer symptoms of drug withdrawal than patients who received a placebo.\nSoluble-film preparations of buprenorphine suppressed heroin abusers’ withdrawal symptoms with no serious side effects in a recent clinical trial. They dissolved more rapidly in the mouth than the pill form of the medication, providing faster relief.\nSublingual buprenorphine is a safe and effective alternative to methadone for treating opioid dependence during pregnancy, finds the Maternal Opioid Treatment: Human Experimental Research (MOTHER) study, a NIDA-supported clinical trial. Women who received either medication had similar pregnancy and birth outcomes, but infants born to women who received buprenorphine had milder symptoms of neonatal opioid withdrawal.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7392398118972778}
{"content": "Prepare for grass tetany season A University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist counsels farmers to prepare for grass tetany season in March.\nGrass tetany can result from a magnesium deficiency in spring calving herds consuming lush forages high in potassium and low in calcium and sodium, said Justin Sexten of the MU Extension Commercial Agriculture Program.\n\"Cattle suffering from grass tetany will walk with stiff, uncoordinated legs and frequently urinate,\" Sexten said. \"During advanced stages, cattle will lie down and thrash with paddling motions and convulsions.\"\nOlder cows during early lactation are most susceptible to grass tetany. Cattle grazing on nitrogen-fertilized grass pastures also are more susceptible due to greater forage potassium levels interfering with magnesium uptake.\nLivestock with grass tetany need immediate veterinary attention, he said. \"Avoid placing additional stress on affected animals by moving them to a new pasture.\"\nTo prevent grass tetany, Sexten suggests establishing legumes in grass pastures. \"Grass pastures with 30 to 40 percent legumes will provide increased forage magnesium and calcium while reducing nitrogen fertilizer needs,\" he said.\nProducers unable to establish pasture legumes should consider supplemental magnesium. Magnesium oxide is the most common source of supplemental magnesium.\n\"Unfortunately, magnesium oxide is unpalatable, causing difficulty maintaining consistent magnesium intake,\" Sexten said. To improve palatability, he recommends mixing magnesium oxide with salt and a carbohydrate source such as ground corn, dried molasses, cottonseed or alfalfa meal in a 1:1:1 ratio.\n\"Daily supplementation during early spring forage growth is critical to prevention,\" he said. \"As the winter feeding period ends, producers must remember to consider grass tetany as a critical component to spring pasture management.\"\nFor information about services available from the MU Extension Commercial Agriculture Program, see www.agebb.missouri.edu/commag.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7650725841522217}
{"content": "Is Your Enterprise Cloud-Enabled? Within this context, and before delving into enterprise architecture, let’s consider for the moment different aspects of a system.\nBusiness and IT tend to focus more initially on the functional rather than the qualitative aspects of a technology or system. Functional is more fun, less abstract — you can see, touch, and feel it. The toys.\nHowever, business should care most about the qualitative aspects. The most publicly embarrassing failures of cloud computing have all been caused by qualitative issues. Things", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7636715769767761}
{"content": "Q.: In your columns, you have often stated that you don't recommend carrying collision insurance on older cars because the cost far outweighs the value of the car. I used to believe as you do, and I stopped paying collision insurance when my cars became 6 to 8 years old.\nThen we were in a serious car crash that was not our fault. My family was injured. Our insurance carrier left us with no question that we would be completely on our own when it came to collecting any claims: \"You don't have collision; we can't help you.\"\nWhile I recognize that this was the deal that was struck when I stopped carrying collision, we felt betrayed and like we'd been left hanging by a big-name carrier. We wound up hiring an attorney. We think it would have been easier and cheaper if we had carried collision insurance all along. – Reader in New Mexico\nA.: I'm sorry you had these problems. But understand that although it might have been easier, it certainly would not have been cheaper over the years had you carried collision on an old car. It is a poor buy by any counting method you choose to use. Further, if your injuries were severe, you likely would have had to use the attorney anyway.\nI still think collision insurance on a car that's worth less than $3,000 is throwing away money.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8957015872001648}
{"content": "Intermodal connections, which allow freight or passengers to use a combination of modes, have been a part of federal transportation policy since passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). Connectivity gives shippers and travelers additional transportation alternatives that unconnected, parallel systems do not offer. Intermodal passenger terminals not only facilitate connectivity for travelers, but also enhance the livability of communities by offering multiple transportation options to residents.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6784794330596924}
{"content": "November 26 While its outcome was either modest or disappointing, depending on who you asked, the 18th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change had a serious effect on the Arabian Gulf region.That is because, for the first time, the high-profile annual meeting was held in a Arabian Gulf country – Qatar.\nFrom November 26 until December 8, the governments of 194 countries, including the hosts, convened in Doha to discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid catastrophic climate change.\nWhile a solution is still years away, the event helped raise awareness on climate issues.\nActivists welcomed the debate as a first step towards a more active role for Arab governments in tackling climate change. With initiatives such as creating the clean-energy company, Masdar, the UAE is seen as a pioneer among Arabian Gulf governments on climate issues.\n– Vesela Todorova", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8375725150108337}
{"content": "Rapid ATM-dependent phosphorylation of MDM2 precedes p53 accumulation in response to DNA damage. The p53 tumor-suppressor protein, a key regulator of cellular responses to genotoxic stress, is stabilized and activated after DNA damage. This process is associated with posttranslational modifications of p53, some of which are mediated by the ATM protein kinase. However, these modifications alone may not account in full for p53 stabilization. p53's stability and activity are negatively regulated by the oncoprotein MDM2, whose gene is activated by p53. Conceivably, p53 function may be modulated by modifications of MDM2 as well. We show here that after treatment of cells with ionizing radiation or a radiomimetic chemical, but not UV radiation, MDM2 is phosphorylated rapidly in an ATM-dependent manner. This phosphorylation is independent of p53 and the DNA-dependent protein kinase. Furthermore, MDM2 is directly phosphorylated by ATM in vitro. These findings suggest that in response to DNA strand breaks, ATM may promote p53 activity and stability by mediating simultaneous phosphorylation of both partners of the p53-MDM2 autoregulatory feedback loop.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7362419366836548}
{"content": "Lightning - A Few Tips for Coaches Lightning is a serious danger. Thus lightning safety requires a large standoff distance from thunderstorms and a long standoff time after apparent thunderstorm decay. Thunder produced by a lightning strike travels one mile (1.6 km) every five seconds. Thus, counting the number of seconds between the visible \"flash\" and the audible \"bang\" and dividing by 5, provides the distance in miles.\nEmploy the \"30-30 Rule\" to know when to seek a safer location. The \"30-30 Rule\" states that when you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If this time is 30 seconds or less, go immediately to a safer place. If you can't see the lightning, just hearing the thunder means lightning is likely within striking range. After the storm has apparently dissipated or moved on, wait 30 minutes or more after hearing the last thunder before leaving the safer location.The \"30-30 Rule\" is best suited for existing thunderstorms moving into the area. However, it cannot protect against the first lightning strike. Be alert to changes in sky conditions portending thunderstorm development directly overhead.\n\"When lightning threatens, go to a safer location. Do not hesitate. What is a safer location? The safest place commonly available during a lightning storm is a large, fully enclosed, substantially constructed building, e.g. your typical house, school, library, or other public building. Substantial construction also implies the building has wiring and plumbing, which can conduct lightning current safely to ground. However, any metal conductor exposed to the outside must not be touched precisely because it could become a lightning conduit. Once inside, stay away from corded telephones, electrical appliances, lighting fixtures, ham radio microphones, electric sockets and plumbing. Don't watch lightning from open windows or doorways. Inner rooms are generally preferable from a safety viewpoint.If you can't reach a substantial building, an enclosed vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice. As with a building, avoid contact with conducting paths going outside. Close the windows, lean away from the door, put your hands in your lap and don't touch the steering wheel, ignition, gear shifter or radio. Convertibles, cars with fiberglass or plastic shells, and open-framed vehicles are not suitable lightning shelters.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9279600977897644}
{"content": "Purpose – This study aims to understand buyer and supplier motives for developing direct relationships with their trade partners.\nDesign/methodology/approach – A total of 18 in-depth interviews were conducted across Victoria and Tasmania (Australia); eight with retail buyers and ten with fresh produce suppliers. Both parties were involved in a direct relationship with their trade partner.\nFindings – The research reveals a large variety of motivations that influence buyers and suppliers when deciding whether to operate in a direct or non-direct relationship with their trade partner. Motivations for both parties are remarkably similar, with buyers and suppliers ultimately attempting to minimise the inherent risk associated with operating in a volatile environment.\nResearch limitations/implications – The study may be limited by the fact that buyers and suppliers of different commodities were included in the study. In addition, the varied nature of the respondents' role may have impacted their judgment. The inability to interview dyads in all cases also limits the research.\nPractical implications – This research has implications for both researchers and practitioners already involved in, or considering becoming involved in, a direct trade relationship. Clarification of motivations for bypassing intermediaries shows how both trade partners can minimise external risk and strengthen competitive advantage by assuming a direct relationship.\nOriginality/value – Extant research within this literary field is largely quantitatively based with researchers focusing on distinct relationship constructs, the definition of relationship marketing and the process of relationship development. In response to these limitations, this research adopted a qualitative approach in examining the core motivations for developing a direct trade relationship within the fresh produce industry.\nNotes\nReproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner. www.emeraldinsight.com/IJRDM.html\nUnless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in Deakin Research Online is owned by the author, with all rights reserved.\nEvery reasonable effort has been made to ensure that permission has been obtained for items included in DRO.If you believe that your rights have been infringed by this repository, please contact drosupport@deakin.edu.au.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8231161832809448}
{"content": "These interesting observations by Proctor, de Waal et al. using a new experimental design that resolves conflicting data in studies by other authors suggest that our human sense of fairness has an early origin in primate behavior.\nIs the sense of fairness uniquely human? Human reactions to reward division are often studied by means of the ultimatum game, in which both partners need to agree on a distribution for both to receive rewards. Humans typically offer generous portions of the reward to their partner, a tendency our close primate relatives have thus far failed to show in experiments. Here we tested chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and human children on a modified ultimatum game. One individual chose between two tokens that, with their partner’s cooperation, could be exchanged for rewards. One token offered equal rewards to both players, whereas the other token favored the chooser. Both apes and children responded like humans typically do. If their partner’s cooperation was required, they split the rewards equally. However, with passive partners—a situation akin to the so-called dictator game—they preferred the selfish option. Thus, humans and chimpanzees show similar preferences regarding reward division, suggesting a long evolutionary history to the human sense of fairness.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7964860796928406}
{"content": "For the first time I forgot all my problems and simply enjoyed life. I felt completely relieved. It was the end of constant pressure. \"Carefree\" is the word for this kind of thinking. That is why psychologists frequently describe happy moods as carefree, worry-free, relieved states. Still other thoughts that typically occur in the happiest of moods are quite powerful and profound: \"We had perfection in a sense and we knew it.\" \"I felt like I fit into the scheme of the universe, part of the totality, like the totality, and incomplete harmony with it.\" \"I was part of something that was the truth, there was real meaning to life.\" \"I was filled with a security and assurance I had never known before.\" \"It was thrilling...(it) gave me sensation of flying, of power and control of circumstances, a confidence that nothing could go wrong.\" \"I knew that I would always remember this day because it was so completely different. It was like a dream-come-true.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9739409685134888}
{"content": "This guide describes the Building Partnerships for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Initiative (BPI), which uses a prosecution-based multidisciplinary team approach to address abuse committed against persons with disabilities. Developed in Massachusetts, BPI links law enforcement officials, prosecutors, adult protective and human services workers, self-advocates, and others in the team approach. It has revolutionized the way to recognize, report, investigate, and prosecute crimes against victims with disabilities and is founded on a simple principle: we must ensure equal and effective access to the criminal justice system for persons with disabilities.\nAs part of a pilot project, three states have already replicated BPI. Other states may use this replication guide of recommended practices, modeled on the Massachusetts BPI, to develop, implement, and successfully maintain their own multidisciplinary partnerships.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8649293780326843}
{"content": "How are people adapting to climate change around the world?\nIt is widely accepted that the world’s climate is changing, and that the full effects of environmental contamination are still yet to be felt. As many countries are focusing on reducing their emissions to prevent further contamination, others are now working at ways to adapting to the coming changes before they happen.\nIn France, there is a growing movement of people returning to a simpler lifestyle. These individuals have begun living in yurts, a traditional hut widely used on the Mongolian steppes. Yurts vary based on the region of construction, but are constructed as temporary residences that can be dismantled and reassembled in another location. Without running water or electricity, the yurt provides a way for residents to reduce their ecological footprint dramatically. This way of life is currently under indirect pressure from the French government, as they work to expel their Roma population.\nUnlike most developed countries, Australia has announced to their citizens that the affects of climate change are now unavoidable. With recent flood activity in the northeast, and poor predictions for future food production, a 2008 study stated that current lifestyles in Australia can not be maintained. Already the driest continent, Australia’s largest spending on adaptation is a 10-year program called “Water for the Future”. This $12.9 billion dollar initiative will help to prioritize water resources to the areas of greatest need.\nThe “Ark”, a project designed by Alexander Remizov, is an eco-friendly floating hotel. Designed specifically as part of a program on architectural disaster relief through the International Union of Architects, the Ark is a self-sustaining energy and water producer. The Ark may be a fundamental tool in housing individuals displaced by rising ocean levels, and continental climate change. While this design is not a reality at present, a team is currently seeking investors to make the Ark a reality.\nWhile Planet Earth is a resilient and diverse macro-ecosystem, humanity’s ability to adapt to climate change will predict the future for the human species. Humanity has reached the pinnacle it has already based on our ability to adapt to different habitats. The rate of our adaptation may be measured by our own willingness to make change, and thus coming times may truly be when the meek inherit the Earth.\nLiked it", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.907574474811554}
{"content": "Americas Podcast Ron Largent Listen to podcastAngloGold Ashanti has the Cripple Creek & Victor mine in the United States, the Cerro Vanguardia mine in Argentina, the AngloGold Ashanti Córrego do Sítio Mineração (AGA Mineração) and Serra Grande operations, both in Brazil. The Americas represents one of the most important growth regions for AngloGold Ashanti.\nCombined production from these operations increased by 3% to 842,000oz of gold in 2010. This was equivalent to 18.7% of group production. Total cash costs increased by 19% to $432/oz. In all, 6,582 people including contractors, were employed, 698 more than in 2009. Total capital expenditure for the region was $311m, an increase of 21% on the $258m spent in 2009. The bulk of this, 50%, was spent on projects, 32% stay-in-business capital, and the balance on Ore Reserve development.\nThe total Mineral Resource across the Americas, attributable to AngloGold Ashanti, was 44Moz at the end of 2010 and the attributable Ore Reserve was 10Moz.\nAngloGold Ashanti also conducts an extensive greenfield programme across the Americas, most notably in Colombia, where it holds a significant land position and has made two greenfield discoveries – Gramalote and La Colosa – which together account for 13.5Moz of the Americas Mineral Resource. The company also has exploration activities, either conducted by its own teams or with joint venture partners, in Canada, Brazil and Argentina, among others. See Global exploration.\nAngloGold Ashanti’s Americas region fully endorses the company’s objective to eliminate workplace injuries, incidents and illnesses across its operations. As in the previous year, no fatal injuries occurred in 2010. Underpinning this performance has been a significant reduction in the total number of safety-related incidents, where an all injury frequency rate of 5.66 per million hours worked was achieved during the year. This represents a 21% reduction when compared with 2009 and a 43% improvement since 2008 (2009: 7.12 and 2008: 9.92).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6579703092575073}
{"content": "Significance and Use\nDuring the operation of a UF system, conditions including pressure and temperature can vary, causing permeate flow to change (see Note 1). To effectively evaluate system performance, it is necessary to compare permeate flow data at the same conditions. Since data may not always be obtained at the same conditions, it is necessary to convert the UF data obtained at actual conditions to a set of constant conditions, thereby standardizing the data. The user of this practice determines the standard conditions. This practice gives the procedure to standardize UF data on pure water only.\nNote 1—Feed concentration, crossflow velocity, and both device and total system recovery will also influence permeate rate, especially when operating on other than pure water. This practice does not address those system conditions.\nThis practice can be used for systems which contain spiral-wound, tubular, plate and frame, and hollow fiber devices.\nThis practice can be used for a single-element or a multi-element system. However, if the UF system is staged, standardize the permeate flow and salt passage for each stage separately. This requires pressure readings at the feed inlet and concentrate outlet of each stage.\nThis practice is applicable for UF systems with no significant leaks between the feed/concentrate and permeate streams.\nThis practice assumes no significant osmotic pressure differential (Δπ) exists in the UF system under the actual operating conditions. Differential osmotic pressure will reduce the permeate rate relative to operation on pure water.\nThe user of this practice should be aware that fouled UF devices will produce less permeate flow than nonfouled devices, and may wish to perform flushing, chemical, or mechanical cleaning, or combination thereof, prior to determining the permeate flow performance of the device.\n1. Scope\n1.1 This practice covers the standardization of permeate flow for ultrafiltration (UF) systems.\n1.2 This practice is applicable to natural waters including brackish waters, seawaters, and ultrapure waters including those used in power generation and microelectronics and pharmaceuticals production. It is not necessarily applicable to waste waters.\nThis standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.\n2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.\nASTM Standards\nD1129 Terminology Relating to Water\nD6161 Terminology Used for Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration, Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis Membrane Processes\nKeywords\nnanofiltration; particulates; permeate; UF; ultrafiltration;\nICS Code\nICS Number Code 11.040.20 (Transfusion, Infusion); 17.120.10 (Flow in closed conduits)\nDOI: 10.1520/D5090-07 ASTM International is a member of CrossRef. Citing ASTM Standards\n[Back to Top]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9209921360015869}
{"content": "Tim Harford discusses Pete's work on pirates in the Financial Times .\nLeeson’s message is that pirate crews faced a serious challenge of governance. Without any possible appeal to a higher legal body, pirates were forced to create their own organisations, constitutions and checks on executive power. Traditionally, a ship’s captain had absolute authority over the crew; the resulting abuses of power in the official navies and merchant navies were so appalling that they served as recruiting tools for the pirates.\nPirate captains adopted a different approach. They retained authority over strategy, tactics and navigation, but delegated discipline, rations and punishments to the quartermaster, who was elected by the crew. Leeson, following a tradition of libertarian economic thinking, argues that this form of private-sector piratical governance was far more effective than the official state-sponsored version.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9044023156166077}
{"content": "Annual European investment volumes rise 7% between 2010 and 2011 (EUR)\nMonday 30 January 2012\nThe volume of commercial property investments traded in the main Western European markets rose by 7% between 2010 and 2011 according to a report by BNP Paribas Real Estate, the leading international real estate adviser.\nTotal investment volume in 2011 amounted to €38.7bn in the nine primary markets studied by BNP Paribas Real Estate, revealing a 7% increase compared to the previous year.\nFollowing a positive start to 2011, which saw a 21% rise during the first six months, activity during the second half of the year saw a sharp slowdown compared to the same period in 2010.\nThe usual buoyancy during the last quarter of the year was observed in Central Paris and Munich which realized 42% and 45% of their yearly turnover during Q4. Likewise, Madrid recorded 51% of 2011 total investment volume during the last quarter but remained down on 2010 results.\nWith 70% of total investment, offices continued to be by far the most favoured asset. However, while offices’ turnover rose by 5% between 2010 and 2011, it increased by 33% in retail premises and remained way above the long-term average. Sustained by investors’ undiminished demand for prime assets, commercial real estate yields continue to stay at a low level.\nDue to the collapse in confidence that went with the sovereign debt crisis and the widespread fiscal consolidation measures that were introduced, it is likely that the Euro area economy will be stagnant in 2012. Indeed, following the slight 0.2% GDP growth recorded in Q3 2011, the Euro area is expected to enter a short period of recession which may last through the first half of 2012.\nAndrew Cruickshank, international investment director at BNP Paribas Real Estate, says: “Despite weak GDP growth, Germany is expected to remain the strongest performer, while Southern European countries are expected to fall back into recession and the unemployment rate in the Euro area is expected to rise further during 2012. We expect that demand should remain strong in 2012, with some institutional investors, including pension funds and insurance companies, expected to increase their exposure to real estate. Outcomes for 2012 are blurred depending mostly on the financing conditions that banks will request. Supply is likely to remain an issue. Discrepancies may widen amongst markets. Concerns about the economic health of the southern European countries may inhibit investment activity, while in the United Kingdom and Germany the markets remain confident about 2012 with investment volumes forecast to stabilize.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6592192053794861}
{"content": "Optimal Solutions Time Released Calcium 600 mg Time Released Calcium & Vitamin D3 with Genistein is a comprehensive formula specifically designed to help strengthen and nourish your bones.* Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium and Genistein work synergistically to help maintain overall bone health.*\nMay reduce the risk of osteoporosis**\nCalcium plays a vital role in bone mass*\nVitamin D and Magnesium are necessary for bone mineralization*\nIsoflavone Genistein helps balance bone turnover*\nSpecially formulated to provide a gradual release of nutrients over time\n**Adequate Calcium and Vitamin D, as part of a well-balanced diet, along with physical activity, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6218093633651733}
{"content": "On May 17, 2012, Reps. Sherman (D-CA) and Campbell (R-CA) sent a bipartisan letter signed by 58 other lawmakers to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), urging the accounting standard setters to conduct a comprehensive economic analysis of its recent lease accounting proposal before making a final rule.\nUnder the proposal, U.S. companies that lease commercial space would be required to capitalize the costs of that lease — similar to as if they purchased the property — instead of recognizing the true costs of the lease transaction. It is estimated that under current terms, businesses would be required to capitalize over $1.1 trillion in leased real estate assets onto their balance sheets. For businesses leasing space, especially small businesses, this will change these leases into a major liability.\nFASB and IASB will likely be ready to vote on a method to account for real estate leases in June 2012, along with expectations of finalizing their lease accounting overhaul by the end of this year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9853637218475342}
{"content": "AU\nMathis S, Magy L, Diallo L, Boukhris S, Vallat JM\nINTRODUCTION: Amyloid neuropathy is a rare peripheral neuropathy that classically presents as a progressive sensory neuropathy with prominent autonomic involvement.\nMETHODS: We describe 5 patients with amyloid neuropathy (familial amyloid polyneuropathy or acquired amyloidosis) who were initially mistaken to have chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) based on history, clinical examination, electrodiagnostic studies, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis.\nRESULTS: The diagnosis of CIDP had been retained on clinical and electrophysiological grounds for all patients, but we observed no improvement after immunomodulatory treatment. Nerve biopsy confirmed amyloid deposits in nerves, and molecular genetic analysis showed a mutation of the transthyretin (V30M) gene for 3 patients; the 2 other patients had acquired amyloidosis.\nCONCLUSIONS: This report emphasizes the need to look for an alternative diagnosis in CIDP patients who do not respond to treatment and to look carefully for symptoms or signs of autonomic involvement in such patients.\nAD\nDepartment of Neurology, CHU Poitiers, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.552814245223999}
{"content": "Practice Based Learning in Nursing, Health and Social Care: Mentorship,Facilitation and Supervision\nBook description\nWork based learning facilitation, mentoring and coaching are all integral to the health care professions. Practice Based Learning in Nursing, Health and Social Care promotes effective professional learning in the workplace and helps health care professionals to develop, enhance, reflect on and change their practice and perceptions of mentoring, facilitating, and supervision.\nAimed at the health and social care practitioner who is involved in facilitating learning, teaching and assessing learners in practice, this essential, comprehensive text explores several key themes, including:\n- The nature of facilitating (coaching, supervision, mentoring) within professional contexts\n- Learning in communities of practice\n- Becoming an effective facilitator/mentor\n- Understand and supporting work-based learning\n- Managing the unusual, such as failing learners or those with special needs\n- Giving and documenting feedback\n- Managing workloads in busy environments\n- Professional development issues\nSpecial features:\nA clear, accessible guide for new and experienced practice educators/facilitators alike A comprehensive, applied text for practitioners of all levels of experience in facilitation and supervision\nWritten by authors with extensive experience in the field\nUniquely focuses on the professional development of the mentor/facilitator themselves\nProvides case studies throughout showing illustrating common issues and how to engage in formal theories of professional practice\nMultiprofessional focus- aimed at all health and social care practitioners", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5910506844520569}
{"content": "2004 Acura RSX -- Safety OVERVIEW\nThe RSX is equipped with an array of standard occupant-protection systems. The RSX was designed with the goal of achieving a 5-star NCAP rating for front impacts-the highest rating possible. While the RSX has yet to be tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is expected to meet these targets:\n5-star NCAP for frontal impact 4-star SINCAP for side impact \"Good\" Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rating for front offset impact To achieve these objectives, the RSX includes: front and rear crumple zones, a highly rigid passenger compartment, dual seatbelt pretensioners on both front seats, and driver's and passenger's dual-stage front air bags and a driver's and passenger's side air bag system.\nTo help the driver avoid being involved in an accident, the RSX employs other safety features including a quick-ratio power steering system for precise handling, all-season high-performance tires and a four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).\nANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)\nThe ABS system in the RSX is a three-channel, four-sensor design that modulates braking power to the front wheels independently and to the rear wheels in tandem-enhancing steering control during maximum-effort stops.\nSAFETY STRUCTURE\nIn the event of a frontal impact, the energy is divided between the parallel side frame and the sub-frame. The impact is then absorbed, dissipating into the side sill, the floor frame, and the front pillars.\nSIDE IMPACT PROTECTION\nFor additional protection in the event of a collision from the side, the RSX features strong steel side-impact beams in each door. Further strength is derived from a strong roof gusset. To help cushion the forces of a side impact, the RSX is equipped with crushable, energy-absorbing pads below each quarter panel and in the door linings. In addition, a middle-floor crossbeam is fitted between the B-pillars to help lessen body deformation in the event of a collision.\nDUAL FRONT SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS\nAs an additional measure of occupant protection, the RSX is equipped with advanced, dual seatbelt pretensioners on each front seat. Previously, pretensioners have been used to pull the shoulder belt tightly in the event of a collision. In the RSX, in addition to the shoulder-belt pretensioners, the engineers added a lap belt buckle pretensioner to each front seat. In a collision, both the shoulder portion and the lap portion of the belt are pulled tight, firmly securing the occupant in the seat.\nDUAL AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)\nThe RSX is equipped with a standard driver's and front passenger's air bag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). The system employs three sensors-including a front sensor, buckle switches to determine if the front seat occupants have the seatbelts buckled, and a dual-stage inflator to match the air bag deployment rate with the severity of the crash. As in all Acura models, the front passenger's air bag is designed to deploy upward along the windshield and then back toward the occupant. This provides a large cushion to help protect the front passenger.\nDUAL STAGE FRONT AIR BAGS\nTo enhance the protection of the driver and front seat passenger during a variety of frontal impact collisions, the RSX utilizes varying air bag deployment power. The system, which uses a dual-stage inflator, automatically adjusts the deployment of the driver and front passenger's SRS air bags based on the severity of the crash. During a slower speed collision, the dual-stage inflator system is triggered in sequence, resulting in slower overall air bag deployment with less initial force. During a high-speed collision, both inflators operate simultaneously for full immediate inflation, to correspond with the greater impact force.\nSIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM\nThe standard side-impact air bags on the RSX are triggered in response to signals sent by three sensors. The front passenger's seat is equipped with an innovative side air bag cutoff system designed to disable side air bag deployment.\nand prevent injury to a child (or small-statured adult) if they lean into the side air bag deployment path. A series of seven sensors in the passenger seatback monitors the size and position of the occupant to determine if it is safe to deploy the air bag\nIf the occupant leans into the deployment path of the side air bag, the sensors will prevent the side air bag from inflating. When the occupant returns to an upright seating position, the side air bag will reactivate. An indicator light on the dash alerts the driver if the front passenger is out of position.\nCHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHORS / LATCH SYSTEM\nThe RSX features the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system in both of the rear seats, so parents can use LATCH-compatible child seats. These child seats are secured at the top by a tether anchor on the rear liftgate sill, and are secured at the bottom to anchor points located between the seat back and the seat bottom cushion.\nParents who use non-LATCH child seats can still use a seat belt to secure the seats in either of the rear seats. The liftgate sill has two covered tether anchors for securing a child seat tether strap.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5302515625953674}
{"content": "In This Issue In 2011, 25% of the over 28,000 releasees on parole were identified as having a history of domestic violence. (NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision [formerly NYS Division of Parole])\nThis statistic is taken from the 2011 New York State Domestic Violence Dashboard, available on our website.\nPlease send any comments or content ideas to: opdvbulletin@opdv.ny.gov\nIf you would like to subscribe to the OPDV Bulletin, visit our website.\nArticles by outside authors are invited, but publication does not indicate endorsement of the opinions contained therein.\nPermission to copy, use, and distribute content from The OPDV Bulletin is granted for personal, private, and educational purposes, except that reproducing materials for profit or any commercial use is strictly forbidden without specific permission from OPDV. Any reproduction or distribution of this material must expressly credit OPDV in a prominent manner, such as, “From the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, OPDV Bulletin, Winter 2013”. This statement does not pertain to material from other sources.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8481358885765076}
{"content": "Genetic specificity and potential for local adaptation between dengue viruses and mosquito vectors\n1 Department of Entomology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA\n2 Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR CNRS-IRD 2724, Centre de Recherche IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, B.P. 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France\n3 Department of Virology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand\n4 Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand\nBMC Evolutionary Biology 2009, 9 :160 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-160Abstract Background Several observations support the hypothesis that vector-driven selection plays an important role in shaping dengue virus (DENV) genetic diversity. Clustering of DENV genetic diversity at a particular location may reflect underlying genetic structure of vector populations, which combined with specific vector genotype × virus genotype (G × G) interactions may promote adaptation of viral lineages to local mosquito vector genotypes. Although spatial structure of vector polymorphism at neutral genetic loci is well-documented, existence of G × G interactions between mosquito and virus genotypes has not been formally demonstrated in natural populations. Here we measure G × G interactions in a system representative of a natural situation in Thailand by challenging three isofemale families from field-derived Aedes aegypti with three contemporaneous low-passage isolates of DENV-1.\nResults Among indices of vector competence examined, the proportion of mosquitoes with a midgut infection, viral RNA concentration in the body, and quantity of virus disseminated to the head/legs (but not the proportion of infected mosquitoes with a disseminated infection) strongly depended on the specific combinations of isofemale families and viral isolates, demonstrating significant G × G interactions.\nConclusion Evidence for genetic specificity of interactions in our simple experimental design indicates that vector competence of Ae. aegypti for DENV is likely governed to a large extent by G × G interactions in genetically diverse, natural populations. This result challenges the general relevance of conclusions from laboratory systems that consist of a single combination of mosquito and DENV genotypes. Combined with earlier evidence for fine-scale genetic structure of natural Ae. aegypti populations, our finding indicates that the necessary conditions for local DENV adaptation to mosquito vectors are met.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5109186768531799}
{"content": "The big federal laws are fairly well known: Title VII covering race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Generally, the ADA and Title VII apply to employers with 15 or more employees. The ADEA, however, applies to employers with 20 or more employees.\nI once ran into a business owner who, upon hearing that I was an employment attorney, said, \"You mean like discrimination laws? I only have eight employees so they don't apply to me.\" I hated to break it to him but he needed to check his state and local laws (he operated in Georgia). I practice in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act covers any person employing\nfour or more persons!There are also numerous local ordinances addressing discrimination. Such ordinances may further decrease the number of employees necessary for coverage (whether a municipality has such authority depends on a variety of factors ranging from state law to state constitutions to municipal charters) .\nStill not covered by any federal, state, or local law? Think you're safe? Not so fast! I'll post more on this in a separate entry but numerous states have recognized a cause of action for wrongful discharge based on discrimination in violation of public policy - even where the employer is not covered by discrimination statutes!\nI wish there were a magic number I could tell you but the truth is coverage varies across states and municipalities. As Title VII and the ADEA demonstrate, the number may vary based on the protected characteristic. Maybe it's not a statute at all but your state's common law. Know thine coverage.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5155873894691467}
{"content": "By Kate Barker, Communications Coordinator On Thursday, September 23, 2010, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) convened the NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. at the National Press Club. This invite-only Policy Summit was attended by patient advocates, providers, employers, clinicians, and industry representatives within the oncology community. These key stakeholders gathered for a day-long session to discuss the current issues that most profoundly affect patient care.\nNCCN commenced the Patient Advocacy Summit with a press conference announcing the launch of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients™, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™), for Breast and Lung Cancers. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients™ are representative of NCCN’s dedication to the betterment of patient education and care. NCCN hopes to have a total of six NCCN Guidelines for Patients™ completed by the end of 2010.\nFollowing the press conference, the Summit featured a series of panel discussions featuring representatives from each sector in attendance. Each roundtable was moderated by William T. McGivney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of NCCN. The first panel debated the potential impacts health care reform bears for patient care. Provider coverage, Medicare reform, and patient utilization of the health care system were among subjects of debate addressed by the panel, moderator, and participating audience members.\nNext, a roundtable of clinical experts and patient advocates focused on major advances in oncology and the correlating opportunities this progress presents for patients. Panelists discussed the growing role of biomarkers and stressed the importance of personalized treatment for patients with cancer. They also emphasized the need for more concrete science to support the formation of policy and coverage decisions. The role of compendia and the use of drugs and biologics for indications beyond the FDA-approved label, the topic of an upcoming NCCN Oncology Policy Summit, were also explored.\nA panel of experts from patient advocacy groups, industry, and NCCN next addressed the information needs of patients. The emphasis was not only on patient education, but also on the best means of delivering this crucial information. The value of patient-relatable language and resources, indispensible tools in empowering patients to take an active role in their treatment, emerged as additional areas of consideration.\nFinally, participants discussed improving patient access to cancer care. Conversation centered on the need to deliver the best possible care in the current economic and scientific environment. The clinical trial system was identified as a necessary area for advancement in the cancer care-delivery system. Speakers challenged the perception of clinical trials and examined their current structure, highlighting opportunities for reform and improvement. Panelists also addressed methods for equipping employers with better decision-making tools to support individuals with cancer.\nAmid insightful debate and diverse conversation, the underlying consensus of the Summit was plain. It is essential that the oncology community collaboratively works toward the common goal of improving the lives of patients with cancer. Through patient-driven initiatives such as the Patient Advocacy Summit and the NCCN Guidelines for Patients™, NCCN continually strives to do just that.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6608138084411621}
{"content": "NTSB Identification: ERA11IA316 Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 91 Subpart K: Fractional Incident occurred Friday, May 27, 2011 in Newburgh, NY Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/08/2012 Aircraft: ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES GULFSTREAM 200, registration: N749QS Injuries: 3 Uninjured.\nNTSB investigators used data provided by various sources and may not have traveled in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft incident report.Prior to the incident flight, the flight crew performed an uneventful repositioning flight and did not experience any problems with the airplane's landing gear system. During the incident flight, the flight crew was performing a visual approach to the destination airport. The second-in-command (SIC) initiated a landing gear extension, and the landing gear extended but did not lock. The flight crew entered a holding pattern to perform the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure checklist. Before the SIC reached the steps to cycle the landing gear, the flight crew was distracted by a hydraulic overheat condition and diverted to the Hydraulic System Overheat checklist to address that condition. When the SIC returned to the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure checklist, he could not cycle the landing gear per the checklist instructions, because the hydraulic pressure was low. He then began the Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklist. The emergency extension resulted in all three landing gear remaining extended, but only the nosegear locked, and no further pertinent information remained in the checklist. The flight crew then performed an emergency landing at an airport with a longer runway. During the landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on the runway. During postaccident examination of the airplane, the landing gear selector handle was found 1/8- to 1/4-inch from the full down position. Subsequent ground testing revealed that when the landing gear selector handle was positioned full up, followed by full down, the landing gear cycled successfully, indicating that, if the flight crew had placed the handle in the full down position, the landing gear would likely have operated normally. When the landing gear selector handle was positioned where it was found, the landing gear extended, but did not lock. A hydraulic bypass also occurred, with a resulting increase in hydraulic fluid temperature and decrease in hydraulic fluid pressure. The hydraulic bypass was most likely the reason that the landing gear did not lock when the emergency gear extension procedure (blow down) was followed during the incident flight. Although, the rigging of the landing gear selector valve arm was found to be 2 degrees beyond specifications, the fact that the landing gear was successfully cycled numerous times with this discrepancy indicates that it was not a contributing factor to this incident. After the incident, the airplane manufacturer revised several checklists by replacing the terms \"normal\" and \"low\" with actual numerical values. Additionally, the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure and Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklists were revised to include more guidance on ensuring that the landing gear handle was positioned full down. Lastly, the Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklist was expanded to include a situation where the blow-down procedure failed to extend and lock all three landing gear.\nThe National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident to be:\nThe flight crew did not ensure that the landing gear selector handle was in the full down (extend) position. Contributing to the incident was inadequate checklist information. Full narrative availableIndex for May2011 | Index of months", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6590240597724915}
{"content": "It has been a long and perilous journey, but otters have finally managed to swim back from the brink of extinction and into every county in England.\nTwo otters have been spotted building their holts on the banks of the rivers Medway and Eden in Kent, delighting conservationists who had previously predicted they would not return to the county for another 10 years.\n\"The fact that otters are now returning to Kent is the final piece in the jigsaw for otter recovery in England and is a symbol of great success for everybody involved in otter conservation,\" said Alastair Driver, the national conservation manager for the Environment Agency.\nOtters have reappeared in places where they have not been seen since the industrial revolution, including Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester, and even on the Thames and the Lea in north London. A recent survey on the river Ribble, in Lancashire, showed a 44% increase in otter numbers since 2008.\nThe Kentish otters herald a remarkable – if slow – renaissance for the sleek, fish-devouring member of the mustelid family, which declined by 95% of its range in western Europe during the 20th century.\nIn England the otter disappeared dramatically between the 1950s and 1970s because of persecution and pesticides washing into waterways.\nAfter otter hunting was belatedly banned in Britain in 1978, numbers began to increase – particularly following the withdrawal of organochlorine chemicals and a more general improvement in water quality, leading to more fish in rivers and lakes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.914351224899292}
{"content": "Katherine Robinson tells, in her own words, why she undertook a project to help preemies in the Crouse Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and how being a micro-preemie has affected her. Her account appeared on the Crouse Hospital website. By Katherine Robinson One pound, 15-and-a-half ounces; 893 grams; exactly one box of General Mills Fiber One Honey Clusters Cereal; 7½ cups of flour; or 19 golf balls. An experience that has both challenged me and resulted in personal growth I had encountered very early on in my life; it happens to be the day I was born.\nFor unknown reasons, I was born 3½ months early, weighing a mere 1 pound, 15½ ounces. The impact that this has had on my growing up is nearly unimaginable. I was faced with challenges that the majority of children my age did not have to overcome. At birth, I was 14 inches long, weighed 1½ pounds and spent the first five months of my life in the hospital fighting for my life. Once home, I was on oxygen, a heart monitor, round-the-clock medical treatments and had nurses to help care for me, giving my parents an opportunity to rest.\nGrowing up, I experienced differences and countless challenges that the greater majority of my peers did not encounter. One of the differences that had a profound effect on me occurred during my years in elementary school.\nFor seven years, I was taken out of my classroom two to three times a week for physical, speech and occupational therapy. I was often embarrassed and didn’t understand why I had differences and had to go to these sessions. In my eyes, I was just like every other child in my classroom, granted I was significantly shorter and underweight, but I strongly disliked going to these sessions where I felt anything but normal.\nI was treated differently in many ways due to my size. My capabilities in many areas were often underestimated because I was prejudged (about) my physical appearance. I looked two to three years younger than I really was. Furthermore, I was limited to activities that I could participate in due to premature birth.\nAt 10 years old, weighing a mere 55 pounds, and about 4 feet, 7 inches, I told my parents I wanted to play basketball. My parents supported my decision, and I played for many years as a point guard and was very quick on defense.\nDespite my significant decreased lung function due to my premature birth, I pursued running in middle school, where I participated in both cross country and track. There, size was not an obstacle. Despite my size, I overcame daily obstacles and achieved goals that were once thought to be unachievable.\nHowever, there was one activity that I started at 5 years old and have continued to engage in throughout high school: Girl Scouting. Any girl can be a Girl Scout, where no girl faces obstacles and everyone is always welcome.\nContinuing Girl Scouting throughout middle school and high school, as most girls do not, I have learned many life skills. Not only have I developed immense skills in leadership, teamwork, communication and organization, I fully realize that making a difference can be a very simple act, which has a very large impact on the world.\nOver my 12 years of volunteering and Girl Scout adventures, one experience in Girl Scouting has significantly changed my life: working toward and achieving my Girl Scout Gold Award. To make a lasting impact on my community, I chose a project that was close to my heart. I coordinated a community-wide knitting and crocheting project and gathered over 300 hats, blankets and booties to send to “micro-preemie” infants and their families within the greater Oswego community and Central New York.\nThe Girl Scout Gold Award is achieved by only two percent of Girl Scouts nationwide and requires hundreds of hours of work, community service and dedication to complete. Completing this project is not the end of a process, but only the beginning, to make a difference in the lives of infants and their families, as it has made a difference in my life, as well.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.841859757900238}
{"content": "Clinical decision support is used in a wide range of instances to guide care decisions. Clinical decision support tools include drug-drug interaction checking, automated alerts, templates, and order sets. How can these tools be optimized to improve patient care? How should you determine whether the tools are appropriate in your specific practice setting?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9166171550750732}
{"content": "U.S. Postal Service Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) consists of specialized containers such as sacks, pouches, trays, hampers, over-the-road containers and pallets. Although the Postal Service does not maintain a perpetual inventory of its MTE, a 2010 audit indicated approximately 359 million pieces in the system of 400 processing facilities, over 30,000 post offices and thousands of mailers nationwide. Proper MTE management and availability ensure the safe, secure, and timely movement of mail between Postal Service facilities and its customers or contractors MTE may be used only to transport mail, and borrowers of MTE (such as private mailers) are responsible for its proper use and return. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Over the past few years Postal Service has experienced a significant loss of plastic and wooden pallets. Since fiscal year 2005 the Postal Service has spent over $240 million on close to 19 million plastic and wooden pallets, many of which can no longer be accounted for internally or externally. Realizing the significant cost of leakage of MTE from its inventory, the Postal Service has studied both the movement of MTE as well as ways to reduce leakage. As a result of its precarious financial condition and a freeze on all information technology initiatives, two technological initiatives to better track MTE have been shelved.\nThe Postal Inspection Service has been proactive in both reaching out to the public on this issue, and investigating MTE theft and misuse. The Inspection Service has an ongoing national MTE recovery initiative to locate misappropriated and misused MTE, especially pallets.\nWhat do you think about the MTE situation? Is there a cost-efficient way to track MTE? What else should the Postal Service do to reduce leakage? What are your experiences using plastic or wooden pallets? Give your comments below.\nAnd if you know of any pallets or other MTE being misused or taken from the system, contact the OIG Hotline, which accepts confidential and anonymous complaints.\nThis topic is hosted by the OIG’s Transportation Directorate.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5680446624755859}
{"content": "Technology-mediated Communication and Collaborative Relationships\nI am interested in how pairs or groups of individuals use communication technologies to collaborate, and how the features of a given technology may impact social outcomes. This line of research focuses on the role of linguistic and paralinguistic cues in technology-mediated communication. Linguistic Similarity and Interpersonal Trust in Text-based CMC\nThis project examined how language, particularly linguistic similarity, is related\nto trust development in text-based CMC environments. Participants played, via Instant Messenger, a\nsocial dilemma game that required the establishment of trust for both players to do well.\nLinguistic similarity was measured at the content, structure, and stylistic levels. Additional work\nexamined chronemic cues in the IM conversations, and the relationship between chronemics and the\nestablishment of trust. Culture and Collaborative Work in Distributed Teams\nThis study, which I conducted during an internship at IBM Research, focused on the role of culture in\ndistributed work team's real-time collaborative work. I conducted a qualitative user study of\ndistributed work teams in Japan and the United States that used LiveDeck, a real-time collaborative\nediting and whiteboarding tool. This work focused on how individuals used a selection of features,\nincluding slide navigation options, anonymity features, and 'emotes' representing various nonverbal\nbehaviors, and how use of and preference for different features was related to national culture. Technology-mediated Communication and Romantic Relationships I am interested in the role of communication technologies in the initiation and\nmaintenance of romantic relationships. This line of research primarily examines face-to-face\nphenomena, demonstrated in the interpersonal communication and social psychology literature, in\nmediated settings. Romantic Relationship Initiation and CMC\nThis study explored how individuals ask each other out for a romantic date via email, focusing on how men and women\nemploy different strategies and which strategies are successful in securing a romantic date. Unlike\nprevious work examining romantic relationships that are formed between strangers online, this work\nexamines how individual who first met face-to-face (during a speed-dating event) use CMC to initiate\na romantic relationship. Linguistic Style Matching and Romantic Relationships\nThis study examined the link between linguistic style matching, or the extent to\nwhich individuals subtly match each other's speaking or writing style, and romantic relationship\noutcomes. The role of linguistic style matching was explored in relation to the likelihood of\nmutual romantic interest after initial romantic encounters and to the likelihood of relationship\nstability for established couples. Romantic Couple Conflict and Technology-mediated Communication\nThis line of work examines the role of\nvarious communication technologies during romantic couple conflict. While much is known about\nromantic couple conflict in face-to-face settings, little is known about how technology might affect\nthe communication processes or relational outcomes of the conflict. One study recently found that couples channel switch, or switch between face-to-face and different types of mediated communication, during one conflict episode. Individuals revealed a variety of interpersonal motivations for channel switching and noted both pros and cons for using mediated communication (e.g., text messaging, IM, email) during a conflict.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9847354888916016}
{"content": "The School of Architecture, a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, offers professional degree programs at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. Preparation for the profession of architecture requires both formal education and practical experience followed by a professional examination and registration.\nIn the United States, most state registration boards require a degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecure and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accredidation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.\nMaster’s degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which when earned sequentially, compromise an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7849081158638}
{"content": "act of God\nn. a natural catastrophe which no one can prevent such as an earthquake, a tidal wave, a volcanic eruption, a hurricane or a tornado. Acts of God are significant for two reasons 1) for the havoc and damage they wreak, and 2) because often contracts state that \"acts of God\" are an excuse for delay or failure to fulfill a commitment or to complete a construction project. Many insurance policies exempt coverage for damage caused by acts of God, which is one time an insurance company gets religion. At times disputes arise as to whether a violent storm or other disaster was an act of God (and therefore exempt from a claim) or a foreseeable natural event. God knows the answer!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8529351949691772}
{"content": "Diversity in the Reproductive Modes of European Daphnia pulicaria Deviates from the Geographical Parthenogenesis\nby France Dufresne, Silvia Marková, Roland Vergilino, Marc Ventura, Petr Kotlík\nBackground\nMultiple transitions to obligate parthenogenesis have occurred in the Daphnia pulex complex in North America. These newly formed asexual lineages are differentially distributed being found predominantly at high latitudes. This conforms to the rule of geographical parthenogenesis postulating prevalence of asexuals at high latitudes and altitudes. While the reproductive mode of high-latitude populations is relatively well studied, little is known about the reproduction mode in high altitudes. This study aimed to assess the reproductive mode of Daphnia pulicaria , a species of the D. pulex complex, from high altitude lakes in Europe.\nMethodology/Principal Findings\nVariation at eight microsatellite loci revealed that D. pulicaria from the High Tatra Mountains (HTM) had low genotype richness and showed excess of heterozygotes and significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations, and was thus congruent with reproduction by obligate parthenogenesis. By contrast, populations from the Pyrenees (Pyr) were generally in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and had higher genotypic richness, suggesting that they are cyclic parthenogens. Four lakes from lowland areas (LLaP) had populations with an uncertain or mixed breeding mode. All D. pulicaria had mtDNA ND5 haplotypes of the European D. pulicaria lineage. Pyr were distinct from LLaP and HTM at the ND5 gene. By contrast, HTM shared two haplotypes with LLaP and one with Pyr. Principal Coordinate Analysis of the microsatellite data revealed clear genetic differentiation into three groups. HTM isolates were intermediate to Pyr and LLaP, congruent with a hybrid origin.\nConclusion/Significance\nInferred transitions to obligate parthenogenesis have occurred only in HTM, most likely as a result of hybridizations. In contrast to North American populations, these transitions do not appear to involve meiosis suppressor genes and have not been accompanied by polyploidy. The absence of obligate parthenogenesis in Pyr, an environment highly similar to the HTM, may be due to the lack of opportunities for hybridization.\nFor the full article visit: Diversity in the Reproductive Modes of European Daphnia pulicaria Deviates from the Geographical Parthenogenesis Syndicated from:PLoS ONE Article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7739723324775696}
{"content": "By Patricia Hines, R.N., and Bonnie Barndt-Maglio, R.N. on H&HN Daily The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have been focusing on reducing acute care readmissions within 30 days of discharge through its Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. Hospitals with higher than expected 30-day readmission rates will incur penalties against their total Medicare payments beginning in federal fiscal 2013.\nCommercial payers likely will follow suit, as organizations such as the Joint Commission, Partnership for Patients and the National Quality Forum support this program.\nTo meet the challenge, hospitals need to take a structured approach to reducing readmissions — an assessment of the organization’s risk and a comprehensive strategy that transitions the patient from the hospital to post-hospital care. Continue", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9912325143814087}
{"content": "Social stressors and strengths as predictors of infant birth weight in low-income African American women. Perinatal racial disparities remain an elusive problem in the United States. African American women experience the highest rate of low-birth-weight deliveries. Understanding the factors contributing to infant birth weight is crucial to unraveling existing perinatal racial disparities.\nDOI: 10.1097/NNR.0b013e3181ac1599\nVersion: za2963e q8za1 q8zb1 q8zca q8zd6 q8ze8 q8zf5 q8zg8", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9994770884513855}
{"content": "Warning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances.\nBusinesses in this industry install, maintain and repair glass windows, doors, partitions and structures in household and commercial premises.\nPerformance benchmarks\nThese performance benchmarks are developed using information reported on income tax returns and activity statements for the 2008-09 year. Performance benchmarks are updated annually.\nTo review a comparison of previous years benchmarks, refer to previous year .\nThese benchmarks show a number of different financial ratios of business income to business expenses, to help businesses compare their performance against similar businesses in an industry.\nThe key benchmark ratio for this industry is cost of sales to turnover. This ratio is likely to be the most accurate predictor of business turnover. For businesses that do not report cost of sales or only report a small amount, total expenses to turnover can be used to predict turnover.\nBusinesses operating outside the key benchmark may be contacted by us.\nDuring an audit, if a business does not have records to support their reported income and expenses, we may use benchmarks and other information available to assess the profits of the business.\nAnnual turnover range\nKey benchmark ratio\n$50,000 - $200,000\n$200,000 - $600,000\nMore than $600,000\nCost of sales/turnover\n26% - 40%\n34% - 46%\n40% - 49%\nAverage cost of sales\n33%\n40%\n45%\nTotal expenses/turnover\n45% - 68%\n68% - 82%\n82% - 91%\nAverage total expenses\n56%\n75%\n86%\nBenchmarks are published as a range representing the ratios reported by businesses grouped either side of the average. Publishing benchmarks as a range allows for variations across financial years, regions and business models.\nThe following benchmarks are made available as a guide for businesses to review their performance and business practices against other similar businesses.\nThe following expenses are not reported by every business, so one or more of these benchmarks may not apply to an individual business.\nAnnual turnover range\nBenchmark ratio\n$50,000 - $200,000\n$200,000 - $600,000\nMore than $600,000\nLabour/turnover\n8% - 22%\n13% - 23%\n19% - 27%\nRent/turnover\n4% - 7%\n3% - 6%\n2% - 4%\nMotor vehicle expenses/turnover\n7% - 10%\n4% - 5%\n2% - 3%\nLast Modified: Wednesday, 22 February 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9003236293792725}
{"content": "As corporate budgets shrink, spending on high-tech equipment decreases, challenging manufacturers and service providers with greater demands on repair and maintenance. A reliable supply chain is essential to have the right service part, in the right place, at the right time to meet aggressive SLAs, especially for mission-critical systems.\nDownload this complimentary whitepaper to learn best practices that can help gain market share in tough economic times utilizing a comprehensive mission-critical service parts logistics strategy, encompassing a global IT platform, real-time visibility and flexible scalability.\nComplete this form to request your personal copy of this whitepaper.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8484780788421631}
{"content": "Research Project Profiles On-Screen Deconvolution to Facilitate Computer Access for Users With Visual Impairments This project explores the possibility of having the computer itself bridge the gap that exists between computer technology (all the benefits that it can provide) and a significant number of individuals suffering from severe eye conditions, such as Keratoconus (with a US prevalence of 1/2000), Pellucid Marginal Degeneration, Terrien's Marginal Degeneration, and related refraction disorders that distort the images perceived by the eye in asymmetrical and irregular ways. The irregularity of the distortion introduced by these conditions is captured by the need to include \"higher-order\" (i.e., >2) terms in the Zernike polynomial approximation of the eye's \"Wavefront Aberration Function\" (WA), which represents the distortion of images through the optical components of the eye (cornea, lens). Furthermore, these \"higher-order aberrations\" are not addressed by traditional mechanisms of vision correction, such as glasses or contact lenses (they usually compensate only for second order Zernike terms, accounting for only defocus i.e., myopia or hyperopia, and the simplest forms of astigmatism, as encoded in the \"sphere\", \"cylinder\", and \"axis\" parameters specified in ophthalmic spectacle prescriptions). This project proposes the use of Point-Spread-Function (PSF), obtained from a person's WA, to pre-compensate (by deconvolution) the images shown on a computer screen, so they are perceived undistorted by the individual whose PSF is considered.\nThis research introduces a new approach to visual compensation that is, in principle, more general than current optical methods of visual correction, since it naturally accommodates the higher-order components of the visual limitations, not addressed by current solutions. These higher-order effects have an impact on 7,000,000 Americans who have excessively irregular refractive errors, and may partially account for the 14,000,000 Americans who have severe visual conditions not correctable by glasses.\nSponsor : National Science Foundation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8185834884643555}
{"content": "A suction system for collecting surgical waste apparently killed one patient and seriously injured another, prompting its maker to recall it and several related devices, the FDA said.\nThe recall covers Stryker Instruments' Neptune 1 Silver and two models of its Neptune 2 Ultra Waste Management Systems. These are high-powered, mobile vacuum devices for disposing of surgical fluid waste in operating rooms and other surgical facilities, and they can also clean the room air of smoke generated from electrocautery and laser surgery.\nAccording to Stryker, the fatality occurred when a customer connected the Neptune 2 system to a patient's chest drainage tube after surgery. Details of the other, nonfatal injury were not disclosed.\n\"The patient death and injury reports indicate that the high-flow, high-suction vacuum had been incorrectly applied, and that the instructions for use on the device did not specifically warn against this action,\" the FDA said.\n\"When used incorrectly, the Neptune 1 Silver and the Neptune 2 Ultra can cause hemorrhaging and soft tissue, muscle and vital organ damage that can lead to serious injury and/or death.\"\nPreviously, Stryker had issued revised labeling for these and four other models in the Neptune 1 and Neptune 2 lines. But the FDA determined that the Neptune 1 Silver and Neptune 2 Ultra models also contained modifications that should have been submitted for premarket 510(k) notification, which Stryker had not done.\nDespite the violation, the agency said, \"the FDA is not currently asking Stryker to remove the Neptune 2 Ultra Waste Management System and the Neptune 1 Silver Waste Management System from the U.S. market due to concerns that removal would likely create immediate market shortages.\"\nInstead, the regulator is instructing customers with these devices not to use them unless they have no alternative systems for collecting and disposing of surgical fluid wastes.\nFor customers who find it necessary to continue using the recalled systems, the FDA and Stryker issued a series of detailed instructions and warnings.\nFor example, they said, customers should verify that they \"are using the intended units of measure when setting suction levels,\" because the digital readouts can be in inches of mercury, millimeters of mercury, or kilopascals.\nCustomers were also told to ensure that suction is not set to higher levels than necessary for a given application, and under no circumstances should either device be used for respiratory tract suction.\nUnder Stryker's earlier recall, customers who had bought the firm's Neptune 1 Gold Rover (regular and international), Neptune 1 Bronze, and Neptune 2 Rover Ultra were issued warning labels with many of these revisions.\nThe FDA emphasized that the new warning does not apply to those products.\nStryker stopped manufacturing the Neptune 1 Silver device in 2009 but still provides support.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5939196348190308}
{"content": "Research and Analysis by Javier Meseguer This paper evaluates the out-of-sample performance of two stochastic models used to forecast age-specific mortality rates: (1) the model proposed by Lee and Carter (1992); and (2) a set of univariate autoregressions linked together by a common residual covariance matrix (Denton, Feavor, and Spencer 2005).\nOutcome Variation in the Social Security Disability Insurance Program: The Role of Primary Diagnoses This article investigates the role that primary impairments play in explaining heterogeneity in disability decisions. Using claimant-level data within a hierarchical framework, the author explores variation in outcomes along three dimensions: state of origin, adjudicative stage, and primary diagnosis. The findings indicate that the impairments account for a substantial portion of claimant-level variation in initial allowances. Furthermore, the author finds that the predictions of an initial and a final allowance are highly correlated when applicants are grouped by impairment. In other words, diagnoses that are more likely to result in an initial allowance also tend to be more likely to receive a final allowance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6139631271362305}
{"content": "A web-based marketplace for intellectual property (IP), the GreenXchange (GX) platform was founded on the belief that open innovation can play a key role in promoting sustainability in business practices. This policy brief represents the first effort to analyze the main features of the GX and to explore lessons that can be drawn from its experience thus far in terms of the broader thinking on innovation, intellectual property, and sustainability. The brief focuses particularly on how the GX exemplifies both the usefulness and limitations of open innovation for sustainability. It also suggests a number of ways to improve similar efforts through: a) further education and awareness raising about IP exchanges; b) an increase in resources dedicated to these exchanges; and c) a move away from simply focusing on the legal exchange of patents and towards increased collaboration between innovators.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9112192392349243}
{"content": "Insurance companies will probably pay between $3 billion and $6 billion to cover damage related to Hurricane Irene, according to an estimate by AIR Worldwide.\nThe catastrophe-modeling agency released its estimate late Monday and it includes damage from wind and storm surge to onshore residential, commercial and industrial properties and as well as automobiles and personal property.\n\"After battering the East Coast over the weekend, Irene weakened considerably on its way toward the Canadian border,\" said Tim Doggett, principal scientist at AIR Worldwide. \"The storm has transitioned to an extratropical storm system, having become absorbed in a large frontal system.\"\nIrene swirled up the East Coast, making landfall Saturday morning as a category 1 hurricane in North Carolina, then Sunday morning at Little Egg Inlet, N.J., and finally on Coney Island, N.Y., before it ravaged New England.\n\"It should be noted that while the NHC was reporting sustained winds of 85 miles an hour in North Carolina on Saturday, onshore instruments (anemometers) were reporting sustained winds only in the 50- to 60-mile-an-hour range,\" continued Dr. Doggett. \"A similar disparity was observed along the length of the East Coast. Thus it appears that the winds aloft were not being transferred efficiently to the surface. The final range of loss estimates issued by AIR for Hurricane Irene reflects the still-present uncertainty in surface-level wind speeds.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7295851707458496}
{"content": "CEMSE offers mathematics and science professional development services that are specific to the needs and contexts of early childhood teachers. Our overarching goal is to help teachers of young children feel knowledgeable, comfortable, confident, and excited about incorporating age-appropriate mathematics and science into their classrooms and practices.\nWe will conduct classroom visits and planning and debriefing sessions with individual teachers or with teams. We also facilitate “collaborative coaching” – an approach in which teams of teachers co-plan an activity together and observe children as they engage with the mathematics or science concepts and skills during the activity. Our classroom coaching focuses on areas of established needs and priorities.\nWe offer a wide range of workshops, including one-time sessions and ongoing series, to support mathematics and science in early childhood classrooms. Common workshop topics include mathematics and science content for young children and appropriate pedagogies for this age group. We work with programs, schools, and districts to plan and customize sessions to match their specific needs and available time.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5238437652587891}
{"content": "A while ago, a friend sent me an article that highlighted ten factors, recently identified by scientists, which lead to feeling happier and more satisfied with life.\nThese 10 printable bookmarks serve as a convenient and regular reminder of these simple behaviors.\nFor best results print on card stock or thicker paper. These download and print bookmarks also work as a thoughtful or last-minute gift.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999940991401672}
{"content": "Breuer begins, \"I am pleased to be able to share with you today how the Criminal Division seeks to promote the Rule of Law in our increasingly global society.\" Breuer notes that \"perhaps in no area has the Criminal Division's\" approach \"had more dramatic results for the international Rule of Law than in that of corruption.\"\nBreuer then sketches a brief history of the FCPA and notes that \"when the U.S. enacted the [FCPA] in 1977, and as recently as the 1990's, some developed countries continued to argue that a certain amount of corruption might be desirable in developing nations; and it has been only in the last decade that some developed countries have eliminated tax deductions for foreign corrupt practices.\"\nOn this point, I fully agree that the DOJ is the undeniable leader in prosecuting bribery and corruption, and for this, it deserves credit.\nBreuer then \"spreads the FCPA gospel\" (as Christopher Matthews at Main Justice recently termed it - see here).\nVerses included: the \"increased emphasis on charging individuals is part of a deliberate enforcement strategy to deter and prevent corrupt practices in the future;\" \"gone are the days when we relied solely on tips from whistle-blowers to build cases - instead we are now bringing the tools of organized crime investigations to white collar investigations.\"\nThe speech ends - \"I would welcome any questions you might have.\"\nI've got some questions.\nDuring Breuer's tenure, two signature enforcement actions were the BAE and Daimler bribery, yet no bribery enforcement actions (see here and here for prior posts).\nIn both actions, the DOJ alleged facts sufficient to charge the companies with FCPA anti-bribery violations. Yet in both cases, no anti-bribery violations were charged.\nIncluded in the Rule of Law is the notion that the law is to be applied equally to all subject to the law. Under the Rule of Law, certain companies in certain industries who may sell certain products to certain customers are not immune from the law.\nYet, in the eyes of many, the BAE and Daimler enforcement actions stand for the proposition that certain companies are indeed \"above\" the FCPA and essentially immune from FCPA anti-bribery charges.\nSo, my questions are:\nHow was the Rule of Law advanced in the BAE and Daimler enforcement actions?\nHow was the Rule of Law advanced when a company (BAE) that “provided support services to [a Saudi official] while in the territory of the U.S.” including “ the purchase of travel and accommodations, security services, real estate, automobiles and personal items” (these are the DOJ's words) is\nnot charged with FCPA anti-violations? [Particularly when the DOJ alleges that over $5 million in invoices for benefits provided to the Saudi official were submitted by justone BAE employee during aone year period.]How was the Rule of Law advanced when a company (Daimler) that \"engaged in a long-standing practice of paying bribes to 'foreign officials'\" (these are the DOJ's words) is\nnot required to plead guilty to anything?As noted above, the DOJ is the undeniable leader in prosecuting bribery and corruption, and for this, it deserves credit. However, with leadership comes responsibility and accountability.\nWhen preaching, the preacher is subject to criticism, particularly when urging his parishioners to do as he says, not necessarily as he does.\nThe DOJ did some FCPA / Rule of Law preaching yesterday.\nFor extolling the virtues of the Rule of Law in the face of several recent high-profile examples where Rule of Law principles were seemingly ignored, the DOJ has set itself up for criticism.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5452183485031128}
{"content": "Troskot, Rosana and Šimurina, Tatjana and Žižak, Mirza and Majstorović, Karolina and Marinac, Ivana and Mrakovčić-Šutić, Ines (2010) Prognostic value of venoarterial carbon dioxide gradient in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Croatian Medical Journal, 51 (6). pp. 501-8. ISSN 0353-9504\nEnglish abstract AIM: To investigate the changes in the venoarterial carbon-dioxide gradient (V-a Pco(2)) and its prognostic value for survival of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. ----- METHODS: The study was conducted in General Hospital Holy Spirit from January 2004 to December 2007 and included 71 conveniently sampled adult patients (25 women and 46 men), who fulfilled the severe sepsis and septic shock criteria and were followed for a median of 8 days (interquartile range, 12 days). The patients were divided in two groups depending on whether or not they had been mechanically ventilated. Both groups of patients underwent interventions with an aim to achieve hemodynamic stability. Mechanical ventilation was applied in respiratory failure. Venoarterial carbon dioxide gradient was calculated from the difference between the partial pressure of arterial CO(2) and the partial pressure of mixed venous CO(2), which was measured with a pulmonary arterial Swan-Ganz catheter. The data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, along with a calculation of the hazard ratios. ----- RESULTS: There was a significant difference between non-ventilated and ventilated patients, with almost 4-fold greater hazard ratio for lethal outcome in ventilated patients (3.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.64-9.03). Furthermore, the pattern of changes of many other variables was also different in these two groups (carbon dioxide-related variables, variables related to acid-base status, mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance, lactate, body mass index, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Simplified Acute Physiology II Score, and Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score). Pco(2) values (with a cut-off of 0.8 kPa) were a significant predictor of lethal outcome in non-ventilated patients (P=0.015) but not in ventilated ones (P=0.270). ----- CONCLUSION: V-a Pco(2) was a significant predictor of fatal outcome only in the non-ventilated group of patients. Ventilated patients are more likely to be admitted with a less favorable clinical status, and other variables seem to have a more important role in their outcome.\nActions (login required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.610202431678772}
{"content": "The Comparative Approach in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology Journal of Human Evolution E. Delson, CUNY Herbert H. Lehman College | Choice Alexander H. Harcourt, University of California, Davis William L. Jungers, Stony Brook University Preface 1. The Importance of Comparison 2. Basic Phylogenetic Concepts and “Tree Thinking” 3. Reconstructing Ancestral States for Discrete Traits 4. Reconstructing Ancestral States for Quantitative Traits 5. Modeling Evolutionary Change 6. Correlated Evolution and Testing Adaptive Hypotheses 7. Comparative Methods to Detect Correlated Evolutionary Change 8. Using Trees to Study Biological and Cultural Diversification 9. Size, Allometry, and Phylogeny 10. Human Cultural Traits and Linguistic Evolution 11. Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation of Biological and Cultural Diversity 12. Investigating Evolutionary Singularities 13. Developing a Comparative Database and Targeting Future Data Collection 14. Conclusions and Future Directions\nReferencesIndex", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5842580795288086}
{"content": "We’ve already seen Gild Source determine coders’ abilities by analyzing their work and providing a score to make it easier for recruiters to find the right person for their team. Broadening this concept to include all workers, Mozilla’s Open Badges project aims to create a library of symbols that indicate skills and learning achieved by potential employees outside of mainstream education.\nWhile official school and college qualifications are recognized by all employers, knowledge and experience gained in after-school programs, on-the-job training and online courses can be more difficult to prove. Organizations that offer these opportunities can apply to become an Issuer under the scheme, and if successful can create their own awards to be offered through the service. Earners each have an online Mozilla Backpack where they store the badges they’ve acquired and can choose to broadcast them on participating social networks or their personal sites. The authentication system means that both Issuers and Earners must agree for the badge to be awarded before it appears in the Backpack, and secure metadata ensures that the images can’t be simply copied and pasted.\nThe Open Badge project aims to bring legitimacy to the multitude of new opportunities for learning, as well as providing a visual system to make it easier to quickly see the attributes held by job candidates. Could this idea hold a place in online recruitment in the future?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7412717938423157}
{"content": "PlantingAdvertisement Stabilize soil structure with reliably cold-hardy plants that will remain in place for years. Select disease- and insect-resistant varieties to reduce reliance on pesticides. Avoid deeply tilling the soil, which displaces beneficial organisms. Add a five- to eight-centimetre layer of shredded bark over tree and shrub roots to conserve moisture and insulate them from excessive heat. FeedingFeed plants with trace minerals by making compost from disease-free garden leaves and vegetable kitchen waste. Fertilize with nutrients from natural sources such as blood, bone and kelp meals, alfalfa pellets and fish emulsion. Add organic material (leaves, peat moss, pine needles) to the soil to improve texture and help retain oxygen and moisture. Enhance nutrient take-up with Epsom salts: 1 cup (250 mL) per nine square metres raked into soil in spring. Use commercial organic fertilizers with low formulations, below 15 (e.g., 5-10-5), to prevent root burn and excessive soil salts. Watering Irrigate in early morning (especially roses and other plants prone to fungal diseases) or water at night to keep evaporation to a minimum. Replace water-wasting fine mist and overhead sprinklers with soaker hoses. Cover exposed soil with five centimetres of organic mulch (leaves or shredded bark) to conserve moisture. Water lawns thoroughly once or twice weekly instead of a brief, daily irrigation, so moisture absorbs deeply into soil, promoting healthy root growth. Choose drought-resistant plants that can withstand summer heat.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5398348569869995}
{"content": "Owosso has a general population of 15,713 and an overall student population of 3,637. Approximately 3,637 of Owosso's students are enrolled in schools that offer healthcare administration programs.\nThe largest healthcare administration school in Owosso, by student population, is Baker College of Owosso. In 2010, approximately 4 students graduated from the Healthcare Administration program at Baker College of Owosso.\nA reported 4 students graduated with credentials in healthcare administration in Owosso in 2010. If you decide to attend a healthcare administration school in Owosso, you can expect to pay an average yearly tuition of $7,020.\nIn addition to tuition costs, you should plan on spending an average of $1,800 for books and supplies each year, while enrolled in a healthcare administration program in Owosso. And if you live on campus at one of the Owosso-based healthcare administration schools, you will have an added expense of $2,550 per year, on average, for room and board. Students who live at home can cut this cost down to approximately $13,620.\nMany healthcare administration graduates choose to work as healthcare administrators after graduation. If you choose to follow that path and remain in Owosso, your job prospects are good. In 2010, there were 9,560 healthcare administrators in Michigan. Of these healthcare administrators, 900 were working in the greater Owosso area. The number of healthcare administrators in Owosso is expected to increase by 13% by the year 2018. This projected change is slower than the projected nationwide trend for healthcare administrators.\nThe average salary you can expect to earn as a healthcare administrator in Owosso is $76,480 per year, which is lower than the average for healthcare administrators state-wide.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6339190006256104}
{"content": "Thimerosal is a preservative that has been used in manufacturing vaccines since the 1930s. Reports have indicated that infants can receive ethylmercury (in the form of thimerosal) at or above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for methylmercury exposure, depending on the exact vaccinations, schedule, and size of the infant. In this study we compared the systemic disposition and brain distribution of total and inorganic mercury in infant monkeys after thimerosal exposure with those exposed to MeHg. Monkeys were exposed to MeHg (via oral gavage) or vaccines containing thimerosal (via intramuscular injection) at birth and 1, 2, and 3 weeks of age. Total blood Hg levels were determined 2, 4, and 7 days after each exposure. Total and inorganic brain Hg levels were assessed 2, 4, 7, or 28 days after the last exposure. The initial and terminal half-life of Hg in blood after thimerosal exposure was 2.1 and 8.6 days, respectively, which are significantly shorter than the elimination half-life of Hg after MeHg exposure at 21.5 days. Brain concentrations of total Hg were significantly lower by approximately 3-fold for the thimerosal-exposed monkeys when compared with the MeHg infants, whereas the average brain-to-blood concentration ratio was slightly higher for the thimerosal-exposed monkeys (3.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.3). A higher percentage of the total Hg in the brain was in the form of inorganic Hg for the thimerosal-exposed monkeys (34% vs. 7%). The results indicate that MeHg is not a suitable reference for risk assessment from exposure to thimerosal-derived Hg. Knowledge of the toxicokinetics and developmental toxicity of thimerosal is needed to afford a meaningful assessment of the developmental effects of thimerosal-containing vaccines.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5232586860656738}
{"content": "Y our child didn't gain weight in isolation, and he can't be expected to lose it as a solo act either. Putting together a realistic meal and exercise plan for the entire family to follow is a crucial step in ensuring your child's success. In some cases, this may involve only a few minor lifestyle adjustments. For other families, however, it may mean a complete food and fitness makeover.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995695948600769}
{"content": "Purpose: This study assessed the duration of different phases of the chewing cycle and the height of the masticatory cycle in relation to the type of lateral guidance. Materials and Methods: Fifty-three subjects with the same type of lateral guidance on both sides were categorized into 3 groups: anterior protected articulation, canine protection, and group function. Overbite was measured clinically. Border jaw movements were recorded using a Sirognathograph, and the lateral guidance angle in the frontal plane was measured. Jaw movements during unilateral chewing of peanuts were recorded on the frontal plane using the Sirognathograph connected to an electrocardiograph used for transcription. A single masticatory cycle was divided into opening, closing, and occlusal-level phases. Masticatory parameters were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, correlations, the paired Student t test, and multiple linear regression. Results: Women showed significantly longer total cycle duration than men. Subjects with canine protection showed the highest lateral guidance angle and the highest chewing cycle duration. Subjects with anterior protected articulation exhibited significantly longer occlusal-level phases. Fifty-nine percent of the variation in duration of the occlusal-level phase can be explained by the type of lateral dental guidance, gender, and lateral guidance angle. Only overbite was a predictor of height of mastication. Conclusion: The type of lateral guidance, gender, and frontal guidance angle are correlated with the duration of the occlusal-level phase during unilateral chewing of peanuts. The height of mastication cannot be explained by the type of lateral guidance. Int J Prosthodont 2005;18:339–346.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6757501363754272}
{"content": "Energy of Matter\nEnergy\nWhile we have described the pieces of a reaction, we haven't discussed why a reaction occurs.\nEnergy is needed to drive a chemical reaction. There are two types of energy, potential and kinetic .\n·\nPotential energy is stored energy. In a physics sense, stored energy is related to the height of an object. In a chemical sense, stored energy is the energy holding atoms together in bonds. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. In a physics sense, energy of motion involves movement of objects. In a chemical sense, particles release heat as a form of kinetic energy as chemical reactions occur.\nUse the following simulation to help understand the difference between potential and kinetic energy. Make sure you click to show the bar graph and watch how as the skate boarder moves, the total energy stays constant, while the amount of kinetic and potential energy changes. This follows the law of conservation of energy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.991033136844635}
{"content": "Making a Decision\nThe process of successful decision-making involves several planning steps. The Career Planning Model is intended to increase student’s awareness of the key phases in the decision-making process. This model can assist students with choosing a major, planning their career, and enhancing their college experience, while preparing them for graduation and beyond. The Career Planning Model focuses on: gathering information internally and externally, evaluating your options and making a decision, preparing your course of action, and doing an evaluation.\nThe following graphic demonstrates this process:\n~If you have any questions about the Career Planning Model contact the Career Development Center at 561-297-3533", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9570620656013489}
{"content": "Crossposted at SupernaturalMom.com Hundreds of toxic chemicals, including PCBs, DDT, endocrine disruptors, and dioxins — to name just a few — are showing up in mothers’ and their newborn babies’ bodies. These chemicals, found in everyday household products, can get absorbed during a typical morning routine. Consider this scenario: the pregnant mom awakens after a [...]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9309391379356384}
{"content": "April 4, 2009 Beyond Negligence: Intentional and Strict Liability in the Third Restatement The second panel yesterday covered two topics: \"Beyond Negligence: Intentional and Strict Liability Torts and An Integrated Third Restatement.\" Ellen Bublick (Arizona), Ellen Pryor (SMU) and Ken Simons (BU) presented. The panel was moderated by ALI Deputy Director Elena Cappella. Jerry Palmer (Palmer, Leatherman) and Ralph Jacobs (Jacobs & Singer LLC) provided commentary.\nPryor is the co-ordinating reporter for the remaining portions of R3. She discussed \"Restatement Third of Torts: Coordination and Continuation\" (pdf).\nPryor explained the \"coordination project,\" which addresses the need to reconcile terminology in the 3 completed/nearly complete projects and ensure the same coordination in future projects. Pryor noted that the work is pretty much done on the 3 completed/near complete projects, though not yet approved. Pryor also noted the working group's agreement that the goal should be a full R3 of Torts that will completely supplant the R2. She then identified the major topics that should be included in the R3: accidental physical and emotional harm, products liability, apportionment, damages for accidental physical and emotional harm, intentional torts to persons, economic torts, torts relating to interests in land and water, and defamation & privacy.\nThe first three are complete or near-complete. Cappella noted that the first 6 chapters of the Liability for Physical Harms project will comprise the first volume of the R3, which will be voted on by the ALI in May.\nBublick presented \"The Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Intentional Physical Harms\" (pdf).\nBublick discussed the need for a R3 on intentional torts to persons. Bublick proposed a binary structure modeled on the R3 for physical and emotional harm - those who intentionally cause physical harm are subject to liability with an accompanying non-liability provision to except cases where liability is inapt. Bublick anticipated challenges with the trespassory torts, which do not fit within this baseline rule of physical harm, and similar challenges with the false imprisonment & assault torts. Bublick suggested that perhaps the project could regroup the intentional torts into two categories: (1) intentional physical injury to persons and (2) intentional dignitary and emotional injuries to persons.\nSimons examined R3's treatment of strict liability doctrines. He noted that the R3's comments suggest 5 rationales for strict liability, and he divided the rationales into two broad categories of economic incentives and fairness incentives. In the economic category, he noted the incentive for the injurer to optimize the level of care, and the incentive for the injurer to optimize the level of activity. In the fairness category, he placed nonreciprocal risk, nonreciprocal benefit, and \"exclusive causation,\" i.e., the defendant was the exclusive cause of theharm. Simon also explained that the R3 rejects loss-spreading as a rationale for strict liability. Simon commented that given these strong rationales, one would expect strict liability to apply in a wide range of circumstances. He found that the doctrine was not co-extensive with the rationales, and concluded that that a likely reason for the confined scope of the doctrine is that strict liability is palatable only when its burdens and effects are modest.\nDuring the Q&A, Mark Geistfeld (NYU) described strict liability as \"the conscience of tort law,\" and noted that the rationales for strict liability have implications for tort law as a whole. Geistfeld argued that it was a mistake for the R3 to excise any social values consideration in the strict liability rationales. He agreed that the R3 was being faithful to the case law in this regard, but urged that the R3 should educate courts.\nDuring the commentary, Palmer suggested that the R3 consider giving attention to guns under strict liability, and Jacobs urged future work on economic torts.\nYou can listen to this panel here.\n- SBS\nTrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfae553ef01156e9dfeb8970c\nListed below are links to weblogs that reference Beyond Negligence: Intentional and Strict Liability in the Third Restatement :", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8886180520057678}
{"content": "Are you aware of one of the greatest truths revealed in the Bible? Did you know it is possible for you to know right here and now, with absolute certainty, that the moment you die, you can enjoy the presence of God forever. God wants you to know that salvation can be secured by His faithfulness and power to all who trust the Savior Jesus Christ. The apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit revealed this wonderful truth as the purpose for one of his letters, \"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.\" (1 John 5:13) Anyone who repents from trusting in things that cannot save them (Hebrews 6:1) and puts all their trust in Jesus will never face the condemnation of God 's wrath. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life\" (John 5:24).\nAll believers have a special relationship with God. To all who have received Christ, \"to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God---children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.\" (John 1:12,13). The relationship God the Father has with His children is an eternal relationship (John 8:35). It is permanent. Nothing will ever separate His children from His love (Romans 8:35-39). Our heavenly Father will discipline His children (Hebrews 12:10-11), but He will never condemn them. In a way it is similar to the unchanging relationship we have with our earthly parents. Nothing we could ever do will change who our parents are.\nMost people go through life hoping they will go to heaven when they die. They hope, after living a good enough life, they will receive favor from God and a place in His Kingdom. Roman Catholics are taught they receive salvation through water baptism, but they can lose it in an instant by committing a mortal sin. Only by confessing the sin to a priest and doing penance can they be justified again. This cycle is often repeated hundreds of times in a Catholic's life.\nThose who depend on their personal righteousness, performing good works, or adhering to a religious system, can never be assured of salvation. They will never know if they have ever done enough. It seems absurd to put your faith in what you can do instead of what God has done. Those who believe God's word know that \"salvation by grace\" means to trust solely in the source of grace --- Jesus Christ. When salvation depends on God there is no chance for failure. A wonderful acronym for G-R-A-C-E is God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Whenever man is involved in attaining and preserving salvation there can be no assurance.\nWe have assurance through the Father. Some believe it is possible to walk away from God or renounce your faith and lose your salvation? Jesus said no one has the power to do so. \"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish . . . My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand\" (John 10:28-29). The Father has the power to assure the life Jesus gives is everlasting, not temporal or perishable.\nWe have assurance through Jesus Christ. Christians are often accused of being self-righteous and boastful because they know for sure they are going to heaven. The accusers fail to understand it is not what man does for God that qualifies him for heaven, but what God has done for man. God made His holy and perfect Son become sin for us, so we could become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). \"We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all...by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy\" (Hebrews 10:10,14).\nThe Catholic Church teaches that mortal sin results in the loss of eternal life. John refuted this teaching in his first epistle when he encouraged believers not to sin. \"But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins\" (1 John 2:1-2). This comforting truth is also revealed in Hebrews 7:25, \"He (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.\nWe also have assurance through the Holy Spirit. Many skeptics refuse to believe that a repentant sinner can simply believe the Gospel and be assured of eternal life? Yet the Apostle Paul could not make it any more clear, \"You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). The moment anyone understands and believes the Gospel, they are sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who guarantees they will be co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).\nWe have assurance through God's promises. The gift of salvation is secured forever by the faithfulness of God. He promises never to take back the gifts He has given. \"God's gifts and His call are irrevocable\" (Romans 11:29). His \"promise comes by faith , so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed\" to those who have the faith (Romans 4:16). \"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace\" (Romans 11:6). Paul is making it crystal clear that salvation can only be assured when a repentant sinner receives it as a gift of God's grace. Anyone who believes that salvation can be earned nullifies God's grace. Whenever man is involved in attaining and preserving his salvation, there can be no assurance.\nThis may be your first exposure to the great biblical truth of eternal security. If you want to be certain of your salvation, then put aside any teaching, experience or feeling that opposes the Word of God. You will never have the subjective feeling of assurance until you comprehend and believe the objective truth of the Gospel. Once you do, you will be more certain of living eternally in heaven than one more day on earth.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8136104941368103}
{"content": "The red line running throughout my work is the fascination for the human body and its potential to express aspects of the human condition. I am interested in how the fragmented body can express human suffering -suffering caused by struggles we are confronted with through our mortal nature and mankind’s position towards nature, society and culture. Since the burden of human suffering often reflects itself in physical form, the human body forms an important starting point. To express vulnerable bodily features, I experiment with organic materials, which deform, decay, dry, wrinkle and shrivel; reminding us of our own flesh and skin.\nThese stages remain visible as traces of a process -a life once lived. The combination of these fragile pieces with sewn seams, metal hooks and piercing pins, underlines their fragility. During the process I investigate how the fragmentary state cries out for completion. To me, this is a crucial aspect of jewelry: pieces crave for another body to become more complete. Furthermore the pieces –as wearable body fragments- communicate with the living body of the wearer: they confront us with our mortality, but are simultaneously cherished by the body they are reunited with.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8805086612701416}
{"content": "Why the Concern There's been a lot of talk in the news about overweight kids, and for good reason. First Lady Michelle Obama has even gotten involved. Her campaign, \"Let's Move\"—supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—is focused on preventing childhood obesity and getting kids physically active.\nResearch has found a strong connection between the weight of these little people and what their weight will be like when they are adults. As the obesity epidemic becomes more widespread, it's of the utmost importance that parents play an active role in the nutrition and activity level of their children, right from the beginning.\nFor Kelly Pasquariello-Wadel of Tampa, Florida, the toddler weight issue is one that she and her husband have struggled with. \"I'm concerned because my husband and I both have a tendency to be overweight, and I don't want that for my kids,\" Wadel says. \"Also, as a teacher, I saw how hard it was for the little ones who were overweight.\"\nIn February 2010, the online edition of the journal Clinical Pediatrics published a study that found the obesity \"tipping point\" often occurs before a child reaches the age of 2—and sometimes as early as 3 months. Earlier research (Pediatrics, 2006) had already determined that what a child weighed as early as the age of 2 or 3 was a factor in what they weighed when they were 12.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5580204129219055}
{"content": "It is essential to control shivering as soon as it is recognized during the cooling process. Shivering is the body’s only warming mechanism, and it needs to be controlled to blunt the body’s thermoregulatory defenses.14 A variety of pharmacologic strategies are available, and for EMS the most practical are either fentanyl or benzodiazepine boluses that can be followed by infusions as necessary. If these methods fail, propofol (10–50 mcg/kg/min) provides both vasodilation and an active lowering of the shivering threshold; it is used by some EMS and many specialty-care transport systems. Should these methods fail to suppress shivering, consider paralytics, depending on availability.4\nSkin temperature is suspected to influence an increase in shivering by as much as 20%. Thus, applying transient skin warming methods (e.g., a blanket) can warm the skin and blunt shivering while allowing the core to remain cool.14 Interestingly, this raises question over the true benefit of direct cooling on the axilla, groin and neck, as these cooling methods may be blunted by the shivering they produce as the skin first cools.\nFuture Uses Since at least 2006, physicians have been researching the benefits of cooling for patients experiencing acute stroke.3 In one study awake stroke patients were cooled to 33.4°C within 1.7 hours and maintained cold for 24 hours. None of these patients experienced complications; this seems to support the feasibility of using TH for stroke care.15 A 2007 review of animal studies found cooling the brain during acute ischemic events within 3 hours reduced infarct size and nearly completely abolished the ischemic region.16 This review concluded there are true beneficial neuroprotective properties to therapeutic hypothermia during stroke, but that the ideal cooling method, rate and duration were unknown.16 Finally, a multicenter study published in 2010 by the same author demonstrated that endovascular TH of acute stroke patients following tPA administration was safe.17\nHypothermia has been demonstrated to reduce intracranial pressure following severe traumatic brain injuries, particularly in children. At this point, however, its benefit for improving neurological outcomes has not been proven.2 The hope is that with more research, appropriately applied hypothermia can reduce the secondary effects from evolving injuries and inflammation that occur following TBI. It is theorized to reduce mortality and improve neurological outcomes (having the greatest benefits when used for at least 48 hours) but not be as helpful when ICP is initially high or when barbiturates are used at high doses.4\nTherapeutic hypothermia is also being researched for benefits to patients receiving PCI for STEMI.3 One animal study found that rapid cooling during a simulated left ventricular myocardial infarction preserved LV function, reduced injury size and preserved mitochondrial function.18\nSince May 2005 the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has supported the use of therapeutic hypothermia for neonates suffering from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, while acknowledging more research is needed.2\nWho Should be Cooled Down Most studies of TH for post-cardiac arrest patients have excluded children, and some have excluded women of childbearing years.3 This does not mean these patients cannot be cooled, just that these patient groups haven’t been studied for TH following cardiac arrest. General inclusion criteria for patient cooling following prehospital cardiac arrest are as follows:4 At least 18 years old; Time from arrest to ROSC less than 60 mins.; At least 5 minutes of CPR performed; SBP greater than 90 mmHg (MAP greater than 60) with only one vasopressor; GCS less than 9; Less than 6 hours since ROSC. In the 2010 AHA guidelines, therapeutic hypothermia is described as a helpful therapeutic approach for patients who remain without meaningful response to verbal commands following ROSC.8 With these guidelines, TH between 32°–34°C for 12–24 hours was listed as a Class I, LOE B recommendation for patients presenting in VF, and a Class IIb, LOE B for patients presenting in PEA and asystole. This last recommendation was further supported in 2011 with a study demonstrating that TH does not reduce mortality for patients with asystole/PEA.9\nCurrently TH is recommended to be administered within 6 hours of ROSC, with a preference for the earliest possible initiation. There is clear data showing that the earlier TH is initiated, the better outcomes become.10", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6785372495651245}
{"content": "NAVIGATE Rupee to appreciate later this year, says Standard Chartered No bank loans for large corporates, inflation up on base affect not demand and supply June 24, 2012, 12:00 pm* Policy rates to remain unchanged, growth to slowdown * CBSL FDI target maybe stretched, BOP surplus less than hoped for * Exporters keeping away from forex market exacerbating pressure on exchange rate\nThe most recent Standard Charted Bank ‘On the Ground’ series of research reports says the rupee is expected to appreciate from the third quarter of this year and policy interest rates kept steady with credit growth easing as many banks are not lending to large corporates to finance factory expansions and other capacity initiatives.\n\"We remain optimistic on the LKR over the medium term and expect sustained appreciation from late Q3-Q4 onwards. While stable policy rates are a positive for the bond market, we have raised our T-bond yield forecasts for the remainder of 2012 due to fiscal-slippage concerns, hardening inflation and tight banking-system liquidity, which in our view are three factors that are likely to maintain upward pressure on the yield curve,\" the research report, authored by authored by Samantha Amerasinghe, Priyanka Kishore and Nagaraj Kulkarni, said.\nExcerpts of the report follows:\nInflation edges higher but the economy is slowing down…\nIn its policy statement, the CBSL emphasised that \"growth in private-sector credit in April in absolute terms slowed to LKR 18.7bn (a 31.7% y/y decline in absolute terms), well below the average monthly growth of LKR 51.8bn in Q1-2012\"; it was the lowest reading in almost two years.\nAnecdotal evidence shows that the 18% cap on bank lending has impacted industry; for instance, banks have been refusing loan requests from large corporates for factory expansion and other capacity-building initiatives.\nCentral bank data also shows that lending to the construction, trade and manufacturing sectors (as a percentage of total lending) declined by 2ppt each as at end-March 2012 versus the same period in 2011.\nIn addition, while export growth has slowed considerably (trade data, just released, shows a 9.2% dip in April 2012 exports, following the double-digit decline in March), it has been accompanied by a similar slowdown in import growth due to the CBSL’s policy measures to curb imports. As a consequence, the trade deficit has actually improved to USD 0.76bn from USD 1.1bn in November 2011.\nOn the inflation front, the central bank takes comfort from having kept inflation in single digits for the past three years. That said, it has been edging higher since February, when the CBSL implemented fuel-price hikes. Subsequently, inflation spiked in May to 7.0% y/y due to upward revisions to cement, gas and milk powder prices. We now forecast annual average inflation at 7.2% (higher than our previous estimate of 6.7% and the central bank’s 7.0% projection) as we have adjusted our inflation trajectory to take into account the stronger-than-expected May inflation print (our forecast was at 6.1%).\nIn our view, the expected uptrend in inflation can be primarily attributed to the lower base in 2011 and is not due to demand-side pressures or imported inflation, as it is clear that import-related credit has come down and is expected to fall further in the months ahead in response to the central bank’s tight policy measures. Furthermore, the recent decline in international oil prices and the easing of global commodity price pressures should help contain inflation.\nHence, we believe the CBSL is more concerned about the expected further export slowdown than the current uptrend in inflation, given that domestic demand is already showing signs of cooling down.\nIn a Reuter’s interview on 14 June, the Treasury Secretary indicated that further signs of weakness in export demand in the coming months may prompt the authorities to ease monetary policy to support growth. However, in light of elevated inflation pressures, we think there is little likelihood of policy-rate cuts and believe the central bank will keep rates on hold.\nCapital inflows hold the key to the BoP surplus …\nSri Lanka’s balance of payments (BoP) deficit narrowed significantly to USD 251mn in Q1-2012 from USD 1.1bn in Q4-2011. This is largely due to a lower trade deficit; improved surpluses in services and current transfers due to sustained strong remittance inflows (up 16.6% y/y to USD 1.96bn) and tourism earnings (up 25.7% y/y) for the January to April period; and stronger inflows into the capital account.\nForeign direct investment (FDI) recorded inflows of USD 220mn during Q1-2012 compared with USD 197mn over the same period last year. We expect the capital account to further benefit from: (1) disbursement of the final USD 430mn tranche of the IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) in July; (2) the upcoming sovereign bond issuance, which is likely to be between USD 500mn and USD 1bn; and (3) reports that further IMF funding in the form of a USD 500mn security arrangement is likely upon the completion of the SBA.\nWe look for a BoP surplus of USD 0.9bn in 2012 from a USD 1.06bn deficit in 2011, somewhat lower than the central bank’s USD 1.25bn projection. The authorities have targeted exports of USD 11.7bn in 2012, imports of USD 20.9bn and FDI of USD 2bn. We are concerned that export earnings and capital inflows may fall short of the authorities’ targets if global risk sentiment deteriorates.\nRemittance inflows and tourism earnings (with the Twenty-20 cricket tournament scheduled for September 2012) in H2 should remain buoyant. With FDI inflows at only USD 313mn at end-May, the CBSL’s USD 2bn target appears to be a stretch. Our FDI forecast is lower, at USD 1.5bn. The authorities’ main concern is to ensure that their projected capital inflows materialise, hence a pro-growth policy stance would send out the right signal to investors, given the adverse global outlook.\nGrowth to moderate from Q2-2012 onwards …\nThe central bank has indicated that the slower recovery in the EU and US, Sri Lanka?s key export markets, poses downside risks to its 7.2% growth target. However, in its 13 June policy statement, the CBSL expressed that this target is well within reach. This confidence likely stems from the expected robust Q1-2012 GDP performance. The Q1-2012 GDP print (released on 18 June) was at 7.9% y/y (even higher than our bullish 7.5% estimate), driven mainly by construction (a 17.5% y/y increase) and tourism (up 25.7% y/y, as mentioned above).\nGrowth was broad-based across all key sectors, with the agricultural sector recording 11.5% y/y growth, largely due to the low base and floods in Q1-2011, which affected supply. The industrial sector grew by 10.8%, while services (which account for 60% of GDP) increased by 5.8%. A strong showing from the construction sector was anticipated prior to the release, as available data on cement production, a good proxy for construction sector activity, increased by 74.9% y/y in Q1-2012. We expect growth to moderate from Q2-2012 onwards on the back of lower export growth and slower domestic demand.\nLKR – Local positives versus global challenges …\nAfter gaining 15.2% in Q1-2012 (trough-to-peak), USD-LKR has traded largely sideways in Q2, albeit in a wide range. In the short term, several factors cloud the LKR outlook:\n* The global backdrop remains challenging due to European sovereign risks and the recent downturn in global economic data. Though the Greek election outcome was market friendly, divisive Greek politics have limited the positive impact on risk appetite. That said, we note that the one-month correlation between daily returns in USD-LKR and the DXY index is almost negligible, at 0.06. Thus, domestic US dollar (USD) imbalances rather than broader risk sentiment are a more significant driver of the LKR.\n* Sri Lanka’s BoP deficit narrowed significantly to USD 251mn in Q1-2012 from USD 1.1bn in Q4-2011. As the CBSL noted in its 13 June policy statement, policy measures to limit import demand have had a significant effect. Import growth fell to -3.3% y/y in April 2012 from +77.9% y/y in November 2011. However, a sharper slowdown in exports due to weak global growth has limited the positive impact on the trade deficit.\n* Anecdotal evidence indicates that Sri Lankan exporters have been largely sidelined from the spot market, exacerbating the onshore USD shortage. However, this could change swiftly if sentiment improves in favour of the LKR due to a combination of policy measures and a revival of risk appetite.\nAs such, the risks appear quite balanced for the LKR into quarter-end and a pullback towards our Q2-end target of 128 cannot be ruled out in the coming days, especially if import demand remains muted. Also, the substantial depreciation in the currency year-to-date is likely to provide a floor below exports at some point, thereby leading to a narrower trade deficit.\nThus, we are optimistic on the LKR over the medium term and expect sustained appreciation from late Q3-Q4 onwards. Key to this view are the disbursement of the final USD 430mn tranche of the SBA facility, the upcoming sovereign bond issuance and reports that further IMF funding in the form of a USD 500mn security arrangement is likely upon the completion of the SBA. Together, these should return Sri Lanka’s BoP to a USD 0.9bn surplus in 2012 from a USD 1.06bn deficit in 2011,\" Standard Chartered Bank said.\nPolls What’s Sri Lanka’s best overseas Test win?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5564920902252197}
{"content": "Genetic relatedness discrimination in a eusocial rodent, Cryptomys anselli mole-rats. Abstract: Previous research has demonstrated that, irrespective of prior familiarity, both social and solitary rodent species respond differentially to odours of other individuals based on the degree of genetic relatedness between them. To investigate whether eusocial species also make odour-based genetic relatedness discriminations, male and female Ansell’s mole-rats (Cryptomys anselli) were exposed to ano-genital odours of unfamiliar opposite-sex conspecifics (one unrelated individual and one “estranged” sibling, from whom they had been separated for 27 days). Habituation tests with the odours of “estranged” siblings and courtship tests confirmed that the “estranged” siblings and their odours were treated as unfamiliar. Subjects spent significantly more time investigating unrelated individuals and their odours, than their “estranged” siblings and their odours, indicating discriminative behaviour toward less genetically similar individuals. The findings suggest that eusocial mole-rats can respond differentially to odours based on their degree of relatedness to the odour donors.\nDieser Eintrag ist freigegeben.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8087118864059448}
{"content": "Even the smallest of car crashes can cause injuries to the human body. While the vehicle may not show signs of damage in little bumps up to 12 MPH, it is possible that the driver or passengers have sustained injuries at these low speeds. Over half of all whiplashes occur in accidents where the vehicle sustains no visible damage. After…", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9877862334251404}
{"content": "What is it about a whiteboard that binds us to commitment? List an idea on a whiteboard, and suddenly, it must be done. Thoughts are richer. Lists are more cohesive. A spark of imagination is recorded as truth.\nToday, I wiped my whiteboard clean.\nNormally, that 3 1/2 X 5-foot space is a brainstorming mecca. I write my ideas down before they float away. I organize, prioritize and then gaze at my mind-flow from behind my desk, thinking of all the greatness I will achieve when these ideas take fruition in the form of presentations, blog posts and well-managed projects.\nToday, I wiped it clean before I even had the chance to embark on the list of 2013 goals I had begun developing long before January rolled around. I wiped them all away, first with the felt-backed eraser, then with the cleaning solution that came in the handy dry-erase marker set.\nGone are my plans…, and suddenly I feel freer and lighter than I did when I walked from my office yesterday.\nI hadn’t expected the feeling of liberation I experienced when I took that first pass of the eraser across the board. Some words vanished with ease, but others had been in place for so long, they clung to the surface. Only thin strips disappeared, my ideas so permanent only sheer determination could clear them completely.\nI scrubbed and scrubbed, sometimes with one hand clutched around the foam block, sometimes with both as I added more force. I didn’t want to see these thoughts any more. I didn’t want them taunting me from across the room.\nFinally, they were gone entirely. In there place was a swirling film of red, blue and green. I launched a second assault with cleaning solution and paper towel. The colors cleared, and I was left with nothing but a blank field of white.\nI stepped back, and unexpectedly sighed with relief.\nI had been frustrated after meetings the previous day, having just found out I would be forced to realign my expectations in the aftermath of a corporate reorganization. I glared at the whiteboard this morning, knowing the goals I had set for myself would no longer help me succeed. The future seemed too uncertain to count on these plans. I could find no joy or excitement in reviewing them every time I lifted my eyes from my computer. They had to go.\nNow with the remnants of carefully planned strategies physically wiped away, I can see clearer.\nI see the freshness of things to come, the newness of things yet to experience. I am excited to discover what the next steps will be, and I am filled with anticipation of making new lists, setting new goals and proving myself on new territory.\nLast week, in the wake of New Year’s celebrations, my whiteboard glowed with promise.\nYesterday, it screamed disappointment.\nToday, it is clean, and I am ready to start over.\nHow do you handle things when faced with a significant change?\n***This post was written as submission for The Daily Post Weekly Writing Challenge which tasked bloggers to creatively capture the theme “Starting Over.” I spent two days planning a light-hearted post on the Young One having to start over with her self-image when I decided she needed to grow out her bangs. Then corporate shake-up and reorganization happened. I ended up with a new boss with a new vision, and when I erased my whiteboard, I knew what I needed to post this week.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7871588468551636}
{"content": "Traditional Evaluation We recognize that some companies may prefer a more traditional evaluation approach, so as part of our full roster of services, we offer more traditional training evaluation services, as well. Dave Basarab has over 25 years of using these evaluation approaches and can customize them to meet your needs. The traditional evaluation services we offer include:\nLevels 1-4 Evaluation Success Case Evaluation Transfer Evaluation Impact Evaluation Evaluation is an integral part of most training and development efforts. Solid, proven evaluation tools and methodologies help determine the effectiveness of learning interventions.\nAt Dave Basarab Consulting, we conduct training evaluations using our own proprietary model – Predictive Evaluation. Using the innovative new Predictive Evaluation (PE) Model, trainers and business leaders can successfully predict training’s results, value, intention, adoption and impact, allowing them to make smarter, more strategic training and evaluation investments.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5755897760391235}
{"content": "It's all about washing your hands (a lot), covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your arm when you cough and sneeze, staying away from other people if you're sick, and avoiding large crowds and crowded places.\nGot it? Now let's look at what else the CDC has to say: \"There may be times during a pandemic when you must be in a crowded setting or in close contact (within 6 feet) with people who might be ill. During such times, the use of a facemask or a respirator might help prevent the spread of pandemic flu.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8065371513366699}
{"content": "“And Korach the son of Yitzhar the son of Kahat the son of Leyve separated himself, together with Datan and Aviram the sons of Ahaliav and Ohn the son of Pelet, the sons of Reuven.” (BeMidbar 16:1) Korach initiated a dispute with Moshe regarding the leadership of Bnai Yisrael. Rashi explains that Korach was motivated by personal ambitions. Moshe had appointed Elisafan the son of Uziel as prince of the family of Kahat. Korach believed that he should have received this honor.[1] Datan, Aviram and Ohn were not involved in this issue. They did not have this personal motivation to join the dispute. Why did they become involved?\nBnai Yisrael camped in the wilderness in accordance with a specific order. The Shevet – tribe – of Reuven camped adjacent to the family of Kahat. This proximity encouraged close relations between these neighbors. Korach developed a following among members of the Shevet of Reuven. Rashi summarizes this phenomenon with the statement, “Woe to the evil doer and woe to his neighbor”.[2]\nRashi seems to maintain that the members of Shevet Reuven were not, by nature, evil. They were influenced by the attitudes of their neighbors. It is interesting that the good qualities of Shevet Reuven did not have a positive influence upon Korach and his followers among the family of Kahat.\nFurthermore, the Shevet of Reuven was adjacent to the family of Kahat on one side. On other sides the Shevet was next to tribes that were not inclined to join Korach’s rebellion. Yet, the positive role models among their other neighbors did not guide these members of Shevet Reuven.\nIt seems that Rashi maintains that the power of evil to corrupt is greater than the influence of the good to motivate righteous behavior. Every person must struggle to achieve human perfection. Although material instincts pull us toward evil, we can overcome this influence. However, we can never completely eradicate the instinctual component of our personality. We can never assume we are beyond the desire to sin. We can only hope to control our tendency towards evil. The desire remains deep within our personality. The desire to do good is apparently more tentative. It requires the conquest of the intellectual and spiritual over the more basic instinctual. This process is a lifelong struggle. Even in a righteous individual some level of conflict remains.\nRashi’s analysis can now be more fully understood. When evil confronts good it is easier for the evil to exert influence over the good. The evildoer has less conflict. The righteous individual lives with conflict. The evil person encourages a return to the instinctual desires. The righteous person is now confronted with a growing internal battle. Sometimes he or she succumbs to the evil desires.\nRashi urges us to choose our neighbors well. We should not assume they will not influence us. Instead we should adopt the premise that we will be influenced and choose neighbors whose influence will be positive.\n“And Moshe became very angry. He said to Hashem, ‘Do not accept their offering. I did not take a single donkey from them! I did not do harm to any of them.” (BeMidbar 16:15)Moshe continues to attempt to make peace with Korach and his followers. He sends a messenger to Datan and Aviram. These are two of the leaders of the rebellion. He wishes to meet with them. Datan and Aviram refuse the offer. Instead, they lash-out at Moshe. They raise new issues. Moshe has failed to fulfill his promise to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. The generation that Moshe brought out from Egypt has been condemned to die in the wilderness. Furthermore, Moshe has made himself ruler over the nation.\nOur pasuk describes Moshe’s reaction. Moshe becomes angry. He prays to Hashem. He asks Hashem not to accept the offerings of Korach and his followers. Finally, he declares that he has not deprived anyone of his property. He has not wronged anyone.\nThere are two problems with Moshe’s comments. First, Moshe seems to be defending himself. He seems to feel that he needs to prove that he has not been despotic. Why is Moshe defending his integrity? Second, Moshe begins his defense by observing that he has not deprived anyone of personal property. This seems to be an odd defense. Moshe seems to be defending himself by asserting that he is not a thief! This does not prove he has not assumed unwarranted authority.\nIn order to understand Moshe’s comments, some background is needed. In fact, Moshe did have the status of a king. He was the temporal ruler of Bnai Yisrael.[3] As king, Moshe did have the right to confiscate private property for his own use.[4] Now, we can begin to understand Moshe’s comments. He was not asserting that he was not a thief. He was declaring that he had not exercised his rights as king. He had not practiced his right of confiscation.\nWhy did Moshe feel compelled to defend the beneficence of his leadership? Datan and Aviram had challenged Moshe’s leadership. Moshe realized that there were two possible causes for this rebellion. The first possibility was that Datan and Aviram could not accept anyone’s leadership. They were simply unwilling to submit to any leader. The second possibility was that his own behavior had evoked their response. Perhaps, unintentionally, he had been overbearing.\nMoshe decided to test the issue. He humbled himself before Datan and Aviram. He attempted to appease them. If Datan and Aviram rejected this overture, Moshe would know that his actions had not produced this dispute. Such a reaction would indicate that even the most unobtrusive leadership would not be tolerated.\nDatan and Aviram immediately rejected Moshe’s appeal. Now, Moshe knew with certainty that he had not caused this rebellion. This is the meaning of Moshe’s comments. Moshe is asserting that he has been not been an overbearing leader. He has not even exercised the rights of a king. Therefore, he is not responsible for this rebellion. Korach, Datan and Aviram will not accept any leader.\n“This is what you should do. Take for yourself fire-plates – Korach and his assembly.” (BeMidbar 16:6)What was the issue raised by Korach and his followers? As we have explained, they disputed Moshe’s right to make appointments to the priesthood. However, at a deeper level Korach and his followers questioned the entire institution of priesthood. Korach argued that the entire nation was sacred. The priesthood should not be bestowed upon a single family. Instead, it should be distributed more evenly within Bnai Yisrael. Moshe rejected this argument. He insisted that the priesthood belongs exclusively to Ahron and his descendants.\nWhat was wrong with Korach’s argument? Why does Bnai Yisrael have Kohanim? Why cannot any individual assume the role of Kohen? Rashi deals with this issue. He explains that there is a fundamental difference between the Torah and heathen religions. The heathens have many alternative practices. They have various priests. They worship in numerous temples. In contrast, the Torah insists upon a single law. There is one Mikdash – Temple. There is a single Kohen Gadol.[5]\nRashi’s response requires further explanation. Rashi identifies a fundamental difference between the Torah and heathen practices. However, he does not explain the reason for this difference. Why does the Torah insist on a single Mikdash and one Kohen Gadol? Why does the Torah not allow for the diversity accommodated by other religions?\nThe answer is that the Torah proposes a unique approach to Divine service. Heathen religion is essentially an expression of the worshipper. The mode of service is derived from the personal needs of the worshipper. The worshipper designs the service in a manner that is personally meaningful. This results in remarkable diversity. Different cultures produce their own religious expressions and modes of worship. This is because each culture is unique and seeks to express religious feelings in an individual manner.\nThe Torah does not treat worship as an expression of the needs of the worshiper. Instead, Torah worship involves submission to the will of the Almighty. Worship is not designed to respond to the needs of the worshiper. It is a response to the will of Hashem.\nThe Torah approach implies that there must be unity of worship. Diversity in Divine service is inappropriate. All Jews submit to a single G-d. This Deity has a single will. Therefore, all Jews must worship in a single manner. There cannot be multiple Temples expressing various versions of worship. Neither can there be various High Priests each proposing his own form of worship. There is a single Torah, one Mikdash and one Kohen Gadol.\n“And it was on the following day and Moshe entered the Tent of Testimony. And it was that Ahron’s staff representing the house of Leyve had blossomed. And it had brought forth blossoms and then unripe fruit and then almonds.” (BeMidbar 17:23)Hashem commanded Moshe to collect a staff from the prince of each tribe. Ahron’s staff represented the Shevet of Leyve. These staffs were then placed in the Mishcan. The following day Ahron’s staff blossomed and bore fruit. This miracle indicated that Ahron was truly the Kohen appointed by the Almighty.\nKorach’s rebellion had already ended. He and his followers had been destroyed through a series of miracles. Why was further proof of Ahron’s authenticity needed?\nOne explanation is that there were two elements in Korach’s rebellion. First, Korach and his followers rebelled against Moshe’s authority. The manner in which they protested the appointment of the Kohanim – the priests – was inappropriate. They did not question Moshe in a respectful manner. They denied his authority and encouraged anarchy. Second, they had questioned the concept of priesthood. The destruction of Korach and his followers indicated that their approach had been sinful. However the question of the legitimacy of the priesthood had not been dealt with fully. The people could mistakenly assume that Korach and his camp were punished for their rebellious attitude. There would remain doubts regarding the position of the Kohanim.\nThe miracle of Ahron’s staff responded to this possible doubt. Through this sign, Hashem confirmed the legitimacy of Ahron and the Kohanim.\n[1] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer BeMidbar 16:1.\n[2] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer BeMidbar 16:1.\n[3] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer\nShemot 30:13; Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 36:31;\nRabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on Sefer Devarim 33:5.\n[4] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot\nMelachim 4:1.\n[5] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer BeMidbar 16:1.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7177372574806213}
{"content": "June 10, 2009\nPerspective: My father has been registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor for over 30 years. We currently manage roughly $61 million.\nMy comments are directed solely at the portion of the proposed rule which would deem one to have \"custody\" due to client fees being deducted directly from client accounts, as directed by the adviser.\nAs many before me have already expressed, I feel this portion of the rule to be unnecessary, costly and overly burdensome. Every quarter our clients are sent an invoice along with their performance packet. A duplicate of the invoice is sent to the custodian, who then pays the bill. Clients do not have to have their fees deducted if they express to us they would rather pay by check. Additionally, for those who do have their fees deducted, they have every opportunity to review the invoice for errors, etc and respond accordingly to us or the custodian. As one previous commenter suggested, it is far from credible to believe an adviser has \"drained\" a client's assets via fee deductions.\nThus, it is our opinion that not only is this portion of the rule unnecessary but also it would be regressively more expensive for the smaller registered investment advisors than the larger ones and great consideration should be taken before the SEC decides that expensive surprise audits must be performed simply due to fees being paid from client funds.\nThank you for listening.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7955942153930664}
{"content": "Karen A. Daniels\nI am a cognitive psychologist whose research is directed at answering two fundamental questions: First, how do people exert control over their thinking and behavior, and why are some people better able to do this than others? I am particularly interested in developing methods for measuring and understanding the cognitive-control deficits observed in late life and as a function of individual-difference variables like working memory capacity. Theoretically, my research centers on the \"dual-process\" distinction between controlled and automatic processes, a distinction that I believe provides key insights into the nature of cognitive control.\nSecond, are there training programs that can successfully slow or reverse age-related declines in cognitive control? Despite the overwhelming evidence for age-related deficits in memory and attention, very little research has been dedicated to developing techniques that attempt to rehabilitate these cognitive skills. My current research explores the utility of laboratory computer tasks, video games, and physical fitness as tools for improving cognitive-control skills in populations showing impairments.\nSelected Publications Daniels, K.A., Toth, J.P., & Jacoby, L.L. The aging of executive functions. To appear in F.I.M. Craik and E. Bialystok (Eds.), Lifespan Cognition: Mechanisms of Change.\nJacoby, L.L., Shimizu, Y., Daniels, K.A., & Rhodes, M.G. Modes of cognitive control in recognition and source-memory: Depth of retrieval. In press at Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.\nDaniels, K.A. Cognitive control, automaticity, and working memory: A dual-process analysis. Under review at Journal of Experiment Psychology: General.\nToth, J.P., Daniels, K.A., & Jacoby, L.L. Art Dealer : A computer game for enhancing cognition in older adults. Manuscript submitted for publication.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5294320583343506}
{"content": "From ISAZ Newsletter, Number 29 [pdf]:\nRobotic Pets and Children: A Developmental StudyGail F. Melson, Alan M. Beck, Peter Kahn, and Batya Friedman (University of Washington) All data has now been collected for our study of children across three age groups (7-8, 10-11, 13- 14 years) as they separately interact with a live specially trained dog and with a robotic dog (Sony’s AIBO). The analysis is now underway and international presentations of the data are scheduled. Children aged 7-9 yrs. (n=26), 10-12 yrs. (n=24), and 13-15 yrs. (n=21), half boys, participated. After a 5-min. play session with AIBO, each child completed a 20-min. interview, with AIBO present and “on.” The same play session and interview was conducted with “Canis,” an Australian Shepherd. As part of the interview, each child was asked whether or not the target dog possessed biological properties, social companionship, and moral standing. Most dog type comparisons were significant.\nFor 23 of 25 questions, fewer children affirmed AIBO’s (as compared to Canis’) biology, psychology, companionship, or moral standing. However, more children endorsed punishing Canis (80%) than AIBO (51%) for breaking something expensive. Children unanimously affirmed Canis’ biology, at least 70% of children affirmed all mental state and companionship questions about Canis, and at least 80% stated it was “not OK” to cause Canis harm (5 questions). However, over 50% of children also affirmed AIBO’s mental states (4 of 6 questions), companionship (5 of 6 questions) and moral standing (6 of 7 questions). In summary, while children sharply distinguish living and robotic dogs, most children attribute psychological, companionship and moral standing (but not biology) to a robot dog, even after a brief exposure. Preliminary data were presented at the Tenth International Conference on Human- Animal Interactions, Glasgow, Scotland, October 8, 2004.\nPhoto: vpasson", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7652989625930786}
{"content": "There's an old saying, \"If you've forgotten the language of gratitude, you'll never be on speaking terms with happiness.\" I think that the holidays opens our eyes every year to the many blessings in our lives. We have a roof over our heads, food in the pantry and good health. Those are the Big Ones... or are they? Could you be happy if you didn't have a home, or you had to worry about where you next meal was coming from? What if you faced serious health issues, could you find gratitude anywhere in that?\nOn my way to town, I pass by Sunshine Road. Sounds like the perfect \"Christmas Card Address,\" the kind that invokes memories of cozy homes with smoke curling out of the chimneys. In reality, it's one of the poorest parts of Benton County with small, ramshackle trailers. Many are without heat and running water. How could that be? Well, it just is. One of the residents of Sunshine Road rides with me to and from town occasionally. She walks, in the rain, in the cold, in the heat of summer to work at Wendy's. I'd say Mary is my age, she has a grandson the same age as mine that lives with her. She's always cheerful, carrying her backpack and sometimes loaded down with sacks of groceries. A smile on her face, she told me once with pride that she owns her trailer.\nIt's in our hearts where gratitude lives and grows. We either feed it daily or we let it die a slow, horrible death. Look around you this holiday season and you will see many opportunities to feed the gratitude in your heart and in the heart of others. I'm counting my blessings this morning, I bet you are too! Happy Thanksgiving!\nI'm counting my blessings this morning, I bet you are too! Happy Thanksgiving!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8517239093780518}
{"content": "“NO” on the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act Proponents of the bill cite the drought’s impact on livestock – and the absence of livestock-specific disaster programs – as the principle reason for the aid package. However, the livestock-specific disaster programs expired in 2011, meaning ranchers knew that they had to plan for possible disasters, including drought. The Washington Post explained that “farmers should have to hedge as other businesses do: by diversifying their product lines, purchasing insurance at market rates, leveraging assets or maintaining cash reserves.”Because livestock producers did not take preventative action, they are now clamoring for a bailout.\nThe Heritage Foundation also notes that H.R.6233 goes well beyond drought-inflicted livestock losses, by offering “subsidies to ranchers for livestock killed by raptors and wolves (along with hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, and extreme cold).” It also includes wildfires. The “drought” bill also covers trees, defined as “a tree, bush, and vine”, impacted by late-season freezes and insect infestations.\nNot only does this $383 million spending bill extend well beyond drought aid for livestock farmers, it continues making farmers, ranchers and orchardists more dependent on government and bails them out for not adequately preparing for hardship.\nHeritage Action opposes H.R.6233 and will include it as a key vote on our scorecard.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9819759130477905}
{"content": "In contrast to the National Health Service, our ombudsman received 11complaints during his first year (July 1996-June 1997), increasing to 20 bythe end of 18 months.4 To develop mechanismsto handle these inquiries, he visited the journal's office regularly to studyour editorial processes. He interviewed editors, talked to assistants, attendedall meetings, and dug through deep filing cabinets. His effect on editorswas startling. At first, most were either opposed to or profoundly skepticalabout an \"outsider\" having total freedom to roam through the editorial department,ask questions, and read any document relevant to his investigations. Manyfelt that this maneuver was an exercise in \"big brother\" oversight that compromisedtheir independence. Slowly, a phase of grudging acceptance was entered, andnow we have begun a period marked by polite approval, if not joyous enthusiasm,at his presence. Our ombudsman seems to have shouldered his burden well; Ican detect no long-lasting adverse changes to his personality despite hisexposure to these difficult environmental pressures.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8663133382797241}
{"content": "dc.description.abstract This study examines the design, implementation and evaluation of a communication skills training programme for\nadherence counsellors in a paediatric HIV clinic. Effective communication is a pre-requisite skill for any counselling\ninteraction. For both prevention and treatment, counselling is a critical component of the healthcare team response to\nthe HIV epidemic. Given the shortages of healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa, task-shifting of the counselling\nrole to less-trained cadres of workers is commonplace. In the multilingual, multicultural South African context, taskshifting\ncoupled with the complexity of the message in paediatric HIV presents enormous challenges. In-service\nsupport for counsellors is lacking. Counsellor burn-out and fatigue is commonplace affecting the quality of\ncounselling interactions.\nMeasuring the quality of communication in a multilingual context poses ethical and methodological challenges and is\na neglected area of research. Traditional communication and counselling assessments appear to be largely taxonomic;\nlack cultural and linguistic sensitivity; and fail to acknowledge communication as a dynamic, two-way process.\nMindful of these issues, this study utilized a non-taxonomic approach.\nVerbal and non-verbal communication was analysed before and after the implementation of in-service training which\nwas tailored to the specific research context. The training comprised a two day multidisciplinary team workshop\nfollowed by individual training. This consisted of video feedback and analysis of counsellors’ own sessions and was\nattended by four counsellors. Results were recorded over an eighteen month period. Twenty-two consultations\nbetween counsellors and caregivers were video-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a hybridized form\nof linguistic analysis. Findings that demonstrated consensus, substantiation and cross-consultation occurrence were\ntriangulated with thematically analysed interview data, patient questionnaires and researcher reflections. These\nmethods are more sensitive to process than checklist approaches and individualised, complex dynamics emerged.\nCommunication barriers and facilitators were identified before training. Variations in communicative competence\nbetween counsellors appeared to be unrelated to prior training. After training, counsellors asked more open-ended\nquestions, encouraged caregivers more, provided simpler explanations of treatment regimens and checked\nunderstanding more effectively. In response, caregivers initiated more questions. These findings suggest that\ncommunication training improves treatment literacy and results in interactions that are more patient-centered. Despite\nthis evidence, the results suggest limitations to the impact of communication training given the lack of agency of\nwomen in South Africa. Interactions included frank and open discussion about cultural beliefs. However, this benefit\nmay be lost due to poor healthcare team cohesion. In their roles as mothers and caregivers themselves, counsellors are\neffective patient advocates and bring their own lifeworld experience to the counselling interaction. These shared\nstories are testimonies to the resilience of women living in poverty. Whilst allowing for greater exploration of\npatients’ cultural beliefs and explanatory models, communication training has limited impact in assisting counsellors\nwith dealing with issues such as disclosure, non-adherence and scepticism about biomedicine. Results indicate conflict\nbetween patient-centeredness and perceived desired medical outcomes. Caregivers and counsellors appeared to engage\nin ritualistic dialogue when discussing certain topics suggesting that a shared lifeworld between caregiver and\ncounsellor is insufficient to overcome barriers from the meso (institutional) and macro (broader socio-political)\ncontext.\nAn awareness of the impact of context is critical to our understanding of communication in a clinical setting. The\nresults from this research have implications for the role of the counsellor within a multidisciplinary team and establish\na need for communication specialists to work in a clinical setting within the HIV epidemic. en_US", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9767909049987793}
{"content": "We've all heard that red wine is \"good for your heart.\" In the early 1990s, the media reported the so-called French Paradox, despite a diet full of saturated fats and refined carbohydrate, the French have few heart attacks and credited it to their consumption of red wine. Since then, many scientific studies have indicated that moderate wine drinking protects against cardiovascular disease, and recent preliminary studies indicate wine may play a potential role in protecting against certain cancers, dementia, and in enhancing lung function and increasing longevity. Most of the research is centered on polyphenols, potent antioxidants that are found in grapes. This article summarizes recent research, offers guidance for practitioners, and a cautionary note as to the detrimental effects of alcohol.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5029981136322021}
{"content": "Pharmacological Class: Corticosteroid.\nActive Ingredient(s): Ciclesonide 37micrograms/actuation; metered-dose nasal aerosol; contains HFA.\nCompany Sunovion\nTreatment of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in patients ≥12 years of age.\nCiclesonide is a prodrug that is enzymatically hydrolyzed to its active metabolite, des-ciclesonide following intranasal application. Des-ciclesonide has anti-inflammatory activity with affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor that is 120 times higher than the parent compound. The precise mechanism through which ciclesonide affects allergic rhinitis symptoms is not known.\nThe efficacy of Zetonna Nasal Aerosol was evaluated in one randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, placebo-controlled dose-ranging trial (74mcg, 148mcg, and 282mcg once daily) and 3 confirmatory trials (74mcg and 148mcg once daily) involving 3,001 patients with allergic rhinitis. Patients enrolled in the trials were 12–81 years of age with a history of SAR or PAR, a positive skin test to at least one relevant allergen, and active symptoms of allergic rhinitis at study entry. Assessment of efficacy in these trials was based on patient recording of four nasal symptoms (runny nose, nasal itching, sneezing, and nasal congestion) on a 0–3 categorical severity scale (0 = absent, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, and 3 = severe) as reflective or instantaneous total nasal symptom scores (rTNSS and iTNSS respectively). Additional secondary efficacy variables were assessed, including the total ocular symptom score (TOSS) in the SAR trials and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire with Standardized Activities [RQLQ(S)] in both SAR and PAR trials.\nIn the dose-ranging trial, the primary efficacy endpoint was the difference from placebo in the change from baseline of the average of AM and PM rTNSS averaged over the 2-week treatment period. The rTNSS showed a statistically significant estimated treatment difference from placebo of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.32, 1.29); 0.90 (95% CI: 0.40, 1.39); and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.16, 1.16) for 282mcg, 148mcg and 74mcg, respectively.\nIn the confirmatory SAR and PAR trials, Zetonna 74mcg once daily was statistically significantly different from placebo. The rTNSS showed a statistically significant estimated treatment difference from placebo; SAR was 0.9 (95% CI: 0.6, 1.3), and PAR was 0.7 (95% CI: 0.4, 1.0). Statistically significant differences in the AM pre-dose iTNSS indicate that the effect was maintained over the full 24-hour dosing interval for both trials. In the SAR trials, Zetonna 74mcg demonstrated a statistically significant decrease from baseline in the rTOSS compared to placebo. Similarly, a clinically significant decrease (≥ 0.5) from baseline vs. placebo for the RQLQ(S) was also shown. In the PAR trial, Zetonna 74mcg did not demonstrate a clinically significant change from baseline in the overall RQLQ(S) compared to placebo. TOSS was not evaluated in this trial. In both SAR and PAR trials, Zetonna 148mcg once daily did not provide an efficacy benefit over the 74mcg once daily dose.\nRx\nOne actuation in each nostril once daily (37mcg/actuation); max 74mcg/day.\nNot established.\nConduct nasal examination before starting treatment. Discontinue if nasal erosion, ulceration, or perforation occurs. Active or quiescent respiratory tract tuberculosis. Infections (eg, ocular herpes simplex). If exposed to measles or chickenpox, consider immunoglobulin prophylactic therapy. If adrenal suppression exists following systemic corticosteroid therapy, replacement with topical steroids may exacerbate symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. Monitor for hypercorticism and HPA axis suppression (if occur discontinue gradually), and for candida infection and other nasal cavity changes. Monitor for growth suppression in children. Monitor for vision changes or if history of increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma or cataracts. Avoid spraying in eyes or directly onto the nasal septum. Pregnancy (Cat. C). Nursing mothers.\nMay be potentiated by ketoconazole.\nNasal discomfort, headache, epistaxis; ulcerations, nasal septal perforation, candida infection, impaired wound healing.\nNasal aerosol—6.1g (60 actuations)\n12/17/2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9355324506759644}
{"content": "They teach ethics in business school, but few executives ever face a moment of truth—a time when they must choose between deeply held ethical principles and calculated business practices. These are decisions that can profoundly impact the ethos of a company and the lives of its employees.\nGerard Arpey did. As CEO of American Airlines, he steadfastly resisted for nearly a decade the bankruptcy option that most U.S. carriers have used to solve financial issues. When confronted with the proverbial ultimatum from the airline's board, Arpey chose principle over popular practice and stepped away from a 30-year career with American.\nLearn firsthand from Mr. Arpey's personal and professional insights on integrity and the tough choices leaders make every day.\nGerard J. Arpey is a partner in Emerald Creek Group, LLC, a private equity firm based in Houston.From April 2003 through November 2011, Gerard Arpey served as chief executive officer of AMR Corporation and American Airlines. From May 2004 through November 2011, he was also chairman of the AMR Board. Arpey led American Airlines—one of the world’s largest carriers, serving 250 cities in 40 countries—through the most tumultuous period in the history of the airline industry.\nArpey previously served as American’s president and chief operating officer, senior vice president of finance and planning, and chief financial officer. He joined the company in 1982 as a financial analyst, and was named a corporate officer in 1989.\nArpey earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1980 and an MBA in 1982, both from the University of Texas at Austin.\nAn avid pilot, Arpey holds a FAA Multi-Engine Instrument Pilot Rating.\nArpey serves on the board of directors of S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (A Family Company). He is also a member of The Business Council, and he and his wife Lisa are involved in a variety of civic and charitable organizations.\nLisa and Gerard Arpey reside in Colleyville, Texas with their three children.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8985440731048584}
{"content": "Experienced Counsel for Businesses When you own a business, unpaid obligations from your customers can have a significant impact on your cash flow and your bottom line. Often, however, your attempts to work with your customers are met with empty promises or fall on deaf ears. You need an experienced lawyer, one who knows how to obtain and enforce judgments, if necessary to recover what is owed to you.\nTogether, attorneys Ed Karfeld and Donna Karfeld of the Karfeld Law Firm, P.C., have over 35 years of experience representing businesses in the St. Louis area recover payments owed by customers and others. When you hire us to help you recover money due to you, you will always work directly with one of our lawyers, not with a paralegal or secretary. We provide aggressive and committed representation that puts your interests first.\nWe understand how frustrating it can be to collect a debt. You can trust us to keep you regularly informed of the status of your case and provide dedicated counsel from beginning to end of the collections process. Contact our office to set up a confidential consultation meeting to discuss your creditor collections needs.\nOur Creditor Collection Practice We work closely with a wide range of businesses that seek assistance in recovering unpaid debts, including credit card companies, banks, department stores, credit unions, schools and finance companies. We focus our efforts on either obtaining payment or recovering your collateral, if applicable.\nWhen we take your collection matter, we will handle the process from beginning to end. We will start by examining and analyzing the debt documentation to determine all of your options. Next, we will locate the debtor and make a written demand for payment. If we receive payment, we will forward the proceeds to you.\nIf payment is not forthcoming or we are unable to locate the debtor, we will meet with you and advise you regarding whether you should proceed with litigation. If the debtor cannot be located or if the debtor has no recoverable assets, it may not always be in your best interests to engage in litigation. We will counsel you on the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action, so you can make the best-informed decisions possible.\nWe will make every effort to locate the debtor or to locate property owned by the debtor that may be seized to pay the debt to you. If you opt to file suit, we will obtain a judgment and make all efforts to enforce and collect on the judgment.\nContact Us for Experienced Collections Representation For a confidential consultation an experienced collections attorney, contact us or call at 314-732-0748. Our office is open Monday through Friday, from 9 until 5, with evenings and weekends by appointment. We are located in downtown St. Louis, just four blocks from the Gateway Arch.\nWe are a debt relief agency. We help individuals, businesses and government entities file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Count on Our Experience to Work for You", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6386337280273438}
{"content": "By Robert Powell, MarketWatch\nThe U.S. Treasury Dept. has issued proposed regulations for the new 3.8% Medicare surtax and it could represent a unique planning opportunity for charitable remainder trusts (CRTs), according to Robert Keebler and Peter Melcher of Keebler & Associates.\nAs many know, starting Jan. 1, various provisions from President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will come into effect. And from a tax perspective, one of the more significant provisions is the 3.8% Medicare surtax.\nThis surtax, according to Keebler and Melcher, applies to individuals, trusts and estates that have income that exceeds specific thresholds. However, the surtax is assessed differently for trusts and estates than it is for individuals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9978280663490295}
{"content": "The swivel, which is attached to a diving mask, could separate while diving. This will result in a sudden loss of the diver's air supply, causing the diver to engage in emergency ascent. This poses a risk of decompression sickness due to rapid ascent or drowning.\nM&J Engineering has received one report of swivels separating from the masks while diving. No injuries have been reported.\nThis recall involves all SW-3000 2nd stage 360-degree swivels for scuba diving masks manufactured between January 2004 and February 2005. The swivel has the date stamped on its body, below the patent number. Swivels that are already repaired have an arrow stamped on the top right corner of the swivel body.\nThe swivels were sold at diving retail stores nationwide between January 2004 and February 2005 for about $60.\nConsumers should immediately stop using the scuba diving masks with the swivel attached and contact M&J Engineering to receive a free repair.\nConsumer Contact: For additional information, contact M&J Engineering toll-free at (888) 794-8351 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, or visit the company's Web site at www.mj-engineering.com.\nPicture of Recalled AGA Swivel for Scuba Diving Masks\nThe recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9068511128425598}
{"content": "Diversity This discipline deals with the definition and multiple dimensions contributing to diversity including age, gender, socio-economic status and beliefs. The business case for managing diversity in the workplace is outlined from creating greater inclusiveness to harnessing the potential of diverse cultures to drive innovation, flexibility and effectively manage change.\nSpecific challenges related to managing diversity are highlighted in this discipline, including stereotyping, prejudices and reverse discrimination. Interventions to actively support diversity and inclusion are outlined along with key success factors for designing, promoting and implementing effective diversity initiatives.\nThe Diversity discipline stresses on measuring the bottom line impact and return on investment of such initiatives as also elaborates the Diversity function and the role of the Diversity Practitioner. The discipline also covers the trends and implications for managing diversity in the future. This discipline does not cover Workplace Flexibility which comes under the discipline of Employee Advocacy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999561905860901}
{"content": "TRURO - In the aftermath of Monday's flooding in Truro and areas of Colchester County, the Emergeny Measures Organization (EMO) is reminding homeowners, businesses and residents of the following:\n- Contact insurance agents as soon as possible if there has been damage. Make a list and photograph or videotape all damages and items that had to be discarded\n- Keep a record of flood-related activity, such as time spent cleaning, and keep copies of all invoices and receipts\n- Do not use flooded appliances, electrical outlets, switch boxes or fuse/breaker panels until they have been checked by local utilities. Arrange for qualified workers to reconnect gas, pump or electrical supplies\n- Leave and contact the gas company immediately if there is a smell of gas\n- Rinse away contamination inside the home and dispose of the rinse water\n- Clean and dry out the house and salvageable possessions as quickly as possible\n- Household items contaminated by sewage, or that have been wet for a long time, have to be bagged, tagged and discarded according to local regulations\n- Some food that has come into contact with flood water must be discarded. Canned food can be cleaned. First, remove labels, then clean cans using a mixture of one tablespoon of bleach to one litre of water. Then label clean cans with a marker. Throw out any cans that are bulging, damaged or opened.\n- Homeowners with private wells for drinking water should test the supply and not drink the water until they are certain it is safe to drink. Test kits are available at the Department of Environment district offices. The department is working with municipalities to have test kits available at municipal offices.\n- Check on-site septic systems and contact the local environment office if it is not working. Homeowners should also ensure oil tanks are secure.\nAnyone in need of financial assistance to meet basic needs can apply for income assistance by contacting the local Community Services office. Requests are assessed on an individual basis to determine need. If a person is not eligible, staff can advise of other community supports that may help.\n- Contact your local property insurance company to determine if the losses are covered. (overland flooding is usually not covered.)\n- Request a letter from the insurance company stating that such losses are not covered\n- Confirm if your policy is an ‘all perils' policy\n- Keep the receipts when damaged items are replaced\n- Save items that are damaged until the period of assessment by EMO has been completed\n- Obtain and keep quotes before restoration work begins.\nColchester North MLA Karen Casey stated yesterday that if the total loss for the Town of Truro and the Municipality of Colchester reaches $1 million, then the premier and cabinet will determine if there is a need for a disaster relief program.\nIf such a program is approved, the public will be notified, and the applications will be available on the EMO website or at Access Nova Scotia offices.\nFor further information, Casey can be contacted at 893-2180.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5443589687347412}
{"content": "The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is now accepting pre-proposals for the first phase of a multi-year research effort that will attempt to reduce solids management and wastewater treatment costs at U.S. facilities by at least 20%.\nWERF anticipates funding of approximately $400,000 for this initial phase of research. Due to the scope and scale of this challenge, estimates for the total cost, over a five-year period (2007-2011), are approximately $4 million. Pre-proposals are due no later than February 16, 2007.\nEnergy use accounts for approximately 35% of wastewater treatment facilities' total cost to provide wastewater service, second only to labor costs. Similarly, solids treatment operations (i.e. sludge thickening, dewatering) and sludge handling, transport, and disposal account for a significant portion of the energy use at these facilities. WERF seeks to address the combined challenges of solids volume reduction, resource recovery, and energy management in order to develop and demonstrate economical and environmentally responsible processes that improve wastewater treatment and solids management operations efficiencies and significantly reduce costs.\nThrough this request for pre-proposals, WERF is seeking a long-term, comprehensive program leading to sustainability and self-sufficiency of wastewater and solids treatment. WERF is pursuing a RFPP process as a way to identify and establish team qualifications as well as evaluate proposed ideas to achieving the desired outcomes of this challenge in the most innovative and cost-effective manner. WERF encourages candidates to collaborate and leverage funding with other partners to augment available funding from WERF. WERF will also continue to seek collaborative partners and other opportunities to successfully meet the needs and outcomes of this challenge. Pre-qualified candidates will be invited to submit full proposals for review and consideration by WERF.\nIt is WERF's goal to have the selected core team under contract to WERF and work started by the summer of 2007. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are encouraged to visit the WERF website at http://www.werf.org [4] for more information and a complete RFP.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8234207630157471}
{"content": "This blog post has been optimized using Keyword WinnerAlzheimer’s has been a medical condition since its discovery by Doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1906. No known cure exists, and experts are still unsure of its cause. The disease usually affects elderly adults over the age of 60.\nThree stages define the disease: very early, mild to moderate, and severe. Individuals are not usually diagnosed until the mild to moderate stage. Scientists believe that an individual’s genetics, lifestyle, and environment all contribute to development of the ailment. All three facts vary from person to person, explaining why different individuals develop the disease at different rates.\nExtremely small percentiles of individuals develop the ailment in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. In these rare cases, a genetic mutation in one of three genes inherited from a parent is present. Not all early cases have this mutation, but the majority indicates the mutation is somehow connected to the onset of Alzheimer’s.\nOver the years we have all been told that maintaining a nutritious diet, physical activity, mentally stimulating pursuits, and social engagement contribute to good health as we grow older. Research suggests that maintaining these factors as we age can reduce the risk of the cognitive decline leading to the development of this ailment. While genetics can override our best efforts, those maintaining a healthy lifestyle often slip into the stages of the disease slower that those who do not.\nSadly, this ailment cannot be definitively diagnosed until after death. Examination of the brain tissue will reveal the features of the disease: Amyloid Plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles. However, doctors are actively devising methods and tools to help them more accurately predict if a patient is suffering from the disease. Currently, diagnosis consists of the following:\nAsking questions to determine the individual’s health, past medical history and problems, ability to independently carry out daily activities, and noticeable changes in both behavior and personality.\nConducting tests to determine an individual’s capability to remember, problem-solve, and language abilities.\nTesting blood, urine, and spinal fluid.\nPerforming brain scans, such as an MRI.\nTests may be repeated to determine if Alzheimer’s is indeed developing. Early diagnosis is helpful. Families are better able to plan and assist thanks to early diagnosis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7100769281387329}
{"content": "Document Type Article\nAbstract Over the period of the intervention and operation of the-AGI project, there was a considerable decline in gun crimes in the target precincts, whereas the number of such offenses rose in the comparison precinct. This was particularly the case in the Ninth Precinct, where a statistically significant reduction of gun crimes occurred. Perhaps more importantly, this reduction represented 112 fewer gun crimes, and thus a commensurate fewer number of victims, per month in this precinct. Given the design of this study and available data, these results cannot be directly attributed to the intervention. However, there is a strong indication that these aggressive policing tactics contributed significantly to this meaningful reduction.\nRecommended Citation Bynum, Timothy S. and Varano, Sean P., \"The Anti-Gang Initiative in Detroit: An Aggressive Enforcement Approach to Gangs\" (2002). School of Justice Studies Faculty Papers. Paper 18. http://docs.rwu.edu/sjs_fp/18", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9879651665687561}
{"content": "Geyer, Robert R. (2001) Can European Union (EU) Social NGOs Co-operate to Promote EU Social Policy. Journal of Social Policy, 30 (3). pp. 477-493. ISSN 0047-2794\nAbstract This article examines why, despite similar general interests, institutional positions and political constraints, EU social NGOs find it so difficult to develop co-operative strategies except on the most fundamental issues. To demonstrate these difficulties the article considers the general reasons for and against co-operation between social NGOs and then examines the difficulties and advantages of collective EU social NGO action during the 1998 NGO funding crisis, Red Card protest and civil dialogue. The article argues that there is a fundamental desire for, and are benefits from, close co-operation between the EU social NGOs. However, due to the complex ‘context structure’ within which NGOs must operate, this co-operative impetus is constantly undermined. In conclusion, the article argues that social NGOs will remain weak and insignificant actors until the Commission/Parliament and/or the social NGOs can organise the complex context structure and allow co-operative strategies to emerge.\nActions (login required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5971812009811401}
{"content": "Cardiovascular magnetic resonance of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm A 60 year old woman presented with an inferolateral myocardial infarction (MI) which was treated with thrombolytics and complicated by heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography identified a large left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm and coronary angiography demonstrated an occluded circumflex artery. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed before surgery. CMR showed a 5.7 cm × 8 cm × 10 cm (right-to-left by anteroposterior by cephalad-caudad) posterolateral LV pseudoaneurysm with a wide neck in free communication with the basal LV cavity (panels A–C). The pseudoaneurysm split the wall between the posterior mitral valve leaflet (PMVL) and its supporting papillary muscle. Cine images showed reduced long axis function and there was thinning and akinesis of the remaining basal anterolateral and inferolateral wall (to view video clip visit the Heart website—http://www.heartjnl.com/supplemental). Early gadolinium enhanced CMR detected thrombus within the pseudoaneurysm while late gadolinium enhanced CMR demonstrated enhancement within the wall of the pseudoaneurysm and surrounding akinetic segments indicative of MI. This case illustrates the role of CMR with gadolinium enhancement for providing valuable structural and functional information in the pre-operative assessment of LV pseudoaneurysms.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6495316028594971}
{"content": "A friend recently sent the following list to me about dogs. It provides insight into their needs and why they are such great companions. They love to share their life with us! And dogs – when connected to humans – will actually worship their human with total love and devotion. Not a bad example of living, don’t you think?\nA PET’S TEN COMMANDMENTS 1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.\n2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.\n3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.\n4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.\n5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.\n6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.\n7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.\n8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.\n9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.\n10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.\nRemember – hug your dog today! He lives for your attention and love.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8077675104141235}
{"content": "Publication Details\nNeuroanatomical phenotype of Klinefelter syndrome in childhood: a voxel-based morphometry study. J Neurosci. 2011; (18): 6654-60\nKlinefelter syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder characterized by a supernumerary X chromosome. As such, KS offers a naturally occurring human model for the study of both X-chromosome gene expression and androgen on brain development. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed neuroanatomical variations associated with KS, but have differed widely with respect to subject inclusion criteria, including mosaicism, pubertal status, and history of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), all factors likely to influence neurodevelopment. We conducted a voxel-based morphometry study of regional gray and white matter (GM and WM, respectively) volumes in 31 KS males (mean age, 9.69 ± 1.70 years) and 36 typically developing (TD) male controls (10.99 ± 1.72 years). None of the participants with KS had received TRT, and all were prepubertal and had nonmosaic 47,XXY karyotypes. After controlling for age, males with KS showed trends (0.05 < p < 0.10) for significantly reduced total gray matter volume (TGMV) and total white matter volume (TWMV), relative to TD males. After controlling for TGMV and age, the KS group had significantly increased sensorimotor and parietal-occipital GM and significantly reduced amygdalar, hippocampal, insular, temporal, and inferior frontal GM relative to TD controls. After controlling for TWMV and age, the KS group had significantly increased left parietal WM as well as significantly reduced frontal and temporal WM. These findings are indicative of a characteristic prepubertal neuroanatomical phenotype that may be associated with cognitive-behavioral features of KS. This work offers new insight into the relationships among X-chromosome gene expression, neuroanatomy, and cognitive-behavioral functions impaired in KS, including language and attention.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7258564233779907}
{"content": "Safari Books Online is a digital library providing on-demand subscription access to thousands of learning resources.\nEarly in Chapter 2 we noted that we analyze data because we want to understand something about variation within a population or a process, and that more often than not we work with just a subset of the target population or process. Such a subset is known as a sample, and in this chapter we focus on the variability across possible samples from a single population.\nIn most cases it is impossible or impractical to gather data from every single individual within a population. In Chapter 2 we considered several sampling methods. At that time, we also presented the following sequence that describes the situation in many statistical studies:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8201305866241455}
{"content": "Monarch butterflies currently face many threats, including the loss of their breeding habitat due to the ongoing decline of native milkweeds, their required larval host plants. During the spring, summer, and fall, western monarchs (those that overwinter along the California coast) breed in the states west of the Rocky Mountains, including California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Yet, very little is known about where and when monarchs breed in each of these states. The Xerces Society, with support from the Monarch Joint Venture, has prepared this short web-based survey to gather information about the location of milkweed stands in the western states that potentially serve as important monarch breeding areas. If you know where milkweed grows, we'd appreciate you completing the survey. To document the distribution of available monarch breeding habitat, it is not necessary to distinguish one milkweed species from another; it is still possible to complete the survey even if you do not know which milkweed species you have seen. However, to help you identify milkweeds in your region, we have created guides to the native milkweeds of Oregon, Washington, California, and Nevada. These guides can be accessed at http://www.xerces.org/milkweedsurvey. Additionally, you can send photos of unidentified milkweed species to Brianna Borders, Xerces' plant ecologist, at brianna@xerces.org. In your email, please include the approximate location of the plants and the date the photos were taken. Once you enter the survey, you will have the option of reporting up to three separate stands of milkweed. For the purposes of the survey, please consider any milkweed plants observed within a 1/4 mile of each other to be a single stand. If you have more than three milkweed stands to report, please visit the survey a second time. The survey will be accessible through 2013. You can revisit it as many times as you like, to report additional observations.Online Surveysby", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9446397423744202}
{"content": "The 2010 edition of Healthcare Trends in America: A Reference Guide from BCBSA is a comprehensive compendium and analysis of key trends in the healthcare industry from nationally recognized, fact-based and credible sources. The research within the report provides a useful blueprint to assist stakeholders and the federal government as they implement healthcare reform.\nImproving Access to Coverage Overview: Health insurance coverage trends, including employer-sponsored coverage and the uninsured.Keeping Healthcare Affordable Overview: Global and national healthcare spending trends, with specifics on use of funds and how growth of spending compares with relevant macroeconomic trends.Improving Quality & Safety Overview: Initiatives aimed at increasing quality of healthcare delivery, including the reduction of variations in care, adherence to evidence-based care and provider incentive models.Improving Consumer Health Overview: Factors affecting consumer healthcare decisions and engagement, as well as the impact of the growing burden of disease, preventive care and poor lifestyle choices.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9905236959457397}
{"content": "Lowell Yoder, Contributor\nHead of McDermott Will & Emery’s U.S. & International Tax practice.\nIn today’s economic environment, lenders often seek to maximize the amount of collateral supporting a borrower’s loan. But a borrower needs to be aware that securitizing a loan with assets or stock of a foreign subsidiary can trigger substantial U.S. tax costs.\nTo illustrate, assume a U.S. corporation owns an Irish subsidiary. The U.S. corporation borrows $50 million. The lender requests that the Irish subsidiary guarantee the loan. Under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, such guarantee would be taxed as if the Irish subsidiary had paid a $50 million dividend to its U.S. parent (assuming the Irish subsidiary has or will have $50 million of retained earnings).\nA $50 million deemed dividend from the Irish subsidiary would be subject to U.S. tax at a 35% rate. Generally, a credit can be claimed for Irish income taxes at the Irish rate of 12.5%. After applying the complex foreign tax credit rules, the U.S. tax would be approximately $13 million. Thus, a guarantee by the Irish subsidiary would require paying nearly 25% of the loan proceeds to the federal government!\nIn addition, a pledge by the Irish subsidiary of its assets as security for a U.S. borrowing is subject to the deemed dividend rule. Similarly, a pledge (with negative covenants) by the U.S. parent of the Irish subsidiary’s stock as collateral for the $50 million loan is treated the same as a guarantee. It may be obvious that if the Irish subsidiary borrowed $50 million and loaned the funds to its U.S. parent, the $13 million tax cost also would be triggered.\nIf a foreign subsidiary in a higher tax country were deemed to pay a dividend under these rules (e.g., the U.K. with a 24% rate), the U.S. tax cost would be less (i.e., the foreign tax credit would be greater). On the other hand, the U.S. tax costs would be greater if the foreign subsidiary were subject to a lower tax rate. And some companies cannot claim foreign tax credits, in which case the deemed dividend would result in a U.S. tax cost of $17.5 million.\nA lender can look to the U.S. borrower’s assets generally—including stock in foreign subsidiaries and its indirect ownership of the assets of its foreign subsidiaries—without triggering a deemed dividend. In addition, the deemed dividend rule does not apply if less than two-thirds of the voting stock of the foreign subsidiary is pledged by the U.S. parent to secure its borrowings. Nevertheless, in all events the foreign subsidiary cannot agree to securitize the loan to its U.S. parent without triggering U.S. tax cost.\nLenders’ understand these rules and generally are accommodating. But borrowers need to be careful with creative structures that seek to avoid the deemed dividend rule while in substance achieving the same credit support (this concern is illustrated in my blog A Costly “Repatriation Tax” Defeat ).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5215380787849426}
{"content": "A Note from the Editor\nArticles to be online only in 2008\nFEATURES\nA SPECIAL FOCUS ON Credit Derivatives: Where's the Risk? This issue of the Economic Review presents the papers from the Atlanta Fed's 2007 Financial Markets Conference.\nPreface—Credit Derivatives: Where's the Risk? Paula Tkac This interview, conducted shortly after the Atlanta Fed's 2007 Financial Markets Conference, discusses credit derivatives and their importance to the market and outlines key themes of the conference. Play podcast (MP3 6:49)\nCredit Derivatives: An Overview David Mengle This paper examines the mechanics, risks, and market for credit default swaps, provides an overview of pricing and dealers' risk-management role, discusses credit derivatives' costs and benefits, and outlines some recent policy issues.\nCredit Derivatives and Risk Management Michael S. Gibson While credit derivatives have proved to be valuable risk-management tools, they also pose potential challenges, including counterparty credit risk, model risk, rating agency risk, and settlement risk.\nCredit Derivatives, Macro Risks, and Systemic RisksTim Weithers Drawing a distinction between market perceptions and formal definitions, the author examines macro drivers of credit. He then considers the possibilities of systemic risk, looking particularly at modeling and proper hedging, risk management, and valuation.\nStaff", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8809602856636047}
{"content": "Journal Article\nCalifornia Management Review\nsummer 2008\nManaging Proprietary and Shared Platforms\nAbstract\nIn a platform-mediated network, users rely on a common platform, provided by one or more intermediaries, that encompasses infrastructure and rules required by users to transact with each other. A fundamental design decision for firms that aspire to develop platform-mediated networks is whether to preserve proprietary control or share their platform with rivals. A proprietary platform has a single provider that solely controls its technology, for example, Federal Express, Apple Macintosh, or Google. With a shared platform, such as Visa, DVD, or Linux, multiple firms collaborate in developing the platform's technology then compete in offering users differentiated but compatible versions of the platform. This article examines factors that favor proprietary versus shared models when designing new platforms, then explains how management challenges differ for proprietary and shared platform during network mobilization.\nKeywords: Governance Controls;\nMarket Platforms;\nInfrastructure;\nCompetition;\nCooperation;\nTechnology Networks;", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998329877853394}
{"content": "Or in this particular instance, 401. 401 mg/dL. I often explain a T1's blood sugar levels as between 40 and 400, but there are outliers even to that handy saying, as those of us managing this condition know. This morning, my diabetes seems unresponsive to my different treatment measures. Isolating why it's happening is an insurmountable challenge. I've changed my pump, opened a new vial of insulin, taken additional insulin via a syringe, eaten nothing out of the ordinary (I eat the same exact breakfast at the same time everyday). I'm not sick, have no wounds that could be infected, have taken no medications. And yet my blood sugar is dangerously high. That's life with diabetes. The high blood sugar causes my cortisol levels to rise to the level that they might be at if I were about to kill a bear with my bare hands. It's a physiological response. I can't help that. It takes all the restraint in my psyche not to choose a random item in my house and start screaming \"hulk smash!!!\" as I pulverize it. Thankfully, there are no bears nearby. They would feel my wrath. In my house, it means it's time for toddler cartoons and baby swings. Mommy feels like she's going to vomit. I have to measure my urine for ketones so that I can tell if I'm bound for DKA (which can be accompanied by coma, death, etc). Yeah, they're there. More insulin. More fluids. More cartoons. It's days like this where it's a challenge to voice anything sweetly. So I'm going to challenge myself to try to find a silver lining. ... ... Coming up short. Oh, I know. At least I checked it. I know that I'm having a problem. I've texted my husband. I've taken every action I can take. Now I just have to continue keeping vigil.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7553924322128296}
{"content": "CRITERIA TO SELECT CROPS IN SEQUENCE FOR ROTATIONAL CROPPING\nNon –leguminous crops should be followed by leguminous crops and vice-versa, eg. green gram – wheat / maize. If preceding crops are legume or non-legume grown as intercrops or mixed crops, the succeeding crop may be legume or non legume or both. Restorative crops should be followed by exhaustive or non-restorative crops.eg. seasame – cowpea / green gram / blackgram / groundnut. Leaf shedding crop should be followed by non-leaf shedding or less exhaustive crops.eg. pulses / cotton – wheat / rice. Green manuring crop should be followed by grain crops.eg. dhaincha - rice, green gram/ cowpea – wheat / maize. Highly fertilized crops should be followed by non-fertilised crop.eg. maize - black gram/gourds. Perennial or long duration crops should be followed by seasonal /restorative crops. eg. napier / sugarcane - groundnut /cowpea /green gram. Fodder crops should be followed by field or vegetable crops. eg. maize + cowpea-wheat/potato/cabbage/onion. Multicut crops should be succeeded by the seed crops. eg. green gram/maize. Ratoon crops should be followed by deep rooted restorative crops. eg. sugarcane/jowar-pigeonpea/Lucerne/cowpea. Fouling crops should be followed by cleaning crops.eg. jowar /maize potato/ groundnut. Cleaning crops should be followed by nursery crops. eg. potato/ colocasia/ turmeric / beet/ carrot-rice nursery/ onion nursery/ tobacco nursery/ vegetable nursery. Deep rooted crops should be succeeded by shallow rooted crops. eg. cotton/ castor/ pigeonpea – potato / lentil /green gram etc. Deep tillage crops should be followed by zero or minimal tillage crops. eg. potato / radish / sweet potato/sugarcane - black gram/green gram/green manuring crops. Dicot crops should be followed by monocot crops. eg, potato / mustard / groundnut / pulses – rice / wheat / sugarcane / jowar or dicot + Monocot crops should be followed by dicot + monocot or either dicot or monocot crops. Stiff stubble leaving crops should be followed by minimum intercultivation requiring crops. eg. sugarcane / sorghum/cotton /pigeonpea- fodder crops. The crops of wet (anaerobic) soil should be followed by the crops of dry (aerobic). eg. rice-Bengal gram/Lathyrus/pulses/oilseeds. The tendency to buildup difficult-to-control weeds becomes less in such rotation than in continuous wet land rice culture. The crops that are susceptible to soil-borne pests and pathogens should be followed by tolerant / break / trap crops. eg. sugarcane-marigold for pathogenic nematodes, tomato / brinjal / tobacco / potato-rice / pulses for Orobanche, jowar-castor for Striga and berseem-oats for Cuscuta. The crops with problematic weeds (weeds that are difficult to distinguish at any one stage of crop, may be seedling or seed stage) should be followed by cleaning crops / multicut crops / other dissimilar crops or varieties. eg. wheat-wet rice for Phalaris minor , berseem-potato / boro rice for Cichorium intybus , mustard early potato for Cleome viscose, rice-jute /sugarcane / vegetable/ maize + cowpea for Echinochloa crusgalli , jute- multicut fooder / vegetable or Corchorus acutangulus . Pasture crops should be followed by fodder or seed crop. eg. para grass – maize + cowpea / cowpea / rice bean / tetrakalai for seed. Silage / hay / cleaning crops should be followed by seed crops. eg. maize / groundnut - onion, cowpea / jowar for seed crops. Crops with the same symbiotic / associated microbes should be followed by common host crops, such as, Rhizobium melilote - lucerna, sweet clover, fenugreek R. trifolli - berseem, Persian clover R. leguminosorum - peas, lentil, Lathyrus R. phaseoli - beans, green gram, pillipesara, black gram R. lupine - Lupines R. japonicum - cowpea, pigeonpea, guar, sunhemp, Bengal gram, soybean, kudzu\nThe rotational use of crop varieties, and cultural practices in addition to rotational cropping provides more and assured benefits than that of adopting only crops or land rotation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5473767518997192}
{"content": "Intangible forms of capital are being recognized in both research and practice as essential resources for fueling company growth. Forms of intangible capital include: intellectual, organizational, human, relationship, social, political, innovation, and collaborative. This volume consists of papers that focus on collaborative capital - broadly defined as the organizational assets that enable people to work together well. It is manifested in such outcomes as increased innovation and creativity, commitment and involvement, flexibility and adaptability, leveraging of knowledge, and enhanced learning. 'Collaborative capital' represents a core competency or strategic resource essential for building competitive advantage by enabling the creation of networks of conversations and relationships. However, it is seldom developed in a deliberate and systematic way, but rather as an incidental outcome of formal and informal organizational change. It may be deliberately increased by change in organizational systems, practices, design, learning, and culture. The term collaborative capital has seldom been used in research literature dealing with how people work together.Consequently, the meaning, measurement, and impact of collaborative capital in practice have not been explored to any significant extent. The papers in this volume launch that process with teaming contexts ranging from alliances and partnerships, to cross-national teams and cross-disciplinary teams.\nResearch Teams in an Australian Biotechnology Field: How Intellectual Property Influences Collaboration. Creating Cultures of Collaboration that Thrive on Diversity - A Transformational Perspective on Building Collaborative Capital. Exploiting Intellectual and Collaborative Capital for Innovation in Knowledge-Intensive Industries. Connecting Across Miles and Wires: Examining Collaborative Capital Development in Virtual Spaces. Striving for a New Ideal: A Work Environment to Energize Collaborative Capacity Across East and West Boundaries. Team-Member Exchange and Individual Contributions to Collaborative Capital in Organizations. Leading Together, Working Together: The Role of Team Shared Leadership in Building Collaborative Capital in Virtual Teams. Leadership, Collaborative Capital, and Innovation. Minimizing the Impact of Organizational Distress on Intellectual and Social Capital Through Development of Collaborative Capital. From Work Group to Team: The Growth of a City. Knotworking to Create Collaborative Intentionality Capital in Fluid Organizational Fields.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7132788300514221}
{"content": "As the year transitions to dusk and a fresh New Year is about to rise like the glorious brilliant sun on a clear day, it is often easy to neglect the importance of appreciation and reflection due to our busy schedules. The holiday season provides an excellent opportunity to consider what we are truly thankful for and demonstrate gratitude and appreciation for individuals who assist with our successes and aid in our difficult times. Some holidays have a tradition of gift exchange, which I believe, is one opportunity to demonstrate our appreciation. I believe the simple traditions of unselfish friendship and providing assistance can be of greater value then any monetary gifts. I understand some of us are in need of the basic necessities, such as shelter, food, caregivers, medicine or medical assistance, and monetary gifts can truly be a valued necessity. Beyond life’s necessities, I believe the gift of life and friendship is an invaluable gift that should be cherished. Although we may have had challenges and unforeseen difficulties in the past year, I hope we can find reasons to celebrate the joyful season and reflect on the passing year with gratitude.\nI have many reasons to smile, rejoice, reflect and celebrate. All I need to do to reestablish a gratitude mind-set is to think about my first Christmas after losing my eyesight. Lying in a hospital bed for seven months listening to patients experiencing pain and other unpleasant medical treatments, reinforces how very grateful I was and still am to receive the gift of life and the ability to leave the hospital to pursue my dreams.\nSpecial Thoughts during Holidays describes some details of my first blessed New Year as a blind person.\nAfter reflecting on this year, I plan to increase my effectiveness at acting unselfishly and demonstrating gratitude towards friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and other individuals who truly make a difference in my personal and professional life. I also plan to appreciate the many new acquaintances I will be able to meet on my walks.\nAfter reflecting on this year, what are you thankful for? What traits will you attempt to enhance to promote success and gratitude? Did others play an important role in your life? Do you have any stories to share with examples of how valuing friendship increased your success or happiness, or the individual you were assisting? Any examples of priceless gifts? We all look forward to hearing from you.\nAs this year closes, I wish you the very best in the New Year.\nBill Tipton\nContributing Author,\nGlobal Dialogue Center\nLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton\nFacebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton\nTwitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6867833137512207}
{"content": "Walking Through Jelly: Language Proficiency, Emotions, and Disrupted Collaboration in Global Work Executive Summary — As organizations increasingly globalize, individuals are required to collaborate with coworkers across international borders. Many organizations are mandating English as the lingua franca, or common language, regardless of the location of their headquarters, to facilitate collaboration across national and linguistic boundaries. What is the emotional impact of lingua franca adoption on native and nonnative speakers who work closely together and often across national boundaries? This study examines the communication experience for native and nonnative English speakers in an organization that mandates English as the lingua franca for everyday use, and the impact of the lingua franca on collaboration among globally distributed coworkers. HBS professor Tsedal Neeley and coauthors describe in detail how emotions and actions were intertwined and evolved recursively as coworkers attempted to release themselves from unwanted negative emotions and inadvertently acted in ways that transferred negative experiences to their distant coworkers. Their findings have implications for managers who are charged with overseeing internationally distributed projects. Key concepts include:\nDisparities in English language proficiency were a major challenge for workers in the study. These disparities not only disrupted information sharing, they often triggered a cycle of negative emotional responses that interfered with collaborative relationships on the teams. It is important that workers engage in perspective taking with the goal of understanding the experiences and constraints of their colleagues. Building awareness of the experiences of coworkers with different language backgrounds and proficiencies and empathizing with those experiences can circumvent the negative cycle. Author Abstract In an ethnographic study comprised of interviews and concurrent observations of 145 globally distributed members of nine project teams of an organization, we found that uneven proficiency in English, the lingua franca, disrupted collaboration for both native and non-native speakers. Although all team members spoke English, different levels of fluency contributed to tensions on these teams. As non-native English speakers attempted to counter the apprehension they felt when having to speak English and native English speakers fought against feeling excluded and devalued, a cycle of negative emotion ensued and disrupted interpersonal relationships on these teams. We describe in detail how emotions and actions evolved recursively as coworkers sought to relieve themselves of negative emotions prompted by the lingua franca mandate and inadvertently behaved in ways that triggered negative responses in distant coworkers. Our results add to the scant literature on the role of emotions in collaborative relationships in organizations and suggest that organizational policies can set in motion a cycle of negative emotions that interfere with collaborative work. 38 pages.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8821189999580383}
{"content": "Referenced Items are not available for this document.\nSkip to Main Content\nThere is a plethora of recent research on high performance wireless communications using a cross-layer approach in that adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) schemes at wireless physical layer are used for combating time varying channel fading and enhance link throughput. However, in a wireless sensor network, transmitting packets over deep fading channel can incur excessive energy consumption due to the usage of stronger forwarding error code (FEC) or more robust modulation mode. To avoid such energy inefficient transmission, a straightforward approach is to temporarily buffer packets when the channel is in deep fading, until the channel quality recovers. Unfortunately, packet buffering may lead to communication latency and buffer overflow, which, in turn, can result in severe degradation in communication performance. Specifically, to improve the buffering approach, we need to address two challenging issues: (1) how long should we buffer the packets?, and (2) how to choose the optimum channel transmission threshold above which to transmit the buffered packets? In this paper, by using discrete-time queuing model, we analyze the effects of Rayleigh fading over AMC- based communications in a wireless sensor network. We then analytically derive the packet delivery rate and average delay. Guided by these numerical results, we can determine the most energy-efficient operation modes under different transmission environments. Extensive simulation results on NS-2 have validated the analytical results, and indicates that under these modes, we can achieve as much as 40% reduction in energy dissipation.\nDate of Conference:\n10-14 Sept. 2007", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6675002574920654}
{"content": "All faith traditions challenge us to engage in healing, to act with justice, and to treat one another with compassion. But our health care delivery system distributes services unjustly, rations care inequitably, and offers compassion only to those who can afford it.\nThe Faith Caucus, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other traditions, pulls from across the state of Illinois to assert the moral imperative of health care for all. We recognize that equal access to health care is not only a socio-economic issue, but also a moral issue whose impact is felt strongly within our communities and congregations.\nTogether the Faith Caucus has been bringing the moral crisis of health care disparity to policymakers through educational awareness events, thoughtful discussion, and prayer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5744167566299438}
{"content": "Sustainability Initiatives Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor UGA Costa Rica campus is located within the Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor (PCBC), which spans from the cloudforests that straddle the continental divide down to the mangrove forests along the shores of the Gulf of Nicoya. The PCBC follows the course of three major watersheds—the Aranjuez, Guacimal and Lagartos Rivers—through approximately 664km2 on the way down the Pacific Slope of the Tilarán Range. The Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor forms part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, which stretches from southern Mexico through Panama.\nDespite its relatively small total area, the region reflects Costa Rica’s astounding biodiversity and is an area of high endemism and speciation, including over 500 species of orchids among over 2,000 identified plant species (Nadkarni and Wheelwright 2000). The region spans 11 of 16 Holdridge Life Zones (Holdridge 1987) and includes six Central American forest types as designated by the World Wildlife Fund. Of the 83 mammal species identified in the PCBC, 12 are listed as endangered. Over half of Costa Rica’s nearly 900 bird species have been identified within the PCBC, including 29 endemic species, with 20 species on the IUCN Red List.\nUGA Costa Rica's General Manager, Fabricio Camacho, serves on the Local Advisory Commission for this Corridor, which is recognized by the Costa Rican Government as part of the country's national biological corridor program. Other PCBC Advisory Board members include representatives from the Tropical Science Center, the Costa Rican Conservation Foundation, the Monteverde Institute, the Monteverde Conservation League, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9518834352493286}
{"content": "A recent CFPB report disclosed that outstanding student loan debt now totals over $1 trillion, and the debt burden is causing problems for many first-time home buyers. According to mortgage industry experts, many first-time buyers are turned down for mortgages because their student loan debt significantly raises their overall debt level. This is particularly true given that some student loan payments are as high as a mortgage. Mark Kantrowitz, the founder of FinAid.org, recommends that borrowers restructure or consolidate student loans at a reduced interest rate to lower monthly payments.\nWhy is the student debt crisis such a hot issue, with President Obama and Mitt Romney supporting efforts to extend loan subsidies that expire in July? The answer is the debt burden negatively impacts the economy because young people are strapped and unable to buy homes or start businesses.Additionally, like risky mortgages, risky private student loans have been packaged into securities that are sold to the public. Concerns are growing that a pileup of student-loan defaults could jeopardize these investments, resulting in a burst similar to the housing bubble breakdown.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5210477113723755}
{"content": "April 19, 2007\nJefferson City, Mo. — Payments to the state of Missouri from the 1998 agreement between Attorney General Jay Nixon and the major tobacco companies have surpassed the $1.2 billion mark, Nixon announced today. The state received a total of $136,995,817 in two payments this week; added to the $1,101,267,653 previously paid, it brings the total Nixon has brought in from the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) for Missouri taxpayers to $1,238,263,470. “This historic agreement was the result of our lawsuit to hold Big Tobacco accountable for decades of misrepresentation and deceit, particularly as those efforts were aimed at getting young people hooked on cigarettes,” Nixon said. “I'm proud that our efforts have obtained well over a billion dollars so far for Missouri, with those payments extending into perpetuity.\n“I continue to urge our legislators to follow the example of other states and dedicate meaningful portions of these payments to help anti-smoking efforts, especially those aimed at youth,” Nixon said. “Missouri has lagged behind too far on this issue, and we're paying the price for it with higher smoking rates.”\nAccording to a report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Missouri has an adult smoking rate of 23.4 percent—the eleventh highest adult smoking rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, higher than the national average of 20.9 percent, and higher than the neighboring states of Illinois, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. The December 2006 report cites Missouri as one of only five states that have allocated no significant state funds for tobacco prevention.\nThe annual payments to Missouri and the other 45 states that participated in the MSA are based on consumption of tobacco, inflation and other factors. The payments will continue into perpetuity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5614425539970398}
{"content": "Abstract: A reliable, safe, supply of drinking water is essential to the survival of communities. In many places the water supply is under stress-a condition that is expected to get progressively more challenging in the future. There are several ways that municipalities can improve their drinking water supply, including conservation, purchases from external suppliers, desalination, and recycling. Recycling wastewater into potable water is attractive in many situations. However, this alternative has not always been successful-in some cases, public opposition has defeated recycling plans, while public concerns have been successfully addressed in others. This case gives an overview of water supply issues and examples of successful and unsuccessful attempts to implement recycling programs. Programs in Singapore and Orange County, California are profiled as examples of successful recycling efforts, while failures in San Diego, California, and Toowoomba, Australia are described.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6338014602661133}
{"content": "Abstract: References to procrastination have been dated back to as long as 3,000 years ago. However, research on procrastination is ironically enormously behind the curve in active research on its antecedents and effects. Academic procrastination is a unique outlet of procrastinatory tendencies and is the object of much less scientific research. Academic procrastination occurs when students needlessly delay completing projects, activities or assignments and has been linked to lower academic grades, poorer well-being, and more stress. Studies have found procrastination to be a vital predictor of success in college and the development of a scale upon which to measure it could be quite profitable to colleges and universities. Numerous scales such as the Lay (1986) General Procrastination Scale, the Solomon and Rothblum (1984) Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students, and the Choi and Moran (2009) scale have been used to measure procrastination. However, the Tuckman (1991) Procrastination Scale is the most widely-used scale to identify academic procrastinators.The current study examined these scales as compared to a new scale, the Academic Procrastination Scale (APS). The main goal of the current study was the development of a superior academic procrastination scale. The 25-item APS was originally developed in a pilot study using 86 undergraduate college students and was based on six different characteristics of procrastinators: Psychological belief about abilities, distractions of attention, social factors, time management skills, personal initiative, and laziness. The current study examined the relationship between the APS and the personality trait of conscientiousness and the predictive ability of the APS in regards to academic success as compared to the other procrastination scales.In the current study, a total of 681 participants responded to a survey. Participants were, on average, 21 years of age and came from diverse academic majors and demographic backgrounds. The APS exhibited greater reliability and internal consistency, á = .94, as compared to the four other scales. The APS also exhibited ample convergent validity and was significantly correlated with the other scales. The APS was also significantly related to Grade Point Average (GPA); as individuals procrastinated more, they possessed a significantly lower GPA. Yet, the APS proved far superior at predicting grades in school as compared to the four most widely-used procrastination scales. The APS even added incremental validity beyond these four scales in predicting semester grades. The APS also predicted variance in grades beyond a well-known personality predictor, conscientiousness. Moreover, scores on the APS fully mediated this established relationship between conscientiousness and grades.A factor analysis of the APS revealed one underlying factor, seemingly indicating that the scale was measuring academic procrastination. Test bias could possibly destroy a scale's validity and was therefore assessed using two different procedures. An Analysis of Variance revealed that scores on the APS did not systematically vary with such irrelevant variables as gender, ethnicity, academic major or academic year. The Lautenschlager and Mendoza (1986) approach found that scores did, however, vary across ethnicity with Caucasians exhibiting a higher GPA across all levels of the APS when compared to African Americans. This trend was also found for the Tuckman scale, however. However, this bias could potentially be explained by GPA varying across ethnicity with Caucasians exhibiting a significantly higher cumulative GPA as compared to Hispanics or African Americans. Although the internal consistency of the APS was quite high, it is also symptomatic of redundant items. Thus, the possibility of reducing the scale to five items was assessed and validated. This shortened scale also exhibited adequate reliability, á = .87.Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores are used across the country to select students on the basis of success in college. However, both the APS and SAT uniquely predict college grades and together, account for 16% of the variance in college grades. It is even proposed that the current scale be used in conjunction with SAT scores to predict success in college. The APS could add significant validity to such a collegiate selection procedure. If procrastination is consistently found to have negative consequences, then students who exhibit higher scores on the APS could also be remediated in educational settings. Thus, based on results from the current study, the APS could be used as a valid, reliable, and instrumental tool within the educational community.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7875857353210449}
{"content": "The average per-gallon price of regular gas in Tennessee was $3.53 as of yesterday, a decrease of five cents compared to the figure from the previous week, according to AAA.\nThis marks the second straight week the state has seen prices, on average, dip five cents. Last week was the first time since January that the weekly average for a gallon of regular gas, both statewide and throughout the country, retreated. Gas prices steadily climbed from mid-January until last week, breaking records and making February’s national average of $3.65 the highest in history.\nAs of Sunday, the national average price was $3.70, also a five-cent per-gallon decrease. More specifically, and to compare to Tennessee, Georgia’s per-gallon average of $3.64 decreased seven cents.\nIn Nashville, the average per-gallon price of regular gas was 3.56 as of Sunday, a drop of five cents compared to the figure from the previous week. (See chart below.)\nCurrently, oil prices stand at $91.95 a barrel, $1.27 more than the mark from the week prior, AAA reports.\nThe market is currently pulled in both directions, with a positive economic outlook based on the recent employment data and bearish fundamentals as oil stockpiles increase, AAA reports. The U.S. Labor Department reported an increase in U.S. jobs, putting the jobless rate at a five-year low and boosting the fuel demand outlook. However, the nation's crude stockpiles rose by 3.8 million barrels last week, the most since June, according to the Energy Information Administration. The dollar also reached a high against the euro this year, helping to weigh down oil prices, AAA reports.\n\"Gas prices are expected to decrease further in the short-term and will likely stay below year-ago levels,” Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman, The Auto Club Group, said in a release.\n“However, motorists are not in the clear yet,” she added. “Pump prices may inch back up in April, before peaking as initially forecast by the EIA at the start of the year.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7490885257720947}
{"content": "Moving past the challenges of alternative fuel usage\nWith the mounting burden of energy costs, concerns with the long-term availability of fossil fuels, and increasing awareness of greenhouse gas emissions, cement manufacturers are growing more focused on developing and instituting cost-effective alternatives. The hurdles to change have proven challenging, but several are leading the charge in overcoming those roadblocks.\nHistorically, coal has been the primary fuel source for the Indian cement sector, with petcoke largely filling the balance. However, domestic coal suppliers are unable to meet the growing coal demand, thus pushing cement producers to either import at higher prices or look for other solutions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8580869436264038}
{"content": "Additional product details This unique text explores both the foundations of diversity and a variety of cultural groups while providing practical strategies for shaping and implementing a multicultural curriculum.\nIn Part I, this text provides a definition of multicultural education that includes all types of diversity and explores a variety of foundational issues and models. In Part II, the text hones in on various cultural groups to help pre-service teachers better understand the backgrounds of diverse learners. Finally, Part III offers teacher candidates a series of applied chapters that focus on planning a multicultural curriculum, using the most effective instructional practices with diverse learners, and working successfully with families of diverse students, and collaborating with school personnel and administrators to implement a multicultural program.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9916579127311707}
{"content": "The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that \"A well regulated militia being necessary … the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.\"\nThe arms referred to were muzzleloading single-shot muskets and citizens were expected to bring their own to conflicts.\nToday, we are defended by paid armed forces and the citizen soldiers of the Reserves and National Guard. They and law enforcement are armed with weapons designed for their use and whose purpose is often to kill.\nThe Second Amendment gives citizens these rights, but it need not extend to the weapons designed for and used by the military. There is no legitimate civilian use for automatic or semi-automatic weapons. These are not target weapons or sporting weapons, but killing weapons. Otherwise, why the term \"assault rifle\"?\nDespite the opinions of Wayne LaPierre and the National Rifle Association, our legislators should show some backbone and remove these weapons from Second Amendment protection.\nThelma Iker\nSalt Lake City", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9595910906791687}
{"content": "Technology is creeping into our nighttime routine, and it might be making us lose sleep. Watching television, surfing the Internet, making a call, or texting before turning in is commonplace. Why should we care? Many of us are already sleep-deprived, and that could result in falling asleep at our desks — or worse, while driving.\nIt's on your\nTo-Do List ! Get your friends involved too.Comment and share your experience, and invite friends toDo It too!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9953770041465759}
{"content": "The brain is a unique and enigmatic organ. It cannot be transplanted, and is one of the most complex entities in the known universe. Unusually, this book asks not what our brains do for us, but what we have done to brains, following the long quest to manipulate and decipher this most exceptional of human organs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9914085865020752}
{"content": "The popularity of mobile phones has driven the uptake of new mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and netbooks. This has had a significant impact in the digital media we consume, as well as how we consume it. This report examines the reach of the ‘digital omnivore’ trend and explains how mobile devices are changing the media landscape forever.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000014305114746}
{"content": "On August 6, 1906, three African American men—Nease Gillespie, John Gillespie, and Jack Dillingham—were lynched in Salisbury, North Carolina. These mob murders were ostensibly precipitated by the axe murder a month earlier of a local white family for whom the men had worked. Following the abduction of the men from the local jail and their midnight hanging before an audience that some estimated to be in the thousands, one of the lynchers was arrested and prosecuted for his role in the mob executions. Given the rare nature of such a trial, the courtroom action was full of drama, anticipation, and anxiety as the case went all the way to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Ultimately, the high court upheld the fifteen-year sentence of George Hall for conspiring to murder Nease Gillespie, John Gillespie, and Jack Dillingham. This conviction of a lyncher was the first in North Carolina history and one of the earliest in American history. However, in only prosecuting Hall for this communal breach of the law, the symbolism of the punishment conveyed mixed meanings. It simultaneously signaled that lynchings were becoming unacceptable expressions of extralegal retribution and confirmed that local and state authorities were limited in their willingness to pursue lynch mobs.\nWithin the context of its times, the prosecution of George Hall highlighted a confluence of political and cultural trends that had characterized southern history since emancipation. Lynching as a social phenomenon had largely evolved into a white-on-black crime, a stark method of dramatizing the racial boundaries that protected white privilege and domination from black encroachment. Mob murders of African Americans for various alleged offenses—especially murder or rape—were as much aimed at terrorizing black communities into silence and deference to white supremacy as they were about lethally penalizing individual blacks for putative transgressions against (white) communal norms. In conjunction with codified segregation, disfranchisement, and other assaults on black liberty and citizenship, lynching consolidated the power of white reactionary forces. Aspiring politicians, yellow journalists, and domineering employers tolerated and even cultivated a climate of mob violence in North Carolina and elsewhere, confident that federal officials would not find it politically expedient to come to the defense of African Americans who were being removed en masse from voter rolls. Importantly, the practice of lynching appealed to the worst biases and fears of white voters and workers, who were often anxious about their own place in a social order facing the vagaries of modernity.\nIf the 1906 Salisbury lynching was a microcosm of the forces of race, class, and history that had influenced the larger American experience, then its aftermath pointed, hopefully and cautiously, to new possibilities regarding North Carolina race relations. The conviction of Hall did, in fact, coincide with a lull in lynchings in the state. By the end of World War I and the advent of the Great Migration, North Carolina governors, ever-conscious of the state’s image as a harbinger of the “New South,” were in correspondence with the recently formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which had taken a strong public stance against mob murder. While lynching would not disappear completely from North Carolina prior to World War II, the number of incidents diminished greatly over the four decades following the Salisbury murders.\nClaude A. Clegg III is professor of history at Indiana University. Among his publications is Troubled Ground: A Tale of Murder, Lynching, and Reckoning in the New South (2010), which focuses on a 1906 lynching in Salisbury, North Carolina.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6708443760871887}
{"content": "The water conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is a key element of the wider political feud between the two parties, and its resolution is essential for a final peace accord. The main source of water for both Israelis and Palestinians is the shared Mountain and Coastal Aquifers. These aquifers have suffered significant degradation as a result of mismanagement and overexploitation during the past several decades. This degradation has had harmful effects on both the Israeli and Palestinian populations, and will influence the long-term capacity of the aquifers. Most Israeli and Palestinian water professionals agree that it is necessary to devise a mutually acceptable solution for jointly allocating, managing, and monitoring their shared water resources. The main outstanding question is what the comonents of this agreement will be. In this report, I argue that if a fair and satisfactory solution is to be reached, Israelis and Palestinians will have to first reallocate their water resources, and then build an adequate joint management regime.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8781681656837463}
{"content": "People with exceptional longevity share similar lifestyle choices with the general population\nTHURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with exceptional longevity are not distinct from the general population in terms of lifestyle factors, including body mass index, smoking, physical activity, or low-calorie diet, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society .\nSwapnil N. Rajpathak, M.B.B.S., Dr.P.H., from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y., and colleagues evaluated the probable lifestyle factors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary habits, of individuals with exceptional longevity. Data on lifestyle factors and anthropometry were collected through questionnaire, and compared between 477 Ashkenazi Jewish individuals with an average age of 97.3 years (74.6 percent women) and 3,164 participants with an average age of 69 years (52.7 percent women) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), who represented the same birth cohort.\nThe investigators found that there were no statistically significant differences for individuals with exceptional longevity compared to individuals from the NHANES cohort for body mass index (men, 25.4 versus 25.6 kg/m²; women, 25.0 versus 24.9 kg/m²), proportion of daily alcohol consumption (men, 23.9 versus 22.4; women, 12.1 versus 11.3), proportion of regular physical activity (men, 43.1 versus 57.2; women, 47.0 versus 44.1), and proportion of low-calorie diet (men, 20.8 versus 21.1; women, 27.3 versus 27.1).\n\"People with exceptional longevity are not distinct in terms of lifestyle factors from the general population, suggesting that people with exceptional longevity may interact with environmental factors differently than others,\" the authors write.\nAbstract\nFull Text (subscription or payment may be required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.846366286277771}
{"content": "Prospects Brighten for State Assistance Good news for education, health care, public safety, human services, and – oh yes – good news for the economy:\nThe jobs package that Senate Democratic leaders unveiled today includes a six-month extension of extra federal funds to states.\nFailure to extend these funds would lead to even bigger cuts in services than states are already making, as we outline in a new paper.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5042707920074463}
{"content": "Plastic Feedstock Supply The Company’s feedstock sources primarily include post-commercial and industrial waste plastic. The P2O processor accepts unwashed, unsorted waste plastic, composites and commingled materials, which are difficult to dispose of and are typically found in industrial waste streams. The Company believes its P2O process offers a cost-effective, environmental solution for businesses and communities.\nJBI is also partnering with businesses and municipalities who collect waste plastics. Typically, this waste plastic is delivered to independent Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs), where it is often sent to landfill. Our vision is to help redirect these waste plastic streams, preventing them from entering local landfills.Optimal Plastic Feedstock Types #2 - HDPE or High-Density and Polyethylene – This grade of plastic is commonly used in bottles, grocery bags, milk jugs, recycling bins, agricultural pipe, plastic lumber, barrels, pails, food container, oil containers, wire rolls and gas tanks.#4 - LDPE or Low-Density Polyethylene – This grade of plastic is commonly used in plastic bags, 6 pak rings, various containers, tubing, agricultural film, natural gas piping and various molded laboratory equipment.#5 - PP or Polypropylene – This type of plastic is commonly used in auto parts, industrial fibers food container, agricultural films and dish¬ware.#7 - Other or O – These types of plastics are commonly composed of combinations and composites of the above grades.Unacceptable Plastic Feedstock Types #1 - PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate – This grade of plastic realizes optimal value when traditionally recycled.#3 - PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride – PVC is primarily composed of chlorine and contains a low percentage of hydrocarbons.#6 - PS or Polystyrene Other – Foams, Nylons and Fiberglass\nExamples of industrial waste plastic currently being processed are shown below.\nThe images below show plastic feedstock as it arrives at the Company's Niagara Falls facility prepared and loaded into \"super sacs\". The super sacs are lifted above the base of the feed system conveyor belt and suspended while the feedstock drops into the hopper before being fed into the conveyor system.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9417451620101929}
{"content": "In the game of chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece or pawn in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value.\nAny chess piece except the king can be sacrificed. Because players usually try to hold onto their own pieces, offering a sacrifice can come as an unpleasant surprise to one's opponent, putting him off balance, and causing him to waste much precious time trying to calculate whether the sacrifice is sound or not and whether to accept it. Sacrificing one's queen, or a string of pieces, adds to the surprise, and such games can be awarded brilliancy prizes.\nTypes of sacrifice True vs. Pseudo Sacrifices can either be true sacrifices or pseudo sacrifices:\n*In a true sacrifice, the sacrificing player will often have to play on with less material than his opponent for quite some time. *In a pseudo sacrifice, the player offering the sacrifice will soon regain the sacrificed material, or he may even gain more material than was originally sacrificed. A pseudo sacrice of this latter type is sometimes known as a sham sacrifice, and will often lead to mate. Because a true sacrifice produces less direct results, it may not even be clear even after several moves that the chances of the player who offered the sacrifice are any better than they were before the sacrifice was initiated. Because of this, true sacrifices are also called speculative sacrifices.\nTrue sacrifices Attack on the king. A player might sacrifice a pawn or piece to get open lines around the vicinity of the opponent's king, to get a kingside space advantage, to destroy or damage the opposing king's pawn cover, or to keep the opposing king in the center. However, the path to checkmate might not be clear, and one might not exist. If the opponent fends off the attack while managing to keep the material, they will usually win the game. The\nGreek gift sacrifice is a canonical example.\nDevelopment. It is common to give up a pawn in the\nopening to speed up one's development.\nGambits typically fall into this category. Developing sacrifices are frequently returned at some point by the opponent, else the development edge might be leveraged to create more substantial threat such as a kingside attack.\nStrategic/positional. In a general sense, the aim of all true sacrifices is to obtain a positional advantage. However, there are some speculative sacrifices where the compensation is in the form of an open file or diagonal or a weakness in the opponent's pawn structure, and it is not even clear how this might potentially be turned into something more tangible. These are the hardest sacrifices to make; they require deep strategic understanding.\nBishops Sacrifice. This involves sacrificing a bishop in the beginning of the game to get an extra pawn and not allow the opponent to castle.\nPseudo sacrifices Checkmate. A common benefit of making a sacrifice is to allow the sacrificing player to\ncheckmate the opponent. Since checkmate is the ultimate goal of chess, the loss of material (see\nchess piece point value) should not matter in a successful checkmate. Sacrifices leading to checkmate are typically\nforcing, and often\nchecks, leaving the opponent with only one or a few options (example, checking the king with the knight, queen takes the knight, then rook checkmates the king with absence on the queen).\nAvoiding loss. The counterpart to the above is saving a lost game. A sacrifice could be made to force stalemate or perpetual check, to create a fortress, or otherwise force a draw, or to avoid even greater loss of material.\nMaterial gain. A sacrifice might initiate a combination that results in an overall material gain, making the upfront investment of the sacrifice worthwhile. A sacrifice leading to a pawn promotion is a special case of this type of sacrifice.\nSimplification. Even if the sacrifice leads to net material loss for the foreseeable future, the sacrificing player may benefit because they are already ahead in material and the exchanges simplify the position making it easier to win. A player ahead in material may decide that it is worthwhile to get rid of one of the last effective pieces the opponent has.\nOther types of sacrifices Forced vs. non-forced Another way to classify sacrifices is to distinguish between\nforcing and\nnon-forcing sacrifices. The former type leave the opponent with no option but acceptance, typically because not doing so would leave them behind in material with no compensation. Non-forcing sacrifices, on the other hand, give the opponent a choice. A common error is to not recognize when a particular sacrifice can be safely declined with no ill-effects.\nMiscellaneous sacrifices A tactical sacrifice can be categorized further by how the sacrifice works, although some sacrifices may fall into more than one category. In deflection sacrifices the aim is to distract one of the opponents pieces from a square where it is performing a particular duty. In destruction sacrifices a piece is sacrificed in order to knock away a materially inferior, but tactically more crucial piece, so that the sacrificing player can gain control over the squares the taken chessman controlled. A magnet sacrifice is similar to a deflection sacrifice, but the motivation behind a magnet sacrifice is to pull an opponent's piece to a tactically poor square, rather than pulling it away from a crucial square. In a clearance sacrifice the sacrificing player aims to vacate the square the sacrificed piece stood on, either to open up for his own pieces, or to put another, more useful piece on the same square. In a tempo sacrifice, the sacrificing player abstains from spending time to prevent the opponent from winning material because the time saved can be used for something even more beneficial, for example pursuing an attack on the king or guiding a passed pawn towards promotion. In a suicide sacrifice, the sacrificing player aims to rid himself of the remaining pieces capable of performing legal moves, and thereby obtain a stalemate and a draw from a poor position. Examples A deflection sacrifice In the diagram , GM Aronian's queen on d3 is at the top of the ladder, and his rook on d1 represents the bottom. He mistakenly played 24. exd4??, opening up the e-file for black's rook. After Svidler played 24. ...Re1+!, Aronian was forced to resign, because Black's move forces the reply Rxe1 (or Qf1 Rxf1+ Rxf1 which amounts to the same thing), after which White's queen is undefended and therefore lost.\nThis particular type of sacrifice has also been called the \"Hook and Ladder trick\", for the White queen is precariously at the top of the \"ladder\", while the rook is at the bottom, supporting it.\nA sacrifice to avoid losing Black played\n1...Qxg3? and White drew with\n2. Qg8+! Kxg8 (on any other move black will get mated)\n3. Rxg7+!. White intends to keep checking on the seventh\nrank, and if Black ever captures the rook it is stalemate.\nThis save from Evans has been dubbed \"The Swindle of the Century\". White's rook is known as a desperado.\nA non-forcing sacrifice This time Reshevsky is at the receiving end of a sacrifice. White has just played h2-h4. If Black takes the knight he will soon get mated on the h-file, but he simply ignored the bait and continued developing.\nA positional sacrifice Black played\n1... d4! 2. Nxd4 Nd5. In exchange for the sacrificed pawn, Black has obtained a\nsemi-open file, a diagonal, an\noutpost on d5 and saddled White with a\nbackward pawn on d3. However, it is by no means clear that this is adequate compensation. The game was eventually drawn.\nSee also References", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6253929138183594}
{"content": "Our team has a longstanding commitment to grow, educate and support Australians wanting to engage in philanthropy.\nOur role includes:\nHelping private families develop their own philanthropic plans. To date, we have established over 15 private foundations or Private Ancillary Funds with a network of professional advisers,Advising trustees of larger Foundations on how to manage their investments and comply with their legal responsibilities, andProviding direct financial support to a range of organisations including the Sydney Burns Foundation, Salvation Army Oasis Youth Network, MCA Bella Program and various organisations in East Timor, including Operation Lifeline and scholarships in association with the Mary MacKillop East Timor Foundation.The following papers may assist you in deepening your understanding of how you can develop your own private philanthropic plan:\nWhat is a Private Ancillary Fund? A Handbook for Trustees of Private Ancillary Funds The legal guidelines that all Private Ancillary Funds must adhere to In recent years, many philanthropists have sought greater transparency and understanding on how their time and resources are making a difference in the community. Many no longer regard their efforts as ‘charity’ but rather ‘social investing’.\nThe following articles from Harvard Business School outline how philanthropists who have developed a strategy for social change may benefit from having greater visibility and evidence of the outcomes of their efforts:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9267863631248474}
{"content": "As the primary text of the psychiatric establishment, the DSM-IV has been criticized for contributing to the stigmatization and marginalization of individuals with mental illness. The rapid rise of the internet as a communication tool has enabled previously marginalized and isolated sociocultural subgroups to create virtual communities where they can share their unique understandings and experiences of living with a mental illness. Individuals with eating disorders constitute one such subgroup who have created virtual spaces via pro-anorexia communities. Free of the discursive constraint present in their day to day lives, these dialogical spaces are at the same time anonymous and highly intimate; thus, the accounts contained within and across these communities are a beneficial source from which to investigate the meaning of anorexia from the patients’ perspective. Through a feminist, post-structuralist discourse analysis of (anorexic) narrative and the theory of the dialogical self, I suggest a model of collective voices of (anorexic) identity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9563607573509216}
{"content": "One…two… I gripped the steel bar tighter as if that would make the weight lighter. Three…four… my biceps were already burning. Five…six… I was eagerly anticipating when this set would finally be completed. Seven…eight… I took a deep breath, only two more. Nine… that’s when I heard it. He blurted it out, perfectly centered between the ninth and tenth reps. In the next few seconds, I had a decision to make. My trainer, Clayton Halls, had just shouted, “Two more Rich.” Our original goal was ten. My biceps were ready to fail. Yet, following his suggestion, two more reps were completed. I immediately began to contemplate this phenomenon. Clayton had made a simple suggestion. Even though I was ready to stop, I pushed myself and accomplished a better result. Twelve repetitions instead of ten, measured in business terms, is a twenty percent increase in productivity—that’s significant.\n“The power of suggestion” is a familiar phrase. McDonald’s has made millions utilizing the suggestive phrase, “Would you like fries with that?” Yet considering my interaction with Clayton, a new thought entered my mind. I didn’t push myself further, work harder, and endure more pain simply because a suggestion was made. My actions were directly tied to the person who made the suggestion. Clayton was the reason I continued. The suggester has greater power than the suggestion itself.\nA powerful suggester pulls more out of others. They encourage people to go beyond self-imposed limitations. Suggesters cause others to accomplish something they may not do on their own. Let’s consider a few qualities that make for a powerful suggester:\nTrust —Clayton is a powerful suggester because I trust him. Trust is built over time. It begins with rapport and grows with multiple interactions. If you’re trustworthy, your suggestions have more power.Have your best interest in mind —Clayton wasn’t focused on making his job easier. He understands my goals and made the suggestion based on what’s best for me.Personal example —Clayton applies the suggestion of “two more” in his own life. He’s credible because he walks the talk. He never asks me to do what he hasn’t or wouldn’t do himself. How are you impacting people’s lives as a suggester? Have you earned the right to ask, “two more” of others? If you are trustworthy, have their best interest in mind, and set a personal example, you can help others push beyond self-imposed limitations. Leave a lasting mark on people as a powerful suggester—that’s one way to live and work in an engaging manner.\nLeave your comments: Who has impacted your life as a powerful suggester?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5727680921554565}
{"content": "This is a guest post by Jordan Denari. Sitting on a cliff overlooking the Potomac River, I noticed a bird, gliding high over the water, never once flapping his wings. As I watched him, I noticed an uneasy feeling growing in my stomach, a feeling much like the one I’d get when worried about my future plans or long to-do list. I thought to myself, “Why aren’t you flapping, bird? Don’t you want to control where you’re going? You don’t know where the wind will take you!” But he continued to fly, holding his wings out in quiet strength, trusting that the wind would hold him.\nAs he floated out of sight, I realized that the bird was my prayer, that God was trying to tell me that this bird approached life in a way completely opposite from the way I lived it.\nLike many people, I had spent most of my life trying to guide the course without letting God in to help. I found myself flapping incessantly, trying to keep myself from falling, while ignoring the wind. Like the bird, I needed to learn to hold out my wings steadily, to trust the wind, to trust God.\nSince this retreat experience, I’ve rarely felt the anxiety and stress I used to feel. And even when those feelings creep up, I’m able to let them go more easily. I remember the wind that exists under my wings, and I stop flapping as hard.\nWhen have you found “birds of pray” in your life—God’s signs in nature that sparked a crucial moment of prayer and reflection?\nJordan Denari is a senior at Georgetown University and a graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her writing on Muslim-Christian relations has been featured in The Washington Post and America.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8333008289337158}
{"content": "all about comfort when it comes to sleeping. And I'm not just talking about the bed itself. I'm talking about the box spring, the mattress, the frame, a foam cover, the sheets, the comforter, and of course, the pillows. Usually, men will complain when a woman shops for sheets, but notmy husband. He is the one who will spend hours deciding which material is best.Today, I came across an article about bamboo bed sheets. This was fascinating to me, as I had never heard of bed sheets being made from such a hard, fast-growing plant. I always pictured bamboo as a rock-hard rod, shoved into the ground as a tiki torch stand. As it turns out, it's a versatile plant and can be used for numerous purposes, including bed sheets, duvet covers, pillows, pillow cases, and more. Who knew?\nI'll tell you who knew. SleepBamboo knew! \"We sell bamboo sheets,\" was the first thing that caught my eye. After coming across their Facebook page, I was quite surprised with the information I was presented.\nDid you know that SleepBamboo's products are made from 100% bamboo fibers, are environmentally friendly, and are completely organic? They've been producing bamboo bed products for over 9 years and are dedicated to providing customers with luxurious bedding that is biodegradable and safe for the planet.\nGoing green never sounded so good.\nMy husband is going to be impressed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7738678455352783}
{"content": "The Persian poet Jelalluddin Rumi wrote poems so alive and clear that even today—eight centuries later—they shimmer with freshness. Their wisdom and humor are timeless; whenever I have an a-ha moment with one of Rumi's poems, I feel connected to the people throughout the ages who have climbed out of their confusion on the rungs of Rumi's words.\nIn several of his poems and commentaries, Rumi speaks of the Open Secret. He says that each one of us is trying to hide a secret—not a big, bad secret, but a more subtle and pervasive one. It's the kind of secret that people in the streets of Istanbul kept from each other in the 13th century, when Rumi was writing his poetry. And it's the same kind of secret that you and I keep from each other every day. You meet an old acquaintance, and she asks, \"How are you?\" You say, \"Fine!\" She asks, \"How are the kids?\" You say, \"Oh, they're great.\" \"The job?\" \"Just fine. I've been there five years now.\"\nThen, you ask that person, \"How are you?\" She says, \"Fine!\" You ask, \"Your new house?\" \"I love it.\" \"The new town?\" \"We're all settling in.\"\nIt's a perfectly innocent exchange of ordinary banter; each one of us has a similar kind every day. But it is probably not an accurate representation of our actual lives. We don't want to say that one of the kids is failing in school, or that our work often feels meaningless, or that the move to the new town may have been a colossal mistake. It's almost as if we are embarrassed by our most human traits. We tell ourselves that we don't have time to go into the gory details with everyone we meet; we don't know each other well enough; we don't want to appear sad, or confused, or weak, or self-absorbed. Better to keep under wraps our neurotic and nutty sides (not to mention our darker urges and shameful desires.) Why wallow publicly in the underbelly of our day-to-day stuff? Why wave the dirty laundry about, when all she asked was, \"How are you?\"\nThe irony of the open secret", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.556840717792511}
{"content": "Language: English 85 Pages Published: July 2012 Region: United States Ankylosing Spondylitis: How Have Biological Therapies Affected the Market? Published: March 2009 Region: World 35 Pages Decision Resources, Inc\nThe availability of TNF-a inhibitors fueled a tremendous year-on-year increase in the ankylosing spondylitis (AS) market from 2006 to 2007, and we expect significant growth to continue over the next ten years. Although these agents may establish themselves as the gold-standard treatment for AS, emerging agents can still capitalize on the need for lower-priced, convenient, and efficacious agents. Thus, the AS market continues to represent an opportunity for companies. Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy - AS is a chronic, debilitating disease that significantly affects patients’ quality of life. How many people in the United States and Europe have AS? How will this population grow over the next ten years? What are the issues surrounding the diagnosis of AS? - Diagnosis of AS is often delayed for years after the onset of symptoms. What are the symptoms of AS? How is the disease diagnosed? What are the risk factors for the disease? - The availability of TNF-a inhibitors has changed the approach to AS treatment. What are rheumatologists’ preferred treatments for AS? How robust is the pipeline of developmental AS agents? How will these agents\nREAD MORE >\nExecutive Summary - Strategic Considerations - Stakeholder Implications Introduction Disease Overview - Disease Definition, Pathophysiology, and Etiology - Symptoms and Peripheral Involvement - Diagnosis and Disease Progression Current Treatment - Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs - Conventional Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs - TNF-Alpha Inhibitors - Corticosteroids - Bisphosphonates Epidemiology - Overview - Methods Emerging Therapies for Ankylosing Spondylitis - Centocor/Schering-Plough/Janssen/Mitsubishi Tanabe’s Golimumab - Pozen/AstraZeneca’s PN-200/PN-400 - Novartis’s AIN-457 - Array BioPharma’s ARRY-371797 2007 Market and Outlook Bibliography - Ankylosing Spondylitis List of Tables - Criteria Used in Evaluating Ankylosing Spondylitis - Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents Commonly Prescribed for Ankylosing Spondylitis - Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Inhibitors Approved for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis - Agents in Development for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis - Sales of Drugs to Treat Ankylosing Spondylitis in the United States and Europe, 2007 List of Figures - Rheumatologist-Estimated Percentage of Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients with Specific Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms - Survey question: Please indicate your first-, second-, and third-line therapy choice for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis - Survey question: What percentage of your ankylosing spondylitis patients require new or additional therapies within these time frames? - Surveyed Rheumatologist Opinion on Why Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Inhibitors Are Not Prescribed as a First-line Therapy for Ankylosing Spondylitis - Prevalent Cases of Ankylosing Spondylitis - Survey question: Would you switch your ankylosing spondylitis patients currently taking other tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors to golimumab once the agent is available? - Survey question: Will you prescribe Pozen’s PN-200/PN-400 to your ankylosing spondylitis patients? - Survey question: What agents do you think are most likely to be replaced by Pozen’s PN-200/PN-400? -Survey question: Will you prescribe Novartis’s AIN-457 to your ankylosing spondylitis patients?\n- Abbott - Amgen - Array BioPharma - Astellas - AstraZeneca - Boehringer Ingelheim - Centocor - Daiichi Sankyo - GlaxoSmithKline - Johnson & Johnson - Merck - Mitsubishi Tanabe - Novartis - Ovation - Pfizer - Pozen - Procter & Gamble - Roche - Schering-Plough - Takeda - Wyeth\nFormat Properties\nElectronic (PDF)\nThe report will be emailed to you. The report is sent in PDF format. This is a single user license, allowing one specific user access to the product.\nEnterprisewide\nThe report will be emailed to you. The report is sent in PDF format. This is an enterprise license, allowing all employees within your organisation access to the product.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9757581949234009}
{"content": "You're probably familiar with the deduction choice you must make when you file your tax return. You either have enough deductions (such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and medical expenses) to itemize, or you take the standard deduction, a set amount that doesn't require you to list specific deductible items.\nWhat you may not be as familiar with are those deductions that you are allowed to take above the line; that is, deductions that you can take in addition to your itemized deductions or your standard deduction.\nHere's a quick rundown of above-the-line deductions you shouldn't miss on your 2010 tax return.\n- A deduction of up to $250 for classroom supplies purchased by teachers for use in their classrooms.\n- A deduction of up to $2,500 for interest paid on student loans.\n- A deduction of up to $2,000 or $4,000 for college tuition and fees, depending on your income level.\n- A deduction of up to $5,000 for individual retirement account contributions if you're under age 50. If you're 50 or older, the deduction limit is $6,000.\n- A deduction for the expenses connected with a job-related move.\n- A deduction for 50 percent of the self-employment tax and 100 percent of health insurance premiums paid if you are self-employed.\n- A deduction for alimony paid. (Note that child support is not deductible.)\n- A deduction for contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs).\nMost of these deductions have qualification requirements or income limitations. Don't overlook above-the-line tax deductions. An added benefit: These deductions decrease your adjusted gross income, an important number on your tax return. The lower your adjusted gross income, the more likely you are to qualify for credits and deductions subject to income thresholds.\nFor details or assistance in finding all the deductions to which you're entitled, contact your accountant.\nSandra J. Sunken is a CPA at Sunken Accountancy Corp., 1891 Goodyear Ave., Suite 618, Ventura, CA 93003. Her phone number is: 805-658-1272.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5751446485519409}
{"content": "In this paper we offer a preliminary examination of the securitisation of HIV/AIDS. In the first half of the last decade there was a widespread assumption that HIV/AIDS had been successfully securitised. We argue that in 2000 the UNSC made a securitising move which fulfilled the three facilitating conditions identified by Buzan et al for a successful speech act. However, we suggest that HIV/AIDS was only partly securitised, as seen by the reaction of the intended audience, the policy community. We suggest that the reason for this was that the securitising move was weakened by a lack of consensus within the securitising actor, and empirical evidence undermining the case made. In so doing we suggest that political consensus and the ability to support securitising claims with empirical evidence contribute to the facilitating conditions necessary for successful securitisation. This analysis also serves to draw a distinction between a securitising move and successful securitisation. However we would wish to nuance this significantly by suggesting that securitisation is not a binary condition, neither are the results of a securitising move homogenous. Rather some actors have accepted HIV/AIDS’ status as a security issue more readily than others. This variety may in part be a reflection of the disease itself, that its effects are not homogenous but diverse depending on context; but it also suggests that different actors (often at the level of ministries or even individuals) were more easily persuaded than others.\nDescription:\nMcInnes, C., HIV, AIDS and Securitisation, Paper for 2010 International Studies Association Annual Conference, New Orleans Sponsorship: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme - Ideas Grant 230489 GHG.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9749951362609863}
{"content": "It's been awhile since I've blogged- we've had an awesome summer filled with family fun and vacations. I'm going to work on a big vacation post over the next couple days, but in the meantime wanted to do a quick update with a little project we're working on. While in MN, we were talking to our friends, Joe and Brooke about a 30 day food challenge/ lifestyle makeover they did. They managed to convince us that the Whole 30 challenge was worth a try. (The extra 5 pounds we each brought back from vacation helped convince us too!) The Whole 30 is based on the Paleo diet, also known as the caveman, primal, or similar names. The idea is that our genes date back to cavemen, and our bodies are programmed to consume only the foods we can hunt and gather. Animals and plants. Basically, the diet is a 30 day \"reset\" or cleanse for your body. Remove all possibly inflammatory foods from your diet, let your body heal and then slowly reintroduce thoughtful healthy choices after the 30 days is over. The tough rules- no dairy (goodbye cheese and creamy coffee), no grains, no legumes, no sugar, no processed foods for 30 days. No cheating or the \"reset\" doesn't work. Eeek! The good news is that we can still eat big meals filled with lean proteins- steak, hamburger, chicken, pork, eggs and eggs and eggs. Instead of starchy side dishes, we just pile on a big healthy dose of veggies. I buy a lot of frozen veggies and we've been loving fresh seasonal veggies too. We're on day 10 of 30. The sugar/bread cravings are subsiding, and I'm confident we'll make it until the end! Things I've discovered so far: 10 days in, we both notice a difference. No weigh-ins until the end, but we both feel noticeably skinnier! Black coffee is not nearly as good as coffee with a little milk and sugar, but I might be convinced after 20 more days. Jicama is not a valid substitute for potatoes. Not the same. But rutabaga is pretty awesome!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7401756048202515}
{"content": "SCIE Guide 29: Changing social care: an inclusive approach Adult social care is changing, to ensure that the people who use services are at the heart of their own care and support. This change, outlined in 'Our health, our care, our say' (Department of Health 2006) and confirmed in 'Putting people first' (Her Majesty's Government 2007), will result in greater choice and control for individuals and better support for carers and families. To achieve this, the social care workforce will need to change its approach.\nThis guide first identifies the actions crucial to successful change and improvement, and the second explores the experience of people using services who are trying to achieve cultural change.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.997981607913971}
{"content": "Safari Books Online is a digital library providing on-demand subscription access to thousands of learning resources.\nSummary 55 about. Fortunately, various errors in the worm's programming limited its infection attempts to only one other device, keeping its propagation small and manageable. This virus and others contributed to a small but growing industry for mobile device antivirus solutions. While not as common as its Internet-borne cousins, Bluetooth- based malware continues to be a potential issue that users have to understand and manage. summary Despite everything that you hear about Bluetooth security and its failings, it is not as bad as it seems. Many of the failings were initially due to poor implementations by manufacturers. As time has progressed, manufacturers have caught on about how to implement Bluetooth devices properly, avoiding these issues. However, with so many new devices coming on the market every day, it is very likely that issues will potentially creep back in, particularly from manufacturers new to making Bluetooth devices. Care should be taken in any environment to ensure that users understand the risks associated with their Bluetooth devices. At the least, cursory testing should be done", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9795466065406799}
{"content": "Let's face it. The lifeblood of your business is data. But even the best storage policies and security practices fall short of where they need to be in terms of data protection -- leaving your data vulnerable to theft or loss while your organization's reputation hangs in the balance. All while this stringent compliance and e-discovery concerns loom ever present.\nIn this new reality, your organization's storage and security teams must communicate effectively to avoid unnecessary trouble.\nBecause of these challenges, the editors of Storage magazine and Information Security magazine have developed an intensive 1-day training seminar that brings both security and storage pros to the table and discusses how to identify, assess and respond to critical data risks within your technology infrastructure.\nYou're invited to participate in this seminar where noted storage expert W. Curtis Preston reprises the highest-rated and best-attended session at the Storage Decisions conference – focusing on the storage team's role in data protection\nFor a detailed agenda, speaker bios, dates, and locations please\nThis was first published in April 2007", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7454239130020142}
{"content": "INFLUENZA\nVIRUS SURVEILLANCE SUMMARY UPDATE\nWeek\nending November 23, 2002-Week 47\nCarina\nBlackmore, M.S. Vet. Med., Ph.D.\nFlorida:\nDuring week 47\n(November 17-23, 2002) influenza activity, calculated based on the proportion of\npatients with influenza-like illness (ILI) seeking care by physicians\nparticipating in the Florida Sentinel Physicians Surveillance Network was 1.3%.\nAlthough the activity is increasing over time it is below the national baseline\nof 1.9%. Higher flu activity than expected for this time of year (>2%)\nwas reported by physicians in Duval, Leon. Okaloosa, Orange, Palm Beach, Polk\nand Seminole counties. Six influenza cases confirmed by rapid tests were\nreported from Miami-Dade this week. Influenza viruses (Influenza A (H1N1)) have\nalso been detected in Broward and Holmes counties this season.\nNational\nreport:\nTwenty-one isolates (5 influenza A and 16 influenza B viruses) were made from 923 specimens\ntested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and National\nRespiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating\nlaboratories this week. Since\nSeptember 29, 0.5% (n=47) of the 10,036 specimens tested nationwide have been\npositive. Seven (35%) of the 20 influenza A viruses have been subtyped; 6 were\ninfluenza A H1 viruses and 1 was an influenza A (H3N2). Influenza A activity has\nbeen detected in Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina\nand South Carolina and Virginia. Influenza B isolates have been identified in\nLouisiana, New York, South Carolina and Texas. CDC has characterized one\ninfluenza A (H1N2), one influenza A (H3N2) and five influenza B isolates\nantigenically. All strains were similar antigenically to corresponding vaccine\nstrains. The proportion of patient visits to sentinel physicians for\ninfluenza-like illness (ILI) was 1.3% nationwide. Outbreaks were reported from\nLouisiana and Texas. Sporadic influenza activity was reported from 18 states\n(Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan,\nMissouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West\nVirginia and Wyoming). The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and\ninfluenza as reported by the vital statistics offices of 122 U.S. cities was\n7.1% during week 47. This percentage is\nbelow the epidemic threshold of 7.4% for this time.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5298768281936646}
{"content": "Food manufacturers risk wasting millions in capital investment by failing to plan how new machinery will integrate with existing operations according to international food consultancy Coriolis.\n\"The drive for greater productivity can lead to rushed and ill-considered investment decisions,\" said Paul Eastwood, Coriolis' operations director. Organisations attempting to increase productivity could be guilty of looking first to automation to secure productivity improvements, he said. Such moves were not always suitable for manufacturers’ products, which could require the process flexibility which people bring.\nToo often seen as panacea While full automation made sense for the large scale production of standardised products, it was too often seen as the panacea for all food production, rather than a catalyst to growth, said Eastwood. \"It is a blinkered belief that productivity improvements will always follow immediately from investment in automation.\"\nInvestment and automation projects needed to involve those working directly on the factory floor, he added. “Real issues can set in when investment decisions are made without the involvement of the people at the coal face of the operation.\n\"This rush to automation can lead to companies going too far, too fast and once made, those investment decisions are incredibly difficult to row back from.” Stuck in limbo A lack of people-centred investment – training and leadership – could result in a stand-off and investment projects becoming stuck in limbo, said Eastwood. In these scenarios, manufacturers had to work hard with staff to establish where projects were heading, working backwards to enable the project to move forwards.\n\"These negotiations can get personal as management have staked a tremendous amount on the new kit, while operators can feel like the new systems are not the right solution or are unwilling to take ownership of the line. \"Calm heads are required on all sides and the role of the independent arbiter becomes crucial to moving the process forward.\" Engaging the right people in the project at the beginning was the vital step in ensuring this, he said.\nInvesting in bottlenecks Investment in automation in reaction to short term demand or to secure a ‘quick win’ also rarely produced the productivity savings originally envisaged, said Eastwood.\n“Capital investment is not always planned especially well in the food manufacturing sector. We’ve seen many examples where investment has been made into semi-obsolete machinery for immediate cash savings. \"Two years later, with surrounding parts of the production line upgraded, the original investment results in a bottleneck, which is a bad decision in anyone’s book.” He stressed that manufacturers should have a clear capital journey and a long-term strategy for capital investment.\n\"Food manufacturing productivity levels could be significantly higher in the UK and as a key economic driver, the sector could play an even greater role in helping the economy out of the worst recession for a generation.” Concluded Paul.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6866490840911865}
{"content": "Biodiversity conservation in today’s world is a complex and increasingly challenging undertaking. It requires coordination and collaboration among a broad range of stakeholders, including donor agencies, US-based NGOs, international and multi-lateral organizations, local organizations and networks, government agencies and academic institutions.\nFoundations of Success works with a wide variety of these organizations and individuals who make important decisions about resource use and conservation. We have provided these organizations and individuals with customized technical assistance in one or more of our five strategic areas.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8090487718582153}
{"content": "At its November board meeting, the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) announced its 2011 board of directors. Currently 120 laundries have received HLAC accreditation and more are currently preparing nationwide.\nThe HLAC 2011 officers are:\n- Chair: Nancy Bjerke, BSN, RN, MPH, CIC, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) representative\n- Vice Chair: Rocco Romeo, CEO, HLS Linen Services\n- Secretary/Treasurer: Rob Potack, Vice President, Unitex Textile Rental Services\nThe HLAC 2011 board of directors also includes:\n- HLAC immediate past chair, Patti Costello, Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) representative\n- Brad Bushman, American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) representative\n- Sandra Hensley, RN, MSEM, BSN, CIC, Consumer representative\n- Rick Kislia, COO, Crescent Laundry\n- Bill Mann, Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) representative\n- Ed McCauley, president/CEO, United Hospital Services\n- Judy Reino, president, Reino Linen\n- Lynne Sehulster, PhD, M (ASCP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention representative\nJoining the board is Chuck Rossmiller, CEO/general manager, Healthcare Laundry Systems/Crothall, Wheeling, Ill.\n\"I am honored to be leading such a distinguished team of laundry and healthcare leaders,\" says Nancy Bjerke. \"Patient care and comfort remain a high priority for healthcare facilities. HLAC-accredited laundry providers offer the level of quality and consistency that directly aligns with the increasing supply chain needs of healthcare clients. In 2011, HLAC and the board will continue its focus on key initiatives of standards development, creation of value-added tools for accredited laundries, inspection consistency and education to healthcare professionals at all levels.\"\nFounded in 2005, HLAC is an independent council that has developed a comprehensive set of standards for healthcare textile processing. It is the only organization that exclusively inspects and accredits laundries that process healthcare textiles. To learn more about the Standards, and the inspection and accreditation program, visit www.hlacnet.org.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9841566681861877}
{"content": "Wrist fractures lead to greater functional decline among elderly, research shows Older women who experience a wrist fracture tend to develop more disabilities, according to new research.\nWrist fracture is the most common upper-extremity injury sustained by elderly individuals, according to the new report from researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. Of the 6,107 older women followed sampled for the report, 268 experienced a wrist fracture during the 7.6-year study period. Over that time, women with a wrist fracture were 50% more likely to experience functional decline than women without a wrist fracture.\nWrist fractures are as clinically significant for older individuals as arthritis, diabetes or falls, according to report author Dr. Beatrice Edwards. Osteoporosis outreach efforts should include information about preventing wrist fractures, she suggests. The report was published online July 9 in BMJ.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8299969434738159}
{"content": "GlobalData has released its new PharmaPoint Drug Evaluation report, \"Actonel (Osteoporosis) - Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022\". Despite its maturity, the osteoporosis market is expected to undergo substantial change between 2012 and 2022. Most importantly, the 'gold-standard' bisphosphonates will lose patent protection by end-of-year 2013, flooding the marketplace with less expensive generic versions of these physician-preferred medications. Additionally, Eli Lilly's blockbuster Evista, the only available SERM in the US, will lose patent protection in 2014, flooding the market with yet more affordable generic options. Also during the forecast period covered by this report, osteoporosis drug development research will lead to the launches of a wave of novel anabolic drugs with greater efficacy and safety, causing a major market shift away from anti-resorptive drugs. The number of companies vying for patient share will shrink by as much as 50%, as established players exit the market or acquire smaller players. Lastly, the aging of the population in developed markets will result in a larger patient pool.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5152193307876587}
{"content": "The first year of college is a crucial transition period. It's when you'll lay the foundation for academic and personal success, and we'll support you every step of the way.\nThe community seeks to help you make a successful transition to college by offering a comprehensive curriculum and support services to engage you in active learning and growth, living among and valuing all members of our diverse community and making vital and meaningful connections both within and beyond the College. In doing so, Saint Mary's seeks to assist each first year student in establishing effective strategies to explore, connect, and engage through the completion of their programs of study. The knowledge and skills Saint Mary's students gain their first year will last them a lifetime.\nAs a result of participating in the First Year Experience (FYE), students will complete their first year at Saint Mary's with the following:\nUnderstanding the College's Liberal Arts, Catholic and Lasallian traditions. Knowledge of available academic and student support services, and the ability to use them effectively when necessary. Knowledge of Saint Mary's programs and activities. Understanding of local resources. Cohort identity centered on a first year theme and common reading. Engagement with the concept of personal and social responsibility. As part of first year experience a theme is selected to provide a social and academic construct by which you will base your learning in and outside the classroom.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8460821509361267}
{"content": "VISANOW News Release VISANOW Outlines Immigration Options for Hospitals Challenged to Fill Nursing Positions Pending legislation would expedite wait for foreign nurses CHICAGO, IL September 24, 2008 – In recent years, the U.S. healthcare system has faced the growing challenge of staffing hospitals and medical centers in the midst of a nursing shortage that, at its current rate, could restrict many facilities from providing the expected levels of care. VISANOW, the industry leading immigration solution provider, has highlighted the impact of pending legislation that would revamp the hiring landscape for hospitals and other medical facilities.\n“A large pool of foreign nursing candidates and physical therapists is available to address hospital staffing concerns,” stated Bob Meltzer, CEO of VISANOW. “However, current immigration regulations have significantly limited hospitals’ ability to hire these qualified workers and, as a result, repercussions are being felt throughout the healthcare system.”\nAlthough many foreign nursing students study in the U.S. and graduate from U.S. nursing programs, they are often unable to work following the expiration of their Optional Practical Training (OPT) due to limited immigration options. The majority of nursing candidates file for permanent residency to secure a green card and the ability to gain legal employment in the U.S. Due to a significant backlog in such applications, however, many have to wait two to three years for approval of their cases.\nAlthough H-1B visas – originally designed for applicants qualified to fill a specialty occupation on a temporary basis – would be a stop-gap for some, the mandated number of H-1Bs available annually has significantly reduced this as a feasible option. A limited number of alternative non-immigrant visas are available, but each caters to a very specific niche demographic. For example, the TN visa is available only for Canadian and Mexican applicants, the E-3 for Australian applicants, and the H-1C is available only for hospitals located in disadvantaged areas and is rarely a fit.\nWith the introduction of recent legislation, however, changes to the limiting immigration process for foreign employees of hospitals and other medical facilities may soon be on the way. The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act would remove registered nurses and physical therapists from the current green card caps – allowing for an additional 20,000 available applicants per year. In addition, the legislation would require the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review the I-140 of the nurse petitions within 30 days of submission. Currently, that review process is averaging 8 to 12 months.\n“Obviously, this bill is a significant step in the right direction for hospitals that struggle with staffing concerns,” commented Meltzer. “The requirement of an expedited review process by the USCIS and the removal of these applications from the current green card caps indicate that the severity of this challenge is understood by some in Washington. Hopefully, this will lead to a workable solution as a piece-by-piece approach to comprehensive immigration reform begins to move forward.”\nAbout VISANOW VISANOW has redefined the way immigration services are delivered with a process that consistently provides faster responses, allows greater access to information and saves time. Since 1998, VISANOW has combined superior client support and innovative technology designed to simplify the immigration process for corporations and their foreign employees.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6128568649291992}
{"content": "DISCLOSE Act Exempts Unions from Central Disclosure Requirements Expected to come to the House floor today, the now infamous DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 5175) places onerous regulations on activists interested in affecting the political process. Far from being evenhanded, the DISCLOSE Act gives unjustified preference to organized labor.\nThe DISCLOSE Act marks a stark departure from the traditional treatment of corporations and unions by applying punitive measures to associations in the corporate form, but not to labor unions, even though these groups have traditionally been treated similarly in campaign finance law:\nCompanies that received federal money during the financial crisis face restrictions on speech, but not unions: General Motors cannot engage in express advocacy, urging voters to support a candidate by name, while the United Auto Workers union can Corporations, unions, non-profits and 527 groups will be required to report donors who give more than $600 if they engage in express advocacy, -- average union dues, the source of the majority of their funds, in 2004 were $377 Businesses with government contracts worth more than $7 million are not allowed to engage in express advocacy while public sector unions that receive their dues from the taxpayers are exempt from such restrictions Companies where a foreign entity owns 20 percent or more of a company’s shares are not allowed to engage in express advocacy while international unions are free to tell Americans how to vote For these reasons and more, the Alliance for Worker Freedom urges all members to vote “no” on H.R. 5175, The DISCLOSE Act.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8428359031677246}
{"content": "The rapid increase of intensive (confined) livestock production and the land and livelihood needs of extensive production (range-land grazing) are crucial challenges. The livestock sector emerges as a very significant contributor to environmental problems at every scale from local to global, including land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and pollution and loss of biodiversity. Formulating responses to the wide range of consequences remains a complex task, but there are many promising solutions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9904678463935852}
{"content": "Internationalisation of R&D and Global Nature of Innovation: Emerging Trends in India By V.V. Krishna and Sujit Bhattacharya September 2009 ARI Working Paper Series, WPS 123 Published by: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore\nAbstract: The corporate model of R&D pursued within home country locations of the corporate firm is fast eroding. Important magazines such as The Economist (3 March 2007, p69) has begun to talk about, 'The rise and fall of corporate R&D'. The internet and telecommunication revolutions have dismantled geographical barriers creating a new innovation potential at different levels of value chain which are now dispersed at different locations. The Asian region has come to occupy a significant space in these trends. India and China are becoming major locations for off-shore R&D and innovation affiliations. The last decade witnessed two trends in the pattern of global science and technology systems in the Indian context. The first concerns the internationalisation of R&D and the second the increasingly global nature of innovation.\nThis paper explores three main issues in the Indian context. Firstly, it explores the significant changes in the macro economic and science and technology policies which have propelled changes during the last decade and a half. Secondly, through various indicators the paper maps the growth of internationalization of R&D and global nature of innovation. Thirdly, the paper explores the context of innovation to see whether these trends signify a 'new international division of labor' between North and South or whether there is a significant transformation underway for global nature of innovation.\nDownload Full-text PDF", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7961387634277344}
{"content": "Date of this Version 2011\nAbstract Recent efforts have identified the p38α Ser/Thr kinase as a potential target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases as well as non-small cell lung carcinoma. Despite the significance of p38α, no direct activity probe compatible with cell lysate analysis exists. Instead, proxies for kinase activation, such as phosphospecific antibodies, which do not distinguish between p38 isoforms, are often used. Our laboratory has recently developed a sulfonamido-oxine (Sox) fluorophore that undergoes a significant increase in fluorescence in response to phosphorylation at a proximal residue, allowing for real-time activity measurements. Herein we report the rational design of a p38α-selective chemosensor using this approach. We have validated the selectivity of this sensor using specific inhibitors and immunodepletions and show that p38α activity can be monitored in crude lysates from a variety of cell lines, allowing for the potential use of this sensor in both clinical and basic science research applications.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9993209838867188}
{"content": "The Heart of Fear “I don’t like Fear,” I once told a friend, “It scares me!” That had been my relationship with Fear until seven years ago when I attended a workshop called “Beyond Fear”. I secretly hoped it would give me a workaround for Fear — how to avoid it altogether. But no, the idea was to create a rapport with Fear, feel it, then move beyond it. Not get stuck in it. Not run from it. (Have you noticed that when you run from Fear, it chases you?) The workshop was life changing. I discovered that when I’m afraid and refuse to feel it, I attempt to control. Control Doesn’t Work. “News flash” right? Sometimes I forget and reach for control anyway. Which is exactly what I did with my mother last week. She had gone to the ER and released with a nonspecific diagnoses. Under the guise of concern, I told her she shouldn’t drive until she sees her doctor. While that might be good advice, my mother is a capable, adult woman who has managed to make her own decisions for longer than I have been alive. The conversation didn’t go well. She was offended (rightly so) and I was righteous (wrongly so).\nRighteous Yields to What’s Right. Days passed. I was uneasy about the conversation but convinced I was right . Then, while shuffling papers on my desk, my eyes landed on a random note: “Attempts to control always fail. Control, no matter the origin, comes down to fear.” Hmmmm. In my refusal to feel fear, I had reached for control which hadn’t worked, of course.\nI called my mother and started a new conversation: ”I’m sorry for trying to control you by telling you not to drive. The truth is, I was/am scared…” We then had a beautiful, easy conversation about what really matters and about how challenging it can be to stay in the present moment when we are afraid. I noticed how close I felt to her and how surprisingly grateful I was for my Fear. When I simply let myself feel it, it led me to my heart and brought me closer to a precious relationship with my mother.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8009960055351257}
{"content": "Milind Tambe This paper focuses on flexible teamwork in dynamic and real-world multi-agent domains. Such teamwork is not simply a union of agents’ simultaneous execution of individual plans, even if such execution pre-coordinated. Indeed, uncertainties in complex, dynamic domains often obstruct pre-planned coordination, with a resultant breakdown in teamwork. The central hypothesis in this paper is that for durable teamwork, agents should be provided explicit team plans, which directly express a team’s joint activities. When agents execute such team plans, they abide by certain \"commonsense\" conventions of teamwork. Essentially, such conventions provide a deeper model of teamwork, facilitating flexible reasoning about coordination activities. Such a framework also frees the planner or the knowledge engineer from specifying very detailed low-level coordination plans. This framework has been implemented in the context of a real-world synthetic environment for helicopter-combat simulation.\nThis page is copyrighted by AAAI. All rights reserved. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of all of AAAI's terms and conditions and privacy policy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8105893135070801}
{"content": "Tunisia’s trade deficit worsened by 897.6 million Tunisian dinars (MTD) during the first 7 months, compared with the same period last year.\nAccording to indicators of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the rate of coverage of imports by exports fell by 7.4 percentage points, from 78.4% during the same period in 2011 to 71% in 2012.\nThe INS attributes this increased deficit to the differences observed in the rate of development of exports compared to imports.\nTunisia’s exports, estimated during the first 7 months of 2012 at 15,575.5 MTD increased by only 3.7%, while imports recorded a significant rise of 14.6% to reach a value of 21,941.9 MTD (same period).\nAccording to the same source, the increase in exports is explained by the growth of exports of agricultural and food products (2.5%), phosphates and derivatives (3.2%), energy (22.4%), mechanical industries (12.9%) and manufacturing industries (15.2%).\nHowever, exports of electronic industries registered for the first time during this year, a slight decrease of 0.3% and the textile, clothing and leather continued to decline (-8, 6%).\nRegarding imports, the INS attributed the (14.6%) increase recorded during that period to the increase in imports of food industries (13.4% against 38.7% in 2011), non-food consumer products (15.7% against 0.7% in 2011), raw materials (7.1%) and equipment (12.1%).\nThe INS has explained the deficit in foreign trade by the decline in imports from several countries including China (-1,276.7 MTD), and European partner countries such as Italy (-216. 5MTD), Germany (-126MTD) and Spain (-500.4 MD).\nHowever, Tunisian exports to Libya and France increased by 770.2 MTD and 656.5 MTD, respectively.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9799028038978577}
{"content": "WARM WINTER TEMPERATURES CAUSING EARLY TERMITE SWARMS Arrow Exterminators Urges Homebuyers to Protect Themselves from\nPotential Infestations\nAccording to the State of Florida Department of\nAgriculture and Consumer Services, more than 2,000,000 homes in the\nU.S. will require treatment for an active termite infestation this\nyear and Florida's temperate climate provides a perfect environment\nfor these destructive pests. This winter has been even warmer than\nnormal triggering an early swarm season and indicating that termite\npopulation could reach an all-time high.\nTermites swarm when seeking to expand their territory and\nform new colonies. This is often the first time a homeowner\nbecomes aware of a potential infestation, but termites are usually\nestablished in a home before they swarm. However, the absence\nof swarming around a home does not mean the home is free of termite\nactivity. Additional signs of an infestation include mud\ntunneling and/or darkening and blistering of wood.\nSubterranean termites will take advantage of the smallest defect to\nenter and infest a home and once inside will chew 24 hours a day\nthrough concrete, wood, floors, carpeting and wallpaper causing\nmore damage each year than storms and fires combined - an estimated\n$5 Billion that is rarely covered by homeowners\ninsurance.\nTo protect their families and their investment, Arrow\nrecommends that homeowners invest in a 24/7/365\nFlorida termite protection plan and have their property\ninspected annually by a licensed pest professional.\n« Back", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5986392498016357}
{"content": "Organizations today strongly believe in open environments for innovation, and many are using virtual tools for internal and external collaboration. Now, they face the challenge of integrating these tools into an organizational structure that will unlock the value of open innovation, drive superior business performance and build competitive advantage. This report reveals key findings from our survey about the tactics, tools and strategies used by forward-thinking businesses that are successfully engaging in open innovation.\n1.7 mb\nGame Changers that Drive Business Innovation\nSix Technologies to Watch\nFour Forces Facing the Future\nLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6338123083114624}
{"content": "We operate in the home and general merchandise market, worth approximately £55 billion in terms of retail sales. With £5.5 billion worth of sales reported for our last financial year, we hold a 10% share of this market.\nWe continue to maintain leading market positions in the product categories in which we trade.\nHomebase\nHomebase trades within the DIY and home enhancement market, which\nin the UK is a very fragmented market comprising the 'sheds'\ntogether with a significant number of specialists and independents.\nThese two components are each estimated to represent about 50% of\nthe overall DIY and home enhancement market. The sheds market,\nuntil recently, contained the UK's four DIY shed retailers, these\nbeing B&Q, Wickes, Focus DIY and Homebase. Following the\nadministration and subsequent closure of Focus DIY in 2011, the\nsheds market now consists of only B&Q, Wickes and Homebase. A\nthird-party source, Gfk, tracks the sheds market and it is this\nmetric against which Homebase's performance is measured to\nascertain its market share.For this financial year, both the overall DIY and home enhancement market and the sheds market, as measured by Gfk, have declined. The sheds market is divided into five product categories, these being:\nOver the same period, Homebase has held or gained market share in each of these five product categories, with the strongest market share gain being within the big-ticket category. Over the last three years Homebase has significantly improved its big-ticket offer, which principally comprises kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms and it has also introduced a highly regarded installation service. As a result of these initiatives, Homebase has seen its share of the big-ticket market increase from 20% to 22% over this three-year period. Homebase now holds an overall share of 23% of the sheds market; its highest recorded share since the Gfk sheds market research was launched in 2007.\nArgos\nUnlike Homebase, Argos operates over a much broader spectrum of\nproduct categories. There are 24 markets in which Argos operates,\nwith no single metric existing that measures Argos' market share\nperformance across all these categories. Argos refers to these 24\nmarkets as 'tracked markets', and each market is reported on by a\nthird-party source such as Gfk, National Purchase Diary (NPD) and\nthe Office of National Statistics (ONS).Over the last financial year, these tracked markets have\nindicated that Argos' total market has declined by about 5%, with\nmany categories, especially those that are product innovation\ndriven or are susceptible to overlap by other technologies,\nrecording double-digit declines. Argos has seen the overall\nconsumer electronics market, as defined by Gfk, decline by around\n20%, with audio, televisions (TV), mobiles and video gaming systems\n(VGS) seeing the greatest declines.\nArgos has grown its market share within the TV category despite a\nsubstantial decline in the market, but it has lost its share in VGS\ndue to the concious decision not to compete with loss-leading deals\nthat existed in the market place at some points during the\nfinancial year. In contrast to these market-declining categories\nwithin consumer electronics, there was considerable growth in\nlaptops and tablets, driven by new technology such as the iPad and\nKindle, and Argos recorded strong market share gains in this\nparticular area.\nThe electricals market, which encompasses the large and small domestic appliances markets, also saw an overall decline in the financial year. Despite this, Argos held its market share within this category. Argos saw a small market share loss within furniture, a market which continued to suffer from record low levels of housing transactions and a reluctance of Argos' core customers to spend on big-ticket furniture purchases for the home. However, this was offset by market share gains in homewares as consumers, instead, spent on smaller ticket items to enhance their homes.\nOverall Argos saw a small loss in market share across the total of its tracked markets for the financial year. However, if the exceptional market declines seen in VGS, where Argos deliberately reduced its participation, and audio, were excluded, Argos would have held share across its market categories.\nWe work with some of the world’s leading suppliers to bring quality products to help our customers enhance their lives.\nThe UK's second most visited retail website, with over 33,000 lines available\nMore than 38,000 products available for store collection or home delivery\nThe iconic UK home furnishing brand with stylish, well designed products", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9619893431663513}
{"content": "The aim of the present study was to identify the game-related statistics that discriminated basketball winning and losing teams in each of the three consecutive games played in a condensed tournament format. The data were obtained from the Spanish Basketball Federation and included game-related statistics from the Under-20 league (2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons). A total of 223 games were analyzed with the following game-related statistics: two and three-point field goal (made and missed), free-throws (made and missed), offensive and defensive rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers, blocks (made and received), fouls committed, ball possessions and offensive rating. Results showed that winning teams in this competition had better values in all game-related statistics, with the exception of three point field goals made, free-throws missed and turnovers (p > 0.05). The main effect of game number was only identified in turnovers, with a statistical significant decrease between the second and third game. No interaction was found in the analysed variables. A discriminant analysis allowed identifying the two-point field goals made, the defensive rebounds and the assists as discriminators between winning and losing teams in all three games. Additionally to these, only the three-point field goals made contributed to discriminate teams in game three, suggesting a moderate effect of fatigue. Coaches may benefit from being aware of this variation in game determinant related statistics and, also, from using offensive and defensive strategies in the third game, allowing to explore or hide the three point field-goals performance. Key words: Fatigue, basketball, young players, game-related statistics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9014462232589722}
{"content": "Effects of mistletoe on diversity: a case-study from southern New South Wales\nD. M. Watson\nEmu\n102(3) 275 - 281\nPublished: 26 August 2002\nAbstract The influence of mistletoe density on avian diversity has been noted previously, with several studies demonstrating a close positive relationship between the two variables. All previous work has been correlative, exploiting naturally occurring variation in mistletoe density, and hence unable to demonstrate a causative link between mistletoe density and avian richness. Here I compare the avifauna of two adjacent woodland remnants, one of which has had most mistletoe plants removed, but otherwise comparable in area, vegetation and grazing history. Ten-hour inventories were conducted in each remnant in both spring and summer, resulting in a total of 40 hours of censuses. Of the 71 species recorded overall, 52 were recorded from the treatment site (with reduced mistletoe density) and 61 species from the control site. Significantly more woodland-dependent species and species known to feed on mistletoe were recorded in the control site, while there was no significant difference for those species known to nest in mistletoe. These results broadly support the idea that mistletoe is a keystone resource, with mistletoe density having a significant positive effect on species richness. These findings reinforce previous correlative studies, and further highlight the importance of mistletoe in Australian woodlands and forests.\nFull text doi:10.1071/MU01042\n© Royal Australian Ornithologists Union\n2002", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9041709899902344}
{"content": "This baseball statistic is used to measure the defensive effectiveness of a team in converting batted balls into outs by the fielders. Defensive efficiency rating (DER) is calculated by comparing the number of hits allowed, not including home runs, to the defensive opportunities, which are all balls hit into play except home runs.\nThe formula for DER is: 1-((H-HR)/(PA-HR-BB-HBP-SO)).\nAlso referred to as \"Def Eff\" or \"Defensive Efficiency Ratio\".\nThe purpose of DER is to determine the overall effectiveness of the fielding defense of a baseball team. The higher the DER, the better the team's fielding ability is considered to be.\nWhile pitchers who are credited with a lot of strikeouts tend to prevent runs from scoring, those who pitch to contact would benefit more from a high team DER. This rating can also be calculated for individual players, which is a useful statistic to determine the likelihood of a team's ability to prevent runs within a particular lineup (considering both the participating pitchers and fielding players).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.997141420841217}
{"content": "People\nJennifer Seavey\nJennifer Seavey earned her PhD from the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts in 2009, where she studied piping plover (\nJennifer's PhD research in the Landscape Ecology Lab focused on piping plover abundance and productivity in relation to environmental heterogeneity at multiple scales on the barrier islands of New York. The challenge of discovering ecologically relevant landscape patterns at multiple scales is critical to improving our abilities to recover endangered species, such as the piping plover. The majority of piping plover research has been based on observations at local/spatial and short/temporal scales; no piping plover studies have included a multiple scale approach explicitly. The current focus on local scale research for plovers may lead us to overlook habitat patterns that occur at broader scales. This missing knowledge could reduce endangered species recovery success, especially given that a broad-scale understanding is necessary for undertaking landscape-level recovery efforts. This missing broad-scale knowledge was the target of our research.\nJennifer's multi-scale approach explicitly examined broader scales than previously observed and allowed us to examine ecological patterns over a broad range of scales from nest site to landscape. She exhaustively sampled plover and environmental data, which allowed us to derive models that explain the distribution, abundance, and productivity of plovers based on environmental patterns at multiple spatial scales. Her results contribute to an understanding of how environmental patterns vary across spatial and temporal scales of observation.\nJennifer's PhD work is currently being reviewed for publication.\nFor more information, please contact:\nCopyright 2000 University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003. (413) 545-0111. This is an official page of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. All material in this website is made available according to the Fair Use Statute of the U.S. Copyright Act", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5442575216293335}
{"content": "Thus far, the discussion of supraventricular arrhythmia with abnormal QRS complex has included preexisting conduction defects, the preexcitation syndrome (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome), and functional bundle-branch block due to sudden shortening of cycle length, often combined with prolongation of preceding cycle; the latter is popularly called the \"Ashman phenomenon.\" We will now present examples of other causes of aberrancy for which the mechanistic explanations may not be as clearly delineated as for those entities previously presented.\nAberrancy Occurring at Slow Rates The contour of QRS complexes which escape after long pauses may differ from the QRS complex inscribed during the normal dominant rhythm; yet, the duration of these escape systoles, which is less than 0.12 seconds, strongly, but not unequivocally, indicates an origin above the bifurcation of the bundle of His (Fig 1 and 2). Basically, four theories exist which attempt to explain the cause of such aberrantly conducted junctional escape beats.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5538756251335144}
{"content": "After reading \"'Dime-a-drink' tax will save lives, not kill jobs \" (Feb. 22) by Messrs. Jernigan, Waters and Cook, I'm left wondering: If taxing alcohol will accomplish the two-pronged benefit of raising revenue for the state while curtailing abuse due to reducing consumption, why stop at 10 cents a drink?\nWhy not double the tax? Or triple it?\nI'm not on the faculty of Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, nor am I a professor of public policy at Duke University, but I did take logic in college and the writers' argument just doesn't hold water, beer or any other liquid.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9920330047607422}
{"content": "The provincial government has drafted an offer of $3 million to the Pictou Landing First Nation (PLFN) in return for the Band postponing their lawsuit against the province for at least two years, according to documents obtained by the Halifax Media Co-op. The draft offer stems from a 2010 PLFN lawsuit against the province of Nova Scotia, launched due to the province's failure to clean up Boat Harbour.\nAn estimated 1,000,000,000 litres of effluent from the Abercrombie Pulp and Paper Mill – currently owned by Northern Pulp -- have flowed into Boat Harbour, and the surrounding area since 1966, according to a 2009 King's College report, causing untold environmental and health damage. The area has described as “otherworldly” by Green Party leader Elizabeth May, for its ongoing pollution.\nThe draft “Capacity Building Agreement” between the province of Nova Scotia and the Pictou Landing Indian Band notes that the provincial government has agreed to pay $3 million dollars to the band, ostensibly for “Capacity Building” - not for the clean-up of Boat Harbour, and not for paying for the Band's steadily increasing legal fees. The document also notes that the money hinges on the band not attempting in any way to halt the on-going effluent dumping and preventing its members from doing the same. As noted:\n“Pictou Landing will not, and will take all reasonable actions to ensure that the Members do not, support or engage in any action that might frustrate, delay or stop the Operation, Northern, or its affiliates and the successors...”\nThe document states that the $3 million is not:\n\"...to be interpreted or construed as an admission or recognition by Nova Scotia or Canada or Northern of the existence or extent of any Rights, of any infringement of Rights by Nova Scotia, Canada, (or) Northern...in relation to Pictou's Landing's Rights. ”A second internal band document obtained by HMC notes that the PLFN is “facing a financial crisis”, and that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada itself acknowledges that the Band is underfunded. The document notes that the PLFN's lawsuit cannot continue, due to lack of funding, and that there have been no outside offers of assistance to continue the legal battle. The $3 million is specifically not to be used to fund the lawsuit. The second document notes that:\n“...There is no funding available in the current budget to fund a law suit. INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) has refused to provide funding for the lawsuit. The Federal government has refused to take on the lawsuit using its own lawyers. Nova Scotia Legal Aid has refused to fund the lawsuit. Private lenders have refused to fund the lawsuit.”\nIf this capacity building agreement is accepted by the Band, $3 million will have bought their silence for the next 2 years, and dumping looks set to continue. If the agreement is rejected, according to the second document, the lawsuit has drained the Band's coffers, and unless a legal champion for the cause can be found, dumping looks like it will continue anyway.\nSuch news rings dire for not only the PLFN, where the effects of living next door to a 45 year old, 140+ acre, effluent-dumping site, are the most pronounced, but also for the rest of Pictou County.\nAccording to the Pictou County Health Authority's “Health Status Profile” of 2008, life expectancy is lower than in the rest of Nova Scotia. Fewer people now report 'excellent', or 'very good', health than in studies conducted in 2003 and 2005. Heart disease and diabetes are rising, and mortality rates due to respiratory diseases are higher than the rest of Nova Scotia. Pictou residents also have to contend with the emissions of a tire plant, a coal plant, and a now-defunct steel works, but it is the mill that bears the brunt of the locals' blame for the health and environmental issues the community struggles with.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5348926782608032}
{"content": "The International AIDS Conference is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward.\nThe conference hubs programme was designed to extend the reach of the International AIDS Conference facilitating community participation. Conference hubs are “mini conferences” held in conjunction with the international conference by local organizations active in the AIDS response. Sessions from the international conference will be recorded or telecast free of charge for selected applicants and can be screened at organizers’ discretion. These sessions are typically followed by moderated discussions with local or regional experts to examine how the session content can be used to strengthen the HIV/AIDS response.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8820925951004028}
{"content": "A jargon-free overview of law, this introduces the essentials of legal systems in a lively, accessible and stimulating manner, and includes simple explanations of terms, concepts, procedures and judgements.\nSynopsis\nLaw touches every aspect of our daily lives, and yet the main concepts, terms, and processes of the legal system remain obscure to many. This Very Short Introduction provides a clear, jargon-free account of modern legal systems, explaining how the law works both in the Western tradition and around the world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9833044409751892}
{"content": "The Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM Sustainable Agriculture Program Agricultural expansion is the single largest threat to the world’s remaining tropical forests. In the tropics, farms are often responsible for deforestation, soil erosion and the contamination of waterways. In response to these problems, the Rainforest Alliance has undertaken a major effort to promote sustainable agriculture in these biodiversity-rich regions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5196565389633179}
{"content": "Louisiana Valued Policy Law\nWhen Total Loss Equals Total Payment\nMitchell F. Crusto Loyola University New Orleans College of Law\nAugust/September 2007\nLouisiana Bar Journal, Vol. 55, No. 2, 2007\nAbstract:\nLouisiana insurance attorneys should know the intricacies of Louisiana’s Valued Policy Law (LVPL). LVPL mandates full value recovery, without deduction or offset, where real property (inanimate immovables) was insured for a stated value and suffered a total loss. For example, if a fire destroyed a property insured for a stated value, the insurer must pay the policy’s stated insured value, without deduction or offset. Caveat: Despite the existence of this important, pre-emptory statute, it is rarely (if ever) recited in homeowners’ insurance policies. Parenthetically, while this explores LVPL through the lens of homeowners’ policies, LVPL also applies to commercial property policies. How courts apply LVPL to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Katrina) property insurance claims is a multibillion dollar issue. While many Louisiana homeowners suffered a “total loss” due to Katrina, few have been paid their entire coverage amount. Some insurers claim that LVPL does not apply in three Katrina types of cases. The first case is where the total loss was due in while or in part to a non-covered peril (flood). The second case is where the total loss was due to “mixed causation,” a combination of a covered peril (wind) and a non-covered peril (flood). The third is where the total loss was offset by collateral sources such as National Federal Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) recovery, FEMA grants, SBA loans and the like. This article explores LVPL jurisprudence and addresses seriatim three contentious LVPL issues. First, is LVPL limited to “fire” losses and, if not, who has the burden of proof as to its application? Second, if LVPL applies beyond fire losses, does it apply where the loss results from “mixed” causation (covered and non-covered perils)? Third, if LVPL applies beyond fire and mixed causation, is the stated value offset by collateral sources such as NFIP payments?\nNumber of Pages in PDF File: 6\nKeywords: Louisiana Valued Policy Law, LVPL, Louisiana insurance, commercial property policies, Louisiana homeowners' insurance policies, Hurricane Katrina, Katrina, Hurricane Rita, National Federal Flood Insurance Program, NFIP, FEMA grants\nAccepted Paper Series\nDownload This Paper\nDate posted: February 11, 2010\nFeedback to SSRN (Beta)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9833519458770752}
{"content": "The injection of public spending into scholarships and increases in wages and pensions boosts consumption at a time when production of state-run companies and staples such as milk and sugar falls. Therefore, there is no alternative but to resort to imports to prevent widespread shortages.\nIn his year-end report, President of the Central Bank of Venezuela Nelson Merentes stated that in 2012, imports totaled USD 56.35 billion, the highest amount in the last 16 years. The number amounts to 59% of the dollar revenues Venezuela obtained from exports.\nVenezuela’s economy is going through a cycle where imports are higher than dollar revenues because the price of oil, which provides 96% of foreign currency revenue, has stabilized.\nIn 2011, imports accounted for 50% of foreign currency earnings from exports. In 2008, which until now had been the record year, they amounted to 53%.\nDollars from exports not only are used to pay for imports but also to meet other commitments in foreign currency.\nWhile the country’s situation is not critical in this respect, the gap between imports, services purchased abroad and transfers, and the foreign currency revenue from exports, which is technically known as the balance-of-payments current account, fell 41%, from USD 24.61 billion in 2011 to USD 14.56 billion in 2012.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9063190817832947}
{"content": "Twenty-five years ago, InfoTech's founder, Zorianna Hyworon, had a vision of an online health risk assessment with the potential to engage an individual privately and respectfully. The process of completing the assessment would create an \"Aha moment\" giving pause for reflection and leading to informed decisions to set goals and take action. Group risk profiles would enable the employer to identify and prioritize needs and evaluate the business case for investment in risk reduction strategies. Over time, a sufficient number of employees would make positive changes and the impact of those changes would be reflected in measurable outcomes and quantifiable risk reduction. In 1990, InfoTech launched Wellness Checkpoint® and that vision became reality.\nIn the years since, InfoTech has continued to enhance the uniquely powerful Wellness Checkpoint, HRA which adapts the experience of the risk assessment to the business priorities of its clients.\nWhile others were heralding \"the HRA solution of the future\" …InfoTech was delivering it While others were cautious of online technology …InfoTech harnessed its power While others focused on the U.S. …InfoTech embraced the diversity of the global market While others saw the HRA as an inventory of risk …InfoTech turned the HRA into a powerful risk management decision support system While others do annual screenings …InfoTech engages the user in a commitment to better health While others focus primarily on the individual …InfoTech expands to include the organization & business We invite you to check out our differences.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.985970139503479}
{"content": "We are creating and encouraging a culture of distraction where we are increasingly disconnected from the people and events around us, and increasingly unable to engage in long-form thinking. People now feel anxious when their brains are unstimulated. We are losing some very important things by doing this. We threaten the key ingredients behind creativity and insight by filling up all our ‘gap’ time with stimulation. And we inhibit real human connection when we prioritize our phones over the people right in front of us.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7025026082992554}
{"content": "Now another milestone has been reached that looks even more threatening than the above one. On the morning of June 16, 2013, methane levels reached an average mean of 1800 parts per billion (ppb). This is 1100 ppb higher than pre-industrial peak levels.\nNOAA image\nTemperatures moved within lower and upper boundaries of respectively -8 and 2 degrees Celsius.\nFrom a historic perspective, greenhouse gas levels have risen abruptly to unprecedented levels. While already at a historic peak, humans have caused emissions of additional greenhouse gases. There's no doubt that such greenhouse gas levels will lead to huge rises in temperatures. The question is how long it will take for temperatures to catch up and rise.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7560085654258728}
{"content": "Multimedia technology presents several options to the developers of computer-based learning environments. For instance, it is common to organize information by its physical characteristics. However, organizize information based on how users understand the material might improve comprehension. This theory of cognitive media – media organized by cognitive characteristics – was examined in studies using the AlgoNet system, a multimedia learning environment (Recker, Ram, Shikano, Li, & Stasko, 1995). To explore several interface options, AlgoNet2, a second version of AlgoNet, was created with the same domain information, but several new interface concepts. Students in an introductory programming class used AlgoNet2 to solve a problem involving graph theory. Students’ performance and comments suggest that many students lack effective learning strategies and those that do employ effective learning strategies are unaware of them.\nRead the paper:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.844758927822113}
{"content": "in Kenya What school is like in Kenya Children really love and enjoy going to school. They have continued to attend, despite severe droughts. Many children walk several miles to school every day on an empty stomach just for the chance to learn.\nPencils no longer than an inch are shared among dozens of pupils and old newspapers serve as makeshift notebooks. Despite these obstacles, the children are determined to make do with whatever resources are available to them for the chance to better their prospects. The motivation and desire to succeed exists in each of these children.\n- School meals were virtually non-existent from 2007-09 - Some children sleep at school because of walking distance between school and their home.\nSchool is vital to the children’s future. Schools keep the children from migrating to larger towns and cities, where opportunities and services will not be available to them.\n–\nSchools participating in the BAF programme include: - Naiperere Primary School - Ngabolo Primary School - Kimanjo Primary School - Kimanjo Secondary School - Raap Primary School - Musul Primary School - Nkiloriti Nursery School - Parkurruk Nursery School - Narasha Nursery School", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9698426127433777}
{"content": "Posts tagged \"obese clients \" within Fitnovatives Blog\nTrust. Honesty. Values. These are the building blocks for building a strong and effective relationship between trainers and clients, particularly those who are struggling with the complex issues related to being overweight or obese.\nWith the dramatic increases in the rates of obesity and overweight, chances are high that you work with clients who are dealing with the unique challenges that come with a larger body size. Learn how to be size sensitive by seeing beyond the fat, anticipating the physical and emotional challenges that often come with being overweight, and designing movement that creates a pleasurable experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6068146824836731}
{"content": "Revenues\nGeneral government activities of the City are financed through seven major revenue categories:\nTaxes (Other than property taxes) This category contains the largest single revenue source - sales tax. Also included in this category are franchise taxes, utility tax, admission tax and transient occupancy taxes. Sales tax is collected by the state with a portion then remitted to the city; the others are collected directly by the city.\nProperty Tax This category includes revenues which are assessed and collected by the County of Santa Cruz and forwarded to the city.\nRevenue from Use of Money and Property This category includes revenue secured by investing the funds of the city and for rents of city-owned property.\nLicenses and Permits This category includes revenue derived from the issuance of business permits, etc.\nFines and Forfeitures This category includes funds collected by the city as well as funds collected and distributed by the state and county.\nRevenue from Other Agencies This category consists of state license money, taxes, and fees collected and distributed by the state as well as federal, state, and county grants.\nFees for City Services This category includes fees charged by Parks and Recreation, Planning, Police, Fire, and other city departments.\nThese revenues, along with nonrecurring revenue (insurance refunds, donations, etc.) and transfers from various sources, are used to support most aspects of city government. Enterprise funds (water, sewer and refuse) are self-sufficient. Construction funds for city projects are also separately maintained. They are derived through bond proceeds and federal and state grants as well as some of the revenue sources noted above.\nDebts\nThe city is allowed to issue general obligation bonds under Section 1418 of the City Charter with a limit that cannot exceed the sum of 15 percent of the total assessed property valuation for the purpose of the city's taxation. The limit has not been reached. A two-thirds popular vote is needed to pass general obligation bonds according to the terms of Proposition 13. The city can also issue revenue bonds for enterprise funds such as the water fund. Revenue bonds can still be authorized by the City Council.\nAuditing\nThe Finance Department provides internal auditing services, and regular audits are made by an independent auditing firm.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8833582401275635}
{"content": "As I've written before, great technology is nothing without a sound methodology for getting things done.\nA few days ago, I met Travis Robertson at a business management presentation. Travis shared some of his significant goals with me and he explained that he was finding it a challenge keeping a handle on his projects and actions. Naturally, I recommended GTD as an approach to consider for organizing his life. A few days later, I received this email:\nEric, I want to thank you for recommending Getting Things Done. I picked up the book over the weekend and had an \"Ah ha!\" moment with it. I've tried numerous methods that involved the purchase of someone's planners and products--all to no avail. They always seemed like they were trying to make me fit their mold. Getting Things Done really makes sense to me and I think it will change my life. I'm not an organized person by nature, but I'm confident this is a system I can actually use. You piqued my interest when you said, \"It so simple, it can be done on the back of a napkin.\"It’s easy to buy the latest and greatest in technology, but that does not guarantee a boost in productivity. Without a method for its effective use, the potential benefit of a new technology will be limited. Technology might even get in the way. I'm glad to help, Travis. Best of success to you!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9758604764938354}
{"content": "OVERVIEW The UK public sector is under considerable pressure to identify savings, while maintaining vital frontline services. ICT has a significant role to play in achieving these challenging objectives. Advances in technology drive modernisation and progress; recent developments in ICT such as smartphones and tablet PCs, social networking, and Cloud computing present opportunities to generate significant efficiency and productivity gains.This conference will explore the case for making public services digital by default, providing essential information on how public sector organisations can deliver efficient, cost-effective public services that are responsive to the needs of citizens and businesses.\nThere is a shift towards online services, which are viewed as tools to transform the relationship between the government and individuals, particularly for disadvantaged groups. High-quality websites are vital in providing citizens with accurate and helpful information on a 'self-service' basis, reducing the need for costly call centres or face-to-face enquiries. Social media are also increasingly considered to be a key way to boost citizen engagement.\nThe government is leading a revolution in digital public service delivery, understanding that public services can be improved by bringing them online, increasing choice, allowing greater control, and enabling personalisation of services. The recent Open Public Services White Paper sets out a new approach of 'government services wherever you are', aiming to accelerate the digitisation of public services, creating new opportunities for technological innovation and removing the current barriers to digital delivery.\nA new Director of Digital has recently been appointed to the Cabinet Office to lead the Government Digital Service (GDS), with absolute authority over the user experience across all government online services, focusing on what creates the best citizen experience. This follows the Directgov 2010 and Beyond report, produced by UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, that states that digital public service delivery will provide better services for citizens, and has the potential to deliver savings of more than £1.3bn a year.\nDelegates will be offered the opportunity to hear of examples where new models of digital public service delivery have been embraced, and how they are improving service delivery and attaining efficiency savings. Alphagov, the new prototype for a single website that aims to bring government transactions and information into one place, is to focus digital public services on customer needs. The Public Sector Network (PSN) has been particularly noted as a delivery mechanism for shared data centres, storage facilities, the public sector 'Cloud', remote technical expertise, and customer and employee self-service. This transformational programme will create an open and collaborative environment for all public sector employees, and is expected to contribute at least £631m per year in savings to the Efficiency and Reform programme by 2014.\nTechnology has a central role to play in the reform of the public sector, offering more innovative and individualised services.\nDigital by Default: a revolution in public service delivery will feature an excellent programme of high-profile speakers, providing essential insight into the future of public services.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9708489179611206}
{"content": "Nasa astronauts again complain about disinformation\nBackstory http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/05/22/nasa-astronauts-announce-second-letter-to-nasa-at-heartland-conference/#more-64104In our letter of March 28, 2012, we, the undersigned, respectfully requested that NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) refrain from including unproven remarks in public releases and websites.\nOn April 11th, Dr. Waleed Abdalati responded, holding that: “As an agency, NASA does not draw conclusions and issue ‘claims’ about research findings.”\nEight days later, at a senate hearing, Dr. Abdalati, did just that, concluding that Sea-Level rise within the next 87 years projects within a range of 0.2 meters to 2 meters, with lower ranges less likely while “the highest values are based on warmest of the temperature scenarios commonly considered for the remainder of the 21st century.” Abdalati added: “The consequences of a 1 meter rise in sea level by the end of this century would be very significant in terms of human well-being and economics, and potentially global socio-political stability.”\nThe range and imprecision of this conclusion is astounding!\n“Commonly considered?” Is this science by poll? If hard data points to a provable rise, it should be stated with its probability. Can you imagine one of your predecessors, Dr. Thomas Paine, declaring, “Our Apollo 11 Lunar Lander’s target is the Sea of Tranquility, but we may make final descent within a range that includes Crater Clavius”?\nWe are not trying to stifle discourse, but undisciplined commentary, lacking in precision, is wholly inappropriate when NASA’s name and reputation is attached.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.732961893081665}
{"content": "Hospitality design has come a long way since the 1980’s construction boom. Guest demand for a more personalised hotel experience has created a renaissance within hotel design. Whether the hotel is boutique or budget, consumers like to stay somewhere that reflects their personality, and hoteliers meet this need by making the bedroom space look, work and feel more like home.\nYet it is often the hotel public areas that create lasting memories and reasons to return. tsg can support your aims by blending programmed music, mood lighting and promotional screen media to create an entertainment signature that makes your hospitality and leisure offer a compelling reason for residents and guests to stay within the bounds of the hotel and spend more.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9902122020721436}
{"content": "Embracing the naive prospect Many businesses cater to individuals and corporations that are making a once in a lifetime purchase. Whether it's a DJ for your kids sweet 16 or a company that pours tar on the roof of your factory, it's unlikely you're an expert when you go to buy the product or service.\nSo, unlike a purchase from an educated consumer (shoes, for example, or a car or workman's comp insurance) this purchase has very different rules. Jargon, for one, is missing, so it's hard to communicate crisply. Education matters, because without the confidence to decide, the prospect will stall, or evade, or just move on. And trust is essential, because there's so much fear on the line.\nI think there are a few valid tactics to consider:\nEDUCATE--not a little, but a lot. Run a school. A real honest to goodness school, online or off, by phone or by plane. If it's important enough to me, I'll attend.\nBE TRANSPARENT--tell me all about your competitors. Sure, I might buy from you if you're the only one I can think of, but I'm way more likely to buy from you if you have the confidence to give me a list of questions and a list of competitors.\nA GUARANTEE might be worth less than you think. It certainly won't help replace my ruined bar mitzvah!\nREALIZE that your reputation might not precede you. In other words, it's entirely possible that I have no clue who you are or what you've done before.\nCOMMUNITY--put me in a room with ten other people facing the same quandary. As we talk with each other, we'll gain trust in you.\nMost of all, I think it's essential to acknowledge internally that your job is to turn naive, fearful new prospects into confident spreaders of word of mouth.\nOr, intentionally ignore this market and demand jargon and a reference before you let me in the door. Either strategy can work. What doesn't work is intidimidating the already intimidated.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5206193327903748}
{"content": "Tasmania's worst aquatic weed, rice grass, is making some of the state's great beaches look less than their best.\nBut the community around the Rubicon Estuary near Devonport is fighting back, with a concerted effort to halt the rice grass invasion over the summer months.\nThe Rubicon Coast and Landcare Group is trying to control rice grass and teaming up with Serve-Ag and Forestry Tasmania volunteers to dig out and spray small infestations at Squeaking Point.\nRachel Brown from the Landcare group says the area is a natural treasure that shouldn't be allowed to be spoiled by the silt-trapping invasive weed.\n\"I think has to be one of the most beautiful estuaries in Australia,\" she said.\n\"It's the birds, it's the people, it's everything you can do on it.\n\"But if you look a bit further south, you can start to see massive big fields of rice grass, which has completely clogged the estuary.\n\"It's something I've tried to get the funding for but they're not weeds that tick any of the boxes.\n\"They don't get listed as nationally significant weeds, but they're incredibly significant in small areas.\n\"This is the second largest infestation of rice grass in Australia.\"\nThe Rubicon Coast and Landcare Group is seeking funding for a total eradication plan.\nIts budget to eradicate the Rubicon's 120 hectares of rice grass is $430,000, and that would be spent over the next five to ten years.\nThe plan has a lot of community support and backing from the Latrobe Council, but critical state and federal funding support is missing.\nHowever, this summer Forestry Tasmania's volunteering program has been chipping in on the weeding, as forester, Tony Allwright explains.\n\"It's just passionate locals wanting to keep the ambience of the estuary as it is,\" he says.\n\"It's a holding pattern.\n\"If we can keep the areas around the towns free of rice grass and as they are, then that's a good result.\n\"We foresters have been pushing our folk already to see if we can do the same thing again next year, and I think there's a good chance that we can,\" he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8561275005340576}
{"content": "Volume 18, Issue 3 (July 1973)\nThe forensic pathologist can, no doubt, contribute immensely to the reconstruction of a fatal motor vehicle accident by carefully evaluating the victim's injuries. This aspect is commonly overlooked. In most cases, autopsy reports of highway fatalities fail to correlate injuries with known mechanisms and merely list the injuries and establish the cause of death.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9802915453910828}
{"content": "Source Department of Clinical Medicine, \"Sapienza\" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.\nBACKGROUND: It has been observed that overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is accompanied by a persistent cognitive defect, suggesting that HE may not be fully reversible. The health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) has been shown to be impaired by cirrhosis, and, according to some reports, influenced by minimal HE. Little is known about the effect of previous HE on HRQoL.\nAIM: To investigate the relative impact of previous HE and minimal HE on HRQoL in a group of consecutively hospitalized cirrhotic patients.\nPATIENTS/METHODS: Seventy five consecutive cirrhotic patients were evaluated using the Psychometric HE Score (PHES) and simplified Psychometric HE Score (SPHES) to detect the presence of minimal HE and using SF-36 to assess the HRQoL, both corrected for age and education. Eighteen of them had previous bouts of overt HE.\nRESULTS: Minimal HE was significantly more frequent in patients with previous HE than in those without (p < 0.001), independently on the method used for the diagnosis (PHES or SPHES). A deeper impairment in several domains of SF-36 was observed in patients with previous bouts of overt HE, in those with ascites, as well as in those with decompensated cirrhosis. At multivariate analysis, ascites, MELD score and previous HE were independently related to the mental-component-summary (MCS) of SF-36, whereas ascites was the only variable independently associated with the physical-component-summary (PCS) of SF-36. Minimal HE (independently on the method used for its diagnosis) impaired only one domain of SF-36.\nCONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that previous bouts of HE, despite their complete clinical resolution, play an independent role in producing a persistent impairment in HRQoL of cirrhotics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9640705585479736}
{"content": "Ever wonder where some of your tax dollars are being spent? Look no further. A website called Legistorm.com is ready to give you all the juicy details on how your United States House Representative is spending your federal tax dollars.\nThe Argentine neighborhood's representative is Dennis Moore (D-KS). Moore has served as the representative for the 3rd District of Kansas since 1999, serving five 2-year terms. Since serving in this position, Moore's salary expenditures have increased from $680,427 in 2001 to $1,095,058 in 2009. These numbers include Moore's salary, as well has some of his staff's salary, but does not include volunteers, interns, and staff members for committees or campaigns. Moore's salary is $174,000.\nThe site also discloses how much each representative and senator has spent on trips, earmarks they have received for their districts via legislation, and who has cosponsored that the legislation. The site also contains each representative and senator's financial disclosures, but to view those, the curious browser need to create an account.\nA recent article noted that Moore spent $1.354 million in annual operating expenditures. In all fairness, Moore's expenditures are within the $1.3-1.9 million average budget spent by representatives.\nConcerned and involved citizens are encouraged to check this site often to monitor their representative's spending, earmarks, and disclosures. After all, it's your money.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.847468376159668}
{"content": "The potential impact of a social redistribution of specific risk factors on socioeconomic inequalities in mortality: illustration of a method based on population attributable fractions\nJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 07/27/2012\nHoffmann R et al. – After discussing the underlying assumptions of the PAF, the authors concluded that the approach is promising for estimating the extent to which health inequalities can be potentially reduced by interventions on specific risk factors. This reduction is likely to differ substantially between countries, risk factors and genders.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8374708294868469}
{"content": "National Alliance on Mental Illness\npage printed from\nhttp://www.nami.org/(800) 950-NAMI; info@nami.org\n©2013\nFinding Joy in ADHD After many years of frustration and exasperation, my homeschooled, eighth-grade son was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), inattentive type. I was overwhelmed by the thought of coping with this diagnosis and figuring out what I was supposed to do next.\nI experienced many emotions as I came to terms with the diagnosis, but I knew I had a choice about how to respond. I chose joy, knowing that this test could be a great gift. It could bring me the joy of knowing and loving my son more deeply, while remaining his mother and strongest advocate. And so I embarked on an adventure which, in the end, brought out the best in both of us.\nWe found that finding a doctor who specialized in ADHD and starting my son on medication were most helpful. We were both overjoyed at his improved ability to focus. Next, I recognized the need for consistency, structure and accountability for him and an exhaustive understanding of ADHD for me. Always scoring high on IQ tests, I realized that my son was gifted.\nThen it came time to transition to college.His hard work and passion led to his becoming a National Merit Scholar. His choice, a Big 12 private institution, had an honors business program and success center with free disability advisors, free tutoring, accommodation advising and counseling. It seemed like a good environment for him, but I wondered if it would be enough.\nAfter a freshman year that brought challenges, tears (mine) and a GPA not reflective of his abilities, we knew he needed a private ADHD coach. A coach was needed to provide executive processing skills, to help him focus and prioritize and to encourage him to improve his performance. Through his coach, he is doing well academically and has maintained his full-ride merit scholarship. In fact, he won the Shire ADHD Scholarship his junior year. His coach is part of our team and welcomes our input. Coaching with a well-trained professional is well worth the investment. Choosing to respond with joy when my child was diagnosed with ADHD was certainly the way to go. My son is truly unique and oh, so loved. I recommend that other families approach ADHD with joy. It sure beats the alternative.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5804926753044128}
{"content": "PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prevalence of malignant mesothelioma due to erionite exposure in Central Anatolia is very high. In this report, we review the recent developments on this epidemic on the basis of previous literature.\nRECENT FINDINGS: Recently, it has been shown that erionite is poorly cytotoxic, induces proliferating signals and high growth rate in human mesothelial cells. Additionally, long-term exposure to erionite transforms human mesothelial cells in vitro, regardless of the presence of Simian Virus 40 sequences, leading to foci formation in cultured monolayers. It has also been confirmed that a genetic predisposition to erionite carcinogenesis is the cause of the mesothelioma epidemic in Cappadocia.\nSUMMARY: The data obtained recently on the epidemiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of the mesothelioma due to erionite exposure in Turkey are described.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9611220359802246}
{"content": "AP Photo\nThe global financial crisis was a true system perturbation, revealing the gap between widely perceived risk and actual underlying risk in the world's increasingly integrated financial system. As with any such vertical shock, the resulting horizontal waves continue to be felt long after the initial blow. When gaps in capabilities and rule-sets were subsequently discovered, the world's major economies effected changes, like shifting economic oversight from the G-7 to the expanded G-20 and updating the Basel banking accord. In a world without true global government, these...\nTAGGED: G-20, Foreign Policy\nRECOMMENDED ARTICLES", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7090784311294556}
{"content": "Intersections: Colonial and Postcolonial Histories This series is concerned with three kinds of intersections or conversations: first, across cultures and regions, an interaction that postcolonial studies have emphasized in their foregrounding of the multiple sites and multi-directional traffic involved in the making of the modern; second, across time, the conversation between a mutually constitutive past and present that occurs in different times and places; and third, between colonial and postcolonial histories, which as theoretical positions have very different perspectives on the first two ‘intersections’ and the questions of intellectual enquiry and expression implied in them. These three kinds of conversations are critical to the making of any present and any history. Thus the new series provides a forum for extending our understanding of core issues of Human society and its self-representation over the centuries.\nWhile focusing on Asia, the series is open to studies of other parts of the world that are sensitive to cross-cultural, cross-chronological and cross-colonial perspectives. The series invites submissions for single-authored and edited books by young as well as established scholars that challenge the limits of inherited disciplinary, chronological and geographical boundaries, even when they focus on a single, well-recognized territory or period.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6067261695861816}
{"content": "Midline stabilization is essential for effective functional movement. Kelly Starrett, of San Francisco CrossFit, explains the essential anatomy and physiology of it in this excerpt from his one day seminar at CrossFit Santa Cruz on November 9, 2008.\nThe midline is the entire spine, and its stability is dependent not just on the core, but also on all the prime movers of the body, including the hip, glutes, and hamstrings. Excessive tightness in any of the prime movers will affect the core muscles, often resulting in low back pain.\nIn this part 3, Kelly explains the difference between primary stabilizers and emergency stabilizers (the latter are also the prime movers), before talking about the role of midline stabilization in the kipping pull-up.\nThis is the third of a series from Kelly on the theory and practice of stabilizing the midline in functional movement.\n4min 43sec", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7991799116134644}
{"content": "Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times.\nEast Farmingdale Wd Babylon (t), New York . Serves 7,000 people.\nNo data was available for this system.\nUnits: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995720982551575}
{"content": "US EPA, National Center for Environmental Economics / by Dennis Guignet http://yosemite.epa.gov/ee/epa/eed.nsf/WPNumber/2012-01\nHedonic property value models are widely used, but are susceptible to omitted variable bias and potentially invalid conjectures regarding the assumed measure of environmental quality. This paper focuses on an application where both are of particular concern: leaking underground storage tanks. I estimate a hedonic model using quasi-experimental and spatial econometric techniques. Similar to previous studies, I examine how house prices vary with distance to the disamenity. This approach yields little evidence that prices are adversely impacted. However, to better measure risks, I utilize home-specific data on correspondence from environmental regulators, and find a 9-12% depreciation when households are well-informed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9980719089508057}
{"content": "Hamlet is the melancholy Prince of Denmark and grieving son to the recently deceased King. Thanks to Shakespeare’s skilful and psychologically-astute characterization, Hamlet is now considered to be the greatest dramatic character ever created.\nHamlet’s Grief From our very first encounter with Hamlet, he is consumed by grief and obsessed by death. Although he is dressed in black to signify his mourning, his emotions run deeper than his appearance or words can convey. In Act 1, Scene 2, he says to his mother:\n‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good-mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black ... Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief That can denote me truly. These indeed ‘seem’, For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passeth show – These but the trappings and the suits of woe. The depth of Hamlet’s emotional turmoil can be measured against the high spirits displayed by the rest of the court. Hamlet is pained to think that everyone has managed to forget his father so quickly – especially his mother, Gertrude. Within a month of her husband’s death, Gertrude has married her brother-in-law. Hamlet cannot comprehend his mother’s actions and considers them to be an act of treachery.\nHamlet and Claudius Hamlet idealizes his father in death and describes him as “so excellent a king” in his “O that this too too solid flesh would melt” speech in Act 1, Scene 2. It is therefore impossible for the new king, Claudius, to live up to Hamlet’s expectations. In the same scene, he pleads with Hamlet to think upon him as a father – an idea that furthers Hamlet’s contempt:\nWe pray you to throw to earth This unprevailing woe, and think of us As of a father When the ghost reveals that Claudius killed the king to take the throne, Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet is emotionally disorientated and finds it difficult to take action. He cannot balance his overwhelming hatred for Claudius, his all-encompassing grief and the evil required to carry out his revenge. Hamlet’s desperate philosophizing leads him into a moral paradox: that he must commit murder to avenge murder. Hamlet’s act of revenge is inevitably delayed amid his emotional turmoil.\nHamlet After Exile We see a different Hamlet return from exile in Act 5: his emotional turmoil has been replaced by perspective, and his anxiety replaced by cool rationality. By the final scene, Hamlet has come to the realization that killing Claudius is his destiny:\nThere's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will. Perhaps Hamlet’s new-found confidence in fate is little more than a form of self-justification; a way to rationally and morally distance himself from the murder he is about to commit.\nIt is the complexity of Hamlet’s characterization that has made him so enduring. Today, it is difficult to appreciate how revolutionary Shakespeare’s approach to Hamlet was because his contemporaries were still penning two-dimensional characters. Hamlet’s psychological subtlety emerged in a time before the concept of psychology had been invented – a truly remarkable feat.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5306928157806396}
{"content": "Sentence Disambiguation By A Shift-Reduce Parsing Technique by Shieber, Stuart M.\nTechnical Note 281 Institution: AI Center, SRI International Address: 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025 Mar 1983.\nNative speakers of English show definite and consistent preferences for certain readings of syntactically ambiguous sentences. A user of a natural-language-processing system would naturally expect it to reflect the same preferences. Thus, such systems must model in some way the linguistic performance as well as the linguistic competence of the native speaker. We have developed a parsing algorithm–a variant of the LALR(1) shift-reduce algorithm–that models the preference behavior of native speakers for a range of syntactic preference phenomena reported in the psycholinguistic literature, including the recent data on lexical preferences. The algorithm yields the preferred parse deterministically, without building multiple parse trees and choosing among them. As a side effect, it displays appropriate behavior in processing the much discussed garden-path sentences. The parsing algorithm has been implemented and has confirmed the feasibility of our approach to the modeling of these phenomena.\nAdobe PDF\nBibTeX\nEndNote", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5710346698760986}
{"content": "Amalgamated Transit Union honored the life and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national day of action to defend public transit April 4 - the 44th anniversary of King's assassination in Memphis Tennessee - kicking off a massive Occupy Transit campaign targeting politicians who have failed to make necessary reforms to sustain local bus and rail systems.\n\"Martin Luther King was killed in Memphis supporting striking sanitation workers seeking union recognition\" said Angela Walker, legislative director for ATU's southeastern Wisconsin Local 998. His work had emphasized access to jobs in his last years, paying wages sufficient to support a family. Union transit workers, and thousands of their passenger in every local community across the United States, who rely on public transit to get to available employment, consider this campaign a fitting memorial for Dr. King's life, work, and death.\nSally Prefontaine, a veteran bus driver on the Milwaukee system, highlighted that \"taxpayers are subsidizing oil companies, while the price is going up, but the government has docked transit,\" when the U.S. is supposedly trying to reduce dependence on imported oil.\nDan Lecoco, a rider on the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) who is blind and must get to several meetings a day, told the April 4 rally at the Local 998 office on North 26th Street \"I use public transit because it is the most reliable way to go. I don't use paratransit, because I need to get to appointments on time. I talk to people with disabilities who say, if they can get a ride, they will come to an event. Without transit, I'm justa guy waiting at home hoping for a ride.\"\nFor passengers such as Lecoco, said local ATU president Al Simonis, and many seeking work who cannot afford their own car, \"Milwaukee cannot survive without quality public transit.\" While Milwaukee got another one-year breathing spell from funds released by dissolving the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Agency, the $10 million in transit cuts from Governor Walker's budget bill hurt systems in Appleton and Wausau immediately, said Walker.\nWalker recently spoke to a state senate committee in support of a renewed bill authorizing local voters to approve regional transit authorities by referendum. She didn't note much response. Transit supporters in the Fox Valley, she reported, have sharply criticized Republican efforts to centralize power in Madison, a Big Government approach that destroys local community self-government in developing transit solutions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6628150939941406}
{"content": "HOME MAGAZINE TOPICS ISHN GLOBAL COLUMNS EHS RESEARCH CONVENTIONS RESOURCES MULTIMEDIA A full duty Fume Hood in a compact size, the CE Model is a low flow constant volume fume hood which offers 50% energy savings over conventional fume hoods. CE fume hoods are offered in 30”, 36”, and 48” widths and can be equipped with a wide selection of accessories to meet your specific process needs.\nA new study from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), shows that the use of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) can significantly reduce exposure to toxins found in welding fumes.\nIn a study of non-metal miners in the United States, federal government scientists reported that heavy exposure to diesel exhaust increased risk of death from lung cancer.\nThis standard establishes the elements and activities for pre-project and pre-task safety and health planning in construction.\nWith access to over one million professionals and more than 60 industry-specific publications,Clear Seas Research offers relevant insights from those who know your industry best. Let us customize a market research solution that exceeds your marketing goals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8259376287460327}
{"content": "BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a \"qualified yes\" for participation by athletes with single kidneys in contact/collision sports. Despite this recommendation, most physicians continue to discourage participation in contact/collision sports for patients with single kidneys. A major concern is the lack of prospective data quantifying the incidence of sport-related kidney injury. The objective was to quantify the incidence of sport-related kidney injury among high school varsity athletes and compare it with sport-related injuries of other organ systems.\nMETHODS: Data from the National Athletic Trainers' Association High School Injury Surveillance Study, an observational cohort study collected during the 1995-1997 academic years, were used. Incidence rates for sport-specific injuries to select organs were computed and compared.\nRESULTS: Over 4.4 million athlete-exposures, defined as 1 athlete participating in 1 game or practice, and 23,666 injuries were reported. Eighteen kidney injuries, none of which were catastrophic or required surgery, were reported compared with 3450 knee, 2069 head/neck/spine, 1219 mild traumatic brain, 148 eye, and 17 testicle injuries. Student athletes incurring kidney injuries were most often playing football (12 injuries) or girls' soccer (2 injuries). Sport-specific rates of kidney injury were significantly lower than sport-specific rates of mild traumatic brain, head/neck/spine, and knee injuries for all sports as well as rates of baseball- and basketball-specific eye injuries (P < .01).\nCONCLUSIONS: Kidney injuries occur significantly less often than other injuries during sport. These data do not support limiting sport participation by athletes with single kidneys.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7459847927093506}
{"content": "Moving beyond promises in Yemen’s transition 1 October 2012 Greater inclusion of young people in decision-making and tangible improvements in daily life are needed in Yemen to ensure that the current transition leads to sustained peace and security. This is the conclusion of a new report by Saferworld – Moving beyond promises – whichhighlights the crisis of authority and continuing challenges for Yemen’s political transition.\nThe research, which is built on discussions with young Yemenis between March and August 2012, sets out four key recommendations to promote greater youth participation: reconstituting authority and addressing negative perceptions; making progress on youth priorities; tackling obstacles to youth participation; and building on opportunities for future engagement.\nSince the election of President Hadi as a consensus candidate in February 2012, Yemen has embarked on a difficult transition process with an ambitious timeline. In two years, the transitional government is expected to restructure the military, hold an inclusive National Dialogue Conference, reform the constitution and carry out free and fair elections.\n“What do I want from the transition? I want security. I want electricity. I want health. I want good roads. I want no army in the streets. I want a job. That’s what I want, but I don’t know where to start.” Young man, Sana’a.The research highlights that young Yeminis are highly critical of the transition’s progress to date. They see a general crisis of national authority and the need for tangible improvements in their day-to-day lives such as electricity, jobs, infrastructure and basic services. While agreeing on the success of the UN mission, young people single out the United States, Iran, and Saudi Arabia as states whose roles have been characterised by self-interested interference that has done more harm than good. Yemen’s youth are united in wanting both national and international authorities to move beyond promises and be more inclusive and responsive to the needs of Yemen’s population.\nIn particular, young people identified three key priorities for the upcoming National Dialogue process: restructuring the military, addressing the ‘Southern Issue’, and implementing an extensive and legitimate process of transitional justice. Tackling these, in addition to wider institutional reform and changes to the constitution, is needed to ensure that the transition leads to sustained peace and security.\n“If the coming National Dialogue doesn’t include women and youth, it won’t be a national dialogue.” Young woman, Ta’izThe research also concludes that young activists have positioned themselves as ‘guardians’ of the revolution, and as advocates for the national good against what they perceive as the narrow self-interest of the political elite. Because of this, young women and men remain one of the key repositories of legitimacy within the newly reconfigured Yemeni political system, and potentially strong consensus-builders. However, Saferworld’s research highlights three barriers to genuine youth participation:\nthe top-down framework of the GCC-led power transfer dealand its exclusion of young women and men the existence of more established political forces seeking to gain from a divided and weak youth voice the absence of accepted leadership within the youth movement and growing divisions among politically active youth – arising from limited financial and technical capacity among young people. Despite this, young people identify a number of opportunities for making a lasting impact on Yemen’s social and political culture. These opportunities include developing a strong and independent National Youth Conference that can represent and unite youth from all parts of the country, and raising awareness of civic rights and responsibilities at the local level. However, street politics, with its focus on mass pressure and bottom-up change, remains the way many young women and men feel they can best make their voices heard in the short-term.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9291105270385742}
{"content": "Greg Felten, Occupational Safety Technician II gfelten@uidaho.edu\nphone: 208-885-2937\nfax: 208-885-5969\nEnvironmental Health & Safety\n875 Perimeter Dr MS 2030\nMoscow, ID 83844-2030\nPSS Units Public Safety and Security 875 Perimeter Dr. PO Box 442281 Moscow, ID 83844-2281 Phone: (208) 885-7074 Fax: (208) 885-7001Active in Emergencies(208) 885-1010 Active in Emergencies(208) 885-1010 Electrical Safety At the University of Idaho 30% of the safety discrepancies noted during the annual building safety inspections are of an electrical nature, including extension cords, daisy-chains, multi-plug adapters, and homemade extension boxes.\nData obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Annual Survey indicate that approximately 10% of all occupational fatalities are due to electrocutions. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that approximately 2,200 injuries associated with extension cords are treated annually in hospital emergency departments. The CPSC also estimates about 5,000 residential fires originate from extension cords each year, killing 85 persons and injuring some 230 others.\nExtension cords are for temporary use only, and not intended to be used as a substitute for fixed wiring in a structure. They provide power to portable appliances by extending the power supply cord of electrical equipment and should be marked with a current rating sufficient for the load of the connected equipment. Grounded extension cords are required to have the grounding plug intact; the grounding prong of an extension cord should never be bypassed or broken off. Extension cords should not be attached to building surfaces. Attachment points subject the cord to weathering, damage from fasteners, mechanical abuse, and strain or repeated flexing. Extension cords must be disconnected from the power supply when not in use.\nRelocatable power taps (power strips) are considered extensions of the branch circuit. Therefore, they are intended to plug directly into a branch-circuit outlet, not another relocatable power tap, multi-plug adaptor, or an extension cord. Potential overheating is one concern when relocatable power taps are used in a series arrangement (daisy-chaining). Other considerations in a series-connected arrangement include the reaction between over-current protective devices on relocatable power taps, increased voltage drop, potential tripping hazards, and an increased likelihood that additional available outlets may lead to an overload. Only circuit-protected relocatable power taps are allowed in University buildings.\nFlexible cords may not be placed under carpet, through holes in walls, floors, or ceilings, or through openings in partitions with sharp edges. These are conditions that can result in damage to the insulation or conductors, and increase the likelihood of an electric shock or fire. Multi-plug adapters and homemade extension boxes are not allowed in University buildings.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5514230728149414}
{"content": "A caregiver is a person who provides support and care to family or friends of any age who are physically or mentally challenged, chronically ill, or frail.\nCaregiving is a complex role with a unique set of responsibilities. These responsibilities can change over time as the care needs of the person change.\nThese pages provide a range of resources that offer practical assistance as well as personal supports for caregivers.\nIn this section, you'll find:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9602936506271362}
{"content": "New York State’s welfare reform efforts are predicated on the belief that individuals in need of financial assistance can attain self-sufficiency if provided with the skills and opportunity needed to maintain full-time employment. In order to achieve this goal, the Assembly has consistently recognized that many other factors, such as affordable housing, access to childcare, higher education, reliable transportation and funds to meet emergency needs contribute to a family’s ability to maintain its independence. Because of this recognition, certain income and assets are disregarded when a family first applies for public assistance.\nHowever, should a family on public assistance receive a nonrecurring lump sum of income – such as a small inheritance or settlement of a lawsuit – they are prohibited from utilizing those funds to obtain any of the assets that public assistance applicants are allowed to possess at the time of the initial application. Instead, that family would be prohibited from receiving public assistance for the amount of time that the lump sum could provide their public assistance grant.\nThis year, I spearheaded legislation recently signed into law (A.6341-B (Glick)/S.5442 (Meier) Chapter 373 of the Laws of 2003) that will truly give certain public assistance recipients the opportunity to move off the welfare rolls. This new law will permit households that receive a nonrecurring lump sum to utilize these funds within ninety days of receipt for certain purposes that will enhance their ability to gain and maintain self-sufficiency. The law will require local districts, when calculating the period of ineligibility for assistance resulting from receipt of a nonrecurring lump sum, to disregard up to $2,000 or $3,000 if a member of the household is 60 years of age or older.\nAdditionally, districts must disregard income from the lump sum that is applied within ninety days of receipt toward certain resources. Such resources include: a car used for employment purposes; separate bank accounts in amounts up to $4,650 for the purchase of a first or replacement vehicle and up to $1,400 to pay tuition at a two-year post-secondary educational institution; burial plots for household members; and, funeral agreements for household members. I am pleased with the opportunity that the new statute will afford low-income families and will continue to fight for laws that allow public assistance recipients to make essential investments in their long-term stability.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7057814598083496}
{"content": "We all know the phrase, but did you know that it turns out, the idiom is correct. You can recall certain instances in your life where you know exactly what you were doing and who you were with, for example many of us know what we were doing when we watched the Twin Towers fall, I'm sure. When an emotional event really struck you and made this memory extremely vivid for you, it allowed you to recall details of it years later. This phenomenon is known as Flashbulb memory. This \"snapshot\" of your moment in time, as it turns out, isn't always as correct as a picture could be, despite how positive of the event you are. Our friend from the vlogbrothers explains an interesting little tidbit about a study of inaccuracies of in our memories here:\nSo there you have it, next time you're recalling a really vivid memory, you might not be 100%. It's a good thing we have camera phones now, so you can capture the moment, so you don't have to rely solely on your memory.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9351518750190735}
{"content": "As a cyclist and bike commuter, I’m thrilled to see that the NH “Bike Bill”, HB 1203, has passed in both the NH House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor’s desk for a signature. This bill establishes, among other things, that motorists passing a cyclist on the road must give at least three feet of clearance while passing, or potentially face a $100 fine. It also states that road construction projects must give consideration to use of the road by cyclists and avoid creating hazards (such as ill-placed rumble strips and drain grates) to cyclists.\nThis legislation was modeled after similar laws that now exist in 20 other states. I really hope it will help to improve riding conditions for responsible cyclists in NH.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5820043087005615}
{"content": "This paper presents the results of an ongoing effort to develop a direct solder bumping process for electronics packaging. The proposed process entails delivering molten droplets onto specific locations on electronic devices to form solder bumps. This study is focused on investigating droplet deposition behaviors that affect solder bump characteristics such as final bump volume, shape, and adhesion strength. The occurrence of droplet bouncing has a strong influence on these characteristics. The potential for a droplet to bounce in the absence of solidification was modeled in discrete stages based on energy conservation. Wetting and target surface roughness were identified as the critical parameters affecting bouncing. The experimental results showed that improvements in wetting and decreases in surface roughness retard bouncing. These observations agreed well with the trends predicted by the energy conservation based model. The knowledge acquired in this study is expected to contribute to the development of an efficient solder bumping process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8936443328857422}
{"content": "Solve our latest infrastructure problem and win a trip to a Gartner summit.\nTransformational Minds\nLeibniz's intellectual output in fields ranging from law to logic was characterized by a consistent and clear-eyed rigorousness in reasoning.\nRigorous logical analysis enables us to see things as they are, not as we wish them to be. This knowledge is powerful, and essential to making sound management decisions in any environment, especially IT.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8863767981529236}
{"content": "Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times.\nOrleans Water Works Orleans, Indiana . Serves 2,273 people.\nNo data was available for this system.\nUnits: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.999770998954773}
{"content": "Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2009 Aug\nLiem KF, He M, Ocbina PJ, Anderson KV\nAbstract\nMammalian Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is essential for embryonic development and stem cell maintenance and has critical roles in tumorigenesis. Although core components of the Shh pathway are conserved in evolution, important aspects of mammalian Shh signaling are not shared with the Drosophila pathway. Perhaps the most dramatic difference between the Drosophila and mammalian pathways is that Shh signaling in the mouse requires a microtubule-based organelle, the primary cilium. Proteins that\n...[more]are required for the response to Shh are enriched in the cilium, but it is not clear why the cilium provides an appropriate venue for signal transduction. Here, we demonstrate that Kif7, a mammalian homologue of Drosophila Costal2 (Cos2), is a cilia-associated protein that regulates signaling from the membrane protein Smoothened (Smo) to Gli transcription factors. By using a Kif7 mutant allele identified in a reporter-based genetic screen, we show that, similar to Drosophila and zebrafish Cos2, mouse Kif7 acts downstream of Smo and upstream of Gli2 and has both negative and positive roles in Shh signal transduction. Mouse Kif7 activity depends on the presence of cilia and Kif7-eGFP localizes to base of the primary cilium in the absence of Shh. Activation of the Shh pathway promotes trafficking of Kif7-eGFP from the base to the tip of the cilium, and localization to the tip of the cilium is disrupted in a motor domain mutant. We conclude that Kif7 is a core regulator of Shh signaling that may also act as a ciliary motor.\n[less]\nMesh Headings:\nAnimals, Cell Lineage, Cilia, Flagella, Hedgehog Proteins, Kinesin, Mice, Mutation, Neural Tube, Phenotype, Protein Transport, Signal Transduction", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5655816793441772}
{"content": "Available Formats:\nText | See All\nRequirements for CPE in ethics vary from state to state. Please contact your state board to confirm your requirements. This course provides case studies drawn from \"real-life\" situations involving CPAs in tax practice. It is focused on the most significant ethical issues that face tax practitioners in today’s challenging environment and explores alternative courses of action. From tax shelters to preparing small business tax returns, you will explore ethical issues in the context of tax services and taking positions on tax issues that range from “probable” to \"more likely than not\" to a \"realistic possibility.\" Gain insights from placing yourself in situations that require application and understanding of relevant ethical considerations and standards established by the Service, AICPA, Circular 230 and the Code. You will consider real-world tax questions that deal with independence, knowledge of errors in returns, advice to taxpayers, fees charged in shelter and other transactions and standards applicable to uncertain tax positions, among others. You will leave this course with a renewed sense of appreciation for the pitfalls faced by every tax practitioner and a heightened sensitivity for the types of ethical dilemmas you could face in the future.\nObjectives: Prerequisite: Experience in tax reporting Advanced Preparation: None", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9182894229888916}
{"content": "Can the air your parents and grandparents breathed, the food they ate, even the things they saw directly affect you decades later, despite your never having experienced these things yourself?\nEpigenetics says, yes!\nAt the heart of this new field is a simple but contentious idea: your genes are triggered to express differently, depending on your environment and your actions during your lifetime. These genetic expressions could, in turn affect your grandchildren.\nThis documentary, 'The Ghost in Your Genes,' says biology stands on the brink of a shift in the understanding of inheritance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990066289901733}
{"content": "[jahsonic.com] - [Next >>]\nSensibility To name a--Susan Sontag insensibility, to draw its contours and to recount its history, requires a deep sympathy modified by revulsion.Notes On Camp(1964)Related: emotion - experience - feeling - perception - quality - senses - sensation - sentimentalism - taste\nList of sensibilities: anti- - aesthetics - avant-gardism - bad taste - bizarre - bourgeois - camp - counterculture - classic - connoisseur - contemporary - controversy - cool - cult - decadent - drugs - eclectic - eccentric - eroticism - experimental - fantastic - feeling - free - female - gay - good taste - gothic - gratuitous - greatness - grotesque - groovy - high - hip - horror - irrational - intellectual - kinky - kitsch - left - libertine - low - macabre - mainstream - male - modern - opposition - perverse - pornography - postmodernism - prurience - queer - romantic - right - sadomasochism - sex - sleaze - snob - subculture - subversive - theme - trash - transgressive - underground - violent\nDefinition The ability to feel or perceive. Keen intellectual perception: the sensibility of a painter to color.Mental or emotional responsiveness toward something, such as the feelings of another. Receptiveness to impression, whether pleasant or unpleasant; acuteness of feeling. Often used in the plural: “The sufferings of the Cuban people shocked our sensibilities”(George F. Kennan).Refined awareness and appreciation in matters of feeling. The quality of being affected by changes in the environment. --AHD\nA Dictionary of Sensibility A Dictionary of Sensibility: Introduction\nIn the eighteenth century, a linguistic big bang spun off a new etymological universe: the language ofsensibility. \"Sensibility\" and its related terms either appeared for the first time, took on meanings unique to the period, or gained enriched connotations. The denotations of these new linguistic planets have proved as elusive as the rings of Saturn, however. This hypertext offers a new approach to understanding the language of sensibility, one that accounts for the multiple possibilities of meaning. Rather than attempting hard-line definitions, this project offers the tools for recognizing the multivalent connotations of such sensibilious words as \"virtue,\" \"sense,\" and \"benevolence.\" Our hypertext groups excerpts from major words of sensibility according to 24 primary words; we imagine the sensibilious reader exploring these passages to glean a new understanding of the vocabulary and the literature of the period.R.F. Brissenden, tracing the evolution of the \"family\" of words related to sensibility and sentimentality, notes the extraordinary breadth and variety of meanings attributed to these terms in the eighteenth century--a linguistic as well as philosophic explosion. \"Especially during this period they were charged with great and often vague emotive power--moral, sexual, political, often semi-religious. They represented or could be made to represent a constellation of highly significant general ideas and feelings; while at the same time they could be used with precision, delicacy and scientific neutrality. They operated across the broadest spectrum of thought and discourse: the same word in one context could be coldly empirical while in another it could radiate the most enthusiastic idealism. At the highest level they played a part, sometimes an essential one, in the languages of physiology, psychology, philosophy and the emerging social sciences. ... At the lowest level ... part of what Steven Marcus, in his study of sexual literature in the Victorian age, has characterised as the 'fantasies' of a period, that 'mass of unargued, unexamined and largely unconscios assumptions'\" on which a society's world view bases itself (Brissenden 20-1; Marcus 1).\nTo explore the \"fantasies\" of the Age of Sensibility, click on to the \"term list\" below. From there you will have access to the 24 words of sensibility. The source bibliography provides our primary texts; the critical bibliography, our secondary sources. Clicking on a term in the term list will take you to an introduction to the word and a list of excerpts. Each excerpt provides links to other terms used in or implied by the passage. On the excerpt pages, primary material is in bold; our commentary, in roman typeface.\nThis hypertext is only the beginning of the Dictionary of Sensibility: We would like our World Wide Web readers to send in their favorite passages of sensibility, to be considered for incorporation. Please access \"submissions\" for details on how you can expand the Dictionary of Sensibility. --http://www.engl.virginia.edu/enec981/dictionary/g_introV1.html [May 2005]\nbenevolence - virtue - physiognomy - physiology - landscape - animals - heart - understanding - sense - sympathy - honor/reputation - delicacy/modesty - sublime - fear/terror/horror - imagination - spirit/enthusiasm/transport - character - compassion/pity - wit/humor/invention - communication - community - education - melancholy/madness - taste --http://www.engl.virginia.edu/enec981/dictionary/termlist.html [May 2005]\nTaste\nIn one facet of its meaning, sensibility is synonymous with taste; in another, sensibility gives rise to the judgments of taste. Thus, clarifying the definitions of \"taste\" may be as complicated an endeavor as elucidating the meanings of \"sensibility.\" Moreover, the metaphorical associations of \"taste\" set it in nearly as suggestive a constellation of significance as that of \"sensibility.\"Hume, Burke, and Gerard, among others, write essays explicitly devoted to investigating taste, and in these works there is a constant slippage between the physical-sensory, aesthetic, and moral domains, which is facilitated by the two principal levels of the word's meaning.\nIn particular, Hume uses the term \"taste\" to segue between external and internal senses, and even to provide implicit justification for a fundamental analogy about between the internal and external domains. The external sense of taste provides a model for understanding judgments of art (and moral standards are vaguely but essentially tied to aesthetic ones). This model helps to address the problem of subjectivity in the artistic and moral fields by relating it to idiosyncrasy in the sensory field. It also provides the means to insist on the empirical solidity of the internal sense of taste and its independence on the operations of reason. --http://www.engl.virginia.edu/enec981/termpages/taste.html [May 2005]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.989947497844696}
{"content": "Robot Walks Like a Man Category: Science & TechnologyPosted: July 6, 2012 06:06AM\nAuthor: Guest_Jim_*\nI can still remember a talk I attended about eight years ago that covered, in part, how inefficient the human gait is. Despite this, researchers still work to try to emulate it and some, as reported by the Institute of Physics, have made the most accurate robotic legs yet.\nOkay, so if how people walk is inefficient, why would robots be built to mimic it? To learn more about how humans learn to walk. We cannot experiment on infants to see what parts are needed to learn to walk, but we can on a robot. The central pattern generator (CPG) is a fundamental part of the human walking system, and the researchers successfully reproduced it, in its simplest form, in the robot. With just two 'neurons' firing one after the other, the hips were ordered to move, and sensors within the legs move them to keep the robot moving. The resulting movement is similar to what we see in infants who have not developed as complex a CPG yet.\nThe research into the network within the robot may help us understand the neural network in our own bodies. This knowledge potentially could help those with spinal cord injuries by explaining how they can learn to walk again.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5512161254882812}
{"content": "Written by Brian Turner During World War II, more than 13,000 people were confined at the Minidoka Internment Camp in Jerome County, Idaho as part of the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. To recognize and commemorate this dark period in American history, President Clinton in 2001 designated Minidoka as a National Monument to be managed by the National Park Service. Congress expanded the Monument and changed the designation to a National Historic Site in 2008.\nHowever, even the highest level of federal designation and protection can sometimes be inadequate to protect historic places from the threat of other developments nearby. In the case of Minidoka, that threat is presented by a proposal to construct a massive factory farm for 13,000 cattle (known as a Confined Animal Feeding Operation or CAFO) about one mile upwind from Minidoka. The proposed CAFO is strongly opposed by local residents, Japanese-American organizations, conservationists, and preservationists. The central concern is that pollution and noxious emissions from the livestock operation and manure would have a negative impact on visitation to Minidoka. In fact, the experience could be so unpleasant that it would likely drive visitors away.\nThree years ago, the Jerome County Board of Commissioners denied a permit application for the CAFO. However, the Board reversed course in October 2008, after the dairy owners successfully challenged the permit denial in court. A coalition of nearby property owners and interest groups (including the National Trust for Historic Preservation) then sued, arguing, among other things, that the County violated their state and federal due process rights.\nUnfortunately, on August 6, 2010, Idaho District Court Judge Robert J. Elgee upheld the county’s decision to grant the CAFO permit.\nFirst, Judge Elgee concluded that the Friends of Minidoka, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the National Trust did not have “standing” to challenge the CAFO permit because these groups only “voice[d] concerns on behalf of unidentified members of their organizations, none of whom individually would have standing.” The judge set a high bar for standing, which would require each organization to have a member with a property interest in Minidoka itself or within one mile of Minidoka in order to demonstrate standing. (See this previous blog post for more on standing.) If upheld, this very narrow interpretation of standing could potentially bar concerned organizations and interested members of the public from challenging government actions elsewhere that affect significant public resources.\nThen, Judge Elgee went on to uphold a highly restrictive Jerome County law prohibiting public comment on CAFO applications from anyone other than those who have a “primary residence” within one mile of the facility. Thus, people who run farms, recreate within the vicinity, or visit public historic sites like Minidoka were deprived of any opportunity even to voice their concerns in a meaningful way. The plaintiffs argued that this rule is unconstitutional and arbitrary, especially considering that the harmful public health impacts of CAFOs often extend far beyond one mile from the facilities. The judge noted that “arguments could be made” to this effect, but, citing the high burden of proof required to overturn a legislative act on constitutional grounds, stated that he could not find a “substantial basis” to determine if the statute was unconstitutional. He suggested that the real remedy is political, not judicial.\nJudge Elgee then turned to the plaintiffs’ argument that their procedural due process rights had been violated by the limitations set by the Board for public participation in the hearing to consider the permit application. The plaintiffs asserted that the Board had failed to provide them with a meaningful opportunity to participate in the hearing, since members of the public were only allowed to provide an oral statement limited to four minutes, and were only permitted to submit a written statement limited to one page, if they testified orally, or two pages if they did not. Judge Elgee first determined that any procedural due process claim could only be made with respect to members of the public within a one-mile distance from the project site, since plaintiffs living outside the one mile radius of the facility had no right to comment at all (following the logic of his ruling that the legislature was within its rights to limit participation only to those within a one-mile limit).\nAs for the procedural due process rights of affected landowners within the one-mile limit, the court noted that the Board had liberalized its rules to allow unlimited written testimony by anyone, if submitted not less than seven days before the hearing. Under these circumstances, Judge Elgee stated that he was unable to conclude that the rules limiting oral testimony at the hearing to four minutes, and limiting written submissions to one or two pages did not “prejudice a substantial right.”\nOverall, the decision dodges important questions about how Jerome County approved this CAFO permit and how it will review future permits. It also raises questions about the Idaho statutes that spell out the counties’ authority to restrict public comment, and sets an unfortunate precedent by limiting the ability of citizens to question the legality of counties’ actions that severely impact communities, such as approving CAFOs.\nThe plaintiffs expect to appeal the District Court ruling to the Idaho Supreme Court.\nBrian Turner is Regional Attorney in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Western Office.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6872150897979736}
{"content": "Dale, Karen (2012) The employee as 'Dish of the Day’:human resource management and the ethics of consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 111 (1). pp. 13-24. ISSN 0167-4544 (Submitted)\nAbstract This article examines the ethical implications of the growing integration of consumption into the heart of the employment relationship. Human resource management (HRM) practices increasingly draw upon the values and practices of consumption, constructing employees as the ‘consumers’ of ‘cafeteria-style’ benefits and development opportunities. However, at the same time employees are expected to market themselves as items to be consumed on a corporate menu. In relation to this simultaneous position of consumer/consumed, the employee is expected to actively engage in the commodification of themselves, performing an appropriate organizational identity as a necessary part of being a successful employee. This article argues that the relationship between HRM and the simultaneously consuming/consumed employee affects the conditions of possibility for ethical relations within organizational life. It is argued that the underlying ‘ethos’ for the integration of consumption values into HRM practices encourages a self-reflecting, self-absorbed subject, drawing upon a narrow view of individualised autonomy and choice. Referring to Levinas’ perspective that the primary ethical relation is that of responsibility and openness to the Other, it is concluded that these HRM practices affect the possibility for ethical being.\nActions (login required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7613518834114075}
{"content": "Agricultural Resource Management\nÂ\nThe District can assist you with any resource concern: soil, water, air, plants, or animals.\nOur local (Polk SWCD), state (Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship-Division of Soil Conservation) and federal (Natural Resources Conservation Service) staff provide free technical assistance in protecting these resources and can also assist with applications for funding assistance.\nBest Management Practices (BMPs)\nAll technical assistance follows the USDA-NRCS Field Office Technical Guide Specifications for practices. It is recommended that your contractor follow these specifications. For more information on a specific practice, you can view the Iowa Conservation Practice Standards.\nÂ\nÂ\nCommonly installed BMPs:\nFilter Strips\nÂ\nStrips of grass, trees and/or shrubs slow water flow and cause contaminants like sediment, chemicals and nutrients to collect in vegetation. Collected nutrients and chemicals are used by the vegetation, rather than entering water supplies. Filtered water then enters water bodies.\nGrass, trees and shrubs provide cover for small birds and animals.\nGround cover reduces soil erosion.\nThe vegetative strip moves rowcrop operations farther from a stream.\nVegetation prevents contaminants from entering water bodies, protecting water quality.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6731739640235901}
{"content": "Response of a Reptile Guild to Forest Harvesting\nBrian D. Todd and Kimberly M. Andrews\nSavannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, U.S.A.\nAbstract: Despite the growing concern over reptile population declines, the effects of modern industrial silviculture on reptiles have been understudied, particularly for diminutive and often overlooked species such as small-bodied snakes. We created 4 replicated forest-management landscapes to determine the response of small snakes to forest harvesting in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. We divided the replicated landscapes into 4 treatments that represented a range of disturbed habitats: clearcut with coarse woody debris removed; clearcut with coarse woody debris retained; thinned pine stand; and control (unharvested secondgrowth planted pines). Canopy cover and ground litter were significantly reduced in clearcuts, intermediate in thinned forests, and highest in unharvested controls. Bare soil, maximum air temperatures, and understory vegetation all increased with increasing habitat disturbance. Concomitantly, we observed significantly reduced relative abundance of all 6 study species (scarletsnake [Cemophora coccinea ], ring-neck snake [Diadophis punctatus ], scarlet kingsnake [Lampropeltis triangulum ], red-bellied snake [Storeria occipitomaculata ], southeastern crowned snake [Tantilla coronata ], and smooth earthsnake [Virginia valeriae ]) in clearcuts compared with unharvested or thinned pine stands. In contrast, the greatest relative snake abundance occurred in thinned forest stands. Our results demonstrate that at least one form of forest harvesting is compatible with maintaining snake populations. Our results also highlight the importance of open-canopy structure and ground litter to small snakes in southeastern forests and the negative consequences of forest clearcutting for small snakes.\nKeywords: clearcutting, forest management, forest thinning, logging, logging effects, reptile, snake, Tantilla coronata , Virginia valeriae\nSREL Reprint #3084\nTodd, B. D. and K. M. Andrews. 2008. Response of a Reptile Guild to Forest Harvesting. Conservation Biology 22(3): 753-761.\nTo request a reprint", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9246575832366943}
{"content": "The IRS has released the 2012 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts. The HSA contribution limits and HDHP out-of-pocket maximums will increase slightly, while the HDHP minimum required deductibles remain unchanged for the third year in a row.\n[See also: 2012 HSA and FSA cheat sheet]\nHere are the details:\nHSA Contribution Limits: The 2012 annual HSA contribution limit for individuals with self-only HDHP coverage is $3,100 (a $50 increase from 2011), and the limit for individuals with family HDHP coverage is $6,250 (a $100 increase from 2011).HDHP Minimum Required Deductibles: The 2012 minimum annual deductible for self-only HDHP coverage remains $1,200 and the deductible for family HDHP coverage remains $2,400.HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The 2012 maximum limit on out-of-pocket expenses (including items such as deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance, but not premiums) for self-only HDHP coverage is $6,050 (a $100 increase from 2011), and the limit for family HDHP coverage is $12,100 (a $200 increase from 2011).Everything else, including eligible expenses and penalties, remains as is. As a reminder, as of Jan. 1, over-the-counter medications (with the exception of insulin) are no longer a covered expense under an HSA, FSA, or HRA without a doctor’s prescription, and the penalty for using HSA funds for ineligible expenses increased from 10 percent to 20 percent.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.989753782749176}
{"content": "Despite its status as a solar pioneer, the U.S. has lagged behind many other nations with regards to actual deployment of solar. However, the U.S. has seen dramatic growth in solar installations in the last few years, driven partly by several key federal solar incentives, including:\nThe Section 48 Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a dollar-for-dollar cash credit equal to 30% of eligible solar system expenditures. The ITC is available to solar projects that are placed in service prior to the end of 2016.\nThe federal Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) allows solar system owners to deduct their solar investment on a significantly accelerated 5-year schedule. In addition, solar projects that are placed into service in 2012 are eligible for a 50% first-year depreciation bonus.\nThere are several other federal incentives that may be available on a situation- specific basis, including the USDA Rural Energy Grant Program and the New Markets Tax Credit Program. EnterSolar will ensure you tap all incentives available to you.\nFederal solar incentives can provide corporate solar system owners with significant economic benefits, often reducing the net effective cost of solar by more than 60%.\nContact EnterSolar to learn how the U.S. Federal Solar Incentives can benefit your business.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5791079998016357}
{"content": "Political scientists have long been concerned about the tension between institutional fragmentation and policy coordination in the U.S. bureaucracy. The literature is rife with examples of agencies competing with each other or asserting their independence, while cooperation is relatively rare. This is of particular importance in policy areas such as biodiversity, where species, habitats, and ecosystems cross various agency jurisdictions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5017238259315491}
{"content": "04/16/12 - 10:20am\nOne of the recurring themes in this year's presidential primary campaign is how to address the growing divide between our country's haves and have nots. No matter where you stand on poverty and the importance of the individual being responsible for their behavior, it is clear that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are likely to live in what I've heard described as social disorganization. This disorganization articulates itself in many ways including low school performance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.982283890247345}
{"content": "Scotland can generate all its domestic electricity using renewable methods by 2020, the Government has confirmed. However, it will be challenge to reach the target and green energy generation will need to be supported by at least 2.5 GW from thermal power units that will be increasing their carbon capture and storage rates. The Government also aims to completely remove carbon from electricity generation by 2030, under plans outlined in the\nElectricity Generation Policy Statement (EGPS), which has just been released. Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Energy Minister, says, \"We know there is doubt and scepticism about our 100 per cent renewables target, and the financial and engineering challenges required to meet it. But we will meet these challenges. I want to debate, engage and co-operate with every knowledgeable, interested and concerned party to ensure we achieve our goals.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9956138730049133}
{"content": "Reduced Tire Wear - Improper alignment is a major cause of premature tire\nwear. Over the time, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles\nto tire life.\nBetter Fuel Mileage - Fuel mileage increases as rolling resistance decreases.\nTotal alignment sets all four wheel parallel which, along with proper inflation, minimizes rolling resistance.\nImproved Handling - Does your car pull to one side? Does the steering wheel\nvibrate? Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car\ntraveling straight ahead? Many handling problems can be corrected by total alignment. With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is\nmore efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.\nSafer Driving - A suspension system inspection is part of our alignment\nprocedure. This allows us to spot worn parts before they cause costly\nproblems.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6952607035636902}
{"content": "Book Description: This accessible study investigates the role of banks in financing British industry. Despite the City of London's importance as a financial center, there has been much dispute over the level of support that banks have given to British industry. Michael Collins weighs the conflicting arguments. Is there evidence of failure in the money markets? Has the estrangement of financial and industrial capital hindered Britain's economic development? He places these and other questions in a historical context and provides a survey of recent literature on this contentious subject.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8501604199409485}
{"content": "On June 18, 2012, Governor Brown directed the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (“Bureau”) to recommend changes to California’s four-decade-old flammability standard for upholstered furniture. Specifically, Governor Brown is seeking to reduce toxic flame retardants in furniture while still providing fire safety. Toxic flame retardants are found in a variety of items, such as high chairs and couches. Evidence suggests that toxic flame retardants harm the environment and are linked to liver and thyroid toxicity, neurological problems, and reproductive issues.\nContinue Reading...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9690702557563782}
{"content": "How do you assess your progress in the development of skills? In 1980, brothers Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus came out with an 18-page report on their research at the University of California, Berkeley. The Dreyfus model of skill acquisition proposes that a student passes through five clearly defined stages. They are as follows: 1. Novice- You have no experience and new to a certain task. 2. Advanced beginner- You begin learning. 3. Competent- You have sufficient knowledge. 4. Proficient- You have sufficient knowledge and training. 5. Expert- You have a high degree of skill resulting from experience. As an example, in the field of target shooting, participants are classified as follows: 1. Tyro 2. Marksman 3. Sharpshooter 4. Master 5. Expert", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.699388325214386}
{"content": "Flies are not just a nuisance, they're a major cause of disease, suffering and economic hardship around the world.\nAll told, they are known to be involved in the transmission of more than 65 diseases to humans alone, including typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, leprosy and tuberculosis.\nThey are also responsible for significant reductions in the production of farmed meat and dairy products. It's estimated that flies are responsible for global livestock and poultry production losses measured in the billions of dollars.\nModern methods of livestock and poultry farming often provide an ideal breeding environment for flies, making control a major challenge.\nHowever, it's a challenge to which we at Novartis have committed the full wealth of our experience in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biological disciplines.\nThe result is the Anti-Fly Program. It's a program which combines our knowledge with a range of products to provide fly control solutions for almost any farm animal production system in use today.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5962724685668945}
{"content": "September 12, 2007\nNot Just Chaos Theory\nResearchers at UCLA have found that people living with HIV do not receive the best possible medical care when their lives are disorganized, characterized by lacking a set routine from week to week and having difficulty in keeping a schedule. The study, which will be published in this month’s Journal of General Internal Medicine, examined 220 low-income HIV-positive individuals, utilizing a new scale to determine the level of chaos in each of their lives. The scale, derived from a measurement tool originally designed for parents to assess chaos in their children’s lives, consisted of participants’ responses to six statements regarding their personal schedules. Participants indicated to what extent they agreed with statements such as “my life is organized” or “my routine is the same from week to week.” Through these responses, researchers determined that HIV-positive people with a more chaotic lifestyle were less likely to make and keep HIV care appointments.\n[Go to top]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6540120244026184}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Guanine quadruplex (G4 DNA) is a four-stranded structure that contributes to genome instability and site-specific recombination. G4 DNA folds from sequences containing tandemly repetitive guanines, sequence motifs that are found throughout prokaryote and eukaryote genomes. While some cellular activities have been identified with binding or processing G4 DNA, the factors and pathways governing G4 DNA metabolism are largely undefined. Highly conserved mismatch repair factors have emerged as potential G4-responding complexes because, in addition to initiating heteroduplex correction, the human homologs bind non-B form DNA with high affinity. Moreover, the MutS homologs across species have the capacity to recognize a diverse range of DNA pairing variations and damage, suggesting a conserved ability to bind non-B form DNA.Here, we asked if E. coli MutS and a heteroduplex recognition mutant, MutS F36A, were capable of recognizing and responding to G4 DNA structures. We find by mobility shift assay that E. coli MutS binds to G4 DNA with high affinity better than binding to G-T heteroduplexes. In the same assay, MutS F36A failed to recognize G-T mismatched oligonucleotides, as expected, but retained an ability to bind to G4 DNA. Association with G4 DNA by MutS is not likely to activate the mismatch repair pathway because nucleotide binding did not promote release of MutS or MutS F36A from G4 DNA as it does for heteroduplexes. G4 recognition activities occur under physiological conditions, and we find that M13 phage harboring G4-capable DNA poorly infected a MutS deficient strain of E. coli compared to M13mp18, suggesting functional roles for mismatch repair factors in the cellular response to unstable genomic elements.Taken together, our findings demonstrate that E. coli MutS has a binding activity specific for non-B form G4 DNA, but such binding appears independent of canonical heteroduplex repair activation. BMC Molecular Biology 07/2012; 13:23. · 2.86 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6420890092849731}
{"content": "Mechanical Principles The Rules of Sport Skill Technique Mechanical principles applied to sports are rules that govern the efficient execution of skills. Using these rules as guides, athletes can build excellent technique and gain the greatest mechanical advantage. Newton's Laws of Motion are the foundation for these mechanical principles, which must be applied in concert with other sports training principles to achieve higher levels of sport performance.\nPrinciples from the Law of Inertia 1. To achieve skilled movements, athletes must effectively combine linear and angular motion. For example, a discus thrower's body must move in a straight path from the back to the front of the ring while rotating with increasing velocity.\n2. When two or more motions are required, athletes must execute movements continuously in sequence. For example, if a javelin thrower hesitates or stops at the end of the approach just prior to the throw, the advantage of the the approach is lost. 3. Athletes can increase mass and/or velocity to realize proportional gains in momentum.\nFor example, if a football player gains both weight and speed, it is more difficult for an opposing player to alter his path. 4. Transfer momentum efficiently from each segment to the whole body. For example, a sprinter coming out of the starting blocks uses the driving action of his or her arms to contribute to the total momentum and direction of the body.Principles from the Law of Acceleration 5. Acceleration is proportional to force. For example, a sprinter increases acceleration by increasing the force that he applies against the track. Increasing force by 10% causes a 10% increase in acceleration. If he could lose fat weight but maintain the same level of force (power), acceleration would also increase. See Power Fitness 6. Maximum acceleration is achieved when all body forces are coordinated in the intended direction. Body actions that do not contribute to a skill should be minimized to prevent wasted energy or detract from productive movements. For example, a swimmer coordinates the body actions to generate maximum force while minimizing unnecessary movements that cause excessive bobbing or lateral deviations. 7. When rotating, lengthening the radius slows the rotation and shortening the radius increases rotation. For example, a diver rotates faster when the tuck is tightened, creating a shorter body radius. A pike produces slower rotation because the radius is longer. 8. When jumping, the path in the air is set upon take off. Once a long jumper is in the air, his or her arms or legs may cause body rotation, but the flight path is not affected.Principles from the Law of Counterforce 9. Maximize counterforce with stable surfaces. If a surface is stable, it offers the same amount of force back as is generated against it. The less stable the surface, the less counterforce is returned. For example, sand does not offer a stable surface for running as compared to a concrete surface. 10. To achieve maximum jumping height, push directly downward upon take off. The direction of counterforce is directly opposite that of the applied force, and the applied force is most effective when it is perpendicular to the supporting surface because \"give\" is minimized. 11. Maximize total force. When batting (or for other striking skills), the total force at impact depends upon the both the momentum of the bat and the momentum of the ball. 12. Stay in contact with the ground. In activities involving throwing, pushing, pulling, or striking, one or both feet should be kept in firm contact with the ground until the force application is complete.\nThe Speed Jerk Boosts Sprint Speed and Technique These mechanical principles are valuable guides for developing technique, but applying them is accomplished using sound training principles and effective teaching methods. Learn how to choose weight training exercises, like the speed jerk (above) for sports using these principles in Strategic Weight Training for High Performance Athletes DVD.\nTop of Mechanical Principles\nBack To Sport Biomechanics\nBack to Home Page", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7779708504676819}
{"content": "Allergies can flourish during holidays If you're experiencing typical cold symptoms, it might be because of allergic reactions to your holiday decorations.\nAccording to Kansas State University Cooperative Extension, many people experience an increase in allergic symptoms during the holidays. The reactions often occur as skin allergies, nose and sinus area inflammation, sinus headaches and sinus infections, or chronic cough or asthma.\nSome holiday allergy-causing agents include:\nn Live Christmas trees: Real Christmas trees themselves rarely are the culprits with allergies, but molds or pollens often are attached to branches or needles. Bill Loucks, Kansas Forest Service conservation forester, recommends spraying trees with water before bringing them into the home. Some evergreens, particularly junipers and cedars, might be pollinating even in winter. Look for a yellowish tinge on the trunk and needles.\nn Artificial trees: Improper storage can make artificial Christmas trees a potential source of mold and dust. Using a hair dryer set on cool, dust them outside before decorating. Additional features, such as sprayed-on snow, can aggravate symptoms.\nn Christmas decorations: Ornaments stored from previous years can become coated with dust and mold. To prevent the buildup, thoroughly clean and dry decorations. When packing, seal them in plastic bags and store in airtight containers.\nn Food allergies: Common holiday foods might contain ingredients that cause allergic reactions. The top allergy-causing foods include shrimp, soy-based items and tree nuts. If you are allergic to certain foods, inform family and friends of special dietary restrictions so they can prepare dishes that are safe to eat. The best way to prevent reactions is to avoid the foods.\nn Mold allergies: Mold can flourish indoors if the humidity level is too high. Depending on comfort levels and minimal allergy symptoms, indoor humidity should be kept below 50 percent with a dehumidifier.\nn Heating vents: Clean or replace furnace filters to prevent accumulated dust and debris from distributing throughout your home.\nn Potpourri: Limit or eliminate scented candles, potpourri, air fresheners, plant arrangements and holiday baking with strong odors that can cause discomfort for people with asthma.\nKAREN THOMAS is a family and consumer sciences educator for Penn State Extension in Lackawanna County.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7521228194236755}
{"content": "Results\nCEF students are achieving remarkable results, especially when you consider the socio-economic obstacles they face every day. Loyola Marymount University issued a report in Spring 2008 highlighting the benefits of a Catholic school education for the poor and marginalized.\n100% of CEF students continue from 8th to 9th grade\n98% of CEF high school students graduate\n98% of CEF high school graduates go on to college", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9280492663383484}
{"content": "The editors of this on-line journal seek manuscripts that critically examine and expose the lies perpetuated in the larger neo-liberal and right wing assaults on democracy and the public sphere. Authors must demonstrate genuine academic rigor in addressing specific sets of lies and deceptions currently used to manufacture consent for increasingly draconian domestic policies and imperialistic foreign policies. We are soliciting submissions that are not simply based on opinion or conjecture. What is significant to changing public opinion and public policy is academically grounded and sound research.\nUnlike federal funding agencies, we do not restrict research to “experimental design.” On the contrary, we heartily encourage humanities based, arts based, narrative, ethnographic (including autoethnography), visual, cyborgian and other methodological approaches. Submissions are welcomed from across the academic disciplines, and we encourage the submission of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary works. We also solicit articles that can document this traumatic and critical juncture in both American and world history and culture. Therefore, submissions from teachers, students, citizen groups, and teacher educators are encouraged.\nSend comments and questions to H-NetWebstaff. H-Net reproduces announcements that have been submitted to us as afree service to the academic community. If you are interested in an announcementlisted here, please contact the organizers or patrons directly. Though we striveto provide accurate information, H-Net cannot accept responsibility for the text ofannouncements appearing in this service. (Administration)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7353895902633667}
{"content": "US authorities have charged eight former executives and agents of the German corporation Siemens AG and its subsidiaries with a conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt practices Act (FCPA). The charges allege that the individuals used over $100 million illicitly to secure a lucrative contract in Argentina for the production of national ID cards.\nThe details of the case concern the Argentine Government’s issuance of a tender for bids in 1994 to replace its existing system of national identity booklets with the ‘DNI project’ - digitalised national identity cards. The estimated value of the project was $1 billion. Argentina awarded the DNI project to a subsidiary company of Siemens AG in 1998. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) claims that this lucrative contract was granted as a result of a decade-long corruption scheme.\nThe DNI project was terminated in May 2001, the consequences of which causing the members of the conspiracy allegedly sought to avoid. The indictment alleges that the conspirators attempted to recover the anticipated proceeds of the DNI project by causing Siemens AG to file a fraudulent arbitration claim against the Republic of Argentina in Washington, D.C. The claim accused Argentina of wrongful termination of the contract and demanded approximately $500 million in lost profits and expenses.\nThe eight individuals are charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and a number of related offences. Residents of Germany, Switzerland and Argentina, the defendants have not been taken into custody but the DoJ plans to seek the assistance of its international partners to detain the individuals. The Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a related civil action, alleging that over $100 million in bribes were paid in connection with Siemens’ efforts to secure the DNI contract.\nThis development comes three years after Siemens’ record-breaking $1.6 billion global settlement of bribery allegations with the DoJ, SEC and German authorities and illustrates just how prolonged and multi-faceted corruption investigations can become once initiated.\nThe case also offers a stark reminder for managers and executives of the personal consequences of becoming embroiled in corporate corruption. The US authorities, which have at times received criticism for failing to convict individual employees in FCPA cases in which their employer settles, have demonstrated by bringing this indictment that there is appetite for prosecuting individuals involved in corruption. This case marks the first time a board member of a Fortune 50 company has been charged with FCPA violations.\nLanny Breuer of the DoJ observed that the indictment ‘reflects our commitment to holding individuals, as well as companies, accountable for violations of the FCPA.’", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.877055823802948}
{"content": "Contributor. Gordon K. Klintworth There are many different types of nystagmus. Some are congenital [nystagmus - congenital motor]; other types are acquired. Regardless of the mode of inheritance the visual acuity and eye movement recordings are indistinguishable. Congenital motor nystagmus needs to be differentiated from other ocular diseases of infancy that are associated with nystagmus (albinism, achromatopsia, Leber congenital amaurosis, congenital cataract [cataract - congenital]). X-linked conditions associated with nystagmus include Nettleship-Falls albinism, complete congenital stationary night blindness [night blindness - congenital stationary complete], and blue cone monochromacy. A tenotomy can lead to a significant improvement in individuals with the infantile nystagmus syndrome [nystagmus - syndrome infantile]. Numerous types of nystagmus are recognized amaurotic nystagmus, amblyopic nystagmus, ataxic nystagmus, caloric nystagmus, central nystagmus, Cheyne nystagmus, congenital nystagmus, convergence nystagmus, disjunctive nystagmus, dissociated nystagmus, downbeat nystagmus, end-position nystagmus, fixation nystagmus, galvanic nystagmus, gaze nystagmus, jerk nystagmus, latent nystagmus, lateral nystagmus, miner's nystagmus, opticokinetic nystagmus (optokinietic nystagmus and railroad nystagmus), palatal nystagmus (also known as palatal myoclonus), paretic nystagmus, pendular nystagmus (also known as ossilating nystagmus, undulatory nystagmus, and vibratory nystagmus), periodic alternating nystagmus, positional nystagmus, retraction nystagmus (also known as nystagmus retractorius), rotatory nystagmus, secondary nystagmus, see-saw nystagmus, spontaneous nystagmus, unilateral nystagmus, upbeat nystagmus, vertical nystagmus, vestibular nystagmus(also known as aural nystagmus and labyrinthine nystagmus), and voluntary nystagmus. Speciific types occur in certain disorders. De Morsier syndrome (see-saw nystagmus). Lesions causing vestibular nystagmus may be located in the vestibular labyrinths [labyrinthitis, Mèniére disease], brainstem and cerebellum (involving the vestibular nuclei, and connections to the flocculonodular lobes of the cerebellum), or eighth cranial nerve [vestibular neuritis].", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8307352662086487}
{"content": "Most nutritionists and dieticians recommend the following guidelines for the maximum limits of calories and nutrients you should eat on an average day:\nCalories: 2400\nTotal Fat: 65 grams\nUnsaturated Fats: 45 – 50 grams\nSaturated Fats: 15 - 20 grams\nTrans Fats: 0 grams\nCholesterol: 300 mg\nSodium: 2,300 mg\nCarbohydrates:\nAdded sugars: 40 grams\nFiber: 25 – 35 grams\nProtein: 80 - 120 grams\n(take half your weight in pounds as the number of grams)\nVitamins and Minerals: Look at the % daily value recommendation and eat foods that boost specific vitamins such as vitamin C or minerals such as calcium or iron.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7978722453117371}
{"content": "Managing patient pain levels and the associated documentation is crucial for compliance standards and the patient's satisfaction. The GetWellNetwork Pain Management Pathway provides an efficient workflow to manage pain assessments, improve documentation and is recognized by the Joint Commission as a “best practice for pain management.”\nAutomating the workflow can eliminate hundreds of nurse hours at your facility. For many hospitals, traditional pain management workflows are time consuming and inconsistent. Often times, nurses revisit the patient after administering medication to reassess pain levels and then manually document the process in the patient’s medical record. The Pain Management Pathway ensures that the patient’s pain is assessed within an hour, as required by the Joint Commission standards, eliminates the need for nursing to manually document pain assessments, and avoids unnecessary trips to the patient’s room when they are not in pain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8357002139091492}
{"content": "Some common asthma medications such as albuterol and inhaled steroids effectively relieve the airway constriction caused by a ragweed exposure. Acoustic rhinometry can assess nasal obstruction in the dog model after a challenge of ragweed. Allergy drugs such as d-pseudoephedrine block ragweed-induced nasal congestion.\nCharacteristics of Our Dog Model:\nExperimental Capabilities:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986522197723389}
{"content": "Posts Tagged ‘IFSG’ Early in my Feng Shui schooling, I learned that your home mirrors your life. Very simply, if there is a lot of clutter in your home, your life will probably be one of confusion, indecisiveness, and exhaustion. However, I was skeptical about the correlation between a new home and a client’s long-standing issues. Being a ...Read more.\nEarlier this year a hospital has been built, not only with LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design developed by the US Green Building Council) sustainable design standards, but with feng shui principles. It’s the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Michigan. The core mission, as I see it, is putting the patient and their ...Read more.\nMany of the principles of Feng Shui are inherently within the sustainable building movement: namely, treading lightly on the Earth and using her resources wisely. However, there is a significant part of Feng Shui that is often missing from typical green designs. This wisdom can be integrated into sustainable-design practices to enrich human beings through ...Read more.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7852643728256226}
{"content": "A zero-defects mentality exists when a Command and Control structure does not tolerate mistakes. This atmosphere is now widely acknowledged to be ineffective in both military and corporate life.\nThe results of a zero-defects mentality can include careerism, reduced motivation and stifled innovation. Soldiers or employees will feel neither empowered by their successes nor accountable for their failures.\nEliminating a zero-defects mentality is one of the primary goals of Lean manufacturing , specifically through the application of Kaizen and Andon in the Toyota Production System.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8922157883644104}
{"content": "The United States government has designated nearly 600 counties across 14 states as primary disaster areas due to severe drought and heat, in the first disaster designations of the new year.\nThe U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that farm operators across 597 counties now qualify for low-interest emergency loans. “As drought persists, USDA will continue to partner with producers to see them through longer-term recovery, while taking the swift actions needed to help farmers and ranchers prepare their land and operations for the upcoming planting season,” agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack noted in the announcement. The counties have shown a drought intensity value of at least D2 (Drought Severe) for eight consecutive weeks based on U.S. Drought Monitor measurements, providing for an automatic designation. The Drought Monitor measures drought intensity on a scale from D1 to D4, or moderate, severe, extreme and exceptional respectively. The counties designated as disaster areas include: Alabama, 14; Arkansas, 47; Arizona, 4; Colorado, 30; Georgia, 92; Hawaii, 2; Kansas, 88; Oklahoma, 76; Missouri, 31; New Mexico, 19; Nevada, 9; South Carolina, 11; Texas, 157; and Utah, 17. In 2012, USDA designated 2,245 counties in 39 states as disaster areas due to drought, or 71% of the country.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991725087165833}
{"content": "Mediated Agreements and Facilitated Conversations for Lasting Resolutions and Sustainable Results Interpersonal disruptions and disagreements stifle every team’s effectiveness. Conflict costs organizations nearly $400 billion annually in loss of morale, sick days and decreased productivity.\nFormal mediation services--long before legal entanglements--with a certified, experienced mediator are available for resolving your sticky situations. Following a tried-and-true process of getting all parties needs and interests heard and on the table, a mediator passionately advocates for the process rather than the individuals.\nGroup facilitation is a less structured, inherently safe environment for conversations to flourish, using methods cutting edge methods as Open Space technology and Large Group Process pioneered by Arnold Mindell. Both lead to lasting, sustainable resolutions.\nIn addition experiential workshops, tailored specifically for each group's needs increase team communication skills and individual ability to manage conflicts more effectively.\nWhy wait for confusion and chaos to stifle the productivity and potential of your family or group?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9347478747367859}
{"content": "Skilled legal service coordination ensures that victims’ time-sensitive civil legal needs, like restraining orders, receive immediate attention.  The practical assistance and emotional support our advocates provide helps victims who are in crisis situations to navigate the legal system and increase their safety.\nWe also offer court accompaniment to survivors attending family court hearings, helping them feel safe and supported during what can feel like daunting legal proceedings.  For a woman or teen who must face her batterer in court, the presence of a support person during a hearing can bolster feelings of confidence and safety.\nFor survivors who require more specialized legal support to ensure safe outcomes in child custody, visitation, or restraining order hearings, our burgeoning Pro Bono Representation Project provides access to free legal representation.  The project connects volunteer attorneys—members of the California Bar—with domestic violence survivors who are engaged in family court proceedings. Please for more information or to become involved.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9849365949630737}
{"content": "NOT YOUR MOTHER'S LIBRARY\nAt Ingersoll District collegiate institute, this connected, multi-use facility isn’t even called a library — it’s a learning commons 0 At Ingersoll District collegiate institute, teacher librarian Bruce White swapped empty shelves for couches, silent study and musty volumes for hi-tech readers, cameras and computers, turning a traditional library into a learning commons that’s uncommonly popular, Kate Dubinski reports.\n--- --- ---\nWhen Bruce White arrived at Ingersoll District collegiate institute, he did something many other librarians would have found abhorrent: he got rid of a bunch of bookshelves.\nHe put out couches and arm chairs, started ordering e-books and buying digital and video cameras.\nThe school’s collection of graphic novels increased, as did audio books and space allocated for group work.\nOh, and the library isn’t called a library anymore — it’s a learning commons.\n“It’s a learning commons because it’s not just books,” said White, the teacher librarian at IDCI.\n“Just like a grocery store would only carry what is popular, I see what the students and teachers need and allocate my resources that way.”\nThe learning commons concept — transforming a traditional library that encourages silent, individual study into one filled with technology and collaborative study space — is gaining ground.\nIt was endorsed by the Ontario School Library Association in 2010, which said in a report that school libraries must transform to meet the demands of tech-savvy, multi-tasking and digitally plugged-in young people.\nWhat’s happened at IDCI isn’t an anomaly. Traditional libraries across the province — and throughout this region’s school boards — are being made over into learning commons.\nAt IDCI, a room filled with half-empty book shelves, little wall art and no comfortable seating has been transformed into an open-concept, bookstore-like atmosphere that offers one-stop shopping for students and teachers.\n“When you come to the library, I want to set it up so you can get whatever you need, do whatever you want, so the space is set up in an open format,” White said.\n“When people come to the library, they can’t believe it’s the same place. When I first came, it didn’t have couches for leisure reading. It didn’t have posters on the wall. It wasn’t inviting. Teachers didn’t come here. Students didn’t come here.”\nStudents now go there to use their laptops — the library has Wi-Fi — or to book the conference room for group projects.\nThey can read the day’s newspaper, prominently displayed in the entranceway to the library, or check out an e-book, either by visiting library or accessing White’s website.\n“The library traditionally has been just books but students now have access to a lot of different skills and different toys,” White said.\n“Technology is really important. It’s in all our curriculums, and a space like this has the ability to be flexible.”\n--- --- ---\nWHAT THEY SAID: Teacher-librarian Bruce White: \"It’s a learning commons because it’s not just books. Just like a grocery store would only carry what is popular, I see what the students and teachers need and allocate my resources that way.\" Tayler Collins, 17, sitting on one of several couches in the commons: \"I come here pretty much every day. I can relax here.\" Aleida Prinzen, 16, studying on one of 60 computers \"I come here every spare . . . The way it’s set up is great. The couches make it seem more comfortable.\" --- --- --- WHAT'S DIFFERENT Ingersoll District collegiate institute’s learning commons features:\nTwo computer lab spaces, out in the open. Bulky computer monitors are being replaced by flat-screens.\nA Smart Board area A green-screen for video production Couches for leisure reading Collaborative work spaces High-interest magazines near the checkout An expanded graphic novel section that’s grown to more than 300 titles from 60 Conference room with data projector Ability to sign out hi-tech microphones, video cameras and digital cameras Monitors that display 24-hour news channels Several e-readers that students or teachers can sign out, as well as corresponding hard copies of books and audio-books --- --- ---\nONLINE Librarian Bruce White has created a one-stop-shop website for his learning commons. Here’s some of what students have access to:\nElectronic books Literature tests and study guides Student feedback surveys Web catalogue Book suggestion form Audio books that can be downloaded to phones Alternatives to Google searches, like Encyclopedia Britannica Poll Have you ever checked out an e-book at your library?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6585389375686646}
{"content": "LTE Advanced Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) use a mix of macro, pico, femto and relay base stations, effectively bringing the network closer to the user. To deliver high spectral efficiency per unit area, advanced techniques are needed to manage and control interference when low power small cells are added to macro cells in the same channel. Qualcomm has developed two LTE Advanced techniques, enhanced inter-cell interference coordination and advanced terminal receivers with interference cancellation (eICIC/IC) to provide a performance leap for heterogeneous networks in LTE.\nLTE Advanced HetNets will support Range Expansion and Resource Partitioning with an eICIC software upgrade to a LTE-R8 network. Range Expansion allows more user terminals to benefit directly from low-power basestations such as picos, femtos and relays. Adaptive inter-cell interference coordination uses Almost-Blank Subframes (ABS) to provide smart resource allocation amongst interfering cells and improves inter-cell load balancing in heterogeneous networks. Advanced terminal receivers cancel interference of legacy overhead channels in ABS from interfering cells to enable full Range Expansion of low-power small cells.\nThe LTE Advanced eICIC feature has been standardized in 3GPP Rel. 10 while the device requirements for interference cancellation receivers have been specified in Further enhanced ICIC (FeICIC) of Rel. 11. Qualcomm Research and other 3GPP participants have been leading the standardization of HetNets features. Qualcomm Research has also built a prototype to demonstrate and test these features in OTA heterogeneous networks in San Diego.\nVoice over LTE (VoLTE) allows LTE systems to deliver high-quality, high-capacity voice calls using packet switching core. The VoLTE service including features such as Transmission Time Interval (TTI) bundling can coexist with LTE HetNets using eICIC/IC. Qualcomm OTA networks in San Diego have implemented and demonstrated the coexistence operation.\nFor an LTE operator that needs to significantly increase network capacity, deploying LTE Advanced HetNets and using 802.11 Wi-Fi access points (APs) in unlicensed spectrum offers two complementary options to offload macro user traffic. Based on our study, with the same number of low-power nodes, pico cells offer a superior performance to Wi-Fi APs due to expanded coverage of LTE Advanced pico cells. Wi-Fi is effective in improving the user experience when a significant portion of users are located in the vicinity of hotspots.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8012986779212952}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The linear syntheses of 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl uridine and cytidine nucleoside phosphoramidites were achieved using glucose as the starting material. The modified RNA building blocks were incorporated into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by employing solid phase RNA synthesis. Thermal melting studies showed that the modified siRNA duplexes exhibited slightly lower T(m) (∼1 °C/modification) compared to the unmodified duplex. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl modified nucleotides adopt South-type conformation in a siRNA duplex, thereby altering the stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. These modified siRNAs were also evaluated for their gene silencing efficiency in HeLa cells using a luciferase-based reporter assay. The results indicate that the modifications are well tolerated in various positions of the passenger strand and at the 3' end of the guide strand but are less tolerated in the seed region of the guide strand. The modified siRNAs exhibited prolonged stability in human serum compared to unmodified siRNA. This work has implications for the use of 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl modified nucleotides to overcome some of the challenges associated with the therapeutic utilities of siRNAs. The Journal of Organic Chemistry 02/2012; 77(7):3233-45. · 4.45 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7464993000030518}
{"content": "“Eco-Justice” Helping Teens Situate and Interrogate School Knowledge\nJulie H. Carter, The School of Education, Department of Curriculum & Instruction\nAbstract : The project under study is an environmental justice program that works to engage teens in a range of projects connected to “food security.” The program is located in a Northeast “Rust Belt” neighborhood described as among the most food insecure in the northeast. This ethnographic study explores student experiences during the winter months of the program - working on an urban farm, fishery, mobile green market, and an entrepreneurial food project. The paper explores the articulated knowledge that students gain from contributing to community food systems while advocating for social change agendas such as cuts in funding for youth programming. The connection between situated school knowledge, environmental activism, and urban identities are explored. The project under study has the potential to help teachers and teacher educators tackle a range of civic and economic issues including, but not limited to, food security and food systems, access to healthy food in urban areas, youth activism and urban revitalization.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5749284029006958}
{"content": "Abstract:Using U.S. apparel catalogue data, we estimate hedonic price functions to identify market valuation of environmental attributes of apparel goods. We identify a significant and robust premium for the organic fibers embodied in the apparel goods. We find an additional organic premium for baby items. However, we do not find evidence of a premium for environment-friendly dyes. We further investigate the pricing behavior of apparel suppliers for potential departure from competitive pricing of this environmental attribute and find no evidence different premium across firms, suggesting price-taking behavior in the environmental attribute space.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000089406967163}
{"content": "The nucleus-nucleus interaction potentials in heavy-ion fusion reactions are extracted from the microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory for mass symmetric reactions $^{16}$O${}+^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca${}+^{40}$Ca, $^{48}$Ca${}+^{48}$Ca and mass asymmetric reactions $^{16}$O$ +^{40,48}$Ca, $^{40}$Ca${}+^{48}$Ca, $^{16}$O+$^{208}$Pb, $^{40}$Ca+$^{90}$Zr. When the center-of-mass energy is much higher than the Coulomb barrier energy, potentials deduced with the microscopic theory identify with the frozen density approximation. As the center-of-mass energy decreases and approaches the Coulomb barrier, potentials become energy dependent. This dependence signs dynamical reorganization of internal degrees of freedom and leads to a reduction of the \"apparent\" barrier felt by the two nuclei during fusion of the order of $2-3 %$ compared to the frozen density case. Several examples illustrate that the potential landscape changes rapidly when the center-of-mass energy is in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier energy. The energy dependence is expected to have a significant role on fusion around the Coulomb barrier.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.739915132522583}
{"content": "This study reviewed the degree to which guidelines for SMIs and SUDs archived by the National Guidelines Clearinghouse addressed treatment for co-occurring disorders. Slightly more than half of the total guidelines retrieved included some type of recommendation for the treatment of co-occurring disorders. These recommendations included assessment, referrals, and collaboration with other professionals in the other sector of care. With the exception of two guidelines (described below), these recommendations contained minimal elaboration or specificity, leaving considerable room for interpretation on how the recommendations should actually be implemented in routine practice.\nTwo guidelines are particularly noteworthy with respect to their specificity regarding treatment for co-occurring disorders. This included the treatment guideline for schizophrenia, authored by the American Psychiatric Association (Guideline R). This guideline provided a comprehensive description of the major features of treatment (e.g., case management, family interventions, rehabilitation, pharmacotherapy, and housing) and noted the importance of the same clinicians treating both the SMI and SUD. Overall, these recommendations are consistent with the broader literature on comprehensive and integrated treatment for this population (\nDrake et al., 1998,\n2001). It should be noted that the treatment guideline for bipolar disorder, also authored by the American Psychiatric Association (Guideline J), did not contain any treatment recommendations regarding SUDs. This is a surprising finding, given the evidence suggesting that the rates of co-occurring alcohol and drug problems among persons with bipolar disorder are at least equal to or greater than the rates among persons with schizophrenia (\nRobins and Regier, 1991).\nThe second guideline to address treatment targeted substance use disorders with co-occurring psychiatric disorders (Guideline B). This is a comprehensive treatment guideline that contains screening suggestions, essential components of treatment (e.g., psychoe-ducation, double trouble groups, and community-based dual recovery mutual self-help groups), and treatment strategies (e.g., motivational interviewing, contingency management, relapse prevention, and assertive community treatment). This guideline also corresponds to a larger treatment manual provided by the\nCenter for Substance Abuse Treatment (2005).\nThe majority of the guidelines targeting co-occurring disorders were intended for a multidisciplinary audience of service providers. This reflects the wide recognition that treating SUDs, SMIs, and these conditions as they co-occur requires coordination with many different provider types. However, the outcomes targeted by the guidelines were generally restricted to the primary focus of the single disorder, even though the assessment and/or treatment issues addressed co-occurring disorders. This suggests that many of these guidelines have limited utility for addressing the full range of problems and needs that are commonly encountered among persons with co-occurring disorders.\nLimitations and Generalizability\nThis systematic review was restricted to guidelines archived on the NGC. This excluded a potentially large number of proprietary and nonproprietary guidelines that are available in print and electronically. Thus, the generalizability of this study is limited. Additionally, it was beyond the scope of this study to examine the quality and consistency of the recommendations contained in the guidelines against the extant literature. Despite these limitations, it is important to emphasize that the NGC remains as one of the largest (or the largest) data base that provides readily obtainable guidelines from major organizations that are free.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9362607002258301}
{"content": "All Research Sponsored By:Voltage Security, Inc. This short white paper explores the top 5 tips for protecting your organization against new looming security threats from smartphones and tablets. These 5 tips can make or break mobile data security efforts. Read now to learn more.\nThis resource examines the challenges of securing business communication and how to overcome it. View now to explore the shortcomings of existing encryption solutions, key requirements for ubiquitous secure business communication, how Identity-based encryption (IBE) meets these requirements, and more.\nThe insurance industry has experienced unprecedented levels of change that has driven the need to secure customer and corporate data – beyond what is required for NAIC compliance. This resource offers key guidance for tackling the security challenges of this changing environment and how to ensure comprehensive data protection.\nTraditional perimeter-based security controls are no longer effective as today’s threat landscape continues to evolve and cybercriminals become more skillful and advanced. This Forrester Research resource examines how encrypting data – both in motion and at rest – is a more effective way to keep up with determined cybercriminals.\nWith sophisticated key management, multiple integration options and a stateless architecture, SecureData enables enterprises to quickly secure their test and development application environments to ensure against the risk of data compromise.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9970018267631531}
{"content": "Longwave indirect effect of mineral dusts on ice clouds\nAtmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12203, USA\nAbstract. In addition to microphysical changes in clouds, changes in nucleation processes of ice cloud due to aerosols would result in substantial changes in cloud top temperature as mildly supercooled clouds are glaciated through heterogenous nucleation processes. Measurements from multiple sensors on multiple observing platforms over the Atlantic Ocean show that the cloud effective temperature increases with mineral dust loading with a slope of +3.06 °C per unit aerosol optical depth. The macrophysical changes in ice cloud top distributions as a consequence of mineral dust-cloud interaction exert a strong cooling effect (up to 16 Wm\n−2) of thermal infrared\nradiation on cloud systems. Induced changes of ice particle size by mineral\ndusts influence cloud emissivity and play a minor role in modulating the\noutgoing longwave radiation for optically thin ice clouds. Such a strong\ncooling forcing of thermal infrared radiation would have significant impacts\non cloud systems and subsequently on climate.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6674060821533203}
{"content": "E-commerce up 10% in Q1, best since Q2 2008: ComScore E-commerce spending jumped 10% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2010, accounting for nearly $34 billion, according to digital marketing intelligence firm ComScore. The quarter was the first time e-commerce spending increased by double digits since the second quarter of 2008.\nAlthough these figures are promising for e-commerce merchants, comScore noted that consumers who earn $100,000 or more per year predominantly drove this growth.\n“It's the first positive sign of the return to strong consumer discretionary spending,” said Andrew Lipsman, senior director of marketing communications at ComScore. “It does come with a caveat, especially with the market looking shaky. We hope it's not short-lived.”\nLipsman added that the upper-income consumers responsible for the double-digit Q1 gain might tighten their purse-strings for the rest of the year if the economy remains sluggish.\n“We're taking a wait and see approach,” he explained.\nComScore also noted that large online retailers generated higher growth rates than their smaller counterparts during the first quarter. However, smaller e-commerce merchants are seeing positive growth again, according to the firm.\nComScore also noted that online retail is also continuing to gain market share of overall multichannel retail.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9938300251960754}
{"content": "If Ronda Rousey had a trophy case, it would be a gruesome sight to see. It would feature a row of mangled, disembodied arms, arranged in grim testimony to the armbar submission skills she began learning from her Judoka mother at an age when other teenage girls were preoccupied with pretty boys and pop music. After this weekend's championship bout against the former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate, the trophy case acquired a new addition: Miesha's arm, displayed in all its bloody, broken glory as a testament to Judo's lethal power.\nI had argued that Judo was a complete grappling art, imbuing its practitioners with effective and advanced takedown and submission skills, a fact that rendered Miesha's wrestling style largely redundant in the mixed martial artist's arsenal. This combined with Ronda's extensive high-level competitive experience- which some pundits irrationally discounted- made her victory inevitable. After three spectacular Judo takedowns and two vicious submission attempts within five minutes, the debate was conclusively settled- at least for those open to accepting reality.\nHowever, the devastating triumph begs the intriguing question: was Ronda truly invincible? Even accepting and fully factoring in her formidable skills arsenal, was victory inevitable for her? And what does the answer to this mean for her future opponents, the most likely of which is Sarah Kaufman? I think that like with all fighters, Ronda's strengths and background contained the seeds for her potential defeat. I knew Miesha Tate could not exploit these, but someone else could have. So objectively assessing Ronda's strengths and weaknesses, how could she have been defeated?\nSince Ronda's strengths are now obvious, let's focus on her weaknesses. The first of these is her striking defence. Ronda spent almost her entire competitive career in a sport in which it was illegal to strike your opponent. As such she has not fully developed the reflexes necessary to apply footwork, parrying, blocking or slipping to avoid being hit. This was painfully obvious as Miesha was able to punch her in the face almost at will, literally knocking her backwards:\nThe converse of course, is that Ronda is not yet an accomplished striker. Knowing this, she plays to her strengths, quickly closing the striking gap against her opponents to enter her comfort zone, the clinch. The results thereafter are almost routine: spectacular takedowns followed by the dreaded technique no can defend.\nA third possible weakness is in cardiovascular endurance. Judo matches tend to place relatively little anaerobic stress on competitors. The typical pace of a Judo match involves the practitioners tentatively feeling each other out and staying out of each others' grasp for extended period of time, interspersed by brief periods of frantic and violent action. Explosive speed, agility and strength are thus developed. Cardiovascular endurance, not so much.\nTaking these as a whole, the approriate strategy for defeating Ronda Rousey becomes crsytal clear. It is also immediately obvious that Miesha Tate did the exact opposite of what she should have done, thereby sealing her defeat. The most memorable model for how to defeat Ronda Rousey was the very same tactic that Carlos Condit controversially employed in defeating Nick Diaz: the frustratingly effective though much derided stick-and-move strategy.\nAbove all, Keep your distance: If you don't close the gap with Ronda, she cannot throw you to the ground and have her way with you. If you don't grapple with her, she cannot rip your arm off. This should have been the simple assumption underpinning Miesha's strategy. And adding in Ronda's relatively weak striking defense, the tactics Miesha should have employed within this broad strategy are: Retreat, don't advance. Miesha should have hung back, and used nimble footwork to dance around Ronda, staying frustratingly out of reach. Backpedaling, bouncing and side stepping while forcing Ronda to attack would have ensured she remained safe from the lethal clinch while frustrating Ronda and extending the duration of the fight. Instead, having allowed Ronda to get into her head, Miesha foolishly rushed in with a barrage of punches, a tactic which, due to its forward momentum, is virtually guaranteed to result in a clinch and takedown. This grave tactical error happened at least twice: Apply straight stopping techniques. Whenever Ronda closed the gap, Miesha should have kept her at bay with straight side and front kicks to the legs and mid-section. Ronda would have found these hard to defend against, and they would have kept her outside the range at which she could grapple Miesha. Straight jabs to the face followed by a quick retreat should also have been used to score points while frustrating Ronda. Her weak defence would have made this a very viable strategy. Use wrestling only to escape and stand back up. Even with this stick-and-move strategy, there is a chance that Ronda might still have achieved a clinch and takedown. When these happened, Miesha should have used her wrestling skill for one purpose and one purpose only: getting up, fleeing the scene and resuming dancing just out of reach. Instead, she twice tried to aggressively gain control and a possible submission from the back, hoping to out-grapple the master grappler. Had she adopted my recommended strategy, the likely result would have been that Miesha slowly accrued a lead in striking points, while Ronda slowly became frustrated and possibly even tired. By the second or third round, her explosive speed and power would have subsided, making her less dangerous. This would have made the tactic even more effective: a slow, tiring fighter is relatively easy to jog away from and is vulnerable to low, straight kicks and stiff jabs. A decision win could have been eked out.\nWould this have won Miesha many fans? Probably not. She would probably have invited the same hailstorm of scorn and opprobrium that Carlos Condit endured for 'running away' from the Nick Diaz juggernaut. But like Condit, she would have survived the onslaught, smartly stayed out of the reach of the weapons that could destroy her, and patiently accrued the points that would have earned her the victory.\nSarah Kaufman, take note. Failure to do so could cost you an arm and a leg.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6234450340270996}
{"content": "Obesity in the U.S. is on the rise, and you don't have to be a genius to see that Americans eat too much and exercise too little. But could other factors play a role as well?\nA new study, according to the Los Angeles Times, links high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure during childhood and adolescence to elevated rates of obesity in white children. Researchers found that, when compared with white children whose urine contained low levels of BPA, those with higher levels were \"six times more likely to be obese.\"\nHowever, scientists caution that the research does not prove cause-and-effect. They call their findings \"at best hypothesis generating.\"\nBut anti-BPA sentiment is nothing new. The Los Angeles Times explains: \"In recent years, alarm has grown among consumer groups and public health officials amid mounting evidence that BPA readily accumulates in the body's fat stores and can disrupt hormones that play crucial roles in sexual development, energy use and fat deposition.\"\nThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asserts that it's safe to use BPA in food containers. Still, you might want to play it safe! Motivators offers tons of custom BPA-free water bottles and other products that are high-quality and reliable. If you're heading to a health or wellness event, you might want to opt for one of these BPA-free giveaways.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5181316137313843}
{"content": "Slice it - by Com2usWhy is it a recommended game? As puzzle a game, 'Slice It' has a nice engaging progression from very easy to quite difficult, appropriate hint support to keep things moving along and a very simple and intuitive user interface.\nThe game presents the player with a closed region (simple or complex) and a challenge to divide it up (dissect/cut) into a specific number of pieces (sub-regions) using a specific number of dissecting lines (that you must draw to cut up the original region).\nEach time you draw a dissecting line across the original region it creates two or more pieces (two if it is your first cut, one additional if your dissecting line only cut through one sub-region, or multiple additional if you cut across multiple existing sub-regions). If you manage to create the correct number of sub-regions while using up all of your assigned dissecting lines (cuts) then your effort is labeled as clear.\nEach adequately dissected region is given a star rating and a diagram is presented showing the relative sizes of each of the pieces. The rating ranges from 1 to 5 stars depending upon how consistent the pieces are in size. Initial challenges seem to allow a great deal of leeway but improved accuracy is expected as you move through the levels. If all of the pieces are exactly the same size (down to the 0.1%) then your effort is judged to be ‘perfect’ and you get extra badge on that challenge. Good ratings earn you hint points that you can cash in later when you are stumped by a future puzzle.\nTo support your slicing activity, you might use the inherent symmetry of the region presented (reflective or rotational), the power of overlapping cuts (2 slices can make 4 pieces), vertices (to align), congruent line segments (to identify sub-regions of equal size), the underlying grid (to estimate lengths or supporting estimation by counting of squares), and your knowledge of area relations (e.g., a triangle of equal base and height may not look the same, but has the same area; similarly with parallelograms).\nSome of the features that support learning: The challenges progress nicely - starting with simple symmetrical regions with relatively intuitive dissection lines to generate a few congruent pieces and progressing through complex asymmetrical regions with many dissection lines generating many non-congruent pieces (but still of equal area). This makes it accessible and interesting to a wide variety of skill levels.\nEven if the child can’t yet articulate a reason for their slicing pattern, they are given feedback on each of their efforts, and can improve. This improvement may be achieved through grinding (try, try, again) or reasoning, but all efforts have some potential to enhance the child’s pool of experiences and support the development of their intuitive understanding.\nIt is expected that greater benefits will be derived if the child is challenged to work with another child or tutor to explore the game. As they explain the reasoning behind their attempts they will be reflecting on and expanding their understanding of the terms and their related concepts. As they listen to others, they acquire new vocabulary and enhance the semantic value of the words and concepts – either by hearing correct claims/connections, or by hearing and challenging incorrect claims/connections.\nTry using this app as a 5-10 minute warm-up activity for a few weeks in your class. At the end of each session ask a few students to share examples of regions that they had mastered during the session (to support this, have them note the challenge number, or teach them how to make a snapshot (power down + home)). You might also encourage the students to expand their use when they are finished other in class activities, and/or share the app in a newsletter or blog as one of several recommended apps that you will be using in class.\nBottom Line: As a game, ‘Slice It’ is a winner at 99 cents. However, when you consider that ‘Slice It’ is also a very effective and engaging geometry exploration tool it suddenly represents outstanding value.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6268943548202515}
{"content": "Readers write about the evils of industrialization, abolishing the NCAA, and animal versus human intelligence.\nA just society is a sustainably built society\nRegarding Beth Kowaleski Wallace's March 22 Opinion piece, \"Britain's ban on the slave trade: moral lessons for today\": The article points out that many Britons, while they took no active role in the slave trade, benefited from this evil.\nIt then poses a daunting question: \"Where are we similarly complicit with invisible or hidden social or commercial injustices?\"\nI would submit that it's nearly impossible to be a member of an industrialized society without being complicitous in some form of violence against indigenous cultures, nonhuman species, and the land we depend on for survival.\nFor example, if you're living in the Midwest, there's a possibility that the electricity that enables you to read this letter came from coal extracted through mountaintop removal, a process that destroys communities and streams.\nWas this process harmful to the planet? You bet! Is a lifestyle based on such practices sustainable? Not on a finite planet with finite resources. Until we rely on sunlight for energy, our complicity in systemic evils such as global warming is inevitable. Building a modern society congruent with sustainability is the great challenge facing humanity today. We ignore it at our collective peril.\nWilliam W. Hollad Montpelier, Vt Let college basketball, football go pro\nIn response to your March 30 editorial, \"NCAA's gambling madness\": The term \"scholar-athlete\" is a sham in big-time collegiate men's football and basketball.\nPlayers are recruited and given scholarships to be athletes, not great students. They are there to prepare for possible careers in professional sports.\nThe main function of the NCAA is to enforce rules that prevent colleges from uncapped financial bidding for the best athletes. Fans understand this, and most love the system. Colleges understand this as well and make big bucks from it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5576770305633545}
{"content": "[en] Galectin-3 is a laminin binding protein which expression is altered in a variety of human carcinomas including colon, breast and endometrium. In these tumors, we consistently observed a down regulation of galectin-3 expression related to increased aggressiveness. Galectin-3 belongs to a family of galactose-binding lectins and binds laminin through its numerous poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains. To date, the exact role of galectin-3 in the complex interactions between cancer cells and laminin has not been clearly defined. Adhesion of melanoma cells to laminin is a critical event during tumor invasion and metastasis. In this study, we explore the possibility that galectin-3 could modulate attachment of two human melanoma cell lines to laminin. A2058 and A375 melanoma cell expressed galectin-3 on their surface as demonstrated by immunofluorescence, and attached to laminin in an in vitro assay. We demonstrate that neither recombinant galectin-3 nor an affinity purified antigalectin-3 antiserum altered adhesion of A2058 or A375 melanoma cells to laminin. Our data strongly suggest that galectin-3 is not a key element in adhesion of the melanoma cells to laminin. These results are not surprising in light of the observation that galectin-3 expression is down regulated in cancer and that increased adhesion to laminin is a constant feature of invasive cancer cells.\nBIOMED BMH1-CT92-0520 ; Association Contre le Cancer ; Association Sportive Contre le Cancer", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7105824947357178}
{"content": "There's a difference between \"anti-social\" behavior and \"anti-social personality disorder (APD)\" and relationship to PTSD, both before and after the PTSD occurred. And I think there might be some differences, at least in the kinds of studies, between 'war'-related and others, as well as adult and adolescent.Why are these answers always not very simple!! I'm not sure which category you're in, to be honest; perhaps you can clarify?\nHi. I wanted to say that my understanding was that \"antisocial\" behavior was always explained to me as being different from introverted or shy behavior. I think that antisocial behavior can be dangerous and involve actively harmful behaviors toward others and society as a whole.\nThat being said, dependent upon the trauma to which you were subjected, it may be the case that you prefer to be independent or introverted. For example, I understand that women who are gang raped prefer to be by themselves, while a woman who was raped while no one else was around might prefer to surround herself with others for her protection.\nI agree that a little more description of your circumstances might make answering your question a little easier, but I hope that helps at least a little.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7735700607299805}
{"content": "Be Aware of Emerging Bears\nDate: March 27, 2007 Contact: Melissa Wilson, 406 888-7895\nWEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park Superintendent Mick Holm reminds park visitors that bears are beginning to emerge from hibernation and visitors therefore need to be alert for bear activity and obey safety regulations while visiting the park.\nHolm said, “Glacier National Park is home to both grizzly and black bears and visitors must act accordingly when they visit. Take precautions to avoid a bear encounter. Make your presence known by calling out or clapping at frequent intervals, especially near streams and at blind spots on the trails. Additionally, maintain a safe distance from bears and other wildlife.”\nWhile neither bears nor tracks have yet been reported this spring, mid-March is when male bears begin to emerge from hibernation. Once they emerge, bears roam widely in search of food, and will aggressively protect their food source. Females, which tend to emerge slightly later, will also fiercely defend their cubs. All visitors should be aware for any evidence of bear activity.\nHolm added, “Park visitors must store food and other odorous items inside hard-sided vehicles or in food lockers and dispose of garbage in a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster. Proper food storage is essential to preventing bears from becoming habituated to human food.”\n“Though bear encounters are extremely rare in Glacier, visitors can consider carrying bear pepper spray to be used in the event that a bear charges. However, it is imperative that people do not develop a false sense of security by carrying it; continue to take the precautions to avoid an encounter. Further, visitors must be familiar with the can’s operation, and the spray’s limitations,” Holm said.\nAccording to the manufacturers, bear pepper spray should only be used at short distances (10-30 feet). Wind, cold, rain and product age may alter its effectiveness. The canisters have a safety feature, and visitors must understand how to disengage it. The spray must also be immediately available; do not store the spray inside a pack.\nHolm also noted that bear pepper spray is not a repellent. “Do not apply bear pepper spray to people, tents, packs or other recreational equipment. It is only designed to be sprayed at charging or attacking bears at close range.”\nBear pepper spray is clearly labeled for use against bears and must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. Only brands specifically labeled for use against bears can be transported legally across the border into Canada. Personal defense sprays not designed for use on bears may be ineffective.\nVisitors should report any bear sightings or signs of bear activity to the nearest visitor center, ranger station or by calling 406-888-7800 as soon as possible. This information helps park rangers keep bears away from unnatural food sources, as well as prevents bears from becoming habituated to humans.\nFor further information on Glacier National Park, visit the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/glac or call 406-888-7800.\nDid You Know? Did you know that the Glacier Centennial Program had a calendar of over 100 activities for its 100th anniversary? Over 35 community organizations worked together to make this possible.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8284949064254761}
{"content": "814 Immune Evasion by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus During Latency C. Tomescu*, W. K. Law, D. H. Kedes Univ of Virginia, Charlottesville\nBackground: Under selective pressure from host cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), many viruses have evolved to downregulate MHC class I and/or T-cell co-stimulatory molecules from the surface of infected cells. Recently Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV), a newly identified human gamma herpes virus and the etiological agent responsible for several AIDS-associated tumors, has been shown to encode two proteins, MIR-1 and MIR-2, that serve this function during lytic replication. However, KSHV exists in a predominantly latent state with less than 5% of infected cells expressing discernable lytic gene products. Thus, lytic-dependent mechanisms of immune protection are not likely to be active in most KSHV infected cells. As a result, we have searched for evidence of such defensive strategies in 2 endothelial cell culture systems that strongly favor latent KSHV infection.Methods: Utilizing a panel of antibodies against several endothelial cell surface proteins, we investigated the potential down-regulation of immune-modulatory proteins by KSHV in 2 complimentary endothelial cell culture systems: primary dermal microvascular endothelial cells (pDMVEC) infected with cell associated virus and telomerase immortalized endothelial (TIME) cells infected directly with cell free KSHV. Infected cells within the population were identified with a novel intra-nuclear flow cytometry technique utilizing a fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibody against the latent-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of KSHV. Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were then used to confirm the low level of lytic protein expression following de novo infection.Results: We observed a dramatic down-regulation of MHC class I, CD31 (PE-CAM), and CD54 (ICAM-I), but not CD58 (LFA-1) or CD95 (Fas), shortly following de novo infection with KSHV. Intranuclear flow cytometry confirmed that down-regulation occurred predominantly on KSHV infected (LANA-positive) cells, but not on uninfected neighbors. Importantly, while the vast majority of KSHV infected cells showed surface down-regulation of immune-modulatory proteins, less than 3% expressed lytic proteins such as MIR-1 and MIR-2 by IFA.Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that latent infection with KSHV results in the modulation of immune regulatory protein expression on the surface of infected endothelial cells. This may facilitate viral escape from CTLs, and suggests that KSHV possesses two complimentary mechanisms, one lytic and one latent, in outwitting host immune defenses.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6970791816711426}
{"content": "Abstract With contingent valuation, both the goods being valued and the payment vehicles used to value them are mostly hypothetical. However, although numerous studies have examined the impact ofexperience with the good on willingness to pay, less attention has been given to experience with payment vehicles. This paper examines how this influences responses to a contingent valuation scenarioof maintenance for irrigation canals. Specifically, the paper uses a split-sample survey to investigate the effects of experience with monetary and labor payment vehicles on the acceptance of a contingentvaluation scenario and protest bids. Using convergent validity tests, we found that experience acquired from using both monetary and labor payment vehicles reduces the asymmetries in acceptance rates. These findings suggest that experience with payment vehicles reduces time/money response asymmetries in the contingent valuation method.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7637004256248474}
{"content": "Imagine with me for a moment. What if Jesus were your boss?\nHow would He treat you? Would He pay you well? What if you made a mistake? How would Jesus respond? Would He berate and belittle you?\nWhat if Jesus were your employee? What kind of worker would He be? What if Jesus were you neighbor, your co-worker, or a leader within your community? How would things be different? What kind of a culture would you live in? Imagine.\nThere is no doubt that if Jesus occupied any of these positions in life today, things would be different. The atmosphere surrounding us would be impacted with His wisdom, grace, goodness, and love - just as it was when He walked the earth. We, like those of His day, would be influenced by His way of being. Jesus’ behavior, attitude, morality and ethics would impact our way of being. If we agreed with Him, we would seek to become more like Him. If we disagreed with Jesus, we would despise Him. We would fight to keep our culture intact.\nCulture is a force to be reckoned with. It is an energy that governs and rules. While on this earth, Jesus was a powerful man. Powerful people influence culture. His influence on the culture of His day was so profound that many sought to kill Him.\nCulture is values, morals, and a lifestyle. It is behavior, ethics, and the social norm. Culture defines what is acceptable and right within a society. Culture determines everything from how we dress to how we respond to circumstances and situations. Culture influences what we think, say, how we behave. This is why culture is so powerful. It establishes what is normal and acceptable.\nPowerful people change culture. They affect the thoughts, words, and actions of others. They influence, impact, and bombard society with the same message. We often complain about “the way of the world”, but seldom seek to directly impact the world’s culture with the culture of Heaven. As believers, we have been empowered by God to shape the culture of this earth. We are to bring God’s values, priorities, ethics and norms into everyday life. Just as Jesus impacted the culture of His day; we are to impact the culture of our day.\nCreate the culture of Christ in your life. Be like Him. Act like Him. Interact with others like He would. You have imagined Him as your boss, employee, neighbor, co-worker, and community leader. Now imagine yourself as one like Him. Infiltrate your family, neighborhood, work place, and community on His behalf so that you can transform the culture of earth into the culture of heaven.\nAs Matthew 5 tells us, You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Export your culture into the world.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5618703961372375}
{"content": "FDA has issued draft guidance on \"Oversight of Clinical Investigations: A Risk-Based Approach to Monitoring.\" The guidance document is now available from the FDA's web site using the following web link:\nThe new draft guidance is being issued to assist sponsors of clinical investigations in developing risk-based monitoring strategies and plans for clinical investigations of human drug and biological products, medical devices, and combinations thereof. This guidance is intended to make clear that sponsors can use a variety of approaches to meet their monitoring responsibilities during clinical investiations. This guidance describes a modern, risk-based approach to monitoring that focuses on critical study parameters and relies on a combination of monitoring activities to effectively oversee a study.\nComments to this draft guidance are due by November 28, 2011.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9781753420829773}
{"content": "Controlled foreign company ('CFC') legislation was introduced in phases to co-incide with South Africa?s move from a source based system to a residence based system. Initially with the introduction of the legislation it was directed at those foreign entities earning passive income. However, over the years the legislation has been amended to include active income of entities and additional aspects to the section have been inserted to provide clarity for taxpayers.An increase in cross border transactions and offshore investment has necessitated the need to introduce CFC legislation into the revenue codes of many countries, South Africa being one of them.In most revenue codes where CFC or similar legislation has been introduced it is one of the most complex areas in a country's revenue code (Sandler, 1998:23). This mini-dissertation aims to interpret section 9D and also aims to provide guidance on its application in practice with the help of practical examples and reference to relevant international case law.The end result of this research is a proposed interpretation note on section 9D which is attached as Appendix 1.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5065004825592041}
{"content": "Most Americans don’t get their recommended daily allowance of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and fresh juices can be a delicious way to reach your daily quota.\nEbooks During the production of our series Thought for Food last year, we met journalist Scott Haas at Craigie on Main in Cambridge, Massachusetts.\nWhile we were there to learn about techniques and cooking insights from Chef Tony Maws, Scott had already been a regular fixture at the restaurant for more than a year, carefully observing and conducting research for his upcoming book about the psychology of chefs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.969453752040863}
{"content": "U.S. Approaches to Counter-Piracy Media Note\nThe United States takes an integrated multidimensional and multilateral approach to combating piracy in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean region. This approach focuses on security through expanded naval operations; self-protection by industry; and deterrence, including through effective legal prosecution and incarceration.\nYet, as the international community has responded, pirates have adapted their tactics, resulting in increasingly numerous and violent attacks, such as the February 22 murder of four American citizens board the S/V Quest.\nIn a March 30 address sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro noted that an even more energetic and comprehensive international response to piracy is needed.\nAs outlined by Assistant Secretary Shapiro, the United States is engaging with its international partners to develop a broad range of new counter-piracy options, including steps to:\nReinforce international naval patrols in response to more aggressive and widespread pirate activity in the region; Expand the capacity of the international community and states in the region to prosecute and incarcerate suspected pirates captured at sea, as well as their leaders and financiers; Target financial flows from piracy, possibly by using approaches similar to those used to target other organized transnational criminal networks; Encourage the maritime industry to adopt best management practices, self-protection measures which have been effective in deterring piracy; Strengthen the capacity of Somalia and other countries in the region to combat piracy, in particular by contributing to the UN Trust Fund Supporting Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia; and Continue diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of piracy by supporting initiatives to build governance, security, and economic livelihoods on land in Somalia. Full text of Assistant Secretary Shapiro’s address is available at: http://www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rm/159419.htm\nPRN: 2011/510", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7924660444259644}
{"content": "Posted by migrationpolicy on November 19th, 2009\nDisproportionate minority contact (DMC) is an umbrella term for the disproportionate representation of individuals of color in the criminal and juvenile justice system. Past research has found that language barriers faced by parents may potentially lead to deeper court involvement for youth in the justice system. In New York City, a collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders has sought to address this systemwide issue. This webinar focuses on how a multi-agency collaborative effort aims to provide LEP parents with the information necessary to understand their role in the juvenile justice system. Speakers include representatives from the workgroup from the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s Office, the Legal Aid Society, New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development, and the Vera Institute of Justice.\nRelated Documents: We Want to Know What They Are Saying: A Multiagency Collaborative Effort to Address Parental Language Barriers and Disproportionate Minority Contact", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9983334541320801}
{"content": "Abstract:Lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) enzymes were used to pre-treat empty fruit bunch (EPFB) before pyrolysis. Statistical analysis indicated that at 71.6%, LiP demonstrated greater lignin degradation compared to 67.9% MnP. Interestingly, the pretreatment sample has resulted in higher bio-oil yield compared to the untreated sample. Both LiP-treated and MnP-treated EPFB yielded approximately 30 wt% of bio-oil compared to 20 wt% of yield for the untreated sample.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000005960464478}
{"content": "Hot, dry summer predicted Australia will be hotter and drier than normal this spring and summer as a weak El Niño pattern develops across the Pacific Ocean.\nThis will be in stark contrast to the past two years, which were dominated by La Niña conditions that contributed to heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures across much of the country, Weatherzone meteorologist Josh Fisher said.\nThis year's El Niño will also combine with a phenomenon known as the \"Indian Ocean Dipole\" (IOD). During the next few months, we are expected to experience a drier phase of the IOD as a result of cooler waters off the north-west coast of Australia. The drier phase, combined with weakening easterly trade winds across the tropical Pacific, will lead to lower moisture levels over much of the country and warmer daytime temperatures.\nTemperatures this spring and summer are expected to be near average or warmer for all capital cities - and are also likely to be warmer than temperatures in the past two years. These warmer days also come with in an increased risk of heatwaves, particularly for the southern capitals of Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra.\nWhile heatwaves in Sydney are rarer, they cannot be ruled out. The city experienced an unexpected heatwave in February 2011, a strong La Niña year, which is usually associated with cooler conditions.\nBushfire risk will be higher this season, exacerbated by increased vegetation growth following two years of wet weather. Southern states are at greatest risk due to the prevalence of stronger winds in summer.\nAnother feature of the warm season is thunderstorm activity. Widespread storms have already battered eastern Australia in the past week.\nQuantifying the thunderstorms that we will see is difficult as the correlation to long-term climate drivers (such as El Niño) is low. Storm activity is more dependent on short-range weather patterns.\nHowever, there is an elevated risk of severe thunderstorms, particularly in eastern Australia, due to expectations of high surface temperatures and moderate moisture levels. Compared to the past two years, there is an increased risk of large hail with storms. Localised flash-flooding remains a risk, but we are not likely to see the widespread flooding of the past two years.\nCurrent indications show that tropical cyclone activity will be near-normal for the Australian region this season. While El Niño years typically produce lower cyclone activity over this region, the upcoming El Niño is not expected to be strong and is not expected to have a large impact on the number of cyclones.\nsmh.com.au Sydney weather statistics can be seen here. Weatherzone.com.au is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8295294046401978}
{"content": "Lower-sodium recipes are ideal for individuals who are concerned about high blood pressure or who have liver conditions. At Company’s Coming, we cater to individuals who have many different dietary concerns, including those looking for lower-sodium recipes, low-carb recipes and low-fat recipes. And as part of the Company’s Coming promise, each lower-sodium recipe has been kitchen-tested for Guaranteed Great™ results.\nReduced Sodium Recipes—Eating Right Can Be Delicious If you thought all sodium-reduced recipes were bland and uninteresting, you haven’t tried the incredible, free lower-sodium recipes from Company’s Coming.\nOur savoury Seafood Stew combines halibut, shrimp and mussels with garlic, white wine, onion and chopped red pepper. Our Beef and Eggplant Burgers are both lower-sodium and low-fat. And for a fun, delicious appetizer, how about bold Bruschetta with fresh roma tomatoes, basil and flavourful red onion? Easy Healthy Recipes From Company’s Coming At Company’s Coming, we have created a Lifestyle Series of cookbooks dedicated to offering low-fat, low-carb or lower-sodium recipes. These cookbooks are designed to offer individuals with specific health concerns out-of-the-ordinary, inspired meals that maintain healthy bodies and satisfied palates. We hope you enjoy our free healthy recipes!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9577385783195496}
{"content": "In response to a petition to list the Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Basin as threatened or endangered and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a finding (pdf) that \"the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating the petitioned actions may be warranted.\" The petition (pdf) was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Wild, Environmental Protection Information Center, and The Larch Company. NMFS is soliciting information pertaining to the species and its habitat until June 13, 2011.\nNMFS previously defined an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of Chinook salmon to include all spring-run and fall-run populations from the Trinity River and the Klamath River upstream from the confluence of the Trinity River. This ESU is referred to as the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Chinook salmon ESU. The petition focuses on the status of the spring-run population as the basis for listing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9541048407554626}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: Our previous studies have shown that the majority of African women were infected with multiple HIV-1 genetic variants, while in the remaining women only a single viral genotype was detected early in infection. Infection with multiple viral variants was associated with higher plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and faster CD4 T-cell decline.\nMETHOD: Socio-behavioral characteristics, use of hormonal contraceptives, and the presence of sexually transmitted diseases were prospectively assessed at approximately monthly intervals around the time of HIV-1 acquisition in female sex workers in Kenya. We assessed the relationship between these factors and HIV-1 genetic complexity early in infection.\nRESULTS: One hundred and fifty-six women were included in this analysis, of whom 89 had multiple viral genotypes and 67 had a single genotype at primary infection. Women with multiple variants were more likely to have a genital tract infection [odds ratio (OR), 4.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-18.1] or to be using hormonal contraceptives (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.6) at the time of their infection than those with a single variant. In multivariate analyses, these factors were independent predictors of early HIV-1 genetic complexity, and the presence of multiple viral variants early in infection remained significantly associated with a higher steady state plasma HIV-1 RNA level.\nCONCLUSION: The presence of genital tract infections and hormonal contraceptive use at the time of transmission were associated with the acquisition of multiple HIV-1 variants.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9152113795280457}
{"content": "Please enable javascript to view this page in its intended format.\nStaff, faculty and students gathered in the parking lot at Division and Union Streets on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, to recycle their e-waste and earn chances to win prizes. Participants were invited to bring e-waste from both work and home, resulting in almost 3.5 metric tonnes being collected at the event in just one day - more than 10% of the roughly 30 metric tonnes of e-waste that Physical Plant Services recycles annually. Recycled items included 2,179 kilograms of computer towers and 590 kilograms of monitors.\nThe event was organized in partnership with Queen's Sustainability and ITServices as part of GreenFest, a five-day campus-wide event. \"This was a great opportunity for the Queen's community to find out more about how to manage their e-waste responsibly\", said Nancy Simon, one of the event organizers from ITServices. \"It was especially rewarding to partner on this initiative with other campus groups, including Queen's Sustainability, as we set our environmental goals for the future.\"\nParticipants enjoyed events such as the \"Laptop Toss\" and the \"Handheld Accuracy Throw\". Hard drives were removed onsite and degaussed by the Campus Computer to ensure the privacy of Queen's personal and confidential data.\nThe Recycle IT Games addressed both Education and Waste Diversion, two of GreenFest's five themes. Prizes for GreenFest were sponsored by the Campus Computer Store and include an iPad. Winners will be announced on March 20. More information on Queen's GreenFest is available on their website.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5154238939285278}
{"content": "Ninety years ago, Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman began an ambitious search for the brightest kids in California, administering IQ tests to several thousand of children across the state. Those scoring above an IQ of 135 (approximately the top 1 percent of scores) were tracked for further study. There were two young boys, Luis Alvarez and William Shockley, who were among the many who took Terman’s tests but missed the cutoff score. Despite their exclusion from a study of young “geniuses,” both went on to study physics, earn PhDs, and win the Nobel prize.\nHow could these two minds, both with great potential for scientific innovation, slip under the radar of IQ tests? One explanation is that many items on Terman’s Stanford-Binet IQ test, as with many modern assessments, fail to tap into a cognitive ability known as spatial ability. Recent research on cognitive abilities is reinforcing what some psychologists suggested decades ago: spatial ability, also known as spatial visualization, plays a critical role in engineering and scientific disciplines. Yet more verbally-loaded IQ tests, as well as many popular standardized tests used today, do not adequately measure this trait, especially in those who are most gifted with it.\nSpatial ability, defined by a capacity for mentally generating, rotating, and transforming visual images, is one of the three specific cognitive abilities most important for developing expertise in learning and work settings. Two of these, quantitative and verbal ability, are quite familiar due to their high visibility in standardized tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). A spatial ability assessment may include items involving mentally rotating an abstract image or reasoning about an illustrated mechanical device functions. All three abilities are positively correlated, such that someone with above average quantitative ability also tends to have above average verbal and spatial ability. However, the relative balance of specific abilities can vary greatly between individuals. While those with verbal and quantitative strengths have opportunities to be identified by standardized tests or school performance, someone with particularly strong spatial abilities can go unrecognized through these traditional means.\nA recent review, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, analyzed data from two large longitudinal studies. Duke University’s Jonathan Wai worked with two of us (Lubinski and Benbow) and showed how neglecting spatial abilities could have widespread consequences. In both studies, participants' spatial abilities, along with many others, were measured in adolescence. The participants with relatively strong spatial abilities tended to gravitate towards, and excel in, scientific and technical fields such as the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Surprisingly, this was after accounting for quantitative and verbal abilities, which have long been known to be predictive of educational and occupational outcomes. In a time when educators and policy-makers are under pressure to increase the number students entering these fields, incorporating knowledge of spatial ability into current practices in education and talent searches may be the key to improving such efforts.\nThe first source of data reviewed by Wai was a massive longitudinal study, Project Talent. While several studies have investigated the role of spatial abilities in tasks involving visual searching or path finding, Wai and colleagues focused on the relationship between spatial abilities and interests. finding that adolescents with strong spatial abilities also show greater interest than most in working with their hands, manipulating and tinkering with tangible things. While building, repairing, and working with inanimate objects might bore some, spatially gifted adolescents reported a preference for such activities. When those same individuals were contacted again in their late 20s, they had pursued and persisted in scientific and technical fields, earning bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees in these areas at higher rates than their peers. These findings suggest that the same child who likes to dismantle and reassemble old electronics may be particularly well-suited for doing the same in adulthood with electrons, molecules, or microchips.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5601657629013062}
{"content": "Efficacy of Three Head-Pointing Devices for a Mouse Emulation Task By Anson, Denis, MS, OTR/L; Lawler, Gretchen, OTS; Kissinger, Alexis, OTS; Timko, Megan, OTS; Tuminski, Jason, OTS; Drew, Brian, OTS; Assistive Technology, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 140-150Publication Date: Winter 2002Study compares the functional performance of the HeadMaster Plus, Tracker 2000, and Tracer, which are head-pointing mouse emulation devices designed for computer users with upper extremity disabilities that prevent them from using a standard mouse. Each device was used to produce a series of drawings of similar complexity until the participants achieved a stable level of performance. The number of trials required to achieve mastery, the speed of drawing at mastery, and the accuracy of drawings was compared and contrasted among the devices. Each of the products proved to be the fastest for some participants, but the HeadMaster Plus produced the most consistently fast drawing times. Results indicated that although performance of the devices was similar, participant performance was driven by comfort more than by performance. The two fastest devices, the HeadMaster Plus and Tracer, both resulted in complaints regarding comfort, while the Tracker 2000 was preferred for comfort even though it was slightly slower in performance.\nAssistive Products Discussed: TRACKER 2000HEADMASTER PLUS (MODEL HM-3P)\nBOOST TRACER\nPublished by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J46747", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6320852637290955}
{"content": "The 3-substituded indolic enamide moiety has been found in many marine compounds over the past 20 years. These indolic enamides exhibit various biological properties such as cytotoxic, anthelmintic, antimicrobial and HW-inhibitory activities. Among these indolic enamides, some are (E)-enamides, like coscinamide A and coscinamide B, others are (Z)-configuration in their natural form, like igzamide and halocyamine B. A general method to selectively construct (E)- and (Z)-indolic enamides was devised through an bydroxyl amide formed from amino alcohol followed by athermally assisted dehydration as the key step. Solvent effects were tested for the dehydration reaction. (Z)-Indolic enamides could be obtained in a moderate yield with xylene as the solvent for the dehydration reaction. (E)-Indolic enamides were the main products with N, N-dimethylformamide as the solvent. Total syntheses of three indolic enamides: coscinamide A, coscinamide B and igzamide have been described. The (E)- or (Z)-isomers of these natural compoundswere obtained during the syntheses as well. A synthetic study of halocyamine B is also reported in this thesis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8271524906158447}
{"content": "In a recent case, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court held that certain municipal regulations of gas drilling could not be challenged directly in state court but rather were under the exclusive jurisdiction of the municipal board. As such, these regulations could only be challenged by application to the municipal government and a hearing before the applicable municipal government board, followed by possible appeal to state court. The result is a potentially longer time for review of validity challenges to local ordinances involving gas drilling, unless the challenged ordinance is clearly an operational regulation. For a summary of this case click here.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6791651248931885}
{"content": "The research advances emanating from Yale’s Section of General Internal Medicine (GIM) require constant and consistent funding. Private philanthropy often provides critical early support to researchers who wish to pursue creative but untested approaches to important questions, allowing investigators to collect the initial data needed to successfully compete for external funding. Your generosity can fuel research that will lead to tomorrow’s treatments and cures. Current-use gifts may be directed for specific projects, while endowments can generate perpetual support for investigators just launching their careers or for a senior professor with a sustained record of accomplishment. To find out more about how to contribute to GIM’s research projects, contact Richard Galiette at 203-436-8529 or richard.galiette@yale.edu.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7162812948226929}
{"content": "It is possible to reduce your cholesterol significantly by modifying your diet.\nDr. David Williams recommends:\n1. Eating more alkaline producing foods and less acid producing foods.\n2. Eggs - The lecithin in the yolk can actually reduce blood chholesterol levels!\n3. Onions - Raises the good HDL cholesterol numbers and reduces the potential for blood clots!\n4. Fiber including oats, oat bran, legumes, apple pectin, grapefruit pectin, psyllium and guar gum.\n5. Fish and fish oil, which lowers triglycerides as well as cholesterol levels, lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and clogged arteries.\n6. Flaxseed - Flaxseed is rich in alpha linolenic acid, which has a similar effect as fish oil.\nYou should consult your physician prior to changing your diet or taking supplements since certain foods and/or supplements are contraindicated to take with specific drugs!\nFor more information:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5853974223136902}
{"content": "UChicago SSA CWRU Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Principal Investigators: Robert Chaskin, PhD; Mark Joseph, PhD Brief #6 - Why Do So Few Residents Return to Mixed-Income Developments? Insights into Resident Decision-Making In the largest public housing reform effort in any city in the U.S., several high-rise public housing developments in Chicago have been demolished and are being replaced by mixed-income developments. Advocates for public housing residents have worked hard to negotiate a “right to return” to these new developments, which contain a mix of public housing replacement, affordable, and market-rate housing. Yet, as in other cities across the country, only a small percentage of residents, about 11 percent, have so far returned to the mixed-income developments. As a result, relatively few relocated public housing residents are directly benefiting from the major investment being made in mixed-income housing.\nIn this brief, we explore the factors that influenced relocated public housing residents’ decisions to return or not return to a mixed-income development. Through interviews with relocated public housing residents of three mixed-income developments in Chicago—Jazz on the Boulevard, Oakwood Shores, and Westhaven Park—as well as a group of residents who chose not to return, we find that the following issues significantly influenced resident decision-making:\nAttachments to place and people Time pressures and other constraints Anticipated benefits from the mixed-income environment Trade-offs and risks associated with moves to mixed-income developments This brief is based on a longer paper, Mixed-Income Developments and Low Rates of Return: Insights from Relocated Public Housing Residents in Chicago (Joseph and Chaskin, 2012, Housing Policy Debate 22(3): 377-405).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9525174498558044}
{"content": "Parliament's Budgets Committee on Wednesday proposed a solution to break the deadlock with EU governments over financial support for Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic under the Solidarity Fund. These countries were hard hit by flooding in 2010 but the scheduled aid (€19.5 million) has not yet come through due to a dispute between Parliament and Council over where the money should come from.\nBackground to the dispute The Solidarity Fund contains no money as such. When natural disasters occur, aid funding must come from other budget lines, via a procedure called \"redeployment\". At the start of any given year, it is difficult to assess for which budget lines money might remain available at the end of the year. Therefore, in the course of the budget procedure for 2011, it was agreed that fresh money would be added in the case of unforeseen events requiring funding. However, despite a written declaration to do so, the Member States keep insisting on finding money within the budget, rather than adding the agreed 'fresh money'. This led to using a so-called 'negative reserve' for earlier support to countries hit by floods. Now the Council is proposing that the necessary €19.5 million be taken from the European Social Fund.\nParliament's proposal Parliament's Budgets Committee disagrees with this Council proposal. It would rather use the money that - according to the European Commission - will not be spent on major energy projects this year (due to delays in implementation) to finance the €19.5 million for these three countries. It also supports the proposal of rapporteur Sidonia Elżbieta JĘDRZEJEWSKA (EPP, PL) to use €182.4 million of these unspent energy funds to restore the negative reserve that was used for previous solidarity aid. And thirdly, the committee members agree with Ms Jędrzejewska's proposal to use €50 million of these unspent funds to add to the European Globalisation Fund (EGF).\nMs Jędrzejewska believes this is the best solution to all three issues: compensating Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic, balancing the negative reserve and refilling the EGF line. \"I hope that Council will share our position\", she concluded.\n15.06.2011 In the chair : Alain LAMASSOURE (EPP, FR)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6948896646499634}
{"content": "Signing Up Step 1: Things You Ought to Know Why should I rotate my car's tires? Rotating your tires regularly (yearly) ensures that they will wear at a similar rate, ensuring that your car handles like it should. A car with uneven tire wear may handle erratically, especially in poor road conditions, and can make emergency maneuvers unnecessarily dangerous.\nWhy shouldn't I rotate my car's tires? In some cases, tire rotation is unnecessary or even inadvisable. If your tires are equally worn front and back, you probably don't need to bother. Also, if your car uses different-sized tires in the front and rear (common in high-end rear-wheel drive vehicles), tire rotation can drastically and negatively impact your car's handling.\nIs there a pattern I should follow? Yes. The pattern in which you rotate your tires is entirely dependent on which wheels are driven on your car. For a front-wheel-drive car, the front tires should move straight back, with the rears moving diagonally across the car. Rear-wheel drive is just the opposite. For 4-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles, all four tires should move diagonally across the car. This ensures that tire wear is as consistent as possible, even if you tend to turn one direction more than the other.\nThe car used in the illustrations is front-wheel-drive.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9675024747848511}
{"content": "Available Formats You Pay You Save A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality\npaperback\n$13.60\n20%\nHomosexuality: is it learned, biological or both?\nThe answer to this question deeply concerns parents. They want to know how they can best raise their children. A common belief today is that nothing can be done to foster the development of healthy heterosexual orientation in children. But the clinical experience and professional research of Dr. Nicolosi and others indicates otherwise.\nIn this groundbreaking book Joseph and Linda Ames Nicolosi uncover the most significant factors that contribute to a child's healthy sense of self as male or female. Listening to moving recollections from ex-homosexual men and women who describe what was missing in their own childhoods, the Nicolosis provide clear insight for identifying potential developmental roadblocks and give practical advice to parents for helping their children securely identify with their gender.\nReplete with personal stories from parents, children and ex-homosexual strugglers, A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality offers compassion and hope for all those parents who seek to lay a foundation for a healthy heterosexual identity in their children.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7311808466911316}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nWhen I’m 64\nrepeat this information, but rather attempt to integrate that work with the emerging literature on the social psychology of stigma. Using a social-psychological approach, we explore the literature on age stigma with respect to both potential perpetrators (society, younger adults) and potential targets (older adults).1 Specifically, in the first section we review the literature on perceivers of older adults—namely, younger adults—and their stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors vis-à-vis older individuals. In the second section we focus on the targets—older adults—and their self-concepts, self-stereotyping, and coping in the face of ageism.\nAGE STIGMA FROM THE PERCEIVER’S PERSPECTIVE\nChronological age, similar to sex and race, is a dimension on which individuals categorize others rather automatically (Brewer, 1988; Fiske, 1998). Cues to age are perceived from physical appearance, such as hair and facial morphology, as well as from verbal and nonverbal aspects of individuals’ communications (Bieman-Copland and Ryan, 2001; Hummert, Garstka, and Shaner, 1997; Montepare and Zebrowitz-McArthur, 1988). Upon presentation of these cues, age is readily perceived, perhaps even unconsciously, often shaping interactions between younger and older individuals. For instance, younger individuals often use stereotypes associated with advanced age to make inferences regarding older adults’ intentions, goals, wishes, and capacities and guide their behavior accordingly. First we examine the perceptions, attitudes, and stereotypes associated with older adults. Next, we consider the ways in which these stereotypes and attitudes shape behavior toward older adults. Last, we investigate potential directions for future research that may eventually change ageist stereotypes and attitudes.\nAttitudes and Stereotypes\nIn general, individuals express predominantly negative attitudes and beliefs toward older adults, especially in comparison to their attitudes to-\n1\nWe would like to emphasize that our approach is not the only framework through which to investigate attitudes and stereotypes about aging and older adults. The structure of the review conforms to the norms of social psychological literature on social stigma. We acknowledge the limitations of such an approach, for instance, limiting the discussion of aging to stereotypes, attitudes, and discrimination; however, we believe that such a focus affords the integration of previous research on beliefs about aging and older adults with basic research and theoretical work on stigma in social psychology. Such an integration is likely to reveal both the consistencies as well as the contradictions between these literatures, as well as suggest new directions for investigation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7346577644348145}
{"content": "Driven entirely by a drop in revolving credit, consumer credit unexpectedly fell $3.3 billion in July. This broke a streak of ten consecutive monthly increases. June’s consumer credit was revised upwards from $6.5 billion, to $11.8 billion. Consumer credit shrank at a 1.5% annualized rate, well below previous months. July’s decline in consumer credit was driven entirely by a $4.8 billion drop in revolving credit. Revolving credit has recovered some, but still remains 17% below its prerecession peak. Non-revolving credit has increased for eleven consecutive months but at a much smaller rate than previous months. Non-revolving credit grew only $1.6 billion in July, its smallest gain in nearly a year. Read the Federal Reserve release.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992300868034363}
{"content": "by Devon M. Herrick, Linda Gorman\nNational Center for Policy Analysis\nMarch 21, 2013\nThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) was initially expected to provide coverage for 32 million uninsured individuals and families when fully implemented. About half of the newly covered were expected to obtain private coverage, while the other half would enroll in an expanded Medicaid program. The ACA contains financial incentives designed to strongly encourage states to expand Medicaid eligibility. The Obama administration, and advocates for the poor, and have touted the benefits of expanding Medicaid: The federal government promises to pay most costs for those newly eligible. However, a thorough discussion of the costs, obstacles, alternatives and potential pitfalls is critically important.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8412786722183228}
{"content": "Flow Measurement Systems We have the real-time solution to your production questions. Our flow measurement systems offer you the production data to eliminate the risk associated with not knowing what’s going on with your well. Flow measurement enables a better understanding of reservoir performance. Our solutions ensure you have a tool you can rely on with highly accurate data through the life cycle.\nEver wished you had more data in between production logging tool runs? Ever wondered what happens the moment you shut in a well? How about the fear there may be crossflow between zones or even worse between wells?\nOur innovative solutions ensure instrumenting your well reduces overall hydrocarbon delivery cost while increasing production forecast reliability. By connecting you to our experts, we’ll connect the dots to build a better picture of your reservoir productivity.\nAllocate your production confidently Our SureFlo™ downhole flow measurement system is all-electronic, offering accurate and reliable data from downhole to surface. These data enable you to allocate production with confidence whether zonal or well allocation. This portfolio comprises\nSureFlo 298Ex™ flowmeter—the innovative fullbore design minimizes pressure loss associated with downhole tools, ensuring your well can produce under its natural lift. This design also enables intervention to be performed through the flowmeter without any additional production downtime\nSureFlo 298™ flowmeter— receive highly accurate data—based our 15 yr experience—by customizing a wireline retrievable venturi design.\nUltimate execution means being there for you when you need us most. Gone are the days where we install and commission your tools and leave you to fend for yourself during your production phase. Our commitment is to deliver a service that ensures you have durable technology for improved operational efficiency. We customize this solution from a simple task of maintenance to being your 24/7 partner through the production cycle.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7950904369354248}
{"content": "Centre College values education, as stated in its oft-quoted trademark, \"Personal Education, Extraordinary Success.\" Even in its motto, \"Doctrina Lux Mentis,\" we find that indeed \"Learning is the Light of the Mind.\" True to a liberal arts education, Centre encourages its students to go beyond the classroom for knowledge—whether in a residence hall or across the ocean. Centre prides itself on its array of study abroad options and annually sends students to nearly every corner of the globe.\nI would've found many of those options compatible with my educational interests, since a liberal arts education knows no boundaries, but my personal interests have always been in the Middle East, particularly the Arab world. When I approached the study abroad office, my academic advisers, and the registrar's office about taking a leave of absence for a semester to study in Amman, Jordan, for six months, I received encouragement and ideas. As I meticulously assembled my journey from the patchwork, I've discovered that when a liberal arts education and study abroad combine, an adventure is born.\nI admit that self-designing one's own study abroad experience is a daunting and challenging experience, which may not allure most people. My own experience leading up to my present arrival has been marked with stress and uncertainty at times, yet through it all, I found the necessary support from my academic advisers and the study abroad office who caringly listened to my worries, advised when they could, but most importantly, encouraged me to push ahead and not give up.\nIn time, Centre College may offer its own program in the Middle East, but for those whose interests may not necessarily fit the current offerings, know that Centre will not limit one's pursuit of knowledge, no matter the location.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8421937823295593}
{"content": "September 22, 2009 – Safety violations, suspended licenses and possible drug use have forced hundreds of bus and tractor-trailer companies to be shut down. However, many of these companies have managed to resume business by reemerging under a different name, often evading fines and avoiding performing the necessary corrective actions.\nBetween 2007 and 2008, at least 20 of the roughly 220 commercial bus companies and over 1,000 commercial trucking firms that had been fined and ordered out of service by federal regulators reemerged under a new name, often using the same owner name, address, employees and contact numbers.\nUnfortunately, it is difficult to track those carriers who have been previously cited for safety issues and ordered “out-of-service”. It is estimated that although the number of these reemerging carriers is small, they pose a significant safety threat to motorists across the country.\nIn an effort to stem this practice, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) has put in place new oversight measures. One measure includes a computer program, which can compare and match new applicants to poor-performing motor carriers dating back to 2003. However, this program cannot detect minor spelling changes or other deception efforts. Another measure is the requirement that all newly licensed carriers must undergo a safety audit within 18 months of approval.\nOnce FMCSA has determined the existence of a rogue and reemerged business, they must overcome many legal obstacles, such as proving corporate successorship, to force them out of service.\nThe Law Firm of Jason Crawford has represented accident victims and their families for more than 14 years. If you or your family needs to talk to an experienced accident lawyer, please call us today at (303) 741-0249.\nFor more information, please visit our website www.DenversAccidentLawyer.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5301639437675476}
{"content": "This brief provides an analysis on how the global crises has contributed to exacerbating an already deteriorated context in the Arab region which is marked by political repression, lack of democracy, economic and social marginalisation, and human rights violations. Within this context, this brief highlights the gender gaps and employment disparities in Arab countries, and it examines how chronic development challenges and the global crises triggered peoples revolutions with women at the centre of the revolutions and uprisings witnessed in the Arab region since the end of 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997807145118713}
{"content": "The BRICS countries represent almost 3 billion people, with a combined GDP of US$14.9 trillion and an estimated US$4 trillion in foreign reserves - see video.\nInvestment in the BRICS markets represent a diverse yet significant opportunity - given the need for Irish companies to expand so as to achieve scale.\nSee KPMG’s Expanding into BRICS video: http://youtu.be/Wyy7nX1rysg\nThe government has encouraged Irish companies to look at BRICS countries as a largely untapped opportunity. And, speaking at the launch of the guides, KPMG Tax Partner, Sharon Burke, observed that though \"Government support for Irish business looking to the BRICS markets has been well flagged\", the \"potential benefits of overseas expansion are clear but the serious pitfalls may be hidden\". In that context she held that \"these specially tailored guides with their country specific information will be a useful resource for Irish business as they look to expand internationally\".\nPersonal Tax Incentives\nSharon Burke also highlighted the personal tax incentives for those working for Irish companies in BRICS countries: \"The government introduced a Foreign Earnings Deduction Incentive some time ago. This is a relief currently available to Irish-based individuals spending part of their working time in BRICS countries. Where an individual meets the qualifying criteria for the Foreign Earnings Deduction, the income they receive in relation to their work-days in the overseas location may be exempted from Irish tax\".\nIn a further comment, she noted that \"the recent extension of relief under the Foreign Earnings Deduction is a welcome addition to the last budget and is aimed primarily at companies expanding into these locations\".", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5102789402008057}
{"content": "Root Canal Endodontic (root canal) treatment allows the dentist to remove infected nerve and pulp from the tooth while preserving the structure of the tooth for restoration and function.\nWhen the nerve or pulp within the tooth becomes inflamed or necrotic (dead) it can cause toothache and infection. Endodontic treatment (root canal) is a method that preserves the placement and function of a natural tooth even when the nerve and pulp must be removed. Once the nerve and pulp are removed, the tooth is filled with inert material and restored with a filling or crown.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9844373464584351}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nDRI DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES: Applications in Dietary Assessment\nFor some nutrients (e.g., fluoride, phosphorus, vitamin C) the distribution of usual intake would need to include intake from all sources, while for others (e.g., magnesium, folate, niacin, vitamin E) only the distribution of usual supplement intake would be needed.\nFigure 6-1 provides a hypothetical example of the relationship between population median intakes and the risk function for intakes at all levels. It can be seen that the percentage of the population at risk would differ depending on the steepness of the risk function. As noted above, however, the risk function (the dose-response curve) for all nutrients is unknown.\nFigure 6-2 illustrates a distribution of usual nutrient intakes in a population; the proportion of the population with usual intakes above the UL represents the potential at-risk group. An evaluation of the public health significance of the risk to the population consuming a nutrient in excess of the UL would be required to determine if action was needed.\nIf no discernible portion of the population consumes the nutrient in excess of the UL, no public health risk should exist. However, if\nFIGURE 6-1 Hypothetical example of risk of adverse effects compared to population intake. The fraction of the population having usual nutrient intakes above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is potentially at risk; the probability of adverse effects increases as nutrient intakes increase above the UL, although the true risk function is not known for most nutrients. NOAEL = no-observed-adverse-effect level, LOAEL = lowest-observed-adverse-effect level.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5066019296646118}
{"content": "Mixing Mechanics: Improving blend uniformity by controlling particle size\nOne of the biggest causes of nonuniform powder blends is a wide difference in the ingredients' particle size distribution. If the ingredients' particle sizes are widely distributed, the particles can segregate regardless of your mixer type. It happens with rotating shell units, such as V-blenders and double-cone mixers, and stationary shell units, such as ribbon and plow blenders. When a blend's particles have uniform size or a very narrow size range, segregation is rarely an issue. In this column I'll explore the segregation that takes place both in the mixer and during or following discharge and how you can prevent it.\nWhen segregation occurs As a general rule, you're more likely to run into segregation problems if your powder blend is free-flowing. If your powder blend flows with difficulty, then it probably won't segregate. This is because the cohesive forces that make the blend balky hold the particles together, preventing segregation...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9860714077949524}
{"content": "Saturday May 25, 2013 Washington News Boehner Predicts No Major Tax Reform\nThe Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction continues to meet daily in its efforts to find a deficit solution. If seven of the 12 Supercommittee members do not agree on a solution that meets the $1.2 trillion or greater standard, then automatic spending reductions take effect. Over 10 years, there could be $600 billion in Defense Department reductions and $600 billion in reductions in payments to Medicare providers.\nSpeaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) stated on October 27 that he does not expect the Joint Select Committee to recommend major tax reform. He stated, \"I've never believed the Supercommittee could rewrite the tax code. I think that's the appropriate role of the committee process in the House and Senate and I would expect it would stay that way.\"\nWhile Supercommittee members have not commented publicly, it has been widely reported in Washington that both the Democratic members and Republican members have submitted plans.\nThe Democratic proposal would reduce the deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years. This plan includes approximately $1.3 trillion in revenue and $1.7 trillion in spending cuts. The spending cuts reportedly include a $500 billion reduction in Medicaid. Republican members have publicly indicated opposition to the tax increases in that plan.\nThe Republican plan includes $2 trillion in spending reductions. Approximately $685 billion of this total is through healthcare savings. House Ways and Means ranking minority member Sander Levin (D-MI) indicated that supercommittee Democrats would not accept the Republican proposal.\nEditor's Note: The deadline for an agreement is rapidly approaching. While the bill must be published by November 23, 2011, it has to be scored by the Congressional Budget Office in order to be certain that it meets the $1.2 trillion target number. CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf stated that he would need two weeks to do the economic scoring of the bill. Therefore, his hope is that the Supercommittee bill will be available the first week of November.CRFB Proposes \"Going Big\" Maya MacGuineas, President of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), recently published recommendations for the Supercommittee. MacGuineas suggests that the Supercommittee should \"go big\" and seek to develop a $4 trillion solution.\nCRFB states that the solution will involve both \"shared sacrifice\" and \"economic gains.\" The shared sacrifice will necessarily involve a combination of reductions in discretionary government spending, entitlements and other government programs, while also requiring some measure of increased revenue.\nCRFB suggested that a $4 trillion deficit solution is necessary to stabilize the debt. Under the current policies, the public debt is expected to reach 79% of the economy by 2021. With a $4 trillion solution, the public debt would be 67% of the economy in that year, and potentially could stabilize and be reduced as a percentage of the economy in the future.\nThe CFRB solution involves a combination of specific changes to both spending and revenue.\nEditor's Note: This organization and your editor take no specific position on the CFRB solution. This analysis is a reasonably clear picture of the substantial actions necessary to produce savings of this magnitude. It is offered as a service for that reason.Published October 28, 2011\nPrevious Articles", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8544917702674866}
{"content": "Today's consumers seek to address health problems and reduce the incidence of obesity and conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. They want food and beverage products that are good for them, but which also taste good.\nThis consumer shift is creating a growing Health and Wellness market opportunity and our objective is to capture a significant share of it by capitalising on our technology innovation portfolio TasteSolutions™. One example is TasteSolutions™ Salt.\nFragrances uplift everyday tasks by communicating freshness, cleanliness, softness, calmness or relaxation, and by contributing to our sense of well-being. Fragrances evoke a positive emotional response in each of us and fragrance technologies draw on various methods to ensure the perfume experience occurs at exactly the right moment in product use, whether for personal washing, laundry or home care. This technology has been commercialised in Mechacaps™.\nFlavour example: Salt reduction\nGivaudan's latest sensory innovation – Sense It™ Salt – is a key breakthrough in helping our customers respond to a global demand for reduced salt levels in foods, from soups, sauces and ready-meals to snacks and cereals. Sense It™ Salt is a unique sensory language that enhances our ability to accurately assess the consequences of reducing salt and the performance of flavours or ingredients that are used to restore the taste of salt. The ultimate goal is to meet increasing nutritional requirements and government regulations regarding sodium content without compromising the taste that consumers love. In achieving these goals, we further strengthen our role as a key partner to food manufacturers worldwide as they develop products in the Health and Wellness category.Fragrance example: Mechacaps™\nOur Mechacaps™ perfume encapsulation technology is a shell encapsulate which allows a significant increase in perfume material delivery on laundry, as well as a controlled-release of perfume over a period of time. This means that the scent experience from both the washing and drying of clothes is enhanced. This technology, combined with the underlying fragrance, has generated significant interest in the market with sales already having a positive impact on business performance. This technology is an example of our collaboration between flavour and fragrance research in the area of taste and smell delivery.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9567618370056152}
{"content": "Prostitution\nWhat is Prostitution? Prostitution is defined as a criminal act that includes thetrade, barter, or exchange of sexual acts with the hopes of the receipt of economic gain or opportunity. The sexual acts expressed within legislation addressing the act of Prostitution can include copulation, stimulation, copulation, or intercourse. The notion of ‘gain’ expressed in the definition of Prostitutionmay vary in its classification, due to the fact that the implicit nature of any ‘gain’ will itself varywith regard to personal circumstance case-by-case basis. While the nature of products or services exchanged within the activity of Prostitution will vary, the qualification of Prostitution is contingent in a commercial exchange for sexual favor(s).\nTypes of Prostitution Akin to the varied definition of ‘gain’, the varied methodology and facilitation exists within the classification of Prostitution; the following are common forms of Prostitution: Human trafficking is defined as illegal transport of human beings with the expressed intent of engaging and arranging forced sexual activityin the form of Prostitution; this type of Prostitution can involve victims ranging from adults to children Brothels are commercially-based criminal operations in which the clandestine facilitation of Prostitution occurs within a structured and organized commercialized endeavor Child Prostitution is a type of Prostitution that involves individuals classified minors within the legal spectrum; these individuals are considered to be below the age of consent to engage sexual activity; Prostitution through the facilitation of children is considered to be one of the foremost egregious crimes that an individual can commit – a child Prostitution can exist in tandem with child abuse, child molestation, and the endangerment of a child’s welfare Legal Terminology Associated with Prostitution The following legal terminology is commonly associated upon the mention ofProstitution:Solicitation Within the scope of a Prostitution charge, Solicitation is defined as the interpersonal criminal act involvinga solicitorwho presents an opportunity or prospect to another individual – or individuals. Within the expressed solicitation of Prostitution, Prostitution can be defined as the intention proposition to participate in sexual activity resulting in the illegal and unlawful exchange of goods, services, or monies; Due to the fact that prostitution is rooted in Solicitation, an individual can be charged with prostitution regardless of participation in any actual sexual activityEntrapment Entrapment is the criminal act of soliciting the participation of an individualwithin the prospect of criminal activity in order to incriminate them upon agreement rather than indict them for a charge relating to the actual criminal activity in question. Within the scope of Prostitution, the actual solicitation must present itself in a manner that presents the notion that an individual acted on their own behalf in lieu of a manufactured circumstanceWhat Dangers are Latent within Prostitution? Since Prostitution is deeply-rooted and facilitated within sexual activity, it is considered to be contributory to a variety of negative outcomes that include the spreading of disease, physical harm, and accidental – and unplanned – pregnancy. Due to the fact Prostitution is a crime, the methods of personal protection undertaken by prostitutes is typically illegal in its construct, as well; prostitutes are oftentimes exploited by those patronizing their services, as well as threatened by individuals colloquially known as ‘pimps’, who demand illicit fees for spurious protection provided.\nNEXT: Sexting", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7023324370384216}
{"content": "By Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D., and Tania Stegen-Hanson, OTR/L\nDoes your child refuse to eat foods from a specific food group?\nDoes your dinner table turn into a battle ground during mealtimes?\nAre you working with a student who is anxious or scared of eating new foods?\nIf your answer is yes , then Just Take A Bite is the perfect resource with easy, effective answers to these troubling questions. This long-awaited book is written for parents and professionals working with children with food aversions and eating challenges.\nDr. Lori Ernsperger and Ms. Tania Stegen-Hanson provide clear and concise strategies and practical lessons for assisting children in eating a balanced diet. This valuable resource contains a comprehensive treatment plan for solving mealtime struggles.\nJust Take A Bite clearly explains:\nCharacteristics and criteria of a resistant eater\nTypical oral motor development and the stages of eating\nHow sensory integration dysfunction can compromise the child's performance at mealtimes\nFactors contributing to resistant eaters\nSpecific oral-motor activities\nA comprehensive treatment plan\nFundamentals of how to create positive mealtime environments\nSensory lesson plans for exploring new foods", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.868971049785614}
{"content": "Making a Difference with your Money monicadear Money is an expression of our energy, and the way it flows in and out of our life is indicative of our values.\nHow does money come into your life? Usually, it enters through:\nyour earnings through your workplace investments and dividends rents and royalties inheritance an ongoing gift alimony How does money go out of your life? Usually, it leaves through:\nyour purchases the vendors and providers you spend money with gifts, presents, payments to others philanthropic donations or charitable contributions you make Did you know that your money is your vote?\nDid you know that every dollar, yen, rupee, euro, or unit of currency you spend is an example of your belief system?\nDid you know that your feelings whenever you receive a payment can give you great insight about how you feel about your mission and purpose?\nDid you know that the flow of money into and out of your life is a representation of who you are?\nYour money is a reflection of your presence in the world. Your feelings about money are a reflection of your feelings about life, your purpose, your character, and your presence on the planet. Your emotional response to earning money and spending money can give you clues into your internal, deeply-held assumptions about yourself.\nIf you enjoy and feel gratitude about earning and spending money, or if you feel dirty and ashamed about earning and spending money --- or somewhere in between --- you can take a step back and understand your feelings. By understanding your emotional responses, you can gain greater clarity about your motivations and fundamental understandings about money.\nYour earning and spending behaviors are windows into your soul, just as money is an expression of your spiritual presence, just as your day-to-day interactions and routines are an expression of your physical presence.\nWe each have a choice about where and how we earn our money, and where and how we spend our money.\nBy becoming more consciously aware every time we spend or earn money, and by making choices that bring us closer to our desired values and goals, we gain more clarity. Check in with yourself anytime you pay a bill, buy something, or receive a check or cash --- and become more closely aligned with your individual mission, vision, and values.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9031466245651245}
{"content": "27. October 2010 23:31\nThe second stage is now set in an epic legal question over a weighty and emotional matter of public policy: Whether patents connected to naturally occurring genes can be granted by the federal government.\nFor Myriad Genetics, a lawsuit over its patents that concern two human genes related to ...\n[More]\n21. June 2010 22:43\nOn Tuesday, June 9, 2010, several plaintiffs, including a breast cancer patient and a cancer advocacy group, sued in a Sydney, Australia federal court to invalidate Myriad Genetics’ patents on the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA-1 and 2. According to published reports and comment...\n[More]\n18. June 2010 00:39\nJust over two months ago, in a widely publicized decision we characterized as “a nearly complete victory for the plaintiffs and their supporters,” a district court judge in New York invalidated a number of Myriad Genetics’ patent claims, including the company’s paten...\n[More]\n8. June 2010 00:02\nA landmark court case is set to challenge the legality of an Australian-issued patent for a breast and ovarian cancer gene.\nIf successful, the case could set a precedent leading to other gene patents being overturned.\nThe case could also strengthen calls by researchers, doctors and heal...\n[More]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7112192511558533}
{"content": "nitrous oxide\nNitrous oxide (N2 O) is a dissociative drug that can cause analgesia, depersonalization, derealization, dizziness, euphoria, flanging of sound, and slight hallucinations. Nitrous oxide, dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide, is a chemical compound with chemical formula N\n2 O. Under room conditions, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anaesthetic and analgesic effects, where it is commonly known as \"laughing gas\" due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it.\nSince the earliest uses of nitrous oxide for medical or dental purposes, it has also been used recreationally, because it causes euphoria and slight hallucinations. Only a small number of recreational users (such as dental office workers or medical gas technicians) have legal access to pure nitrous oxide canisters that are intended for medical or dental use. Most recreational users obtain nitrous oxide from compressed gas containers which use nitrous oxide as a propellant for whipped cream or from automotive nitrous systems. Users typically inflate a balloon or plastic bag with nitrous oxide and inhale the gas for its effects. These include disorientation, fixated vision, throbbing or pulsating auditory hallucinations, similarly pulsating visual hallucinations, increased pain threshold, and deeper mental connections.\nJust say\nN 2 O with the Nitrous Oxide molecule shirt from MoleculeWear!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9566506147384644}
{"content": "Concept 14 Mendelian genetics cannot fully explain human health and behavior. Cross pure-bred pea plants to identify dominant flower color. HI! Charles Davenport's Eugenics Record Office (ERO) had a lot of human pedigrees, which tracked many different traits. These pedigrees were usually obtained by field workers and students of genetics. This pedigree is adapted from one sent to the ERO in 1933 by a student at the University of Wyoming. Three generations of this family are shown (I, II, III). In the second generation there is a pair of twin boys. According to this pedigree, is the inherited trait sex-linked? Yes. No, both males and females can inherit this trait. No. That is correct. Both males (squares) and females (circles) can inherit this trait. According to this pedigree, how is this trait inherited? There isn't enough data for a conclusive answer. That is correct. This is a dominant trait. Dominant inheritance can explain this pedigree. Affected people inherit a dominant allele from the affected parent. This is a recessive trait. Recessive inheritance can explain this pedigree. Affected people inherit a recessive allele from each parent. Dominant or recessive inheritance can explain this pedigree. If the trait is dominant, then the father in I is heterozygous for the trait. If the trait is recessive, then the father in I is homozygous for the trait and the mother in I is heterozygous. If this is an inherited dominant trait, then what can you conclude about the twins? These are Siamese twins. No, you can't possibly tell if these are Siamese twins or not. These are fraternal, non-identical twins. That is correct. These are identical twins. No, if these were identical twins, they would share the same genetic makeup. If this trait is dominantly inherited, then these twins must be non-identical, fraternal twins. Identical twins have the same genetic makeup and would have had the same phenotype. This in fact is a pedigree tracking the \"inherited\" interest in carpentry. Can this pedigree be explained without using genetics? How? All of the following. That is correct. Interest in carpentry was encouraged as a hobby by family members. Family members often share similar hobbies and activities. \"Interest\" is subjective, and is not easily measured. A interest in carpentry may be defined as building a house or watching others work with wood. The experimenter was biased and trying to prove a point. This pedigree was sent in by a student of genetics. It is possible that he wanted to prove his case. A pedigree like this can be explained without using genetics. An \"interest\" in carpentry can be encouraged by other family members. An \"interest\" is also difficult to quantify. The student who worked on this pedigree could have \"led\" participants to the \"correct\" answer. With pedigree analyses like these, eugenicists attributed a lot of human behavior to the science of genetics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8672656416893005}
{"content": "Gain measures how much of the energy sent from the radio to\nthe antenna is concentrated in a specific direction, and in which direction\nthe antenna has the greatest “reach” when receiving a signal.\nThe gain of the antenna is stated in decibels (dB) and measures\nthe increase in field strength of the antenna when compared to a reference\nantenna, which\ncan be either an isotropic antenna (dBi) or a dipole\nantenna (dBd). Comparisons\ncan be made between dBd and dBi as follows: dBd=dBi-2.15\nSome manufacturers\nuse their own “Marine Gain”, stated as plain “dB”,\nwhich is not a true measurement, and simply allows them to put higher gain\nfigures alongside their antennas. This can mislead customers into thinking\nthat they are getting more gain for their money.\nTo allow comparisons of our\nantennas with antennas which state performance in “Marine Gain” we\nlist both true gain in dBi and “Marine\nGain” in dB.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8105483055114746}
{"content": "Rana Malas wanted a garden that felt like the ones she grew up with near the Mediterranean Sea. That meant aromatic foliage plants like scented geraniums, lavender, rosemary, and thyme.\nMalas insisted on a few edibles, such as a fruiting olive tree. \"In the Middle East, an olive tree is a lucky plant,\" she says. \"It brings you riches.\" A grapevine was also a necessity. \"Living so close to the beach, I knew we might not get much fruit. But I love having the leaves handy to use in cooking.\"\nMalas's ideal garden had to include lots of clay pots in classic shapes. Many contain her favorite herbal plants, but others ― especially the large ones ― are left empty, to be appreciated for their own beauty.\nFortunately for Malas, her Mediterranean garden vision and Laguna Beach's weather were a perfect match. The plants she wanted all thrive in Southern California's climate. Her herbal garden may not be as colorful as some of the English cottage gardens in the neighborhood, Malas says, but it makes up for that by providing aromatherapy. Take a deep breath on a warm afternoon and all your tensions disappear, she says. \"It's very peaceful here, isn't it?\"\nDESIGN NOTES\nPlay up details. Pay attention to compact groupings of plants or objects. Such details can enrich a garden ― especially a small one. Use pots as focal points. Fill containers with herbs, such as oregano, trailing rosemary, salvias, or thyme. Display them in prominent places. Soften hardscape. Plant creeping thyme between pavers, and edge paths with soft-foliaged plants such as hardy geraniums and yarrow. Include a few workhorses. To add color to a mostly herbal garden, rely on a few shrubs that bloom nearly year-round, such as lavatera and groundcover roses. Design: Theresa Clark Studio, Capistrano Beach, CA (949/248-5404)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8586190938949585}
{"content": "Download the white paper: A highly conserved neutralizing epitope on group 2 #Influenza A viruses by #Crucell Don’t miss the opportunity to download the latest white paper by Robert Friesen, Vice President of Preclinical and Clinical Research at Crucell, which will share insights, strategies and challenges on novel development in immunotherapy and prophylaxis against Influenza A groups I and II at the European Antibody Congress 2011.\nThe identification and characterization of CR6261-like antibodies has already sparked considerable advances, including 1) their detection in some individuals and 2) design of immunization strategies that efficiently elicit stem antibodies in mice, ferrets, and monkeys (20, 25). Thus, the identification and characterization of CR8020 should facilitate similar advances for group 2 viruses, bringing us one step closer to the ultimate goal of a universal vaccine for influenza.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5167278051376343}
{"content": "September 2008 Design Considerations for Active Chilled Beams\nModular active chilled beams provide substantial cooling with excellent energy performance, often by using only ventilation air. This article covers how these beams reduce the total air handled by the ventilation system, and shows how they can be used with dedicated outdoor air systems, water-to-water heat pumps, closed-circuit fluid coolers, and geothermal heat pumps. This article also discusses how to use chilled beams for energy savings, especially in retrofit projects when space is at a premium.\nAuthors: By Darren Alexander, P.Eng.; and Mike O’Rourke Citation: ASHRAE Journal, vol. 50, no. 9, September 2008Pages: 50-54, 56, 58Publish Date: September 2008Publisher: ASHRAE\nFree Download: Downloadable - 092008Alexander.pdf", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9968389868736267}
{"content": "Friesl, M and Silberzahn, R (2012) Challenges in establishing global collaboration:temporal, strategic and operational decoupling. Long Range Planning, 45 (2-3). pp. 160-181. ISSN 0024-6301\nAbstract Collaboration among the subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) can lead to major synergies and efficiency gains. Despite these benefits, global collaboration is still only partly corporate reality. Research indicates that major obstacles still lie in establishing subsidiary collaboration. Initiating global collaboration requires strategic renewal with profound implications for MNEs’ local operations. In this article we investigate the process of strategic renewal leading to global collaboration and the challenges involved. We present a longitudinal case of an international IT company and its effort to establish global collaboration among its subsidiaries. The case analysis reveals that the establishment of global collaboration was affected by a decoupling of headquarters and subsidiaries along three dimensions: temporal, strategic and operational. Our findings have implications for research on global collaboration as well as strategic renewal. Practitioners can benefit from a discussion of challenges in the establishment of a collaborative strategy in MNEs and suggestions for how these challenges can be overcome.\nActions (login required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999889135360718}
{"content": "Document Type Article\nPublication Date 1999\nSource Publication Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services\nAbstract Research has established a significant relationship between certain parental characteristics. such as income or parenting practices, and the development of child behavior problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parenting program for low-income parents of children one to five years old which was offered through community-based family resource centers. Seventy-one mothers completed the program and showed significant decreases in their use of verbal and corporal punishment and significant increases in nurturing behaviors: their children’s behavior also improved significantly. Forty-five percent of parents also met Jacobson and Truax’s (1991) criteria for clinically significant change. Implications for practitioners working With this challenging population are discussed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5010982751846313}
{"content": "The keystone of every nutritional product line is a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement. At Thorne, they believe this is the starting point for every individual's supplementation needs and that these products should contain all the essential nutrients. They also believe that by using the purest, most bioavailable raw materials those without unnecessary additives and preservatives every individual's outcome will be optimized.\nWhy should everyone take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement? Nutrition experts agree that, due to the state of the current food supply and because few Americans eat the recommended five servings daily of health-giving fruits and vegetables, a multiple vitamin-mineral formulation should be taken daily.* Even the Journal of the American Medical Association, not known as a supporter of dietary supplements, has finally agreed that everyone should take a multi. A multi could be considered \"dietary insurance,\" a small price to pay to be sure you get all the essential nutrients daily, even if you don't eat right.* Even greater health benefits can be realized if you eat a healthy diet in addition to taking a multi.\nAl's Formula is a comprehensive multiple vitamin-mineral formula designed to support the metabolic functions of the mature man.* Al's Formula contains saw palmetto extract, extra zinc, and the amino acids alanine, glycine, and glutamic acid for nutritional support of the prostate.\nPure betaine and hawthorne extract are included to promote cardiovascular function.* Al's Formula does not contain iron, as iron is generally not necessary and potentially harmful for some older men.\nLike all Thorne Research multiple vitamin-mineral supplements, Al's Formula contains the active forms of vitamin B2 (riboflavin 5'-phosphate), vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5'-phosphate), vitamin B12 (adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin), and folic acid (folinic acid and L-5-MTHF).\nCost Per Serving: $1.77 Additional notes: Store in cool dry place Brand: Thorne Research SKU: THR004 Delivery type: Vegetarian Capsule Contraindications: As Vitamin K interferes with the effect of anticoagulant drugs (like Coumadin), the concurrent use of these agents should be avoided.Folinic acid and 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate supplementation is not recommended concurrently with methotrexate cancer ther MPN: VMM Serving size: 8 Capsules Servings per container: 30\nVitamin A (12,500 IU from Mixed Carotenes and 2,500 IU as Palmitate) 15,000 IU - Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 850 mg - Vitamin D (as Vitamin D3) 1,600 IU - Vitamin E (as d-Alpha Tocopheryl) 400 IU - Vitamin K (as Vitamin K1) 100 mcg - Thiamin (as Thiamin HCl) 40 mg - Riboflavin (as Riboflavin 5'-Phosphate) 11 mg - Niacin (130 mg as Niacinamide and 30 mg as Niacin) 160 mg - Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate) 16.9 mg - Folate (500 mcg as Calcium Folinate and 500 mcg as 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate) 1,000 mcg - Vitamin B12 (225 mcg as Adenosylcobalamin and 225 mcg as Methylcobalamin) 450 mcg - Biotin 400 mcg - Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium Pantothenate) 413 mg - Calcium (as Calcium Citrate-Malate) 300 mg - Magnesium (as Magnesium Citrate-Malate) 285 mg - Zinc (as Zinc Picolinate) 30 mg - Selenium (as Selenium Picolinate) 200 mcg - Copper (as Copper Picolinate) 1.5 mg - Manganese (as Manganese Picolinate) 6 mg - Chromium (as Chromium Chelidamate Arginate) 200 mcg - Molybdenum (as Molybdenum Picolinate) 100 mcg - Potassium (as Potassium Citrate-Malate) 90 mcg - Saw Palmetto extract (fruit) (Serenoa repens) 160 mg - Choline Citrate 100 mg - Glycine 100 mg - L-Alanine 100 mg - L-Glutamic Acid 100 mg - Hawthorn extract (flowering tops) (Crataegus laevigata) 50 mg - Boron (as Boron Picolinate) 3 mg - Vanadium (as Vanadium Picolinate) 100 mcg -\nIngredients Vitamin A,Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum, Potassium, Saw Palmetto extract, Cho\nOther Ingredients Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule, Silicon Dioxide, Leucine.\nSuggested Use Take 4-8 capsules daily or as recommended by a health-care practitioner.\nWarnings ALLERGY WARNING\nThis product is contraindicated in an individual with a history of hypersensitivity to any of its ingredients. Iodine may occasionally cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.\nPREGNANCY WARNING\nIf pregnant, consult your health-care practitioner before using this product.\nNo questions asked yet", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5424480438232422}
{"content": "The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) is based on a sample of students who enrolled in postsecondary education in institutions located in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the first time in a specific academic year. Two BPS surveys have been conducted thus far; one followed students who first began their postsecondary education in 198990 (BPS:90/94) and a second followed students who began in 199596 (BPS:96/01). Unlike other NCES longitudinal surveys (such as the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988), which follow age-specific cohorts of secondary school students, the BPS sample includes nontraditional students who have delayed their postsecondary education due to financial need or family responsibilities, or other reasons. Students who began their postsecondary studies before the base year of the study, or who stopped out, and then returned to their studies in the base year were not included, nor were students who were still enrolled in high school. Eligible students for the BPS samples were identified from participants in the two corresponding National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies (NPSAS:90 and NPSAS:96).\nThe BPS survey samples, while representative and statistically accurate, are not simple random samples. Instead, the samples are selected using a more complex three-step procedure with stratified samples and differential probabilities of selection at each level. First, postsecondary institutions are selected within geographic strata. Once institutions are organized by zip code and state, they are further stratified by institution control (i.e., public; private not-for-profit; or private for-profit) and highest degree offering (less-than-2-year; 2-year to 3-year; 4-year non-doctorate-granting; and 4-year doctorate-granting).\nA computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) was conducted with BPS students twice after the Base Year survey. The final follow-up survey for BPS:90/94 took place about 5 years after college entry (in 1994), while the final follow-up survey for BPS:96/01 took place 6 years after (in 2001). The CATI collected information concerning enrollment, program completion, education financing, employment, and family formation; graduate school access and enrollment; and civic participation.\nThe BPS survey data underwent several data quality evaluations, which included both online data editing procedures and post-data collection editing. The online data editing ensured that the data collected fell within legitimate ranges and where feasible, items were cross-checked against other related items. After data collection, the data were cleaned and edited using several steps including verification of one-way frequencies for each item, cross-tabulations of related items, standard variable recoding and formatting (such as dates), the determination of outlier values, and logical imputations. After the CATI data were cleaned and edited, composite variables for specific data analyses were created, which were subjected to similar cleaning and checking procedures.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6451324224472046}
{"content": "Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times.\nSt Joseph Water System St Joseph, Tennessee . Serves 1,242 people.\nNo data was available for this system.\nUnits: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988827705383301}
{"content": "Cluster Munitions Manual Religions for Peace can play a leading role in supporting and coordinating the efforts of senior religious leaders to address the challenges of cluster bombs.religious leaders are uniquely positioned to share these concerns with their own communities. They can also urge their governments to implement a ban on cluster munitions.This toolkit is designed to assist religious leaders as they provide leadership on these two fronts. Importantly,this toolkit also addresses the link between religious communities and providing care to victims of cluster munitions.Providing care is a significant contribution that people of faith can make towards healing wounds made by these weapons. Attachment Size RFP Cluster Munitions 876 KB", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6761699914932251}
{"content": "Developing a Governance Board How Will You Motivate Them? There are many reasons why individuals might choose to make a difference by supporting your organization and helping to guide it. Some of these might be:\nTo contribute to a good cause To be involved in a dynamic grassroots organization To associate with other exciting and inspiring individuals To assist a related cause, for example, your condition might cause heart disease and someone might wish to impact heart disease in a very focused way A personal connection: an individual is a friend or relative of a person affected by the condition Once you understand what motivates people to serve, you can recruit individuals you think will create the right culture for your board.\nKey Board Principles Genetic Alliance recognizes the importance of board development for its member groups. To help these organizations reach optimal board functioning, Genetic Alliance has developed its Organization Incubator program, based on Jim Collins' book, Good to Great . This program helps participating boards adopt key organizational and operational principles, including\nLevel 5 Leadership - Recognizing, supporting, and recruiting for leadership of the highest caliber. First Who¦Then What - Getting the right leaders involved before deciding what to do. Confront the Brutal Facts with Unwavering Faith - Adopting a climate of truth-telling and open communication. Defining - Specializing in a limited number of areas. Culture of Discipline Combined with an Ethic of Entrepreneurship - Combining responsibility with freedom. The Flywheel and the Doom Loop - Building momentum up to and beyond a breakthrough point. Self-identification - Understanding how what is said may be true about one's self. Deeper understanding - Getting to the deeper essence of an issue. Authentic interactions - Being real and true even when it is uncomfortable. Self-evaluation - Assessing whether one is achieving his or her potential. Everyone monitors quietness from members - Maintaining engagement from all board members. Everyone monitors over activity from members - Having group responsibility for balanced discussion. Members can't disappear - Ensuring that issues are addressed once presented. Dialogue and debate - Teaching board members to avoid case-building or coercion. A climate where truth is heard - Developing transparency on the board. Review/reflect on successes - Acknowledging accomplishments when they occur.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9935424327850342}
{"content": "Dig up the plants as soon as their main production is over and replace them with seedlings for a different crop. As the weather warms, cool-season crops, such as peas, are completing their production. Have young squash or cucumber plants ready to take their place on the trellis. As soon as the broccoli is finished, have tomato plants ready to take its place in the bed. A planting area that's never idle produces a surprising amount of food.\nSharp scissors Trowel Young transplants Slow-acting fertilizer Water 1. After seedlings have developed two or three sets of leaves, they'll be crowded and need thinning. Remove extra plants to achieve the correct spacing and allow the remaining plants room to grow.\n2. Thin a crop of young plants by snipping off the stems at the soil surface. For larger plants, this is preferable to pulling them, when you might damage the roots of neighboring plants.\nContinued on page 2: Continuous Planting", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9648154377937317}
{"content": "While the recession officially ended more than two years ago, the jobs crisis that began with the recession and has yet to be resolved, continues to take a toll on unionization rates. Despite a stemming of the tide of job losses in the private sector, decreases in the unionization rate nationally and in California continue, while the unionization rate for the Los Angeles region remained essentially flat over the past year. Although it decreased to 16.9 percent in 2010-11, the unionization rate in California remains around its average for the past decade. However, at 11.8 percent, the unionization rate in the U.S. is at an historic low. UCLA’s Insitute for Research on Labor and Employment publication, The State of the Unions in 2011: A Profile of Union Membership in Los Angeles, California and the Nation provides an analysis of the recent trends in unionization in the United States, California, and Los Angeles. Appelbaum is the ILRE research director.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7739688754081726}
{"content": "Haulage, bus and coach operators who are unwilling or unable to comply with safety regulations will continue to be excluded from the industry, the North West regulator has warned in her annual report to the Secretary of State for Transport.\nBeverley Bell, the Traffic Commissioner responsible for licensing businesses running haulage operations or carrying passengers in the North West, has used the report to outline her continued commitment to ensure that operator licensing regulation is proportionate and effective.\nReflecting on work carried out at public inquiries, Mrs Bell noted that revocation remained high. 30% of HGV operators lost their licences during the year, while a quarter of bus and coach operators were told they could no longer carry passengers.\nShe noted that other sanctions imposed on operators were also effective.\n“Much of the value in our public inquiry work lies not just in revocation cases but in those cases where orders for curtailment and suspension are made,” she said.\nJust over 11% of HGV operators and almost 14% of bus and coach operators were suspended, which prevented them from running their fleets for a specified period of time.\nClose to a quarter of HGV firms were subject to a curtailment order – which reduced the number of vehicles they could put on the road at any one time. Mrs Bell also reflected on the positive aspects of the industries in the report.\nand the examples of good practice she saw whilst engaging with them.\nShe noted that drivers and managers had explained the problems they faced trying to keep vehicles and employees safe.\n“I also heard from them about how seriously they take their obligations working as professionals – and how they welcome guidance from their local commissioner.”\n“Attending the North West Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport industry awards reminded me of the many examples of best practice, commitment, professionalism, drive and determination shown by entrants and brought a welcome balance to those whom I met at public inquiry last year,” she added.\nThe regulator also used the report to outline her concern over bus punctuality and reliability in the region.\n“When interviewed for the post of Traffic Commissioner I was asked what passengers wanted from their bus service. The answer was not difficult – they want the buses (and their drivers) to be safe, punctual and reliable.\n“I take this opportunity to remind operators who read my report that they must monitor their registered services and that they must proactively manage them,” she added.\n“Far too many still are not and they can expect no sympathy from VOSA as the enforcement agency or me as the regulator.”\nThe Traffic Commissioner concluded her report by expressing gratitude to Greater Manchester Police for their continued liaison with her office to notify convictions sustained by those applying for, or involved in, the operation of commercial vehicles in the region.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8124268651008606}
{"content": "Jonathan Wadley, PhD Visiting Professor\nJonathan Wadley, PhD, began teaching at the University of San Diego in 2011. He teaches undergraduate courses on international relations and food politics. His research centers on the politics of everyday life, particularly on sexuality and food. The former was the subject of his doctoral research, which examined the effects of prostitution and human trafficking policies on migrant populations in Europe. The latter is the topic of his current work. In addition to his academic duties, he serves as the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization that employs emerging technologies to cultivate political communities among animal welfare advocates.\nEducation Ph.D., University of Florida, Political Science B.S., University of Florida, Business Administration B.A., University of Florida, Political Science\nScholarly and Creative Work Wadley’s research focuses on the (seemingly nonpolitical) topics of sexuality and eating. Most of this work to date has explored the ways in which sexual norms have shaped government policy. His dissertation – a piece of which was published in an edited volume titled Gender and International Security: Feminist Perspectives – examined the rapid development of prostitution and human trafficking policies within the European Union in the 1990s. It argued that those policies were shaped by specific notions of sexuality, which made them less effective at meeting the needs of the female migrant populations they purported to serve. His current research focuses on political consumerism in the American food production system, particularly as it relates to animal welfare standards.\nTeaching Interests Wadley has taught a wide range of courses in the subfields of international relations, political theory, and American government. At the University of Florida, he designed and taught three courses born of his research: Gender and International Relations, Women in World Politics, and Sexual Politics in Europe. During that time he was recognized by the UF Department of Political Science with the Best Graduate Student Teacher award. His recent course offerings include Food Politics in the U.S.A. and an Honors course in political theory.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5315060615539551}
{"content": "Monitoring bill update Licensing Bill Stands Despite Opposition By Deborah L. O'Mara Despite opposition by industry leading alarm installing and central station companies, the New York Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NYBFAA) continues its quest for a new statewide licensing law for monitoring firms.\nSome of the top revenue-generating companies who monitor customer accounts in the state, including ADT, Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Protection 1 Security Solutions, Vivint, Sonitrol, MACE CSSS, Doyle Security Systems, Direct Alarm, Legacy Security Systems, Security Solutions, C.O.P.S. Monitoring-have unequivocally stated their opposition to the proposed legislation. The legislation, Article 6E\n\"Business of Alarm Monitoring,\" seeks separate licensing of central station monitoring companies. Currently, only alarm companies selling, installing and servicing alarms are licensed (Article 6D, 1992). According to SD&I sources, the number of monitored accounts in the state could amount to some seven figures.\n\"We are categorically opposed to the legislation,\" said Jeffrey Atkins, president of Rapid Response Monitoring Services. In a letter submitted to the NYBFAA on behalf of Rapid Response, Russell MacDonnell, chief executive officer stated: \"We strongly urge you not to support proposed Article 6E. The Article should be dropped and the state of New York should focus on more serious issues at hand.\"\nIna Staris, legal counsel for Stanley Convergent Security Solutions also wrote: \"Stanley CSS strongly opposes the proposed Article 6E and believes it should be abandoned. It is not the time to further burden monitoring companies with more costs and bureaucracy in managing their business.\"\nWhile the NYBFAA contends their open discussions on the issue began in 2008, John Lombardi reiterated to SD&I magazine that no one in the industry responded or provided little or no comment with regards to the draft, until early 2011. He also stated that while he is a member of the committee that drafted the legislation, the issue is currently in the hands of the board of NYBFAA and \"whether or not it goes through will be up to them, but I believe it will.\" Lombardi is president of Commercial Instruments & Alarm Systems in Fishkill, N.Y.\n\"Just because it's more licensing doesn't mean it's bad,\" Lombardi said. \"I maintain that this may be the foundation for national reciprocity.\" He added that the NYBFAA is a benevolent group focused on the well being of the industry.\nTime for national licensing? The Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) also \"opposes the proposed New York Licensing bill,\" it wrote in a statement distributed to media. \"CSAA's official position on this matter represents the will not only of its board and members but also numerous non-members in the central station industry who have communicated their concerns to CSAA about the proposed New York State licensing legislation.\" In an interview with Ed Bonifas, vice president of Alarm Detection Systems of Illinois and president of CSAA, he said: \"CSAA is actively looking at proposing a national licensing bill and will move forward quickly in that direction.\"\nHowever NYBFAA has different interpretations of the numerous letters submitted and believes they are inconclusive. It stated that the Board of Directors will \"review the comment letters submitted by those unable to attend the February 10 meeting.\" The directors are adding an agenda item for their next scheduled meeting to review additional comments. According to Joseph Hayes, president of the association and owner of All County Security in Putnam Valley, N.Y., in a letter issued on his behalf by Dale Eller, executive director of the NYBAA, the organization will at this time \"stop all actions seeking prospective legislative sponsors.\"\nThe process will take time, with the NYBFAA board to meet in May 2011, at which time it will assess letters and other comments and make a determination whether or not to proceed. For more information, check out the SD&I February issue archives at www.securityinfowatch.com and the Integrator Insights blog on the site.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8413197994232178}
{"content": "Once a juvenile\noffender case has been referred to the Third District Youth Court Program the\ncase is screened by Youth Court staff. If the case meets Youth Court criteria\nthe respondent along with his/her parents or guardians must agree to have the\ncase heard by a jury of their peers and must agree to all eventual sentencing\nand probationary proceedings. Court proceedings are monitored by a Judge to\nensure that both the victim’s rights, and the juvenile’s rights are recognized\nand that justice has been served.\nAll youth participating in Youth Court have admitted guilt to a crime or an offense and will appear for a sentencing hearing before a jury of peers. The jury is presented with evidence relevant to sentencing, deliberates, and passes sentence. By agreeing to proceed in Youth Court, an offender obtains certain benefits and waives certain rights that otherwise would attach in traditional criminal justice processing. Benefits include a decision by a jury of peers aimed at assisting the young person in desisting from criminal conduct, and an opportunity to participate positively in the criminal justice system. If the offender successfully completes the sentence, the case is ultimately dismissed and the youth does not have a record of conviction. Rights waived in Youth Court include the right to an attorney and to a trial for determination of guilt.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7237404584884644}
{"content": "When it comes to bread, you have no choice but to choose from among the various gluten-free bread brands. Fortunately, many grocery stores these days carry frozen gluten-free bread, and you can order online to get your particular favorite.\nI periodically run across claims that people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can eat breads with ingredients such as sprouted wheat or Einkorn wheat (an ancient form of wheat). Don't believe them. If the ingredients on the bread include wheat, do not buy that bread it's likely to make you sick.\nGluten-Free Snacks If you're looking for baked snacks like cookies or cakes, you'll obviously have to stick to gluten-free labeled items. Again, we're fortunate that most stores carry at least a handful of gluten-free cookies and may even carry such products as gluten-free bagels and gluten-free frozen waffles in their freezer sections.\nAlso, there's now a wide variety of gluten-free pretzels available for snacking, along with many different energy bars that are labeled gluten-free.\nSeveral manufacturers, including Kettle brand, make gluten-free chips (especially gluten-free potato chips) and label them as such. You'll also find many brands of gluten-free corn chips look for those specifically labeled gluten-free (for example, Fritos now labels its lightly salted corn chips as gluten-free, but not its flavored chips).\nIf you want something sweet, multiple candies are considered gluten-free to 20 parts per million; here's my list of gluten-free candy.\nGluten-Free Cereal, Pasta Choices Improving You've got multiple choices when it comes to gluten-free cereal: many major brands now are making some favorites, such as General Mills' Chex and Kellogg's Rice Krispies, gluten-free. Here's a comprehensive list I've developed of gluten-free cereals, including cold, hot, granola and kid-friendly products: Gluten-Free Cereal Options\nAs with breads and snacks, don't buy a cereal unless it's specifically marked gluten-free.\nThe same goes for pasta if it's not labeled gluten-free, don't buy it. Fortunately, there are plenty of gluten-free pasta options available, in sizes and shapes ranging from fettuccine to linguine.\nYou can choose pasta made from corn, rice or more unusual gluten-free grains, such as quinoa. Many people have a favorite brand (you'll need to do some experimenting to discover your own), and it's possible to create pasta dishes that taste just like the gluten originals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.578441858291626}
{"content": "Anti-Israeli campus groups have made inroads at American universities by using the campus media, creating strategic partnerships with mainstream left-wing groups, and supporting certain members of the faculty and staff. Pro-Israeli activists who wish to combat this threat must respond to all three of these avenues by getting organized, utilizing the media, and maintaining relationships with organizations, campus influentials, and the Jewish community. The Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (CHAI) was created in September 2000 to enact these steps in seeking to preempt potential anti-Israelism on the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus.\n.....\nConclusion\nAnti-Israeli activism - often called pro-Palestinian activism - stands on three legs: strategic relationships, professors, and the media. Each must be addressed systematically by pro-Israeli activists. Although CHAI, like most other pro-Israeli organizations on American campuses, began as an ad hoc, quick-response group addressing bias and misinformation, it quickly developed a larger mission. It geared its strategy to the specific character of JHU and concentrated on the types of activity most likely to succeed there. Since JHU tends to be cerebral and not actively political (that is, while many students study politics, they are not involved in political protests, debates, and large-scale campaigns), education campaigns, with emphasis on exposing bias in the media, were deemed the best approach.13 At the same time, CHAI established its niche in the university's Jewish community.\nOnce the on-campus approach proved successful, it was important to forge relationships within the university and the larger Jewish community. By involving university officials in the planning and execution of events, CHAI maintained a significant profile within the university. By planning events that drew the larger Jewish community to the campus, CHAI became an integral part of the Baltimore pro-Israeli community. Relationships with alumni and professors have also been critical in effecting long-term change on the campus. Finally, CHAI's connections with a broader pro-Israeli network have proved important for training activists and for planning and refining the group's activities.\nFour years after CHAI's creation, all its original founders have graduated and left the area. However, the mark of success is that CHAI members now play a role in all the major campus organizations, and have maintained the ties with the university officials and faculty. Indeed, this campus has never become prone to extreme or violent anti-Israeli activity.\nThe main lesson from CHAI's experience is that it is crucial that pro-Israeli activism be conducted strategically.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9448711276054382}
{"content": "In Reply: We appreciate Dr Colwell's commentson our work. We agree with Dr Boissel's1 editorial, that each individual patient should be evaluated regarding hisor her risk and potential benefit from long-term aspirin therapy.Our meta-analysishas demonstrated that aspirin therapy reduces risk of myocardial infarctionand ischemic stroke, but increases risk of hemorrhagic stroke. In patientswith prior cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, unstableangina, chronic stable angina, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attacks,the benefits of aspirin use outweigh the potential for adverse effects, andaspirin therapy should be recommended for all such patients.2 However, in patients without prior cardiovascular disease, the decision tostart aspirin therapy should be individualized based on the risk-benefit ratio.Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, mainlymyocardial infarction. Therefore, the ADA has wisely recommended aspirin therapyas a primary prevention strategy in diabetic patients with additional riskfactors for cardiovascular disease.3 Becausemost of the trials included in our meta-analysis were not conducted in diabeticpatients, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke related to aspirin therapy in thispopulation could not be estimated. However, based on the high absolute riskof myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke in diabetic patients, the benefitshould outweigh the risk.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9985617399215698}
{"content": "Original Research Influence of a Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Beverage on Performance and Blood Homeostasis During Recovery From Football\n178– 191\nThis study compared the efficacy of a 7% glucose polymer beverage containing electrolytes (GP) versus a nonnutrient, nonelectrolyte placebo (P) in maintaining blood homeostasis during recovery from football and determined whether consumption of the GP beverage improved anaerobic performance immediately after football competition when compared with the placebo. Forty-four high school football players participated in a 50-play scrimmage designed to simulate game conditions. At each of six periods before and during the scrimmage, players consumed 170 ml of the GP or P beverage. Eight maximal-effort 40-yd sprints (40-sec rest intervals) were performed before and after the scrimmage to assess the decrement in anaerobic performance from the scrimmage. Venous blood samples were drawn before and after the scrimmage and analyzed. The pre- to postscrimmage differences in mean and peak sprint velocities did not differ between treatments, nor did body weight and plasma. In contrast, the percent decrease in plasma volume was significantly greater in the P group. Postscrimmage increases in glucose and insulin were greater in the GP group. These data suggest that CHO-electrolyte drinks do not prevent a decline in anaerobic performance when compared to water, but a CMO-electrolyte drink is more effective in maintaining PV than water during recovery from anaerobic exercise.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988982081413269}
{"content": "Mailing Hazardous Materials\nAdditional handling is required if your package contains fragile, liquid, perishable, or hazardous materials.\nArticles containing hazardous material cannot be shipped via University Postal Services. Hazardous material includes chemical, biological and radioactive items. Common items include: aerosols, dry ice, paints, batteries, fuel or gasoline, items that previously held fuel, and mercury thermometers. For assistance in shipping hazardous material, contact DEHS at 502-852-6670.\nMany household items can’t go in the mail. Hazardous materials come in a wide variety of forms and can be chemical, biological, radioactive, or a combination. The US Postal Service's™ definition of a hazardous material includes many common household and consumer products. They may not be dangerous on your shelf at home, but they can become a hazard when shaken or when the temperature or pressure changes. Common hazardous materials include:\n•Perfumes\n•Nail polish\n•Flea collars or flea sprays\n•Aerosols\n•Bleach\n•Pool chemicals\n•Paints\n•Matches\n•Batteries\n•Fuels or gasoline\n•Airbags\n•Dry ice\n•Mercury thermometers\n•Cleaning supplies\n•Items previously containing fuel\n•Glues\n•Fireworks\nAdditionally, University personnel (including students) should be advised not to send alcohol, consumer products, prescription drugs, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or handguns. Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, or liquor) are not considered hazardous but can’t go in the mail. If you’re reusing a box displaying alcohol brands, all logos and labels need to be covered up. Prescription medications can only be mailed by registered practitioners or dispensers. Similar laws apply to over-the-counter medications\nReference:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8592309951782227}
{"content": "Hormonal Therapy Hormones are natural substances produced by the body that control reproduction, growth, and metabolism.\nCertain body tissues, such as breast and prostate, require hormones to develop. When cancer originates in these tissues, it responds to hormones. This means that the cancer responds to hormonal manipulation, which includes the administration of hormones, the withdrawal of hormones, or interference with hormone function. For example, by using chemicals that block the action of these hormones, it is possible to slow down, or even stop, the growth of cancer cells.\nRarely given as a single agent to attempt to cure cancer, hormones are often used to prevent or delay recurrence of cancer after other modalities of treatment have removed the gross primary tumor and chemotherapy or radiation therapy have treated systemic and regional micrometastases.\nAn example is a breast cancer patient who had the primary tumor and positive axillary nodes removed surgically, received systemic chemotherapy and regional radiation, and was placed on tamoxifen, a synthetic antiestrogen, to prevent or delay recurrence.\nHormones can be administered orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly. Surgery may also be used to prevent the body from producing hormones. For example, a patient with prostate cancer may have an orchiectomy to prevent the production of testosterone.\nSome types of cancer may originate from organs that require hormones to develop, but they may not be treated with hormonal therapy. A sample of the tumor can be sent to a special lab to determine if hormonal therapy is likely to be effective.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.576030433177948}
{"content": "The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season had been running for several months before it saw its first hurricane, Dean. Dean began as a wave-like disturbance in the cloud bands off South America, which gathered together to form a storm system on August 13. By August 18, Dean had grown in power to become a Category 4 hurricane, swirling in the Caribbean Sea. The storm caused great damage to Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island, among other Caribbean islands, and as of August 19, it was forecast to come ashore on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula not far from the border with Belize. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center were also expecting the storm to continue to gather power to Category 5 strength.\nWhile weather and Earth science satellites are known for getting a perspective on storms as they orbit the Earth, they were not the only sensors viewing Hurricane Dean from high above. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour passed over the storm on August 18. These two photographs were taken by astronauts on Endeavour moments from each other. The first is a close-up of the eye of the storm, the second is a wider-angle view, both taken by a handheld camera around noon local time.\nHurricane Dean showed a deep and well-defined eye at the center of the storm, with powerful thunderstorms around the eyewall sending up tall towers of clouds. In the close-up view, these towering clouds appear to be casting shadows on the cloud deck below them. The deep eye of the storm has a clear three-dimensional shape in these oblique angle photographs, but the camera angle does not allow us to see down the bottom of the storm. At the time of these photographs, Hurricane Dean was passing just south of Jamaica as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds as high as 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5466210842132568}
{"content": "Handbook of Electrochemistry Edited by Cynthia Zoski, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA Electrochemistry plays a key role in a broad range of research and applied areas including the exploration of new inorganic and organic compounds, biochemical and biological systems, corrosion, energy applications involving fuel cells and solar cells, and nanoscale investigations. The Handbook of Electrochemistry serves as a source of electrochemical information, providing details of experimental considerations, representative calculations, and illustrations of the possibilities available in electrochemical experimentation. The book is divided into five parts: Fundamentals, Laboratory Practical, Techniques, Applications, and Data. The first section covers the fundamentals of electrochemistry which are essential for everyone working in the field, presenting an overview of electrochemical conventions, terminology, fundamental equations, and electrochemical cells, experiments, literature, textbooks, and specialized books. Part 2 focuses on the different laboratory aspects of electrochemistry which is followed by a review of the various electrochemical techniques ranging from classical experiments to scanning electrochemical microscopy, electrogenerated chemiluminesence and spectroelectrochemistry. Applications of electrochemistry include electrode kinetic determinations, unique aspects of metal deposition, and electrochemistry in small places and at novel interfaces and these are detailed in Part 4. The remaining three chapters provide useful electrochemical data and information involving electrode potentials, diffusion coefficients, and methods used in measuring liquid junction potentials.\nAudience Electrochemists of all levels working in physical or analytical chemistryHardbound, 934 Pages\nPublished: December 2006\nImprint: Elsevier\nISBN: 978-0-444-51958-0\nContents Part One: Fundamentals 1. FundamentalsPart Two: Laboratory Practical 2. Practical Electrochemical Cells 3. Solvents and Supporting Electrolytes 4. Reference Electrodes 5. Solid Electrode Materials: Pretreatment and Activation 6. Ultramicroelectrodes 7. Potentiometric Ion-Selective Electrodes 8. Chemically Modified Electrodes 9. Semiconductor Electrodes 10. Microelectrode ArraysPart Three: Techniques 11. Classical Experiments 12. Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy 13. Electrogenerated Chemiluminesence 14. SpectroelectrochemistryPart Four: Applications 15. Determination of Electrode Kinetics 16. Metal Deposition 17. Electrochemistry in Small Places and at Novel InterfacesPart Five: Data 18. Electrode Potentials 19. Diffusion Coefficients 20. Liquid Junction Potentials", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6766767501831055}
{"content": "Pan Ké Shon Jean-Louis, Insee\nRelational isolation concerns individuals who have very few contacts with others. Two social groups are particularly vulnerable: seniors and socially underprivileged individuals, especially those with low incomes and no qualifications. With isolation can come a certain depression. One in four isolated individuals feels lonely or bored as opposed to one in ten non-isolated individuals. Given that these people combine relational isolation with depression, they are particularly fragile psychologically and socially. The social composition of sensitive urban areas increases the risk of relational isolation.\nbottom-cross links", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9759647846221924}
{"content": "We withhold recommendation on proposed funding for the Child Welfare Services Case Management System ($2.5 million General Fund) and recommend that the department report, during budget hearings, on the concerns raised in this analysis. Background. Chapter 1294, Statutes of 1989 (SB 370, Presley), requires the implementation of a single statewide child welfare services case management system (CMS). The primary goal of the CMS is to provide a statewide data base, case management tool, and reporting system for the program.\nThe budget proposes $9.9 million ($2.5 million General Fund and $7.4 million federal funds) for state operations to develop the CMS in 1995-96. The budget also proposes $2.7 million ($0.8 million General Fund and $1.9 million federal funds) for local assistance for the ongoing costs of pilot implementation in 1995-96.\nNew Special Project Report (SPR) Approved. In June 1994, the Department of Finance approved a new SPR for the CMS project. The latest approved SPR makes several changes to the previous SPR, including:\nNeeds Not Considered in Original Plan. While some of the changes were due to new federal and state requirements, many were included to address needs that had not been accounted for in the previous SPR. These changes were related to case management, county support, integration of state and county systems, implementation, and other areas.\nCosts Higher Than Reflected in the SPR. The previously approved SPR estimated total project costs to be approximately $90 million for a nine-year period. Statewide implementation was scheduled to be completed in January 1994. The new SPR estimates total project costs to be approximately $119 million (an increase of 32 percent), with statewide implementation to be delayed 30 months, to July 1996.\nWe believe that the $119 million estimate contained in the most recent SPR understates the costs of the project. This is because the SPR fails to include the increased state costs which will occur due to the vendor's contract obligations being reduced by 17 months. Adjusting for this factor, the project will cost $140 million, or $21 million higher than reflected in the latest SPR.\nOngoing Vendor Dispute. The vendor is asking for $147 million (75 percent over the amount included in the new SPR for the vendor's component of the project) to complete the CMS as proposed in the SPR. The department indicates that the vendor's position is without justification. Additionally, the department states that it is pursuing this issue through negotiations.\nDelays Could Jeopardize \"Enhanced\" Federal Funding. Federal law allows states to claim 75 percent federal funding for the planning, design, development, and installation of a statewide automated child welfare system, effective for federal fiscal years 1994, 1995, and 1996. In subsequent years, the federal match decreases to 50 percent.\nThe new SPR schedule assumes statewide implementation of the CMS by July 1996, which would allow the state to receive enhanced federal funding at 75 percent for these costs. The General Fund costs proposed for the CMS in 1995-96 are based on this assumption. To the extent that the project is delayed beyond this schedule, the state could lose anticipated federal funds which could result in further increases in General Fund costs for the project. The department has indicated that it is considering seeking a federal waiver to extend the time limit on enhanced funding.\nDifficulties in Contract Management. The department has experienced difficulties in managing the vendor contract. In addition to the dispute over the contract price, the department has indicated that the vendor has failed to meet certain obligations. The department has acknowledged the need for assistance in managing the contract by including in the new SPR funding for a Quality Assurance Advisor who will help ensure that the vendor complies with all the terms and requirements of the contract. We believe that this assistance would be beneficial.\nRecommendation. Depending on the outcome of the vendor dispute, the costs for the CMS in the budget year may differ significantly from the amount proposed. Consequently, we withhold recommendation on the proposed funding for the project and recommend that the department report during budget hearings on the concerns raised in this analysis, including (1) the status of the vendor dispute, (2) the impact of the vendor dispute on the budget, (3) the likelihood of securing federal approval to extend the time period to claim enhanced federal funding, and (4) steps that will be taken to improve contract\nReturn to Analysis and Perspectives and Issues Page", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5935297012329102}
{"content": "OBJECTIVE: Few controlled studies have addressed the issue of which antidepressant medications should be recommended for outpatients who have not responded to multiple treatment trials. This study compared the efficacy of switching to mirtazapine to that of switching to a tricyclic antidepressant (nortriptyline) following two prospective, consecutive, unsuccessful medication treatments for nonpsychotic major depressive disorder.\nMETHOD: Following lack of remission or an inability to tolerate an initial trial of citalopram for up to 12 weeks (first step) and a second trial with either monotherapy involving another antidepressant or augmentation of citalopram with bupropion or buspirone (second step), adult outpatients (N=235) with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to 14 weeks of treatment with mirtazapine (up to 60 mg/day) (N=114) or nortriptyline (up to 200 mg/day) (N=121). The primary outcome, symptom remission, was defined a priori as a total exit score of </=7 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. The 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR(16)), obtained at treatment visits, provided secondary outcomes of remission (score </=5 at exit) and response (>/=50% reduction in score from baseline).\nRESULTS: For mirtazapine, remission rates were 12.3% and 8.0% per the Hamilton and QIDS-SR(16) scores, respectively. For nortriptyline, remission rates were 19.8% and 12.4%, respectively. QIDS-SR(16) response rates were 13.4% for mirtazapine and 16.5% for nortriptyline. Neither response nor remission rates statistically differed by treatment, nor did these two treatments differ in tolerability or adverse events.\nCONCLUSIONS: Switching to a third antidepressant monotherapy regimen after two consecutive unsuccessful antidepressant trials resulted in low remission rates (<20%) among patients with major depressive disorder.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5022088885307312}
{"content": "Gentle, low-impact prenatal exercise during the day will give you the muscle and energy release necessary for you to fall asleep easily and deeply at night. (Exercise when you're pregnant? Yes, we went there. No, don't hate us!)\nAlthough Nickelodeon Parents and Preschool Network provides fun and useful info, none of itscontent is meant to substitute for medical or other professional advice.In other words, if you're having a medical, parenting, or other emergency,we urge you to contact an appropriate professional (or dial 911!) rather than rely solely on us.By using the site, you agree to be bound by our long-but-informative", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5993172526359558}
{"content": "Food Security Cluster Augmentation in Response to the continued Humanitarian Situation in Somalia\nOver the past 8 years, the humanitarian community in Somalia has responded to three major crises (2005-2006, 2008-2009 and 2011) with the most severe emergency leading to the declaration of Famine in July 2011. However, over the past 10 years, the pastoral, agro-pastoral and agricultural livelihoods within Somalia have fluctuated between Famine/Emergency/Crisis and Food Secure/Stressed. As a result of a combination of shocks such as poor rainfall, global price fluctuations and eruption of resourced-based or regional inter-state conflict, between 3.4 and 6.5 million Somalis have, to some degree, lost their assets and remained food-insecure.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9455593228340149}
{"content": "Ammori has long been a leader in addressing public policy challenges for the online distribution of video. This video includes television shows, films, and user-generated content.\nPowerful incumbents, from movie conglomerates to cable and phone companies, have attempted to crush the disruptive potential of video on Internet-based platforms. Their methods implicate copyright law, network neutrality, bandwidth caps and metering, set-top box restrictions, and anti-competitive agreements.\nIn addition to his experience on these issues, Ammori authored an important report forming the basis of antitrust complaints by leading consumer groups regarding anti-competitive “authentication” agreements. These complaints were filed shortly after announcement of the Comcast-NBC merger and influenced the focus of the FCC and DOJ merger review that resulted in merger conditions aimed at enhancing online-video competition.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9595046639442444}
{"content": "Other Contributors:Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.\nAdvisor:Randolph Kirchain.\nDepartment:Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.\nPublisher:Massachusetts Institute of Technology\nDate Issued:2009\nAbstract:\nLarge-scale, complex engineering systems, as for automotive manufacturing, often require significant capital investment and resources for systems configuration. Furthermore, these systems operate in environments that are constantly changing due to shifts in macroeconomic, market demand and regulations, which can significantly influence systems' performance. It is often very difficult or prohibitively expensive to change these engineering systems once they are in place. Thus, a critical question is how to design engineering systems so they can perform well under uncertainty. Conventional engineering practice often focuses on the expected value of future uncertainties, thus leaving the value of flexible designs unexplored. This research develops a new framework to design and plan large-scale and complex manufacturing systems for uncertainty. It couples a screening model to identify promising candidate solutions with an evaluation model to more extensively quantify the performance of identified solutions. The screening model adaptively explores a large decision space that is otherwise computationally intractable for conventional optimization approach. It integrates strategic and operational flexibility in a system to allow systematic consideration of multiple sources of flexibility with uncertainty. It provides a means to search the space for system's improvement by integrating the adaptive one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method with a Response Surface method and simulation-based linear optimization. The identified solution is then examined with Value at Risk and Gain chart and a statistics table.(cont.) Two cases are studied in this thesis. The first case is a simple hypothetical case with two products and two plants. It considers product to plant allocation, plant capacity, and overtime operation decisions that affect manufacturing flexibility. It demonstrates the value of considering demand uncertainty and overtime operational flexibility in making manufacturing planning decisions and the interactions between multiple sources of flexibility. The second case explores these manufacturing planning decisions for Body-In-White assembly systems in the automotive industry by applying the developed screening model. It shows that the screening model leads to system design with about 40% improvement in expected net present value, reduced downside risks and increased upside gains as compared to a traditional optimization approach.\nDescription:\nThesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-197).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7332825064659119}
{"content": "Max Rivlin-Nadler writes:You walk into an elevator and push the button for your desired floor. The button lights up. The elevator stops at the next floor and another person enters. He or she pushes the same button that’s already lit up.According to Dario Maestripieri’s new book, “Games Primates Play,” that elevator ride represents a game of dominance — similar to those exhibited by other primates. The University of Chicago professor argues that our social relationships have analogs in nature, especially within groups of primates. While we may not go up and grab our supervisor’s genitals as a sign of respect, we engage in similar acts that help us figure out where we fit in groups.\nBy exploring our social lives through the lens of an evolutionary biologist, Maestripieri breaks down the most routine of social interactions into deeply embedded behaviors from our genetic forebears. Just like humans, other primates grapple with questions of dominance, reciprocation, nepotism and fidelity. He demonstrates how his own life, the lives of celebrities, and corporate success strategies all derive from a single, primal need to find our place in a group.\nSalon spoke with Maestripieri about the primal instincts we exhibit in our emails, whether altruism exists, how nepotism is natural, and why it matters to study our everyday nature. [Continue reading...]\nGorillas made me do it Previous post: Music: Salif Keita — Moussolou", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9391711950302124}
{"content": "In a meeting on 12 October with the Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Matata Ponyo Mapon, UNAIDS Executive Director praised DRC’s leadership for organizing the 14th Summit of La Francophonie, which will be held in Kinshasa from 13-14 October. Mr Sidibé congratulated the Prime Minister for supporting an increase in the national budget for the HIV response and encouraged his government to step up country-wide efforts to prevent new HIV infections among children. Prime Minister Mapon pledged, together with the Ministry of Health, to create a favorable national environment to eliminate new HIV infections among children. According to government figures, nearly 1 million people are living with HIV in the DRC. Despite progress in the national HIV response, only 12% of people eligible for antiretroviral therapy are receiving it. Coverage of services that prevent new HIV infections among children is especially weak, at about 5%.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8446849584579468}
{"content": "After the funeral, you'll face a number of personal and practical challenges. We're here for you, so you won't have to face them alone.\nNo one can predict how they'll react to the death of a loved one. Loneliness. Grief. Despair. Even anger or relief. There is no \"right\" way to feel.There is no \"normal\" length of time to recover. This is a time to explore and share your feelings with friends, family and objective professionals like us.\nPractical considerations just won't wait. You'll need to qualify for and collect benefits and insurance. Track down documents, records and accounts. Settle the estate. Transfer titles. Find a lawn service, a housekeeper, a Realtor… but you don't have to go it alone.\nCall on us. We can help. We'll put you in touch with established, trusted, local tradespersons, professionals and organizations that can lighten your load.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.805314302444458}
{"content": "Citroën Xsara Picasso in a field ©PSA Peugeot Citroën\nProduced from grain or sugar beet crops in the case of ethanol and ethyl tertiobutyl ether (ETBE), or from oil-bearing plants such as rapeseed and soybeans in the case of oil methyl esters, biofuels are essentially renewable energy sources that could substitute fossil energy. In addition to their substantial contribution to mitigating the greenhouse effect, these fuels offer environmentally friendly performance, notably by reducing particulate emissions.\nPSA Peugeot Citroën strongly encourages substituting 30% rapeseed methyl ester for diesel fuel. The Group's diesel fleet already runs on RME. To increase gasoline octane ratings without lead derivatives or aromatic hydrocarbons, the Group recommends using 8 to 12% ETBE derived from bioethanol.\nPSA Peugeot Citroën has made biofuels one of its main avenues of research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8362329006195068}
{"content": "Inhibition of substrate synthesis: a pharmacological approach for glycosphingolipid storage disease therapy The neuronopathic lysosomal storage diseases are not currently amenable to therapy due to the difficulties of delivering functional enzyme/protein to the brain. Over two decades ago, an alternative strategy was suggested by Radin based on small-molecule enzyme inhibitors for treating a subset of these disorders, the glycosphingolipidoses. Recently, the efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated in animal disease models and in the clinic. This chapter discusses these studies. It begins with a brief background on glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and GSL storage diseases, as it provides insights into the potentials and the limitations of drug-based strategies for treating this family of predominantly neurodegenerative disorders.\nOxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.\nIf you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.99480801820755}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: To evaluate the differences of wavefront aberrations under cycloplegic, scotopic and photopic conditions.A total of 174 eyes of 105 patients were measured using the wavefront sensor (WaveScan® 3.62) under different pupil conditions: cycloplegic 8.58 ± 0.54 mm (6.4 mm - 9.5 mm), scotopic 7.53 ± 0.69 mm (5.7 mm - 9.1 mm) and photopic 6.08 ± 1.14 mm (4.1 mm - 8.8 mm). The pupil diameter, standard Zernike coefficients, root mean square of higher-order aberrations and dominant aberrations were compared between cycloplegic and scotopic conditions, and between scotopic and photopic conditions.The pupil diameter was 7.53 ± 0.69 mm under the scotopic condition, which reached the requirement of about 6.5 mm optical zone design in the wavefront-guided surgery and prevented measurement error due to the pupil centroid shift caused by mydriatics. Pharmacological pupil dilation induced increase of standard Zernike coefficients Z(3)(-3), Z(4)(0) and Z(5)(-5). The higher-order aberrations, third-order aberration, fourth-order aberration, fifth-order aberration, sixth-order aberration, and spherical aberration increased statistically significantly, compared to the scotopic condition (P<0.010). When the scotopic condition shifted to the photopic condition, the standard Zernike coefficients Z(4)(0), Z(4)(2), Z(6)(-4), Z(6)(-2), Z(6)(2) decreased and all the higher-order aberrations decreased statistically significantly (P<0.010), demonstrating that accommodative miosis can significantly improve vision under the photopic condition. Under the three conditions, the vertical coma aberration appears the most frequently within the dominant aberrations without significant effect by pupil size variance, and the proportion of spherical aberrations decreased with the decrease of the pupil size.The wavefront aberrations are significantly different under cycloplegic, scotopic and photopic conditions. Using the wavefront sensor (VISX WaveScan) to measure scotopic wavefront aberrations is feasible for the wavefront-guided refractive surgery. Arquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia 04/2012; 75(2):116-21.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9937517642974854}
{"content": "This publication reviews one strategy that addresses both a broader and a narrower dimension of urban poverty. The Human Rights Cities Program is not directed toward securing legal title as a means of protecting the urban poor from market eviction and gentrification or to catalyze investment in low-income housing. It is rather a broader strategy of empowering inhabitants of communities to find collectively the ways and means of ensuring respect for their human rights, including the right to adequate housing, component elements of which are security of tenure, access to basic urban services, transport and mobility, financial services and credit, women’s empowerment, urban citizenship, income and livelihoods. It is thus a broader strategy than securing legal tenure.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9981051683425903}
{"content": "K. Diesfeld and others\nDisability and Society, vol. 23, 2008, p. 431-443\nNew Zealand is reforming its legal services system, including services for disabled people. In 2005 the Legal Services Agency commissioned research on provision for disabled people, focused on Auckland. This article is based on the literature review of the unmet legal concerns of disabled people carried out as part of this project. It suggests that the social model of disability offers a suitable philosophical framework for developing services and concludes with a description of a service proposal based on international models.\nR. Hayashi and M. Okuhira\nDisability and Society, vol. 23, 2008, p. 417-429\nIndependent living movements are emerging in Asian countries, supported by independent living centres in Japan. These centres offer training to disabled people from other Asian countries which comprises study of the concept of independent living and the history of the disability rights movement, and development of skills aimed at empowering them to establish an independent living movement in their home countries. This study conducted in Japan used in-depth interviews and a focus group to obtain information about the programme, the experiences of the trainees and Japanese hosts and the budding independent living movement in Asia.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5479333400726318}
{"content": "Existing home sales fell slightly more than expected to an annualized pace of 4.91 million units in August, a 2.2% decrease in the month, following July's upwardly revised sales figure of 5.02 million. Even with a bigger loss than expected, the range in the past 11 months has been relatively narrow, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).\nEconomists were expecting the July data to fall to 4.94 million.\nTotal housing inventories fell to a 10.4-month supply in August, down from the downwardly revised 10.9-month overhang recorded in July.\nSince August 2007, the pace of existing home sales has declined by 10.7%.\nSingle-family unit sales - which account for four-fifths of all sales - fell 1.4% to a pace of 4.35 million, down from a rate of 4.41 million in the previous month.\nThe national median existing home price fell to $203,100 in August, down from the July figure of $210,300 and marking a 9.5% year-over-year decline.\nExisting home sales, which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau's series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit.\nBy Patrick McGee and edited by Sarah Sussman ©CEP News Ltd. 2008", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9650856852531433}
{"content": "Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...\nGenerate a file for use with external citation management software.\nNorthwestern Institute on Complexity (NICO), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.\nWe have used 19.9 million papers over 5 decades and 2.1 million patents to demonstrate that teams increasingly dominate solo authors in the production of knowledge. Research is increasingly done in teams across nearly all fields. Teams typically produce more frequently cited research than individuals do, and this advantage has been increasing over time. Teams now also produce the exceptionally high-impact research, even where that distinction was once the domain of solo authors. These results are detailed for sciences and engineering, social sciences, arts and humanities, and patents, suggesting that the process of knowledge creation has fundamentally changed.\nYour browsing activity is empty.\nActivity recording is turned off.\nTurn recording back on\nNational Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7751385569572449}
{"content": "Tobacco Smoke Enhances the Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy Edgar A. James, M.D. University of Alabama Birmingham NIEHS Grant R01ES014948\nUsing a diabetic mouse model, researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham report that exposure to tobacco smoke worsens the progression of diabetic nephropathy likely mediated by increased expression of profibrotic cytokines.\nDiabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in the U.S. It is characterized by proteinuria, and irreversible changes, such as sclerosis, in the structure and function of the glomeruli, the filtering structures in the kidney. These changes effectively reduce the kidney's ability to filter waste and toxins from the blood by reducing the glomerular filtration surface. Cigarette smoking is now recognized as a risk factor in the progression of chronic kidney disease. In the current study, the mice were exposed to tobacco smoke for 8 weeks at roughly the same levels as those found in active smokers. Tobacco smoke exposure caused significant increases in mesangial expansion accompanied by increases in expression of transforming growth factor B and fibronectin, as compared to the control group mice that breathed regular air. These studies demonstrate that smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke may further the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The researchers conclude, based on this and previous research, that nicotine may be mediating these effects. The results suggest that additional targeted smoking cessation efforts may be very beneficial for persons with diabetes. Citation: Obert DM, Hua P, Pilkerton ME, Feng W, Jaimes EA. Environmental tobacco smoke furthers progression of diabetic nephropathy. Am J Med Sci. 2011 Feb;341(2):126-30.▲ Up: Glutathione Variant Linked to Lung Function Growth (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/sep/2011/glutathione/index.cfm)\n▼ Down: Arsenic Exposure may Increase Mortality from Tuberculosis (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/sep/2011/arsenic-tb/index.cfm)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5669898986816406}
{"content": "BOB EVANS FARMS's gross profit margin for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2012 is essentially unchanged when compared to the same period a year ago. Even though sales increased, the net income has decreased. BOB EVANS FARMS has very weak liquidity. Currently, the Quick Ratio is 0.26 which clearly shows a lack of ability to cover short-term cash needs. The company's liquidity decreased from the same period a year ago, despite already having very weak liquidity to begin with. This would indicate deteriorating cash flow.\nDuring the same period, stockholders' equity (\"net worth\") has remained virtually unchanged only decreasing by 3.41% from the same quarter last year. The key liquidity measurements indicate that the company is in a position in which financial difficulties could develop in the near future.\nIncome Statement Q3 FY12 Q3 FY11 Net Sales ($mil) 434.44 428.34 EBITDA ($mil) 46.97 50.57 EBIT ($mil) 28.13 30.26 Net Income ($mil) 5.53 20.26\nBalance Sheet Q3 FY12 Q3 FY11 Cash & Equiv. ($mil) 4.43 47.94 Total Assets ($mil) 1137.06 1073.3 Total Debt ($mil) 189.84 135.72 Equity ($mil) 635.82 658.27\nProfitability Q3 FY12 Q3 FY11 Gross Profit Margin 20.78 20.36 EBITDA Margin 10.81 11.8 Operating Margin 6.47 7.06 Sales Turnover 1.47 1.55 Return on Assets 4.65 6.44 Return on Equity 8.32 10.5\nDebt Q3 FY12 Q3 FY11 Current Ratio 0.84 0.58 Debt/Capital 0.23 0.17 Interest Expense 1.25 1.88 Interest Coverage 22.48 16.1\nShare Data Q3 FY12 Q3 FY11 Shares outstanding (mil) 27.88 29.07 Div / share 0.28 0.25 EPS 0.2 0.69 Book value / share 22.81 22.64 Institutional Own % n/a n/a Avg Daily Volume 178011.0 207807.0\nBUY. The current P/E ratio indicates a discount compared to an average of 29.81 for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry and a premium compared to the S&P 500 average of 19.08. To use another comparison, its price-to-book ratio of 1.98 indicates a discount versus the S&P 500 average of 2.44 and a significant discount versus the industry average of 7.92. The price-to-sales ratio is well below both the S&P 500 average and the industry average, indicating a discount. Upon assessment of these and other key valuation criteria, BOB EVANS FARMS proves to trade at a discount to investment alternatives within the industry.\nPrice/Earnings\nPrice/Cash Flow\nBOBE 24.43 Peers 29.81 BOBE 9.25 Peers 13.90\nDiscount. A lower P/E ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower growth expectations.\nBOBE is trading at a discount to its peers.\nDiscount. The P/CF ratio, a stock’s price divided by the company's cash flow from operations, is useful for comparing companies with different capital requirements or financing structures.\nBOBE is trading at a significant discount to its peers.\nPrice/ProjectedEarnings\nPrice toEarnings/Growth\nBOBE 17.05 Peers 22.31 BOBE NM Peers 1.62\nDiscount. A lower price-to-projected earnings ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower future growth expectations.\nBOBE is trading at a discount to its peers.\nNeutral. The PEG ratio is the stock’s P/E divided by the consensus estimate of long-term earnings growth. Faster growth can justify higher price multiples.\nBOBE's negative PEG ratio makes this valuation measure meaningless.\nPrice/Book\nEarnings Growth\nBOBE 1.98 Peers 7.92 BOBE -19.57 Peers 62.38\nDiscount. A lower price-to-book ratio makes a stock more attractive to investors seeking stocks with lower market values per dollar of equity on the balance sheet.\nBOBE is trading at a significant discount to its peers.\nLower. Elevated earnings growth rates can lead to capital appreciation and justify higher price-to-earnings ratios.\nHowever, BOBE is expected to significantly trail its peers on the basis of its earnings growth rate.\nPrice/Sales\nSales Growth\nBOBE 0.76 Peers 2.82 BOBE 0.41 Peers 7.25\nDiscount. In the absence of P/E and P/B multiples, the price-to-sales ratio can display the value investors are placing on each dollar of sales.\nBOBE is trading at a significant discount to its industry on this measurement.\nLower. A sales growth rate that trails the industry implies that a company is losing market share.\nBOBE significantly trails its peers on the basis of sales growth\nLatest Stock Upgrades/Downgrades Brokerage Partners", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8264219760894775}
{"content": "We have determined that a mechanics’ lien is a powerful tool even when confronted with a bankruptcy petition. This puts a mechanics’ lien holder in an enviable position when attempting to recover a debt. However, a bankrupt debtor can avoid certain types of liens in a process known as “lien-stripping” even though they are “secured” by the debtor’s property. This would be an unfortunate outcome for a creditor who thought he would be paid on his secure debt.\nLiens normally survive bankruptcy unaffected by the debtor’s discharge. However, some liens are avoidable if the debtor takes specific affirmative action. So, what liens can be avoided, and should a mechanics’ lien holder be worried?\nCertain liens are avoidable if they attach to assets a debtor is entitled to claim as exempt, and to the extent that the lien impairs the value of the exemption. A lien impairs the value of the exemption if their is not enough equity in the liened asset to cover the non-avoidable liens, the exemption, and the avoidable lien.\nLuckily, though, a mechanics’ lien holder does not have to go into the calculation of whether the lien impairs the value of an exemption. The final requirement for a lien to be avoidable is that the lien must be either a judicial lien, or a non-possessory non-purchase money security interest. Mechanics’ liens are statutory liens , and as such are unavoidable in a bankruptcy proceeding and will survive the bankruptcy unaffected.\nSo: Mechanics’ Liens can be perfected during the automatic stay, the time requirement for enforcement can be tolled during the automatic stay when the bankrupt debtor is the property owner, the lien may be enforced during the bankruptcy proceeding if the bankrupt party is not the property owner, and the lien is unavoidable. Mechanics liens are an invaluable tool in collecting debt even if the waters are clouded by bankruptcy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.763519287109375}
{"content": "A bathtub conspiracy is a conspiracy between, two subsidiaries, parts, or any other division of the same enterprise or firm. It is a conspiracy between related companies. Under a bathtub conspiracy, a parent corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary were considered two separate parties capable of conspiring. [Elysian Federal Sav. Bank v. First Interregional Equity Corp., 713 F. Supp. 737, 758 (D.N.J. 1989)]. Ordinarily, there cannot be a conspiracy between a corporation and its subsidiary. However, where there are mergers, if the alleged conspiracy took place before the merger and the merger did not stop the conspiracy, it cannot be said to be an intra-enterprise conspiracy. An Intra-Enterprise conspiracy is also called bathtub conspiracy.\nThe following is an example of a case law referring to bathtub conspiracy:\nThere is generally no difficulty in determining whether the requisite plurality of persons is present in a given situation. However, in Sherman Act § 1, 15 U.S.C.S. § 1, cases involving closely affiliated corporations, the courts have had difficulty ascertaining who are separate parties capable of contracting or conspiring with each other. Such agreements are often termed \"bathtub\" conspiracies. It is generally accepted that a corporation and its unincorporated branches or divisions are not separate entities, capable of conspiring to commit a § 1 violation. It is likewise generally accepted that a corporate office is not capable of conspiring with his corporation. It has also been widely held that, under normal circumstances, a parent and its incorporated subsidiary cannot conspire in violation of § 1 where they are not in actual competition in the market. [Aaron E. Levine & Co. v. Calkraft Paper Co., 429 F. Supp. 1039 (D. Mich. 1976)].", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.798107922077179}
{"content": "A relevant cost is a cost that only relates to a specific management decision, and which will change in the future as the result of that decision.\nThe relevant cost concept is extremely useful for eliminating extraneous information from a particular decision-making process. Also, by eliminating irrelevant costs from a decision, management is prevented from focusing on information that might otherwise affect its decision.\nFor example, the Archaic Book Company (ABC) is considering purchasing a printing press for its medieval book division. If ABC buys the press, it will eliminate 10 scribes who have been copying the books by hand. The wages of these scribes are relevant costs, since they will be eliminated in the future if management buys the printing press. However, the cost of corporate overhead is not a relevant cost, since it will not change as a result of this decision.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8659249544143677}
{"content": "Surface tension of water\nThe materials required for this science fair project:\n- 2 beakers\n- 400ml distilled water\n- A measurement cylinder\n- 2 tablespoons of salt\n- A cup of rice grains\n- 2 pieces of aluminum foil measuring 1cm x 1cm each\n- A refrigerator\n- A hot plate\n- A thermometer\n- A hot plate\n1. For this science fair project, the independent variable is the salinity of the water and its temperature – 15°C, 25°C, 35°C, 45°C and 55°C. The dependent variable is the weight exerted on the aluminum foil before it sinks. This is determined by gradually adding grains of rice on the surface of the aluminum foil. The constants (control variables) are the size of the aluminum foil, the size of the grains of rice and the room temperature.\n2. The 2 beakers are labeled “pure water” and “salt water”. The beakers are each filled with 200ml of distilled water. In the beaker labeled “salt water” 2 tablespoons of salt are added and mixed into the water. The 2 beakers are placed in the refrigerator until the contents in the 2 cups reach 15°C. The beakers are taken out of the refrigerator and the required temperature confirmed using a thermometer.\n3. The 1cm x 1cm piece of aluminum foil is made to float on the surface of the water in the beaker labeled “pure water”. The grains of rice are placed one at a time on the aluminum foil until the aluminum foil sinks into the water. The number of rice grains placed on the foil is recorded and the results shown in the table below.\n4. Procedure 3 is repeated with the beaker labeled “salt water” and the results recorded in the table below.\n5. The 2 beakers are brought to a room temperature of 25°C and Procedure 3 is repeated on these 2 beakers. The results recorded in the table below.\n6. The 2 beakers are then placed on a hot plate and heated to temperatures 35°C, 45°C and 55°C. Procedures 3 and 4 are repeated at each required temperature level and the results recorded in the table below.\nNone", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7658246755599976}
{"content": "Anxiety and ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, often are co-existing conditions. ADHD is a psychological condition. The main symptoms are: inattention, distractibility, impulsiveness and hyperactivity.\nWhile ADHD was once considered a childhood disorder, it is now known that ADHD continues through adulthood and many adults still struggle with symptoms. ADHD impacts many aspects of life, not just school. When ADHD symptoms carry over through adulthood, work and career is...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9747466444969177}
{"content": "A Mentor Is:\nAt Kinship of the Park Rapids Area we match volunteer adult partners with a child who shares common interests. They are encouraged to spend time together each week doing activities they both enjoy. Some mentors meet with their youth at the same time each week, while others prefer a more flexible schedule. Being a reliable friend the child can count on is a cornerstone of mentoring.\nMentors can be individuals, couples or families. We offer mentor screening, training and ongoing support throughout the partnership. Volunteering only a few hours a month can change a young person’s life.\nStudies have shown that most children and youth will experience at least some of the following benefits if they are engaged in a long-term, positive mentoring relationship:\nThe benefits of mentoring go both ways. Mentors report that their mentoring experience improves their lives in meaningful ways.\nA \"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7589259147644043}
{"content": "The results of the first nine months for the U.S. property and casualty market were recently released indicating a U.S. property and casualty market with near-record capacity, a large drop in CAT losses compared to the prior year, and a combined ratio of 102.2, down from 110.5 the prior year. While investment gains were still lacking, overall, the figures indicated that the industry’s balance sheet is strong. However, Superstorm Sandy’s effect is not included in these results.\nThis report shares insights from Lockton experts about the happenings in the market including pain points, overall trends, and Superstorm Sandy’s effect. Special sections on the construction industry and California are included.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.999840497970581}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: The inbred mouse strain BTBR T+ tf/J (BTBR) exhibits behavioral deficits that mimic the core deficits of autism. Neuroanatomically, the BTBR strain is also characterized by a complete absence of the corpus callosum. The goal of this study was to identify novel molecular and cellular changes in the BTBR mouse, focusing on neuronal, synaptic, glial and plasticity markers in the limbic system as a model for identifying putative molecular and cellular substrates associated with autistic behaviors.\nMETHODS: Forebrains of 8 to 10-week-old male BTBR and age-matched C57Bl/6J control mice were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using free-floating and paraffin embedded sections. Twenty antibodies directed against antigens specific to neurons, synapses and glia were used. Nissl, Timm and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) stains were performed to assess cytoarchitecture, mossy fibers and cholinergic fiber density, respectively. In the hippocampus, quantitative stereological estimates for the mitotic marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were performed to determine hippocampal progenitor proliferation, survival and differentiation, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA was quantified by in situ hybridization. Quantitative image analysis was performed for NG2, doublecortin (DCX), NeuroD, GAD67 and Poly-Sialic Acid Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (PSA-NCAM).\nRESULTS: In midline structures including the region of the absent corpus callosum of BTBR mice, the myelin markers 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) and myelin basic protein (MBP) were reduced, and the oligodendrocyte precursor NG2 was increased. MBP and CNPase were expressed in small ectopic white matter bundles within the cingulate cortex. Microglia and astrocytes showed no evidence of gliosis, yet orientations of glial fibers were altered in specific white-matter areas. In the hippocampus, evidence of reduced neurogenesis included significant reductions in the number of doublecortin, PSA-NCAM and NeuroD immunoreactive cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus, and a marked reduction in the number of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) positive progenitors. Furthermore, a significant and profound reduction in BDNF mRNA was seen in the BTBR dentate gyrus. No significant differences were seen in the expression of AchE, mossy fiber synapses or immunoreactivities of microtubule-associated protein MAP2, parvalbumin and glutamate decarboxylase GAD65 or GAD67 isoforms.\nCONCLUSIONS: We documented modest and selective alterations in glia, neurons and synapses in BTBR forebrain, along with reduced neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Of all markers examined, the most distinctive changes were seen in the neurodevelopmental proteins NG2, PSA-NCAM, NeuroD and DCX. Our results are consistent with aberrant development of the nervous system in BTBR mice, and may reveal novel substrates to link callosal abnormalities and autistic behaviors. The changes that we observed in the BTBR mice suggest potential novel therapeutic strategies for intervention in autism spectrum disorders.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.699237585067749}
{"content": "\"Methyl Bromide and Alternatives: Past, Present, and Future\" to be held May 11-13.\nManhattan, Kan. — The Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., is hosting the third and final workshop titled, \"Methyl Bromide and Alternatives: Past, Present, and Future\" on May 11-13, at the International Grains Program and Conference Center.\nThe state-of-the-art Hal Ross Flour Mill, adjacent to the conference center, will be fumigated with methyl bromide during this workshop. The workshop is limited to 50 participants and the registration cost is $150 per person. This workshop is part of a larger effort by Kansas State University, Purdue University, USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research (CGAHR) and industry stakeholders to improve the structural fumigation process and advance the adoption of methyl bromide alternatives. This workshop is part of a research and technology transfer project supported by a grant from USDA to compare cost-effectiveness of three structural treatments: methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride, and heat treatment.\nThis is the first notice to hold the date. Additional workshop details will be available by visiting www.oznet.ksu.edu/grsc_subi.\nTwo previous workshops on methyl bromides alternatives were held in May and August of 2009 and information presented at these workshops is available at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/grsc_subi/Conference/confrence.htm.\nFor further information, please contact Michelle Hartzer (mkaczmar@k-state.edu) or Bh. Subramanyam (sbhadrir@k-state.edu) at Kansas State University.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7277650833129883}
{"content": "Renewable Energy Portfolio Compliance\nThe Energy Independence Act, known as Initiative 937, was approved by voters in 2006. It requires state electric utilities serving 25,000 or more customers to obtain at least 15 percent of their electricity from new renewable resources by 2020 and undertake all cost-effective energy conservation.\nFor energy conservation, I-937 requires each covered utility to identify its achievable, cost-effective conservation potential over a 10-year period, starting in 2010-2011. Utilities must update those assessments at least every two years.\nSeattle City Light is meeting or exceeding each of these requirements.\nFor 2010-2011, City Light's energy conservation target was 172,397 megawatt-hours. City Light achieved 267,813 megawatt-hours of energy savings, exceeding the target by 55 percent.\nOn the new renewable energy front, City Light has contracts in place to meet I-937's escalating requirements through 2019, measured in terms of renewable energy credits. One credit is created for every megawatt-hour of new, renewable energy produced. In 2020, City Light's target rises to 1,609,000 renewable energy credits. City Light has 836,000 renewable energy credits in place for 2020 and has eight years before that deadline to acquire the rest.\nFor more details, you can read a copy of City Light's compliance report, which was submitted to the Washington Department of Commerce.\n2012 I-937 Compliance Report", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7042447328567505}
{"content": "The market for cider/perry in the Netherlands is growing largely thanks to high profile advertising campaigns from large manufacturers. Cider/perry is praised by Dutch consumers due to the fresh taste and lower abv content formulas, meeting the rising demand for drinks with healthier appeal. Cider/perry is benefiting from the higher interest in non-alcoholic beer, as manufacturers are promoting alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks.\nEuromonitor International's Cider/Perry in Netherlands report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data (2007-2011), allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they legislative, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2016 illustrate how the market is set to change.\nData coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.\nWhy buy this report? * Get a detailed picture of the Cider/Perry market;\n* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;\n* Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;\n* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.\nClick for Report details:Cider/Perry in the Netherlands - Market Research Report", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9669193625450134}
{"content": "Following is a draft of the abstract I am working on for a poster I will propose to present at the 2013 Human Biology Association meeting in Knoxville, TN (yay, I can drive there!). Feedback is welcome.\nThe psychophysiology of fireside relaxation. CD Lynn. Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.The importance of fire in human evolutionary history is widely acknowledged but the extent of that role is not fully explored. Fires involve flickering light, crackling sounds, warmth, and a distinctive smell. For early humans, fire may have extended the day, provided heat, helped with hunting, warded off predators and insects, illuminated dark places, and facilitated cooking. Recent scholars have proposed that campfires also provided a social nexus and relaxation effect that could have enhanced prosocial behavior (e.g., McClenon 2006; Wilson 2012; Wrangham 2009). According to this hypothesis, calmer, more socially tolerant people would have been advantaged via the necessity of fireside interactions relative to individuals less susceptible to fireside relaxation. In this study, I test the presupposition that the properties of a campfire are universally relaxing. Using a randomized crossover design, blood pressure, skin conductance, and EEG data were collected from 134 adults from Tuscaloosa, AL with respect to viewing a muted digital fire, a digital fire with sound, and a blank computer screen for 5 minutes each. Student’s t statistic was used for within-subject comparisons of the degree of change in blood pressure from pre- to post-test among conditions. ANOVA was used to test between-subject influences on skin conductance and alpha/theta brain wave ratios. Preliminary results indicate that simultaneously watching and listening to a fire influences the greatest relaxation response while the control condition influences the least. These findings have significant contemporary applications, as understanding the psychophysiological influences of fire may “shed light” on our species’ captivation with television and other similarly multi-sensory phenomena.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8376944065093994}
{"content": "When the church bell is rung for a funeral, said poet John Donne, don't ask who it's tolling for. Instead recognize how human mortality is shared by all. The bell tolls for thee.\nSome of us who have been the loss of job or career ordeal might have thought that the bell was tolling for us today. Recently discharged from his job at Accent Signage Systems, Andrew Engeldinger returned to his former place of employment. He killed the owner, three others, and himself.\nThe tragic reality in capitalist America is that we are our jobs. The dirty little secret had been that when we don't have one our thinking narrows into a binary pattern: Suicide or murder. That's not so secret any more.\nSuppose someone, anyone had reached out to Engeldinger. It could have been a simple phrase such as \"The hell with them.\" Yet, the human tendency, particularly in this era of fear of losing how we make our living, is to distance ourselves. Maybe we should heed the sentiment that the bell tolls for us. If we reach out to help we will be more willing to look for it and get it when our own career implosion happens.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9895898699760437}
{"content": "Initially, the building principal is certain to assume a strong leadership role in launching the RTI initiative. As with all school improvement initiatives, principal leadership and support are necessary for success.\nWhen launching an RTI initiative, schools typically form a small, school-based team to support the principal in planning and providing leadership for the RTI initiative. In this Action Tool we refer to this team as the RTI Leadership Planning Team, although it has been called by other names (e.g., RTI School Improvement Team, RTI Team, etc.). The challenge is to select team members who not only represent various school constituencies, but also possess skills and knowledge relevant to RTI.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9919536113739014}
{"content": "When is the best time to replace a broken clematis trellis? The amount of pruning you'll need to do depends on how entwined your clematis and trellis have become. Ideally, you can untangle the clematis while it's dormant, then replace the trellis and tie the vine onto the new support. But untangling a twining vine can be frustrating and time-consuming. If it's too much of a headache, prune your plant as severely as necessary to remove it from the support. Do so while the plant is dormant. Severe pruning may remove next year's flowers if the clematis is a spring bloomer. But it should send out new shoots from the base that will bloom nicely the following year. If the trellis has broken during the growing season, consider propping up the trellis with supplemental stakes or supports to get through the year until the proper pruning time.\nCommunity Answers 0", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5751786231994629}
{"content": "Artikel Chestpain in primary care: a systematic research programme to support guideline development Suche in Medline nach Autoren Veröffentlicht: 10. Juli 2012\nGliederung Background: Chest pain is a frequent complaint in primary care practice. In a minority of only 10–15% of cases it is caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). However, general practitioners (GPs) must diagnose these patients accurately and refer if needed. The guideline has as its objective to support GPs’ decision making in this area. The emphasis is on history taking and physical examination.Methods: We designed a research programme to inform guideline development. This included a qualitative study to explore actual reasoning of GPs regarding chest pain and the identification of serious illness; three cross-sectional studies of patients with chest pain in primary care (overall n=2500 patients); a conventional systematic review and one based on individual patient data; a practice test with qualitative and quantitative methods.Results: Our research programme in cooperation with national and international partners improved the evidence base of recommendations considerably. A simple decision tool, the Marburg Heart Score, was developed and validated in two independent samples. Several traditional items of the history were shown not to discriminate between CHD and less serious aetiologies.Conclusion: Clinical diagnosis is topic of considerable complexity for guideline developers. Often the evidence base is poor. A focused research programme can inform guideline development. However, this requires sufficient resources including time.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5987308025360107}
{"content": "I was smug for a while, but I kept reading and researching. Eventually I learned just how much I hadn't yet learned and the smug went away. The one thing I 'know' (and even this might be wrong) is that no one actuallyknowsanything about nutrition or how any of this works. It's all theory and guess work and trial and error. I think I've found what works for me, but I'm still tinkering and tweaking. Okay. Maybe I'm still a little smug.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9760701060295105}
{"content": "Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole. Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.\nDo not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.\nOCR for page 20 20ditions for the reasons described in the previous section. Lost RevenueIncreased air pollutant emissions also occur when a parkingcustomer is forced to circulate within a parking facility while Constrained parking generally results in lost airport rev-searching for an available space. enue. For example, a missed revenue opportunity occurs for When airline passengers shift from parking to pickup and every parking customer that chooses to (1) shift from the pub-drop-off by private automobile, taxicab, or single-party lim- lic parking supply in favor of other modes, (2) downgrade to aousine, the increased vehicle trips resulting from this mode remote facility at which a lower rate is charged, or (3) move toshift generate more vehicle emissions on the airport and a privately operated off-airport parking facility.within the region than would be the case if these airline pas-sengers parked for the duration of their trips. However, if the Potential Diversion to Other Airportsvehicle used in the drop-off and pickup mode generates lowervehicle emissions as the result of cleaner fuel technology than Data from the stated preference survey conducted as part ofthe vehicle that would have been parked, then the net change this research project indicate that constrained parking is not ain emissions generated should be considered. primary reason for airline passengers choosing one airport For shifts from airline passengers parking for the duration over another in an airport system. The primary reasons airlineof their trips to HOV modes, the vehicle emissions generated passengers choose one airport over another in a competingshould decrease. In this case, the effect of constrained park- airport system are the availability of direct flights to a desireding may have a positive effect on vehicle emissions. destination, the price of airline tickets, and flight travel time.Increased Costs Airport Employee Retention Constrained parking conditions often require increased Airport employees are vital to the operation of an airport.management on the part of the airport operator (or its park- One of the challenges airport employers face in recruiting anding operator) to direct parking customers from a temporarily retaining employees is the availability of viable commute alter-closed facility to an open facility or to actively assist customers natives to the private automobile that accommodate workin finding an available space within a constrained facility. This schedules. This is particularly true for part-time and temporaryincreased management results in increased labor costs. When workers. Therefore, commute options to the airport must betemporary overflow facilities are opened to accommodate convenient compared to commute options to other employ-excess parking demand, additional labor and operational costs ment centers, such as a downtown area that is well served bywill be incurred, including busing costs associated with opera- public transportation. If the employee parking supply is con-tion of remote overflow lots and the costs associated with rev- strained and the alternatives to driving do not accommodateenue collection, if applicable. Transportation will be required work schedules or represent a significant time penalty com-between the terminal area and the overflow facility until the pared to driving, airport employers will have a difficult timedriver of the last parked automobile returns from his or her trip. recruiting and retaining employees.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5820603966712952}
{"content": "Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), a leading U.S. warehouse club operator, recently posted salesdata for the four-week period ended May 27, 2012. However, salesfell short of analysts' expectations as unfavorable foreigncurrencies fluctuation remained a drag. Moreover, sales for themonth were also adversely affected by deflation in gasolineprices.\nThe company will sustain its sales momentum as it moves furtherinto 2012. After a 4% increase in April, Costco'scomparable-store sales for the month of May climbed by a similarpercentage, reflecting comparable sales growth of 5% at its U.S.locations and 3% at its international divisions. In the prior-yearperiod, the company delivered comparable-store sales growth of13%.\nFor the 39-week period ended May 27, 2012, the companyregistered comparable-store sales growth of 7%, with U.S. andinternational sales also rising by an equivalent percentage.\nExcluding the effects of gasoline prices and foreign currenciesfluctuation, Costco's comparable-store sales for May climbed 6%,with U.S. and international comparable sales increasing 5% and 8%,respectively. For the 39-week period, the company registeredcomparable-store sales growth of 7%, with U.S. sales rising 6% andinternational sales climbing 9%.\nTotal net sales for May jumped 7% to $7.67 billion from $7.14billion in the same month last year. For the 39-week period, salesincreased 10% to $71.28 billion from $64.75 billion in the sameperiod last year.\nCostco continues to be a dominant retail wholesaler based on thebreadth and quality of merchandises it offers. The company'sstrategy to sell products at heavily discounted prices has helpedit to sustain growth amidst beleaguered economic conditions, ascash-strapped customers continue to reckon Costco as a viableoption for low-cost necessities. Having delivered consistentcomparable-store sales growth, Costco is well positioned in thewarehouse club industry.\nConsumers seeking discounts started flocking to warehouse clubs,leading to improved sales of discretionary items. Consequently,Costco witnessed high single-digit growth in the top line duringthe third quarter of 2012, which subsequently led to an increase inthe bottom line.\nCostco's third quarter earnings of 88 cents a share beat theZacks Consensus Estimate by a penny, and increased 20.5% from 73cents earned in the prior-year period. Total revenue, whichincludes net sales and membership fee, climbed 8.2% to $22,324million from the prior-year quarter, and handily surpassed theZacks Consensus Estimate of $22,072 million. However, Costco faces stiff competition fromTarget Corporation (TGT) and Sam's Club, a division ofWal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), which follows a similar business model that pushes through highvolumes of merchandise at low prices in membership-only warehouseclubs. Thus, aggressive pricing to gain market share and drivetraffic amid stiff competition may depress sales and margins.\nCostco currently operates 602 warehouses, which include 435 inthe United Statesand Puerto Rico, 82 in Canada, 32 in Mexico, 22 inthe United Kingdom, 13 in Japan, 8 in Taiwan, 7 in Korea and 3 inAustralia. The company plans to open 6 more new warehouses duringthe remainder of fiscal2012.\nGoing by the pulse of the economy, we believe thatbudget-constrained consumers will remain watchful on their spendingand look for discounts. Consequently, we could see more competitivepricing, compelling products and innovative ways to attractshoppers.\nGiven the pros and cons, we maintain our long-term Neutralrecommendation on the stock. However, Costco holds a Zacks #3 Rankthat translates into a short-term Hold rating.\nCOSTCO WHOLE CP (COST): Free Stock AnalysisReport To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks InvestmentResearch", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8008019328117371}
{"content": "Institution\nf@herth.net\nSource\nEur Respir J 2002 Oct; 20(4) :972-4.Abstract\nTransbronchial biopsy (TBBX) for peripheral lung lesions is usually performed with the help of fluoroscopy, but the yield varies widely. This feasibility study aimed to assess the ability of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to provide imaging guidance for TBBX. In a prospective study, 50 consecutive patients referred for TBBX for peripheral lesions underwent fluoroscopy-guided and EBUS-guided TBBX in random order. Diagnostic yields were compared for both modalities and feasibility was assessed for EBUS. Diagnostic material was obtained in 80% of patients with EBUS and 76% of patients with fluoroscopy. There was a nonsignificant trend for EBUS to be better than fluoroscopy for lesions <3 cm in diameter. Four lesions could not be visualised with EBUS. There were no significant complications associated with the use of EBUS. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial biopsy is feasible. It appears to be at least equivalent to fluoroscopy without the accompanying radiation exposure. Further large-scale studies are indicated to assess the possible role of endobronchial ultrasound as a potential imaging method of choice for the biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.\nMesh\nAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiopsy, NeedleBronchoscopesCross-Over StudiesDiagnosis, DifferentialEndosonographyFeasibility StudiesFemaleFluoroscopyHumansLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificitySolitary Pulmonary NoduleLanguage\neng\nPub Type(s)\nClinical Trial Comparative Study Journal Article Randomized Controlled Trial\nPubMed ID\n12412691", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5169305801391602}
{"content": "Referenced Items are not available for this document. Skip to Main Content\nBen Shneiderman's book dramatically raises computer users' expectations of what they should get from technology. He opens their eyes to new possibilities and invites them to think freshly about future technology. He challenges developers to build products that better support human needs and that are usable at any bandwidth. Shneiderman proposes Leonardo da Vinci as an inspirational muse for the \"new computing.\" He wonders how Leonardo would use a laptop and what applications he would create.Shneiderman shifts the focus from what computers can do to what users can do. A key transformation is to what he calls \"universal usability,\" enabling participation by young and old, novice and expert, able and disabled. This transformation would empower those yearning for literacy or coping with their limitations. Shneiderman proposes new computing applications in education, medicine, business, and government. He envisions a World Wide Med that delivers secure patient histories in local languages at any emergency room and thriving million-person communities for e-commerce and e-government. Raising larger questions about human relationships and society, he explores the computer's potential to support creativity, consensus-seeking, and conflict resolution. Each chapter ends with a Skeptic's Corner that challenges assumptions about trust, privacy, and digital divides.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5294108390808105}
{"content": "This article presents the challenges that an engineer might encounter when designing or scaling up bioprocesses and offers practical solutions, including those cited in literature.\nWould you like to reuse content from CEP Magazine? It’s easy to request permission to reuse content. Simply click here to connect instantly to licensing services, where you can choose from a list of options regarding how you would like to reuse the desired content and complete the transaction.\nWould you like to access this CEP Article? No problem. You just have to complete the following steps.\nYou have completed 0 of 2 steps.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9739153385162354}
{"content": "Research Projects Project at a Glance\nTitle: Economic impacts of alternatives to open-field burning of agricultural residues. Principal Investigator / Author(s): Moss, Steven J Contractor: Foster Associates Contract Number: A132-121 Topic Areas: Agriculture, ImpactsAbstract: This report relied upon field interviews, existing analytical data, and the development of a computable general equilibrium model to investigate the economic implications of policies limiting the ability of almond, rice, walnut, and wheat growers to burn their crop residues. Through this investigation it was determined that, in the face of a straw residue burning phase-down, the majority of rice and wheat growers would soil-incorporate their straw with minimal economic disruption. However, if such a practice results in significant yield reductions, noticeable individual and regional economic impacts would be engendered. Almond and walnut growers cannot soil-incorporate their residues without significant changes to production practices. Given the limited economically feasible methods of disposing of residues off-site, a prohibition on almond and walnut residue burning could create substantial economic and technical difficulties for these growers.\nFor questions regarding research reports, contact: Heather Choi at (916) 322-3893\nStay involved, sign up with ARB's Research Email Listserver", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9314283728599548}
{"content": "The summaries are free for public\nuse. The Chronic Liver Disease\nFoundation will continue to add and\narchive summaries of articles deemed\nrelevant to CLDF by the Board of\nTrustees and its Advisors.\nAbstract Details\nA simple method to measure antibody affinity against the hepatitis B surface antigen using a routine quantitative system\nLiu H, Han Y, Wang B. J Virol Methods. 2011 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print]\nAbstract\nThe aim of the study was to establish a simple method to measure antibody affinity to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) by using a routine quantitative system to explore the significance of anti-HBs affinity. Serum samples of hepatitis B patients who had been discharged from the hospital were collected at the time of re-examination. The 60 patients with resolved HBV infection were divided into two groups based on the serological markers measured in the samples: an anti-HBs group (anti-HBs-only positive) and an anti-HBs positive with anti-HBc group. The serum samples were diluted prior to the measurement of total anti-HBs by using a commercial assay with the AxSYM device. The total anti-HBs (mIU/mL) of all dilutions were measured, and the positive data (>10mIU/mL) were transformed into logarithmic values (lgU). The relative affinity of anti-HBs was calculated and derived from the mass action formula. The absolute value of (lgU(1) - lgU(2)) positively correlated with the antibody affinity. The results indicated that affinity of anti-HBs in the samples obtained from the anti-HBs-alone positive group was statistically higher than that of the other group (P<0.05), though no significant difference was noted in regard to the total antibody activity (P>0.05). This simple approach to measurement of anti-HBs antibody affinity may serve as a new tool in clinical laboratories and contribute to the management of patients with hepatitis B.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.648991048336029}
{"content": "If you download this publication you may also be interested in these:Towards mutually beneficial partnership in outgrower schemes Lessons learned from Indonesia FAORome, ItalyOutgrower scheme initiatives in Indonesia have occured particularly in response to rapid changes in the sociopolitical situation in Indonesia. This situation has influenced forestry platnation industries to practice more socially oriented management in daily operations, and also in the same time as a way to secure company wood supplies. Despite the emerging private initiatives on outgrower schemes, companies do not generally have clear idea on the mechanisms that would work best in the field and to what extent participatory approaches could be used in ensuring a full commitment from landowner/tree grower partners whithout jeopardizing the companies' economic pronciple of cost efficiency. This study intends to provide comprehensive understanding to the private timber plantation companies, or to those implementing outgrower schemes, or to those who wish to initiate feasible outgrower schemes by considering the expectations from small-scale tree grower partners.\nTopic: forest plantations, partnerships, social impact, economic impact, conferencesGeographic: IndonesiaBook Source: Nawir, A.A., Anyonge, C.H., Race, D., Vermeulen, S.(eds.). Towards equitable partnerships between corporate and smallholder partners: relating partnerships to social, economic and environmental indicatorsPages: 117-144Publisher: FAO, Rome, ItalyPublication Year: 2003Language: EnglishRelated publications", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.549385666847229}
{"content": "Moving through your day, try considering your contributions as offerings -- particularly the little things that are easy to overlook, such as the laundry, courteous driving, or saying thanks. When you relate to everyday actions as offerings, you feel an intimacy with the world.\nA five-word question changed how I will see the world forever. Do I have food? It wasn't a question about eating. It wasn't about the credit card bill. It was a question about me. It was a question I needed to hear. That question transformed an experiment into a life lesson.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5760614275932312}
{"content": "Susan Hasty, Publisher\nTable of Contents . . . April 9th, 2006\nAdverse Drug Reaction - U.S. FDA web site warns of risk of cardiovascular adverse reactions from methylphenidate\nAngiology - Findings in angiology provide new insights\nAngiology - New data illuminates research in angiology\nAngiology - Recent findings illuminate research in angiology\nAnorexia & Heart Abnormalities - Girls with anorexia nervosa show structural and functional cardiac abnormalities\nAtherosclerosis - Intraluminal aortic manipulation dislodges embolic material\nAtherosclerosis - New findings in atherosclerosis described\nAtherosclerosis - Researchers' findings advance atherosclerosis research\nBiomedical Engineering - Magnetic navigation system for PCI in complex coronary lesions may become useful adjunct\nBreast Cancer - Potential use of COX inhibitors in breast cancer evaluated\nCardiac Surgery - Women's high heart-surgery death rate may be due to infection\nCardiology - Findings describe new data in cardiology research\nCardiology - New findings in the area of cardiology described\nCardiology - New findings in the area of cardiology detailed\nCardiology - New research in the area of cardiology detailed\nCardiology - Recent findings in cardiology provide new insights\nCardiology - Reports add new data to cardiology research\nCardiology - Research in cardiology provides new insights\nCardiology - Studies describe new findings in cardiology research\nCardiovascular Disease - Aldosterone excess has a negative impact on glucose metabolism\nCardiovascular Disease - Cardiovascular mortality correlates with obesity in younger men more than in older men\nCardiovascular Disease - Don't become another statistic: Protect your heart by getting a cholesterol test\nCardiovascular Disease - Recent findings in cardiovascular disease provide new insights\nCardiovascular Disease - Researchers provide details of new studies and findings in the area of cardiovascular disease\nCardiovascular Procedures - Enhanced external counterpulsation reported to reduce angina\nCardiovascular Research - Adenosine- and hypoxia-induced dilation of coronary arteries does not involve KATP channel\nCardiovascular Research - Atrial fibrillation from pulmonary veins may be linked to hyperactive autonomic ganglia\nCardiovascular Research - Extravascular pressure modulates rat coronary artery responses to vasodilator stimuli\nCardiovascular Research - Hemorrhagic shock survival improved with delta opioid pretreatment in rat model\nCardiovascular Research - Higher optimism levels associated with lower risk of cardiovascular death\nCardiovascular Research - Lipid embolization after cardiac surgery is a phenomenon not restricted to brain\nCardiovascular Research - Reduced coronary vascular reactivity is linked to lower functional capacity in women\nCardiovascular Research - TGen survey releases survey data on cardiovascular health of Avondale, Arizona, residents\nCardiovascular Risk Factors - Type 1 diabetes should have early cardiovascular disease risk detection and prevention\nChagas Disease - Night blindness is a new clinical symptom of Chagas disease\nClinical Trials - Acusphere completes enrollment in first of two phase III AI-700 trials\nColorectal Cancer - Venous thromboembolic events linked to breast and colorectal carcinoma diagnoses\nComplementary & Alternative Medicine - Patients on statins may benefit from additional LDL-cholesterol lowering with plant sterols\nCoronary Artery Bypass - Studies add new findings to coronary artery bypass body of knowledge\nCoronary Artery Disease - Diagnosing coronary disease in women may require different clinical approach than in men\nCoronary Artery Disease - Oxidation and glycation enhanced LDL effects on PAI-1 production in ECs\nDiabetes & Heart Disease - Diabetes epidemic could erase reductions in deaths, hospitalizations due to heart disease\nDiabetes & Stroke - Diabetes and stroke risk management should include multifactorial intervention\nDiabetes Complications - ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor antagonist attenuates diabetic neuropathy\nDiabetes Complications - Cardiac lipoprotein lipase influence on diabetic heart disease is reviewed\nDiabetes Complications - Heart rate variation raises cardiovascular complication risk in diabetics with nephropathy\nDiabetes Complications - Heterogeneity of neointimal distribution after bare metal stenting increased complications\nDiabetes Complications - Nicorandil before reperfusion on AMI patients with stress hyperglycemia improves outcome\nDiabetes Complications - Triacylglycerol turnover kinetics indicate compartmented lipid storage\nDiabetes Epidemiology - GST gene variant is linked to elevated inflammation markers and lipid peroxidation in DM\nDiabetes Pathogenesis - Fibrinolytic activity is not adversely affected by type 1 diabetes\nDiagnostics - Ergonovine test can diagnose vasospastic angina\nDiet & Nutrition - Flaxseed is promising for dietary manipulation of hyperlipidemia\nDiet & Nutrition - LifeGuard Health introduces Omega-Cardio nationwide\nDiet & Nutrition - McNeil Nutritionals suggests small steps towards better nutrition and health\nDisease Associations - Researchers' findings advance disease associations research\nDrug Development - Ambrisentan ARIES-2 data to be presented at Thoracic Society meeting\nDrug Development - Cubicin receives positive outcome from U.S. FDA committee, reports Cubist\nDrug Development - Vascular disorders may profit from sphingosine-1-phosphate therapy\nEchocardiography - New research in the area of echocardiography detailed\nEchocardiography - Recent findings in echocardiography described\nElectrocardiography - Recent findings in electrocardiography provide new insights\nEnvironmental Health - Admissions for congestive heart failure are linked to increased particulate air pollution\nEnvironmental Health - Researchers report details of new studies and findings in the area of environmental health\nEstrogen & Heart Disease - Study of early estrogen's effect on heart disease similar to WHI findings\nGenetics & Genomics - APM1 gene influences adiponectin plasma levels\nGenetics & Genomics - New findings in the area of genetics & genomics detailed\nGenetics & Genomics - Researchers' data advance genetics & genomics research\nGenetics & Genomics - Researchers' findings advance genetics & genomics research\nHead & Neck Cancer - Head and neck cancer treated by amifostine therapy combined with radiotherapy\nHead & Neck Cancer - U.S. FDA approves ERBITUX (Cetuximab) for treatment of head and neck cancer\nHealth Psychology - Vascular reactivity to perceived racism was explored in Black women\nHeart Disease - Researchers fight heart disease with pacing pigs\nHeart Disease & Diabetes - hs-CRP was an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease deaths in type 2 diabetics\nHeart Transplantation - TransMedics announces initiation trial for system to support beating heart transplant\nHypertension - Findings in hypertension provide new insights\nHypertension - Recent findings illuminate research in hypertension\nHypertension - Recent findings in hypertension described\nHypertension - Research in hypertension provides new insights\nInformation Technology - SunTech Medical launches interpretive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring software\nKidney Disease - Studies advance knowledge in kidney disease research\nMedical Devices - Abiomed shows circulatory support devices at cardiology meeting\nMedical Devices - Biosensors' Axxion DES shows positive results in European study\nMedical Devices - Large tube section is the key to successful coronary thrombus aspiration\nMedical Devices - Merit Medical introduces stiffened dilator mini access kit, S-MAK\nMedical Devices - Recent findings in medical devices provide new insights\nMergers & Acquisitions - Cardium acquires InnerCool Therapies, a provider of therapeutic hypothermia systems\nMergers & Acquisitions - Covalent enters into combination agreement with Remedium Oy\nMergers & Acquisitions - Royal Philips Electronics to acquire Witt Biomedical Corporation\nMetabolic Syndrome - Metabolic syndrome frequency appears to increase throughout menopausal transition\nMyocardial Infarction - In postinfarction left ventricular modeling, angiotensin II 1 and 2 receptors are intertwined\nMyocardial Infarction - Post-infarction inflammatory response, early LV remodeling are adversely affected by aging\nMyocardial Infarction - Researchers reveal secrets of success in the rapid treatment of heart attacks\nMyocardial Ischemia - Myocardial ischemia improved after treatment with proangiogenic gene therapy\nObesity Complications - Higher BMI is related to right ventricular dysfunction severity in obese and overweight\nObesity Diagnostics - Visceral fat measurement is assessed for ability to predict cardiovascular disease risk\nObesity Epidemic - Poll finds obesity epidemic continues to worsen in the United States\nObesity Pathogenesis - Metabolic syndrome raises CO production to promote hypertension and endothelial dysfunction\nPersonnel - Charles Mathews joins Lpath board of directors\nPharmaceutical Research - Fenofibrate plus candesartan improves endothelial function and reduces inflammatory markers\nRenal Disease - Inflammation in renal disease is focus of review\nStem Cell Research - Embryonic stem-like cells from canine blastocytes isolated and characterized\nStem Cell Research - LifeStem notes significant progress in using stem cells to treat heart disease\nSurgical Technology - For coronary bifurcation lesions, side-access stent proves successful\nSurgical Technology - New research in the area of surgical technology detailed\nSurgical Technology - Primary aortic co-arctation stenting shows excellent clinical, angiographic outcomes\nSurgical Technology - Recent findings in surgical technology provide new insights\nTelemedicine - Wireless ECG data recorder integrated into shirt\nThyroid Function - Low serum thyrotropin is associated with high plasma fibrinogen\nTissue Engineering - Man-made heart tissue improves cardiac performance\nTransitional Cell Cancer - Transitional cell cancer treated by cisplatin, gemcitabine, and weekly docetaxel\nTransplant Medicine - Sheet-shaped myoblast graft implantation improved cardiac performance\nNewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7913249135017395}
{"content": "Bupa International has published two new health\nguides for expatriates in Hong Kong and Singapore. The guides include\ninformation on vaccinations, medical insurance and emergency healthcare.\nExpatriates already living in Hong Kong or\nSingapore and those who are planning to move to either country can access the\nhealth guides via the Bupa International website.\nThe Hong Kong health guide discusses vaccinations\nand the various infectious diseases that expatriates in Hong Kong may be\nsusceptible to. For those wondering whether to take anti-malarial medicines\nprior to their move, the health guide explains that this is unnecessary, as the\nmosquito-transmitted disease is not found in Hong Kong.\nHowever, though malaria is not found in\nSingapore, the Singapore health guide suggests that expatriates take measures\nto prevent mosquito bites, as dengue fever and chikungunya have both been\nreported on the island.\nThe two health guides also provide information on international health\ninsurance options that expatriates in Singapore and Hong Kong can benefit from\nand give an overview of the healthcare systems in both city-states, such as the\navailability of specialist care, the number of hospitals and the nature of\nprimary care.\nInternational health insurance news: 13 December 2011", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8521020412445068}
{"content": "Goodness Fact Sheet provides that caffeine is a stimulant that works directly on the brain. It can be transmitted through breast milk and pregnant women are advised to restrict their caffeine intake. It has analgesic properties but also has side effects such as anxiety, nervousness …palpitations. It also increases the heart rate and can provoke emotional reactions. It stimulates the gastric juic...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9912821054458618}
{"content": "By Robert Taylor Few opportunities exist to invest in and enhance benefit programs. The past decade has seen significant benefit cost inflation driven by drug costs and newer expensive drug therapies. Although the historical double digit health inflation trend appears to have slowed slightly in the past two years, there remains little appetite to [...]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9573564529418945}
{"content": "Terminology\nSo, which terms do I use? Terminology, particularly as it relates to Indigenous peoples, can be tricky to navigate. A term that might be acceptable to some might be offensive to others. Because of this, many people do not feel confident using certain terms when referring to Aboriginal peoples. Fear of using the \"wrong\" word should never stifle important dialogue and discussions that need to be had.\nBy taking a moment to consider the history of certain terms, it is very possible to learn and be comfortable with which words to use in which contexts. We have compiled this guide to help inform your decisions on terminology.\nTerms in this section:\nFirst Nations | Inuit | Metis | Indian | Inuit | Indigenous | Native | Peoples (plural) To capitalize or not to capitalize?\nWhy does terminology matter? The history of relationships between the Canadian state and Aboriginal peoples is complex, and has oftentimes been paternalistic and damaging. As a result, terminology can represent something more than just a word. It can represent certain colonial histories and power dynamics. Terminology can be critical for Indigenous populations, as the term for a group may not have been selected by the population themselves but instead imposed on them by colonizers. With this in mind, one might understand how a term can be a loaded word, used as a powerful method to divide peoples, misrepresent them, and control their identity—what we can see today in Canada with \"status\" and \"non-status Indians,\" the legally defined categories of people under the Indian Act.\nOn the other hand, terms can empower populations when the people have the power to self-identify. It is important to recognize the potential these words may hold— but it is also important and very possible to understand these terms well enough to feel confident in using them and creating dialogue. We have included several of these general terms below, although many Aboriginal people may prefer to identify themselves by their specific cultural group. As you will see, the most respectful approach is often to use the most specific term for a population when possible.\nThe term \"Aboriginal\" refers to the first inhabitants of Canada, and includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This term came into popular usage in Canadian contexts after 1982, when Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution defined the term as such. Aboriginal is also a common term for the Indigenous peoples of Australia. When used in Canada, however, it is generally understood to refer to Aboriginal peoples in a Canadian context. This term is not commonly used in the United States.\n“First Nation” is a term used to describe Aboriginal peoples of Canada who are ethnically neither Métis nor Inuit. This term came into common usage in the 1970s and ‘80s and generally replaced the term “Indian,” although unlike “Indian,” the term “First Nation” does not have a legal definition. While “First Nations” refers to the ethnicity of First Nations peoples, the singular “First Nation” can refer to a band, a reserve-based community, or a larger tribal grouping and the status Indians who live in them. For example, the Stó:lō Nation (which consists of several bands), or the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (formerly the Burrard Band).\nThis term refers to specific groups of people generally living in the far north who are not considered \"Indians\" under Canadian law.\nThe term Métis refers to a collective of cultures and ethnic identities that resulted from unions between Aboriginal and European people in what is now Canada.\nThis term has general and specific uses, and the differences between them are often contentious. It is sometimes used as a general term to refer to people of mixed ancestry, whereas in a legal context, \"Métis\" refers to descendants of specific historic communities. For more on Métis identity, please see our section on Métis identity.\nThe term \"Indian\" refers to the legal identity of a First Nations person who is registered under the Indian Act . The term \"Indian\" should be used only when referring to a First Nations person with status under the Indian Act , and only within its legal context. Aside from this specific legal context, the term \"Indian\" in Canada is considered outdated and may be considered offensive due to its complex and often idiosyncratic colonial use in governing identity through this legislation and a myriad of other distinctions (i.e., \"treaty\" and \"non-treaty,\" etc.). In the United States, however, the term \"American Indian\" and \"Native Indian\" are both in current and common usage.\nYou may also hear some First Nations people refer to themselves as \"Indians.\" While there are many reasons for an individual to self-identify as such, this may be a deliberate act on their part to position and present themselves as someone who is defined by federal legislation.\n\"Indian Band\" is also a legal term under the Indian Act to denote a grouping of status Indians. (For more information on this, see our section on bands.)\nIndigenous is a term used to encompass a variety of Aboriginal groups. It is most frequently used in an international, transnational, or global context. This term came into wide usage during the 1970s when Aboriginal groups organized transnationally and pushed for greater presence in the United Nations (UN). In the UN, \"Indigenous\" is used to refer broadly to peoples of long settlement and connection to specific lands who have been adversely affected by incursions by industrial economies, displacement, and settlement of their traditional territories by others. For more on how this term was developed, please see our section on global actions.\n\"Native\" is a general term that refers to a person or thing that has originated from a particular place. The term \"native\" does not denote a specific Aboriginal ethnicity (such as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit). In the United States, the term \"Native American\" is in common usage to describe Aboriginal peoples. In Canada, the term \"Aboriginal\" or \"Indigenous\" is generally preferred to \"Native.\" Some may feel that \"native\" has a negative connotation and is outdated. This term can also be problematic in certain contexts, as some non-Aboriginal peoples born in a settler state may argue that they, too, are \"native.\"\nIs it okay to say \"native\"?\nWhile \"native\" is generally not considered offensive, it may still hold negative connotations for some. Because it is a very general, overarching term, it does not account for any distinctiveness between various Aboriginal groups. If you are referencing a specific group, it is generally considered more respectful to use another term that more specifically denotes which peoples you are referring to.\nHowever, \"native\" is still commonly used. Many people find it to be a convenient term that encompasses a wide range of populations. When wanting to use a general term in the Canadian context, one might prefer the use of the term \"Aboriginal.\"\nThe plural “peoples” recognizes that more than one distinct group comprises the Aboriginal population of Canada. For example, “Aboriginal people” (singular) might mean each Aboriginal individual, whereas “Aboriginal peoples” (plural) indicates a number of separate Aboriginal populations.\nThere is no official consensus on when to capitalize certain terms. Some people consider capitalization a sign of respect to the people you are referring to. Therefore, it may not be necessary to capitalize when using the term as an adjective and not in direct reference to a population. (For example, consider, “She is a native to the area” to “She is Native American” or even, “She is Native.”)\nPerhaps the term with the most definite capitalization “rule” is “Indian,” as it is a legal entity enforced by the Canadian government.\nUltimately, style guides have not created strict guidelines. As a result, you may find variation depending on your resources. Oftentimes, authors will explain their decision in a preface or a footnote.\npdf printable version", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5741050839424133}
{"content": "Identification of calprotectin, a calcium binding leukocyte protein, in human dental calculus matrix. Calprotectin is a calcium binding protein produced by leukocytes, macrophages and epithelial cells, and its levels in several tissues increase during infections and in many inflamed areas, suggesting that it may be an indicator of inflammatory activity. Osteopontin is a prominent phosphorylated glycoprotein in bone matrix, having calcium binding capacity. Recently, it has been reported that calprotectin and osteopontin are present in urinary stones (pathological mineralized masses in the body), and that these proteins may be involved in their formation. Dental calculus formed by mineralization of dental plaque is an inflammatory factor which may contribute to periodontal disease. It contains many organic components involved in mineralization. We recently found osteopontin molecules in human dental calculus and suggested that the components of its matrix may be similar to those of urinary stones. In this study, we investigated the presence of calprotectin in human dental calculus by immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses using a specific antibody for calprotectin. After fixation and demineralization of dental calculi adhered to tooth roots, sections embedded in paraffin were immunoreacted with the antibody for calprotectin and positive immunostaining for calprotectin was observed. Dental calculus proteins were then extracted with EDTA and separated by electrophoresis on 15% polyacrylamide gels. By immunoblotting analysis, 3 or 4 bands were observed at 11, 14.5, 22-25, 28 or 36.5 kDa and these patterns corresponded to those of calprotectin subunits. When non-immune rabbit serum was used instead of calprotectin-specific antibody as a negative control, no immunoreactivity was observed. These findings indicate that calprotectin is associated not only with antibacterial action but also with calcium binding capacity during dental calculus formation.\nDOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1997.tb00545.x\nVersion: za2963e q8za1 q8zb4 q8zc1 q8zda q8zeb q8zf2 q8zg6", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6371918320655823}
{"content": "(From PRWEB) -- According to Right Management, 84% of employees saythey plan to look for new jobs in 2011 - up from 60% in 2009. Now,only 5% say they definitely intend to remain in their currentposition. For companies to keep employees from searching elsewhereand to execute on their growth and innovation plans, employers mustfocus on improving employee engagement, a central factor in theperformance and success of organizations.\n\"Employee engagement is sinking to record lows. For corporations toflourish in this challenging economic climate, it is critical thatthey maintain focus on employee engagement to sustain a thrivingworkforce,\" said Zack Lemelle, Managing Partner, CorporateEngagement Services, of the Institute for Professional Excellencein Coaching (iPEC). \"The key for driving employee engagement isdirectly connected to leadership engagement. Leaders must beprepared, and supported, to fully engage in all aspects of theirposition - not only in driving the typical bottom line results, butalso in building powerful, dynamic teams and a supportiveorganizational culture. Only through a dedicated engagementstrategy for leaders and employees can corporations avoid theconsequence of high-employee turnover that can result in losingtalented workers and the costly training of new staff.\"\nRead more.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6725420951843262}
{"content": "Posted by: Stephen Wildstrom on October 19, 2007 It seems a bit ironic that the team from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, a place not known for its sunny blue skies, won the U.S. Energy Dept.’s annual solar decathalon. This year’s competition had 20 university teams from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Spain building ultra-energy-efficient houses on the mall. And it appears that coming from a country where, as the poet Heinrich Heine put it, “summer is a green winter” was no disadvantage.\nCongratulations to the men and women of Darmstadt. The University of Maryland placed second and Santa Clara University, in genuinely sunny Silicon Valley, came in third.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7978183627128601}
{"content": "As human beings, we're all the same. As individuals, we're different. And different is good, because differences provide us with perspective, and perspective adds depth and breadth to our lives and our work.\nThat's the definition of diversity. It's everything about us that's the same and everything about us that's different. And at Mount Carmel, we value perspective and appreciate the roles diversity and inclusion play in fulfilling our mission and providing excellent relationship-centered care.\nThat's why we are dedicated to building an inclusive culture that ensures a diverse and welcoming environment for patients, associates, physicians and suppliers.\nBecause at Mount Carmel, diversity is all of us, not some of us.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7672127485275269}
{"content": "The Incidence of a Firm-Varying Payroll Tax: The Case of Unemployment Insurance In this paper we theoretically and empirically examine the common, but previously unexamined, case of a firm-varying tax which is used to finance a fringe benefit. While we use data from the experience-rated unemployment insurance (UI) system, it is important to realize that differential treatment of firms (such as special considerations for small business) under mandated benefits laws leads to costs which vary across firms and are analogous to experience-rated taxes. We present a theoretical model which highlights the importance of considering this variation in taxes or costs both within and across markets. We examine annual changes in either firm average earnings and employment or individual worker earnings at the same firm. This method removes unmeasured firm and worker characteristics, and thus avoids the omitted variable bias that has plagued past work on incidence and compensating differentials. Our results suggest that most of the market level tax is borne by the worker. However, this does not imply that there are no employment effects of the tax. Rather, we find that individual firms can only pass on a small share of the within market differences in the tax they face, leading to substantial employment reallocation across firms.\nPublished: Journal of Public Economics as \"The effects of firm-specifictaxes and government mandates with an application to the u.s. unemploymentinsurance program\", Vol. 65 (August 1997): 119-145.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.96663498878479}
{"content": "Your Opinion: Guidelines suggest replacing meat Thursday, February 10, 2011\nDear Editor:\nThe U.S. Dietary Guidelines released this week by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are continuing a 30-year trend of recommending replacement of animal products and other fatty foods in our diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/). The recommendations reflect widespread concern with the epidemic of obesity and other precursors of killer diseases, particularly among our children.\nIn a National Public Radio interview, distinguished Harvard University Professor of Public Health Walter Willett complained about the Guidelines’ lack of transparency in failing to call for an outright reduction in meat consumption. He should know.\nIn 1977, drawing on two years of hearings by the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs chaired by Sen. George McGovern, Willett authored the original “Dietary Goals for the United States.” When the meat industry learned that the report’s key recommendation was to reduce meat consumption, it forced McGovern to destroy all copies of the report and to replace “meat” with “saturated fat.” It then abolished the committee, voted McGovern out of office, and taught government bureaucrats never to challenge meat consumption again.\nTo this day, “saturated fats” remains a code word for meat, dairy, and eggs.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5616307258605957}
{"content": "Herzog agreed that increased reporting will be a key to improving the culture of safety, but he recognized the dangers as well. \"We have a genuine professional liability crisis,\" he said. \"On the other hand, there is a demand for increased accountability by the public. If the information we provide is misused, it becomes a lawyers' feast. Our task is to figure out how do we balance those needs and ultimately do it right.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9833465814590454}
{"content": "(Cenchrus pauciflorus)\nSandbur – also referred to as Cenchrus spinifex and Coastal Sandbur – is an annual grassy weed. Preferring dry sandy and sandy loam soils, Cenchrus pauciflorus can often be found growing in old fields, sandy flood plains, waste areas and poorly maintained lawns. Sandbur can be found in most parts of the southern half of the United States.\nIdentifying Sandbur -\nSandbur can be identified as a yellow-green annual grassy weed with a tendency to spread and creep. Its typically grows vertically, but occasionally can form mats. It has a broad collar, sometimes with sparse hairs on the edges and its sheaths are loose and flattened, also with sparse hairs on the edges. Sandbur also has flat blades that are sometimes folded and taper to a point. The upper blades often enclose burs.\nSandbur forms seedheads first appearing around July. Each seedhead is a spike with anywhere from 6 to 20 burs. These spiny burs can be painful to the touch.\nSandbur Control -\nSandbur is an invasive and sometimes noxious weed that can cause injury to domestic and grazing animals, as well as people. This weed is difficult to manage in landscaped areas and typically requires herbicides for removal in lawns and other turfgrass areas.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6529205441474915}
{"content": "The Effect of Tibial Varum on the Gait Cycle Fig. B Fig. A The anterior tibialis tendon in (A) eccentrically contracts to decelerate the forefoot during the contact phase of gait.\nHowever, in (B) the anterior tibialis is under excess tractional forces due to excess compensatory pronation, which is required to gain ground contact. This mechanism commonly results in the condition called: anterior tibialis tendonitis (anterior shin splints) and may have a bearing on the development of anterior compartment syndrome.\nA. During the gait cycle we notice a lateral inverted heel strike position adopted by the foot as it strikes the ground. This is commonly represented by the natural shoe wear on the outside heel portion of your footwear.The heel strike phase of gait is commonly represented by:\nSupination at the subtalar joint Inversion of the calcaneus External tibial rotation Abduction & dorsiflexion of the talus over the calcaneus B. As the tibia internally rotates and adducts the talus over the calcaneus, it causes pronation at the subtalar joint to occur. This increases the transverse distance (T.D.) with internal tibial rotation and causes the calcaneus to evert which allows the talus to plantarflex and decrease vertical distance (V.D.) from the ground. Thus, absorbing shock by lowering the arch and elongating the foot. However, excess pronation causes an extreme increase in transverse (T.D.) rotation and excess unlocking and lowering of the arch structures. Therefore, increasing osseous instability and tractional forces on the soft tissue structures, commonly resulting in injury.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8381516933441162}
{"content": "Your rights to return Christmas presents\n31 December 2012\nRetailers are under no legal obligation to exchange or refund a gift unless:\nit was faulty when bought\nit is not as described\nit is not fit for purpose.\nREMEMBER: If you receive a gift which does not fit you properly or you simply do not like it, you have no automatic right to return it. However, most retailers go beyond their legal duty and will therefore provide you with some form of remedy.\nIf you receive a gift which is faulty, you will be within your rights to take it back and ask for a full refund, as long as you do so within a \"reasonable time\".\nMost retailers offer a 28-day returns policy, but for gifts bought months previously, there is less chance a shop will take it back. If it does, it will probably require proof of purchase such as a gift receipt or, in some circumstances, a credit card or bank statement showing when and where the item was bought.\nIf you take an unwanted gift back to a store, it is legally allowed to issue you with a credit note, but if the product is faulty or not fit for purpose, it must offer a refund.\nGIFTS PURCHASED ONLINE\nIf you are buying online, you have additional protection alongside anything the retailer offers. Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, you have seven working days from the date the item was delivered to cancel the order and return the item, even if it is just because you did not like it.\nThis doesn't apply to all goods – CDs, DVDs and software (where the seal is broken), perishable items and personalised goods are not included.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6636473536491394}
{"content": "In a recent article in ict*World, Russell Steyn wrote about the “love triangle in ITIL – configuration management, change management, and release management.” Interesting that this image arises as within the MOF training curriculum, there is a graphic similar to the following one which depicts a triangle between these three service management functions.\nTo flow through this triangle…\nViewed another way, the following graphic depicts the release management process overlapping the change and configuration management processes.\nTo summarize, it is impossible to focus on one of these SMFs without a focus on the others. This is also true of the MOF process model in general. While quadrants can be examined for gaps and needs for maturity, a holistic approach should always be taken when examining these processes within your organization.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9896639585494995}
{"content": "Victim Services Overview | | | | |\nVictim Services is an operational section of the Delta Police Department which specializes in supporting victims of crime and trauma. The program operates on the philosophy that the immediacy and nature of assistance that a victim receives following an incident can have a significant impact on their resulting wellness. It is the goal of the program, its staff and volunteers to provide timely, relevant and supportive assistance.\nReferrals to Victim Services are typically made by the investigating officer. Additionally, individuals can self-refer to the program. Victim Services staff and volunteers assist victims by providing information, support and referral.\nSpecifically, Victim Services provide information on the police investigation, the criminal justice system, matters as they proceed through the court system, and the psychological, physical, behavioural and cognitive effects of crime and trauma. Emotional support is provided to individuals as they adjust to the impact that an incident has had and as they proceed through the criminal justice system. Finally, acknowledging the variety and quality of services within our community, we refer victims to agencies which provide specialized services to meet their needs.\nWe can assist in many situations including:\nassaults break and enters child, adult and historical sexual assault domestic violence family problems fraud homicide motor vehicle collisions robberies sudden death suicide theft threats and harassment Specific services provided:\nCourt orientation – trained staff and volunteers meet with witnesses prior to their court appearance to provide information on the criminal justice system and the experience of testifying in court. Court accompaniment – Victim Support Workers may accompany victims to court during their testimony and through significant stages in the court case (criminal only). Assistance with forms including: Victim Impact Statements Crime Victim Assistance Applications Delta Police Victim Services brochure (2.16 MB)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.960679292678833}
{"content": "And to think that, for so many years, my dream was to work, full time, as a segment producer for one of these programs. And why not? They were doing what our founding fathers intended them to do --- they were wearing the uniforms of watchdogs. They were doing their part to \"comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.\" They were there to function as the Fourth Estate --- to provide the proper balance when the balance of powers tip too far in any direction.\nOur founding fathers knew very well about the dangers of despots, about religious zealots whose enthusiasm sometimes bleeds over into the desire to inflict their beliefs on the unwilling, about power-hungry representatives who fall prey to bribes and influence-peddlers.\nOur founding fathers, however, had not an inkling of a dream about the power that businessmen and their corporations would, one day, wield. They could never have dreamed that the greatest threat to the democratic republic they created would be the very commerce they encouraged.\nAnd despite their concerns over the rights of people to gather peacefully and to say and believe what they desire, they never anticipated that the greedy businessmen would, one day, execute a 30-year plan to muzzle the watchdog.\nBut as you, who have gathered here today, very well know, the watchdog is dead. With nobody there to check their forward motion, the corporations have come very close to wrestling the government away from We the People.\nSo we're here today to remember our friend, the News Media, as it existed before its demise. We're here to remember its determination to report the events and situations that all citizens needed so that they could make intelligent decisions about how we should run our government. We're here to remember their goal of reporting --- in a fair and balanced manner --- the points of view of\nALL of the parties involved in disputes. And we're here to remember their goal of building a strong wall between the news gatherers of their organizations and the advertisers, the folks who sell the papers and the owners, who were once able to express their opinions in one place --- the editorial page.Our founding fathers never anticipated that the greedy business people could buy up and control the once-free press and begin to feed their unwitting customers exactly what they wanted --- not exactly what they needed.\nOh, I was an unwitting part of the deception and now I regret it. When I broke the story of the police investigation into singer Michael Jackson, I contributed to the rush to make entertainment stories more important than stories about how our representatives are running our country.\nAnd for those of you who feel guilty here today --- guilty for not educating yourselves in spite of the ever-growing incompetence of the failing News Media --- it's not your fault. You were seduced.\nAdmit it. You were seduced.\nThe greedy business people who stole your First Amendment-empowered News Media from you replaced the important stuff with things that touched you on more emotional and prurient levels. They diverted your attention by filling your TV screens with swim suits, high-speed chases and, worst of all, stories about people who, in no way, deserve your attention --- people such as Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen. They filled your soul with fear --- fear that your kids will be kidnapped if they simply walk to school, fear that someone who prays to a different version of God than you worship are really trying to take over the world, and fear that anyone who cares about the rights and needs of the poor or the elderly or the workers must somehow be part of a communist takeover.\nNo, please don't blame yourselves. You were seduced.\nWhile you weren't paying attention, the messages put out by the ailing News Media have sent you down a self-destructive road. And you won't realize it until you step back and look at the map with a critical eye and a wide-angle view. Unless you check it out yourself, you won't realize that many of us have been supporting points of view that, in the long run, keep us from advancing toward the so-called American Dream.\nYou have to give them credit. The clever folks who finally succeeded in stealing from you the vibrant News Media of the past worked for more than 30 years to, little by little, take control.\nI know that some of your are still unwilling to believe that you have been deceived. I was there once. It was in 1984 that I had my awakening. It was just in time to watch what was happening and to begin to feel the frustrating, helpless anger.\nI posted a photograph of myself here today from when I was about eight years old. It was about that time that I witnessed something --- and even participated in something --- that was as remarkable now as it was then. You make think that this is silly. OK.\nI was on the playground of Joaquin Miller Elementary School in Burbank, California, and I noticed one of my classmates walking around the inside perimeter of two connected playgrounds. It was when he passed by me the third time, that I walked up to him and said, \"What are you doing?\"\n\"I'm walking around the playgrounds,\" he said. \"Do you want to join me?\"\nI did.\nI walked behind him. After about two more times around the playgrounds, another kid got in line behind me. Then another and another and another. Nobody ever explained to anyone why were all walking in a long line around the playground's inside perimeter --- we just did it.\nWhen the ringing bell ordered us all back to our respective classrooms, every student was in this line.\nEvery single student.\nI was reminded of this phenomenon when I learned what was really happening in Madison, Wisconsin. I came to realize that, even more than before, my friend , the News Media, was dead. If it were alive, it would have reported the truth. It didn't lie --- it just didn't tell the whole story.\nAnd, to me, that's when my friend breathed its last breath.\nWhether or not it comes back to life --- or if something else emerges to rival its glorious past --- well, as they say \"remains to be seen.\"\nFor now, we must all look, on our own, for the truth, the balance and the complete stories on our own. We can no longer count on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox or even CNN to feed us these things. They've all been corrupted. They're all serving up the Koolaid.\nThere are some uncorrupted, unafraid voices out there. If you're interested, I'll share them with you.\nIn the meantime, I was thinking about starting to walk around the inside perimeter of our society. Maybe if I walk long enough and far enough, others will join me. Maybe if thousands of us are peacefully walking and gathering more walkers, more people will notice and we can put a stop to the decay of our democratic republic.\nIt requires nobody's permission. It's legal. There's still enough of the First Amendment in place to empower us all.\nDo you think I'm crazy to want to start walking? Please let me know.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7202502489089966}
{"content": "When children are having a meltdown, their emotions are in control and their bodies are getting flooded with chemicals like adrenalin. At this point it is hard for them to think or process anything you might say. However, before they’ll be able to gain emotional control, they’ll need to get their thinking engaged and focused on more positive thoughts. You can help your children move more easily through these emotional times by teaching them some simple affirmations they can use. When they are in a calm state, teach them things they can say to themselves like:\nI’m safe. I’m calm. I can handle this. I will do my best. By practicing saying these statements every day, your children will have them on the tip of their tongue when they most need them!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8720766305923462}
{"content": "It is estimated that close to 500,000 people may find temporary employment this holiday season, putting some much-needed money into the wallets of consumers who haven’t had a paycheck in months.\nThere will be many legitimate uses for this money, but it will only stretch so far. Therefore, the NFCC suggests prioritizing the use of this money in the following order:\nBring all living expenses current – Housing, utilities, and insurance payments are at the top of the living expense list, as these must-haves need to be seen as priorities. The basics of keeping a roof over your head, food on the table, gas in the car, and the lights on will go a long way toward restoring stability to your home life. Catch up on all secured debts – For most people, their largest secured loan is a vehicle. Don’t risk losing it to repossession. Downpayment money was used at purchase, followed by monthly payments. This money will be lost if repossession occurs. Further, fees associated with the repossession will be added on. If you can’t totally catch up on past-due payments, call the lender to inquire about an extension, providing a specific payment plan that will bring you current. Pay past-due debt obligations – If you have credit card debt, you need to honor the commitment you made to repay per the conditions of the contract. Not doing so will result in negative marks on your credit report, a lower credit score, late fees, and the potential of a judgment or wage garnishment being filed against you. Your access to existing and future credit will be minimized, putting you in the position of having to pay cash for all goods and services. It can be difficult to obtain new credit in this economic environment, thus making it critical to treat existing credit responsibly. Make any needed home or auto repairs – With a reduced income, it is likely that home and auto repairs have been neglected. Now is the time to address those, as delaying may only worsen the problem. While you’re at it, consider weatherizing your home for the winter months which could result in a nice savings on your utility bills. Sock away 10 percent into savings – A well-funded savings account is insurance against financial disaster. Today is the time to protect tomorrow by opening and contributing to a savings account.Even though the NFCC is a strong advocate of saving, in this situation it is critical to bring past due accounts current before addressing saving. That will prevent eviction, foreclosure, repossession, and protect your existing credit, while making a significant step toward financial stability. Even though it will be tempting to spend this money on holiday gifts, it is more important to think long-term. Without a steady income in sight, bringing past-due obligations current will allow you to start the New Year on more solid financial ground.\nGail Cunningham is Vice President of Membership & Public Relations with the NFCC. Views expressed are the personal views of the author, and do not represent the views of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, its employees, its members, or its clients.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5106207132339478}
{"content": "May 21, 2010 Bronin on Curbing Energy Sprawl Sara C. Bronin (UConn) has posted Curbing Energy Sprawl on SSRN. Here's the abstract:\nEnergy sprawl - the phenomenon of ever-increasing consumption of land, particularly in rural areas, required to site energy generation facilities - is a real and growing problem. Over the next twenty years, at least sixty-seven million acres of land will have been developed for energy projects, destroying wildlife habitats and fragmenting landscapes. According to one influential report, even renewable energy projects - especially large-scale projects that require large-scale transmission and distribution infrastructure - contribute to energy sprawl. This Article does not aim to stop large-scale renewable energy projects or even argue that policymakers focus solely on land use in determining whether energy projects are allowed to proceed.\nRather, it proposes that we advance the legal institutions necessary to facilitate one possible solution to energy sprawl: the alternative energy microgrid - that is, small-scale distributed generation between neighbors of energy derived from sources such as solar collectors, wind power systems, microturbines, geothermal wells, and fuel cells. Microgrids are attractive from a public policy perspective. They decentralize energy production, reducing the need for massive transmission lines and large centralized plants. They allow property owners to achieve economies of scale by spreading the costs and the risk of installation and maintenance among many parties. They provide cleaner alternatives to conventional energy methods of production. And they improve system efficiencies by reducing the amount of energy lost during transmission across long distances to end users. Despite such benefits, regulatory, political, and economic barriers thwart microgrids. For example, state laws prohibit or severely limit their viability, while neighbors may object to living nearby. This Article offers three proposals to address such barriers. First, Congress should require states to consider a model standard for microgrids, just as it has required states to consider model standards in other areas of utility law. Second, states should provide guidance to localities with respect to siting and permitting microgrid projects. Third, states should develop and authorize legal institutions that would support microgrid projects, drawing from Professor Robert Ellickson’s proposal for block improvement districts, which accommodate the public-private nature of shared energy. Together, these proposals would support small-scale energy sharing collectives whose emergence could transform the American landscape. Ben Barros\n[Comments are held for approval, so there will be some delay in posting] TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfae553ef0133ee26e92d970b\nListed below are links to weblogs that reference Bronin on Curbing Energy Sprawl:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6090117692947388}
{"content": "BACKGROUND. Crescentin, the recently discovered bacterial intermediate filament protein, organizes into an extended filamentous structure that spans the length of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and plays a critical role in defining its curvature. The mechanism by which crescentin mediates cell curvature and whether crescentin filamentous structures are dynamic and/or polar are not fully understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Using light microscopy, electron microscopy and quantitative rheology, we investigated the mechanics and dynamics of crescentin structures. Live-cell microscopy reveals that crescentin forms structures in vivo that undergo slow remodeling. The exchange of subunits between these structures and a pool of unassembled subunits is slow during the life cycle of the cell however; in vitro assembly and gelation of C. crescentus crescentin structures are rapid. Moreover, crescentin forms filamentous structures that are elastic, solid-like, and, like other intermediate filaments, can recover a significant portion of their network elasticity after shear. The assembly efficiency of crescentin is largely unaffected by monovalent cations (K+, Na+), but is enhanced by divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+), suggesting that the assembly kinetics and micromechanics of crescentin depend on the valence of the ions present in solution. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE. These results indicate that crescentin forms filamentous structures that are elastic, labile, and stiff, and that their low dissociation rate from established structures controls the slow remodeling of crescentin in C. crescentus.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7874010801315308}
{"content": "To address the biological function of RNA interference (RNAi)-related pathways in mammals, we disrupted the gene Dicer1 in mice. Loss of Dicer1 lead to lethality early in development, with Dicer1-null embryos depleted of stem cells. Coupled with our inability to generate viable Dicer1-null embryonic stem (ES) cells, this suggests a role for Dicer, and, by implication, the RNAi machinery, in maintaining the stem cell population during early mouse development.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990330934524536}
{"content": "In this editorial we present evidence on lack of cost savings with privatization and show the importance of managing markets, policy, and political interests to ensure benefits from privatization. We draw on our own work and that of papers presented by members of the Scientific Committee at the Barcelona International Workshop on “Local Government Reform: Privatization and Public Private Collaboration”, which we organized in June 2006 at the University of Barcelona, Spain. We give critical attention to the challenges of managing costs, structuring the market, and managing political interests. We argue that the debate on local government reform is moving beyond the `either/or’ dichotomy of public or private and now must focus on synergy between the public and private sectors. The challenges of a dynamic market-management approach are the focus of this theme issue.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9807880520820618}
{"content": "Locate a doctor, pharmacy, hospital or other health care facility in our network.\nMonthly premiums vary depending on age, tobacco use and Body Mass Index (BMI), which is the ratio between height and weight.\nMonthly premiums for CoverTN are split three ways between the state, employer and employee. In situations of self-employed or individual enrollment, the state pays one-third of the premium while the member pays the remaining two-thirds.\nEmployees of Participating Employers In a group plan, employers pay one-third of the monthly premium and the employer or employee pays the final third.\nCoverTN plans are portable so that an employee may continue coverage even after leaving a job. In these cases, however, the employee would be responsible for two-thirds of the monthly premium and the state would continue to contribute one-third.\nEmployees of qualified groups who work in Tennessee but live in states bordering Tennessee are also eligible for CoverTN coverage. The only difference is that the employer or employee must pay the State’s portion of the monthly premium. These employees must also visit network providers within the State of Tennessee to receive benefits.\nSpouses of employees are also eligible for coverage, however, the employee or the employer are required to pay the spouse's premium. The State will still cover one-third.\nSelf-employed, employees of non-participating employers, and those in between jobs or working reduced hours The state contributes one-third toward all monthly premiums. However, employees of non-participating employers, self-employed individuals, and individuals who have had their hours reduced or are in between jobs must pay the remaining two-thirds of the premium.Spouses The state pays one-third of the monthly premiums for spouses of all members, except for those of members who work for county governments or live in bordering states. Employers are not responsible for covering one-third of the spouse’s premium, but may do so if they choose.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9281323552131653}
{"content": "Beyond Slavery Explore the Conference Explore the Conference by Subject The Purchase of His Money: Slavery and the Ethics of Jewish Marriage Gail Labovitz Two types of owned human beings appear regularly in rabbinic literature: the wife and the slave. Thinking of marriage as a purchase and women as ownable allowed rabbis to consider marriage, gender relations, and sexuality in terms of the legalities of property. \"Free\" wives and slaves were of course not of the same status at the time when this literature developed, but the legal cores of the two transactions-buying a slave and taking a wife-are highly similar. Rabbinical works, dating as far back as the beginning of the third century CE, are the foundation of practices observed by significant segments of Jewish communities to this day. These texts, along with the laws and ideas they expound, often have a vote, if not a veto, in discussions of Jewish ethics and practice. Recognizing the associations between marriage and slavery in rabbinic literature forces us to ask unsettling questions about Jewish traditions, laws, and practices today. Until we confront these questions, and reconfigure Jewish marriage on a model that does not involve metaphors of ownership, slavery will continue to exert its legacy on Jewish women. Many of us may find it easier to accept the authority of these traditions (even as we might subject them to reinterpretation) than to imagine what we might put in their place that would still allow us to feel and act \"authentically\" Jewish. However, feminist ethics of sexuality and relationship demand of us no less than our best effort.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9357842206954956}
{"content": "The following HTML text is provided to enhance onlinereadability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.Please use the page imageas the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.\nAssessing Genetic Risks: Implications for Health and Social Policy\ntions determined by medical underwriters (and underwriting manuals) to reduce life expectancy below actuarial norms. Standards for medical underwriting vary substantially by insurance company, and underwriting decisions are considered crucial business decisions by insurers and are thus considered \"trade secrets.\"\n128.\nPaul Billings, \"Testimony Before Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations,\" U.S. House of Representatives, 102nd Congress, July 23, 1992.\n129.\nCanadian Privacy Commission, Genetic Testing and Privacy (Ottawa, 1992).\n130.\nNeil A. Holtzman and Mark A. Rothstein, \"Invited Editorial: Eugenics and Genetic Discrimination,\" 50 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 457-459 (1992).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7213336229324341}
{"content": "The ARRA: Some Unpleasant Welfare Arithmetic Distributions of tax rates on job acceptance and layoff margins are estimated for unemployed household heads and spouses under three benefit and tax rule scenarios: actual rules under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, rules as they would have been if they had not been changed since 2007, and rules as they might have been with a bigger fiscal stimulus. Two or three million unemployed household heads and spouses, with a variety of tax situations, had as much disposable income while unemployed as they would have by accepting a job that paid 80-100 percent of their previous one. The number would have been less than one million under 2007 rules, and about nine million under a bigger stimulus. Tax obligations and foregone unemployment insurance about equally erode the rewards from retaining a job, or starting a new one.\nYou may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.\nThis paper was revised on February 8, 2013", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6989924907684326}
{"content": "Friday, Dec. 10, 2010, 4 p.m., 607 Dale Hall Tower. Everyone is welcome! In recent years, ongoing scientific change in evolutionary biology has attracted considerable attention from philosophers, historians, and biologists. To date, no one has provided an adequate characterization of this episode of change. Thus, my goal is to provide an account of this period of scientific change, what I refer to as the Developmental Synthesis. That is, I aim to describe the changes taking place in the study of evolution. I argue that recent conceptual change and discovery have led to an explanatory reconciliation, which I define as the demonstration of overlapping explanatory interests between different fields within the domain of evolutionary biology. This explanatory reconciliation has fostered new empirical and theoretical inter-field work, as evidenced by the field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). As a result, the Developmental Synthesis promises to provide explanations of evolutionary phenomena that current evolutionary theory cannot explain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8336443901062012}
{"content": "MUMBAI'S VENERABLE ELPHINSTONE COLLEGE SITS stolidly in a city transformed by India's economic boom. Though Mumbai's legendary poverty remains painfully apparent, it is home to the thriving Indian stock market, the Bollywood film industry, and a burgeoning tech sector. Even the city's name (formerly Bombay) is different. Yet when I returned to Elphinstone recently after a 40-year absence I found the college barely changed, its extraordinary 19th-century Indo-Islamic-Gothic main buildings lightly renovated, its classrooms and library much as I had left them long ago. The condition of Elphinstone, one of India's most prestigious colleges, is a telling sign of the state of higher education in the world's largest democracy. Under-investment has led to stagnation.\nStagnation is no longer a word that people reflexively apply to India. Starting in the early 1990s, the nation rocketed to prominence as the world's second-fastest-growing large economy. Moreover, it is growing not mainly by the standard means of low-wage manufacturing, like China, but through the provision of knowledge-intensive services and software, with globally recognized homegrown corporations such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services in the lead. In the coming year, however, these two high-tech giants will hire thousands of college graduates from abroad.\nThe problem is not so much the quantity of Indian university graduates as their quality. India has the world's third-largest system of higher education, with 10.5 million students studying at 17,625 …", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6154990196228027}
{"content": "Parks for People–Cleveland Credit: Darcy Kiefel\nPeople are naturally drawn to a waterfront, especially where there is easy access, an interesting view, and space to walk along the shore or gather with friends. City parks and open space improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work.\nWe're working to increase parkland and trails to connect Cleveland neighborhoods with Lake Erie at Whiskey Island. Our Parks for People–Cleveland program is committed to ensuring that everyone—in particular, every child—enjoys access to a park, trail, or green space.\nRight now, there's growing enthusiasm for creating a central civic gathering place in downtown Cleveland along Lake Erie. Similar to the well-known Grant Park in Chicago, a recreational corridor along Cleveland's lakefront will accommodate large public gatherings and offer green space for people to enjoy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.590469241142273}
{"content": "Laboratory methodologies for testing the antiviral susceptibility of influenza viruses: Neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) November 2012 An overview of amino acid substitutions in influenza neuraminidase associated with resistance or reduced susceptibility to NAIs The neuraminidase amino acid substitutions that have been detected in respiratory specimens from clinical settings and associated with reduced neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) susceptibility are listed in the table below. The table is divided into two sections.\nThe first section lists substitutions that are considered clinically relevant, due to their frequency of occurrence and the availability of clinical data to demonstrate a reduced treatment efficacy, making it cost-effective for screening using a SNP-based assay.\nThe second section lists substitutions observed infrequently and causing reduced susceptibility in vitro but with clinical significance being less clear. These substitutions are best screened for using Sanger sequencing of full-length NA genes, ideally following phenotypic testing of virus isolates. Viruses carrying these less frequent substitutions or displaying reduced susceptibility/resistance by phenotypic assays, should be forwarded to a WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (WHO CC) for further analysis.\nCurrently, SNP-based assays should be used to screen for H275Y substitution in N1 neuraminidases, i.e. A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H5N1) viruses infecting humans. Mutations causing this substitution are the only ones consistently associated with clinical resistance that occurs with sufficient frequency to make SNP-based testing worthwhile.\nIn general National Influenza Centres in GISRS (NICs) are not recommended to set up SNP-based assays for screening of rare substitutions. The WHO Collaborating Centres in GISRS will continue to monitor and analyse the frequencies of these rare substitutions and their effects on NAI susceptibility. If a particular variant becomes more prevalent, additional substitution(s) will be recommended to NICs as the target(s) for SNP-based assays. Relevant protocols will be made available on the WHO website.\nThe approximate fold increases in IC50 (equating to reductions in susceptibility) relative to sensitive wild-type viruses for three licensed NAIs are given in the table below. Published data are derived from both fluorescent-based and chemiluminescence-based NAI-susceptibility assays. The approximate fold increases in IC50 reported here serve as a guide only.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6991917490959167}
{"content": "Cities are central to efforts in tackling poverty and vital to economic growth. This capacity to create positive change suggests that the urban development agenda would be a natural draw for the international development community. In a new Wolfensohn Center Working Paper, Homi Kharas, Laurence Chandy, and Joshua Hermias review what has been happening with external assistance for urban development and examine urban development in the broader context of changes in the global aid architecture.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9302204847335815}
{"content": "Walking the Tightrope: Using Diagnostic and Environmental Perspectives in Clinical Practice Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how clinical social workers think about and work with two distinct worldviews: the diagnostic perspective of the DSM focusing on the internal psyche, and the person-in-environment perspective focusing on the individual in context. A purposive sample of 30 clinical social workers, recruited from chapters of two professional organizations, took part in individual interviews during October-December 2010. Follow-up interviews with 10 participants in January 2011 served as a member check; an additional peer review was conducted with a second group of clinicians. Interviews were coded using hyperRESEARCH and analyzed thematically. Findings indicate that clinical social workers utilize the two perspectives interactively and holistically, with the role of the DSM moderated by severity of the disorder and practice setting. Ethical choices and dilemmas emerged as a central principle to organize participants' experience, which they viewed as a dance, balancing act, or “tightrope.”^\nSubject Area Social Work|Psychology, Clinical\nRecommended Citation Barbara Probst, \"Walking the Tightrope: Using Diagnostic and Environmental Perspectives in Clinical Practice\" (January 1, 2011). ETD Collection for Fordham University. Paper AAI3453853. http://fordham.bepress.com/dissertations/AAI3453853", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.794571042060852}
{"content": "Capacity building is the ability of an organization to fulfill its mission in an effective manner. Many nonprofit organizations are small and possess limited resources, particularly when measured against the challenges and critical issues that they address. A capacity building initiative facilitates access to training and resources that will further enable an organization to effectively meet its mission, goals, and objectives and those of collaborative partnerships, alliances, and coalitions in which the organization participates.\nWhen the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) was created in 2007, part of the vision was that SAALT, as the coordinator, would identify funding, resources, and trainings to support NCSO members. Over the years, this has occurred in a variety of ways such as through the Advocates for Community Empowerment project, the We Build Community initiative, the New York City collaborative project on racial and religious profiling, the National South Asian Summit, and others.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6500841975212097}
{"content": "A composite company is one where a few contractors will trade through that company and these contractors will become shareholders and receive money by a combination of salary, expenses and dividends. Recent changes in legislation, effective from 6 April 2007, mean that individuals operating through “composite companies” will pay PAYE and National Insurance on their total income with no allowances or deductions to save them tax. This is, therefore, no longer a viable option for contractors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9211800694465637}
{"content": "Inclusion of individuals with disabilities\nMENA Dubai 2003 Abstract\nAuthor\nAyesha Saeed Husseini\nCopy\n\"Inclusion\" is a recent term originated by educators such as Stainback and Stainback (1996) from the severe disabilities arena. These professionals define inclusion as the placement for all students with disabilities in general education classrooms with necessary support given within these classrooms. Another definition refers to \"inclusion\" as the philosophy, process, and practice of educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms in neighbourhood schools with the supports and accommodations needed by those students (NICHCY, 1997). The aim of this study was to focus on the views of society in general towards Inclusion of individuals with disabilities within the mainstream. Inclusion in the educational setting, workplace as well as society in general is discussed, and results from field studies in the UAE are presented. The study identifies whether there a difference between the views on inclusion of people who are directly involved with individuals with mental disabilities (such as their parents and siblings) and those who do not have any direct contact with individuals with mental disabilities. The study concluded that the majority of people in the UAE who are directly in contact with individuals with disabilities did not favor inclusive settings in the educational context. However, inclusive settings were preferred in the workplace and the society in general.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7497466802597046}
{"content": "Partnering Events: Genetically engineered M13 bacteriophages as standalone tethers for probing single-molecule protein-DNA interactions A.S. Khalil, J.Y. Mao, D. Ghosh, M.J. Lang, A.M. BelcherMassachusetts Institute of Technology, US\nKeywords:single molecule, zinc finger, bacteriophage\nAbstract: Zinc fingers, the highly conserved, widespread, and multifunctional DNA binding domains for transcription factors, are paradigm proteins for studying protein-DNA interactions. Furthermore, as regulators of eukaryotic gene expression, the ability of these proteins to bind their complementary DNA substrate is crucial to cellular proliferation and development. Mutations in zinc finger proteins often lead to serious diseases, such as in the Cys2-His2 superfamily, which have been implicated in certain cancers, Huntington’s disease, and hereditary neuropathies. The biochemical features of this superfamily of proteins have been well documented and their crystal structures solved. However, biophysical investigations on the single-molecule level are lacking, perhaps due to an inability to build single-molecule assays around them. We report the genetic engineering of M13 filamentous bacteriophage into a standalone tether, specifically by expressing the DNA binding domain of Zif268/Egr1 directly on coat proteins of one end and biotin acceptor peptide (BAP) on coat proteins of the other end. We then probed the binding interaction between Zif268/Egr1 and its 9 base-pair GC-rich DNA target in a single-molecule optical trap setup, specifically by affixing short DNA strands on coverslip surfaces with a biotin-streptavidin linkage and allowing them to interact with zinc fingers, coupled to polystyrene beads via the M13 filament. This scheme allows us to build zinc finger binding specificity through high resolution measurements, with potential implications for gene therapy applications and a better understanding of transcription events involving low-level expression systems. Furthermore, our genetically encoded tether provides a testbed for mutation studies that could offer a glimpse of the single-molecule binding physics that underlie important disease states.\nNanotech 2008 Conference Program Abstract", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6459686756134033}
{"content": "Content\nBasic GuideVirusPreventionImpactSARS EssayCase Studies Amoy Gardens Lab IncidentsFast FiguresPioneers & Heroes Dr. Carlo Urbani Dr. Guan Yi\nTimeline2002February 2003March 2003April 2003May 2003June 2003July 2003September 2003December 2003January 2004February 2004\nInteractiveClassroomMedia GalleryAbout\nBasic Guide: Recommendations There are several procedures or guidelines that are recommended to individuals who might possibly be affected by SARS.\nThese recommendations issued by the CDC will help slow the spread of SARS and prevent further infections.\nHowever, the individual affected must be aware of new warnings, especially the following recommendations for travelers and possible SARS patients.\nBelow all content of this page is listed by header title. Click on the link to go to a particular part within this page.\nAt anytime you can return to this list by clicking on 'Content Outline' at the end of each part.\nThere are two specific warnings issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): the travel alert and travel advisory. When a travel alert is issued, travelers with health concerns are recommended not to travel and follow certain precautions while a travel advisory urges one to postpone any travel plans.\nHowever, if it is essential for one to travel, the CDC advised travelers, especially in SARS affected areas, to wash their hands frequently to avoid the spread of the infectious disease. Yet, the CDC does not recommend wearing facemasks in public unless you are a SARS victim.\n1.3.1 Passengers wait outside Beijing's Western Railway Station. While China's sheer size can sometimes prevent diseases like SARS from spreading too far, they can still hitch a ride on the rails crisscrossing the country (used with permission of Lou Linwei, freelance photographer for TIME Magazine).\nPossible patients must consult a health-care provider as soon as possible before it's too late. They must inform their health-care provider where they have traveled to recently and who they have come in contact with so the health worker can provide them with a more accurate analysis.\nAlso, basic precautions mentioned above must be followed for 10 days after symptoms of SARS have subsided. In the meantime, the patient must also be isolated from the outside environment (work places, schools, public areas) and avoid interactions with others as much as possible to avoid the spreading of SARS.\nTerms\nWhen you locate your mouse on aterm,a definition appears after a moment.\nSitemap Help Disclaimer", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9096848964691162}
{"content": "Objective: Inconsistencies among dentists in matching natural tooth shades have been documented. Some of the errors in color matching are attributed to the human variables. This study examined the reliability of a spectrophotometer in shade selection compared to visual method. Method and Materials: Nine observers with normal color vision were asked to visually and digitally match shades of nine maxillary models with their incisors being replaced by Vita Classical shade guide tabs. The same test was carried out in vivo on nine subjects’ maxillary central incisors. Observers included prosthodontists, dental technicians, and postgraduate students. Results: No significant difference was found among observers in shade selection regardless of the selection method used. However, there was a significant difference between digital and visual methods in shade selection. Digital method was five times more likely to match the original shade color compared to visual method. Conclusion: The system does not solve all problems involved in the determination of a tooth shade. Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer was more likely to match the shade compared to visual method. Nevertheless, this system needs further refinement as well as software upgrades as it has missed its own manufacturer shade tabs. Shadematching devices could help the clinician and technician achieve a better shade choice. The combination of visual shade analysis and digital shade measurement together lies in the precise predictability of the miscibility of shades. (Quintessence Int 2009;40:e69–e79)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9911883473396301}
{"content": "Multithreading is similar to multitasking, but enables the processing of multiple threads at one time, rather than multiple processes. Since threads are smaller, more basic instructions than processes, multithreading may occur within processes.\nBy incorporating multithreading, programs can perform multiple operations at once. For example, a multithreaded operating system may run several background tasks, such as logging file changes, indexing data, and managing windows at the same time. Web browsers that support multithreading can have multiple windows open with JavaScript and Flash animations running simultaneously. If a program is fully multithreaded, the different processes should not affect each other at all, as long as the CPU has enough power to handle them.\nSimilar to multitasking, multithreading also improves the stability of programs. However, instead of keeping the computer from crashing, multithreading may prevent a program from crashing. Since each thread is handled separately, if one thread has an error, it should not affect the rest of the program. Therefore, multithreading can lead to less crashes, which is something we can all be thankful for.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.987241804599762}
{"content": "Life Tabs 120 Tablets\n(492030)\nYou can be sure that your dog is getting the latest and greatest in balanced nutritional support from LifeTabs Chewable Tablets. Each delicious Beef and Cheese flavored tablet provides your pet with the essential vitamins and minerals they need to maintain optimal health. Vitamins help release energy from our food and help build muscle, bone, blood and other tissue. A regular supply of vitamins can maintain good health and normal growth. Since your dog’s body cannot store all essential vitamins for long periods of time, some have to be supplied on a regular basis. Some vitamins are available via food, however with all nutrients in one form, non-absorption of essential nutrients due to imbalances can occur. This is why the best thing you can do for your dog is to feed them a balanced diet supplemented with LifeTabs. LifeTabs’ high potency formula is specifically designed to provide the vitamins and minerals your dog needs. These essential ingredients will enable your pet to live the healthy, happy and energetic lifestyle they deserve. Dogs will beg for the Beef and Cheese flavor of LifeTabs. The chewable tablets can be fed as treats or crumbled up to enhance any meal.\nSize of Dog - Serving\nUp to 20 lbs. - ˝ Tab Daily\n20 lbs. and Over - 1 Tab Daily\nIngredients & Guaranteed Analysis (per tablet)\nMinerals\nCalcium - 20mg\nPotassium - 4mg\nSodium - 10mg\nMagnesium - 1.5mg\nIron - 1.5mg\nCopper - 0.05mg\nManganese - 125mg\nZinc - 1.7mg\nVitamins\nVitamin A - 750IU\nVitamin D-3 - 75IU\nVitamin E - 7.5IU\nVitamin B-1 - 0.120mg\nVitamin B-2 - 0.325mg\nAscorbic Acid - 1mg\nPantothenic Acid - 0.340mg\nNiacinamide - 1.7mg\nVitamin B-6 - 120mg\nFolic Acid - 0.025mg\nVitamin B-12 - 0.004mg\nBiotin - 0.010mg\nVitamin K - 0.101mg\nCholine - 20mg\nWheat Germ Defatted - 100mg\nCorn Syrup Solids - 100mg\nOther Ingredients\nLiver, Sucrose, Brewer's Yeast, Sorbitol, Cellulose, Lactose, Silicon Dioxide, Safflower Oil Dry Powder, Magnesium Stearate\nMiscellaneous :\nEmail a Friend\nProduct Inquiry", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7871491312980652}
{"content": "Thursday, March 22, 2012\nPeople who aspire to be faithful followers of Jesus will be motivated to have their core identities shaped by Jesus. Those who are not believers need to discover that Jesus captures what they want most deeply. In this post, I shall think about believers. In my own spiritual journey, I have found only two things that help me bring Jesus into my core. The first is obedience. The second is to meditate on the encounters with Jesus in the Gospels.\nWhen discussing how our core identities are formed, I mentioned that they come about as we inhabit certain belief and value structures over time. As we make choices along the contours of our core identities, these become more deeply entrenched.\nIt is easy to see how a person's choices to obey what she thinks God wants for her will bring Jesus more deeply into her soul. Every choice she makes to obey is a choice that following Jesus is more important or valued more deeply than the alternatives. Thus the person inhabits these value structures over time.\nMeditating on Jesus' encounters with others in the Gospel has also been fruitful for me. I began by asking questions about how I fit into the story of the encounters.\nWhen am I like the paralytic (I need to be in the presence of Jesus but I cannot get there on my own)? When am I like the crowd, so caught up in my own concerns that I will not make room for others? When am I like the Pharisees, standing in judgment on what God is doing for others? When am I like the four friends who would not allow any obstacle to prevent them from bringing their friend to Jesus so Jesus can do what only Jesus can do? Wrestling with these kinds of questions brings me more deeply into the text. As I see myself in Jesus' encounters, I taste how he meets me in more than my intellect. He meets me in my affective world. I find myself wanting him more. He becomes more real. I begin to experience the truth that Augustine observed: He has made me for himself. I am restless until I find my rest in him.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.949944257736206}
{"content": "What's wrong with me? Concerns about online medical self-diagnosis\nRobertson, Nichola and Harrison, Paul 2009, What's wrong with me? Concerns about online medical self-diagnosis, in ANZMAC 2009 : Sustainable management and marketing conference, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic..\nAttached Files(Some files may be inaccessible until you login with your Deakin Research Online credentials)\nSelf-service technologies (SSTs) are becoming increasingly commonplace in healthcare. However, research on the customer (patient) experience in this context is rare. This paper focuses on online medical self-diagnosis, a type of e-health service. This SST can provide customers with benefits such as greater convenience and control, yet we argue that this form of do-it-yourself doctoring also raises concerns for customers. This paper contributes to the service domain by presenting research propositions on the potential negative implications for customers, and their antecedents, of online medical self-diagnosis. We propose that this form of self-diagnosis is related to harms, such as customer anxiety, customer willingness to bypass healthcare professionals, and self-medication. Future research opportunities are discussed, along with implications for policy and practice.\nISBN\n1863081585\nLanguage\neng\nField of Research\n150503 Marketing Management (incl Strategy and Customer Relations)\nUnless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in Deakin Research Online is owned by the author, with all rights reserved.\nEvery reasonable effort has been made to ensure that permission has been obtained for items included in DRO.If you believe that your rights have been infringed by this repository, please contact drosupport@deakin.edu.au.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5137732028961182}
{"content": "Volume 42, Issue 1 (January 1997)\nTeam sports at multiple levels of competition have steadily grown more popular and more economically significant in the United States and Canada during the past 150 years. Year-round competition across these large countries requires continual, reliable, and safe transportation of teams and their supporters, often by air, with the potential albeit small for loss of athletes, coaches, and entire teams in air crashes and other accidents. This paper reviews potential and actual accidents involving United States athletic teams from the 1930s to the present, including four fatal air charter crashes from 1960 through 1977. Common factors in crashes included inclement weather, component failure, human factors, and overloading or misloading aircraft. The safety of commercial and charter aviation has been significantly improved. However, weather, human factors, and ongoing maintenance and inspection of aircraft for safety remain significant problems which call for continued vigilance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989314079284668}
{"content": "Introduction Probation is a sentencing alternative that allows the offender to live in the community under the supervision of a probation officer. It is based on the philosophy that the rehabilitation of some offenders will occur through the benefit from the support and encouragement of a supervised freedom rather than the need for incarceration.\nA supervised term of probation begins at the moment of sentencing. An average district court probation term will generally span six months to two years. The term is decided by the judge and monitored by a probation officer. The judge will also set a jail penalty, or hold a jail penalty in abeyance, which may be enforced if the probation terms are not followed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8452298641204834}
{"content": "Sitaram Yechury, in his article A claim to shame (Left Hand Drive, September 25), states that \"all the oil companies are reporting handsome profits, not losses\". This is factually incorrect. Between 1997 and 2002, the government pursued a cost-plus administrated pricing mechanism (APM) for the\npetroleum sector. However, as APM was becoming unsuitable for long-term growth and the efficiency of the oil industry, the government decided to replace it with a cost-plus retention pricing mechanism of petroleum products produced by domestic refineries by import parity price (IPP). As per the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee in 2006, this was later replaced by IPP for kerosene, given through the public distribution system (PDS), and domestic LPG and trade parity price (TPP) for petrol and diesel.\nPublic sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) pay TPP to refineries, both in the public and private sectors, when they buy petrol and diesel, and IPP for PDS kerosene and domestic LPG. However, since the prices of petroleum products are modulated by the government, the prices at which they are sold to consumers are not in line with IPP/TPP. This results in an under-recovery to oil companies. The difference between the required price based on TPP/IPP and the actual selling price realised (excluding taxes and dealer commissions) represents the under-recoveries of oil companies.\nTo ascertain whether any excessive under-recoveries were being reported by OMCs, three studies were carried out through the cost accounts branch of the finance ministry in 2007-08, 2008-09 and April-September 2010, to work out the under-recoveries based on TPP/IPP method and the actual cost plus approach. These studies revealed that while the difference between price as per the IPP/TPP method and the actual cost of production was Rs. 6,544 crore in 2007-08, (minus) Rs. 2,361 crore in 2008-09 and in April-September 2010, this figure was (minus) Rs. 524 crore.\nThis implies that small differences were observed in the under-recovery amount worked out under both the mechanisms. In fact, the under-recovery amount calculated under the actual cost mechanism for 2008-09 and during April-September 2010 was higher as compared to the under-recovery amount under the IPP/ TPP method.\nHence, it is incorrect to conclude, as Yechury does in his article, that OMCs are claiming more under-recovery than what is actually due to them.\nPublic sector OMCs like HPCL, BPCL and IOCL are incurring under-recovery on the sale of subsidised diesel, PDS kerosene and domestic LPG. Hence, indicating the profits being earned by ONGC, which is not incurring any under-recovery, is not justifiable.\nUpstream oil companies like ONGC and OIL also sell crude oil to domestic refineries at international prices. The government has devised a burden-sharing mechanism whereby public sector upstream companies that had been offered oil fields on nomination in the past compensate a portion of under-recoveries incurred by OMCs. In the year 2011-12, the contribution from upstream companies was Rs. 55,000 crore.\nRC Joshi is director, media and communication, ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The views expressed by the author are personal.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5262686014175415}
{"content": "BOOKS\nPublished by Palgrave Macmillan,\nThese inevitable conflicts between generations can often have a significant effect on the success or failure of the family business. Each generation has its own work style, biases and approach to money and business. Through detailed analysis of the various generations and the characteristics that define them, a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the family can move the multi-generational family business from chaos and conflict to true collaboration and improved performance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9949020743370056}
{"content": "Broad-based activities More than 100 policymakers, academics, legal professionals and civil society representatives from across Central Asia highlighted recent reform initiatives, current challenges and the way forward in the region’s criminal justice sector at the Fourth Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with OSCE Centre in Astana and other OSCE field operations in the region.\nParticipants shared their experiences and expertise on a range of issues, including the distinct roles of judges, prosecutors, investigators and the police in the pre-trial phase of criminal cases, and how to ensure that evidence is collected in a fair manner.\nThis photo gallery highlights some of the issues raised and debated at the Forum.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7694278955459595}
{"content": "To compare in vitro the bond strength of a particulate filler composite and two brands of fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) to teeth with or without the addition of flowable composite at the adhesive interphase. Physicomechanical properties that might contribute to the bonding were also evaluated. Two hundred extracted human molars were used as substrates with a standard acid-etch and adhesive technique. FRC material [everStick (EV) or Stick (SC)] was applied on the substrate either directly or with a thin layer of flowable composite resin [Tetric Flow (TF)] and light cured for 40 s. As a control, particulate filler composite was used. The specimens (n = 10) were water stored for 24 h or thermocycled for 6000 cycles and subjected to shear bond strength testing. Fracture surfaces were analyzed with SEM and the microhardness and thermal expansion behavior of the materials at the adhesive interface were also evaluated. Multifactorial ANOVA and Tukeys post hoc tests were used at a significance level of p < 0.05. ANOVA showed that storage condition and substrate type (p < 0.05) had a significant effect on the bond strength values. Bond strengths of FRC did not show a significant difference compared to the control (p > 0.05). For enamel, the mean bond strengths in MPa (SD) after thermocycling were: control 19.4 (3.8); EV 22.3 (3.6); SC 16.9 (4.9); EV-TF 22.8 (3.2); SC-TF 16.7 (2.7); and for dentin they were: control 15.3 (5.57); EV10.2 (2.2); SC 14.4 (4.5); EV-TF 8.85 (1.1); SC-TF 15.6 (3.6). Thermocycling increased the bond strength values typically by 10 %. The presence of flow composite resin did not produce any significant effect (p > 0.05). The bond strength of FRC did not differ from that of particulate filler composite, and the addition of flowable composite did not improve bond strength values.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5386028289794922}
{"content": "Summary: In this paper I take a positive view of ambiguity in the learning of mathematics. Following Grosholz (2007), I argue that it is not only the arts which exploit ambiguity for creative ends but science and mathematics too. By enabling the juxtaposition of multiple conflicting frames of reference, ambiguity allows novel connections to be made. I describe a classroom episode in which students discuss their understandings of volume and surface area and in which definitional ambiguity plays a significant role. Had precise definitions been offered explicitly beforehand, the potential for rich mathematical thought would have been dramatically diminished. (ERIC)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5741633176803589}
{"content": "“Hope is Absolute”: Gang-Involved Women - Perceptions from the Frontline Abstract Part of a larger ongoing project examining the gendered nature of Aboriginal gangs on the Prairies, this exploratory study focuses on the types of programs and services that have the potential to be effective in facilitating exits for women involved in these gangs. Based on interviews with eighteen frontline professionals and three (formerly) gang-involved women, the paper is informed by research by Giordano et al. (2002), which found that offenders, female and male, often experience environmental catalysts for change that precede their decision to leave the criminal lifestyle. Through interviews with staff who work directly with gang-involved individuals, we begin to explore the gang exit process and the types of programs and services that might capitalize on the readiness of women in particular to leave the gang lifestyle. While there is overlap between supports required to facilitate gang exit for males and females, respondents suggest gendered and racialized pathways into gangs have implications for gang exit processes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9688372015953064}
{"content": "Efficacy of Ethoprop on Meloidogyne hapla and M. chitwoodi and Enhanced Biodegradation in Soil Abstract Responses of egg masses, free eggs, and second-stage juveniles (J2) ofMeloidogyne hapla and M. chitwoodi to ethoprop were evaluated. The results indicated that J2 were the most sensitive, followed by free eggs and egg masses. In general, M. chitwoodi was more susceptible to ethoprop than M. hapla. Ethoprop at 7.2 [mu]g a.i./g soil protected tomato roots from upward migrating M. chitwoodi for 5 weeks. The zone of protection was extended to 10 and 20 cm below the root zone when 3.6 and 7.2 cm water were applied over 8 days. Ethoprop at 1.8, 3.6, and 7.2 [mu]g a.i./g soil degraded faster and killed fewer M. chitwoodi J2 in potato field soil previously exposed to ethoprop than in unexposed soil or sterilized exposed soil. The enhanced biodegradation property of the exposed soil lasted 17 months after the last application of ethoprop. The limited downward movement of ethoprop in the soil, migration of M. chitwoodi J2 into the treated zone, presence of resistant life stage(s) at the time of application, and loss of efficacy due to enhanced biodegradation may have a significant effect on the performance of ethoprop. Key words: biodegradation, Columbia root-knot nematode, ethoprop, Meloidogyne chitwoodi, Meloidogyne hapla, migration, nematicide, nematode, northern root-knot nematode, potato, Solanum tuberosum.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5052691102027893}
{"content": "Abstract: The current study examined the direct and indirect antecedents of participation in ecological behavior. Specifically, it was hypothesized that promotion and prevention orientation would both significantly predict ecological behavior, and that hope and optimism would partially mediate these relationships. The results revealed that a promotion orientation significantly predicted pro-social behavior, but the hypothesized mediation was not significant. However, post-hoc analyses revealed that hope predicted pro-social behavior and that the relationship was mediated by a promotion orientation. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997029900550842}
{"content": "A great essay, definitely worth the read. A tidbit:\nConservatives frequently look to tradition for policy guidance, and mining proponents are pointing to northern Wisconsin’s historic mining activity as evidence of safe practice. This is not an accurate comparison. The late 19th- and early 20th-century, operations in the Hurley area relied on underground shaft mines and the region’s landscape remains intact today. Conversely, the current proposal will virtually flatten the Penokee Hills by excavating a 22-mile-long, 1,000-feet-deep, and up to 1.5-mile-wide pit. Imagine widening I-94 between Lake Michigan and Pewaukee to 600 lanes — that’s roughly the same footprint. This isn’t your grandfather’s mine, and it would be wise to honor Wisconsin’s tradition of responsible stewardship that has provided us a strong balance of development, recreation and preservation. On a recent visit to the Penokee Hills with a childhood friend who works at the nonprofit Clean Wisconsin, I snowshoed to one of several pre-glacial gorges where world-class trout streams cross the range. I observed the bubbling headwaters of the 76-mile-long Bad River at Caroline Lake, just a few miles from the wetlands where the proposed mine’s tailings — leftover, non-iron minerals — are to be deposited. I drove 25 miles downstream through the Bad River watershed to Lake Superior, passing by homes and farmsteads, state parks and hunting lands. I was stunned by the Penokee Hills’ important role in influencing the flow and connectivity of the region’s wetlands and waterways all the way down to the Great Lake. As a conservative, I believe society prospers when we operate with a strong moral order and shared sense of right and wrong. After visiting the region, I know it would be wrong to risk this important watershed and the communities (and economies) that depend on it without first conducting a proper permitting process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.671207845211029}
{"content": "Jan. 23\nJanuary 23, 2009\nSupersize It\nREAD: Isaiah 6:1-10\nIn the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. —Isaiah 6:1\nAfter you placed your food order at a popular fast food restaurant, the cashiers used to ask that famous question: “Would you like to supersize that?” In essence, they were asking the customers if they wanted more of what they were already getting.\nIn a similar way, when we come into God’s presence, I believe He asks us: “Would you like to enlarge your understanding of Me today?”\nIsaiah had one such experience with God. Through a painful event in his life, Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1). Through this encounter, God supersized Isaiah’s understanding of His holiness. He saw God’s complete moral excellence that unifies His attributes.\nGod also enlarged Isaiah’s realization of his own sin (v.5). This led to an expansion of his understanding of God’s complete forgiveness and cleansing (vv.6-7). Only when Isaiah understood the depth of his sin could he appreciate and accept forgiveness and cleansing from God. Finally, his encounter with God led to Isaiah’s declaration of availability and commitment to reach out to others and to help them increase their understanding of God (vv.8-9).\nLet’s ask God to supersize our understanding of His greatness today. — Marvin Williams\nOh, I want to know You, blessed Lord,\nBetter than I’ve ever known before!\nIn Your Word I read of Your great purpose—\nHelp me understand it more and more. —Hess\nKnowing about God is fascinating. Knowing God personally is life-changing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6527679562568665}
{"content": "Did You Know?\nEach old vehicle scrapped keeps an average of more than five tonnes of greenhouse gases out of our air every year.\nClimate Action Helps Clear the Air\nAs part of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020, B.C. has\nintroduced legislation for strict tailpipe emission standards for all new vehicles sold in the\nprovince. These standards are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles\nby 30 per cent. They will also help to reduce air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, which is a\nleading source of ground-level ozone precursors and a significant contributor to fine particulate\nmatter.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9245529174804688}
{"content": "August 1, 2012\nAs ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 31, 2012 The European Union (EU) has established the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), a regulatory framework related to greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the ETS covers emissions from air carriers that operate flights within, to, and from EU member states. Negotiations between the U.S. government and the EU about the applicability of the ETS to U.S. air carriers are ongoing, and the potential outcome of those negotiations is unclear.\nS. 1956 would direct the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit U.S. air carriers from participating in the ETS if the Secretary believes such a prohibition to be in the public interest. The bill would direct federal agencies to continue negotiations in pursuit of a worldwide approach to addressing aviation-related emissions and would authorize the Secretary to use existing authorities to ensure that U.S. air carriers are held harmless for any costs they incur if they participate in the ETS.\nS. 1956 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.\nS. 1956 would impose a private-sector mandate, as defined in UMRA, if U.S. air carriers would be prohibited from participating in the ETS. The cost of the mandate would depend on how the prohibition is administered by the Department of Transportation. Because information about how the prohibition would be implemented is not available, CBO has no basis for estimating the cost, if any, to U.S. air carriers. Consequently, CBO cannot determine whether the cost of the mandate would exceed the annual threshold established in UMRA for private-sector mandates ($146 million in 2012, adjusted annually for inflation).\nOn September 23, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 2594, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 23, 2011. The two bills are similar, and the CBO cost estimates are the same.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9190905094146729}
{"content": "One of the most practical ways to prevent nuclear terrorism is to secure the materials necessary for making a weapon of mass destruction. That was the call to action President Obama outlined in Prague in 2009, and again at the Nuclear Security Summit in 2010. Today, the message is resonating.\nWorldwide, nuclear materials that could be stolen and fashioned into a nuclear weapon exist in dozens of nations. However, ongoing efforts led by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and supported by U.S. national laboratories are working to minimize the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU).\nAt Idaho National Laboratory (INL), engineers support the NNSA Global Threat Reduction Initiative’s (GTRI) Reactor Conversion Program, which converts domestic research reactors from operating with highly enriched uranium fuel to using low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The LEU fuel is less than 20 percent enriched, and cannot be used to make a nuclear weapon.\nEngineers at INL integrate conversion activities including performing conversion analyses, fuel fabrication, and fuel replacement. During conversions, three parameters are considered, including (1) the new fuel will not significantly impact the reactor’s performance, (2) no major modification to the reactor is required, and (3) there is no significant increase in operational costs. The laboratory is also developing a high-density, low-enriched uranium fuel that can be used in global high-power reactors.\nINL collaborates with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, national laboratories, universities, international partners, and commercial entities for both reactor conversions and fuel development.\nQuick Facts To date, reactors at the University of Florida, Texas A&M, Purdue University, Oregon State University, Washington State University, University of Wisconsin, and INL have been converted. Since 2004, 33 HEU research reactors (24 international, 9 domestic) have been converted or verified as shut down. INL researchers are developing a high-density LEU fuel by leading the design, fabrication technology development, irradiation testing, and fuel performance modeling. More than 300 fuel plates have been irradiated at INL to support development of a uranium-molybdenum-based alloy fuel design that can be qualified for the high-power reactors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6453052759170532}
{"content": "Effectively Educating PreK-3rd English Language Learners (ELLs) in Montgomery County Public Schools Despite rapid growth in its English Language Learner (ELL) population,Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has been highly effective in improvingoutcomes for ELL students across the district. Achievement has increased,and gaps between ELL students and their native English-speaking peers havedecreased. MCPS's effectiveness is intentional. Its approach begins with rigorousdiagnostics, followed by an aligned PreK-3rd curriculum that isintegrated with instruction and continuous assessment. This new case study outlinesMCPS's six strategies for success.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999884366989136}
{"content": "IS YOUR OFFICE CHAIR KILLING YOU? Do you lead an active lifestyle or a sedentary one? The question is simple, but the answer may not be as obvious as you think. Let's say, for example, you're a busy guy who works 60 hours a week at a desk job but who still manages to find time for five 45-minute bouts of exercise. Most experts would label you as active. But Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., has another name for you: couch potato. Perhaps \"exercising couch potato\" would be more accurate, but Hamilton, a physiologist and professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, would still classify you as sedentary. \"People tend to view physical activity on a single continuum,\" he says. \"On the far side, you have a person who exercises a lot; on the other, a person who doesn't exercise at all. However, they're not necessarily polar opposites.\"\nRead the rest of the article!\n\" I really like your product. I usually will walk for 2 hour stints on the TreadDesk and I definitely feel more energized. I truly think this product should be in every office. I Love it\".", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7119584679603577}
{"content": "Abstract:Do foreign educated individuals play a role in promoting democracy in their home country? Despite the large amount of private and public resources spent on foreign education, there is no systematic evidence that foreign educated individuals foster democracy in their home countries. Using a unique panel dataset on foreign students starting from 1950, I show that indeed foreign-educated individuals promote democracy in their home country, but only if the foreign education is acquired in democratic countries. The results are robust to reverse causality, country-specific omitted variables, and inclusion of a variety of control variables. The results are stronger for small countries.\nDownloads: (external link) http://www.cepr.org/pubs/dps/DP5934.asp (application/pdf)CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9411488175392151}
{"content": "This study examined the incidence of prescribing errors that occurred on-call, post-call, and off-call for a group of residents at a single teaching hospital. Through a retrospective chart review, investigators discovered that orders written either on-call or post-call were associated with a greater error rate than those written on an off-call day. Results also suggested increased error rates with medication orders when written by less experienced residents and for patients on general medical/surgical services. The authors conclude that additional research to understand the contributing factors will provide a strategy for necessary intervention.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8531465530395508}
{"content": "Analyst consulting days are full-day engagements where a vendor spends a significant sum to get the use of one or more analysts. Analyst consulting days are not to be confused with projects by the analyst firms’ consulting groups, which often have little or no analyst contribution. There is a distinction between contracting for “analyst consulting time” and contracting with the consulting side of an analyst firm. “Analyst consulting time” refers to purchasing the time of an individual analyst, usually in one-day units. Contracting with the consulting side of an analyst firm usually refers to research projects with specific deliverables that are designed to meet the intelligence, strategy or marketing needs of a vendor company. Multi-client studies are common deliverables from the consulting side.\nGartner uses the term SAS (strategic advisory service) to describe analyst consulting days. While other firms use alternate terminology to describe this service, the phrase “SAS day” has become common shorthand that many AR professionals use when discussing analyst consulting days (much like how “Xerox” has become a generic term for photocopying). It is recommended that AR teams avoid using the term SAS with non-Gartner analysts.\nSource: Online SageContentTM Library", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7384845614433289}
{"content": "Geographic Beds The Geographic Beds consist of six collections, each representing a different biogeographic region of the World:\nThe Mediterranean Basin South Africa South America North America New Zealand Asia\nThese beds are situated within the Walled Garden, adjacent to the original 17th century walls.\nThese provide a sheltered microclimate, allowing the cultivation of a number of borderline hardy species.\nThe beds highlight the diversity of these regions and the evolutionary adaptations of the plants in response to environmental pressures. Many of the plants found in the Mediterranean basin have highly scented, densely haired leaves containing essential oils. These features are an adaptation to drought stress, preventing excess loss of water from the plants during photosynthesis. A characteristic trait of plants from New Zealand is a growth form known as divarication, where the branches grow in a zig-zag fashion with much reduced leaves. This is thought to be an adaptation to prevent grazing of such plants by the now extinct native bird the Moa.\nThe Garden plans to develop these collections further, focusing on regions of the world know as Biodiversity Hotspots. Such areas hold high numbers of endemic plant species, yet face substantial threat to their natural vegetation. Over 50% of the world's plant species are contained within these hotspots which collectively cover only 2.3% of the Earth's land surface.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6230913400650024}
{"content": "The gripping television series “Intervention” features a struggling alcoholic or drug addict and their family’s desperate attempt to help them enter sobriety. Each episode is dedicated to one or more characters. The show begins with the addict introducing themselves as any ordinary person would. Then the dramatic announcement follows: “I’m addicted to meth or heroin.” In each episode, the participant specifies the problem that has taken over their lives. Family members discuss their feelings, fears, and hopes on camera.\nA biographical sketch of the addict is given, beginning at birth, followed by childhood, as well as significant events in their lives. This especially applies to the participant’s drug use, or events that may have led to it. Then, family and friends gather for the pre-intervention. A hand-picked interventionist works with the family to determine the best way to ensure the person accepts treatment. Often, boundaries are set such as no longer financially supporting the addict, or no longer permitting them to live at their current residence. Some of these so-called “bottom lines” can become extreme, such as calling the police if the addict refuses treatment.\nThe choice of interventionist per addict is significant.\nCandy Finnigan is usually chosen for situations that involve children. She is very compassionate, whereas Ken Sealy is more firm, but has a knack for getting the family on the same page.\nJeff VanVonderen is more casual in his approach which puts the addict at ease. Each episode culminates in the character making a decision. Most choose to enter treatment, but some refuse the offer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5369269847869873}
{"content": "Whenever firms and individuals are faced with SEC and FINRA investigations and enforcement actions, the question is raised about whether it is better to settle or litigate. For the past several years, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (Sutherland) has conducted studies analyzing this issue. This year's study shows that it sometimes pays to litigate, rather than to settle.\nMany BDs, registered representatives and associated persons fear litigating against regulators because the staff has often spent months or even years investigating the conduct. The SEC and FINRA are well-funded, with their own procedural rules, and an employee of the regulator serves as a judge. Respondents fear that “the house that the regulators built”1 gives the SEC and FINRA a home field advantage. However, the Sutherland studies have shown that it sometimes pays for BDs and individuals to litigate, rather than settle.\nBoth the SEC and FINRA have jurisdiction to bring enforcement cases against BDs, registered representatives and associated persons. FINRA was created in July 2007 through the consolidation of NASD and NYSE Member Regulation. According to FINRA, it oversees approximately 4,500 brokerage firms and approximately 630,000 registered representatives.\nThe Results of the Study I. Trials\nSEC administrative enforcement proceedings begin with the SEC’s Division of Enforcement filing a complaint, called an Order Instituting Proceedings (OIP). The cases are tried before an SEC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), who is independent of the Commission. After a hearing, the ALJ issues an initial decision that includes findings of fact, legal conclusions and, at times, a sanction.\nA FINRA disciplinary proceeding begins when the Department of Enforcement or the Department of Market Regulation files a complaint, and culminates in a hearing before a Hearing Panel with two current or former industry members and one Hearing Officer, who is a FINRA employee. The Hearing Officer serves as Chair of the Hearing Panel and oversees the proceedings, making rulings about the schedule, the procedures, and what evidence will be admitted. The Hearing Officer also writes the decision of the Panel.\nComplaints and OIPs include one or more “charges” alleging a violation of a rule or statute. The study found the following regarding SEC initial decisions and FINRA Hearing Panel decisions:\nA. Liability\nOf the 237 charges that were litigated by the SEC and FINRA and resulted in SEC initial decisions or FINRA Hearing Panel decisions during FY 2009 and FY 2010 (October 2008 through September 2010), BDs and individuals succeeded in getting approximately 13% of the charges dismissed.2\n1. SEC Respondents\nThese respondents had a relatively high success rate during the period (approximately 28%),3 which was greater than in FY 2008 (approximately 19%).\n2. FINRA Respondents\nThese respondents succeeded in getting approximately 7.6% of the charges dismissed,4 although they had slightly greater success during FY 2010 (8.6%)5 compared with FY 2009 (7%).6 Both years represent declines from FY 2008 when FINRA respondents succeeded in getting 15% of charges dismissed.\nB. Representation by Counsel in FINRA Proceedings\nFINRA respondents with counsel are significantly more successful than pro se respondents. FINRA respondents represented by counsel succeeded in getting approximately 9.8% of charges dismissed.7 FINRA respondents without counsel, on the other hand, went 0-for-39 during the period. Since January 2006, only one pro se FINRA respondent has succeeded in getting any charge dismissed.\nC. Fraud Charges\nPresumably, because the regulators need to prove that the respondents acted with scienter or bad intent, fraud cases are sometimes harder to prove. SEC staff failed to prove fraud charges approximately 57% of the time in FY 2009-2010; 8 however, all of the fraud charges lost by the staff were in one case. Interestingly, in FY 2009-2010, FINRA staff succeeded in proving all of its fraud charges (five fraud charges against four respondents in four cases). In contrast, in FY 2008, SEC and FINRA staff failed to prove fraud approximately 28% of the time (approximately 22% for the SEC9 and 33% for FINRA10).\nII. Sanctions\nThis section discusses only those cases where the decisions indicate a specific sanction sought by the staff.\nA. Monetary Sanctions\nWhen SEC and FINRA respondents were found to be liable for one or more charges, 33% of the time the ALJ or Hearing Panel imposed lower monetary sanctions than those sought by the staff.11 This is a notable change from FY 2008, when respondents succeeded in obtaining lower monetary sanctions 60% of the time.12\n1. SEC Respondents\nThese respondents convinced ALJs to impose lower monetary sanctions 50% of the time in FY 2009-2010.13 In contrast, in FY 2008, ALJs lowered monetary sanctions approximately 83% of the time.14\n2. FINRA Respondents\nThese respondents convinced Hearing Panels to reduce the proposed monetary sanction approximately 27% of the time in FY 2009-2010.15 When fines were reduced, the proposed fine ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 and averaged approximately $17,000. The amount ordered ranged from $0 to $10,000 and averaged approximately $5,000 (a reduction of approximately 71%). FINRA respondents similarly had less success in obtaining reduced monetary sanctions than in FY 2008, when they succeeded 50% of the time.16\n3. Increase by Adjudicator\nIt was rare that the ALJ or Hearing Panel ordered higher monetary sanctions. During the two-year period, SEC ALJs never ordered a higher monetary penalty. Only one FINRA Hearing Panel ordered a fine greater than that requested by FINRA staff, doubling the fine.\nB. Time Out from the Industry\nWhen SEC and FINRA respondents lost on liability, they convinced the adjudicators approximately 35% of the time to impose a suspension less than that sought by the staff. 17\n1. SEC Respondents\nWhen the SEC Enforcement staff asked for a suspension or a permanent bar from the industry, respondents succeeded in convincing the ALJ to order a sanction less than that demanded 30% of the time.18 In FY 2008, respondents were successful only approximately 19% of the time.19\n2. FINRA Respondents\nThese respondents were more effective in reducing sanctions, succeeding approximately 37% of the time.20 However, unlike SEC respondents, FINRA respondents were less effective than in FY 2008, when they succeeded approximately 55% of the time.21 When FINRA staff sought a suspension of a set amount of time (as opposed to a complete bar), respondents convinced the Hearing Panel to reduce it 50% of the time.22 The Hearing Panel increased the suspension approximately 23% of the time.23 When FINRA staff sought a complete bar from the industry, approximately 19% of respondents convinced a Hearing Panel to impose a lesser sanction.24\nIII. Initial Appeals\nSEC ALJ initial decisions can be appealed to the Commission either by the respondent or by the Division of Enforcement. Alternatively, the Commission may, on its own initiative, order a review of any initial decision. Appeals are heard by the SEC Chairman and the SEC Commissioners. For FINRA disciplinary actions, after the Hearing Panel trials, appeals are heard by the National Adjudicatory Council (NAC), which is composed of representatives of member firms and the public. FINRA Enforcement or Market Regulation staff or the respondent may appeal; alternatively, the NAC may decide on its own to review a case. The study made the following findings regarding initial appeals:\nA. SEC\nThirty-three percent of SEC respondents were successful in getting reduced sanctions;25 sanctions were increased approximately 22% of the time.26 In contrast, in FY 2008, SEC respondents were successful approximately 43% of the time in having their sanctions reduced.27 The SEC remanded one respondent’s case back to the ALJ, who then imposed the original penalties.\nB. FINRA\nFINRA respondents succeeded in obtaining reduced sanctions 25% of the time,28 and 17% of respondents were successful in having all findings of violations reversed.29 However, like in SEC appeals, the NAC also increased sanctions for approximately 22% of the respondents.30 FINRA respondents also had less success than in FY 2008, when sanctions were reduced approximately 30% of the time,31 and sanctions were increased only approximately 7% of the time.32\nIV. Further Appeals\nSEC respondents may appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals. When FINRA respondents are unsuccessful before the NAC, they have the right to appeal to the SEC, and from there, to the U.S. Court of Appeals.\nA. SEC\nFive respondents in three cases appealed SEC decisions to U.S. courts of appeals. Two appellate courts affirmed the SEC and one court remanded for reconsideration of one of two findings of violations by two respondents. At the remand, the SEC dismissed charges supporting the imposition of cease and desist orders against the two respondents without considering the merits, given that the respondents were ordered to pay nearly $4 million in disgorgement.\nB. FINRA\nSeventy percent of respondents’ appeals of NAC decisions to the SEC were either dismissed without briefing or resulted in affirmed sanctions.33 However, 20% of respondents were able to obtain reduced sanctions,34 and 10% of respondents obtained complete dismissals.35 Respondents thus had greater success in FY 2009-2010 than in FY 2008, when approximately 74% of appeals were dismissed without briefing or resulted in affirmed sanctions.36\nOnly one FINRA disciplinary appeal was decided by an appellate court, which remanded for reconsideration the restitution remedy imposed, but affirmed all other findings. Upon remand, the SEC set aside the six-figure restitution order.\nDuring the two-year period, the SEC considered three FINRA cases on remand from the federal courts, but affirmed all previous findings of violations and imposition of sanctions.\nV. The “Settlement Discount” in FINRA Proceedings\n“Settlement discount” is a phrase often used to convince a BD or an individual to settle, rather than litigate. After FINRA investigations, if the staff has determined to recommend that charges be brought against a respondent, the staff normally offers to settle prior to filing a complaint and litigating. According to conventional wisdom, the sanctions proposed as part of a settlement are less severe than the sanction that would be sought and presumably imposed at the hearing. In theory, this provides an incentive to settle rather than litigate.37\nSutherland surveyed counsel representing respondents in 28 proceedings decided by Hearing Panels between October 2008 and September 2010 to determine whether there is, in fact, a settlement discount. Responses were received by nine counsel, who defended ten respondents against 17 charges brought by FINRA. While the sample may not be representative, the results are interesting. Of those who responded, approximately 44% stated that the staff sought more severe penalties at the hearing than that offered in pre-hearing settlement negotiations. Although this could be interpreted as suggesting that the staff viewed the settlement offer as fair and did not want to propose a sanction that could not be defended to the Hearing Panel, it does not suggest that a “discount” for settling early is a certainty.\nHearing Panels ordered sanctions greater than those sought by the staff during settlement negotiations in only approximately 33% of cases. In several cases, respondents succeeded in obtaining significantly lesser penalties than the settlement offered by the staff. For example, one respondent was ordered to pay a fine less than 10% of the final six-figure settlement offer, and another respondent was ordered to pay a fine that was less than 18% of the settlement offer. While these figures could be statistical anomalies, they nevertheless serve as evidence that a settlement discount may not exist because the staff’s proposed settlement terms may be too harsh.\nVI. The Timing of Litigation\nLitigating a case may take months or years to resolve. Some respondents prefer settling to avoid these delays and to put the matter behind them. Others choose to litigate to clear their names, while taking advantage of the fact that they can typically work and earn a living while the litigation is pending.\nA. Time for Trials\nFor SEC cases, the time between the filing of the OIP and the ALJ Initial Decision averaged just over 11 months, not including one case that involved parallel criminal actions and took more than four years. For FINRA matters, the time between the filing of the complaint and the rendering of the Hearing Panel decision averaged just less than 13 months.\nB. Time for Appeals\nAppeals similarly take a substantial amount of time. Unfortunately for SEC respondents, an appeal to the appropriate federal court of appeals does not operate as an automatic stay of the sanction imposed by the SEC. However, with regard to FINRA cases, Hearing Panel decisions are stayed and respondents can therefore continue to work while appeals to the NAC are pending. NAC appeals took approximately 17 months to resolve. Appeals to the SEC, which stay the effectiveness of any FINRA-imposed sanction except for a bar or expulsion, took approximately 11 months. Thus, for FINRA respondents, the time between the filing of a complaint and the issuance of an SEC decision averages approximately three years and five months.\nAbout the Study The study reviewed seven SEC ALJ decisions issued between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2010, involving 21 respondents and 65 total charges, and seven Commission decisions issued during that period with respect to nine respondents.\nIn addition, the study reviewed 57 FINRA Hearing Panel decisions issued between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2010, involving 77 respondents and 172 total charges. The study also reviewed 29 appellate decisions by the NAC addressing the cases of 36 respondents, and 14 SEC decisions addressing the appeals of 20 FINRA respondents.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5072940587997437}
{"content": "Science hasn't been easy on the paranormal, routinely deflating fantastic claims by hucksters purporting psychic abilities. So wouldn't it be ironic if scientists were on the verge of making paranormal-like abilities a reality?\nBy combining our own proprietary research with a broad range of emerging work from academia, we have reached a simple, but eye-opening conclusion for marketers: it's not brands that make people feel good, but their decision to choose them that...\nWhat motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn't just money. But it's not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9351410269737244}
{"content": "The largest source of natural gas, bigger than shale gasreserves worldwide containing 100,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.\nNETL on MethaneHydrate Potential\nPer USGS (via EIA)\nWorld’s methane hydrates may contain between 10,000 and100,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Gas hydrates will be the largest(and untapped) fossil energy resource, larger than all current oil and gassources combined.\nFor example, compare this to Chevron’sGorgon Project estimated to contain 35.3 trillion cubic feet of naturalgas.\nWork on how to tap these gas hydrates continues.\nMethane hydrates (or gas hydrates) are cage-like lattices of water molecules containing methane, the chief constituent of natural gas. Tags: largest natural gas source, 100000 trillion cubic feetnatural gas, 100000 tcf natural gas, methane hydrates potential, gas hydratespotential, largest fossil fuel source, largest untapped fossil fuel, methanehydrate potential, gas hydrate potential", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5246429443359375}
{"content": "The increase in the number of property purchases could result in a rise in home improvement projects across the nation.\nA luxury destination in Priddis, Alberta, is drawing attention from over-worked Calgarians and people around the world.\nThe master bedroom - if there is one room in the house that many people desire to feature luxury it's the master bedroom.\nNo one likes waking up in the morning and walking across a chilled bathroom floors as they get ready for the day. It's a small inconvenience, but it's a true one that impacts a person's daily comfort.\nHomeowners tired of seeing money fly out of their pocket to pay for utilities are in luck.\nHomeowners who are susceptible to allergies, regardless of whether they are chronic or seasonal, may want to consider installing radiant floor heating in their home.\nRadiant floor heating is being installed on the second floor of the building to keep firefighters warm and decrease the amount of energy required to heat the space.\nHomeowners who are building a new house or remodeling a room are faced with the challenge of selecting floor materials for every room in the house.\nA tile warehouse in Grande Prairie, Alberta, is getting significant attention and not for its wares.\nHigh energy prices across the United States are sparking a growing interest in renewable energy sources.\nA Southampton, New York, mansion is getting a lot of attention for its beautiful details and luxury features.\nA stunning Brooklyn, New York home is wowing potential homebuyers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5928563475608826}
{"content": "Publications Reevaluating the Modernization Hypothesis Download: PDF 290.01 KB by Robinson, James A.; Acemoglu, Daron; Johnson, Simon; Yared, Pierre This paper revisits and critically reevaluates the widely-accepted modernization hypothesis which claims that per capita income causes the creation and the consolidation of democracy. We argue that existing studies\nfind support for this hypothesis because they fail to control for the presence of omitted variables. There are many underlying historical factors that affect both the level of income per capita and the likelihood of democracy in a country, and failing to control for these factors may introduce a spurious relationship between income and democracy. We show that controlling for these historical factors by including\nfixed country effects removes the correlation between income and democracy, as well as the correlation between income and thelikelihood of transitions to and from democratic regimes. We argue that this evidence is consistent with another well-established approach in political science, which emphasizes how eventsduring critical historical junctures can lead to divergent political-economic development paths,some leading to prosperity and democracy, others to relative poverty and non-democracy. Wepresent evidence in favor of this interpretation by documenting that the\nfixed effects we estimatein the post-war sample are strongly associated with historical variables that have previously beenused to explain diverging development paths within the former colonial world. Publication Type: WCFIA Working Paper Published Date: August 2007 Field of Interest: International Economics Robison, James A., Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and Pierre Yared. \"Reevaluating the Modernization Hypothesis.\" Working Paper 2008-0100, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, August 2007.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8781293630599976}
{"content": "Seeing Beauty: A visual exploration of transformative experience. Simone, A (2011) Seeing Beauty: A visual exploration of transformative experience. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania.\nAbstract This thesis is concerned with developing a visual language to explore the concept of\nimmaterial reality as encountered through transformative experience.\nMany individuals have had unique, and often profound, transformative experiences\nwhich have made them aware of a different order of reality. Following the experience,\nthere is a certainty within the individual that an intangible aspect of reality exists,\ntraditionally referred to as the immaterial or spiritual. The experiences are not\nexclusive to, or necessarily associated with, traditional forms of institutionalised\nreligion and they are not automatically related to the occult. They can occur to any\nindividual, regardless of age, sex, race or their location in time and space. The\nexperiences are imbued with an archetypal form of beauty which permeates the\nindividual’s vision of existence. This deepened vision becomes part of their daily\nexperience of reality.\nUtilising archetypal imagery, light, pattern, symmetry, and geometry, I visually\nexplore my transformative experiences. The exploration of the archetypal concepts of\ntransformation, duality and the immaterial, has resulted in a body of work comprised\nof installations that incorporate video, photography and sound. Each of the seven\nworks draws from my own subjective experience of reality, creating a highly\npersonal, meditative, and immersive environment.\nPersonal transformative experience has prompted me to examine the metaphysical\nquestions surrounding the human condition. This has resulted in a multidisciplinary\ntheoretical framework for my art practise. I have engaged with writings from\npsychology, philosophy, mythology, modern physics and comparative religion,\nincluding the works of C.G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, Fritjof Capra and Paul Davies.\nThe same questions of existence stimulated by my transformative experiences have\ninspired artists throughout recorded history. My research is contextualised by\ncontemporary artists who explore matters pertaining to the immaterial aspects of\nreality. Video artists, Bill Viola and Jordan Belson, explore their own subjective transformative experiences, while others explore humanity’s spiritual connection with\nnature, or imbue their work with an invisible presence through an engagement with\nhuman perception.\nI seek to contribute to my field through an examination of ancient archetypal symbols\nand ideas using new technologies. Thus I have utilised, computer generated imagery\nand digitally generated audio to represent the experience of revelation and create a\nmetaphor for spiritual transformation. Additionally, my work links the idea of\ntransformation and revelation to experiences of childhood; both through the recreation\nof experiences from my childhood as well as drawing on more recent events with my\nown children. These aspects combine to render an individual vision of a universal\nexperience.\nItem Type: Thesis (PhD) Additional Information: Copyright © the Author\nKeywords: transformative, beauty, transcendence, immaterial, metamorphosis, perception, sublime ID Code: 11703 Deposited By: ePrints Officer Deposited On: 01 Sep 2011 14:38 Last Modified: 11 Dec 2012 14:27 ePrint Statistics: View statistics for this ePrint\nRepository Staff Only: item control page", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8144790530204773}
{"content": "Your family legacy in one drawer To avoid the financial and emotional chaos that can come with a death in the family, some families and money-management professionals rely on a one-stop system: a document, a binder — even a single desk drawer — that contains the financial paperwork we inevitably leave behind.\nSacramento Bee\nThe legacy essentials 1. Cover letter: Nothing fancy, just a single letter to introduce loved ones to the drawer's contents.2. Will or trust: Copies of your will or trust, including names of the executor and person with power of attorney.3. Financial accounts: List anything in your name, including account numbers and amounts. This includes credit-card, bank, retirement accounts.4. Funeral plans: All instructions should be noted so family can fulfill your wishes. If married, include both spouses' wishes.5. Insurance policies: List all health, life, auto, homeowners' policies, etc. Include who is covered, policy numbers and contact information.6. Vital documents: Include birth certificates, divorce papers, military and Social Security records, car and boat titles, mortgages and property deeds.7. Legacy letters: Since the intent is to guide your family after you're gone, include personal notes or letters to loved ones.8. Monthly budget: Add a copy of your budget, including bills to pay, so your family is prepared to handle household expenses.9. Tax returns: In case of an IRS audit, your state and federal tax returns can be like an insurance policy.10. Safe deposit box: Indicate where it's located and who has access. As backup, keep a copy in your box of the legacy drawer's contents.11. Passwords: Write down passwords, user names and PINs so family can access computer, cellphone and financial accounts.Source: www.daveramsey.com\nWhen someone we love passes away, the grief can be overwhelming. And it can be compounded by paperwork. Piles of it.\nSorting it all out amid the grieving process can be doubly daunting. Is there a trust or even a will? Where did Mom want to be buried — or cremated? What happened to Dad's military pension? Who's their attorney? Where are their bank accounts?\nIt doesn't need to be that way.\nTo avoid the financial and emotional chaos, a number of families and money-management professionals rely on a one-stop system: a document, a binder — even a single desk drawer — that contains all the financial paperwork we inevitably leave behind.\n\"It makes it so much easier (at a time) when people are under emotional stress that's off the charts,\" said John D. Winters, a Sacramento, Calif., investment adviser. Having one designated place containing a list of all the essential documents and contact information \"is the best tool a financial planner can deliver for families. I have one for my family.\"\nThe documentation should cover your financial life, everything from an inventory of your stocks, bonds and IRAs to insurance policies and military pensions — even your airline frequent-flier miles.\nYou can also include specific details such as what you want written in your obituary, who should take your pets and where you've hidden the key to the safe deposit box.\nFor most parents, the goal \"is to make it as painless as possible for their children. You don't want your kids to struggle to look for things when you're gone,\" said Sacramento estate-planning attorney Trudy Nearn. \"By getting it all in one place, they get their kids ready to take over.\"\nAnd it can go far beyond monetary possessions.\n\"It's not only what's in your bank account, but what's in your heart,\" said Donna Pagano, a certified financial planner and co-author of the \"Family Love Letter\" (www.familyloveletter.com), a financial-planning booklet that includes sections to jot down your family history and remembrances.\nPagano, for instance, recommends leaving letters to your children. In the late 1990s, the Westlake Village, Calif., resident and her husband were devastated by the unexpected heart attack of a close friend, a father of two young children. That prompted the couple to begin writing letters to their three children — all now in their 30s — during various stages of their kids' triumphs and struggles. Pagano said her letters, which are intended to be read after she's gone, recount her pride in who her children are and the choices they've made in life.\nOn the practical side, the documents can include funeral arrangements — or if you even want them. The Family Love Letter, for instance, includes space to insert the inscription you want on your tombstone and who you don't want at your memorial service.\n\"I've had clients say they want their ashes scattered in the sand trap on the 17th hole of Pebble Beach,\" said attorney Nearn, who puts everything in a binder for clients.\nEven if that instruction isn't legal in California, Nearn said, she includes it in the person's advance health-care directive so the family knows what the parent wanted.\nRashida Lilani, a Roseville, Calif., certified financial planner, created her own checklist for clients that documents everything from investments to passports.\nBy filling it out now, parents can prevent the loss of valuable information due to dementia or forgetfulness. \"What if Dad bought a $500,000 life insurance policy but never told Mom about it?\" she noted.\nThe process of sorting and documenting your financial life can ward off potential problems and yield unexpected benefits.\nFor instance, without a list of magazine or satellite-radio subscriptions, those contracts could continue dinging bank or credit-card accounts for months after you're gone.\nPagano knows a woman who discovered that her mother had inadvertently renewed numerous magazine subscriptions through 2020. After her mother's death, she called and got nearly $1,000 refunded.\nIt also can be a good time to double-check details, such as whether the correct beneficiaries are on your life-insurance or pension accounts.\nIn one instance, Pagano said, an elderly widow whose husband served in World War II as a young man had a small military pension. When he died, decades after his military service, his widow discovered that she and their children weren't listed as beneficiary; his first wife was.\nWhile filling out the paperwork can feel tedious, it doesn't have to be exhaustive. You can take shortcuts, like putting all your credit cards — front and back — on a copier. Or compiling the inventory on your computer and storing it on a memory stick.\nOn his personal-finance website, Dave Ramsey suggests organizing it \"in a way that anyone can find a specific document in 30 seconds. All files should be clearly marked, in order, and easy for a grieving family member to find.\"\nTo ensure that your financial documents or file folders don't wind up in the wrong hands, it's best to keep them in a safe or a locked, fireproof filing cabinet. Tell a trusted friend or family member where to find the key or combination.\nFor many clients, it's a triggering event, such as the death of a spouse or parents, that focuses the survivors on gathering their own financial paperwork.\nAnd quite often it's women who initiate it, says financial planner Lilani.\n\"Women think about the emotional side of making sure it gets done right,\" said Lilani. \"Moms know their children are busy and want to make it easier. It's another act of love.\"\nClaudia Buck at cbuck@sacbee.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.603804349899292}
{"content": "International Law/Fraud\nIn Keller v. Central Bank of Nigeria , 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 660 (6th Cir. 2002), the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held, in vacating the decision of the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, that a claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (\"RICO\") could not be maintained against a foreign sovereign. One of the elements that must be established under RICO is that the defendant engaged in \"racketeering activity.\" The RICO statute defines \"racketeering activity\" as acts which are \"chargeable,\" \"indictable\" or \"punishable\" under various state and federal statutes. 18 U.S.C. §1961(1). Thus, in the Sixth Circuit, we argued that because the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act conferred immunity upon a foreign sovereign from criminal prosecution in the United States courts, a foreign sovereign could not be charged, indicted or punished with a crime. Therefore, we further argued, that a RICO claim could not be maintained against a foreign sovereign because the element of \"racketeering activity\" could not be proven. The Sixth Circuit adopted this position in ordering that the RICO claim be dismissed.\nThe decision of the Sixth Circuit in Keller is significant because it is the first decision by an appellate court to hold that foreign sovereigns are immune from civil RICO claims. The only other appellate court to address this issue, the Tenth Circuit in Southway v. Central Bank of Nigeria, 198 F.3d 1210 (10th Cir. 1999), reached the opposite conclusion. The Sixth Circuit expressly rejected the Southway decision in this regard.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6413824558258057}
{"content": "Master teachers are characterized by collaboration, reflection and directed inquiry. At Elon University, we strive to develop these qualities in our Master of Education students throughout their graduate experience.\nAs we enter the new millenium, we are aware a community of learners is larger than a single school community. It extends to encompass professional, business, service and social communities, all of whom play a part in contributing to a vast knowledge-building society. Master teachers should be leaders in this community — collaborating, orchestrating and synthesizing so that education is pervasive and integral to the progress of our society.\nReflection is a habit of mind for master teachers. They routinely consider how their instructional practice mirrors current understanding of teaching and learning. They compare their performance with that of other master teachers and constantly strive to improve their practice. They are aware of core values and endeavor to create a learning environment that reflects essential principles of character so that all students experience personal success.\nMaster teachers formulate and encourage good questions based on critical thought. They recognize that purposeful questioning is the result of reflection and leads to essential understanding and insight. Master teachers understand that questions empower when framed as guides for collaborative action. When we ask, \"How might we?\" we acknowledge personal responsibility and our own centrality in finding answers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.519024133682251}
{"content": "Plants have evolved a unique life strategy with alternating generations and continuous postembryonic development. These specialized features have important implications for the development of reproductive cells (gametes) as well as for seed formation. The life cycle of flowering plants consists of two phases: the diploid phase encompasses the visible vegetative organs (roots, stems, leaves, and floral organs), and the haploid phase is represented by the gametes found deep within floral reproductive organs. Unlike animals, in which meiotic products differentiate directly into gametes, the haploid precursors of flowering plants undergo several division cycles before they differentiate into functional reproductive cells.\nThe formation of plant gametes presents an opportunity for natural selection on the haploid genome, an evolutionary driving force that might be the origin of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, such those ensuring tight regulation of reproductive development. These mechanisms include maternal effects that act during embryo development, genomic imprinting, and the nonequivalency of parental genome activity during early seed formation. Despite this selective pressure, numerous examples of developmental alternatives suggest flexible regulatory control of the mechanisms leading to gamete formation and embryo development. Many species have developed reproductive strategies that allow them to generate viable seeds without the fusion of sperm and egg by means of apomixis. This method of asexual reproduction culminates in the formation of clonal seeds and has great potential for crop improvement.\nBy elucidating epigenetic mechanisms that are crucial for early seed formation, our group is trying to determine how haploid-derived cells in the ovule of Arabidopsis thaliana acquire their reproductive identity. We have used a combination of enhancer-detection tagging and RNA interference (RNAi)–induced posttranscriptional silencing to determine the role of several genes that are crucial for female gametogenesis. We demonstrated that At AGP18 , a signaling gene encoding a classic arabinogalactan protein, is essential for initiating gamete formation. In plants lacking AtAGP18 activity, the female haploid precursor fails to enlarge and mitotically divide, indicating that AtAGP18 is essential for the diploid-to-haploid transition. These results revealed the molecular nature of signaling proteins that, since the early 1990s, were thought to be involved in gamete specification.\nWe have also characterized the function of chromatin-remodeling factors that act during ovule formation. CHR11 encodes an ISWI-like protein that is abundantly expressed during female gametogenesis and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis . To determine the function of CHR11 , we specifically degraded endogenous CHR11 mRNA by RNAi. Plants that constitutively lacked CHR11 activity in the diploid phase showed reduced plant height and embryos with limited cell expansion. In contrast, plants in which CHR11 was specifically silenced at the onset of female gametogenesis had normal height and embryo size but defective haploid nuclear proliferation, demonstrating the functional versatility of the SWI2/SNF2 chromatin-remodeling factors during both phases of the life cycle.\nWe have also focused on small noncoding RNAs that act as regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. Using a bioinformatic approach, we identified two microRNAs (miRNAs) (miR854 and miR855) that regulate the expression of OLIGOURIDYLATE-BINDING PROTEIN 1b (UBP1 b ) by imperfectly binding to its 3′ untranslated region at multiple sites, a mechanism previously found only in animals. UBP1b encodes a member of a heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding protein family (hnRNPs) involved in pre-mRNA maturation and splicing in both animals and plants. We showed that miR854 is abundantly expressed in ovules. We also identified miRNAs homologous to miR854 and their conserved hnRNP targets in invertebrates and mammals that included worms, mice, chimpanzees, and humans. The identification of this miRNA family suggests that these miRNAs may have an ancient origin as regulators of basal transcriptional mechanisms.\nWe recently generated a large-scale collection of short mRNA-derived and noncoding RNA-derived massively parallel signature sequencing (MPSS) tags. Our first MPSS signature collection is derived from wild-type ovules containing cellularized female gametes before pollination. Our second MPSS collection is derived from homozygous sporocyteless/nozzle (spl/nzz ) ovules that do not produce female gametes. In collaboration with the group of Blake Meyers (University of Delaware), we compared these signatures with the annotation of the Arabidopsis genomic sequence. In our two libraries, the comparison yielded 28,293 (wild type) and 23,891 (spo/nzz) distinct signatures with sense expression and between 2,942 and 3,343 distinct signatures with antisense expression. An additional 1,200 to 1,900 signatures map to intergenic regions of the genome. The transcriptional abundance of reference genes such as BELL and INO confirms that our two collections are ovule specific, with no contamination from other floral tissues. A preliminary comparison of signature abundance shows that the activity of many genes is over-represented in wild-type ovules. Transcripts that are significantly represented in the wild type but not in the spo/nzz collection are likely to represent genes that are expressed in female gametes but not in somatic cells of the ovule, whereas transcripts that are overrepresented in spo/nzz ovules might represent genes that are downregulated by female gametogenesis. A whole-mount in situ hybridization procedure implemented by our group allows rapid confirmation of gene expression for many of these differentially regulated genes. Using this information, we are investigating the overall importance of parent-of-origin effects during early seed development.\nIt is becoming clear that the genetic control of female gametogenesis and seed formation is directed by epigenetic mechanisms that are crucial for the developmental events that distinguish sexual from asexual embryo formation in the ovule. Understanding asexual embryo formation should lead to an understanding of the cellular decisions that plants use to maintain a remarkable developmental plasticity while retaining strict control over growth. We expect that our results will contribute substantial knowledge about the fundamental mechanisms that cause apomixis in a plant ovule, enabling attempts at its induction in cultivated crops.\nLast updated March 2007", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8163478970527649}
{"content": "Editor, The Wall Street Journal\nTo the Editor:\nYou report that \"Politicians Butt In at Bailed-Out GM [1]\" (Oct. 29). Most people - including opponents of bailouts - react to this news by noting that companies that ask for and receive taxpayer money must be held accountable to taxpayers.\nThis reaction is mistaken. While corporations on the public dole SHOULD be accountable to taxpayers, Congressional oversight of subsidized companies does not promote such accountability. Because, as your report makes clear, politicians are accountable to special-interest groups rather than to the general public, politicians claiming to hold these companies accountable to taxpayers are in fact only using these companies to further harm the public.\nWhen one unaccountable group (politicians) oversees another unaccountable group (subsidized corporations), the result isn't greater accountability; it's greater unaccountability.\nSincerely,\nDonald J. Boudreaux\nDon Boudreaux is the Chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University and a Business & Media Institute adviser.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6932840943336487}
{"content": "British drug maker AstraZeneca Plc (AZN: Quote,AZN.L) on Tuesday said the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Caprelsa (vandetanib). This is for the treatment of aggressive and symptomatic medullary thyroid cancer or MTC in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.\nThe company noted that the drug, a prescription oral kinase inhibitor treatment, is the first approved treatment for advanced MTC in Europe.\nThe marketing authorisation of CAPRELSA is based on data from the Phase III CAPRELSA clinical trial program, including the ZETA study.\nThe EU decision follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use or CHMP in November last year and is applicable to all 27 Member States of the European Union.\nJames Vasselli, CAPRELSA Medical Science Director, said, \"Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer is a rare disease with a poor prognosis and clinical outcomes for patients with advanced MTC have not changed substantially in the past 20 years. CAPRELSA offers a new treatment option for these patients. It is the first advance of its kind for this devastating disease and we are delighted CAPRELSA has been approved for use in Europe.\"\nThe company noted that the drug was granted orphan drug status and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in April 2011. It is also approved in Canada and is under review in Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Australia.\nTo receive FREE breaking news email alerts for AstraZeneca PLC and others in your portfolio\nby RTT Staff Writer\nFor comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5624041557312012}
{"content": "This excerpt taken from the PNC 10-Q filed May 11, 2009.\nAt December 31, 2008, PNC identified certain loans related to the National City acquisition, for which there was evidence of credit quality deterioration since origination and it was probable that PNC would be unable to collect all contractually required principal and interest payments. These loans are accounted for under SOP 03-3. Evidence of credit quality deterioration includes statistics such as past due status, declines in current borrower FICO credit scores, geographic concentration and declines in current loan-to-value ratios. SOP 03-3 requires these loans to be recorded at fair value at acquisition date and prohibits the carrying over or the creation of valuation allowances in the initial accounting for loans acquired in a transfer that are within the scope of this SOP.\nDuring the first quarter of 2009, additional information was obtained about the credit quality of acquired loans as of the acquisition date. As a result, an additional $1.9 billion of acquired loans were deemed SOP 03-3 impaired as of December 31, 2008 and the carryover allowance for loan losses attributable to these loans of $83 million was released. Adjustments to the fair value of SOP 03-3 impaired loans of $1.2 billion were also recognized. The related accretable yield was also decreased during the quarter to reflect this activity.\nAt both March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, acquired loans within the scope of SOP 03-3 had a carrying value of $11.9 billion. During the first quarter of 2009, the amount of SOP 03-3 impaired loans was increased by $0.7 billion, as a result of the purchase accounting adjustments described above, and from accretion of purchase accounting discount of $0.2 billion. These increases were offset by payments of $0.9 billion. The unpaid principal balance of these loans was $19.6 billion at March 31, 2009 and $19.3 billion at December 31, 2008, as detailed below:\nSUMMARY OF SOP 03-3 IMPAIRED LOANS\nUnder SOP 03-3, the excess of cash flows expected at acquisition over the estimated fair value is referred to as the accretable yield and is recognized in interest income over the remaining life of the loan using the constant effective yield method. The difference between contractually required payments at acquisition and the cash flows expected to be collected at acquisition is referred to as the nonaccretable difference. Changes in the expected cash flows from the date\n65", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7748153209686279}
{"content": "Self-Replicating Systems XPRIZE Machine systems that can mimic the behavior of living plants by making nearly complete copies of themselves using local energy and materials can help address large-scale energy and environmental challenges. These self-replicating systems promise to revolutionize manufacturing and enable large-scale renewable energy production, global environmental remediation and ultimately the long-term exploration of space.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9897906184196472}
{"content": "The Financial Labor Supply Accelerator The financial labor supply accelerator links hours worked to minimum down payments for durable good purchases. When these constrain a household's debt, a persistent wage increase generates a liquidity shortage. This limits the income effect, so hours worked grow. The mechanism generates a positive comovement of labor supply and household debt, the strength of which depends positively on the minimum downpayment rate. Its potential macroeconomic importance comes from these labor supply fluctuations' procyclicality. This paper examines the comovement of hours worked and debt at the household level with PSID data—before and after the financial deregulation of the early 1980s which reduced effective down payments—and compares the evidence with results from model-generated data. The household-level data displays positive comovement between hours worked and debt, which weakens after the financial reforms. An empirically realistic reduction of the model's required down payments generates a quantitatively similar weakening.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6211627721786499}
{"content": "Strategy is core to every Ivarson Brand Vision project. Since brands do not exist in a vacuum but in the ever-changing world of the competitive marketplace, it is important to develop a thorough understanding of the factors that determine consumer behavior, the competitive arena, and the dynamics of the market process. Critical brand components such as key product attributes, customer profile, market competition, and distribution channels all come under our microscope. This comprehensive analysis forms the foundation for the development of a truly effective brand positioning strategy. And without a clear strategy, no brand will become a leader.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6756657361984253}
{"content": "A milestone on the way into the automotive future has been reached at the testing grounds in Dudenhofen, Germany. For the first time, several vehicle manufacturers jointly presented their latest developments in ‘Car-2-Car’ communication using real vehicles. Volkswagen demonstrated tomorrow’s technology in a Passat Variant TDI and a Golf GTI.\nResearch in ‘Car-2-Car’ communication is being conducted to define a universal standard for communication between vehicles, as sharing information is expected to yield great improvements in road safety. For example, if a vehicle encounters an adverse condition such as a traffic jam, fog, an icy road surface or an accident, it will transmit this information to all potentially affected vehicles in the area. Approaching traffic is alerted, allowing drivers to adjust their driving to the upcoming situation.\nIn the tests at the testing grounds in Dudehofen, the Passat and the Golf acted as a sender, receiver and transmitter. ‘Ad-hoc networks’ based on wireless LAN technology exchanged data between the vehicles. The following situations were simulated in the demonstration: motorcycle at an intersection, stationary vehicle, construction site and police car in action.\nData access was provided by a ‘CarGate’ which creates an abstract of the vehicle data, thus allowing simple access to a multitude of information, e.g. road speed, engine speed, wheel speeds or status of the hazard flashers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8611427545547485}
{"content": "English Football clubs could face a rise in policing costs after claims that some matches result in disorder and crime beyond the stadium and surrounding areas.\nThe Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) say research commissioned by them concluded that trouble on match days could be attributed to football.\nFootball clubs are currently responsible for the costs of policing in and around stadiums, and it is feared that any further demands could lead to conflict with the football authorities.\nThe Football League has argued that fans already pay taxes to cover police costs and should not be forced to pay twice for policing: \"Costs incurred away from the ground that are deemed necessary are covered by the state - it's what people pay their taxes for.\"\nThe statement was released in conjunction with the Premier League and it highlighted the fact that clubs have already invested heavily in stadia, CCTV and stewarding to ensure public safety over the past 15 years.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7088111639022827}
{"content": "English | Español\npromoting innovative housing policy and practice\nSupport with Housing Costs: Developing a simplified and sustainable system Publication Date :: 2010 This report outlines a simpler and more sustainable approach to support with housing costs in the UK. Successive governments have allowed Housing Benefit to ‘take the strain’ of support with housing costs. This report highlights possible reforms to Housing Benefit and how other mechanisms, including housing supply and taxation, could be used more effectively.\nThe emergency budget on 22nd June 2010 coincided with the first day of a Consultation at St George’s House, Windsor Castle on support with housing costs, coordinated by BSHF.\nThis report on the findings of the Consultation offers a wide, structural view of support with housing costs. It comprises the following sections:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8407900929450989}
{"content": "MSHA's Accident Prevention ProgramSafety Idea\nBrake Cars\nAlmost every slope hoist in deep mines is set up to transport personnel, if not as the primary, then as a secondary man hoist. In many cases, a brake car is used as an emergency stopping device. The brake car is equipped with a battery powered electro-magnetic braking system that is designed to stop the car if activated by an overspeed sensor or manual switch. Brake cars should be maintained with the following standards:\n- The car overspeed switch should be set to the correct activation speed setting. Maintain and periodically test the car overspeed switches.\n- Maintain the communication systems on the car and at the hoist and bottom locations. Test daily.\n- Hoist operator should take slack out of rope before the brake is released.\n- Batteries should always be fully charged to prevent unintentional setting of the brakes that can result in slack rope conditions. (Requires a good battery maintenance program)\n- Personnel should be trained in procedures for proper methods of signaling the hoistman, how to release and set brakes and how to remove the slack from the rope before releasing the brakes. Also, post these procedures on the brake car.\nThe best maintained brake car is still a hazard if the track and road bed are not maintained properly. Enough dirt, mud or debris on the rails will make the braking system ineffective. If enough dirt, mud or debris is present to slow the car's decent, a slack rope situation can develop. If the dirt or mud is allowed to accumulate on the cable rollers to the point where they won't turn, excessive wear on the cable itself can occur.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7002551555633545}
{"content": "You might find yourself asking whether using a Revocable Trust (in conjunction with a Pour-Over Will) as the primary vehicle for the disposition of your estate is appropriate. The answer depends upon each individual’s circumstances. A Revocable Trust is a device used to manage property during a person’s lifetime and dispose of assets upon death. It is created by a legal agreement between three parties: (i) the creator of the trust, known as the Grantor; (ii) the Trustee, the person who holds the legal title to the trust’s assets; and (iii) the beneficiary, the person who receives financial benefits from the trust assets. As an independent legal entity, a trust may own property, file tax returns, pay taxes, own bank accounts, earn income and make distributions to beneficiaries. In contrast, a Will only disposes of assets held in one’s individual name upon death. There is no authority granted in a Will until the author of the Will (the Testator) dies. As a result, assets held jointly (for example, as tenants by the entirety or jointly with rights of survivorship) will pass outright to the surviving co-owner while assets such as retirement funds or life insurance will pass to a designated beneficiary.\nBoth a Will and a Revocable Trust may serve as the primary dispositive document of an estate plan. Moreover, each can be revoked, modified or terminated at any time. Among other things, both offer the ability to control the disposition of property by ensuring that your property passes to the beneficiaries of your choice in the amount and manner you desire and in a tax-efficient manner. From a tax perspective, both a Will and a Revocable Trust can accomplish the same tax-savings objectives, so there is no tax advantage of one over the other. However, a Revocable Trust can offer three primary advantages over a Will: (i) avoidance of probate; (ii) ease of managing assets during incapacity; and (iii) privacy.\nAvoidance of Probate\nThe property placed in the Revocable Trust during life avoids probate administration at death. A Will, on the other hand, must be verified by the court before it can be enforced. This may be an important consideration because probate can be expensive. For example, fees and other costs must be paid before your assets can be fully distributed to your heirs. If you own real property in other states, your family could face multiple probates, each one according to the laws in the jurisdiction where the property is located. In addition, the probate process can often be lengthy, typically taking anywhere between nine months and two years to be formally completed depending upon the jurisdiction.\nManagement of Assets During Incapacity\nA Revocable Trust also provides for the administration of the trust property if the Grantor becomes incapacitated. Generally you will serve as your own Trustee for as long as you are willing and able to serve. A Revocable Trust provides a way to care for you should you become disabled by allowing the Successor Trustee to manage the trust property. Since a Will becomes effective after you die, it provides no protection if you become physically or mentally incapacitated.\nPrivacy\nA Revocable Trust offers privacy compared to Probate, which is a public process. A Will must be filed with the court and the Personal Representative must identify and collect any property of value owned by the decedent at death. Typically, reports must be filed which list and provide the value of assets held by the decedent. As a result, your financial affairs become public information and the public has the opportunity to learn the contents of your Will and the value of your estate. In contrast, a Revocable Trust is not filed for public record with the court.\nConclusion\nRevocable Trusts are not for everyone, but they can fit the needs and desires of certain people. Once you create a Revocable Trust, you may wish to change the legal ownership of your assets so that the title reflects the trust as the owner. In cases where people fail to follow through by actually transferring ownership to the trust, they could eliminate the advantages a trust offers. In such cases, neither your Will nor your trust may deliver the expected advantages unless the terms of the document are coordinated with your beneficiary designations (IRAs, other retirement accounts and life insurance policies). Keeping your designations current helps you ensure that your assets will pass in accordance with your intentions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7538431882858276}
{"content": "\"I know there's a place you've walked where love falls from the trees\" -the who\nParent, Student, Teacher, Runner, Boss, Worker, Friend, Yogi, Golfer, Lawyer, Human, American… We wear so many hats (masks?) that we can lose sight of who we really are. We are not just these aspects we project into our world.\nWe are how we do, what we do… We are how we play these roles.\nOur practice shines the light of awareness on all parts of ourselves. If we have the courage to look clearly at how we are doing what we do, we can see our weaknesses, fears and doubts, along with our greatest strengths.\nOnly when we embrace the whole of ourselves, with equanimity , can change begin to happen.\nI came to Yoga to integrate the scattered parts of myself, Engineer, Yogi, Vegan, Teacher, Student, Human Man, Brother, Son… It just took too much energy to switch between roles.\nWith practice, I get a clearer view, and gain perspective. I wear less hats now, I keep simplifying, unbecoming, looking forward to just being… Unconsciously conscious.\nHow to mend the gap between how we are, and how we'd like to be:\nThe teachings are clear and simple, we become what we think and what we do. Set a clear intention of how you'd like to be, and practice living that way. Start on your mat, and don't look away when you dislike what is revealed.\nWhen you feel yourself squirm with resistance… that's where the juice is. The bigger the resistance, the bigger the potential breakthrough.\nListen carefully, to your body, to your mind, to your breath, and to your emotions. When they conflict, you can't hear your Ananda , your bliss trying to shine out. When you get these aspects of yourself all inline, integrated with your intention… there's a profound clarity there.\nYoga tells us: If you don't like what you're thinking or doing, to practice the opposite. Stay the course. Breathe calm and acceptance into the discomfort. On the other side is that clear glimpse of your true nature.\nLasting change comes from filling yourself to the brim with the antidote to how you don't want to be anymore.\nBe steadfast and keep going. Your efforts will shine-out into your other roles, your practice will radiate out to others… They're counting on you, and we're all in this together.\nOm Shanti, I'll see you in class.\n-j\np.s. A special treat! I've arranged for Irene, a music therapist, to come play Live music for our Yoga class. See the events page to meet Irene and get the details.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8697222471237183}
{"content": "The meetings held by Maghreb and Middle Eastern heads of State from time to time are superficial meetings aiming primarily at giving stirring speeches, appearing on satellite TV channels, and taking souvenir photos for pure consumption purposes. The goal behind these meetings is not to identify the most efficient ways to translate studies prepared by qualified bodies into tangible reality, nor is it to develop a common understanding of the procedural terms for the implementation of strategic projects of common interest, which are related to regional stakes of developmental integration, and linked to the repercussions of challenges posed by globalisation, environmental degradation, and dwindling water and food resources.\nThis type of forward-looking strategic thinking, which aims at managing our future conditions, is non-existent among the leaders of our region. As a result, we cannot expect the development of a complete strategic plan aimed at identifying the features of an economic arrangement that can ensure a steady pace of development to create 100 million jobs by the year 2020. Factors such as the mentality of spontaneity and improvisation, and the lack of prediction and forecast management, severely hamper the rational planning which sets precise perceptions for the methods and terms of the development and exploitation of human and material resources, that can result from the systematic development of our space within the Maghreb and Middle East.\nTo tackle the challenge of creating 100 million jobs for… more\nWith an unemployment rate of around 14%, and four million… more\nBetween the formal and informal, figures about unemployment are interposed,… more", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7342728972434998}
{"content": "Because the world of the marginalized is inevitably fraught with moral assumptions, the clientele being served by human service agencies are immersed in a Harry Potter-like venue where dramas of right and wrong, power and weakness, greed and largesse, pain and suffering, compassion and retribution are paraded daily before the public. It is a stark world of contrast in which subtlety has little salience. In this sense, it is much in tune with an electronic media desperately seeking ratings.\nChild welfare, correctional, and mental health, agencies must fulfill politico-mythological roles that go well beyond their stated purposes (e.g. addressing child abuse, preventing delinquency and crime, or bolstering mental stability.)\nWhile these agencie may be publicly encouraged to be effective, they must simultaneously buttress whatever prevailing myths may surround their clientele – whether or not these comport with reality.\nAs a consequence, whether a child welfare agency deals well with a specific incident of alleged abuse, a mental health agency treats a mental patient decently, a juvenile justice agency leads a youth toward a law-abiding life, or a prison deters an adult offender from further crime are all essentially beside the point.\nWhile it may be laudable if these goals can be accomplished, they are less crucial to the agency’s survival than whether its practices buttress the political ideologies, biases or prevailing public distortions that might be hyped regarding their target populations. As a result, they are largely in the business of labeling individuals for quick and easy disposal – updating the nomenclature to keep current with the political demands of the times. Possessing the power to make ultimately hurtful labels stick while offering “help” is what keeps these agencies in business. Their “successes” have largely to do with negotiating this slippery slope.\nIt’s one reason why failed agencies trundle on from decade to decade. While they may fail their clientele – they are in fact, highly successful at more publicly valued tasks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8878924250602722}
{"content": "figure 1. the siri interface accepts speechas input, attempting to support a dialogue;in the first action, a query for a phonenumber shows a message conveying thesystem’s understanding of the question asit performs a search.\nfigure 2. in the second action, the systemreplaces the confirmation bubble withthe answer, offering a command to makethe phone call; note the use of graphicsalongside text to enrich the output.\nfigure 3. in the concluding action, thesystem partly understands the intentionof the question (about a location) butincorrectly interprets a request for adistance as a request for a location.\nand suggesting promising directionsfor research.\nspeech input Speech-based user interfaces gener- ally, and speech for search input in particular, are likely to gain a much stronger presence in the coming years. At least three technological trends sup- port the move toward spoken queries: First, phone-based mobile devices pro- vide a natural way to capture speech, since phones are used in large part for spoken conversations. Second, the technology for speech recognition, af- ter years of only incremental progress, is improving by leaps and bounds, thanks to huge data repositories being generated through the use of mobile phones. (To assemble a large train- ing set of spoken corrected data for its speech-recognition system, Google hosted, from 2007 to 2010, a free 411 information service for phones. 28) And third, touch-screen interfaces are in- creasingly popular, especially when paired with mobile devices. Neither small devices nor touch screens lend themselves well to typing, making spo- ken input more attractive, though clev- er finger-swipe-based input methods (such as Shape Writer for entering text39 and Gesture Search for menu naviga- tion19) provide compelling alternatives to typing.\nsocial search: collaboration Though observational studies havefound that people often search collaboratively, tools have only recently beendeveloped to explicitly support peoplesearching together. Such support reflects a broader research renaissancein tools for real-time shared activity(such as shared online whiteboardsand document-editing tools).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.964290976524353}
{"content": "April is Autism Awareness Month, and the latest statistics on autism are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 100 individuals are diagnosed with autism each year. The numbers are even more troubling for New Jersey: 1 in 90 among the general population and 1 in 74 among boys.\nThe Ridgewood-based Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation aims to help. It's the first national autism organization focused exclusively on supporting adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorders.\nStarted in 2002 by Linda Walder Fiddle, the Fiddle Foundation recently was featured in a segment on WPIX 11 Morning News. Parade magazine also quoted Linda Fiddle in a story about the challenges facing a 20-year-old autistic woman.\n\"We're at the moment of truth to address the numbers of children aging into adulthood,\" she says. \"Their lives are hanging over a cliff, and we must not let them fall.\"\nLinda Fiddle formed the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation in memory of her son Danny, who was autistic and died when he was 9 years old. For more information, visit the foundation's website.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.968928873538971}
{"content": "The cost of pumping your septic tank out every one to three years is minimal compared to the damage that could be caused if you do not have your septic tank pumped regularly. How often you clean or inspect your septic system depends on how large your family is. Families with many members contributing to (Continue reading)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9918820261955261}
{"content": "Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation involves ligand-induced receptor dimerization and transphosphorylation on tyrosine residues. Colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1)-induced CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) tyrosine phosphorylation and ubiquitination were studied in mouse macrophages. Phosphorylation of CSF-1R Tyr-559, required for the binding of Src family kinases (SFKs), was both necessary and sufficient for these responses and for c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation and all three responses were inhibited by SFK inhibitors. In c-Cbl-deficient macrophages, CSF-1R ubiquitination and tyrosine phosphorylation were substantially inhibited. Reconstitution with wild-type, but not ubiquitin ligase-defective C381A c-Cbl rescued these responses, while expression of C381A c-Cbl in wild-type macrophages suppressed them. Analysis of site-directed mutations in the CSF-1R further suggests that activated c-Cbl-mediated CSF-1R ubiquitination is required for a conformational change in the major kinase domain that allows amplification of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and full receptor activation. Thus the results indicate that CSF-1-mediated receptor dimerization leads to a Tyr-559/SFK/c-Cbl pathway resulting in receptor ubiquitination that permits full receptor tyrosine phosphorylation of this class III RTK in macrophages.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.559515118598938}
{"content": "The Unfinished Business Toolkit A Resource For You A Resource For You I do not consider myself a self-help expert. I'm a workaholic who improved his life by reaching out to others and making amends. I have assembled the strategies that worked best for me into this toolkit. I hope you find it useful. If you come across other strategies that work, please tell me so I can make this toolkit an even richer resource for people who want to take care of their unfinished business.\nGetting Started Getting Started Addressing your unfinished business is a five-step process. It involves:\nIdentifying the unfinished business that gnaws at you Confronting the fears at its root Reaching out to the person(s) you wronged Making amends Reflecting on the experience Each of these five steps is important to the process. Unless you face your fears, it will be difficult for you to reach out to the person you’ve wronged. Unless you reach out to the person, you can’t make amends.\nIt is through reflection that you learn the lessons that will help you refine your conscience and continue making a heart-felt commitment to acting in accordance with your most deeply held ideals.\nThis toolkit will help you identify your unfinished business, confront your fears, re-connect with the people you’ve wronged or lost touch with and make amends.\nThe chapter-by-chapter discussion guide is designed to help you reflect on your experience.\nI highly recommend that you keep a journal of your experience. Use it to explore your fears, map your journey, record what you learn and celebrate the unexpected rewards that come with keeping your load lean.\nAnd please feel encouraged to share your story. It is by sharing our struggles and successes that we help ourselves and each other lead more complete and compassionate lives.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8267367482185364}
{"content": "The article \"Seeing with gravity\" (14 September, 1996) contained a number of errors in its discussion of the superconducting gravity gradiometer (SGG) designed by Ho Jung Paik, professor of physics at the University of Maryland.\nFirst, Paik developed the SGG in the mid-1970s and not the early 1980s as stated in the article. Secondly, the two superconducting proof masses in Paik's machine are connected by a superconducting circuit. The machine measures the difference in displacement of the two masses, and the superconducting circuit reduces the dynamic range over which the machine must operate. The masses do not act independently as the article says.\nThe article also stated that Paik's device needs constant recalibration. This is not the case. Indeed, once calibrated it remains stable for months and can detect displacements of some 10\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5800197720527649}
{"content": "How To Develop A Hiring System For Better Hires\nEvery company should develop a hiring system to fill vacant job positions. Using an effective hiring process to recruit new employees can help to ensure logical job placements that will benefit both the new hires and the company. Attracting well-qualified applicants to fill job openings in your organization should not be taken lightly.\n1. Create a job description. This can apply to an existing or new position. The description should include required qualifications, preferred qualifications, and details about the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual aspects of the job opening. This information can be gleaned from the current job holder, coworkers, supervisors, and even clients or customers. Company administrators and HR personnel should review and edit the job description before it is posted.\n2. Establish an interview panel. This may take the form of a committee or task force, and should include staff members who are trained in skilled interviewing techniques. For example, interviewers must know which questions cannot be legally asked, such as marital status. Interviewers should also understand the type of questions that can elicit meaningful responses that can aid in filling the position with the most qualified candidate. 3. Appoint application reviewers. These persons are equipped to analyze application materials, including resume or vita, application letter, references, and any other supporting documents. They know how to obtain previous employment information, legal records that are available for applicants, and perhaps review Internet websites posted by candidates or personal videos for this purpose.\nA responsible hiring system is prepared to manage a job opening from its inception to its filling with the best applicant. Recruiting and retaining top-notch employees can cut turnover costs, reduce benefits expenses, and ensure a cooperative and productive workplace environment.\nPhoto: renjith krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6997135281562805}
{"content": "In late October, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted final rules governing the state's Assembly Bill (AB) 32 cap-and-trade system, scheduled to launch in 2013. As part of these rules, CARB has formally permitted the inclusion of forestry project offset credits in the new California carbon market, including offsets derived from reforestation projects (for details see the approved methodology). While offset allowances will be limited to eight percent of emissions from regulated entities, this decision by CARB stands in contrast to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which prohibits use of forestry credits altogether.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.589226484298706}
{"content": "Cosmetic dermatology represents that aspect of diagnosing, treating, and preventing the changes to the skin that are aesthetically not pleasing to the patient. Whether it be aging lines, pitting from acne, or scarring from sun damage, each of these occurrences prevents the patient from lookin’ good.\nIn this part of the International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology website, authorities from various parts of the world present their views on cosmetic dermatology in a succinct manner.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9106810688972473}
{"content": "Before the Senate vote, politicians and the public alike should consider the experience of the strikingly similar “emissions trading system” (ETS) in place in the European Union since 2005. The European version has succeeded only in raising energy costs to consumers, even as emissions continued to rise.\n[snip]\nThe sad fact is that both President Obama and the Democratic Congress are misleading the public. Alternative measures such as a carbon tax have not been considered precisely because their costs are transparent and obvious to the public. By contrast, cap-and-trade allows the President and Congress to claim credit for “taking action” on global warming without acknowledging the real costs that entails — costs which the public, when informed of the facts, is rightly unwilling to accept.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8369952440261841}
{"content": "The question really concerns pairs of normal variates. Let's call them $x_1$ and $x_2$ with means $\\mu_i$, standard deviations $\\sigma_i$, and correlation $\\rho$. Whence their joint pdf is\n$$\\frac{1}{2 \\pi \\sqrt{1 - \\rho^2} \\sigma_1 \\sigma_2}\ne^{-\\frac{1}{1-\\rho^2} \\left(\\frac{(x_1 - \\mu_1)^2}{2 \\sigma_1^2} + \\frac{(x_2 - \\mu_2)^2}{2 \\sigma_2^2} - \\frac{\\rho (x_1 - \\mu_1)(x_2 - \\mu_2)}{\\sigma_1 \\sigma_2}\\right)} dx_1 dx_2\\text{.}$$\nLet $f(x_1,x_2)$ be the product of this with the $y_i$ (as functions of the $x_i$). The first component of the gradient of $\\log(f)$ is\n$$\\frac{\\partial \\log(f)}{\\partial x_1}\n= \\frac{1}{1 + e^{x_1}} + \\frac{\\rho(\\mu_2 - x_2) \\sigma_1 + (x_1 - \\mu_1)\\sigma_2}{(\\rho^2-1)\\sigma_1^2 \\sigma_2},$$\nwith a similar expression for the second component (via the symmetry achieved by exchanging the subscripts 1 and 2). There will be a unique global maximum, which we can detect by setting the gradient to zero. This pair of nonlinear equations has no closed form solution. It is rapidly found by a few Newton-Raphson iterations. Alternatively, we can linearize these equations. Indeed, through second order, the first component equals\n$$\\frac{1}{2} + x_1\\left(\\frac{-1}{4} + \\frac{1}{(\\rho^2-1)\\sigma_1^2}\\right) + \\frac{-\\rho x_2 \\sigma_1 + \\rho \\mu_2 \\sigma_1 - \\mu_1 \\sigma_2}{(\\rho^2 -1)\\sigma_1^2 \\sigma_2}.$$\nThis gives a pair of linear equations in $(x_1, x_2)$, which therefore do have a closed form solution, say $\\hat{x}_i(\\mu_1, \\mu_2, \\sigma_1, \\sigma_2, \\rho)$, which obviously are rational polynomials.\nThe Jacobian at this critical point has 1,1 coefficient\n$$\\frac{e^\\hat{x_1}\\left(2 - (\\rho^2-1)\\sigma_1^2 + 2\\cosh(\\hat{x_1})\\right)}{(1+e^\\hat{x_1})^2(\\rho^2-1)\\sigma_1^2},$$\n1,2 and 2,1 coefficients\n$$\\frac{\\rho}{\\sigma_1 \\sigma_2(1 - \\rho^2)},$$\nand 2,2 coefficient obtained from the 1,1 coefficient by symmetry. Because this is a critical point (at least approximately), we can substitute\n$$e^\\hat{x_1} = \\frac{(\\rho^2-1)\\sigma_1^2 \\sigma_2}{(\\mu_2 - \\hat{x_2})\\rho \\sigma_1 + (\\hat{x_1} - \\mu_1)\\sigma_2} - 1$$\nand use that also to compute $\\cosh(\\hat{x_1}) = \\frac{e^\\hat{x_1} - e^{-\\hat{x_1}}}{2}$, with a similar manipulation for $e^\\hat{x_2}$ and $\\cosh(\\hat{x_2})$. This enables evaluation of the Hessian (the determinant of the Jacobian) as a rational function of the parameters.\nThe rest is routine: the Hessian tells us how to approximate the integral as a binormal integral (a saddlepoint approximation). The answer equals $\\frac{1}{2\\pi}$ times a rational function of the five parameters: that's your closed form (for what it's worth!).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8890769481658936}
{"content": "Catalytic Converters to Reduce Fireplace Emissions Catalytic converters do for wood burning fireplace inserts exactly what they do on your automobile: they reduce emissions. To do this, a noble metal ( such as platinum, paladeium, or a combination) is coated over a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb surface. All emissions from the fireplace go through the honeycomb and, due to these metals, most undesirable by-products are eliminated. This results in very clean emissions from the fireplace, consisting mainly of water vapor and carbon dioxide. The catalytic converter becomes fowled after a time, typically every 2-5 years, depending on how much the fireplace is used. The downside is cost as a new converter needs to be inserted, which is generally a $150-250 investment. The upside is that the emissions are very clean so your flue will stay clean for years; soot and creosote will not be a problem. However, given the improvements in secondary combustion designs, you may want to consider this alternative due to its maintenance-free nature.\nOTHER INTERESTING SITES:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8546043038368225}
{"content": "On February 18, 2011, the FDIC adopted updated final rules, regarding the unlimited insurance coverage, through December 31, 2012, for deposits held in Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTAs). These accounts were previously covered by the FDIC’s Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program, but were subsequently left out of Dodd-Frank’s expanded insurance coverage.\nRecognizing that the interest paid on IOLTAs were used by States to support legal aid for low-income individuals, Congress passed (on December 22, 2010), and the President signed (on December 29, 2010), H.R. 6398, which amended the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to define noninterest-bearing transaction accounts to include IOLTAs. The FDIC noted the potential for this Congressional action in its final rules adopted November 9, 2011, implementing the unlimited insurance coverage for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, and provided that it would act quickly to notify depository institutions on how to react to the change.\nPrior to year-end, the FDIC notified depository institutions that they were not required to send individual notices to IOLTA customers that such funds would not longer be provided with unlimited insurance, and that any institutions that had previously provided such notice were encouraged, but not required to, provide a revised notice advising that IOLTAs will receive unlimited insurance coverage as noninterest-bearing transaction accounts for two years ending December 31, 2012.\nThe FDIC’s revised final rule also provided new language for the posted notice required by 12 CFR Part 330.16. Accordingly, all depository institutions that offer noninterest-bearing transaction accounts are required, no later than February 28, 2011, to post prominently the following notice in the lobby of its main office, each domestic branch and, if it offers internet-based deposit services, on its website, the following notice:\nAll funds in a “noninterest-bearing transaction account” are insured in full by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from December 31, 2010, through December 31, 2012. This temporary unlimited coverage is in addition to, and separate from, the coverage of at least $250,000 available to depositors under the FDIC’s general deposit insurance rules.\nThe term “noninterest-bearing transaction account” includes a traditional checking account or demand deposit account on which the insured depository institution pays no interest. It also includes Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (“IOLTAs”). It does not include other accounts, such as traditional checking or demand deposit accounts that may earn interest, NOW accounts, and money-market deposit accounts.\nFor more information about temporary FDIC insurance coverage of transaction accounts, visit www.fdic.gov.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9474510550498962}
{"content": "\"My Evidence\" is a multi-user, multi-lingual online application developed for the Exploratorium project, \"Evidence: How do we know what we know?\" The goal is to engage online users by allowing them to examine how they themselves construct knowledge about the world. \"My Evidence\" begins by posing a statement on screen such as, \"I believe the Earth is round.\" Users defend or refute the assertion by chronicling their own real life learning experiences, and in doing so produce a visual map of their personal \"evidence\" which can be stored, retrieved and revised by them. These evidence \"quanta\" can be categorized and weighted by the user, thus creating a visual reference tool which may be compared to other maps by other users. The application also collects minimal personal profile data (scientist/non-scientist, gender, age), opening avenues of inquiry into how people in diverse professions or stages of life might interpret their perceptions differently. We designed \"My Evidence\" to encourage self-reflection while providing a window into the kind of thinking that science requires.\nMy Evidence requires that JavaScript is enabled and the Adobe Flash Player plug-in.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9810270071029663}
{"content": "Data-Acquisition Rate\nTo maximize the acquisition rate for micronuclei formation assays, a large-chip CCD camera is preferable to the standard-chip size. With a 2,048 x 2,048 pixel array, the large-chip camera acquires a field of view approximately four times that of the standard-chip camera (Table 1 and Figure 1 ).\nConsequently, fewer fields of view are required to obtain the desired cell count. In addition, capture rates with the large-chip camera configuration are significantly more rapid than with the standard-chip camera in place. Both of these factors contribute to an increased speed of acquisition.\nThis is illustrated using dose-response assays with etoposide and mitomycin C as test compounds, with the online cell-count threshold set to 1,000. The number of fields imaged per well to achieve the threshold ranged from 1 to 34 using the standard-chip CCD cameras and 1 to 16 using the large-chip CCD camera.\nUse of the large-chip camera reduced plate acquisition times by ~50% compared to those achieved with the standard-chip camera under comparable conditions (Table 1 ).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6606748700141907}
{"content": "Abstract\nThis research service provides an assessment of key component technology areas\nwithin the omics space, and offers insights and recommendations for managing\nthe R&D portfolio effectively. Incorporated analysis includes a strategic\nevaluation of R&D portfolio within this space using a multicriteria decision\nmaking tool, an assessment of research orientation among key focus areas in\nthe industry, analysis of the challenging environment for R&D, and an overview\nof emerging market needs. Finally, a discussion of future R&D trends and\ninsights on strategically managing the R&D pipeline is also included.\nTable of Contents\n1. Executive Summary\nResearch Scope and Methodology\nScope of the Research Service\nMethodology\nResearch Overview An Introduction to Omics\nClassification of Omics-based Technology\nApplication of Omics Across Industries and Academia\n2. Strategic Assessment of the Industry Environment\nR&D Portfolio Analysis\nResearch Portfolio\nR&D Budgetary Analysis\nOmics Technology Platforms--Diagnostics and Therapeutics\nResearch Orientation Focus of Omics Platforms\nOmics-based Diagnostics for Cancer\nOmics-based Diagnostics for Neurological Disorders\nOmics-based Diagnostics for Cardiovascular Diseases\nOmics-based Diagnostics for Renal and Hepatic Diseases\nOmics-based Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases\nEnvironmental Analysis\nFactors Accelerating Technology Development\nEmerging Market Needs\nKey Technical Challenges\nKey Business Challenges\nRestraints for Technology Development\n3. Strategic Evaluation of R&D Portfolio\nTechnology Development Market Landscape Industry Best Practices and\nStrategic Insights\nAssessment of Partnerships/Alliances\nStrategic Recommendations (AHP Analysis)\n4. Patents; Contacts; and Appendix\nKey Patents and Appendix\nContacts\nContacts--Part 1\nAppendix A1: Analytical Hierarchy Process\nContacts--Part 2\n5. Decision Support Tables\nCritical Reference Tables\nPharma Research and Development Expenditure (2006 To 2016)\nPercentage Pharma Research and Development Expenditure (2006 To 2016)\nNumber of Biotech Companies (2006 To 2016)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5586999654769897}
{"content": "Chung Park, NDSU professor of animal sciences, was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. The grant money, which totals $285,000 for two years, will be used to investigate whether supplementing methyl nutrients (choline, folate, vitamin B12 and methionine) in a mothers diet will reduce the risk of her offspring developing breast cancer.\nPark has received grant funds from the institute three times, the Department of Defense Medical Research Program twice and the American Institute for Cancer Research for his studies on the epigenetic influence of maternal dietary lipotropes (methyl nutrients including methionine, choline, folic acid, and vitamin B12) upon udder development, lactation and mammary carcinogenesis.\nParks lab also recently received a grant from the Northern Canola Growers Association for $54,000. For the past several years, the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Northern Canola Growers Association have been supporting Parks research on canola oil and human health.\nThe research is supported by the National Institutes of Health grant number 1R15CA164768-01A1. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\nNDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6268706917762756}
{"content": "Weight Management Download Calorie-Count.US has announced the release of Body Mass Index Calculator, a Windows software program that helps doctors, dietitians, and personal trainers to estimate a person's risk for diseases associated with being overweight.\nFood Exchange Diet Planner is a tool to be used by food professionals and knowledgeable individuals to help them create and test balanced diet plans based on the food exchange scheme.\nHealth Monitor is a database that holds medical readings.\nWeight-By-Date Will Keep You Committed to Becoming a Healthier You.\nThe glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate.\nIdeal Body Weight Calculator is designed to calculate the following: Ideal body weight for women, Ideal body weight for men, BodyFat Percentage, Body Mass Index,Number of burned calories for various a\nThe slower you lose weight, the more likely you are losing fat and not muscle.\nThis is a free weight loss calculator.\nProgram is intended for the storage and statisticalprocessings of the physical characteristics of the human bodysuch as:- Real weight- Ideal weight- Fat content- Density- Quantity of calories consumed\nBMI and Calorie Calculator allows users to calculate the healthy weight and BMI ranges for their age, gender and height, as well as the calorie consumption required to maintain their weight, based on\nStay active and exercise regularly. Sixty minutes a day is ideal, but everything (even climbing stairs and walking to school or work) counts.\nDo you want to reduce or gain your weight ? This is the best tool. This tool will estimate your daily calorie requirements for losing, maintaining and gaining weight.\nA simple program to keep track of your current weight and your goal weight. Includes a history of your weight changes.\nProgram calculates optimal body weight. Calculations based on following parameters: - height;- weight; - wrist circle; - ankle circle; - legs length All result can be saved in text or html files.\nWeightmania is a fitness journal that tracks workouts, meals, measurements, dieting progress and medical information.\nOne of the benefits of a detox diet is that it forces you to break your usual routine to try healthier habits.\nWildSoft Weight Loss Program - Detailed management of your daily food intake. The key features include1. Visible is your daily weight 2. daily caloric-intake 3. daily calories burned 4.\nFirst of all, if you be probable to discover almost efficient common software for faster weight loss, you need to be familiarize yourself in details with the weight loss and diet guide program, intend\nTracks body weight and BMI. Unique reading entry interface. Weight lossgain plans. Conduit for export to Excel and CSV. Charts. Histograms. Reports.\nAn effective weight loss motivation audio tool which guides users through a simple, yet powerful exercise for developing and increasing motivation to lose weight.\nPage: 1 2", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6219485998153687}
{"content": "The Arizona state Senate on Thursday passed a bill making it illegal for a person to “intentionally or knowingly creating a human-animal hybrid.”\nThe bill, which passed 16 to 12, would prohibit anyone in the state from “creating or attempting to create an in vitro human embryo by any means other than fertilization of a human egg by a human sperm.”\nThe measure would also outlaw “transferring or attempting to transfer a human embryo into a nonhuman womb,” “transferring or attempting to transfer a nonhuman embryo into a human womb” and “transporting or receiving for any purpose a human-animal hybrid.”\nLouisiana passed a similar law in 2009, the same year Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) introduced the Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act of 2009. The Senate did not take up Brownback proposed law.\nA state House panel has also passed the bill, though it has not faced a full vote. GOP Gov. Jan Brewer has not spoken about the bill.\nThe bill is designed to block potential embryonic research which combines any human and animal cells as well as the “fertilizing a human egg with a nonhuman sperm or a nonhuman egg with human sperm.”\nThe bill would make it a class 6 felony in the state to knowingly create such a hybrid during research and class 1 misdemeanor to create or a purchase a human-animal embryo otherwise.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.880792498588562}
{"content": "Temperature thresholds for polar stratospheric ozone loss\n1NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA2Institute for Energy and Climate Research (IEK-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyAbstract. Low stratospheric temperatures are known to be responsible for heterogeneous chlorine activation that leads to polar ozone depletion. Here, we discuss the temperature threshold below which substantial chlorine activation occurs. We suggest that the onset of chlorine activation is dominated by reactions on cold binary aerosol particles, without formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), i.e. without significant uptake of HNO\n3 from the\ngas-phase. Using reaction rates on cold binary aerosol, a chlorine\nactivation threshold temperature, TACL, is derived. At typical\nstratospheric conditions, TACL is similar in value to TNAT the\nhighest temperature at which nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) can\ntheoretically condense to form PSCs. TACL is still in use as\nparameterization for the threshold temperature for the onset of\nchlorine activation. However, perturbations can cause TACL to\ndiffer from TNAT: TACL is dependent upon H2O, potential\ntemperature, and the sulphate aerosol loading, but unlike TNAT is\nnot dependent upon HNO3. A parameterization of TACL is provided\nhere, allowing it to be calculated over a comprehensive range of\nstratospheric conditions. Although considering TACL as a proxy\nfor chlorine activation can be no substitute for a detailed model\ncalculation, TACL provides a more accurate description of the\ntemperature conditions necessary for polar ozone depletion than\nTNAT and can readily be used in place of TNAT.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8568931221961975}
{"content": "Many struggling students believe that one is either born a good reader or not and there is little one can do to become a more effective reader. This is a \"fixed\" mindset myth (Dweck) that educators must debunk immediately as it is detrimental to student competence and confidence.\nSkilled readers often utilize several \"soft\" skills when they encounter comprehension difficulty and these strategies don't require a fancy graphic organizer. For example, effective readers: re-read, read slower, pre-read and predict, connect to prior knowledge, visualize, question the text, retell (first, then, finally) and then summarize (who, what, when, where, why, how).\nModeling these simple strategies will greatly improve reading comprehension and communicate to students that good readers \"work\" at being good readers and we can all become more effective readers when we use these strategies. Julie Adams, Adams Educational Consulting", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9708666801452637}
{"content": "Conference: April 25-26, 2008Center for the Study of Diversity in Science, Technology, and MedicineMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts\nSubmission Deadline: October 15th, 2007\nDespite long-standing critiques of the concept of race from biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists, race continues to thrive as a category of analysis among scholars, pundits, and the conventional wisdom. State and federal institutions routinely collect data about race and ethnicity. The National Institutes of Health requests that researchers include racially and ethnically diverse populations in their studies. Journals in fields as diverse as genetics, public health, and sociology report data on race and ethnicity and use these variables as significant factors in their analyses. This pursuit of race has produced overwhelming documentation of racial disparities, from birth rates to education, income, crime, punishment, disease, medical treatment, and life expectancy. While many scholars believe that research must consider race if it is to understand fully human biology and experience, critics argue that race is a hollow and misleading concept that leads to invidious distinctions. While advocates of social justice argue that racial disparities must be documented before they can be alleviated, our vast knowledge of disparities has not yet led to decisive social or political action against them.\nWhat should be done? Should the concept of race be invoked to further the goals of science or social justice? Do racial and ethnic distinctions produce natural categories for scholarly or political analysis? Do the benefits of including diverse populations in research outweigh the potential harm caused by reifying racial and ethnic distinctions? Will efforts to improve the precision of these categories with subtler distinctions based on ancestry or genetic markers increase the utility of the resulting data? What role do funding agencies (whether governmental or philanthropic) and journal editors have as gatekeepers for the appropriate use of racial and ethnic categories? What hopes and conflicts are embedded in analyses of race as a scientific, medical or social category? This conference invites papers from any discipline -- medicine, history, anthropology, epidemiology, STS, genetics, sociology, law, ethics, and others -- that consider these debates about the uses of race. We hope to describe and explore the competing interests that have made studies of race simultaneously feared and desired.\nAbstracts (300 words or less) should be submitted by October 15th to:David S. Jones, M.D., Ph.D.77 Massachusetts Avenue E51-290Cambridge, MA 02139dsjones@mit.edu (email submissions preferred)\nAdditional information at web.mit.edu/csd\nDavid S. Jones, M.D., Ph.D.Massachusetts Institute of Technology77 Massachusetts Avenue E51-290Cambridge, MA 02139dsjones@mit.edu\nSend comments and questions to H-NetWebstaff. H-Net reproduces announcements that have been submitted to us as afree service to the academic community. If you are interested in an announcementlisted here, please contact the organizers or patrons directly. Though we striveto provide accurate information, H-Net cannot accept responsibility for the text ofannouncements appearing in this service. (Administration)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5824261903762817}
{"content": "Studies in animals and a short-term human study have suggested that curcumin, a polyphenolic compound concentrated in the curry spice turmeric, decreases serum cholesterol concentration. However, no controlled human trials have examined the effect of curcumin on cholesterol. This study investigated the effects of consuming curcumin on the serum lipid profile in men and women. Elderly subjects (n=36) consumed 4 g/d curcumin, 1g/d curcumin, or placebo in a 6-month, randomized, double-blind trial. Plasma curcumin and its metabolites were measured at 1 month, and the serum lipid profile was measured at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. The plasma curcumin concentration reached a mean of 490 nmol/L. The curcumin concentration was greater after capsule than powder administration. Consumption of either dose of curcumin did not significantly affect triacylglycerols, or total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol over 1 month or 6 months. However, the concentrations of plasma curcumin and serum cholesterol were positively and significantly correlated. Curcumin consumption does not appear to have a significant effect on the serum lipid profile, unless the absorbed concentration of curcumin is considered, in which case curcumin may modestly increase cholesterol.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7078502774238586}
{"content": "A major challenge facing parent educators and professionals who provide prevention and early intervention programs/services for people of colour, specifically Black families in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), is the lack of culturally relevant programs. An Afrocentric approach that incorporates concepts from the Empowerment and Ecological Systems theories will bridge this gap because it provides a framework for examining the impact of culture and race on Black family life and parenting. Reflecting on the African proverb, \"it takes a village to raise a child\", the study emphasizes the role of Black communities in supporting families for enhancing the healthy development of their children. The study examines Black parents' beliefs and goals about using racial socialization as a parenting strategy to address issues of race and discrimination that impact Black parenting. Findings indicate that parents in HRM are currently practicing some form of racial socialization, and are receptive to this model.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8409961462020874}
{"content": "Title Document Type Article\nDisciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health\nAbstract Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen that has historically been identified in hospital-acquired infections since the mid 1900's. Epidemiologically significant trends have occurred which have identified the increasing prevalence of MRSA in the community setting. Methods: An investigation of all isolates positive for Staphylococcus aureus of the inpatient population was conducted over a nine year time period in a university teaching hospital. Additionally, a unit specific case/control study was conducted during an outbreak of MRSA in a neonatal intensive care unit. Results: From January of 1997 through December of 2005, the number of isolates identified as positive for S. aureus had increased. Additionally, the proportion of MRSA to Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) had increased from 40 to 60%. A chi-square test was conducted comparing the number of isolates positive for MRSA in 1997 versus 2005 which was found to be statistically significant with a P value < 0. 001. Additionally, from January 1997 through December 31, 2001, the first greatest change in proportion of MRSA to MSSA was noted. The increase in isolates identified as positive for MRSA was found to be approximately three times as great. The comparison of isolates identified as MRSA in 1997 versus 2001 was statistically significant with a P value <0.001. A hospital-acquired case is defined as one in which the specimen positive for MSSA or MRSA was obtained 48 hours after admission to the hospital. Conversely, a community-acquired case is defined as having a culture positive for MSSA or MRSA obtained within 48 hours of admission. Using a chi-square test we found no statistically significant difference in identification of the acquisition of MSSA or MRSA as to whether the patients were adrnitted from home or another health care institution. The number of community-acquired cases identified as positive for MRSA was higher than those that were hospitalacquired. Lastly, through a case/control study of infants leading to NlCU employee screening for identification of employees for positive colonization status with MRSA, we identified the common source who served as a reservoir for transmission of this pathogen. Conclusion: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a significant public health burden and serves as a warning requiring the attention of key stakeholders to implement rigorous actions to control the spread and reduce the development of multi-drug resistant organisms.\nRecommended Citation Dupont, Nancy Russell, \"An In-Depth Study of Staphylooccus aureus Infections and Cases of Colonization in the Inpatient Population at a University Teaching Hospital\" (2010). UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010. Paper 160. http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/uchcgs_masters/160", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9854488968849182}
{"content": "Publication Details\nMedication issues in older individuals with CKD. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2010; (4): 320-8\nOlder US adults bear a substantial burden of chronic disease and take an average of five prescription and non-prescription medications per day. Recent data suggest that over 20% of older adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD) as defined by an impaired glomerular filtration rate. These individuals often have multiple comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Although patients with CKD may receive substantial benefits from prescribed medications, they are also at high risk for adverse drug events and polypharmacy. In this review, we outline the risks and benefits of medication use in the CKD population as a specific case within geriatric pharmacoepidemiology as a framework.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.964396595954895}
{"content": "Valuing is central to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), yet few therapists truly understand how to engage clients in this complex process. Questions such as \"What is the purpose of my life?\" and \"How do I make decisions?\" are difficult to answer honestly for ourselves, let alone share with another person. The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy is the mental health practitioner's complete guide to helping clients identify their values and apply them to their lives in practical ways. You will also learn to establish your own values as a professional, which may shift from client to client, and act in accordance with these values in therapy.\nThe book provides you with practical tools for conducting values work, including easy-to-understand metaphors, defusion exercises, guided imagery exercises, scripts for role play, client worksheets, assessment quizzes, and more. Once you've mastered the art and science of valuing, you'll find out just how broad the applications for values work can be for conceptualization and interventions in the workplace, in organizations, and on the community level, and discover how effective values work can be for tapping into your clients' capacity for change.\n\" The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy] will illuminate how a focus on values can inform every aspect of psychotherapy, from case conceptualization to the therapeutic relationship. At once accessible and profound highly recommended.\" -Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D., University of Nevada Foundation Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7259256839752197}
{"content": "The purpose of this communication is (1) to discuss the errors introduced during the colorimetrie determination of phenolsulphonephthalein in the urine when the color of the dye is obscured by the bile pigments, and (2) to offer a method which permits of fairly accurate estimation of renal function, as expressed by the rate of excretion of phenolsulphonephthalein even though marked jaundice is present.\nRowntree and Geraghty1 noted in their paper, in 1910, that urinary and biliary pigments may be removed from urine by basic lead acetate. No details of the use of this substance were discussed. In 1921 a method was reported by Burwell and Jones,2 in which it was proposed that the use of a saturated alcoholic solution of zinc acetate precipitated both bile and blood pigments. The following paragraph is a quotation from the paper suggesting the use of zinc acetate.\nPhenolsulphonephthalein is injected in the usual manner,", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5611781477928162}
{"content": "1. Anderson, Kenneth C: 23 articles (08/2012 - 03/2002) 2. Rajkumar, S Vincent: 17 articles (07/2012 - 11/2002) 3. Dispenzieri, Angela: 13 articles (06/2012 - 01/2002) 4. Richardson, Paul G: 12 articles (08/2012 - 06/2002) 5. Gertz, Morie A: 12 articles (02/2012 - 01/2002) 6. van de Beek, Diederik: 11 articles (11/2012 - 11/2002) 7. Whitcup, Scott M: 11 articles (11/2012 - 03/2007) 8. Dimopoulos, M A: 11 articles (10/2012 - 07/2001) 9. Hideshima, Teru: 11 articles (08/2012 - 06/2002) 10. Harousseau, Jean-Luc: 11 articles (06/2012 - 02/2006)\n1. Vomiting04/01/2008 - \"A significant reduction in vomiting from 27% to 11% was achieved following the introduction of routine use of intravenous dexamethasone during surgery. \"\n04/01/2003 - \"Compared with placebo, dexamethasone significantly decreased the incidence of early and late vomiting (P < 0.05, P < 0.001 respectively). \"\n02/01/1995 - \"Addition of dexamethasone significantly improved prevention of both acute and delayed emesis. \"\n01/01/1998 - \"Six patients in group D and 19 in group S experienced vomiting at least once within the 24-h postoperative period; dexamethasone was effective in reducing the overall incidence of vomiting from 63.3% to 20.0% (P < 0.01). \"\n10/01/2000 - \"Dexamethasone is clearly effective in protecting from emesis both in the acute and delayed phases, with emesis avoided in one patient out of six treated. \"\nOrder ALL the reference details at left... 2. Multiple Myeloma01/01/1998 - \"The authors describe a case of multiple myeloma in which a complete remission was obtained by treatment with high dose dexamethasone. \"\n10/01/2009 - \"The high-dose dexamethasone-based regiments are safe and effective for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with renal impairment.\"\n02/01/1999 - \"The use of biological modifiers in combination with dexamethasone offer a safe and effective therapeutic option in patients with refractory multiple myeloma. \"\n11/01/2009 - \"In this brief report, we review these findings and introduce the multiple myeloma cells as a novel system to study autophagy in response to dexamethasone.\"\n07/01/2009 - \"Our aim in the present study was to use genomic screening to identify genes targeted for epigenetic inactivation in multiple myeloma and assess their role in the development of resistance to dexamethasone. \"\nOrder ALL the reference details at left... 3. Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV)02/01/2001 - \"Of them, dexamethasone used as a prophylactic drug for PONV provided the best results. \"\n01/01/2008 - \"Dexamethasone has been proven effective in the prophylaxis of late PONV. \"\n08/01/2007 - \"A single dose of dexamethasone significantly decreased the incidence of postoperative vomiting in early and late recovery phase and shortened the time to first oral intake and the duration of IV therapy.\"\n03/01/2001 - \"Dexamethasone significantly decreased the incidence of postoperative vomiting during the first 24 h, shortened the time to the first oral intake and the duration of IV hydration, and improved the quality of oral intake and the satisfaction scores of the patients.\"\n07/01/1998 - \"Compared with placebo, dexamethasone significantly decreased the incidence of PONV in the 24 h after discharge, improved oral intake, decreased the frequency of parental phone calls, and resulted in no hospital returns for the management of PONV and/or poor oral intake.\"\nOrder ALL the reference details at left... 4. Nausea01/01/2009 - \"Seven patients (18%) in the dexamethasone group reported nausea, compared with 16 (40%) in the placebo group (p = 0.026). \"\n04/01/2008 - \"Seven patients in the control group, but only one in the dexamethasone group, were treated for nausea (P = 0.05). \"\n04/01/2007 - \"Average nausea scores were low in all groups, but the incidence of nausea until 24 h postoperatively was significantly higher among groups receiving only 2 mg of dexamethasone (P < 0.03). \"\n01/01/2006 - \"In the dexamethasone-plus-ginger-treated group, 12 patients experienced nausea, one patient retched, four patients vomited once, no patients vomited repeatedly, and 13 patients required a rescue antiemetic. \"\n01/01/2006 - \"In the dexamethasone-treated group, 14 patients experienced nausea, two patients retched, three patients vomited once, two patients vomited repeatedly, and 14 patients required a rescue antiemetic. \"\nOrder ALL the reference details at left... 5. Neoplasms (Cancer)06/01/2005 - \"However, despite frequent initial complete remission, prolonged dexamethasone treatment results in the appearance of chemoresistant tumor cells and most patients with MM ultimately present relapse of the underlying disease. \"\n04/22/1993 - \"These studies establish that a dexamethasone-inducible family 3A P450 can make an important contribution to rat liver microsomal ifosphamide activation, and suggest that dexamethasone pretreatment might provide a useful approach for modulation of ifosphamide metabolism in order to improve its therapeutic efficacy in cancer patients.\"\n01/01/2012 - \"However, CsA (4 mg/kg/day) plus dexamethasone treatment resulted in a dramatic regression of the tumors and amelioration of systemic symptoms and induced complete remission (CR) within 2 weeks. \"\n01/01/2008 - \"In vivo, we saw good therapeutic efficacy of the viruses in a model of intravenous therapy of metastatic cervical cancer, but the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone was not strong enough to provide significant differences in a complex in vivo environment. \"\n03/01/2009 - \"The anti-tumor activity of dexamethasone derivatives (9-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-11,17-dihydroxy-3-oxo-1,4-androsladiene-17beta-carboxylic acid) is superior to that of dexamethasone. \"\nOrder ALL the reference details at left...\n1. Ondansetron (Zofran) 2. Cisplatin (Platino) 3. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) 4. bortezomib (Velcade) 5. Metoclopramide (Reglan) 6. Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) 7. Vincristine (Oncovin) 8. Thalidomide (Thalomid) 9. Granisetron (Kytril) 10. Hydrocortisone (Cortisol)\n1. Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 2. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy 3. Aftercare (After-Treatment) 4. Injections 5. Oral Administration\nPrice: $24.95 USD & Delivery via PDF downloadupdates for 1 year\nPrice: $490.00 USD access via web interface1 year subscription", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8578112125396729}
{"content": "Helping Students Prepare Getting your students ready for the PSAT/NMSQT When students take the PSAT/NMSQT, they are not required to recall facts—even the math formulas needed are supplied to them. Instead, the PSAT /NMSQT measures reasoning skills —for instance, knowing when to choose one of those math formulas and how to use it to arrive at the correct answer.\nLong-term preparation It takes time to develop reasoning skills, and that's why the best preparation for the PSAT/NMSQT is long term:\nTaking the most challenging courses students can handle Reading widely Writing frequently Studying hard Getting involved in problem-solving activities through clubs, sports, hobbies, part-time jobs, etc. This is the same preparation necessary for the SAT®—and for success in college-level course work.\nShort-term preparation Read on for information on short-term preparation for the PSAT/NMSQT:\nTest by Section: Take a closer look at the critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills sections of the tests. Approaches & Strategies: Tips on familiarizing your students with the PSAT/NMSQT before test day. Resources & Tools: Downloads to help you prepare your students and their families for the PSAT/NMSQT.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5537912845611572}
{"content": "There are many beauty treatments that are 100% safe to use during pregnancy. Some women face pregnancy with the idea that leaving behind beauty treatments is part of the sacrifice they must make for their baby. However, this could not be further from the truth. The sanity of a pregnant woman can be maintained with a few carefully planned beauty treatments to keep her feeling beautiful and collected while her body changes at a miraculous speed. One of the approved beauty treatments is eyebrow maintenance.\nWaxing is typically not suggested during pregnancy due to the chemicals in the wax that may be absorbed through the skin. Tweezing and shaving of a unibrow during pregnancy is safe. Tweezing, or plucking, can be completed at home or at a salon. Most salons will not shave to shape a unibrow.\nIf the unibrow appeared after becoming pregnant, it could be due to a darkening of facial and body hair. For some women, hair becomes darker after conception. The hairs affected can include facial hairs. Those light, fine hairs located between the brows can suddenly appear darker causing the unibrow look.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9956363439559937}
{"content": "Advantages and disadvantages of daylight, tungsten and flash\nDAYLIGHT\nadvantages\n- Great intensity: sunlight is the most intense and potent light we have available.\n- Free energy\n- Highly variable: this is an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. Sunlight varies throughout the day as well as throughout the year. This enables us to achieve a great variety of illumination styles.\n- Optimal spectrum composition: sunlight has every wavelength: red, green and blue\ndisadvantages\n- Depends on the season\n- Depends on the time of the day\n- Depends on the weather: sunny, cloudy, rain\n- It is subject to colour temperature changes.\nLIGHT BULB:\nadvantages\n- Direct connection to electrical network\n- Low cost: tungsten equipment is cheaper than flashes or HMI.\n- Independent from the time and day of the year\n- Work to register movement\ndisadvantages\n- High energy consumption: the electricity bill can get quite high\n- Colour temperature is not constant: they have a specific colour temperature when they are brand new and it changes as they are used.\n- Generate a lot of heat.\n- Even when they are potent, they have a low intensity which requires a long period of exposition or a wide open diaphragm.\n- Requires the use of correction filters or tungsten film (in the case of using films). Digital cameras can use the White Balance function.\nFLASH\nadvantages\n- Constant light.\n- Constant colour temperature: 5500K\n- Low energy consumption\n- Generate little heat\n- They are highly potent, thus, shorter periods of exposure can be used.\n- They can be independent from the electrical network.\n- We can use daylight film without having to use filters.\n- Very potent\n- Different accessories can be used to diffuse light.\ndisadvantages\n- They are expensive\n- Generally, we need to connect them to the network.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9436792731285095}
{"content": "Creativeship—The Evolution from ManagementTo Leadership to Creativeship\nThe combination of technological advances, social media, globalization, shifting economic drivers, government intervention, changing global workforce demographics, vastly different motivational drivers within different generations, and the emergence of social responsibility as a motivational driver is leading to a pronounced shift in the definition of leadership. Over the past 25 years, we have seen the shift from management (managing things, data, and process) to leadership (leading people). We are now evolving to creativeship, defined as the necessity to create an organizational culture that can compete and thrive in this new era.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.955423891544342}
{"content": "Link to PDF\nOffice of Government Ethics91 x 15Letter to an Individual dated May 2, 1991\nYour letter of April 15, 1991, requested that the Office of Government Ethics inquire into the matter of indebtedness of an employee of [a Federal agency]. Your letter acknowledged that the proper method of seeking collection on any debt which a Government employee owes to you is through the established legal and court procedures. However, you have expressed concern that some form of personnel action has not been taken against [the employee] for his alleged indebtedness to you and others, and that [the employee] has protected himself through legal maneuvering under bankruptcy and anti-garnishment laws.\nYou are correct that executive branch standards of ethical conduct require employees to satisfy in good faith their just financial obligations. This means that employees must show an honest intention to fulfill in a timely manner their financial obligations, such as taxes and debts acknowledged by the employee or reduced to judgment by court. However, an employee's agency is not obligated to determine the validity or amount of any disputed debt nor to collect debts on the alleged creditor's behalf.\nThe issue of when an employee's just debts are not being satisfied in good faith must be resolved by his or her agency, since this is a personnel and disciplinary matter over which the agency exercises primary responsibility. The Office of Government Ethics is not equipped to review the propriety of an agency's discretion with respect to taking action in the case of the many thousands of executive branch employees who, like other citizens, may lawfully maintain debts and avail themselves of protections such as the bankruptcy and anti-garnishment laws to which you alluded.\nWhile we appreciate your interest in insuring that Government employees are disciplined when violations of ethical standards may occur, we suggest that you pursue your complaint directly with the [agency]. You indicated that the Office of Personnel Management has already referred your inquiry to the inspector general for the [agency], and you should follow up with that office.\nSincerely,\nStephen D. Potts Director", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8536277413368225}
{"content": "Cultural policy is an area of public policy-making with significant economic content. This paper suggests five areas where the theories, tools, and methods of economic analysis can make a contribution to the formation of a rational cultural policy: support for the creative arts; cultural goods international trade; the management of cultural assets; industry and innovation; and foreign policy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7125274538993835}
{"content": "Objective To test the hypothesis of a bidirectional association of anogenital and oral cavity/pharyngeal human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers in men.Design Population-based epidemiological study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer database.Setting Population-based cancer study involving patients receiving care in the United States.Participants The study included 47 308 men 20 years and older with an index oral cavity/pharyngeal or anogenital cancer.Main Outcome Measure Second primary HPV-associated cancers (anogenital or oral cavity/pharyngeal) or HPV-unrelated cancers (prostate, bladder, or colon).Results The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was elevated for both anogenital cancer following oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer (SIR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.7) and oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer following anogenital cancer (SIR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.1-4.2). The increase in SIR was most pronounced for tonsillar cancer following anal cancer (SIR, 8.4; 95% CI, 2.7-19.6). The risk of second primary HPV-associated cancers did not vary significantly by age, race, year of diagnosis, or geographic location but was greater among never-married men, particularly for anal cancer following oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer (SIR, 6.5; 95% CI,1.8-16.7 in never-married men, but SIR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.7-3.1 in ever-married men) and for tonsillar cancer following anogenital cancer (SIR, 13.0; 95% CI, 3.5-33.2 in never-married men, but SIR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.0-9.7 in ever-married men). Other than a slightly increased risk of tongue cancer following colon cancer (SIR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6), there was no increased risk of oral cavity/pharyngeal or anogenital cancer following HPV-unrelated cancers or vice versa.Conclusion The association between index and second primary anogenital and oral cavity/pharyngeal cancers, strongest in never-married men, supports the influence of sexual behavior on the risk of HPV-associated head and neck cancers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9347187876701355}
{"content": "Main Content: The ECEAE has welcomed improvements to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) computer system for the registration of chemical substances under the REACH programme.\nThis follows a submission by the ECEAE to the ECHA. In the submission, we commented that, even for tests that have valid in vitro alternatives, such as skin and eye irritation tests, there is no field in the registration form for companies to submit this information. This is despite the fact that such alternative tests, if available, are now required under EU law. Following media attention in the industry newsletter, Chemical Watch, officials from the ECHA have confirmed that “ECHA has already provided to include these comments to the list of improvements for the next version of IUCLID”.\nThe ECEAE is very pleased that ECHA is going to update the system to include these alternatives. However, we are disappointed by the length of time it has taken. Some of the in vitro alternatives were validated and approved by EU authorities in 2009.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9980084300041199}
{"content": "Architectural plans are design diagrams that describe building layout where space is planned according to design requirements. Style in architecture is generally characterized as common features appearing in a particular class of building design. This research seeks to address how to recognize architectural design style from a 2D plan diagram. We explore this question in a computational encoder-analyzer (E-A) model for 2D plans, where a characterization of 2D style is based on qualitative spatial representation and information theoretic measures. In a preliminary study of a prominent architect's plans, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. We conclude by discussing practical applications of automated plan recognition and classification in design support tools.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9466938972473145}
{"content": "Metaphor In Context Overview The many philosophers, linguists, and cognitive scientists writing on metaphor over the past two decades have generally taken for granted that metaphor lies outside, if not in opposition to, received conceptions of semantics and grammar. Assuming that metaphor cannot be explained by or within semantics, they claim that metaphor has little, if anything, to teach us about semantic theory. In this book Josef Stern challenges these assumptions. He is concerned primarily with the question: Given the received conception of the form and goals of semantic theory, does metaphorical interpretation, in whole or part, fall within its scope? Specifically, he asks, what (if anything) does a speaker-hearer know as part of her semantic competence when she knows the interpretation of a metaphor?\nAccording to Stern, the answer to these questions lies in the systematic context-dependence of metaphorical interpretation. Drawing on a deep analogy between demonstratives, indexicals, and metaphors, Stern develops a formal theory of metaphorical meaning that underlies a speaker's ability to interpret a metaphor. With his semantics, he also addresses a variety of philosophical and linguistic issues raised by metaphor. These include the interpretive structure of complex extended metaphors, the cognitive significance of metaphors and their literal paraphrasability, the pictorial character of metaphors, the role of similarity and exemplification in metaphorical interpretation, metaphor-networks, dead metaphors, the relation of metaphors to other figures, and the dependence of metaphors on literal meanings. Unlike most metaphor theorists, however, who take these problems to be sui generis to metaphor, Stern subsumes them under the same rubric as other semantic facts that hold for nonmetaphorical language.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6389523148536682}
{"content": "The U.S. is the world's largest aerospace and defense market, and also home to the world's largest military budget. The growth of the Aerospace and Defense industry depends largely on the spending outlook of government departments, with the U.S. defense budget being the primary driver. The industry largely depends on U.S. government contracts....\nDefense spending is the major source of revenue for the top nine global aerospace and defense companies, with the US accounting for more than 40% of total global defense spending. However, with the U.S. government expected to institute greater austerity in its defense budget going forward, defense companies will need to source more orders from global clients. The geostrategic significance of the industry and the related heavy export restrictions will come in the way, to some extent, of those marketing efforts by U.S.-based operators.\nThe U.S. defense budget for 2012 was $645.7 billion, with the base budget at $530.6 billion and $115.1 billion approved for Overseas Contingency Operations (\"OCO\") as supplementary defense spending, mainly to fund ongoing wars. In February this year (2012), the Department of Defense (DoD) requested a Pentagon base budget of $525.4 billion for 2013, which is approximately $5.1 billion or 1% less than what is approved for fiscal 2012, with $88.5 billion earmarked for OCO spending. The significant reduction in OCO funding is mainly due to the decline of U.S. military operations in Iraq in 2011. Going forward, OCO funding is expected to continue to decline as troops redeploy out of Afghanistan. Since the September 2001 attacks, the U.S. government has spent significant amounts on military campaigns overseas. The country has already decided to gradually move out of Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq has finally ended, which is expected to lower its expenditure on foreign campaigns. However, its clandestine military operations in other nations as part of anti-terrorism operations will continue to add to foreign war expenses. However, the overall trend in overseas military spending is unmistakably on the downtrend.\nThe big defense operators armed with a strong balance sheets are expanding their operations inorganically through acquisitions. The U.S. Defense department also endorses mergers among U.S. defense companies, provided they don't involve the top five or six suppliers acquiring each other.\nLockheed Martin Corporation bolstered its product portfolio by acquiring Procerus Technologies, a company specializing in autopilot and other avionics for micro unmanned aerial systems. In November 2011, it had acquired Sim-Industries B.V., a commercial aviation simulation company located in the Netherlands. This acquisition would expand both companies' closely related markets and expand the customer base.\nAnother defense major, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., acquired the Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (\"KEO\") unit of of Danaher Corporation This unit will improve L-3's product suite with products like submarine photonics systems and periscopes, ship fire control systems, visual landing aids, ground electro-optical and sensor-cueing systems.\nIn December 2011, General Dynamics Corporation completed the acquisition of Force Protection, Inc. The latter provides blast- and ballistic-protected platforms that support the armed forces of the U.S. and its allies.\nIn December 2011, Raytheon Company announced that it has acquired Pikewerks Corporation, a privately held company, to further extend Raytheon's capabilities to defend against sophisticated cyber-security threats facing customers in the intelligence community, the DoD and commercial organizations.=\nExcerpts, Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights: Lockheed Martin, L-3 Communications, Danaher, General Dynamics and Raytheon, PRNewswire, May 15, 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9117975831031799}
{"content": "Predicting habitat suitability in temperate seagrass ecosystems\nLimnol. Oceanogr., 54(6), 2009, 2018-2024 | DOI: 10.4319/lo.2009.54.6.2018\nABSTRACT: The worldwide observed dramatic decline of seagrasses has typically been attributed to multiple stressors such as eutrophication, disease, sedimentation, and toxicity events. Using principal component analysis and (multivariate) logistic regression, we investigated the importance of 30 commonly measured variables in explaining the presence and absence of the temperate seagrass species Zostera marina and Zostera noltii at 84 Western European locations. Although many interrelated variables influence seagrass presence in our dataset, presence or absence of both species could be reliably predicted by using only two easy-to-measure variables. A logistic regression model of Z. marina correctly predicted 77% of all observations by including water column light attenuation and sediment pore-water reduction oxidation potential (RedOx). The Z. noltii model had an 86% accuracy based on only tidal location (intertidal or subtidal zone) and pore-water RedOx. Applying the models to five evaluation sites demonstrated that both models can be usefully applied as tools for seagrass ecosystem restoration and conservation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8777094483375549}
{"content": "Constructive neutral evolution: exploring evolutionary theory’s curious disconnect Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA\nBiochemical Science Division, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA\nBiology Direct 2012, 7 :35 doi:10.1186/1745-6150-7-35Abstract Constructive neutral evolution (CNE) suggests that neutral evolution may follow a stepwise path to extravagance. Whether or not CNE is common, the mere possibility raises provocative questions about causation: in classical neo-Darwinian thinking, selection is the sole source of creativity and direction, the only force that can cause trends or build complex features. However, much of contemporary evolutionary genetics departs from the conception of evolution underlying neo-Darwinism, resulting in a widening gap between what formal models allow, and what the prevailing view of the causes of evolution suggests. In particular, a mutationist conception of evolution as a 2-step origin-fixation process has been a source of theoretical innovation for 40 years, appearing not only in the Neutral Theory, but also in recent breakthroughs in modeling adaptation (the “mutational landscape” model), and in practical software for sequence analysis. In this conception, mutation is not a source of raw materials, but an agent that introduces novelty, while selection is not an agent that shapes features, but a stochastic sieve. This view, which now lays claim to important theoretical, experimental, and practical results, demands our attention. CNE provides a way to explore its most significant implications about the role of variation in evolution.\nAlex Kondrashov, Eugene Koonin and Johann Peter Gogarten reviewed this article.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7645153999328613}
{"content": "If you are like millions of other Americans, you made money peddling products on eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) Latest News about eBay last year. Many earned enough to enjoy a night on the town. Others collected enough to go on their dream vacation. Still others made a living selling widgets at the online auction site.\nRegardless of whether you made a few bucks or several thousand dollars, there are tax implications to generating revenue. Do you report it? Do you need a tax ID number? Can you write off your home office? What on earth is a Schedule C, and do you have to file one?\nA quick scan of eBay’s user forums reveals that taxes are consistently a top issue. These questions, and others like them, abound. Indeed, with millions of Americans selling items through the various auction services online, sellers are struggling to understand what’s deductible, what isn’t, and how to ensure they report it the right way.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6596014499664307}
{"content": "The FWSA offers a small grant of £250 for postgraduate members who wish to organise workshops, seminars or conferences. This money can be used for a variety of purposes, including paying speakers’ costs, providing refreshments, or hiring facilities, and it can be used alongside other awards (applicants are encouraged to seek additional funding from their host institution to support their event).\nThese events are an important part of the FWSA’s work: they help to build networks of feminist scholars across disciplines. Student organisers will gain valuable experience, and will be supported throughout the process by the Association.\nWe require a short proposal (see form attached) from members who wish to apply for these funds: this should be submitted to administrator@fwsa.org.uk by 1 June 2013 and should include:\n· a detailed plan of the event (topic and rationale, structure and organisation, invited/keynote speaker/s (please provide copies of CFP or flyer/poster and, if available, programme); · strategy for attracting delegates (particularly from other institutions) and planned numbers; · a detailed budget showing what specifically FWSA funding will be used for\nProposals will be reviewed during June, and decisions communicated by 1 July 2013.\nWe also ask that you help to promote the FWSA through your event, for instance through displaying our logo on your publicity materials and programme, distributing information about the FWSA at your event, and implementing a reduced fee for FWSA members. Our publicity and membership team will be on hand to help you with this.\nThe only requirement in terms of topic is that events should focus on an issue related to feminism, women’s or gender studies; proposals which range across disciplines are particularly encouraged. Applicants should not feel confined to the standard academic conference or seminar format (although these too are welcome), as creative or experimental ideas are encouraged.\nOnce the event is over, organisers will be asked to submit a brief written report (which should include details of how FWSA monies have been spent). Excerpts from these reports (excluding financial information) may be published on the FWSA website, to encourage future applications.\nThese funds are available to FWSA members only. To join, go to: http://fwsa.wordpress.com/become-a-member/\nEnquiries to Zoe Alker: administrator@fwsa.org.uk\nTo download an application form, please click here.\nWe look forward to reading your proposals!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6984474658966064}
{"content": "JTS Torah Commentary Parashat Va–Ethannan\nShabbat Nahamu\nDeuteronomy 3:23–7:11\nAugust 5, 2006 11 Av 5766\nThis week's commentary was written by Rabbi Marc Wolf,\nSenior Director of Community Development, JTS Reenacting a historical moment through liturgy and deed is a forte of Judaism. Our calendar year overflows with holidays and observances that transport us to former days and inspire us to reenter the narrative and relive salient moments of history. This week in particular, observing the Ninth of Av, we read of the destruction of the Temple and continue the mourning of our ancestors for the calamities that befell them. While it is possible to read this narrative as a preventive measure to ensure that we, too, do not fall victims to George Santayana's dictum condemning us to either learn from our history or repeat it, I believe that Judaism's message is a blessing, not a curse. It is a blessing to be able to relive life's difficult moments; the reason for this can be gleaned from Moses' behavior and our parashah this week.\nIsaiah Horowitz, commenting on this week's parashah, Va–Ethannan , asserts that throughout the parshiyot of Devarim , we are constantly encouraged to learn and relearn the mitzvot of the Torah. The common name of Deuteronomy itself, the Mishneh Torah , means a second retelling of what occurred in the previous four books. Each subject of the Torah is rehashed within the pages of Deuteronomy, according to Horowitz, and each is a call to action, to study the passages to our fullest comprehension. For inspiration, Horowitz patterns Moses as the quintessential student, constantly questioning the pedagogical message of God.\nBy citing and expanding on a midrash from Yalkut Shemoni , Horowitz enumerates the four times that Moses, as the student of God, did not fully comprehend God's message and requested clarification of God's objectives. The first of these occurs after Moses' divine election as prophet for the people at the burning bush. He faithfully transmits God's message to Pharaoh and the midrash states that Moses is surprised by Pharaoh's reaction. If God had meant to redeem the people, how could there be a negative response from Pharaoh? Should they not be redeemed immediately? Here, Moses questions the direction from God — seeking to understand fully God's intentions.\nThe same questioning occurs when Miriam is stricken with leprosy and again when Moses is told to appoint Joshua as his successor. Each time, the result of his interaction with God is not as Moses expects, instead, the midrash has him re–approaching God for clarification of his prophecy. Moses plays the dutiful student, seeking to understand a difficult lesson.\nHis final questioning of God occurs within this week's parashah. Moses beseeches God and recounts his request: \"And I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying, O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I beg of you, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain region, and Lebanon\"(Deut. 3:23–25). Questioning God's ban prohibiting him from entering the land, Moses appeals to God to cancel the decree and allow him to enter. His plea to God is compared by Horowitz to asking that an oath be nullified. Moses focuses intently on canceling God's oath preventing him from re–entering the land. In this, Moses is seeking to understand the essence of the ban. (Horowitz, Shnei Luhot ha'Brit , p. 107 Sharei Tzion ed.).\nIn his continual tendency to question and seek clarification and meaning, Moses provides us with a paradigm for a student's responsibility. His goal is to relearn his prophecy until he fully understands its comprehensive message. In each situation, Horowitz explains that Moses is not challenging God's message, but seeking to understand what he may have missed in the first telling.\nAs well it is with our calendar of holidays and observances. The historical message of each observance and holiday is clear, but our reasons for perpetuating them sometimes are not. Specifically, with Tish'ah B'Av, finding contemporary relevance has been particularly challenging. Even as early as the days of the Second Temple, challenges were made to indefinitely postpone the fast of Tish'ah B'Av. To guarantee relevance, we have historically defined this day on the calendar as the day on which numerous tragedies occurred.\nThis year, with war raging on the borders of Israel and destruction raining from the sky we have new motivation behind our commemoration of the Ninth Day of Av. However, our contemporary relevance is distinct from our historical observance. It is not from a position of helplessness that we commemorate, but strength. Rabbi Michael Graetz, a Masorti colleague from Omer, Israel recently reflected on this idea and wrote, \"The pain of destruction of two temples thousands of years ago will be augmented this year with the pain of the destruction of homes, factories, and other property in Israel today. But, the lachrymose tunes of Eicha and Kinnot will be sung with a defiant spirit, not 100 percent mourning. A spirit that knows that Israel will prevail.\"\nEach cycle of our calendar year is a call for us to refine and relearn our understanding of our holidays and observances. In Horowitz's conclusion, he states that this pattern of relearning is what eventually leads to actualizing the verse, \"You who held fast to the Lord your God are alive each and every one of you this day.\"(Deut. 4:4). Holding fast to our Judaism is not a passive observance but an active engagement not simply passing through the calendar, but connecting to it and relearning our historic salient moments until we achieve the level of understanding inspired by Moses.\nShabbat shalom ,\nRabbi Marc Wolf\nThe publication and distribution of the JTS Commentary are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee and Harold (z\"l) Hassenfeld.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.89688640832901}
{"content": "It's not only the schools: Some doctors are taking issue with Flamin' Hot Cheetos because they are leading to unnecessary emergency room visits.\nSeveral school districts in New Mexico, California and Illinois have made the move to ban the snacks from their campuses because they lack nutritional value, and research suggests the snacks may create a brain response similar to what is seen in individuals who are addicted to illicit substances. But, medical professionals are saying there's other health fears associated with the snack that are leading to doctor's visits.\nBecause the spicy snack contains a lot of red food dye, it can turn the stools of people who eat large quantities red or orange. Parents and kids may mistakenly assume that it is a sign of blood in the stool, leading to panicked trip to the hospital.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.559878945350647}
{"content": "CONTEXT: Graves' disease (GD) is a systemic autoimmune syndrome comprising manifestations in thyroid and orbital connective tissue. The link between these two tissues in GD eludes our understanding. Patients with GD have increased frequency of circulating monocyte lineage cells known as fibrocytes. These fibrocytes infiltrate orbital connective tissues in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and express functional TSH receptor (TSHR).\nOBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify and characterize CD34(+) fibrocytes in thyroid tissue.\nDESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing surgical thyroidectomy at two academic medical centers were recruited to the study.\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We performed immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, cytokine-specific ELISA, and cell differentiation.\nRESULTS: CD34(+)ColI(+)CXCR4(+)TSHR(+) cells can be identified in situ in thyroid tissue from donors with GD, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or in normal-appearing tissue. Thyroid fibroblasts cultivated from these glands express a CD34(-)ColI(+)CXCR4(+)TSHR(+) phenotype. TSHR levels are higher than those in orbital fibroblasts. When treated with TSH, thyroid fibroblasts generate IL-6 and IL-8. The induction of IL-6 can be blocked by dexamethasone, a chemical inhibitor of Akt/Pkb, and by knocking down Akt with a specific small interfering RNA. When treated with TGF-β or rosiglitazone, thyroid fibroblasts differentiate into myofibrocytes or adipocytes, respectively.\nCONCLUSIONS: ColI(+)CXCR4(+)TSHR(+) thyroid fibroblasts resemble orbital fibroblasts and circulating fibrocytes. CD34(+) fibrocytes appear to infiltrate both tissues in GD. Thyroid fibroblasts lose CD34 display in culture, unlike orbital fibroblasts and circulating fibrocytes. Fibrocytes and their fibroblast derivatives may participate in the pathogenesis of thyroid autoimmunity after TSHR activation. They could represent a therapeutic target for these diseases.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9141231179237366}
{"content": "Susan Hasty, Publisher\nTable of Contents . . . October 12th, 2006\nNeedlestick Injuries - Majority of needlestick injuries can be prevented\nBlood Banking - New York Blood Center experiencing blood shortage\nBone Marrow Transplantation - Veto cells may be used for tolerance induction without graft-versus-host disease\nBusiness Update - Curis announces new cancer programs, formation of China-based subsidiary\nBusiness Update - CyGenics to focus on tissue and cord blood banking\nCancer Gene Therapy - Gene therapy model reveals unique risk factors for insertional mutagenesis\nCancer Risk Factors - Innate immune inflammation against Helicobacter hepaticus induces mammary adenocarcinoma\nCardiomyopathy - Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy is limited by erythropoietin\nCardiovascular Health - Aerobic endurance training lowers blood pressure by reducing systemic vascular resistance\nCardiovascular Research - New international guidelines for heart transplant candidates standardize patient care\nCervical Cancer Prognostics - NF-kappa B upregulation does not predict high-risk human papillomavirus in cervical cancer\nCollaborations - CardioVascular BioTherapeutics announces clinical collaboration\nDiabetes Pathogenesis - In prediabetes, soluble P-selectin may not contribute to prothrombotic state or atherogenesis\nEmbryonal Brain Tumor - Notch inhibition depletes stem-like cells and blocks engraftment in embryonal brain tumors\nEmbryonic Stem Cell Research - Embryonic cell lines not derived directly from paired blastomeres\nEnvironmental Health - Elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure related to reduced fetal and child growth\nGene Research - Leukemic oncogenes identified by phosphoproteomic analysis\nHIV/AIDS-Associated Primary Cerebral Lymphoma - HAART exposure not associated with HIV-associated primary cerebral lymphoma\nHematology - Researchers create a roadmap to integrin activation\nInfectious Diseases - Hospital-acquired infections surveillance model is developed\nInfective Endocarditis - gC1qR/p33 blockade reduces Staphylococcus aureus colonization in infective endocarditis\nKidney Transplantation - Proteome Sciences evaluates biomarkers of kidney transplant with tandem mass tag technology\nKidney Transplantation - Urinary cytotoxic molecular markers for diagnosing renal transplant acute rejection are tested\nLung Transplantation - Clinical breakthrough emerges for Steen Solution in lung transplantations\nMedical Devices - Kane biotech begins efficacy study with KBI-4258 coating technology\nMicrobial Colonization - Impact of gut microbiota composition on cytokine profile development evaluated in children\nMultifocal Motor Neuropathy - Refractory multifocal motor neuropathy improves after high-dose cyclophosphamide\nMultiple Myeloma Therapy - Thalidomide plus dexamethasone is effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma\nNeedlestick Injuries - Universal precautions against needle stick injuries lacking in U.K. hospitals\nNontuberculous Mycobacteria - Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteria emerging in HIV-negative immunosuppressed patients\nPseudomonas Aeruginosa Outbreaks - Drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriemia occurred in hematology patients\nPulmonary Aspergillosis - Cavitation formation predicts time until radiologic remission in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis\nRespiratory Medicine - Upgrading donor lung quality will improve organ availability\nStem Cell Research - Corneal stem and progenitor cell markers localized\nStem Cell Research - Cytokines regulate postnatal hematopoietic stem cell expansion\nStem Cell Research - Embryonic stem cell reversible gene expression induced by a RNA vector\nStem Cell Research - Identified peptide selectively binds to embryonic carcinoma stem cells\nStem Cell Research - Interferon-alpha-2b differentiates mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts\nStem Cell Research - Mesenchymal stem cell proliferation induced by 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives\nStem Cell Therapy - Labeled stem cell PET assesses tissue distribution after intracoronary injection\nStem Cell Transplantation - High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation controls CNS histiocytic disorders\nStem Cell Transplantation - Inflammation stimulates myelination by transplanted oligodendrocyte precursor cells\nStem Cell Transplantation - Parainfluenza virus type 3 infection highly prevalent after stem cell transplantation\nStem Cell Transplantation - Risk factors identified for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder\nStem Cell Transplantation - Transplanted bone marrow-derived stem cells have potential to migrate to cochlea\nTissue Engineering - Mathematical model developed for cell growth and diffusion in a porous scaffold\nTissue Engineering - Rabbit cornea substitute constructed with fibrin-agarose scaffold\nTransplant Medicine - Organ transplantation, organ donation and mental retardation are considered in review\nUterine Cervical Cancer - Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase overexpression associated with papillomavirus in uterine cervical cancer\nBiomedical Engineering - Findings from Japan, Italy and the United States in biomedical engineering provide new insights\nNewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7813670635223389}
{"content": "Treating Stress Failure Injuries In Young Athletes Volume 15 - Issue 7 - July 2002 3888 reads 0 comments Start Page: 56Is the term “overuse injuries” really appropriate? After all, many so-called “overuse” injuries of the lower extremity are unilateral. In most cases, the right foot is used just as much as the left foot so the term becomes illogical. Perhaps stress failure phenomena would be a more accurate description of these injuries. Some examples of mechanisms leading to stress failure problems include repetitive motion, repetitive loading and repetitive impact. Your patients might encounter repetitive motion injuries in endurance sports like swimming or sports such as cross-country running or basketball. Athletic injuries are often blamed on training, technique or equipment errors. I would add biological errors to the mix. Training errors occur when a child goes too far, too fast, too heavy or too soon. Technique errors often occur in the absence of good coaching. An example might be when an athlete’s improper kicking in swimming breaststroke leads to knee derangement. Equipment errors, such as worn out shoes, can lead to repetitive impact injuries. Unfortunately, biological errors are all too often discovered after the fact. For example, a child who sustains a repetitive loading injury to the second metatarsal head may later be recognized as one who overpronates. If a practitioner had recognized the injury early on, he or she could have used an orthotic to stop the overpronation from destabilizing the first ray and allowing overloading of the second ray. However, stress failure injuries are tough to detect as they often have an insidious onset. This is because the repetitive nature of the damage builds gradually to the point that the “straw that breaks the camel’s back” may occur. Prodromal signs and symptoms of an impending stress failure might include vague or mild discomfort, similarly mild edema, erythema, ecchymosis and eventually a loss of use of the involved anatomy. These are the same signs and symptoms associated with acute trauma but they are more gradually developing with stress failure injuries. Some examples of stress failure in children might be categorized by tissue type. These certainly could include failure of bone, soft tissues or skin.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.878719687461853}
{"content": "Xanat Flores-Cervantes, D., Reddy, C.M., Gschwend, P.M., Inferring black carbon concentrations in coastal seawater by observing pyrene fluorescence losses. , Env. Sci. and Technol., 2009; v43, 4864-4870.Black carbon (BC), the soot and char formed during incomplete combustion of fossil and biomass fuels, is ubiquitous, participates in diverse environmental processes, and has adverse effects on human health. However, uncertainty persists regarding how accurately the present measurement methods quantify total BC or even defined subportions of the BC continuum. Hence, we sought to improve this situation by developing a new, low-sample manipulation methodology that does not require any oxidative or pyrolytic treatments but rather differentiates BC from other non-BC organic carbon (OC) using its sorbent properties. The procedure, referred to as the pyrene fluorescence loss (PFL) method, infers BC concentrations in particulate organic matter (POM) by observing the decrease in fluorescence from pyrene spiked into aqueous POM suspensions. The method was first tested using diverse materials previously utilized in an international BC method intercomparison study, and then its effectiveness (e.g., sensitivity and geochemical reasonableness) was tested by applying it to sediment and seawater POM samples collected from a coastal area downwind of important BC sources. Parallel evaluation of BC, using the PFL method and CTO-375 procedure, suggested we can characterize the predominant BC in a given sample as (i) thermally recalcitrant and highly sorptive per mass (e.g., soot), (ii) thermally labile and highly sorptive per mass (e.g., char), or (iii) thermally recalcitrant but not highly sorptive (e.g., lignite coal).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7875653505325317}
{"content": "HOME SCHEDULE AUTHOR INDEX SUBJECT INDEX\nMcKean, D\nABSTRACT- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance for ecological risk assessments stipulates the use of highly conservative food web model estimates for intake. Compounds such as DDT and its related byproducts, are highly lipophilic, resulting in the potential for significant bioaccumulation. EPA guidance suggests the use of octanol-water partition coefficients to estimate uptake of bioaccumulative compounds. However, measured uptake of DDT in aquatic systems can be six orders of magnitude less than values estimated from octanol-water partition coefficient models. Estimate comparisons will be presented that illustrate the magnitude of variation in DDT exposure estimates from models and measured values. These exposure estimates have significant impact on the risk estimates derived from them and the risk management decisions upon which they are based.\nKey words: sediment, risk, ddt\nInternet Services provided byAllen Press, Inc. | 810 E. 10th St. | Lawrence, Kansas 66044 USA\ne-mail assystant-helpdesk@allenpress.com | Web www.allenpress.com\nAll content is Copyright © 2004 SETAC", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8778016567230225}
{"content": "Fungal and Fumonisins Contamination in Argentine Maize (Zea mays L.) Silo Bags J. Agric. Food Chem. In Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 57, No. 7. (3 March 2009), pp. 2778-2781, doi:10.1021/jf803609c Key: citeulike:11920331Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract Fumonisins in maize (Zea mays L.) grain silo bags in the conditions of three Argentine provinces were analyzed to determine how this kind of storage affects contamination and if differential storage durations or times of the year of silo bag closing and opening are factors that could modify it. Moisture content, water activity (aw), molds and yeasts present, and fumonisins were analyzed in 163 maize silo bags, at the moment of closing and later at opening. Storage durations ranged from 120 to 226 days. The analysis was centered on fumonisins since most samples were only contaminated with these toxins. Fumonisins, moisture content, and aw increased significantly, whereas mold propagules/g and yeasts CFU/g did not present significant differences between silo opening and closing. The date on which silo bags were closed and later opened, however, did affect the level of fumonisin contamination.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6098502278327942}
{"content": "The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) is an independent policy and research center, affiliated with the World Bank, dedicated to advancing financial access for the world’s poor.\nTheir next five-year strategic direction lays out five priority themes, desired outcomes, and activities against each priority. The first one is “Understanding demand to effectively deliver for the poor”.\n“To ensure that access to financial services improves the lives of poor, low-income and underserved people, financial inclusion must be client-centric. Client-centricity is about providing financial solutions based on a deep understanding of poor people’s needs, preferences, and behaviors. This will require a shift from a transactional approach (i.e., narrow focus on selling a product to a customer) to a relationship approach (i.e., broad focus on understanding the dynamic needs and behaviors of customers over their lifecycle).”\nThe strategic direction document provides quite some detail on how they intend to implement this user-centered approach.\nCGAP is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty. The Group provides market intelligence, promotes standards, develops innovative solutions and offers advisory services to governments, microfinance providers, donors, and investors.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8017364740371704}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: Class I evidence for surgical effectiveness in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in 2001 led to an American Academy of Neurology practice parameter in 2003 recommending \"referral to a surgical epilepsy center on failing appropriate trials of first-line antiepileptic drugs.\" We examined whether this led to a change in referral patterns to our epilepsy center.\nMETHODS: We compared referral data for patients with TLE at our center for 1995 to 1998 (group 1, n = 83) and 2005 to 2008 (group 2, n = 102) to determine whether these recommendations resulted in a change in referral patterns for surgical evaluation. Patients with brain tumors, previous epilepsy surgery evaluations, or brain surgery (including epilepsy surgery) were excluded.\nRESULTS: We did not find a difference between the groups in the duration from the diagnosis of habitual seizures to referral (17.1 +/- 10.0 vs 18.6 +/- 12.6 years, p = 0.39) or the age at the time of evaluation (34.1 +/- 10.3 vs 37.0 +/- 11.8 years, p = 0.08). However, there was a difference in the distributions of age at evaluation (p = 0.03) and the duration of pharmacotherapy (p = 0.03) between the groups, with a greater proportion of patients in group 2 with drug-resistant epilepsy both earlier and later in their treatment course. Nonepileptic seizures were referred significantly earlier than TLE in either group or when combined.\nCONCLUSIONS: Our analysis does not identify a significantly earlier referral for epilepsy surgery evaluation as recommended in the practice parameter, but suggests a hopeful trend in this direction.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5107588768005371}
{"content": "Climatologists regularly issue confident warnings about impending atmospheric disasters. The secret of their wizardry: sophisticated computer models, which are no more than mathematical representations of the world's climate and the conditions that scientists think may contribute to a specific phenomenon like, say, ozone depletion. Unfortunately, when all the variables are fed into the computer, the predictions can fail miserably to match reality.\nTake the Antarctic ozone hole, for example. Before it was discovered, climate modelers trying to simulate ozone loss in the atmosphere had not yet factored in the presence of ice clouds in the Antarctic stratosphere. Thus their models failed...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8792449831962585}
{"content": "My wife and I attended that blessed event recently: the child-free dinner party. Even when your children are out of sight, however, they aren't out of mind, as when our hostess invoked Christ's admonition: Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. How, she asked, are you learning faith from your children?\nI've been considering what they have taught me, the boys who are living as well as the girl who died. Humility comes quickly to mind. No matter how lofty one's discourse with guests, there is an instant leveling effect when one's 2-year-old bellows from the bathroom: \"D-A-A-A-D! WIPE ME!\"\nSometimes the lesson is less direct. I remember visiting a public restroom with my then 5-year-old, Caleb, and fussing at him, as I dried my hands, for dawdling. \"I'm sorry Daddy,\" he said. \"I was holding open the door for that man with the walkie thing.\" He was referring to the old man using a walker, the one I'd noticed in my peripheral vision but hadn't thought to help, set as I was on bathroom efficiency.\nMy daughter taught me the deepest humility, at least for a man, which is knowing I can't always protect what I love. Her tumor was a murderous intruder, but I couldn't kill it. I could only watch and pray and grieve. She was the one who reminded us, as we held her and wept after learning there would be no cure, that \"God says don't worry about tomorrow.\" Out of the mouth of babes . . . you have perfected praise.\nAnd humility, it seems, is a pen in the authoring of faith. Isn't it strange how our heads can know a truth, and yet our hearts can remain ignorant until something presses it deeply into us? Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Christ established this connection between humility and faith, yet when I became a Christian 10 years ago, I was absorbed for a time with my sanctity and correctness. I didn't always sit up front, but in my proud heart I was a front-pew Christian. Look at me Lord-aren't you glad I'm not like some of these others?\nIt took burying a child, and birthing three more, and countless dark sins along the way, to learn how deep pride can run, and that it sloughs off faith. I sit in the back row now, not simply because each boy will require at least one bathroom trip during any given church service, but also as a reminder that I have just barely made it in the door. Perhaps we've all just barely made it in. And yet we are welcomed to the feast, prodigal sons and daughters each of us.\nAll these memories have come to me since that dinner, but when our hostess asked her question, my immediate thought was how easily my children believe tomorrow will be better. Sometimes, after a day of barking and griping at them, I am filled with shame. I kneel beside their beds, each in turn, and kiss their faces. I ask them to forgive Daddy for being a big grump, and they always do. I tell them tomorrow will be better, and they always believe me. My daughter did, too, as I whispered to her that Jesus would make it all better. Some think a child's faith is fragile, but I have seen a child believe unto death. Is my faith that strong?\nIt seems like losing child-like faith defines our passage into adulthood. Only a fool or a child would believe, in the face of daily wounds and sins, that tomorrow will be better. Grow up, is what we say, when we want someone to see the world as it is, not as it is promised to become. But grace grips us in its gentle, relentless hands, and we are told to go back to childhood, to relearn a faith the world has slowly constricted. I whisper, It will be better tomorrow, sweetheart, and my children believe. Somewhere in their expectant faces, as they nod and smile and forgive, is the kingdom of heaven. This is why sometimes I hold their faces and search for that faith I am relearning, and pray it will never leave them.\n-Tony Woodlief lives in Wichita, Kan., with his wife and three sons", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7814270853996277}
{"content": "Watch for pot holes as temperatures rise | Transportation Temperatures are forecasted to rise above freezing for Southwest Indiana later this week, increasing the likelihood that potholes will form. When the Indiana Department of Transportation is not clearing snow, ice or storm debris, crews are focused on maintaining and preserving the state’s roads and bridges.\nPotholes begin when water seeps into the cracks in a road and freezes, expanding the layers of pavement, stone and soil beneath the surface. As the ice melts and contracts, heavy highway traffic further loosens the pavement, forming potholes.\nWith temperatures too low for paving, most of Indiana’s hot mix asphalt plants are now closed. During the winter INDOT uses cold mix – a mixture of small stone and liquid asphalt – as a temporary patch. Even after being filled with cold patch, the same pothole requires ongoing maintenance and can reopen several times throughout the winter. When the asphalt plants reopen in the spring, INDOT maintenance crews clean out and then repair potholes with hot mix, providing a smoother, more permanent fix.\nTo report a pothole on a numbered state route, interstate or U.S. highway, contact the Vincennes District by calling 1-800-279-5758 or emailing swincommunications@indot.in.gov or use the “Report a Concern” tool at http://dotmaps.indot.in.gov/apps/districtmaps.\nFor the past several years, INDOT has been expanding its Pavement Preservation Program to improve pavement friction and seal tiny cracks before potholes form. INDOT sealed 1,685 lane miles of state highways during the fiscal year ending June 2012, and plans to seal 1,820 lane miles during the current fiscal year. For every dollar invested, research estimates that pavement preservation saves taxpayers $6 to $14 in future maintenance and construction costs. Pavement preservation also uses fewer natural resources than reconstruction and significantly reduces motorist inconvenience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5264771580696106}
{"content": "Workflow Management Systems + Swarm Intelligence = Dynamic Task Assignment for Emergency Management Applications Business Process Management (2007), pp. 125-140, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-75183-0_10 Key: citeulike:1682305Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract The assignment of tasks to human performers is a critical component in people-centric business process management systems. Workflow management systems typically assign work items using strategies that only consider qualified resources. There are, however, situations, where this approach falls short. For instance, in emergency response situations, tasks need to be carried out by resources that are available immediately, even if they do not match all skill requirements. This paper compares the performance of a set of six task assignment mechanisms for workflow applications using a scenario from the emergency management domain. In particular, we develop and simulate assignment strategies inspired by stimulus/response models derived from swarm intelligence, and benchmark these strategies against conventional task assignment strategies. Our findings show that swarm intelligence-based approaches outperform the traditional assignment of tasks in ad-hoc organizations, and that workflow-based emergency management systems could benefit significantly from these novel task assignment strategies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5353729724884033}
{"content": "Epidemiology of HIV among Youth HIV and Minority Youth Minority youth have been disproportionately affected by HIV since the beginning of the epidemic and they continue to bear the brunt of the epidemic. According to the CDC, in 2004, Black/African American youth aged 13-19 accounted for 73% of all AIDS cases among youth, and Latino youth accounted for 14%. Among the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, Black/African American youth aged 13-24 accounted for 61% of all HIV/AIDS cases.6", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5144520998001099}
{"content": "CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY\nINITIATIVE INDUSTRY JOINT SEMINAR ON SUCCESSFUL CASES OF TECHNOLOGY\nTRANSFER IN ASIAN COUNTRIES:\nThe Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) Industry Joint Seminar on Successful Cases of Technology Transfer in Asian Countries took place from 7-8 March 2007, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nehru Place, New Delhi, India.\nOrganized by the CTI in cooperation with The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), India, and supported by the International Centre for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT), Japan, the seminar was attended by 120 participants from seven Asian countries. The seminar provided an opportunity for government representatives, policymakers, and experts from industry, financial institutions and academia to review best practices for technology transfer in the Asian region, with particular focus on case studies on biomass fuel, biomass power generation and facilitation of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs). The objectives of the seminar were to encourage transfer of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies and knowledge by introducing technology options that are yet to be widely diffused, and enhancing understanding of key elements of successful technology transfer practices and technology options that are effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The seminar also sought to strengthen regional linkages and partnerships among the participants to foster future technology transfer projects.\nDuring the day-and-a-half long meeting, participants heard case study presentations organized in three thematic sessions, followed by comments and suggestions from country representatives. There was also one panel discussion. On Wednesday, 7 March, two of the thematic sessions were held: one on biomass fuel and another on biomass power generation. On Thursday, one thematic session took place, on facilitation of ESCOs. This was followed by a panel discussion on cooperation among key sectors for technology transfer.\nThis report provides a brief history of the climate change process, technology transfer and the CTI Industry Joint Seminar series, followed by a summary of this CTI Industry Joint Seminar on Successful Cases of Technology Transfer in Asian Countries.\nA BRIEF HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, AND CTI INDUSTRY JOINT SEMINARS\nIn December 1997, delegates met in Kyoto, Japan, and adopted the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC that commits developed countries and countries with economies in transition to achieve quantified emissions reduction targets. These countries agreed to reduce their overall emissions of six greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 (the first commitment period), with specific targets varying from country to country. The Kyoto Protocol also establishes three flexible mechanisms to assist the parties in meeting their national targets cost-effectively: an emissions trading system; joint implementation (JI); and the clean development mechanism (CDM), which encourages projects in developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005 and has been ratified by 168 Parties.\nIn 2001, Parties to the UNFCCC adopted a framework for actions to enhance the implementation of Article 4.5. The framework contains five key activities relating to technology needs assessments, technology information, enabling environments, capacity building and mechanisms for technology transfer. Funding to implement the framework is provided through the climate change focal area of the Global Environment Facility and the Special Climate Change Fund. The CDM is also expected to contribute to the transfer of cleaner and more efficient technologies to developing countries.\nParties to the UNFCCC took further action in 2001 by establishing an Expert Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT) to help advance the Convention’s technology-related goals. Since then, workshops have been held on technology information (Beijing, China, April 2002), needs assessments (Seoul, Republic of Korea, April 2002), enabling environments (Ghent, Belgium, April 2003), innovative financing (Montreal, Canada, September 2004 and Bonn, Germany, October 2005), and adaptation technologies (Tobago, June 2005) (for more information on recent UNFCCC events, visit:\n).At the\neleventh Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UNFCCC, serving as\nthe first Meeting of the Parties (MOP 1) to the Kyoto Protocol, held in\nMontreal in November-December 2005, delegates,\nA year later, at COP 12 and MOP 2 in Nairobi in November 2006, delegates extended the EGTT for one year, and forwarded text to SBSTA 26 for its further consideration. The text, which remains bracketed pending further negotiation, includes references to: the five themes listed in the framework for technology transfer; reconstitution of the EGTT; establishment of a Technology Development and Transfer Board (TDTB); establishment of a Multilateral Technology Acquisition Fund (MTAF) to buy intellectual property rights; and development of indicators to monitor implementation of the technology transfer framework. The bracketed text also includes terms of reference for EGTT/TDTB.\nThe CTI also organizes a series of joint industry seminars. The first CTI Industry joint seminar for the Asia and Pacific Region was held in Beijing in May 1998. In subsequent years, it has organized or co-organized various other meetings, including events on technology diffusion for: Asia (Cebu City, the Philippines, January 2000); Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Vienna, Austria, October 2003); ASEAN and Small Island States in the Pacific Region (Jakarta, Indonesia, February 2004); Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Vienna, October 2004).\nThe CTI has also arranged seminars on energy efficiency in Asian Countries (Beijing, China, February 2005, and Hanoi, Viet Nam, March 2006) and project formation for joint implementation (JI) activities under the Kyoto Protocol (Madrid, Spain, October 2005).\nThese meetings were often arranged in partnership with other organizations, such as the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). For more information on these past events, visit: http://www.climatetech.net/events/ and http://www.iisd.ca/process/climate_atm.htm (scroll down to the section marked “Other Climate Change, Energy, and Ozone Meetings covered by IISD Reporting Services”).\nREPORT OF THE SEMINAR\nThe CTI Industry Joint Seminar on Successful Cases of Technology Transfer in Asian Countries began on Wednesday morning, 7 March, with opening speeches.\nMorihiro Kurushima, Programme Manager, CTI, welcomed participants. He outlined the origin, activities and accomplishments of the CTI, highlighting the CTI’s mission to encourage international cooperation in the development and diffusion of climate-friendly and environmentally-sound technologies and practices. Noting that the CTI has organized numerous events on technology diffusion and capacity building, he drew attention to the focus of the seminar – biomass fuel, biomass power generation, and the facilitation of ESCOs.\nLeena Srivastava, TERI, stressed the challenge of addressing poverty and the imperative for economic growth in Asia. Predicting an inevitable rise in energy demand, she emphasized the need for sustainable growth. Highlighting that 80% of India’s infrastructure is yet to be put in place, she identified an opportunity to follow an alternative development path, and for learning and technology transfer in the process. She also underscored the importance of technology transfer not only to reduce emissions but also to reduce vulnerabilities and address adaptation needs.\nAjay\nMathur, Ministry of Power, India, delivered the keynote address. He\ncharacterized the process of product development and policy analysis of\nclean technologies as iterative, and stressed the importance of cross\nfertilization and learning from experience. He also emphasized the\nimportance of information, experience and knowledge sharing in\nintegrating design knowledge with market demand. Highlighting the\ninevitability of increased energy use and emissions in India, he\nidentified the need to,\nThis session was moderated by A. K. Asthana, National Productivity Council, India, and included case-study presentations on utilization of biofuel for tea leaf drying in Indonesia, biomass gasification and power generation in China, and applications of environmentally-friendly technologies for natural rubber processing in India. Following the presentations, participants from the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam commented on the presentations and shared their own country experiences.\nFaizul Ishom, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Indonesia, presented on palm oil as a fuel substitute in the tea leaf drying process. Noting the increased and growing demand for energy in Indonesia, as well as the abundance of bio resources, Ishom stressed the importance of developing biofuels. He explained the process for using environmentally-friendly palm oil as a fuel substitute in the tea leaf drying process, and noted its similarities with standard operations using diesel. Noting that the increase in the price of palm oil had reduced the price difference between palm oil and diesel, Ishom highlighted the need to increase the efficiency of this process. He suggested that one method to achieve this is to integrate into the process a system for heat recovery from the exhaust gas.\nLi Haibin, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, presented on biomass gasification power generation (BGPG) in China. He traced the development and commercialization of BGPG in China. He explained the process and technology, and provided illustrations of typical projects including in Sanya, Jiangxi, Jiedong and Jiangsu. Li noted that three joint-stock companies had been set up to promote BGPG, and that currently, one 20 megawatts and two 4-5 megawatts biomass power plants are in operation. He added that customers include factories in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. He proceeded to compare three biomass power generation technologies, namely, direct combustion, co-firing, and gasification, and considered their applicability in China. Li concluded that BGPG technology is economically feasible if the capacity of the plant is less than 10 megawatts, and that biomass direct combustion and power generation technology is feasible if the capacity of the plant is more than 10 megawatts.\nJames Jacob, Rubber Board, India, presented on the applications of environmentally-friendly technologies for the natural rubber processing industry in India. He discussed clean technology applications such as the use of biomass gasification for processing “technically specified rubber” (TSR) and bio methanation of sheet rubber processing effluents, and highlighted the potential for small-scale industries to earn carbon credits through these applications. He emphasized that rubber, grown largely in the South-East Asian region, is an industrial raw material of strategic importance. Jacob described the process of rubber extraction, including the process of transforming liquid latex to TSR, and highlighted the large energy consumption required for this process. He then discussed a study that examined potential carbon credits and energy savings using biomass gasification in the preparation of TSR, and his agency’s progress in developing CDM projects. He outlined a case-study of substituting electricity with biomass gasifiers during drying of TSR. Jacob discussed the carbon credits potential and energy savings from a sheet rubber effluents biogas plant, and identified the benefits to the local communities. He noted that these technologies were ready to be transferred to other rubber producing countries.\nLe\nViet Nga, Ministry of Industry, Viet Nam, noted that the Ministry has\nprepared a blueprint for biofuel development in Viet Nam. She called for\ncooperation between Viet Nam and Indonesia in biofuel development. She\nquestioned the possibility of using coconut oil as a biofuel and the\nlarger market acceptability of the biomass gasification system developed\nin China. Le also asked if there existed a framework in China to\nencourage biomass gas production. She then highlighted the difficulties\nin encouraging biofuel production in Viet Nam. Faizul Ishom noted that\nIndonesia has developed the competence to produce\nLi Haibin noted that BGPG technologies can cater to multiple uses and therefore be economical under a variety of situations. He highlighted the role of Chinese subsidies in the promotion of ethanol, and plans for similar policies for the promotion of biodiesel. James Jacob highlighted the development of a bilateral program with Viet Nam for clean technologies in rubber research and development. He then underscored the energy security and nutritional security aspects of biomass-based energy systems in rural areas.\nSummarizing the discussion, A. K. Asthana noted that, while\nbiomass-based technologies are useful, their wider application is\nproblematic because of,\nThis session was moderated by Yoshitaka Nitta, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, and included case study presentations on BGPG in Indonesia, carbonizing gasification for biomass/waste in Japan, and rice husk power in Thailand. Following the presentations, participants from China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and India commented on the presentations and shared their own country experiences. The moderator, Yoshitaka Nitta, stressed the importance of sustainability, noting that it is dependent on resource availability, efficiency in power generation systems, waste management, and profitability.\nM. A.\nM. Oktaufik, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology,\nIndonesia, presented on the Agency’s experience with BGPG. He\nunderscored both the increasing demand for energy and the huge potential\nof biomass for power generation in Indonesia (an estimated total of 1160\nmegawatts). Oktaufik introduced the Solar Village and Renewable Energy\nIndonesia Project, a joint project with the German Government. He\noutlined and evaluated the implementation of two types of biomass\ngasifier technologies: fixed-bed, down-draft power gasifier, and\nfluidized-bed heat gasifier. He concluded,\nKazuyoshi Ichikawa, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, identified the benefits of biomass energy. He indicated that it reduces carbon dioxide emissions, can be easily converted into a high energy portable fuel, enables use of unused agricultural land, provides jobs in rural communities, and enables restoration of degraded lands. He noted that the introduction of biomass energy is limited by the high cost of biomass collection and transportation, and the large investment required due to the small scale nature of the projects. Ichikawa explained the concept of carbonizing gasification, and described the Advanced Biomass Carbonizing Gasification system developed and operated by his Institute. He also highlighted the Institute’s areas of research, namely: development of evaluation tools for biomass potential and collection costs; biomass energy use; biomass gasification reactivity; and gasification simulation technology. Responding to questions, Ichikawa said that the fins inside the carbonizer rotate at 300 rpm, and are made with a special alloy. He noted that the investment required to introduce a carbonizer into the gasification unit is US$2500 per kilowatt, but declined to comment on the commercial aspects of biogas generation.\nNatee Sithiprasasana, A.T. Biopower Co. Ltd., Thailand, shared the experiences of his organization in operating the rice husk power plant in Pichit, Thailand. He noted that the project was developed in 2000 and started commercial operation in 2005. Noting that this is an award-winning project, he explained that the project works with extensive community involvement and shares benefits directly with the local community. He underscored that the project uses a single fuel instead of multiple ones. Sithiprasasana identified the project’s purposes as electricity production and sale to the electricity generating authority, sale of rice husk to the cement industry, and sale of carbon credits. He noted that the project has been approved as a CDM project by the designated national authority. He then elaborated the specific local and global environmental benefits of the project. He underscored that the project employs a novel technology that uses suspension-fired boilers, and that it represents a successful case of technology transfer. He outlined some design features of the technology, and some problems associated with its application, such as the risk of dependence on a single fuel, and the high transportation costs. He noted the need for government intervention in managing the price of the husk and highlighted plans by a group of rice husk power plant owners to build rice husk storage buildings to improve the quality of the rice husk. Sithiprasasana underscored the importance of training for technology transfer and added that the project largely recruits from the local communities. Participants raised questions regarding the specific reasons for grinding rice husks, the capital costs for power plants using suspension-fired boilers, the price of electricity generated and the nature of subsidy support for operating rice husk power generation plants.\nNatee Sithiprasasana noted problems in the government’s tariff structure for rice husk power. M.A.M. Oktaufik stressed that although it is difficult to devise a good formula for pricing renewable energies, they are efficient in providing power to rural areas. Kazuyoshi Ichikawa, stressed that there is no single technology for biomass power generation. He noted the need to reduce the development costs of biomass power generation and underscored the importance of technology transfer.\nSummarizing the session, Y.P. Abbi, TERI, noted that most Asian countries will require energy for their growth needs, and stressed that they must use low intensity carbon technology to meet energy requirements. He noted that there are no universal technological solutions for biomass power generation and outlined some problems associated with widespread application of these technologies. He emphasized the importance of subsidies in making Indian biomass power projects operational. Abbi also outlined some areas for further research, such as the need for technology development to suit multiple biomass types.\nThis session was moderated by Ajay Mathur, Ministry of Power, India, and included presentations on the development of ESCOs in China, successful cases of ESCO projects in Japan, and the development of the ESCO market in India. Following the presentations, participants from India and Japan commented on the presentations and shared their experiences. Mathur noted that ESCOs provide facility owners with confidence that investment in energy services results in annual savings. He added that although the concept was “seductive and simple”, its implementation is difficult.\nZhao\nMing, China ESCO Association (EMCA) presented on EMCA and ESCO industry\ndevelopment in China. She outlined the World Bank/GEF China Energy\nConservation Project initiated in 1998, highlighting the results of the\nfirst phase, which established three pilot energy management companies.\nShe reported that, by the end of 2006, 1426 projects had been\nimplemented with an investment of US$550 million, resulting in energy\nsavings of 2.8 million tons of carbon equivalent, and carbon dioxide\nemission reductions of 1.8 million tons of carbon equivalent. Zhao noted\nthat the second phase of the project, consisting of the ESCO service\ncomponent and ESCO commercial loan guarantee programme, was initiated in\n2003. She then described the mission and activities of the EMCA,\nlaunched in 2004. She said its mission is to promote the sustainable\ndevelopment of the ESCO industry in China, which EMCA carries out\nthrough,\nHiroshi Murata, INS Facility Co. Ltd, Japan, presented on successful cases of ESCO projects in Japan. Murata noted an increase in energy consumption in the commercial sector, and outlined government efforts to promote energy efficiency, including by disseminating the Building Energy Management System, and promoting utilization of ESCO projects by private companies. He highlighted the potential size of capital investment as ¥ 2.4715 trillion, and potential energy saving in crude oil equivalent as 4.04 million kiloliters/year. He discussed the spread of ESCO projects by sector and type of contract, and listed its advantages. He noted that ESCO businesses did not require capitalization, incurred lower risk, and increased property-profit ratio. He highlighted, in particular, the advantages of ESCO projects for energy-saving retrofit work. These advantages include: energy savings without additional cost, since costs for retrofitting are compensated by the reduction in utility costs; guaranteed energy savings; and provision of comprehensive services. Murata suggested that ESCO projects be promoted by increasing government support, providing financing, developing government markets, and forming organizations to learn from the experience and conduct research.\nG.C. Datta Roy, DSCL Energy Services Co. Ltd., India, underscored the huge potential for an energy efficiency market in India, and proceeded to list what ESCOs offer in this regard. This includes support for project implementation, energy performance contracting, risk sharing, operation and maintenance outsourcing, and sustainability. Based on a “need benefit” analysis, he noted that commercial and municipal markets should be immediate targets. Roy discussed global experiences with developing the ESCO market, and elaborated on ESCO development in India. He explained that three ESCOs were formed in 1994 as part of a USAID programme, but of these only one still exists. He noted the emergence of a few new ESCOs, but said the numbers compare unfavorably with China’s. Roy said market penetration is less than 1% of its potential. He noted that although the energy efficiency market is large and tempting, market development is slow. He highlighted the need for the key stakeholders to be sensitized through wider dissemination of information. He also stressed the need for market competition, since more competitors in the market would mean actors gain greater credibility. He concluded that the next few years would define the future of the ESCO market in India.\nResponding to questions and comments, Zhao Ming said EMCA is working to standardize the methodologies for energy baselines. Noting that the Chinese ESCO loan guarantee programme operates with World Bank support, she said that the International Finance Corporation is also providing finance to ESCOs in China. She noted the government’s role in encouraging ESCOs, including the formulation of a special committee to promote ESCOs in Shanghai. She noted EMCA’s efforts in creating contracts for ESCOs and referred financial institutions to EMCA’s website for details of ESCOs.\nHiroshi Murata said ESCOs have a major role to play in Japan. G. C. Datta Roy highlighted the need for ESCO process standardization and harmonization of ESCO contracts with government contracting procedures. He said ESCOs do not need financial incentives from the government, but do need guidelines to clarify the nature of taxes accruing to the project.\nSummarizing the discussion, Ajay Mathur noted the need to build institutional capacities for dispute resolution and to establish payment guarantee mechanisms. He underscored the need for building the capacity of banks for appraisal and risk profiling of ESCO projects. He said that, instead of providing financial incentives, taxation incentives available to the power generation sector should also be extended to energy conservation. Mathur emphasized that the government needs to “hand hold” ESCOs, and that the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency is compiling a list of potential ESCOs.\nParticipants discussed accreditation of monitoring and evaluation agencies for ESCOs and the creation of sector-specific ESCOs as a way to simplify ESCO business procedure.\nMorihiro Kurushima, CTI, moderated this panel discussion, which included three panelists from government and research organizations. He underscored the importance of creating markets for ESCOs and noted that CTI provides an ideal platform for sharing experience.\nAjay Mathur, Ministry of Power, India, expressed concern over the inadequate development of environmentally clean technologies and noted a need to develop a good business model for biomass gasification for thermal use. Highlighting the difficulties in transferring biomass technologies in Asian countries A. K. Asthana, National Productivity Council, India, identified the need to develop standard guidelines for such transfer. He added that power fluctuations are a problem in biomass-based power generation. Yoshitaka Nitta, Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Japan, said biofuels provide an important environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.\nParticipants then discussed: difficulties in power generation from biomass; the need to formulate a policy to manage biomass use for power generation; the importance of CDM credits for biomass projects; and applications of biomass technologies for providing affordable energy access.\nCLOSING SESSION\nGirish Sethi, TERI, said CTI is the best forum for sharing experiences in technology transfer, and underscored the need for promoting South-South cooperation in this regard. Morihiro Kurushima, CTI, expressed the hope that the conference would help build greater opportunities for technology transfer. The meeting ended at 1:30 pm.\nUPCOMING MEETINGS\nFor more upcoming meetings, please visit:\n.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7793474197387695}
{"content": "The FSA’s new policy on assessment of enforcement penalties for corrupt and fraudulent acts is now in force and applies to conduct occurring after 6 March 2010. It is expected to lead to a three-fold increase in the level of financial penalties. For example, individuals involved in market abuse cases could receive a minimum financial penalty of £100,000 and be required to disgorge profits.\nCompanies should also note that the FSA is using existing tools and investigation approaches more aggressively, frequently resorting to multiple arrests in cases of suspected insider dealing and injunctions to freeze assets. Self reporting and good cooperation with the FSA could lead to civil sanctions being selected instead of criminal. Those who are uncooperative and resist FSA investigation and action are more likely to be subject to criminal sanctions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7943733930587769}
{"content": "18 July 2011 14:06:05 Infrastructure-as-a-Service appears to be ready to step out of the shadow of its bigger cousin SaaS, as a recent In-Stat report predicted significant gains for the cloud computing segment in the near future.\nAccording to the market research firm, the overall public cloud computing market is expected to grow 153 percent between 2010 and 2015. SaaS, the largest segment of the cloud, will see gains of 142 percent during that time.\nIaaS, which has not yet seen widespread adoption, however, is gaining traction in several industries and is expected to grow go about $4 billion by 2015, In-Stat stated.\nAccording to the report, IaaS is expected to become popular among small businesses, especially those within the healthcare, social services, retail, hospitality and food industries. Overall, small businesses are expected to account for more than half of the SaaS and IaaS markets.\nAnother area of the cloud that's poised to see significant growth in the near future is cloud-based storage. According to a recent study from the Storage Networking Industry Association, 75 percent of surveyed businesses are either planning to or have already deployed a cloud storage solution.\n-McAfee Cloud Security", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6435610055923462}
{"content": "Effect of Iron Supplementation on Development of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Breastfed Infants\nJournal of Tropical Pediatrics, 07/05/2012\nGokcay G et al. – Nutrition might be more important than iron supplementation in preventing iron deficiency anemia during infancy.\nThis trial aimed to investigate the effect of iron supplementation on the development of iron deficiency anemia. The study encompassed 6-month-old infants who had been exclusively breastfed in the first 4 months of life. Infants in the supplemented group were given 1mg kg1day1 ferrous sulfate for 6 months starting at 6 months of age. Blood samples were taken at age 12 months. A 3-day-diet was evaluated at 1 year of age. Data of 51 infants in the supplemented and 54 infants in the control group were analyzed. Mean hemoglobin values were similar in the two groups at the age of 12 months. Mean ferritin level of the supplemented group was significantly higher than that of the control. There was a significant positive correlation between dietary iron intake and hemoglobin levels.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6628475785255432}
{"content": "The BRAFT1799A mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). It is also found in a subset of papillary microcarcinomas, consistent with a role in tumor initiation. PTCs with BRAFT1799A are often invasive and present at a more advanced stage. BRAFT1799A is found with high prevalence in tall-cell variant PTCs and in poorly differentiated and undifferentiated carcinomas arising from PTCs. To explore the role of BRAFV600E in thyroid cancer pathogenesis, we targeted its expression to thyroid cells of transgenic FVB/N mice with a bovine thyroglobulin promoter. Two Tg-BRAFV600E lines (Tg-BRAF2 and Tg-BRAF3) were propagated for detailed analysis. Tg-BRAF2 and Tg-BRAF3 mice had increased thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (>7- and approximately 2-fold, respectively). This likely resulted from decreased expression of thyroid peroxidase, sodium iodine symporter, and thyroglobulin. All lines seemed to successfully compensate for thyroid dysfunction, as serum thyroxine/triiodothyronine and somatic growth were normal. Thyroid glands of transgenic mice were markedly enlarged by 5 weeks of age. In Tg-BRAF2 mice, PTCs were present at 12 and 22 weeks in 14 of 15 and 13 of 14 animals, respectively, with 83% exhibiting tall-cell features, 83% areas of invasion, and 48% foci of poorly differentiated carcinoma. Tg-BRAF3 mice also developed PTCs, albeit with lower prevalence (3 of 12 and 4 of 9 at 12 and 22 weeks, respectively). Tg-BRAF2 mice had a 30% decrease in survival at 5 months. In summary, thyroid-specific expression of BRAFV600E induces goiter and invasive PTC, which transitions to poorly differentiated carcinomas. This closely recapitulates the phenotype of BRAF-positive PTCs in humans and supports a key role for this oncogene in its pathogenesis.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8818041682243347}
{"content": "Code of Ethics for Pharmacists PREAMBLE Pharmacists are health professionals who assist individuals in making the best use of medications. This Code, prepared and supported by pharmacists, is intended to state publicly the principles that form the fundamental basis of the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists. These principles, based on moral obligations and virtues, are established to guide pharmacists in relationships with patients, health professionals, and society.\nI.A pharmacist respects the covenantal relationship between the patient and pharmacist. Considering the patient-pharmacist relationship as a covenant means that a pharmacist has moral obligations in response to the gift of trust received from society. In return for this gift, a pharmacist promises to help individuals achieve optimum benefit from their medications, to be committed to their welfare, and to maintain their trust.\nII.A pharmacist promotes the good of every patient in a caring, compassionate, and confidential manner. A pharmacist places concern for the well-being of the patient at the center of professional practice. In doing so, a pharmacist considers needs stated by the patient as well as those defined by health science. A pharmacist is dedicated to protecting the dignity of the patient. With a caring attitude and a compassionate spirit, a pharmacist focuses on serving the patient in a private and confidential manner.\nIII.A pharmacist respects the autonomy and dignity of each patient. A pharmacist promotes the right of self-determination and recognizes individual self-worth by encouraging patients to participate in decisions about their health. A pharmacist communicates with patients in terms that are understandable. In all cases, a pharmacist respects personal and cultural differences among patients.\nIV.A pharmacist acts with honesty and integrity in professional relationships. A pharmacist has a duty to tell the truth and to act with conviction of conscience. A pharmacist avoids discriminatory practices, behavior or work conditions that impair professional judgment, and actions that compromise dedication to the best interests of patients.\nV.A pharmacist maintains professional competence. A pharmacist has a duty to maintain knowledge and abilities as new medications, devices, and technologies become available and as health information advances.\nVI.A pharmacist respects the values and abilities of colleagues and other health professionals. When appropriate, a pharmacist asks for the consultation of colleagues or other health professionals or refers the patient. A pharmacist acknowledges that colleagues and other health professionals may differ in the beliefs and values they apply to the care of the patient.\nVII.A pharmacist serves individual, community, and societal needs. The primary obligation of a pharmacist is to individual patients. However, the obligations of a pharmacist may at times extend beyond the individual to the community and society. In these situations, the pharmacist recognizes the responsibilities that accompany these obligations and acts accordingly.\nVIII.A pharmacist seeks justice in the distribution of health resources. When health resources are allocated, a pharmacist is fair and equitable, balancing the needs of patients and society.\nAdopted by the American Pharmacists Association membership, October 27, 1994.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6899164319038391}
{"content": "Elevating the urban agenda and dealing with the fastest urbanization rates in history must start by forging the most effective alliances between private, public and social interests, around shared values to address urban core challenges and build solutions. This is the essence of the World Urban Campaign, a catalytic and transformative partnership that is meant to engage the civil society, the business sector, the research community and governments in a global movement that elevates the urban agenda through a positive vision and understanding of the tremendous benefits cities can bring.\nBeyond an advocacy partnership, the World Urban Campaign shall provide the knowledge and action-oriented platform to address the complexity of the urban agenda through an integrated and systemic approach of urban issues. It shall harness the right partners to share converging interests and leverage their strengths and core competencies. The partnership shall also have the in-build capacity to reach the required scale to generate impact.\nPartners of the World Urban Campaign will present partnership approaches in cities, identify drivers of change, share experiences on how strengths and innovation can be leveraged and shared values be positively harnessed to generate positive change.\nThis session on “Building Partnerships for Urban Futures: Leveraging Strengths, Driving Change through Shared Values” is organized in partnership with the UN HABITAT. Speakers include high-level representatives from corporations and their partners at the city level.\nTag This Document", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7452389001846313}
{"content": "The Budget and Finance Committee (\"Committee\") of the Board of Directors (the \"Board\") of the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority (\"Authority\"), pursuant to notice duly given, held its Inaugural Meeting at 12:00 p.m. on May 19, 2011, at the offices of the Office of Health Information Technology (\"OHIT\"), State of Illinois James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, Room 2-201, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601.\nCommittee Members Present:\nHFS – Director Julie Hamos\nMr. Mark Neaman (by telephone)\nDr. Bruce Wellman (by telephone)\nDr. Cheryl Whitaker\nOHIT Staff Present:\nLaura Zaremba\nMark Chudzinski\nDavid Fagus\nCall to Order and Roll Call\nMr. Chudzinski, Acting Secretary of the Board, confirmed the presence of the Members of the Committee noted above (with Dir. Hamos joining the meeting at 1:35 pm.). The ability of Mr. Neaman and Dr. Wellman to clearly participate by telephone was confirmed, and no objection was expressed to their participation in this manner.\nCommittee Chair\nIn the absence of a Chairperson for the Committee, Dr. Cheryl Whitaker offered to preside as Chair for this meeting, and to facilitate the convening of future Committee meetings until such time as the Committee had a Chairperson. She noted that in connection of the forthcoming deliberations of the Governance and Nominating Committee, she anticipated having further discussions with members of the Board regarding their interest and availability for various vacant positions, and that she would be sharing recommendations in regard to vacancies in advance of the next Board meeting on June 22. Following brief discussion, the members of the Committee agreed with the proposal.\nTreasurer’s Report\nIt is anticipated that the Committee will be receiving periodic reports from the Treasurer regarding the Authority’s financial status. At the present time, however, no Treasurer has been appointed by the Authority; Mr. David Fagus, Chief Financial Officer of OHIT, also noted that the Authority at present had no resources, other than those being provided on the Authority’s behalf by OHIT, and therefore there is nothing yet of substance to report regarding the Authority’s current financial status.\nBusiness Plan\nMr. Fagus initiated a presentation regarding the development of the Authority’s business plan, which was being developed with the assistance of Navigant Consulting, Inc., which had been retained by OHIT in a competitive bid selection process initiated in November, 2010. The contract with Navigant provides OHIT two optional renewals to have Navigant update their work product, at approximately April 2012 and October 2012. During the brief Committee discussion, it was noted that OHIT had obtained Navigant’s services on favorable terms.\nGeneral Assumptions\nMr. Fagus noted that the overarching assumption of the business plan is that while the HIE must generate enough revenue to cover the operations, it must also be as lean as possible to insure that the cost to participants is affordable and provides a value that exceeds the cost.\nOf the three primary stakeholders (Payers, Hospitals, Providers), it has been determined that Payers are in the best position to provide funding for the IL HIE start up. Both the Hospitals and the Providers are, have or will be investing in developing the infrastructure, and training the staff, necessary to enable them to connect to the HIE. The extent of the participation of the Federal Medicare and Medicaid programs in the build out of the IL HIE has yet to be determined.\nEarly adopters will receive an operational expense discount to encourage early participation.\nValue Calculator\nSeveral items were noted by Committee members in the course of their review of the model as needing additional support, more research, or justification, including: Value to Providers; Benefit to Medicaid; Scaling Value to Hospital Size; Cost Avoidance; Participation of Skilled Nursing Facilities; Value for Skilled Nursing Facilities. Mr. Fagus will explore these items with Navigant during the next revisions to the model.\nCosts and Revenue\nCost – The cost figures initially used in the model are based, in part, on the cost estimates used by the State of Pennsylvania in its development and implementation of an HIE; a review by Navigant of the HIE implementations in other States suggested that Pennsylvania’s HIE most closely resembled the one being proposed for Illinois. Revisions to the initial Costs component will begin in September once a vendor for the IL HIE core services has been selected following the issuance of OHIT’s RFP, and more detailed costs are known. It is anticipated that the RFP will be issued in July, and that revision to the model’s Costs will be completed in September.\nRevenue - Revisions to the model’s initial Revenue component will quickly follow the work on Costs. It is anticipated that this work will be completed in September.\nPricing - Revisions to the model’s initial Pricing component will be the final piece, and will be developed once all of the components above have been completed. It is anticipated that this work will be completed in October.\nStakeholder Meetings\nThe Committee was informed regarding the discussions that OHIT had had with various stakeholders concerning the Value Calculator and the general assumptions reflected in the business plan. Valuable input was gained from such discussions to inform OHITs further development of both topics.\nOHIT Budget Update\nThe Committee was informed that the Authority currently has no funds of its own available; funding of any expenses that the Authority may currently incur will be provided through OHIT. In the course of the ensuing discussion, the Committee was advised that the business plan currently did not make provision for the distribution by OHIT to emerging local/regional HIE initiatives in Illinois of any of the $18.8M in Federal grant funds that OHIT had received under the Federal ARRA program.\nLocal HIE Update\nMr. Fagus provided a brief overview regarding emerging initiatives aimed at the development and implementation of HIEs in local/regional settings in Illinois. A further detailed examination of the status of such initiatives was defer=\"defer\"red to a future meeting, as representatives of these local/regional initiatives have been invited to make presentations at the June 22, 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors.\nPublic Comment\nThere were no comments offered from the general public.\nAdjournment\nThe meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.\nMinutes submitted by: Mark Chudzinski, Acting Secretary", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5843139886856079}
{"content": "Poverty estimates in India are derived from the household consumer expenditure data collected by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) every fifth year. The Planning Commission updates the poverty line for the year 1973-74 according to relevant prices indices. It identifies the expenditure group from the NSSO consumer expenditure data, whose expenditure on food fulfilled the calorie norms. For rural India, the calorie norm was 2,400 Kcal per capital per diem (Rs 454) and for urban India it was 2,100 Kcal per capital per diem (Rs 327) for 1999-2000. The average per capita per month expenditure of this group was fixed as the poverty line.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.730278730392456}
{"content": "As a follow-up to last month’s post, one of the more interesting outcomes of the ONC-led health IT initiatives is not just the coalescence around HL7 standards, but the central role the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) has been accorded among interoperability strategy. While there are necessary supporting standards for transport, security, vocabulary and infrastructure, none emerge as essential to interoperability. There are always alternatives, even to the highly favored DIRECT project transport.\nMessages, for ordering and receiving medications, labs and imaging, remain necessary but with increasingly niche focus. The concept of orders and as documents has arisen, in fact, as the Standards and Interoperability (S&I) Framework wrestles with coordinated care plans. The CDA and XML arose together from roots in SGML, first in the Kona project 15 years ago, which established the base architecture, and then, in fusion with HL7. Key principles from that period remain leading experts of the CDA both within and without the HL7 Structured Documents Work Group. Adhering to its foundational tenets – that a document must be human readable, persistent and authored – the CDA has emerged as the contextual container of choice for sharing a range of clinical, administrative and financial information.\nThe CDA has been adopted both under the prior administration’s HITSP method and the current administration’s HITECH process for use as a clinical summary. In turn, the clinical summary, usually understood as the Continuity of Care Document (CCD) implementation guide for CDA, has become the Swiss Army Knife of implementation guides.\nIts flexibility and adaptability led to a profusion of “summaries” whose optionality became increasingly difficult for different EHR systems to process. In Meaningful Use Stage 1, the HITSP C32 was chosen to constrain the CCD/CDA without understanding that C32 itself required context and constraints for specific use cases as provided in HITSP Interoperability Specifications.\nIn the absence of such Interoperability Specifications, HL7 and the ONC’s S&I Framework collaborated on the Consolidated CDA (C-CDA). The C-CDA is an implementation guide for nine specific CDA document types including a clinical summary, progress note, discharge summary and others.\nThis guide imposed constraints on the specific documents.\nIt made data entries and their sections mandatory or conditionally optional, in a sense, making the documents “self-contained” without need of another guide. While this eased the receiver’s processing challenges and expected information content, it made the document types rigid without a clear method for formal extensions or adaptions. Under the proposed rules for Meaningful Use Stage 2, the C-CDA based documents would be used as clinical summaries in all transitions between providers and as the basis for exchanges with and for patients. An almost immediate finding was that the C-CDA document types did not fully align with either the CMS or ONC rules.\nThere is now a current effort within the S&I Framework to create companion guides to show implementors how to both meet the requirements of Meaningful Use, Stage 2, as well as the clinical best practices developed as part of the Transitions of Care initiative. Once again, we are layering multiple constraint sources upon a CDA implementation.\nBut beyond transitions of care, the CDA is used in the S&I/CMS collaboration for electronic submission of medical documents and other initiatives including data segmentation for privacy, longitudinal care coordination and query health. While this focus well demonstrates the consensus commitment to selecting a single standard wherever possible, it also shows the challenges of making one standard meet many, diverse requirements.\nWe should expect ongoing tension between optionality and conformance, between flexibility and predictability. More than that, we will see the challenge of making the CDA more than a document; but instead, the CDA becomes a message, possesses internal logic, balances atomic level data with unifying context and gracefully handling multiple digital signings.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.737280547618866}
{"content": "Creating Undergraduate Internships for Non-LIS Students in Academic Libraries Abstract This paper provides a framework for creating undergraduate internships in academic libraries, specifically those offered in collaboration with subject-based academic departments at universities where no degrees in library science are offered. Very little of the scholarly literature addresses this type of internship in particular, and broadly applicable elements of planning and implementation have not been clearly articulated in the literature. This paper proposes that there are several basic elements to consider regardless of situation-specific conditions. These include incentives and compensation for the intern, structure of the internship, projects, and documentation. Each element is considered and described, using internships hosted at the Murray Library of the University of Saskatchewan as examples.\nKeywords Student interns; work-study students;\nFull Text: PDF", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5444636344909668}
{"content": "Cargill Dow recently completed a plastics plant in Blair, NE, that will consume 14 million bushels of corn a year once the plant reaches full-scale operation.\nAccording to Pat Gruber, chief technology officer for Cargill Dow, the plant will begin production in 2002, creating biodegradable plates, forks, spoons, cups, clear film, bottles and fabrics from PLA, a biopolymer made from lactic acid. The base for PLA is made of fermentable sugars derived from corn.\nBio-based polymers have become attractive to manufacturers recently due to their environmental profile. Several other companies, including DuPont, Mitsubishi Plastics and BASF, plan to produce polymers from corn (or biopolymers) on a large scale over the next 10 years, according to representatives from both U.S. and Japanese companies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7507351636886597}
{"content": "Type of Document Dissertation Author Zarpentine, Christopher R. Author's Email Address czarpent@fsu.edu URN etd-04042011-163715 Title The Fragmentation of Moral Psychology: Reason, Emotion, Motivation and Moral Judgment in Ethics and Science Degree Doctor of Philosophy Department Philosophy, Department of Advisory Committee\nAdvisor Name Title Alfred Mele Committee Chair David McNaughton Committee Member Michael Ruse Committee Member John Kelsay University Representative Keywords Moral Judgment Motivation Linguistic Analogy Affect Moral Psychology Date of Defense 2011-03-29 Availability unrestricted AbstractIncreasingly, psychologists and neuroscientists have become interested in moral psychology and moral judgment. Despite this, much of moral philosophy remains isolated from this empirical research. I seek to integrate these two literatures. Drawing on a wide range of research, I develop an empirically adequate account of moral judgment. I then turn to issues in philosophical moral psychology, arguing that empirical research sheds light on old debates and raises new questions for investigation.\nThe neuropsychological mechanisms underlying moral judgment exhibit a large degree of complexity. Different processes contribute to moral judgment under different conditions, depending both upon the kind of case under consideration and on individual differences. Affective processes subserved by a broad base of brain regions including the orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and basal ganglia are crucial for normal moral judgment. These affective processes also provide an important link to motivation. More explicit cognition dependent upon areas of the medial temporal lobe and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex also play a crucial role in some kinds of moral judgment though they exhibit less direct connections to motivation.\nThe descriptive account of moral judgment I defend makes sense of debates in moral psychology over two influential views: motivation internalism, according to which moral judgment necessitates motivation to act accordingly and the Humean Theory of Motivation, according to which belief and desire are distinct and motivation requires both a desire and an appropriate means-end belief. Moral judgments that derive from affective processes exhibit a connection between motivation and moral judgment. However, not all moral judgments derive from such processes. More explicit representations are not closely connected to motivation, thus motivation can come apart from moral judgment. While explicit beliefs are distinct from desires, affective representations have both cognitive (albeit nonpropositional) content and direct connections to motivation. This challenges Humean theories of motivation.\nThis account helps resolve these traditional disputes. Anti-Humean, internalist theories offer an approximately accurate account of these affective mechanisms. Externalist, Humean theories offer an approximately accurate account of more explicit cognitive processes. Thus, several prominent philosophical theories offer a plausible account of some aspect of moral psychology. Because of the complexity of moral psychology, none of these accounts offers a complete account.\nThis account also raises new questions for investigation. Some researchers have argued that the representation of a moral rule like the Doctrine of Double Effect helps explain the pattern of judgments in response to different kinds of Trolley cases. I argue that these judgments are better explained in terms of the details of the associative mechanisms underlying these judgments and not in terms of the representation of a moral rule. These findings raise a unique concern about the evidential value of our intuitions in these cases—a concern that could not arise from armchair reflection alone. The approach taken in this dissertation illustrates how integrating the results of empirical research contributes to philosophical work in ethical theory.\nFiles\nFilename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds) 28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access Zarpentine_C_Dissertation_2011.pdf2.89 Mb 00:13:23 00:06:53 00:06:01 00:03:00 00:00:15", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5426650643348694}
{"content": "Do Flu Vaccines Even Work? Tom Jefferson, an epidemiologist with the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration, explains that we don’t really know what protection, if any, flu vaccines offer. So what should people do to prevent the flu?\nIf they want to base it on good evidence, they should wash their hands.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5014349222183228}
{"content": "This past week, I have learned that too many people I know or have know of – are dying of cigarettes.\nYes. That's right. Not lung cancer. Or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – COPD. Those are symptoms.\nTheir cause?\nSmoking cigarettes.\n\"Mary's life ended all too soon. The cause of death was cigarettes, which first addicted her at 14. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the crushing of the tobacco industry would be greatly appreciated-whether in dollars to the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, or by persuading someone you know, in Mary's name, to quit now.\" Dr. Mary Barrie was an extraordinary person. An educator, years ahead of her time, specializing in Andragogy, the art and science of teaching adults. My husband enormously enjoyed teaching at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Education under Mary Barrie's watch, when she was its Director from 1994 to 2005.\nIf you're addicted, as I am, to CBC:Radio One and Andy Barrie, who anchors the morning show. If you wake up with Andy, as I have, for so many years, I cannot remember. (Long before I started waking up with my husband.) If you have missed Andy desperately, as I have, since last November when he took an \"indefinite leave\" for \"family matters\" – you know that Dr. Mary Barrie was Andy's wife of 40 years.\nShe was 64 years old.\nAt close to 3 a.m. this morning, I was crying at this computer as I read a blog new to me called Life as a hospice patient, written by Judi Chamberlin, a pioneering activist in the psychiatric survivor movement.\n\"I believe that until people labeled as 'mentally ill' have the same rights as others, we will continue to be marginalized and discriminated against,\" she states in her Blogger profile.\nJudi has COPD but she is not a candidate for a lung transplant. In her first blog post, Trying to make sense of it all, on December 4, 2008, she wrote, knowing that she doesn't \"have a very long life expectancy,\" she hoped to see Barack Obama inaugurated and to be around for the Super Bowl. \"After that, I'll set another goal,\" she said.\nJudi is 64 years old.\nLast week, I received a note from a woman, a family friend, who found me though this blog. I had not heard from her for many years. She is a friend of my mother's. Brilliant, charismatic. A dynamo. When I was a kid, I babysat for her three children, now grown, with kids of their own.\nSuperbly accomplished. Anything she tries, she masters. With pizzazz! You never forget her. She's a force. Funny. Fabulous. I adore her.\n\"I've had two bouts of lung cancer (clean at the moment) and suffer terribly with my emphysema... Mind you, some days I can manage and others simply cannot breathe. That's a trial. However, I AM STILL HERE,\" she said her in note.\nAnd finally, during a call this morning to my mother who is wintering in Florida and I knew would not yet know of Dr. Mary Barrie's death, she informed me of yet another amazing man I had known, a smoker, who had died recently after battling lung cancer.\nI was a smoker. My husband quit 20 years ago. Addictions don't often appear here in \"Coming Out Crazy,\" but they should. Often, addictions are highly complex and comorbid – linked to deeper psychological trauma and pain.\nTiming is everything. Who knew nicotine was a highly addictive drug 50 years ago? Toxic. Poisonous. Deadly.\nAlcohol is highly addictive, too. The founders of Alcoholic Anonymous knew that back in the 1930s.\nFood can be highly addictive. I know. I'm an addict.\nThe pleasure pathway in the brain is the same for nicotine, alcohol, food – even sex.\nWe are human. I don't judge anyone. But I applaud the bravery, the integrity, the honesty, the audacity and the leadership of the late Dr. Mary Barrie and her family for stating boldly in her obituary, that the cause of her death was cigarettes.\nGraciously and generously, they are giving all of us a unique opportunity to take action – to become activists. By either supporting the Non Smokers' Rights Association, or by helping someone to quit smoking, we can join in honouring and memorializing Dr. Mary Barrie's wonderful life and legacy.\nWe may make a difference for the Greater Good.\nWe may help each other choose to \"Say yes, to life.\"\nAnd, finally... Andy, Jess and Wrigley and those grieving with you – please accept my profound sympathy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6195677518844604}
{"content": "Saccharin Removed from EPA’s Hazardous Substance List The EPA has officially removed saccharin and its salts from their list of hazardous constituents and commercial chemical products. In a December 14, 2010 release, the EPA stated that saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health. Other substances on this list are still considered hazardous.\nSaccharin is commonly used as an artificial sweetener in food products such as diet soft drinks, table-top sweeteners, syrups, juices, chewing gums, and jellies. Its white crystalline powder is approximately 300 times sweeter than sucrose. The substance is typically available in the acid form (saccharin) or as salts (sodium saccharin or calcium saccharin). It is also used in personal-care products, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, dental cleaners, lipstick, or for pharmaceuticals such as coatings on pills and electroplating (e.g. brightener in nickel-plating baths).\nIn response to a petition submitted to EPA by the Calorie Control Council (CCC) requesting removal of saccharin and its salts from RCRA and CERCLA, EPA will no longer list these substances as hazardous within the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).\nEPA granted CCC’s petition based on a review of the evaluations conducted by key public health agencies concerning the carcinogenic and other potential toxicological effects of saccharin and its salts. In addition, EPA assessed the waste generation and management information for saccharin and its salts, concluding that the wastes do not meet the criteria for hazardous waste regulations.\nThe proposed removal of saccharin and its salts was first announced in April 2010. Since April, the EPA stated they had not received any comments opposing the proposal, so this is the final rule announcement.\nSupporting materials for this final rule are available for public review at www.regulations.gov – docket number EPA-HQ-RCRA-2009-0310.\nRead a previous article on the saccharin removal…", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.972714900970459}
{"content": "Great idea!\nI heard at the end of a talk by Thich Nhat Hanh earlier this week, which he gave in Vietnam, a woman asked if we are mindful in everything we do, do we need to meditate? Thich Nhat Hanh told her that those who have a high level of mindfulness, constant mindfulness in everything they do, don't need to sit in formal meditation. Being mindful in everything you do is actually constantly meditating during everything you do.\nSo I agree with you, mindfulness in daily life and formal sitting practice are equally as important. I think with much formal sitting practice, the effects of meditation can spill over into daily activities, making it easier to be mindful in daily activities, permeating every part of one's experience.\n\"No tree becomes rooted and sturdy unless many a wind assails it. For by its very tossing it tightens its grip and plants its roots more securely; the fragile trees are those that have grown in a sunny valley.\" --Seneca the Younger (57 BCE- 65 AD) \"Everything is an illusion. Life is like a big dream.\" --Buddha Shakyamuni", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9664145708084106}
{"content": "Your firmer and flatter abdomen will enhance your body contour as a result of Abdominoplasty. Wearing certain styles of clothing will be easier and comfortable. You will be more confident about your appearance.\nThe incisions from the procedure will heal and fade over time. However, one needs to understand that the incision lines will be permanently visible. In a few cases they may eventually be only faint lines. Certain individuals may have incision lines that are more noticeable. Fortunately, the incisions for your Abdominoplasty are usually in locations concealed by most bathing suits and undergarments.\nWearing a support garment for several weeks may be instructed. Your abdomen should remain firmer and flatter for many years subject to your gaining or losing a significant amount of weight or becoming pregnant. However, factors like gravity and the effects of aging will eventually take their toll.\nIn case, after a few years, you again become dissatisfied with the appearance of your abdomen, you may choose to undergo a second procedure to restore a more youthful body contour.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9981371164321899}
{"content": "International Bottled Water Assn. delivers bottled water to Hurricane Sandy victims\nThe International Bottled Water Assn. (IBWA) is working with its member bottlers to deliver critical supplies of bottled water to victims of Hurricane Sandy.\nAs with past disasters, IBWA member bottlers began preparing to provide substantial supplies of bottled water as the storm approached. Working in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency; state, county and municipal emergency management agencies; and emergency relief partners, including the American Red Cross and AmeriCares, IBWA’s members are supplying clean and safe drinking water to hurricane victims in New Jersey, New York and other stricken areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.\n“Throughout the years, bottled water companies have immediately responded to the need for clean water after disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, flooding and wildfires; or the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center,” said IBWA Vice President of Communications Chris Hogan.\n“Having access to safe, clean drinking water is important to everyone’s survival, but this becomes paramount during disasters such as this, when municipal supplies may become compromised,” Hogan said. During these times, bottled water is a necessary and reliable option to deliver clean, safe drinking water.\nIBWA member companies are working around the clock to get bottled water to affected areas in several ways. For example, as of last week, one company had delivered 12 truckloads of bottled water to Red Cross warehouses in Middletown and Somerset, N.J., for immediate distribution to Jersey Shore towns most in need of clean drinking water. Additionally, through AmeriCares, bottled water has been distributed to the Salvation Army for Nassau County, the Food Bank for New York City and Vermont food banks to help residents affected by the storm.\nOther IBWA members are working through Convoy of Hope, which has deployed a rapid response team, complete with emergency relief supplies, to its Long Beach, N.Y., distribution facility. The organization is receiving and distributing daily tractor-trailer loads of supplies, including bottled water, microwaveable meals, trash bags and other basic essentials.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.804234504699707}
{"content": "ITFC is designed to maintain children and youth in family settings in the community who otherwise may have been placed into institutional settings. ITFC offers intensified services for foster youth who need extra structure and support not available in other foster settings. Additional support is given to foster families to help care for ITFC foster youth.\nSupports and services in this program are highly individualized to target the specific needs of foster children and foster parents:\nSpecial Training for ITFC foster parents Respite for foster parents Support Counselor provides scheduled in-home support to foster youth Intensive in-home case management provided to foster families by social workers Access to mental health professionals and programs Increased stipend - ITFC foster parents receive a higher monthly reimbursement Support Services include family reunification, mentoring, targeted life skills training, liaison with schools, placement stabilization, monthly treatment team meetings and 24/7 crisis response Foster children who have special emotional, social and developmental needs are at greater risk of violent behavior, incarceration, hospitalization, or placement in different forms of group and residential treatment. When given the opportunity to participate in Intensive Treatment Foster Care, the individual attention can positively impact that child’s choices and increase his or her chances of reaching their full potential in life.\nThis video supplied by our respected colleagues at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore will be helpful to anyone wanting to understand what fostering challenging children and youth is all about. This video is used with permission of Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD. The individuals who appear were participants in Kennedy Krieger’s Therapeutic Foster Care program at the time of filming. The video is six minutes, forty-nine seconds long.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5039811134338379}
{"content": "Curriculum Summary: Course of Study The program offers a firm foundation in biomedical sciences, epidemiology and biostatistics. The program trains research scientists who are interested in the following areas of cellular and molecular biology: nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular biology, gene regulation, cell-environmental interactions, pulmonary inflammation, immunology, infections diseases, protozoa, helminths, viruses and bacteria, and genetic approaches to disease mechanisms. It has become increasingly evident that progress in disease prevention is optimally promoted by a close interaction between epidemiologists and laboratory scientists, where laboratory discoveries and epidemiological observations interact in an iterative manner to advance research in both fields.\nTo realistically evaluate their research interests, suitability of a laboratory and a potential dissertation advisor, students engage in 3-4 laboratory rotations in their first year before selecting a dissertation advisor. Students engage in two years of coursework before taking a preliminary qualifying exam that must be passed prior to beginning dissertation work. The dissertation must be successfully defended prior to the granting of the Ph.D. degree, typically within 5-6 years.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7894992828369141}
{"content": "Steven Lasser, M.D. has recently received his certification from the FAA to perform aviation medical exams.An Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), in the United States and other countries, is a physician designated by the local aviation authority to perform physical examinations and issue aviation medical certificates.Physicians apply through their regional flight surgeon's office. If selected and authorized, they are trained through a national process.AMEs are required to complete the Medical Certification Standards and Procedures Training (MCSPT) and the Clinical Aerospace Physiology Review for AMEs (CAPAME) prior to attending a Basic AME Seminar.\nAviation Medical Examiners are a key element in the medical certification process, ensuring that airmen meet the medical standards prescribed in the Federal Aviation Regulations, and are medically fit to perform safety-related duties. AMEs play a vital role in the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine's goal to promote aviation safety through excellence in aeromedical certification of airmen.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5820534229278564}
{"content": "Erikson Institute Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology: Addressing the Underlying Causes of Treatment Resistance Psychiatry has benefited from an increasingly evidence-based perspective and a proliferation of safer, more tolerable, and perhaps more effective treatments during the last two years. Despite these advances, however, treatment outcomes are not substantially better than they were a quarter of a century ago. However, there is currently a small but impressive evidence base that shows that psychological and interpersonal factors play a pivotal role in pharmacological treatment responsiveness.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9950103163719177}
{"content": "Many women and even men have great desire for looking beautiful, fresh and strikingly attractive. However, having an oily skin can lead to several problems. People with oily skin normally have persistent shining face. This kind of skin is advantageous in that it retains a youthful look for a long time. However, oily skin also predisposes one to conditions such as pimples, blackheads and acne. A lot of people with oily skin suffer from a variety of unpleasant conditions that makes them determined to treat it. The following are some effective strategies that can be applied to address the problem.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5860682725906372}
{"content": "OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a completely soluble fiber on fasting and postprandial hormone levels, respiratory quotient (RQ) and subjective ratings of satiety during a controlled weight-loss program.\nDESIGN: In a five-week prospective, randomized, double-blind study, a 3.3 MJ (800 kcal)/d diet was provided during a two-week wash-in period. Then, during the intervention weeks, separated by a one-week wash-out period, a 3.3 MJ (800 kcal) formula containing either 20 g fiber or placebo daily, was given in a cross-over design and on days 1, 3 and 7 of the intervention weeks (weeks 3 and 5) measurements were taken after an overnight fast.\nSUBJECTS: 25 obese but otherwise healthy females (age: 46+/-6 y, body mass index (BMI): 35+/-6 kg/m2) were studied.\nMEASUREMENTS: Body weight; hunger/satiety ratings; glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK) and leptin concentrations; RQ during the intervention weeks.\nRESULTS: In the fasting state, the supplement had no effect on any of the measured parameters, including blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, CCK, and leptin, RQ and satiety ratings. In the 2 h postprandial period following the test meal, none of the measured parameters differed significantly from that following the non-fiber-supplemented meal, except for the CCK response. CCK demonstrated an overall higher concentration after the fiber-supplemented meal (P=0.007), even after adjustment for age, weight, height and treatment sequence. The postprandial peak in CCK also occurred earlier (at 15 min vs 30 min) after completion of the fiber-supplemented meal.\nCONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that a hydrolyzed guar gum fiber supplement produced a heightened postprandial CCK response, but did not alter other satiety hormones or increase satiety ratings, in either the fasting or the postprandial state.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6033047437667847}
{"content": "S-1792 Supplemental aid to districts with significant enrollment growth.\nNJEA supports S-1792 (Sweeney). The bill would provide a supplemental appropriation of more than $4 million from Property Tax Relief to the Department of Education to provide additional state aid to school districts that have experienced significant enrollment growth.\nThe bill is intended to make FY2012 school aid allocated to non-Abbott districts fairer by increasing aid to “super-growth” districts on a per pupil basis that more closely parallels aid to other districts that did not experience rapid enrollment growth. The legislation would apply to districts where the projected resident enrollment for October 2011 exceeds the actual October 2008 resident enrollment by at least 13%. “Super-growth” districts in Gloucester, Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic and Salem counties qualify, with growth of at least 13%.\nNJEA supports the bill because it utilizes limited state resources in difficult economic times to provide needed financial support to at least some of the districts hit hard by the current administration’s haphazard distribution of state school aid. The additional aid to these qualifying districts would be used to restore programs and resources—including teachers and support personnel—to maintain the quality of education during difficult economic times.\nThis bill, unfortunately, does not increase aid for other districts that also experienced significant enrollment growth since October 2008, but which did not reach the 13% growth threshold. NJEA urges the legislature to consider providing much needed assistance to these districts as well.\nNJEA urges you to support S-1792.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7103163003921509}
{"content": "Why is Population Important? The health of our planet and all its people depends on how we manage our resources. The more people who live on the planet, the more resources we need.\nBecause our resources are limited and the population is increasing, we need to manage our resources carefully and fairly.\n© All copyright including intellectual property remains the property of", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6256587505340576}
{"content": "Angora Fire The Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe began in June, 2007, destroyed 254 homes, caused $140 million in property damage, and scorched 3,100 acres. This project, a collaboration among the photography area of the Art Department, the University of Nevada Reno's Academy for the Environment, and the Center for Land Use Interpretation based in Culver City, California, presents a time-based, visual study of post-fire landscape development. Selecting ten sites and digitally photographing the same vantage points over a period of ten months provides investigators and the general public an opportunity to assess post-fire development.\nIt is surprising how few resources are dedicated to evaluating post-fire landscapes. The visual ramifications of fire are obviously evident, yet rephotographed post-fire landscapes are rarely presented in scientific journals or within the popular media. This project initiates a solution; that is, to present a visual study of post-fire development on the Angora Lake Fire. An important sidebar: It is extremely rare for visual artists to join in the investigative process of landscape management, a domain usually reserved for quantitative scientists. This project, while modest on many levels, initiates a process of including the refined visual language of the visual arts (photography) in evaluating landscape change. The underlying premise of this secondary advantage is that art does, indeed, matter. Scientists are in need of a visual baseline for future analysis. Visual analysis of post-fire landscapes is needed, and there are currently no published dedicated, skilled, professional visual comparative views of post-fire redevelopment in the Tahoe basin. The project is being continued beyond the original grant period due to the importance of the site and data gathered from this area.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8578365445137024}
{"content": "The Brain, the Will and the Law This project aims to explore the extent to which a three-way collaboration between philosophers, lawyers and neuroscientists can shed light on questions concerning free will, responsibility and punishment.\nRecently there has been a huge amount of academic debate about, and public and legal practitioner interest in, the general question of how or whether neuroscientific discoveries should prompt us to reconsider the theoretical underpinnings of, or the actual practice of, the legal system. Developments in neuroscience increasingly uncover the underlying causal mechanisms in the brain that generate our behaviour, thus raising the question whether it is ‘us’ or instead our brains that are really responsible for what we do. This raises questions both about whether we act freely – something that is central to both the moral and legal notions of responsibility – and about whether the purpose of punishment for criminal acts should be conceived as a matter of retribution or rehabilitation.\nHowever, the academic debate has largely been focussed on specifically philosophical issues (involving neuroscientists and philosophers) or specifically legal issues (involving neuroscientists and lawyers). Philosophy can bring conceptual clarity and a significant body of relevant philosophical discussion to the debate about law and neuroscience; while the law, in turn, brings a practical dimension to philosophical debates about free will, moral responsibility and punishment. This project therefore aims to look at these issues by bringing together philosophers, neuroscientists and lawyers.\nThe project, running from April until August 2012, is based at the Institute of Philosophy and is funded by an AHRC ‘Exploratory Awards’ grant as part of the ‘Science in Culture’ theme. Participants include Prof Helen Beebee, Associate Director of the Institute of Philosophy and a postdoctoral research assistant, Dr Marion Godman.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.936190128326416}
{"content": "Pollen Allergies June 11, 2011\nPollen is one of the leading causes of seasonal allergies around the home. Each spring, summer, and fall, tiny pollen particles are released from trees, weeds, and grasses, causing seasonal rhinitis, commonly referred to as hay fever (nasal/sinus allergies). While many other allergens can easily be avoided, it is very difficult to avoid pollen, even indoors! Furthermore, individuals with pollen allergies can develop sensitivities to other allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores.\nPollen are microscopic grains, typically round or oval in shape, that are shed by plants, trees, and grasses as part of their reproductive cycle. They can travel enormous distances when carried by winds - often several hundred miles! A single plant may produce millions of pollen grains per day.\nCommon allergy causing pollens in North America include:\nPlants\n- Ragweed\n- Sagebrush\n- Redroot pigweed\n- Lambs quarters\n- Russian thistle (tumbleweed)\n- English plantain\nGrasses\n- Timothy grass\n- Kentucky bluegrass\n- Johnson grass\n- Bermuda grass\n- Redtop grass\n- Orchard grass\n- Sweet vernal grass\nTrees\n- Oak\n- Ash\n- Elm\n- Hickory\n- Pecan\n- Box elder\n- Mountain cedar\nMost colourful and scented flowers like roses do not cause allergies because their pollen is heavy and waxy, and is transported primarily by insects, not by the wind. In other words, it is less likely to be inhaled in significant quantities.\nPollen is readily transported inside your home by wind and airflow through open doors and windows, and on your clothes, or even on your pets. Once inside your home, it is easily stirred up and breathed into your nose, throat, and lungs, where it causes irritations that lead to a wide range of allergy symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, watery irritated eyes, etc.\nThe best defence against pollen inside your home is a high quality\nHigh Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that is capable of trapping and containing the tiny particles. Such filters will also eliminate other allergens such as pet pander and dust mites that you may be more sensitive to during your hay fever attacks.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8919429779052734}
{"content": "Sports Medicine\nOur Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) are highly trained professionals with diverse educational and experiential backgrounds. The National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure credential them. The comprehensive healthcare services include injury prevention, recognition and assessment, treatment, disposition, rehabilitation, and healthcare administration and promotion. Additional healthcare services are provided through referral to MACONY Pediatrics and Berkshire Orthopedic Associates.\nWhat is Athletic Training?\nThe 1999 Role Delineation of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association concludes that the profession is divided into six major areas or domains. These domains are:\n1. Prevention of Athletic Injuries 2. Recognition, Evaluation, and Assessment of Athletic Injuries 3. Immediate Care of Athletic Injuries 4. Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Reconditioning of Athletic Injuries 5. Organization and Administration 6. Professional Development and Responsibility\nIn defining these domains and in attempting to assign the elements of athletic training it is evident that many elements transcend several domains rather than fitting in only one domain. These elements are best reflected in the following Athletic Training competencies and clinical proficiencies.\n1. Acute Care of Injuries and Illnesses 2. Assessment and Evaluation 3. General Medical Conditions and Disabilities 4. Health Care Administration 5. Nutritional Aspects 6. Pathology of Injuries and Illnesses 7. Pharmacology 8. Professional Development Responsibilities 9. Psychosocial Intervention and Referral 10. Risk Management and Injury Prevention 11. Therapeutic Exercise 12. Therapeutic Modalities", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9070765972137451}
{"content": "Globalization, inequality, and the legal services industry\nAbstract\nBorrowing from sociology, this paper uses a 'commodity analysis approach' to discuss key developments in the legal services industry. The paper argues that globalization may lead to considerable restructuring in the legal business. These changes seem to indicate the likelihood of continued concentration of economic power, a trend that seems to mirror changes in the broader economy.\nLoading next page...\n1 Page\nPreview Only. This article cannot be rented because we do not currently have permission from the publisher.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.924015998840332}
{"content": "The Scottish Government has published a Climate Change Bill which sets mandatory targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland by 80% by 2050. Following a significant campaign from Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups it has also proposed annual targets. We welcome this as an opportunity for Scotland to lead the way in climate legislation. The Big Ask Scotland is Friends of the Earth Scotland’s campaign for an effective Climate Change Bill. We are calling for a Bill which – to complement both annual targets and the 80% reduction target – places a scientifically based limit on the cumulative total of all emissions between now and 2050, to enable Scotland to play a fair role in ensuring that the climate does not warm by more than 2ºC. This briefing sets out why such a limit is crucial to the effectiveness and credibility of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6496237516403198}
{"content": "Southwestern Deserts September, 2004\nRegional Report Start Vegetable Transplants Sow seeds indoors to ready cool-season veggies for transplant in October. Start cabbage family crops, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts. Use sterile containers and potting mix to inhibit damping off disease, which causes seedlings to tip over at the base. Wait to sow other cool-season veggies, such as greens and root crops, directly into the garden.\nSpray off Spider Mites Check for fine webbing or a rusty coloration on foliage, tell-tale signs of teeny spider mites. They thrive in hot, dusty conditions, so hose off dusty plants with a spray of water after a wind storm.\nPlan for Fall Start making plans for fall planting. Determine what you want from a plant, such as food, color, shade, or wildlife attraction. Then determine what sun exposure and space your landscape will provide for the plant. Each plant should have space to reach its mature size without unnecessary pruning to keep it in bounds. Finally, match plants with the characteristics you desire to the conditions your landscape provides.\nChill Bulbs Chill spring-blooming bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips, and grape hyacinths, in the vegetable crisper for six to eight weeks before planting. (Note that tulips are often treated as an annual in the low desert.) Other spring-bloomers don\\'t need chilling. Buy bulbs now for planting in October, as supplies of unusual bulbs disappear quickly.\nCheck Trees for Storm Damage Summer thunderstorms bring strong winds that rip off tree branches like toothpicks. Take a quick walk around the yard to make sure there are no damaged limbs. If there are, prune them out, cutting back to the next largest branch. Do not leave stubs or cut too deeply into the trunk. If damage is significant to mature and valuable trees, consider hiring an arborist to do the work.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6191622614860535}
{"content": "We Care - Healthcare Construction Held To A Higher Level In healthcare construction, owners, administration, medical staff, physicians, patients and visitors often have differing viewpoints from which they measure the success of a project. Still, all are critical stakeholders in each and every project and are deserving of a project done well.\nIn healthcare construction, expectations are typically higher. Healthcare is often technologically advanced and frequently changing. Usually, projects are mechanically and electrically intensive with many complex and redundant systems. More stringent code standards and regulations are encountered. And working in a 24/7/365 functioning healthcare environment adds another level of complexity.\nHealthcare Held To A Higher Level To address the intricacies of the highly specialized nature of healthcare construction, we developed a program called \"We Care\". This proprietary program addresses the issues and establishes guidelines for working in and around occupied healthcare facilities. \"We Care\" addresses a wide range of topics such as infection control, interim life safety measures, moisture control, protocol for clean ductwork, guidelines for installing finishes, commissioning and much more.\nEvery JE Dunn employee, contractor and vendor that works on a healthcare project site is required to complete training in the \"We Care\" program. This ensures complete understanding of the level of quality required and compliance with the rules of the working hospital environment.\nTo view a clip of the video presentation \"We Care\", press the play button below.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6693171858787537}
{"content": "Why Do We Need Probation?\nThe unprecedented growth in the nation's prison population has placed a heavy economic burden on taxpayers in terms of the cost to build, maintain and operate prisons. According to the United States Justice Department, over 2 million Americans are behind bars. This represents nearly six times as many inmates as we had in 1970.\nSociety must incarcerate serious and violent offenders who endanger the community. However, probation is a cost effective alternative that holds nonviolent and controllable offenders accountable for their crimes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999979734420776}
{"content": "BACKGROUND: A bidirectional relationship between migraine and depression suggests a neurobiological link. Adverse experiences, particularly childhood maltreatment, may alter neurobiological systems, and predispose to a multiplicity of adult chronic disorders. Our objective is to determine, within a headache clinic population of women, if depression moderates the abuse-migraine relationship.\nMETHODS: At six headache specialty clinics, women with migraine were diagnosed using ICHD-II criteria, and frequency was recorded. A questionnaire regarding maltreatment history, headache characteristics, current depression, and somatic symptoms was completed.\nRESULTS: A total of 949 women with migraine completed the survey: 40% had chronic headache (> or =15 headache days/month) and 72% had \"very severe\" headache-related disability. Major depression was recorded in 18%. Physical or sexual abuse was reported in 38%, and 12% reported both physical and sexual abuse in the past. Migraineurs with current major depression reported physical (p < 0.001) and sexual (p < 0.001) abuse in higher frequencies compared to those without depression. Women with major depression were more likely to report sexual abuse occurring before age 12 years (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.14 to 4.77), and the relationship was stronger when abuse occurred both before and after age 12 years (OR = 5.08, 95% CI: 2.15 to 11.99). Women with major depression were also twice as likely to report multiple types of maltreatment (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.27 to 3.35) compared to those without depression.\nCONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment was more common in women with migraine and concomitant major depression than in those with migraine alone. The association of childhood sexual abuse with migraine and depression is amplified if abuse also occurs at a later age.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8386396765708923}
{"content": "Value realized from an acquisition depends on how well the newly combined company identifies, manages, and executes on synergy opportunities. Successful integrations follow a sequence of coordinated steps to identify, prioritize, execute, and track the drivers of value across the integration continuum. This framework helps executives capture synergies and confidently communicate performance to their stakeholders.\nExplore our other related publications.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9985076785087585}
{"content": "This book is part of the series Integrated Sustainable Waste Management - A Set of Five Tools for Decision-makers - Experiences from the Urban Waste Expertise Programme (1995 - 2001 )\nIt introduces the concept of Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM). ISWM provides an analytic framework for the assessment of waste management services, which takes into account aspects of the system that are often neglected in traditional municipal waste management.\nIt looks at institutional, social, environmental, political, technical and financial aspects, while emphasising the critical role that different stakeholders - including waste pickers, women, micro- and small enterprises - play in waste management operations such as collection, treatment, recovery, reuse, recycling and prevention.\nThis book focuses on the framework for understanding the problems of urban waste management by assessing all the aspects of the baseline situation.\nThis framework provides the basis for planning of a more sustainable waste management system. This publication also presents the steps suggested to develop an ISWM plan.\nAlso available in French and Spanish", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6486562490463257}
{"content": "The 130 million existing homes in the US are responsible for nearly a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, if all new homes were built to net zero energy it would reduce our emissions by zero. Mitigation and adaptation really do start at home.\nIf we are capable of destroying the planet…", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9817615151405334}
{"content": "This 1-hour module describes key competency areas and strategies for supervisors of staff, particularly in the areas of supporting and instructing staff, so that excellence is achieved in the workplace. Participants will also learn about the different roles supervisors play in their interactions with their staff.\nThe heart of supervision presents three motivators and three elements of effective supervision and guides managers to identify two personal priorities for individual supervisory practice.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989874362945557}
{"content": "You know the feeling: Faced with many of your favorite dishes and beverages, you overindulged. Now you facing the consequences. Heartburn.\nPerhaps prompted by television ads about their effectiveness, or the advice of a friend, you reach for an over-the-counter antacid. But is this the best way to handle your heartburn?\nWhen used properly, antacids are useful in relieving the occasional heartburn and indigestion. The active ingredient in antacids neutralizes stomach acid, which is what is causing the pain. However, it is much better if you prevent the heartburn from occuring in the first place, rather than treating the heartburn after it happens.\nDon't eat big meals. After you eat, don't lie down right away. Cut down on caffeine. Sleep with your head and shoulders propped up six to eight inches. If you do take an antacid, it should be used only for occasional relief of mild heartburn or indigestion. If you're taking antacids for longer than two weeks, then the heartburn may be caused by a more serious medical problem. It is important that you consult your doctor for a further evaluation. You should see your doctor even sooner if you're experiencing any symptoms severe enough to interfere with your lifestyle. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should call your doctor:\nYour heartburn presists or becomes more severe. Your heartburn isn't relieved by medication. Your heartburn interfers with your ability to fall asleep or it wakes you at night. Your discomfort interferes with your lifestyle or daily activities You have difficulty swallowing or have pain when swallowing. You have the sensation of food caught in your chest or throat. Pain in the neck, chest or back. Your heartburn is causing you to vomit. You vomit blood or have black stools (from digested blood). You have excessive saliva. You've experienced a drastic weight loss. You have persistent hoarseness or sore throat. You have episodes of choking, coughing or wheezing. If lifestyle changes don't entirely prevent the heartburn, your doctor may suggest using an antacid. If symptoms persist, your doctor can prescribe a different form of treatment, such as proton pump inhibitors. If at any time you have questions about your treatment, or the effectiveness of that treatment, please consult with your doctor.\n——————\nExamples of Antacids\n——————\nSources: Cramer, Tom. \"A Burning Question: When Do You Need an Antacid?.\" Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 6 Dec 2006", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8932048082351685}
{"content": "…”Recent research has uncovered a trend called ‘boomer bummers,’” notes Michelle Edelman, boomer expert and president of NYCA, a Solana Beach, Calif.-based integrated marketing and ad agency. “As [older] boomers pass into the typical retirement ages — as they get their AARP cards and turn milestones — they start to get depressed.”\nEdelman, also a contributing author/editor for two baby boomer-related books, notes that the rates of suicide and clinical depression for these older boomers are rising. After all, they were part of the generation that wanted to change the world, but now are facing realities they cannot alter.\n“Much is not controllable,” she adds, “particularly as age affects health and appearance.”\nIn contrast, younger boomers are still in the “family forming” stage, Edelman says. Many still have children at home; they are actively pursuing careers and were not greatly impacted by the turbulent times of the 1960s…\nTo read the full article, click here.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6810774803161621}
{"content": "Subjective Attributes of Depression, Part 2: The Contribution of Self-Perceived Disability to Depression Following Stroke Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the factors leading to depression following stroke and amputation according to the patients own self-report. Method: Twenty-seven stroke patients and partners, and 28 amputees and partners from a rehabilitation centre completed the Subjective Disability Depression Questionnaire (SDDQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Health Questionnaire-28, and Emotional and Social Dysfunction Questionnaire. Results: Stroke patients scored higher than amputee patients on all depression measures. Stepwise regression models using the SDDQ scales to predict a Combined Depression score were completed. For the stroke group, the model comprised perceived Cognitive Difficulties and Emotional Dysfunction (R²= .68). For the amputees, the Relationships scale was the only scale to enter the model (R² = .41). Conclusions: This study identified factors contributing to depression following stroke and amputation.\nFull text Permanent link Keywords Psychology; stroke; amputation; cognition; emotion; relationships; depression\nThe content of this journal is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.ISSN 1832-7931", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9062469601631165}
{"content": "Abstract Recent advances in nanotechnology have yielded materials and structures that offer great potential for improving the sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and speed of next-generation chemical gas sensors. To fabricate practical devices, the “bottom-up” approach of producing nanoscale sensing elements must be integrated with the “top-down” methodology currently dominating microtechnology. In this letter, the authors illustrate this approach by coupling a single-crystal SnO2 nanowire sensing element with a microhotplate gas sensor platform. The sensing results obtained using this prototype sensor demonstrate encouraging performance aspects including reduced operating temperature, reduced power consumption, good stability, and enhanced sensitivity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7768886089324951}
{"content": "Producer Profiles KSU Arinagata - Koperasi Serba Usaha Arinagata Farmers in the area had been severely affected by the previous armed conflict in the Aceh province, prompting most to leave their farms for years, only returning recently after the signing of a peace agreement in 2005. As a result, some farmers are still in the process of re-cultivating their coffee gardens, a process that has been made difficult by a lack of cash and labor. Finding a good market channel for its coffee has been one of the cooperative’s greatest challenges. The recent increase in demand for coffee from the Gayo Mountains, however, has invigorated business in the area. KSU Arinagata’s Fair Trade certification has combined with this increase to bring improvements to the cooperative’s community.\nPrograms Education for Children instead of Labor; English Program The cooperative strongly opposes the use of child labor among its members. Part of the premium fund was used to ameliorate the constraints that have forced some families to take their children to the coffee farms instead of letting them attend school. Also, the cooperative has used funds to establish a training/day-care center for children, where the cooperative members’ children can stay and receive education while their parents work in the coffee farms. Additionally, the cooperative has set up an after-hours English-teaching program.\nCommunity: Public Restrooms/Washrooms, Shelters, Improved Roads KSU Arinagata has used premium funds to invest in pressing community needs, such as the construction of public toilets and washing areas and shelters against rain. The cooperative has also rebuilt damaged roads. Additionally, funds have paid for daily necessities in the community, such as rice, oil and sugar.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9449077844619751}
{"content": "Are judicial rulings based solely on laws and facts? Legal formalism holds that judges apply legal reasons to the facts of a case in a rational, mechanical, and deliberative manner. In contrast, legal realists argue that the rational application of legal reasons does not sufficiently explain the decisions of judges and that psychological, political, and social factors influence judicial rulings. We test the common caricature of realism that justice is “what the judge ate for breakfast” in sequential parole decisions made by experienced judges. We record the judges’ two daily food breaks, which result in segmenting the deliberations of the day into three distinct “decision sessions.” We find that the percentage of favorable rulings drops gradually from ≈65% to nearly zero within each decision session and returns abruptly to ≈65% after a break. Our findings suggest that judicial rulings can be swayed by extraneous variables that should have no bearing on legal decisions.\nSource: “Extraneous factors in judicial decisions” from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\nJoin 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.Related posts:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9877168536186218}
{"content": "Sort: publication date | titles A - Z Page: | 1 | Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions provides a comprehensive overview of the most influential ideas in ethical thinking across the ages. It explores the ethical challenges through an interdisciplinary approach and presents a brand new model for becoming ethically mature professionals in the process. more »\n2012, Paperback: £29.99/ $47.95Keywords: careers, carers, counselling, health care, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychology, psychotherapy, social care, social work, supervision\nFor those in the helping professions, communicating with the public can sometimes be a challenge, and different skills are needed to those used when communicating with friends and family. This book addresses these issues by providing hundreds of tips on how to communicate with the public. more »\n2011, Paperback: £15.99/ $24.95Keywords: advocacy, augmentative communication, careers, carers, challenging behaviour, communication, counselling, education, educational training, emotions, employment, ethnicity, exposure anxiety, health care, reference, relationships, restorative justice, risk assessment, social care, social skills, social work, supervision\nAlcohol misuse is becoming an increasingly significant issue for people aged 55 and over. This practical guide explores the factors that differentiate older drinkers, and introduces an innovative person-centred model that will help counsellors and other healthcare professionals to them the help and support they need. more »\n2011, Paperback: £20.99/ $34.95Keywords: addiction, adult protection, adults, alcohol, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, carers, communication, community care, counselling, dementia, depression, occupational therapy, older people, pastoral care, person-centred, psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, residential care, self esteem, social care, social work, substance abuse, supervision, supported living\nSocial and demographic changes have led to traditional areas of welfare being transformed. The contributors to this book take a critical look at the current situation and assess the implications for future practice. They debate the assumptions and values underlying established welfare programmes and consider the case for change. more »\n2001, Paperback: £29.99/ $47.95Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, carers, dementia, health care, older people, residential care, social care, social policy, social work, supervision, supported living\nPage: | 1 | (4 titles match the current selection)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9203598499298096}
{"content": "Reproductive Health Practice Adaptations This document is part of the network’s series of practice adaptations developed by clinicians working in HCH projects.\nThis document contains the client education and pregnancy counseling protocols for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, posted with permission.\nHealing Hands Articles Pregnant and Homeless (2001)\nIn this issue of Healing Hands, we examine health risks and barriers to reducing them experienced by homeless women and their children, during and following pregnancy. The lead article addresses the greatest challenge reported by Health Care for the Homeless clinicians in caring for these women: alleviating substance abuse problems, to protect maternal and fetal health and foster normal child development.\nThis issue explores the public health ramifications of unintended pregnancy and discusses contraception options for women experiencing homelessness. The newsletter also looks at funding sources for family planning programs and includes a toolkit of practical resources for providers and patients.\nSupplement: Methods of Contraception", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8667083382606506}
{"content": "The University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Research on Families’ Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series Presenting: Judith Crowell, MD Professor and Director of Training, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Senior Scientist, Judge Baker Children's Center, Harvard Medical School\n“ Influences of Childhood Adversity on Health in Midlife: First Findings of a Longitudinal Study ” Dr. Judith Crowell is a child psychiatrist and researcher with expertise in family relationships, stress and adversity, and mental health. Her research focuses on attachment relationships, representations of relationships across the life span, and the impact of attachment and childhood adversity on adult physical and mental health. Specifically, Dr Crowell’s work seeks to understand how childhood and adult adversity and relationships contribute to early midlife adult physical health outcomes. She is also working to understand how individuals’ salient demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic position influence specific health outcomes and their predictors. Her multi-method research project uses psychosocial, sociological and metabolic approaches to examine links from early and ongoing adversities to early signs of physical illness that are not yet expressed as impairing symptoms.\nThe Center for Research on Families (CRF) is an endowed interdisciplinary research center in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Tay Gavin Erickson Lectures Series brings internationally recognized speakers with expertise in family research to campus each year. The lecture series began in 1999 through an endowment established in memory of Tay Gavin Erickson.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5196794271469116}
{"content": "2. knowledge integration A program that states it could achieve anything but you do not get anything new out of it.\nKnowledge integration is a program at the University of Waterloo.\n1. knowledge integration The practice of combining knowledge across disciplinary boundaries and collaborating with diverse specialists in order to tackle complex problems.\nThere's an unusual and demanding arts and science degree in knowledge integration offered at the University of Waterloo. However, having a piano doesn't make you a musician.\n\"When a book and a head collide and a hollow sound is heard, must it always have come from the book?\" — Georg Christoph Lichtenberg\nWhen I graduate from med school, I will be trained to practice medicine. Whether I'm any good at it depends on me and how I study, work and learn. When I graduate from Knowledge Integration I will be trained to collaborate with peers from many disciplines.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9491026997566223}
{"content": "THE REMARKABLE progress made in the control of epilepsy during the past five years has been due, in a large measure, to a handful of drugs with anticonvulsant action. Many of these drugs, such as trimethadione (Tridione)* and phenacemide (Phenurone), have potentially serious side-effects.† A few deaths have been attributed to trimethadione, phenacemide,‡ and Mesantoin.§ Dermatitis medicamentosa,7 the nephrotic syndrome,‖ and bone marrow depression¶ are the serious toxic reactions of these newer anticonvulsants. These have occurred more often when combined with the standard anticonvulsant preparations.# Judicious use, along with frequent clinical and laboratory observations during periods when the drugs are being used, should avoid serious complications in a high percentage of these patients.*\nRecently, a report from England of the nephrotoxic effects of drugs used in the treatment of petit mal19 suggested that even minor urinary changes occurring during the administration of trimethadione or paramethadione (Paradione) may indicate", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6177067756652832}
{"content": "Q: I've suffered from depression for years, and at least twice have come close to committing suicide. Many factors made me hold back. For the past six years, the longest period since I first sought help, I've been on anti-depressant medication and receive regular therapy.\nI have no current plans to do myself in and don't want to face that choice again. However, for me, the effects of depression have been so erosive that I believe it can be compared to many long-term physical ailments that are eventually fatal. Thus, it is possible for me to envision taking steps to end the pain on my own terms.\nI'm not a religious person and am inclined toward agnosticism and sometimes total atheism, so being told that suicide is a sin doesn't register with me. Be that as it may, I acknowledge the hurt that suicide can cause others, which makes me feel guilty. If I ultimately choose that way out, I will try to prepare myself and my loved ones for the aftermath. In my own inner hell, this is quite a burden, but I sincerely feel it may be the best option for me. I think the notion that suicide is sin contributes to this inner hell for others, too, rather than being a persuasive force in refusing that option. Any thoughts? — Anonymous via godsquadquestion", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6731035113334656}
{"content": "April 2, 2009 Causation in the Third Restatement In the final panel of today, David Robertson (Texas) and Joe Sanders (Houston) discussed Causation in the Third Restatement. The panel was moderated by Wendy Parker (Wake Forest). Don Cowan (Ellis & Winters) and Steve Gold (Rutgers) provided commentary.\nRobertson presented \"Causation in the Third Torts Restatement: Three Arguable Mistakes\" (pdf).\nRobertson noted three disagreements with the R3 in the area of factual causation: (1) the shift from the substantial factor approach of R2's Section 432 to the causal set approach of the R3's Section 27; (2) the move of trivial contribution cases to proximate cause in Section 36; and (3) new comment\nd,which Robertson views as \"jettisoning\" the line of cases based onAnderson v. Minneapolis, St. P. & S.S.M. Ry., 179 N.W. 45 (Minn. 1920).In the Q&A, Jane Stapleton (Texas) was \"troubled\" by Robertson's approach, and did not believe that rejection of the causal set approach provided a coherent approach where undifferentiated inputs contributed to the one harm.\nIn the Q&A, Bill Powers (Texas and co-Reporter for the R3) responded to Roberston's point about\nAnderson. In his view, causation is not a fact that exists in the world, it is the way we think about the world to handle every day problems. Mike Green (Wake Forest and co-reporter for the R3) likewise expressed his concern that we should not use common every day notion of \"cause.\"Ben Zipursky (Fordham) commented in the Q&A that the R3 does keep the substantial factor standard, but as part of proximate cause in Section 36. As Zipursky explained, \"trivial\" contributions are really the converse of \"substantial:\" contributions.\nSanders discussed \"The Controversial Comment C\" (pdf).\nSanders took on the issue of causation in toxic tort cases. First, Sanders explained the genesis of the controversy as whether to conceptualize specific & general causation as elements of the tort or as indicia of causation to consider. Sanders noted that the R3 takes the position that specific & general causation are not elements, under which each need to be proven. While he noted the truth of the position that there is but one causation element, he argued, that the R3 misleads because, as de facto matter, both need to be proven. Second, Sanders looked at the R3's distinction between admissibility (an evidence question) and sufficiency (a torts question). Disagreeing with the R3, Sanders viewed the issue as a \"torts-evidence emulsion,\" where the two things never come apart. Sanders noted the increasing role of science in decisions on causation.\nIn his commentary, Gold first addressed Sanders' point on specific vs. general causation. Gold noted that comment\ncwas controversial because it obliquely suggested that the plaintiff might not need to prove both specific and general causation. - SBS\nTrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfae553ef01156e9d9be6970c\nListed below are links to weblogs that reference Causation in the Third Restatement:\nThanks for the great series of posts on the Restatement Third conference!\nPosted by: Andrew McClurg | Apr 3, 2009 9:48:57 AM", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7053041458129883}
{"content": "Author: Anthony PymElectronic: ISBN: 020386929X 9780203869291 Pages: 200 Price: U.S. $ 40.95Hardback: ISBN: 0415553628 9780415553629 Pages: 200 Price: U.S. $ 140.00Paperback: ISBN: 0415553636 9780415553636 Pages: 200 Price: U.S. $ 40.95Abstract:\nExploring Translation Theories presents a comprehensive analysis of the key traditional and contemporary paradigms of translation theory.\nThe book builds on Western theories of translation, starting with a survey of the classical twentieth-century linguistic approaches before moving on to more recent models such as cultural translation. Each central paradigm and its associated theories are addressed in turn, including equivalence, purpose, description, uncertainty, localisation and cultural translation. Readers are encouraged to explore the various theories and consider their strengths and implications for translation today and in the future. The book closes with a survey of the way translation is used as a model in postmodern cultural studies and sociologies, extending the scope beyond traditional Western notions.\nEach chapter includes a wealth of material for readers, including key concepts, an introduction outlining the main points, illustrative examples with translations, a chapter summary, and discussion points and exercises.\nExploring Translation Theories uses numerous examples from a range of languages, although knowledge of no language other than English is assumed. With a wealth of tasks and activities, it will be ideal both for classroom and self-study use. This comprehensive and highly engaging book is designed for students studying Translation Theory in Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics programmes.\nLinguistic Field(s):Applied LinguisticsLinguistic TheoriesTranslation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9605726003646851}
{"content": "1. Scope\n1.1 This test method covers the determination of the energy required to rupture coatings applied to pipe under specified conditions of impact from a falling weight.\n1.2 This test method may involve hazardous operations and equipment. This test method does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this test method to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.\n1.3 The values stated in SI units to three significant decimals are to be regarded as the standard.\n2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.\nASTM Standards\nG12 Test Method for Nondestructive Measurement of Film Thickness of Pipeline Coatings on Steel\nG62 Test Methods for Holiday Detection in Pipeline Coatings\nSAE Standard\nGrade52100 Steel Available from SAE International (SAE), 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale, PA 15096-0001, http://www.sae.org. Keywords\nfalling weight test; impact resistance; pipeline coatings;\nICS Code\nICS Number Code 87.040 (Paints and varnishes)\nDOI: 10.1520/G0014-88R96E01\nASTM International is a member of CrossRef.\nCiting ASTM Standards\n[Back to Top]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6350716352462769}
{"content": "Source\nAbdominal Organ Transplant Unit, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.\nAbstract\nINTRODUCTION:\nSince August 2010, The Brazilian National Transplantation System has allowed performance of liver transplantation (OLT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the Milan criteria (MC) who have been successfully treated with preoperative downstaging (DS). Herein we sought to compare the clinical profiles and liver explant findings among patients with versus without preoperative DS.\nMETHODOLOGY:\nProspective cohort of patients with HCC within and beyond the MC undergoing OLT. Patients were considered for DS if they were beyond the MC without evidence of vascular invasion or extrahepatic disease. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization was used for DS, which was considered to be successful if the MC were achieved at any moment during the follow-up.\nRESULTS:\nBetween May 2006 and May 2010, we performed 130 OLTs in HCC patients, among whom 10 received preoperative DS. Both groups were comparable for gender, age, viral etiology, serum levels of alpha fetoprotein, and Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores (P > .05). The liver explants were within the MC in 80% of patients with preoperative DS and 90% of those without preoperative DS. They were comparable for the number of HCC nodules, total tumor size, histologic grade, and presence of microvascular invasion. Patients with pretransplant DS showed larger HCC nodules (33.3 ± 9.65 vs 26.3 ± 9.62 mm; P .029) and more frequent macrovascular invasion (1 vs 1 patient, P = .024).\nCONCLUSION:\nPreoperative DS for unresectable HCC may provide a curative treatment for patients who would otherwise be candidates for palliative therapy only. The baseline characteristics and liver explant findings were similar in both groups. We have yet to determine whether the differences observed regarding the size of the largest nodule and the higher frequency of macrovascular invasion have an impact on outcome.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5995186567306519}
{"content": "Restrooms, dumpsters and drain lines are among areas foodservice operators need to pay extra close attention to on hot summer days. Recent record temperatures have made foodservice venues a haven for people dodging the heat. However, higher temperatures can mean more than just oppressive heat and humidity—they can also create malodors.\nCintas a provider of cleaning and sanitation solutions for foodservice operators, today announced the top 10 sources of offensive summer scents.\n“Even if the food tastes great and the service is excellent, odors can leave (foodservice) patrons with a bad taste in their mouths,” said Ann Nickolas, senior director of foodservice for Cintas Corp. “Humidity can leave a restaurant ripe with odors, so understanding common odor sources is the first step in combating smells before they start.”\nRanked from most to least offensive, Cintas’ list of the top 10 bad summer scent sources includes:\n1. Trash. Dumpsters are a haven for odors, but this can be a particular issue in the summer months. Keep doors closed to prevent the smell of garbage from creeping into the c-store and ensure dumpsters are regularly cleared to limit odors.\n2. Restrooms. A common source of malodor in any business, restroom odors can be particularly noticeable in foodservice and restaurant businesses and other facilities where children frequent. Limit odors by implementing a restroom maintenance program to ensure surfaces are regularly deep cleaned, protected and maintained. Time release air fresheners can also help neutralize odors with pleasant fragrances.\n3. Drain lines. Food remnants, liquids, sewage and other organic matter can collect in drain lines if left unattended. This creates rancid odors that can permeate throughout the entire store. To keep drain lines free and clear of kitchen waste, implement a drain line maintenance program that uses live bacterium to remove substances and limits environmental impact.\n4. Expired food. Rotten eggs and spoiled meat can quickly result in a significant odor issue if not removed from your foodservice prep area. Leaving perishable food items, such as dairy products, at room temperature leads to quicker expiration. Keep a close eye on inventory and ensure perishable items are kept refrigerated at all times to maximize shelf life and reduce opportunities for spoilage.\n5. Dirty dish towels. Towels used to clean up spills, counters and table tops absorb a variety of liquids and solid substances that can generate odors over time. Avoid letting dirty towels sit for an extended period of time by implementing a regular pick-up rental laundry program.\n6. Grout lines. When organic bacteria such as food or food byproducts spills onto a tiled floor surface, remnants collect in grout lines which can lead to odors over time. Deep clean grouts lines regularly to remove build-up and prevent odors.\n7. Mops. Dirty mops can not only lead to cross contamination, they are also a source of rancid odors that can permeate across the store. Regularly launder mops to keep them smelling fresh—and floors clean and safe.\n8. Air conditioning units. Over time, coils and filters in air conditioning units can become dirty and circulate bad odors throughout a store. Using a regular deep cleaning service that keeps pans, coils and unit parts free of dirt and bacteria can eliminate the air conditioner as a potential odor source.\n9. Mold. Summer thunderstorms and hurricanes can often result in flooding, particularly in stores close to large bodies of water, rivers or low-lying areas. To remove water and the potential for mold growth following a flood, work with an emergency cleanup service provider that uses ozone generators to quickly remove water and potential odor contributors.\n10. Carpet. Carpeting in entryways or dining areas can provide an optimal environment for the development of mildew in humid environments if not regularly deep cleaned. Mildew can also develop when carpets are deep cleaned but not thoroughly dried. Reduce the potential for odors and downtime with an ongoing deep cleaning system that uses fast drying techniques.\n“Creating a comfortable atmosphere in a restaurant is one key to ensuring repeat customers,” added Frank Morand, Marketing Associate, Cintas. “By implementing regular inventory and maintenance strategies to eliminate waste and promote cleanliness, restaurant owners and operators can ensure a pleasant dining environment for their customers.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.743645966053009}
{"content": "Bribery Newsflash: Serious Fraud Office revises bribery policies\n10 October 2012\nThe UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO)\nhas revised its policies on facilitation payments, business\nexpenditure (hospitality) and corporate self-reporting, it was\nannounced yesterday. This follows the removal last week of the\nprevious guidance on these issues from the SFO's website.\nIn a press release, the SFO stated that its new Director, David\nGreen, wished 'to re-emphasise that all decisions to prosecute\nunlawful activity will be governed by the Full Code Test in the\nCode for Crown Prosecutors and the applicable joint SFO/CPS\nprosecution guidance'.\nAll of the new policies state that 'in appropriate cases the\nSFO may use its powers under proceeds of crime legislation as an\nalternative (or in addition) to prosecution' .\nCommentary\nToday's press coverage suggests that the new policies represent a\nsignificant shift in stance by the SFO. We do not agree. The new\npolicies do not replace the\nstatutory guidance published\nby the Ministry of Justice last year, which specifically refers to\nfacilitation payments and corporate hospitality.\nThe SFO's previous guidance on self-reporting focussed solely on\noverseas corruption. By contrast, the new guidance on\nself-reporting applies to all corruption. The previous guidance had\nstated that the SFO wanted to 'settle self-referral\ncases...civilly wherever possible '. The new guidance is less\nexplicit in offering the prospect of a civil as opposed to a\ncriminal outcome to corporates who self-report historic corruption\nto the SFO.\nHowever, the ability of the SFO to offer civil settlements has not\nchanged. The Joint Prosecution Guidance of the Director of the SFO\nand the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Bribery Act 2010,\nwhich the SFO will continue to follow, states that 'a genuinely\nproactive approach involving self-reporting and remedial\naction' will be a factor tending against prosecution.\nWe believe that, for companies faced with potential corruption\nissues, having a dialogue with the SFO is still a viable option,\nand is an option which offers the prospect of a company being\ntreated more leniently.\nThe revised statements of policy can be found on the SFO's\nwebsite:\nFor commentary and updates on\nenforcement see our\nEnforcement Trends Table .\nYou may also be interested in our\nSFO Investigations Tracker .\nFor further information please contact\nTony Lewis , Partner,\nAlexandra Underwood , Partner, or\nCharlotte Ovans , Associate at\nField Fisher Waterhouse LLP.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9753554463386536}
{"content": "Evaluation of Shared Lane Markings\nCHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION\nBACKGROUND\nShared lane markings (also referred to as sharrows ) help convey to motorists and bicyclists that they must share the roads on which they are operating. The purpose of the markings is to create improved conditions for bicyclists by clarifying where they are expected to ride and to remind motorists to expect bicyclists on the road. In the absence of bicycle lanes, motorists often neglect to safely share travel lanes with bicyclists, which can compel bicyclists to ride closer to parked motor vehicles. Such a scenario can result in a dooring crash if someone opens a vehicle door as the bicyclist passes. Also, when bicyclists stay to the far right in narrow travel lanes, passing motorists often track too closely to the bicyclists. This can be unnerving for bicyclists, leaving little margin for error, and sometimes leading to crashes.\nIn 2008, a recommendation was made by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) to include shared lane markings in the next version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).(1,2) That recommendation was made with limited research conducted on an 11-ft spacing from the center of a shared lane marking to the curb.(3)\nA literature review uncovered no additional research on other spacing options. The 2009 edition of the MUTCD includes provisions for shared lane markings, specifically the sharrow design, with guidance that the markings should be placed at least 11 ft from the curb face or the edge of pavement on a street with parallel parking. Further, on streets with no parking and an outside lane less than 14-ft wide, the centers of the sharrows should be placed at least 4 ft from the curb or the edge of pavement.(1)\nThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of several uses of shared lane markings, specifically sharrows, on operational and safety measures for bicyclists and motorists. The following hypotheses were explored for sharrows:\nThe markings may help indicate a preferred travel path and thereby improve bicyclist positioning relative to parked motor vehicles when riding in shared lanes with on street parking.\nThe markings may help to improve spacing or operations when motorists pass bicyclists on streets both with and without parking.\nThe markings could improve bicyclist positioning relative to the curb or other hazards along the roadway edge including unsafe drain grates or uneven pavement.\nThe markings could be used in a situation where a bicyclist needs to take control of the lane, such as on a section of steep downgrade where more operating space is needed and there is not enough width to provide a sufficiently wide bicycle lane. Another such situation might be on a narrow lane where bicyclists need to move away from the door zone or other hazards.\nThe markings may reduce wrong-way and sidewalk riding, which can cause collisions.\nThe markings may increase the distance of motor vehicles in the travel lane from parked motor vehicles or from the curb or edge of pavement in the absence of bicyclists, thereby providing more operating space for bicyclists.\nA technical drawing of the sharrow marking is depicted in figure 1.\nFigure 1. Illustration. Specifications for the sharrow from California MUTCD 2010.\nEVOLUTION OF SHARED LANE MARKING DESIGNS\nThe original bike-in-house design that has been used or slightly modified in other locations for some time is shown in figure 2. This design was used in Gainesville, FL, in a wide curb lane situation and was previously evaluated by the Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC). It was found that the markings increased the safety margin for bicyclists riding near the curb. Additionally, sidewalk riding decreased.(4)\nFigure 2. Photo. Bike-in-house marking.\nThe bike-in-house marking was modified to a bike-and-chevron marking, and the two designs were evaluated in San Francisco, CA. Superior results were associated with the bike-and-chevron marking shown in figure 3.(3) Based on feedback from bicyclists and motorists, the pitch on the chevrons was subsequently increased to resemble more of a directional guide. Given the results of the evaluation, the bike-and-chevron marking was added to the existing 2003 California Manual on Traffic Control Devices through a policy directive in September 2005.(5) Additional evaluation detail is provided in chapter 2 of this report.\nFigure 3. Photo. Bike-and-chevron marking.\nNCUTCD issued a technical committee recommendation in January 2005 that proposed adding a shared lane marking section to part 9 of the MUTCD.(1,2) Afterward, the Bicycle Technical Committee of the NCUTCD recommended that this proposal be sent to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in January 2007. The proposal suggested that shared lane markings should be used to prevent bicyclists from being struck by opened doors of parked motor vehicles (commonly referred to as dooring ). Furthermore, it was recommended that the markings be placed 11 ft from the curb to encourage bicyclists to track over the markings and increase the distance between bicyclists and the door zone.\nSITE SELECTION\nAt the beginning of the project, HSRC staff contacted communities who had expressed interest in evaluating different uses of sharrows. Staff visited Cambridge, MA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA, as well as local officials in Chapel Hill, NC. Based on the site visits, they sent a memorandum to FHWA recommending the following sharrow evaluations:\nCambridge, MA: The sharrows would be placed 10 ft from the curb on a four-lane street with parking on both sides to determine if this location would improve spacing of bicycles and motor vehicles and also prevent dooring. The city has many street cross sections where the recommended 11-ft spacing from the curb would not be feasible.\nChapel Hill, NC: The sharrows would be placed near the curb along the corridor of a busy street with a five-lane cross section (four travel lanes and a center two-way, left-turn lane) with no parking. The street had previously been resurfaced, and the outside lanes were marked nominally as 15-ft-wide lanes. Of primary interest would be the spacing of bicycles and motor vehicles from the curb and situations in which motor vehicles pass bicycles.\nSeattle, WA: The sharrows would be placed in the center of the lane on a downhill section of a two-lane street with parking on both sides. The placement was meant to encourage bicyclists to take the lane on the downhill section. The centerline of the street would also be repositioned to allow a 5-ft bicycle lane and a parking line to be installed on the uphill section of the street. Sharrows would be used in the downhill direction because there would not be enough space for bicycle lanes on both sides of the streets.\nThese recommendations were accepted by FHWA, and this report describes the sharrow evaluations for each location.\nThe actual design of the sharrow has been evolving, and figure 1 reflects the design used in Cambridge, MA, and Chapel Hill, NC. In Seattle, WA, a version that was a few inches longer was created and used in the evaluation. Figure 4 illustrates a generic sharrow as it appears in the 2009 version of the MUTCD.(1)\nFigure 4. Illustration. Generic version of a sharrow.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7176393866539001}
{"content": "TSEM9220 - Ownership and income tax: legal background: joint ownership - tenants in common Property is held in the name of A and B. A and B are the legal owners.\nIn a tenancy in common, A and B are each entitled to a specific share in the property. The shares in which the property is owned may or may not be equal. For example A is entitled to 50% and B to 50%; or A is entitled to 75% and B to 25%. When property is held in this way, on the death of one tenant in common the deceased’s share does not pass to the surviving owner. It forms part of the deceased’s estate, and so passes to their successor under the terms of their will or the rules of intestacy.\nWords of separation or ‘severance’ are likely to be used. These are words that indicate the property is to be held in shares, for example ‘equally’, ‘in equal shares’, ‘half and half’, ’50/50’, ‘one third/two thirds’, ‘60%/40%’.\nTenancy in common is the way that individuals who are not in a personal relationship are likely to own property. It would be unusual to find that they intended the survivorship rule to apply.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5874385237693787}
{"content": "Spatial-temporal complexity of continental intraplate seismicity: insights from geodynamic modeling and implications for seismic hazard estimation\nQingsong Li\nContinental intraplate seismicity seems often episodic, clustered, and migrating. The observed seismicity shows both spatial clustering in seismic zones and scattering across large plate interiors; temporal clustering followed by long periods of quiescence; and migration of seismicity from one seismic zone to another. Here we explore the complex spatiotemporal patterns of intraplate seismicity using a 3D visco-elasto-plastic finite element model. The model simulates tectonic loading, crustal failure in earthquakes, and coseismic and postseismic stress evolution. For a laterally homogeneous lithosphere with randomly pre-specified perturbations of crustal strength, the model predicts various spatiotemporal patterns of seismicity at different timescales: spatial clustering in narrow belts and scattering across large regions over hundreds of years, connected seismic belts over thousands of years, and widely scattered seismicity over tens of thousands of years. The orientation of seismic belts coincides with the optimal failure directions associated with the assumed tectonic loading. Stress triggering and migration cause spatio-temporal clustering of earthquakes. When weak zones are included in the model the predicted seismicity initiates within the weak zones but then extends far beyond them. If a fault zone is weakened following a large earthquake, repeated large earthquakes can occur on the same fault zone even in the absence of strong tectonic loading. These complex spatial-temporal patterns of intraplate seismicity predicted in this simple model suggest that assessment of earthquake hazard based on the limited historic record may be biased toward overestimating the hazard in regions of recent large earthquakes and underestimating the hazard where seismicity has been low during the historic record.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8578058481216431}
{"content": "If we set our refrigerator thermostat to keep the contents at a reasonable temperature in summer, liquids turn to ice overnight in winter. This has happened with every fridge we have owned. Why doesn't the thermostat react only to the temperature inside the refrigerator? Does something similar occur in electric ovens?\nAngus and Puka Henry, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia\nTo continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.953803300857544}
{"content": "The disinfection function consists in making materials and premises healthy in terms of bacterial contamination. This is a crucial challenge for the industries, for those who work there and for the protection of the final product and, therefore, for the consumer. An effective and regular disinfection significantly decreases the amount of pathogens. It is essential to disinfect all surfaces, within these industries, to maintain the infectious risk to a strict minimum. The goal of this type of disinfection is to avoid any potential contamination of the final product which could possibly endanger the health of the end consumers. Considering that these environments have to comply to strict hygiene and health standards stated by the relevant regulatory agencies, it is therefore absolutely critical that these industries, and specifically for food and pharmaceutical companies, maintain the germ contamination level at safety minimum levels, beneath the legal thresholds.\nDisinfection in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries is a key and all-important link towards production. Within the pharmaceutical industry, disinfecting the manufacturing equipment is a necessity for the prevention of cross contamination. A disinfecting process following a strict protocol may prevent any potential consumer contamination.\nMajor clients: List on request\nThe position of a person in charge of disinfection is a role of the utmost importance in the food processing industry, demonstrating the growing importance of food safety issues in our contemporary society. To conform to these higher requirements, the food processing industry has to develop always safer disinfection policies for its premises and equipment, in order to provide products of good microbiological quality, and protect the end consumer.\nMajor clients: Recette Générale des Finances, Aubret Laboratoire", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6587949395179749}
{"content": "Purpose: This study aimed to compare the marginal fit of 2 kinds of metal-ceramic crowns—crowns cast from commercially pure titanium and Procera titanium crowns. Materials and Methods: Ten copings of each type were prepared, veneered with low-fusing porcelain, and bonded with glass-ionomer cement. Marginal fit was assessed before and after cementation, and the data were analyzed statistically. Results: There were significant differences among mean values of marginal fit between the groups. Cementation increases discrepancies in both groups. Conclusion: Casting titanium has resulted in the highest discrepancies in marginal fit of both groups.\nInt J Prosthodont 2005;18:390–391.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5258393287658691}
{"content": "What is the President's $20 million ADAP Initiative? On June 23, 2004, President Bush announced immediate availability of an additional $20\nmillion in drug therapies for ten states with AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)\nwaiting lists as of June 21, 2004. The ten states eligible to participate in this program\nare: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, South\nDakota and West Virginia. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)\nwithin the Department of Health and Human Services is coordinating the program with\nthe ten states, which is being administered outside of the regular ADAP structure. HRSA\nhas contracted with a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to directly purchase and\ndistribute the drugs to individuals on the waiting lists in the ten states.\nWhat are the details of the President's ADAP Initiative? As of November 22, 2004, details of the direct purchase program include:\nThere were 1,738 slots initially available for the program, allocated only to the ten\nstates by the number of individuals on their respective waiting lists as of June 21,\n2004. At time of implementation, in November 2004, 1,349 persons were eligible\nfor this Initiative (this lower number is a result of some ADAPs enrolling eligible\nclients into their ADAPs, some clients becoming ineligible, or some clients unable to\nbe located, coupled with additional clients presenting for services). It is unclear\nwhether or not new clients who join waiting lists in the 10 states subsequent to\nimplementation will be allowed to join this program.\nChronimed Inc., a PBM, is administering this program for HRSA. Their contract runs\nfrom approximately September 29, 2004 to September 28, 2005, or until the money\nis expended, whichever comes first.\nDrugs are sent directly to the client or the client's physician by the PBM, with the\nADAPs determining initial eligibility for the program.\nThe PBM will only purchase drugs that were on the ADAP formularly in the client's\nstate as of June 21, 2004.\nThe drugs will not be purchased through the 340B program, the standard drug\npurchasing mechanism that most ADAPs utilize, or through other cost-saving\nmechanisms, although Chronimed has the authority to independently negotiate\nlower prices for these medications. It is believed these negotiations are underway\nwith various pharmaceutical companies. Negotiated discounts, costs of\nadministering the program and dispensing fees have not been disclosed.\nThe distribution of the medications to eligible individuals began in November 2004.\nAs of November 22, 2004, states report that 591 individuals have been processed to\nreceive medications as part of this Initiative. HRSA reported on November 18,\n2004, that 462 individuals had received 917 prescriptions. Chronimed has indicated\na readiness to fill and ship prescriptions once the eligibility process is completed by\nthe state ADAP and prescriptions are received and verified at Chronimed.\nAre ADAPs still in crisis since the announcement of the Initiative? State ADAPs are ever-changing programs due to a variety of factors, including changes in\ndemand, changes in state Medicaid programs and the variability of state and federal funding.\nSince the President's announcement, developments that have implications for this program\ninclude (as of November 22, 2004):\nFour states, Arkansas, Hawaii, Nebraska and Wyoming (not eligible for the President's\nInitiative), report a total of 55 people on ADAP waiting lists.\nThirteen states (11 of which are not eligible for the President's Initiative) report having\ninstituted other cost-containment strategies such as capped enrollment, limited formulary,\nmedication-specific waiting lists, annual or monthly expenditure caps, and cost-sharing\n(co-pays).\nSix additional states (none eligible for the President's Initiative) report anticipating new or\nadditional cost-containment strategies during ADAP's FY2004 (ending March 31, 2005).\nColorado, North Carolina, and South Dakota received additional state or federal\nappropriations that allowed them to clear or substantially decrease their ADAP waiting lists\nafter the Initiative was announced. HRSA has directed, however, that unused slots from\nthe ten states cannot be transferred to ineligible states with severe need in their ADAPs.\nWhat will happen to persons on the direct purchase program in FY2005? HRSA expects states to begin transitioning persons from the direct purchase program to ADAPs\nwhen the FY2005 ADAP fiscal year commences on April 1, 2005. Congress did not, however,\nprovide states funding to bring these persons onto their ADAP rolls, treating the $20 million as\na one-time-only expense. Therefore, there is no guarantee that individuals receiving\nmedication through this program will be transitioned into ADAPs when the FY2005 ADAP fiscal\nyear begins on April 1, 2005.\nWhat does NASTAD recommend for transitioning the clients into ADAPs? Although the $38.7 million increase for ADAPs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2005,\nsigned by President Bush on December 7, 2004, provided some relief to the programs, it does\nnot solve the long-term ADAP fiscal crisis. In FY2006, it is estimated that at a minimum a $100\nmillion is needed for ADAPs to maintain fiscal solvency and to enroll new clients in state ADAPs.\nSupplemental funding during FY2005, through the ADAP earmark, must be provided to the ten\nstates that are included in the President's Initiative so that the individuals covered by this\nprogram can be enrolled in ADAP programs and avoid costly treatment interruptions.\nWhat challenges are ADAPs facing regarding funding and funding allocations? One-time-only funding for ADAPs may be detrimental to clients as there is no guarantee\nthat states will be able to cover the cost of medications for these individuals to remain on\ntreatment in the long term.\nThe increase in the FY2005 ADAP earmark will be distributed using the current allocation\nformula and therefore will be provided to all states. The formula will not translate into the\nnecessary funding to continue these individuals on therapy as they transition from the\nPresident's Initiative to ADAPs.\nWhat is NASTAD doing to address the ADAP crisis? NASTAD formed the ADAP Crisis Task Force in February 2003 in order to respond to the\nnationwide fiscal crisis that ADAPs face. Through negotiations with companies that manufacture\nantiretroviral drugs, the Task Force was successful in obtaining significant and multi-year\npricing concessions on HIV/AIDS drugs. NASTAD has reached agreements with ten companies,\ncollectively saving ADAPs and the federal government over $65 million during FY2003, with\nsavings of approximately $87 million anticipated during ADAP's FY2004 ending March 31, 2005.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7749740481376648}
{"content": "State of the World's Forests report 2009 The 2009 edition of the biennial “State of the World's Forests” report was published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday 16 March 2009.\nThe report summarizes the outlook for forests and forestry in each region, examines past trends and projected demographic, economic, institutional and technological changes to outline the scenario for 2030 and considers how forestry will have to adapt for the future.\nIt reveals that world forests face the dual challenge of climate change and the global economic crisis. It also suggests that although the economic slowdown might reduce deforestation rates in the short term, it is also likely to lead to other problems, like a lack of investment in the sector and in forestry management.\nHowever, Mr Nair, one of the report's lead authors and the FAO Forestry Department's chief economist added, the downturn was having some beneficial effects.\n\"We are seeing a decline in the prices of soya beans, palm oil and rubber etc,\" he explained while interviewed by BBC. \"The prices have fallen drastically, so this means that the incentives for cultivating these crops have also gone down. As a result, the pressure to clear primary forest stands is also declining.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6521029472351074}
{"content": "To determine whether elastic compression alters the venous hemodynamics in the postphlebitic limb, we measured venous pressure patterns in 11 postphlebitic limbs with and without elastic compression stockings. Following cannulation of a dorsal vein of the foot, the patients underwent measurements of basal resting pressure, maximum percent decrease in venous pressure with exercise (ΔVPex ), peak systolic venous pressure during exercise (SVPmax ), the amplitude of the pressure swing, and venous return time. Elastic compression did not alter basal resting pressure, ΔVPex , or venous return time. By contrast, SVPmax decreased from 139±0.3 mm Hg to 111±8 mm Hg with elastic compression. If venous ulcers are related to the high pressure developed in the superficial veins during calf muscle systole, then elastic compression may be beneficial by decreasing systolic venous pressure and its subsequent deleterious consequences.\n(JAMA 242:2766-2768, 1979)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5269691944122314}
{"content": "11/08/2009Aids 2010 24 (1): 17-25 Abstract Objective: Resistance to raltegravir is associated with three genetic pathways defined\nbythemutations Y143R/C, Q148H/R/K orN155Hin integrase, which also infer a viral\nfitness cost. Additionally, the three major HIV-1 drug-targeted enzymes protease,\nreverse transcriptase and integrase mature from the same polyprotein, suggesting the\npotential for interaction between them. This study aims to elucidate the relative\ncontribution of protease-reverse transcriptase, integrase and the rest of the HIV-1\ngenome to viral fitness and susceptibility to raltegravir.\nMethods: Recombinant viruses included integrase, protease-reverse transcriptase or\nthe complete pol-coding region from three patients whose raltegravir-containing regimen had failed. The first had the mutations G140S+Q148H+S230N, the second had\nY143R+G163R and the third had no evidence of genotypic resistance in integrase.\nPrimary virus isolates were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.In-vitro\nphenotypic resistance and changes in replication capacity were assessed.\nResults: Virus isolates, and integrase-recombinant and pol-recombinant viruses from\nthe patients harboring integrase resistance mutations showed a decrease in raltegravir\nsusceptibility, with no differences between them. Defects in viral fitness were modulated by resistance mutations within protease, reverse transcriptase and integrase, which were further compensated by regions outside pol. Moreover, protease-reverse transcriptase rescued replication capacity of viruses containing integrase resistance mutations,although integrase was unable to compensate defects in replication capacity caused by protease-reverse transcriptase resistance mutations.\nConclusion: Susceptibility to raltegravir is driven by resistance mutations in integrase,\nwhereas other viral genes are involved in restoring defects in viral fitness in patients\nwhose raltegravir-containing regimen fails, suggesting the existence of epistatic effects on replication capacity.\nBuzon, M. J., Dalmau, J., Puertas, M. C., Puig, J., Clotet, B., and Martinez-Picado, J.\nGrupos vinculados: Retrovirología y Estudios Clínicos (GREC)\nSolicitar documento.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9246363639831543}
{"content": "Dilapidations & Terminal Lease Issues Langleybury offers professional advice in respect of disrepair claims during or at the end of the lease term, including the negotiation of the settlement in accordance with current RICS guidance protocols and current legislation. We can assist by ensuring the claim is fair and realistic having regard to the type of property and the terms of the lease.\nIrrespective of any dilapidation matters, an expiry of a lease raises many issues for Landlords and Tenants with notices often being required to be served by both parties, within specific timescales, in accordance with the provisions of Landlord and Tenant legislation. We can assist by reviewing leases which are approaching expiry, providing advice on strategy and options and liaising with the client’s solicitors as appropriate.\nLandlords and Tenants should ideally seek early advice as thorough preparation is the key to a successful result.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.923347532749176}
{"content": "Physical therapy services, owing to their inherent nature, have often been found to be elusive while billing for medical reimbursement. Unless medically deemed fit, these services cannot be billed for reimbursement. Consequently, physicians are apprehensive of undertaking certain services that might deprive them of reimbursement for medical services.\nHow does medical billing and coding support aid in Physical Therapy reimbursement?\nDespite the healthcare providers’ pre-emptive scrutiny in determining eligibility for medical reimbursement, they may not always be successful in segregating ineligible cases due to their preoccupation with focused medical care as well as somewhat uncertain nature of this specialty-specific billing and coding.\nMedicalbillersandcoders.com, the largest consortium of medical billers in the US, are known for accurate screening for deciding the eligibility of certain services for reimbursement. Such an efficient screening is indispensible for mitigating adverse impact on revenues from reimbursement. Laying a firm foundation for a comprehensive and efficient billing reimbursement solution, our Physical Therapy billing Specialists establish a well-phased system for an efficient claim submission and realization.\nOur local medical billers and coders in Ohio have been offering billing solutions to providers and practices of all specialties and are dedicated to increase the cash flows of your practice.\nThe biggest advantage that these Ohio billers offer is their presence across all major cities like Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Akron. They can offer you the best consultation to increase your revenue steadily and at the same time speed up the collection process, to reduce the account receivable days. Our medical billers display proficiency across:\nPhysician credentialing with both commercial and public payers\nPatient demographics entry\nClaim scrubbing and eligibility checks\nGenerating claims electronically\nInsurance follow up and denial management\nAccount receivable management\nRead more..", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5430867671966553}
{"content": "India has been free of polio for over one year. This is a remarkable accomplishment, considering that just 30 years ago the country recorded 200,000 cases of the disease annually, or one every three minutes. With polio endemic in two neighboring countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and in the more distant Nigeria (figure), can India remain free of the disease?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6568969488143921}
{"content": "The cellular response to O2 (oxygen) is a central process in animal cells and figures prominently in the pathophysiology of several diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. This process is coordinated by the HIF (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor) and its regulator, the pVHL (Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein). HIF1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that transactivates genes encoding proteins that participate in homeostatic responses to hypoxia. It induces expression of proteins controlling glucose metabolism, cell proliferation, and vascularization. Several genes involved in cellular differentiation are directly or indirectly regulated by hypoxia. These include Epo (Erythropoietin), LDHA (Lactate Dehydrogenase-A), ET1 (Endothelin-1), transferrin, transferrin receptor, VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor), Flk1, FLT1 (Fms-Related Tyrosine Kinase-1), PDGF-Beta (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-Beta), bFGF (basic Fibroblast Growth Factor), and others genes affecting glycolysis (Ref.1).\nHIF1 consists [...]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9091469645500183}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: We describe a touchscreen method that satisfies a proposed 'wish-list' of desirables for a cognitive testing method for assessing rodent models of schizophrenia. A number of tests relevant to schizophrenia research are described which are currently being developed and validated using this method. These tests can be used to study reward learning, memory, perceptual discrimination, object-place associative learning, attention, impulsivity, compulsivity, extinction, simple Pavlovian conditioning, and other constructs. The tests can be deployed using a 'flexible battery' approach to establish a cognitive profile for a particular mouse or rat model. We have found these tests to be capable of detecting not just impairments in function, but enhancements as well, which is essential for testing putative cognitive therapies. New tests are being continuously developed, many of which may prove particularly valuable for schizophrenia research. Neuropharmacology 04/2011; 62(3):1191-203. · 4.81 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8440715074539185}
{"content": "OBJECTIVE: This study retrospectively examined the occurrence of bipolar disorder in patients with prelingual deafness who were hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder. METHOD: The hospital charts since 1983 of all psychiatrically admitted deaf patients were retrospectively evaluated for diagnoses by using DSM-IV criteria. Those with a best-estimate diagnosis of bipolar disorder were compared to those with other diagnoses. RESULTS: There were 28 patients with prelingual deafness who had at least one psychiatric diagnosis from 1983 to 1998. Upon chart review, 11 (39.3%) were diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Patients with bipolar disorder and deafness had rates of inaccurate discharge diagnoses that were similar to those of other deaf patients (70.8% versus 56.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Bipolar disorder may be more common in inpatients with prelingual deafness than has been previously described in the literature. Further research regarding the sources contributing to misdiagnosis of psychiatric disorders in this population is warranted.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8208736181259155}
{"content": "Central AFRITAC (AFC) Launches the Senior Budget Officers' Forum Posted by Abdoulahi Mfombouot, Resident Adviser on Public Expenditure Management, Central AFRITAC\nAs the first initiative of this type in the subregion, the Forum of Senior Budget Officers of Central AFRITAC member States held its first meeting in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on September 27-30, 2010.\nThe event brought together two delegates from the top-level budgetary authorities in each AFC member country, to exchange theories and practices. The representative of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Congo set the tone in his opening address, by inviting participants to use the meeting to lay the foundations for ongoing, dynamic, and mutually beneficial budgetary cooperation. He also highlighted the need for a frank exchange on the successes achieved and difficulties encountered.\nSeveral international experts gave presentations on a variety of subjects, such as the “budgetary task”, multiyear budgeting, deconcentration, and budgetary nomenclature—all of which are key concerns of the States in the subregion which have embarked on a major drive to modernize their public finances, with Central AFRITAC support. The excellent quality of these presentations stimulated animated and fruitful exchanges on national experiences, which underlined the urgent need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in these areas.\nAlthough the original initiative came from Central AFRITAC, it was the country delegates themselves who defined the agenda and the shape of this forum, which has now been made permanent and will meet once a year, with the AFC serving as technical secretariat. Before closing their discussions, delegates unanimously chose the host country to hold the interim presidency.\nIn a final workshop, held without the presence of experts and AFC leaders, delegates adopted the “Brazzaville Declaration,” formalizing their decision to implement a network of Senior Budget Officers. The declaration was solemnly read out at the closing ceremony in the presence of officials from the Republic of Congo, the Resident Representative of the IMF, the Central AFRITAC Coordinator, and national media.\nThe forum’s founding texts could be officially adopted at the end of the CEMAC workshop to be held in Douala, Cameroon, in the second half of February 2011. After that, the second meeting of the forum can be convened within 12 months, in a country and on a topic to be chosen by members.\nThis initiative, which was widely covered by local media and very well hosted by the Republic of Congo, will undoubtedly be a milestone in strengthening regional integration among Central African States.\nNote: The posts on the IMF PFM Blog should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.545890212059021}
{"content": "Money managers are rewarded for increasing the value of assets under management,and predominantly so in the mutual fund industry. This gives the manager an implicitincentive to exploit the well-documented positive fund-flows to relative-performancerelationship by manipulating her risk exposure. In a dynamic asset allocationframework, we show that as the year-end approaches, the ensuing convexities in themanager's objective induce her to closely mimic the index, relative to which herperformance is evaluated, when the fund's year-to-date return is sufficiently high. Asher relative performance falls behind, she chooses to deviate from the index by eitherincreasing or decreasing the volatility of her portfolio. The maximum deviation isachieved at a critical level of underperformance. It may be optimal for the manager toreach such deviation via selling the risky asset despite its positive risk premium. Undermultiple sources of risk, with both systematic and idiosyncratic risks present, we showthat optimal managerial risk shifting may not necessarily involve taking on anyidiosyncratic risk. The manager's policy results in economically significant departuresfrom investors' desired risk exposure. We then demonstrate how constraining themanager's investment opportunity set, via a simple benchmarking restriction, canameliorate the adverse effects of managerial incentive", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.848464846611023}
{"content": "Richard Wagner Payment Breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Total USDA - Subsidies$777,571 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies $622,195 Subtotal, Conservation Programs $44,960 Subtotal, Disaster Payments $110,416\nCommodity subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Farming Subsidies$622,195 Total Direct Payments $214,816 Direct Program Payments - 2008 Farm Bill $77,195 Direct Payment - Barley $18,926 Direct Payment - Canola $4,277 Direct Payment - Corn $2,245 Direct Payment - Soybeans $2,674 Direct Payment - Wheat $109,499 Total Counter Cyclical Payments $4,600 Counter Cyclical Payment - Barley $3,755 Counter Cyclical Payment - Corn $845 Production Flexibility Contracts $178,072 Production Flexibility - Barley $27,538 Production Flexibility - Corn $3,089 Production Flexibility - Wheat $147,445 Mkt. Loss Asst. - Commodity Crops $89,874 Market Loss Assistance - Barley $13,523 Market Loss Assistance - Corn $1,610 Market Loss Assistance - Wheat $74,741 Oilseed Program $8,307 Oilseed Program - Canola $3,419 Oilseed Program - Flax $1,446 Oilseed Program - Sunflower $3,442 Deficiency Payments $3,031 Advance Deficiency - Barley $4,158 Deficiency - Barley $-1,174 Advance Deficiency - Wheat $8,307 Deficiency - Wheat $-8,260 Loan Deficiency Payments $119,787 Loan Deficiency - Barley $24,102 Loan Def. Refund - Barley $-230 Loan Deficiency - Canola Oil $28,482 Loan Deficiency - Corn $2,705 Loan Deficiency - Flax $21,596 Loan Deficiency - Soybeans $8,017 Loan Deficiency - Sunflower $11,739 Loan Deficiency - Wheat $23,375 Marketing Loan Gains $3,708 Market Gains Farm - Wheat $3,708\nConservation subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Conservation Programs$44,960 Conservation Reserve Program $44,960 CRP - Annual Land Rental $44,960\nDisaster subsidy breakdown Subsidy Program Total Payments 1995-2012 Subtotal, Disaster Payments$110,416 Misc. Disaster Payments $110,416 Crop Disaster - Program $90,068 Quality Losses Program $13,970 Disaster Reserve - Flood Compensation $5,283 Pasture Flood Compensation Program $1,095\nNote: The information on conservation spending for 2011and 2012 are incomplete due to missing data from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In addition some payments made in 2010 were not assigned to recipients in the data received from NRCS. Those payments are also not included.The information provided for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) provides an inaccurate picture of how WRP payments are distributed. USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service uses title companies as intermediaries to finalize wetlands easements under the Wetlands Reserve Program. As a result, the data provided to us shows large sums of money going to these title companies. In reality, the payments are ultimately distributed to landowners participating in the WRP.\nUnfortunately, NRCS has not provided the data to show where these farms and wetlands are located or which farmers or landowners are enrolling in the program, so EWG is unable to allocate these large sums of money to individuals beyond the title companies. Therefore, these companies skew the conservation rankings and payment concentration, which EWG cannot avoid unless and until NRCS makes available the additional farm attribution data. Therefore, we have not included WRP payments in the 2011 or 2012 data update.\nWe have separated data on farm commodity, disaster and conservation payments in order to provide a more accurate picture of top recipients and concentration of payments among the three main categories of USDA programs.\nFinally, EWG works hard to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides through its products and services, but obtains data for the Farm Subsidy Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, EWG cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information USDA provides or any analysis based thereon. If you find an error or discrepancy on the site, please contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office to check its records before contacting EWG.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7560340166091919}
{"content": "Schools School leaders establish a seamless link between accreditation and school improvement using accreditation as a dynamic catalyst for the continuous improvement process. School Accreditation can be used by individual institutions, both public and private, and educational service agencies.\nSchool leaders engaged in AdvancED Accreditation will:\nTake stock of themselves in relation to a set of research based quality standards Establish a vision, assess their current reality, implement and improvement plan, monitor progress and evaluate results Enhance the school’s best thinking with the insights and perspectives of an external review team. AdvancED provides an effective engine for systematizing and maximizing school improvement efforts. Schools testify to the significant impact and benefit that stem from integrating school improvement and accreditation, including increased student performance.\nReady to get started?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8928559422492981}
{"content": "Herbal Remedies for Addiction\nAn addiction is a physical or mental need for a substance, commonly alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs.\nHerbalists often recommend blood-cleansing herbs to remove the addictive substances from the body quickly. Anti-addictive herbs include wild oats, skullcap, and sarsaparilla. Adding relaxing herbs, anti-anxiety herbs, digestive tonics, and adrenal support herbs to counteract stress can also make for a more effective herbal program for addiction.\nHerbs Used To Treat Addiction\nHerb\nTreatment Support\nApplication\nJamaican Dogwood\nsedatives\ntincture, capsules\nSkullcap\nanti-addictive, nervine\ntincture, capsules\nWild Oats\nanti-addictive, nerve tonifier\nfresh plant tincture, capsules", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9200378656387329}
{"content": "Volume 6, Issue 9 (October 2009)\nThis paper discusses the use of x-ray absorption as a technique for measuring fluid transport in cementitious systems. First, the paper describes how a material’s x-ray attenuation spectrum can be combined with composite modeling concepts to determine the extent of moisture movement (wetting or drying) that can be measured in cementitious systems. Second, the paper discusses the influence of beam power (voltage and current) and camera integration time on the variation in the measured x-ray intensity. Third, the paper discusses two devices for measuring the transmitted x-ray intensity (camera and detector) to describe differences in their measurements and resolution. Finally, a demonstration is provided to show how x-ray absorption can be used to detect moisture ingress and determine the transport properties of the material under evaluation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5358157157897949}
{"content": "CrossView’s Cross-Channel Playbook takes a critical look at a retailer’s touchpoints along the customer’s path to purchase. Disconnects are revealed across the overall experience, including messaging, nomenclature, pricing, offers, and business rules. In a two- to three-month engagement conducted onsite with the client and offsite, we benchmark these experiences against customer expectations, competitors’ offerings, and retail best practitioners. Lastly, we deliver a set of user scenarios that describe the ideal customer experiences across all touchpoints.\nOur methodology provides a comprehensive road map and a set of best practices. While each engagement is unique and every strategy is different, the process for identifying the best path to take on a cross-channel journey is based on discovery, analysis and recommendations. These steps serve as the framework for our methodology:\nThe strategy we develop is designed around multiple variables in each client’s business, including:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995149374008179}
{"content": "Monetary Science, Fiscal Alchemy\nPrepared for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Jackson Hole Symposium, \"Macroeconomic Policy: Post-Crisis and Risks Ahead,'' August 26--28, 2010. I thank my discussant, Francesco Giavazzi, and Ralph Bryant, Troy Davig, Jon Faust, Dale Henderson, Maya MacGuineas, Susan Monaco, Chris Sims, Mathias Trabandt, Anders Vredin, Todd Walker, and symposium participants for valuable conversations and comments. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8419344425201416}
{"content": "This article seeks to develop a manifesto for a sociology concerned with the diverse mobilities of peoples, objects, images, information, and wastes; and of the complex interdependencies between, and social consequences of, such diverse mobilities. A number of key concepts relevant for such a sociology are elaborated: 'gamekeeping', networks, fluids, scapes, flows, complexity and iteration. The article concludes by suggesting that a 'global civil society' might constitute the social base of a sociology of mobilities as we move into the twenty-first century.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9987250566482544}
{"content": "The recent agreement on the U.S. debt ceiling has removed the near-term risk to the United States’ AAA sovereign debt rating, according to Fitch Ratings. The agency said, “Without the distraction of a near-term funding crisis for the federal government, Congress and the Administration have the space to focus on the substantive fiscal policy choices … .”\nFitch also noted that agreement on a “credible” plan for medium-term deficit reduction is likely to preserve the country’s AAA rating and lead to a revision of the agency’s outlook, from “negative” to “stable.” However, if no plan is agreed, then the negative outlook “would likely be resolved with a downgrade later in 2013.”\nThe federal government still faces the automatic spending cut deadline of March 1 (the sequester) and a March 27 deadline to enact a continuing resolution on the 2013 budget to avoid a government shutdown. Should a deal not be reached by either deadline, Fitch does not anticipate an immediate review but believes that such a failure would “undermine confidence” in the government’s ability ever to reach an agreement.\nPaul Ausick", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8727697730064392}
{"content": "On 22 August 2012 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published the final rule for Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The provision aims to prevent the trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from fueling conflict and human rights abuses in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It requires companies listed with the SEC to establish if the minerals in their products are sourced from the DRC or adjoining countries and, if so, to carry out supply chain due diligence to determine whether their mineral purchases are funding armed groups in eastern DRC. Companies are also required to report publicly on their due diligence and to have the reports independently audited.\nIn October 2012 the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Business Roundtable filed a lawsuit against the SEC over the final rule for Section 1502. In their petition, the industry associations request that the rule \"be modified or set aside in whole or in part.\" The groups have not yet provided legal arguments for the lawsuit.\nThe decision by the Chamber, NAM and the Roundtable to file the suit is deeply regrettable. The humanitarian situation in the Congolese provinces of North and South Kivu, which the statute seeks to address is urgent and necessitates immediate and comprehensive implementation by companies. The SEC's sixteen month delay in issuing the final rule led to disruption in the minerals trade in eastern DRC and the lawsuit risks further undermining efforts to establish conflict-free supply chains from the region.\nSome companies, such as Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) members Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola Solutions, Microsoft, Xerox, Intel and AT&T have been engaged in developing promising industry-wide schemes to implement Section 1502. These firms, along with companies like General Electric, Ford Motors, Honda and Boeing, are also participants in the due diligence implementation programme hosted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).\nThe companies listed above are all members of the Chamber of Commerce, NAM or the Business Roundtable. Their participation in progressive initiatives to address conflict minerals is at odds with the legal position taken by the industry associations on Section 1502. Members of the Chamber, NAM and the Roundtable would do well to clarify their stance with regard to the lawsuit in order to avoid sending conflicting messages, or at worst, appearing duplicitous.\nOther companies that are engaged in industry-wide due diligence efforts and who are not associated with the Chamber, NAM or the Roundtable should also clarify their stance on the legal action. This includes firms such as Acer, Advanced Micro Devices, Research in Motion, Kemet and Panasonic.\nGlobal Witness believes that the companies listed above should issue a public statement outlining their position on the lawsuit filed by the Chamber of Commerce, NAM and the Business Roundtable over the final rule for Section 1502. In their statements, the companies should make clear whether they are formally backing the lawsuit. It is Global Witness's view that a failure by companies to publish a clear position on this matter will indicate support for the lawsuit.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6010465621948242}
{"content": "A biomechanical study of upper extremity kinetics during walker-assisted gait Abstract While walkers are commonly prescribed to improve patient stability and ambulatory ability, quantitative study of the biomechanical and functional requirements for effective walker use is limited. To date no one has quantitated the changes in upper extremity kinetics that occur with the use of a standard walker, which was the objective of this study. The following specific aims were accomplished. A strain gage-based walker instrumentation system was developed for the six degree-of-freedom measurement of resultant subject hand loads. An upper extremity kinetic model was developed for determination of internal forces and moments at the wrist, elbow and shoulder in the three clinical planes using the inverse dynamics method. Preliminary system data were collected for ten healthy, right-handed young adults following informed consent. Bilateral upper extremity kinematic data were acquired with a six camera Vicon motion analysis system using a Micro-VAX workstation. Subjects were taught a 3 count, delayed 5-point walker-assisted gait pattern. Weight bearing on the right lower limb was prescribed (0%, 10%, and 50% $\\pm$ 5% body weight). A battery-powered, audio feedback system was employed to ensure adherence to specified weight bearing levels. Subjects were then asked to walk using the instrumented walker on a 10 m walkway at a randomly assigned weight bearing level. Three trials were conducted for all subjects for each of the testing conditions. Results of the study showed that the ranges of upper extremity joint motion were significantly (p $\\le$ 0.05) greater in the sagittal plane, similar to the lower extremities. Adduction moments at the shoulder $({-}0.36\\pm 0.15$ Nm/kgm) were significantly greater than at either the elbow $({-}0.19\\pm 0.10)$ or wrist $(0.06\\pm 0.03).$ However, elbow extensor and rotator moments $({-}0.47\\pm 0.15,\\ {-}0.18\\pm 0.09)$ were significantly greater than shoulder $(0.29\\pm 0.15,\\ {-}0.08\\pm 0.04)$ or wrist $(0.09\\pm 0.05,\\ {-}0.06\\pm 0.02)$ extensor and rotator moments for all loading levels. Internal joint moments at the wrist, elbow, and shoulder significantly increased as lower limb loading was decreased from 50%, to 10%, and to 0% body weight. This preliminary work suggests that with a pick-up walker the arms partially take on the role of legs, supporting the body against ground reaction loads and experiencing intersegmental demands similar in magnitude to level walking.\nRecommended Citation Rebecca Ann Bachschmidt, \"A biomechanical study of upper extremity kinetics during walker-assisted gait\" (January 1, 1997). Dissertations (1962 - 2010) Access via Proquest Digital Dissertations. Paper AAI9823976. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations/AAI9823976", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7745457887649536}
{"content": "Thought Leadership With over twenty years of experience conducting searches in a single profession, Heyman Associates has developed a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the entire communications profession. Over time, we have been able to pinpoint trends regarding the most desired skill sets for the PR professional and the evolving needs of the various communications disciplines.\nWe have cultivated some of our insights through years of practice, but we also have done a significant amount of in-depth research, both with individual leaders in the field and in association with the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama and the Institute for Public Relations. We offer a selection of our findings in the following articles and presentations and through our corporate newsletter, Positioning . We have selected articles covering a wide range of topics, with a particular focus on trends, skills, and communications practices – universally applicable and industry-specific.\nPlease use the links to the right to navigate to these sections.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9544103741645813}
{"content": "Definition: An agreement presumably intended among those involved, but not explicitly in writing. A supervisor's promise, a statement in an employee handbook, and an employer's historical action (e.g., always issuing\nseverance pay) are each examples of what might constitute an implied contract. Implied contracts might even override signed contracts. However, whether or not a binding, implied contract existed and was\nbreached is typically up to the interpretation of the courts or\narbitrators.\nAlso Known As: Implied-in-Fact Contract", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.957504153251648}
{"content": "Today marks the twenty-first anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, the day that Marc Lepine killed fourteen women at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique, leaving the country stunned at the violence perpetrated against these women, just for being women. As the years have passed, many have tried to make sense of the killings with writing, with art, with activism, with vigil. December 6 is now a national day of remembrance in Canada for Anne St-Arneault, 23; Geneviève Bergeron, 21; Hélène Colgan, 23; Nathalie Croteau, 23; Barbara Daigneault, 22; Anne-Marie Edward, 21; Maud Haviernick, 29; Barbara Klueznick, 31; Maryse Laganière, 25; Maryse Leclair, 23; Anne-Marie Lemay, 22; Sonia Pelletier, 23; Michèle Richard, 21; and Annie Turcotte, 21.\nTo further understanding of this event, WLU Press has published two books that explore from sociological and theological perspectives, respectively, the shootings and people’s response to them. Both books have been praised for their sensitivity to the subject without compromising the scholarly approach.\nThe Montreal Massacre: A Story of Membership Categorization Analysis (2003) Peter Eglin and Stephen Hester\n“This is an extraordinary book. The meticulous analysis of the categories used in stories and of reflections on the Montreal Massacre is both highly original and a model of what ethnomethodology can contribute to the analysis of the media. At the same time, the scope of the study and the range of materials it draws on recover for the reader an event that reverberated widely in Canada and bring alive again a singularly painful passage in the struggle against violence against women.”\n— Dorothy Smith, OISE, University of Toronto, author of Writing the Social: Critique, Theory, and Investigations\nRage and Resistance: A Theological Reflection on the Montreal Massacre (2006) Theresa O’Donovan\n“O’Donovan offers valuable food for thought, particularly regarding the media’s interpretation of the Massacre. Tightly written gems reflect on how television makes events real in our culture and describe what O’Donovan refers to as ‘the myth of a coherent society…. For any Canadian feminist, particularly those for whom the Montreal Massacre was formative, chapters 2 to 4 are must-reads.”\n— Shawna Dempsey, Herizons\nTweet This Post", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7733903527259827}
{"content": "MCMC practitioners may be familiar with the Wang-Landau algorithm, which is widely used in Physics. This algorithm divides the sample space into “boxes”. Given a target distribution, the algorithm then samples proportionally to the target in each box, while aiming at spending a pre-defined proportion of the sample in each box. (Usually these predefined proportions are uniform.)\nThis strategy can help move faster between modes of a distribution, by forcing the sample to visit often the space between modes.\nThe most sophisticated versions of this algorithm combine a decreasing stochastic schedule and the so-called flat histogram criterion: whenever the proportions of the sample in each box are close enough to the desired frequencies, the stochastic schedule decreases. A decreasing schedule is necessary for diminishing adaptation to hold.\nUntil now, it was unknown whether the flat histogram is necessarily reached in finite time, and hence whether the schedule ever starts decreasing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.87482088804245}
{"content": "FE Report Development officials at a dialogue Tuesday underlined the need for private sector engagement to halve the number of extreme poor by 2015, a key Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations. “Co-profiting for development means engaging with private sector companies’ core businesses to help the poor,” said Asif Uddin Ahmed, Programme Director for Private Sector Development, CARE Bangladesh. “This creates a win-win situation. Rather than asking companies for charity, we can promote inclusive supply chain. For example, CARE facilitated a link through which 320 extremely poor women in the North are producing baskets and rugs for IKEA, making Tk 3000-4000 a month,” he said. The suggestion came at a ‘Private Sector Engagement for Poverty Alleviation’ strategy discussion organised by Shiree, a donor-funded programme, in a city hotel. Shazia Omar, Shiree, Head of Advocacy, underscored the need for promoting business enabling policy reforms that create jobs which are environmentally friendly and pro-poor. She also spoke about promoting CSR engagements through better linkages. She noted that Shiree hopes to host a CSR Fair for interested private sector companies soon. Dr. Munir, a Director of Save the Children, said, “We need to develop a map of potential companies which may engage with the extreme poor. Which markets are actually feasible and viable? This could help us tap into opportunities.” An estimated 25.1 million people are categorised as extreme poor who constitute nearly 17.5 per cent of the population, according to official statistics. Colin Risner, CEO of Shiree, said, “According to latest data, the private sector is expanding fast and feeding overall economic growth, but we need to ensure that this growth is inclusive, leading to sustained benefit for all sections of society, especially the extreme poor.” “There are many possible options for achieving this objective. A level of creativity and innovation is needed. Ideas include shared ownership schemes, tax incentives, improving market access and training to remove barriers to entry into the labour force.”Source: www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7082831263542175}
{"content": "Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to proceed with a 1977 plan to outlaw the use of certain antibiotics as growth promotion drugs for livestock. American farmers are unsure about how this could impact their industry, but there's a real-world example that provides some answers: Europe, and specifically Denmark.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9847121238708496}
{"content": "Lars H. Fuller (DEN) co-authored “Juggling Hammers—Bankruptcy Issues and the Mechanic’s Lien Trust Fund Statute” in the December issue of The Colorado Lawyer. In the article, he clarified the obligation of construction contractors under the state’s Mechanic’s Lien Trust Fund Statute and noted instances in which contractors may be considered liable.\nThe authors explained that the “Trust Fund Statute requires contractors to hold funds received on a project in trust for the payment of subcontractors and material suppliers.” They noted that the statute was intended to ensure compensation for laborers and suppliers, and to protect all parties in construction projects from dishonest contractors.\nThe article examined recent decisions that address “(1) who can bring Trust Fund Statute claims, including cases with no subcontractors with lien rights; (2) that a pre-violation waiver of a trust fund claim is enforceable in some circumstances; (3) when treble damages are available; (4) the intent required for treble damages; and (5) when a violation will result in a nondischargeable debt.”\nAs they explained, “Serious consequences flow from violating the Trust Fund Statute. Recent cases have clarified the scope of the Trust Fund Statute and what is required to access the remedies.”\nAnd given the likelihood of an increased number of claims in this time of economic distress, contractors should ensure their attorneys are “prepared to consider the implications of a bankruptcy in resolving those issues,” they concluded.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8878430128097534}
{"content": "Additional product details This single most-adopted Inclusion text worldwide continues to provide the best source of practical strategies for teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings. Filled with examples and vignettes, the emphasis is always on teaching methods that promote student independence at all education levels. Its non-categorical approach helps teachers ensure all students’ success regardless of their specific categories of exceptionality.\nThe Sixth edition integrates today’s expectations for students with the authors’ strong commitment to inclusive practices, tempered by the realities of day-today teaching. This text provides teachers with a firm grounding in special education practices, an understanding of the professionals who support these students and the procedures followed to ensure their rights are upheld, and a wealth of research-based strategies and interventions that can foster their success.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9665526747703552}
{"content": "Dutch payroll tax explained In recent years, economic change has prompted a focus on flexibility in the Dutch labor market. This has created a demand for payrolling, which in turn provides excellent opportunities for domestic and foreign payroll service providers. However, operating in the Dutch market requires a thorough understanding of Dutch payroll tax. Legal liability is defined differently in each country, and the Netherlands are no exception to this rule. Dutch payroll tax can be a complex affair for international service providers – understanding the details may use up valuable time. That’s why Payroll Works’ Dutch Umbrella Company offers specialized services to help you deal with Dutch payroll tax. Our dedicated professionals are capable of handling even the most complex accounts with ease.\nWhat do you need to know about Dutch payroll tax? Under Dutch payroll tax law, each foreign company that assigns workers to the Netherlands automatically becomes a ‘virtual resident’ of the Netherlands. This means employees are liable for Dutch payroll tax for the duration of their contract. As such, the legal employer is legally obligated to create a complex payroll administration and ensure proper payment of Dutch payroll tax. Consequences can be severe if these issues are not addressed properly – your clients in the Netherlands may be subject to fines and legal repercussions if you fail to comply with Dutch payroll tax law. Fortunately, Payroll Works’ Dutch Umbrella Company has the expertise needed to minimize these risks and make sure your activities in the Netherlands run smoothly.\nProperly addressing Dutch payroll tax with Payroll Works Payroll Works’ Dutch Umbrella Company has ample experience dealing with Dutch payroll tax and can help you with any and all resulting administrative tasks. If you are active on the Dutch market, Dutch payroll tax law specifies that your entire payroll must meet Dutch standards. This means your employees must be registered with the Dutch payroll tax office, monthly costs must be administrated in the correct fashion and wage tax and social premiums must be withheld and paid to the Tax Authority. Also, there are certain loopholes in Dutch payroll tax legislation which can prove beneficial to your financial position. By working with Payroll Works’ Dutch Umbrella Company, you’ll enjoy all the benefits a professional payroll service provider can offer while simultaneously ensuring perfect compliance with Dutch payroll tax law. Interested? Let us know!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6253581643104553}
{"content": "In hypoparathyroidism the parathyroid glands do not secrete enough parathyroid hormone. This results in a low blood calcium level (hypocalcaemia) where blood calcium is less than 2.25mmol/l (10 mgs/100mls). This results in a variety of symptoms.\nThe causes of hypoparathyroidism are:\nThe common cause is thyroidectomy. The reported incidence varies from 40% to 0%. The realistic figure is 3-4%.\nVery rarely autoimmune processes where the glands are attacked by the body's own immune system. This can arise for example in Polyglandular Autoimmune Syndrome Type 1 (APECED), where hypoparathyroidism occurs with adrenal insufficiency, thyroid disease and diabetes mellitus type 1. This syndrome is dealt with more specifically in its own section.\nIt is important to realise that hypoparathyroidism is not the only cause of hypocalcaemia, as explained in the section 'What are the parathyroids? - the importance of calcium'. Other causes of hypocalcaemia include:\n1. Low serum magnesium (hypomagnesaemia) - causes reduced release of parathyroid hormone from normal parathyroids. 2. Pseudohypoparathyroidism - the parathyroid hormone is normal or increased but the due to a genetic defect, tissues are insensitive to it. Calcium levels therefore remain low. 3. Low albumin - Any reason for a low serum albumin will cause low serum calcium due to the calcium particles not being carried properly in the blood, allowing them to be excreted and lost. 4. Drugs - A variety of drugs cause hypocalcaemia due to liver or kidney damage.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5095006823539734}
{"content": "Your green products are often the face of your company's sustainability efforts. Customers are now looking beyond your products to better understand your corporate policies and business practices as they evaluate the environmental impact of their suppliers. We asked our audience if your sustainability efforts impact their purchasing decisions, and which sustainability activities that matter most to them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9623594284057617}
{"content": "Question: I didn’t have a chance to finish my fall raking before the snow fell. There have been leaves on parts of my lawn all winter. Is it doomed? What should I do this spring?Answer: It’s unfortunate that the leaves remained on the lawn over the winter, trapped by snow. The snow’s moisture spurs the leaves’ disintegration process, creating a wet mess of decomposing leaves atop your grass. The lawn remains smothered and saturated with water.When the snow melts, the first thing you should do is finish gathering up the leaves. Then assess the lawn. There is a chance you may find evidence of snow mold: roughly circular patches of matted dead grass. The good news is that grass will often begin to grow again in spring despite snow mold, without intervention. Rake affected areas to encourage air circulation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6839485168457031}
{"content": "Then Jesus came to them and said, ” All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”\n—Matthew 28:18-20, NIV I have come to believe that, for Christian leaders, the doctrine of the Trinity is the keystone of Christian faith, the guardian of orthodoxy in the Church, the essence of effective preaching, and the guarantor of proper evangelism. The ancient Church accorded so much importance to the proper understanding of the Trinity, that they dealt with the Trinity before they addressed the canon of the New Testament.\nAll errors come from the neglect or misunderstanding of this doctrine.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is transcendent over the universe. It teaches panentheism (God is in all things) not pantheism (all things are God). It teaches that although God is accessible to all, He is above all and beyond all. He is not a higher self or a deeper consciousness, He is not a pocket genie who performs tricks for the theologically clever, He is not an oracle or a familiar spirit. He stands above the universe, even as He pervades it, He exercises His own judgment. He has the prerogative to do as He pleases.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity reveals how God could possibly create the universe and be provident within it. It is obvious that for God to create the universe, He must be conscious. Certainly an unconscious god cannot undertake any deliberate act! But consciousness requires a contrast between “me” and “not me.” Before the creation of the universe, there was nothing that was not God, therefore a god who is one Person can never achieve consciousness, cannot create the universe, and cannot be provident within it. But the Trinity reveals that within the Godhead there are three Persons—three consciousnesses if you will. The Persons of the Trinity are one in substance, essence, and will, but each person in the Trinity perceives the others as both “me” and “not me.” Thus God is eternally self-conscious and thus is capable of deliberate acts.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity reveals the divine economy, for Jesus, one Person of the Trinity, called Himself the Son of another Person of the Trinity, whom He termed His Father, and the third Person He called the Holy Spirit. He thus revealed that the relationship among the Persons is perfect love, mutual submission, and unity of will. We understand why Jesus uses the words He did: God is His Father, because the role of mother goes to Mary. Jesus reveals that God is His Father in a unique way that we do not share. If God were our natural Father or Mother, we would be of the same substance and essence as God, we would need no redemption, we would need no salvation, we would need no elevation, just a reminder of our true natures—but the reminder would not elevate us. There would be no need for a sacrificial death upon the cross, just a weekend seminar.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity reveals the dignity of male and female and the humility and love of God; for while God condescended to become a man, it took a woman to potty-train God.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity reveals God’s motivation to save us and sustain us and to bring us into His glory. Jesus reveals that even though we are His artifacts, He has more interest in us than a potter has in his pots. God is not satisfied with displaying the good pots and discarding the defective ones; He has a paternal interest that goes beyond making us of clay; He seeks to save us from the fate of mere crockery, he seeks to perfect us, so that we may live with Him in His glory. Our destiny is not to sit on some dusty shelf as a trophy, but to live in eternal fellowship with God, sharing in the divine economy of love.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity reveals how God can be transcendent and eternal, yet invade time and space in the Person of Jesus Christ. It explains how God can relate to us on our own terms, without abdicating the operation of the universe.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity explains how God can be transcendent and eternal, yet indwell us and empower us. It explains how God can be in all things, but not of any one thing; it explains why we find God within, when He is above and beyond us as well. It explains how the church can be a human institution with a divine charter, how it can carry out God’s will even as it exemplifies our imperfection.\nThe doctrine of the Trinity explains how a preacher can preach the Word of the Lord without having personal authority and in spite of personal shortcomings. It preserves the preacher from fatal pride and self-importance, for the God who wells up from within also stands over and watches.\nThe Trinity is imperfectly expressed in human terms. For example, the formula “Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,” does not describe the essence of the Trinity as revealed from the lips of Jesus, the incarnate God. It does not identity the Persons, the essence, the substance, the nature, or the motivation of God.\nWho is the Creator? The Father who spoke the eternal Word, the Word through whom all things were made, or the Spirit who moved upon the waters? The answer is all three.\nWho is the Redeemer? The Father who sent the Son, the Son who died and rose again, or the Spirit who gives us faith and repentance? The answer is all three.\nWho is the Sustainer? The Father who supplies our needs, the Son who advocates our cause, or the Spirit who dwells within us? The answer is all three.\nWhy should the Creator take an interest in His creation? Why does the Redeemer save us? Why should the Sustainer sustain us beyond bare subsistence? This human formula reveals some divine functions, but no divine nature, no divine motivation, no eternal plan. It does not reveal God’s love, nor does it explain whether or why God transforms us into glory. It is this-worldly, and it has no inherent hope for beyond. For where is God’s grace? Where is God’s love? Where is our eternal future in this scheme?\nThus it is necessary, for all good purposes, to proclaim that God is the Father of Mary’s baby, that God is the Son of Mary, that God is the Spirit who led her into that truth; for in that we find that God is love, that He transforms us, who are the work of His hands, into His substance; He loves us, He adopts us, He makes us His agents in this world and His sons in the next, where we live with Him in glory forever.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8437352180480957}
{"content": "On May 16, 2012, the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI Council) provided guidance to merchants as an initial step in identifying measures that can be taken to facilitate secure acceptance of payments using mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets at the point-of-sale. In particular, the PCI Council’s guidance is intended to provide merchants with actionable recommendations on accepting payments via mobile devices in a manner that comports with the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which requires merchants to protect cardholder data (whether such information is printed, processed, transmitted or stored). The PCI Council reasoned that taking additional measures for securing mobile payments is important because there are limited security safeguards on current mobile devices for payment acceptance, responsibilities for security in the mobile ecosystem span multiple payers (e.g., financial institutions, payment brands, mobile network operators, handset manufacturers, etc.), protecting cardholder data is required under the PCI DSS, and securing mobile acceptance supports consumer confidence.\nThe PCI Council determined that securing account data at the point of capture is a meaningful way to actively control the risks associated with mobile payments. As such, the guidance provides specific recommendations on point of capture security measures for: (i) merchants that utilize an off-the-shelf payment acceptance solution, and (ii) merchants that build their own mobile acceptance solution. If a merchant utilizes an off-the-shelf solution, the PCI Council recommends that the merchant use a validated and properly implemented Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) solution. The PCI Council explained that using a validated P2PE solution will significantly reduce the risk that a malicious person could intercept and use cardholder data.\nAlternatively, if a merchant chooses to build its own solution, the PCI Council recommends that the solution require additional encryption technology (beyond that provided in a mobile device), including an approved “point of interaction” (POI) device (i.e., a PIN entry device or secure card reader) to capture and encrypt cardholder data for a transaction. The PCI Council noted that a list of validated P2PE solutions and approved POI devices will be available on the PCI Council’s website as and when they are approved.\nAccording to the PCI Council, a merchant’s use of a validated P2PE solution for processing mobile payments may lessen the requirements for its annual merchant compliance with the PCI DSS, which will likely reduce the costs associated with compliance. Nevertheless, the PCI Council cautioned that merchants will still be required to comply with the PCI DSS, contractual obligations with third party vendors (including the P2PE solution provider) and any other applicable law, rules, regulations or guidance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9735782146453857}
{"content": "Financial Regulation, Financial Globalization and the Synchronization of Economic Activity We analyze the impact of financial globalization on business cycle synchronization utilizing a proprietary database on banks' international exposure for industrialized countries during 1978- 2006. Theory makes ambiguous predictions and identification has been elusive due to lack of bilateral time-varying financial linkages data. In contrast to conventional wisdom and previous empirical studies, we identify a strong negative effect of banking integration on output synchronization, conditional on global shocks and country-pair heterogeneity. Similarly, we show divergent economic activity as a result of higher integration using an exogenous de-jure measure of integration based on financial regulations that harmonized segmented EU markets.\nThis paper was revised on December 5, 2011", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.768214225769043}
{"content": "At OETIO, we are never satisfied with the status quo. We believe in continual improvement, and that’s what makes our curriculum so effective. We apply the same philosophy to everything we do, so our team specializes in remaining current, and integrating innovative and cost-effective methodologies and technologies to enhance our training programs.\nOur goal is graduating the most knowledgeable and skilled operators in the industry. To this end, we research, develop and pilot prototypes for training delivery methods and training aids. Only after these innovative training solutions have been thoroughly tested do we then introduce them to enhance our formal training programs.\nOETIO uses state of the art simulations of its equipment to enhance the training experience, and ultimately produce more competant operators.\nTo learn more about how OETIO uses simulation, choose a simulator from the navigation menu on the right.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9719428420066833}
{"content": "Publications (2)4.67 Total impact Article: Atypical hemispheric asymmetries for the processing of phonological features in children with rolandic epilepsy. [show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: We assessed language lateralization in 177 healthy 4- to 11-year-old children and adults and atypical asymmetries associated with unilateral epileptic foci in 18 children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS). Dichotic listening results revealed two indices of immature functional asymmetry when the focus was left-sided (BECTS-L). First, children with BECTS-L did not show left hemisphere dominance for the processing of place of articulation, which was recorded in children with BECTS-R and control children. On the contrary, healthy children exhibited a gradual increase in left hemisphere dominance for place processing during childhood, which is consistent with the shift from global to finer-grained acoustic analysis predicted by the Developmental Weighting Shift model. Second, children with BECTS-L showed atypical left hemisphere involvement in the processing of the voiced value (+V), associated with a long acoustic event in French stop consonants, whereas right hemisphere dominance increased with age for +V processing in healthy children. BECTS-L, therefore, interferes with the development of left hemisphere dominance for specific phonological mechanisms.Epilepsy & Behavior 04/2011; 21(1):42-51. · 2.34 Impact Factor [show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: We assessed the impact of unilateral epileptic foci in benign idiopathic partial epilepsy of childhood with rolandic discharges (BECT) on performance and hemispheric specialization in lateralized cognitive functions. Six children with BECT with a left-sided focus (BECT-L), 6 children with BECT with a right-sided focus (BECT-R), and 12 control children were tested in verbal, visual-spatial, and visual-attention tasks, with visual hemifield presentation. Children with BECT-R were impaired in the visual-spatial task relative to those with BECT-L, and the typical left-hemisphere (LH) advantage was not reported in the verbal task in children with BECT-L. Additionally, the classic global superiority effect was lacking in children with BECT-R, which may be due to impaired performance of the right hemisphere specialized in global (vs local)-level processing. These data argue for the deleterious effect of epileptic discharges per se on cognitive functions in the developing brain, and the decisive role of epileptic focus lateralization in specific cognitive impairments and hemispheric specialization.Epilepsy & Behavior 10/2006; 9(2):268-74. · 2.34 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6077226400375366}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: To determine the relative ability of various marketed toothpastes formulated with either stabilized stannous fluoride (SnF2), sodium fluoride (NaF), or sodium monofluorophosphate (SMFP) to protect human enamel against the initiation and progression of damage due to dietary acid attack, using a laboratory erosion cycling model.Cores of ground and polished enamel from extracted human teeth were soaked in pooled, human saliva (pellicle formation) and then subjected to erosion cycling conditions that included exposure of tooth specimens to: (1) treatments in a 1:3 slurry (w/w) of toothpastes and saliva; and (2) acid challenges using either citric acid (Study 1) or both citric and phosphoric acids (Study 2). These acids represent potentially damaging acids found in common food and drinks. Upon completion of treatments, specimens were analyzed with regard to the depth of tooth mineral removed from exposed areas of the treated specimens over the course of the study. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 included a marketed, stabilized SnF2 toothpaste vs. marketed NaF toothpastes; Study 2 tested the same stabilized SnF2 product compared to a marketed SMFP toothpaste and a NaF control.The stabilized SnF2 toothpaste included in these studies demonstrated a highly significant reduction in enamel surface loss, relative to the control, in each study: Study 1 = 65% reduction; Study 2 = 58% reduction when using citric acid and 84% reduction when using phosphoric acid. Products formulated with NaF resulted in a net loss of between +1% and -21%, with none of the NaF toothpastes performing significantly different from the control (P<0.05, ANOVA). For the SMFP product included in Study 2, results were also not significantly different from the NaF control. In both studies, the stabilized SnF2 paste demonstrated a highly significant level of protection compared to all other test groups included in the study, regardless of the type of dietary acid challenge considered. American journal of dentistry 08/2011; 24(4):205-10. · 0.76 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8661827445030212}
{"content": "Certain species of toxic algae—in this case, Alexandrium—have a cyst stage in their life cycle that promotes wide dispersal and long-term survival through difficult environmental circumstances. These “seeds” form in the late stages of blooms and fall to the ocean floor where they remain dormant until the next year when they germinate to initiate a new bloom. View this figure in an interactive format (Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9623106122016907}
{"content": "One of the main expenses in owning a horse is feed. This four-page fact sheet explains how horses naturally use forages as a primary component of their diets and how these requirements can be supplied by pasture and hay. It also covers pasture and hay production and management, as well as forage concerns related to horses.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.919101357460022}
{"content": "All new researchers face the daunting task of familiarizing themselves with the existing body of research literature in their respective fields. Recommender algorithms could aid in preparing these lists, but most current algorithms do not understand how to rate the importance of a paper within the literature, which might limit their effectiveness in this domain. We explore several methods for augmenting existing collaborative and content-based filtering algorithms with measures of the influence of a paper within the web of citations. We measure influence using well-known algorithms, such as HITS and PageRank, for measuring a node's importance in a graph. Among these augmentation methods is a novel method for using importance scores to influence collaborative filtering. We present a task-centered evaluation, including both an online analysis and a user study, of the performance of the algorithms. Results from these studies indicate that collaborative filtering outperforms content- based approaches for generating introductory reading lists.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9964533448219299}
{"content": "LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A massive budget shortfall combined with a larger economic slowdown may be all that stands between California and the next catastrophic earthquake. KNX 1070′s Margaret Carrero reports a statewide early-warning system is being held up largely over financing issues.\nA Bay Area-based foundation has donated $6 million dollars to help researchers develop a system that would give residents anywhere from a few seconds to a minute’s notice before the ground starts to shake.\nScientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, UC Berkeley and elsewhere crafted the system, but dismal state and federal funding has left the project in limbo.\nGeologists estimate it would cost between $80 and $150 million for a monitoring system to reach the entire West Coast.\nSimilar warning systems have proven successful in countries prone to temblors, including Mexico and Japan, where the government invested $1 billion for its own version.\nWhile some experts remain optimistic that funds could be made available in a few years, others are concerned it may take another catastrophe before funding rolls in.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8363685011863708}
{"content": "Many observers believe that the level at which the program should be funded is around $100 million, especially as the Bush Administration also proposes to slash Naval shipbuilding levels to even below the build rate of the Clinton years.\nHowever, the shipbuilding industry looks to have set its sights on what's realistic, rather than on what's most desirable.\nThe SCA's Title XI Coalition, working in conjunction with the American Shipbuilding Association, is already working to build support for Title XI funding at the $50 million level next year.\nCongressman David Vitter (R-LA), a member of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary sent a letter to Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R-LA) on February 12 requesting that the Subcommittee include $50 million for Title XI when it marks up CJS legislation later this year.\nAdditionally, the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO adopted a resolution in support of the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry at its 2002 Executive Board Meeting in New Orleans, February 20- 22.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8445571660995483}
{"content": "Murphy, Joseph and Levidow, Les (2006). Governing the Transatlantic conflict over agricultural biotechnology: contending coalitions, trade liberalisation and standard-setting. Genetics and Society. London, UK: Routledge.\nAbstract Delays in approving genetically modified crops and foods in the European Union have led to a high profile trade conflict with the United States. This book analyses the EU-US conflict and uses it as a case study to explore the governance of new technologies.\nThe transatlantic conflict over GM crops and food has been widely attributed to regulatory differences that divide the EU and the US. Going beyond common stereotypes of these differences and their origins, this book analyses the conflict through contending coalitions of policy actors operating across the Atlantic. Governing the Transatlantic Conflict over Agricultural Biotechnology focuses on interactions between the EU and the US, rather than on EU-US comparisons. Drawing on original research and interviews with key policy actors, the book shows how EU-US efforts to harmonise regulations for agricultural biotechnology created the context in which activists could generate a backlash against the technology. In this new context regulations were shaped along different lines. Joseph Murphy and Les Levidow provide new insights by elaborating critical perspectives on global governance, issue-framing, standard-setting and regulatory science.\nThis accessible book will appeal to undergraduate and post-graduate students, academics and policy-makers working on a wide range of issues covered by political science, policy studies, international relations, economics, geography, business management, environmental and development studies, science and technology studies.\nActions (login may be required)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6141970157623291}
{"content": "December 2009: Volume 35, Number 12\nReport: Stroke Care Needs Improvement\nA new report on stroke registry data from four states indicates that although stroke care has improved, further advances need to be made at both the healthcare system and institution levels (MMWR 2009;58:1–23). The information comes from the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry (PCNASR), a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-sponsored initiative to track and improve hospital-based acute stroke care.\nFrom 2005 to 2007, PCNASR tracked 10 care performance measures involving 195 hospitals and nearly 57,000 patients in Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and North Carolina through registries maintained by state health departments. A separate prototype phase took place between 2001 and 2004, with the registries led by CDC-sponsored investigators in academic and medical institutions.\nPatients included in PCNASR were at least 18 years old and had a clinical diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or an ICD-9-CM code indicative of stroke or TIA. Ischemic stroke was the most common diagnosis accounting for 53.3% of cases.\nLab testing was among the performance measures with the most improvement. During the prototype phase, only one-third of patients had lipid levels measured either after hospitalization for stroke or within 30 days before the stroke with the results available in the medical record. However, in the 2005–2007 timeframe, this indicator was recorded for nearly 70% of patients. Other measures with significant improvements included dysphagia screening, smoking cessation counseling, and antithrombotic therapy prescribed at discharge.\nAt the healthcare system level, the report emphasizes the need for greater public awareness about the symptoms of stroke and the importance of seeking care immediately. About half of patients with ischemic stroke lacked documented information on time of symptom onset, and an additional 25% arrived too late to receive tissue plasminogen activator therapy, a level that was unchanged between the prototype and 2005–2007 timeframes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8359224796295166}
{"content": "Knowledge is power, and knowing one's strengths and deficits, and making corresponding refinements to one's leadership style, can powerfully affect the performance of individuals, teams and entire business units. Anderson Partners Executive Performance utilizes state-of-the-art assessment systems to help individuals and teams better understand and leverage their strengths, manage and diminish weaknesses, and more successfully seize opportunities for growth.\nThis 360-degree diagnostic tool identifies opportunities for leaders to maximize skills and abilities, minimize personal and professional deficits, enhance collaboration, and, finally, measure specific improvement over time. This tool measures Creative Competencies—how one can effectively achieve results, lead, interact and inspire others—and Reactive Tendencies—how one reacts to adverse conditions, inhibiting leaders and their teams from achieving positive results. These two key leadership commponents are demonstrated to have the greatest contribution to success or failure in today's workplace.\nAnderson Partners' Leadership Culture Survey assesses the effectiveness of the current leadership style and corporate culture versus stated objectives. This survey quantifies the gap between actual and stated goals and highlights opportunities for change, development and growth.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9635387659072876}
{"content": "Barked: Tue Mar 15, '11 1:23pm PST A dog with an enlarged heart condition is the most common cause of heart failure in large dogs. In a dog enlarged heart condition, a dog’s heart enlarges causing it to have trouble pumping blood and the way it moves calcium ions. With a decline in the ability to move calcium, the heart becomes thinner and flabby. Over a few months, the thinning causes the heart to become enlarged (dilated) and the timing of the heart changes for the worse, causing the dog to start showing symptoms. When the condition worsens, it results in heart failure and sadly after 1 to 2 years, the death of your dog.\nThe cause of the disease is not known but is associated with parvovirus, taurine deficiencies and adriamycin. The disease tends to affect male, middle age, large breeds of dogs and is most often seen in Doberman Pinschers, Saint Bernards, Cocker Spaniels, Great Danes, German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers. It is not common in small dogs.\nThis is what I could find on Google. It seems like it's not too common on small dogs. You should definetly go to the vet and have your baby checked up. I hope it's nothing serious.\nmy page | msg me | gift me | become pals", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.767173707485199}
{"content": "Review of the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 and Associations Incorporated Regulation 1999\nSubmissions for the review of the Assiociations Incorporation Act 1982 and Associations Incorporated Regulation 1999 have now closed to the public.\nMany not-for-profit organisations in Queensland are incorporated as associations. The relevant legislation is over 30 years old, and due for review. Accordingly, in late-2010 consultation began on reforms to the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 following earlier changes in 2005-2007. Valuable feedback was received from the consultation paper released by Government.\nSince then, the Commonwealth Government announced significant changes to the national framework for charity and not-for-profit regulation.\nThese national reforms provided an opportunity to revisit the legal framework for associations, to reduce red tape and modernise requirements. Consequently, the Government commissioned the Queensland University of Technology Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Non-profit Studies (ACPNS) to produce a paper on the issues facing modern incorporated associations. In the consultation, community opinion was sought on the possibility of wide ranging changes to the Act and Regulation.\nKey areas seeking feedback on include:\ndispute resolution; voluntary administration; corporate governance principles, particularly the extent to which these should be applicable given changing expectations about the accountability of associations to government and the public; reporting requirements, including whether the current public register and tiered system of annual reporting are effective; the existing model rules, and if these could be expanded to assist associations access tax concessions and other government benefits; and the role of the Office of Fair Trading in assisting associations to comply with their legal obligations. The Queensland Government invited associations, their members and the broader community to comment on the issues raised in the Paper.\nDiscussion paper (PDF, 345 KB) Submissions closed on Friday 25 May 2012.\nLast reviewed 24/04/2013", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5004661679267883}
{"content": "Sue Longley, IUF, speech to WDACL 2010 Chairman, ladies and gentleman, my organisation, IUF, is the global trade union representing workers throughout the food chain. We are actively supporting the on-going work to develop a Convention and supporting Recommendation on domestic workers but on this occasion I want to speak about the situation in agriculture.\nIn 2010, as in 2006, the report of the Director General states clearly that agriculture remains the sector with the most child labour. Since 2006 there has been a slight decrease in the percentage but the absolute numbers remain the same. The ILO estimates that 129 million girls and boys aged 5–17, equivalent to 60 % off all child labourers, are still working in agriculture, many of them under hazardous conditions", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6047663688659668}
{"content": "Organization Leadership Reports The American Legion testified at a June 21 House hearing in Washington, D.C., showing its support for several bills, including one measure that would require states to adjust their licensing/certification standards to accommodate military standards. Certifications for nursing assistant, certified nursing assistant, registered nurse and commercial drivers’ licenses would be affected.\nH.R. 4155, the Helping Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Return to Employment at Home Act, would remove some obstacles faced by job-seeking veterans whose military training and experience is not widely recognized by civilian agencies.\nSteve Gonzalez, assistant director of the Legion’s Economic Division, presented the Legion’s testimony to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.\nIn many cases, civilian licenses and certificates require schooling that veterans have already completed through their military service. Unfortunately, most agencies that issue these documents do not recognize such training or experience. For example, a Navy medic who treated Marines with severe wounds cannot be certified as a private-sector emergency medical technician without additional — and redundant — course work.\n\"When civilian credentialing boards, states and employers fail to fully recognize military education, training and experience,\" the Legion testified, \"both the servicemember and the nation are impaired. The veteran faces reduced chances of obtaining a job on part with his/her skills, and the civilian workforce cannot take full advantage of the extensive skills training in which our nation has invested.\"\nAnother Legion-supported bill discussed at the hearing, the Help Veterans Return to Work Act, would clarify the responsibilities of small businesses with respect to the employment and re-employment rights of veterans. The measure would remove \"undue hardship\" as a justification for large businesses to refuse to give returning veterans their jobs back. Such protections would only apply to small businesses.\nThe Legion testified that current law \"is too lenient in allowing employers, regardless of size, to dismiss deployed servicemembers. It is estimated that nearly half of unemployed veterans are National Guard and reserve members.\"\nThe Legion testified on two other bills at the hearing that would further safeguard military homeowners and their families. They were:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.545860230922699}
{"content": "On the 9th November, a federal court in Brasilia ruled that construction on the Belo Monte dam could continue without the need for free, prior and informed consent from indigenous groups that will be adversely affected by the project. The court determined that consent was not required because the dam’s infrastructure would not be situated on local tribes’ land. In a two-to-one decision, deciding Judge Maria do Carmo Cardoso stated that consultations did not have to occur before the commencement of the project, and that it would not become legally binding. The judge decided that the project’s environmental impact studies would sufficiently address indigenous peoples’ concerns.\nThe dam, if constructed, would become the third largest in the world, flooding approximately 40,000 hectares of rainforest. With an estimated cost of $11 billion, the dam is designed to produce 11,000 megawatts of electricity, representing more than 10% of Brazil’s current capacity. Legal challenges to the dam have been ongoing for decades, and opponents intend to bring the current issue before the national Supreme Court.\nBy Matt Little", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9834365844726562}
{"content": "This article examines ethnic stereotypes in biological race classification of Europeans between the 1830s and 1940s as part of political discourse on national identity. Anthropologists linked physical-psychological types to nations and national character stereotypes through 'national races', achieving an often quite enduring international consensus on each race's mentality. The article argues that race mentality narratives were therefore partly dictated by their place within a dynamic interlocking European system. I focus on two key interacting elements that structured this system: the central role of the Germanic-Nordic blond and the geographically uneven process of modernisation. I consider the spatiality of socio-cultural and political factors 'external' to the stereotype system, such as geopolitics and modernisation, but also emphasise that discursive relationships between national stereotypes helped structure the international stereotype system. My conclusion argues for greater consideration of the influence of both scientific and international systemic factors in research on national identity.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9970129728317261}
{"content": "This case again shows that regulating firearms is constitutional.\nIn NRA v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 11-10959 (5th Cir. Apr. 29, 2013), the court upheld 18 USC 922(b)(1) and (c)(1). These laws prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns under the age of 21.\nThe NRA claimed that this federal statute was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The court disagreed.\nThe Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals explained:\nIn a critical passafe, moreover, the Court emphasized that the ‘right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.’ [Dist. of Columbia v. Heller, 554 US 570, at 626]. As the [Supreme] Court explained:\nFrom Blackstone through the 19th-century cases, commentators and courts routinely explained that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose… [N]othing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on\nlongstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ills,or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, orlaws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.\nId.at 626-27 (emphasis added) (citations omitted). Thus, the Circuit Court stated that “Congress designed its scheme to solve a particular problem: violent crimes associated with the trafficking of handguns from federal firearms to licensees to young adults.” The court, further stated that Congress could have sought to prohibit all persons under 21 from possessing handguns or all guns. Additionally, the court pointed that under the Census, 18-to-20-year-olds accounted for a disproportionately high percentage of arrests for violent crimes” in 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988778829574585}
{"content": "Learn to File a PTSD Disability Claim This article explains two ways to file for PTSD disability benefits from the Social SecurityAdministraiton. It gives the reader specific information about documents required and how SSA determines an applicant’s eligibility for disability. The article covers F’TSD from military service and other traumatic events.\nCriteria used to assess F’TSD disability claims consider symptoms and duration of physical and psychological impairment. The event that triggered the anxiety disorder also plays a part in diagnosis, treatment and eligibility for benefits Ail these factors must be examined before a person suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can receive disability payments. A person who does not qualify for typically disability benefits might be eligible for medical-vocational allowances if the ability to function in the workplace is diminished. PTSD was first identified in war veterans who faced life-threatening experiences. During WWI, lingering stress reactions were referred to as “shell shock.” Later, the term “combat fatigue” became popular to describe veterans plagued by re-occurring trauma from their military service. PTSD symptoms might arise from the threat of personal iniury or death, or experiencing threats to others Overtime, psychologists determined PTSD might occur from other traumatic events outside of war. Surviving a natural disaster, violent assault, or accident might provoke severe reactions that interfere A4th a person’s ability to cope. The victim might relive the event through images, thoughts, or dreams Flashbacks of the experience commonly occur, which could send the victim into a state of panic or anxiety. For example, a person who lives through a major earthquake might be easily startled by the rumbling of a large truck passing by. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorðer defines the first step before filing a claim for disability benefits. People exposed to traumatic events react differently to the ordeal, but some signs, such as trouble sleeping and depression occur commonly. Once a medical health professional diagnoses PTSD, a claim for dibility benefits can be filed. These victims typically avoid activities they previously enjoyed. Rape victims might become reclusive and avoid going out after dark. Accident victims could stop driving or riding in automobiles. People suffering from PTSD commonly shun any activity that triggers unpleasant memories of traumatic events in an effort protect themselves from the physiological changes sparked by fear.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9315407276153564}
{"content": "Sheehan syndrome , also known as postpartum hypopituitarism or postpartum pituitary necrosis , is hypopituitarism (decreased functioning of the pituitary gland), caused by necrosis due to blood loss and hypovolemic shock during and after childbirth.\nIt is a rare complication of pregnancy, usually occurring after excessive blood loss; the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (i.e., in amniotic fluid embolism or HELLP syndrome) also appears to be a factor in its development.\nPathophysiologyEdit Hypertrophy and hyperplasia of lactotrophs during pregnancy results in the enlargement of the anterior pituitary, without a corresponding increase in blood supply.\nSecondly, the anterior pituitary is supplied by a low pressure portal venous system.[1]\nThese vulnerabilities, when affected by major hemorrhage or hypotension during the peripartum period, can result in ischaemia of the affected pituitary regions leading to necrosis.\nThe posterior pituitary is usually not affected due to its direct arterial supply.\nIt is named for Harold Sheehan.[2] [3]\nReferencesEdit ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=endocrin&part=A1257 under heading Sheehan's syndrome ↑ Who Named It synd/2009 ↑ H. L. Sheehan. Post-partum necrosis of anterior pituitary. The Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, Chichester, 1937, 45: 189-214. External linksEdit\nEndocrine pathology of psychological interest (E00-35) thyroid Hypothyroidism (Iodine deficiency, Cretinism, Congenital hypothyroidism, Goitre) - Hyperthyroidism (Graves-Basedow disease, Toxic multinodular goitre) - Thyroiditis (De Quervain's thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis) pancreas Diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2, coma, angiopathy, neuropathy, retinopathy) - Zollinger-Ellison syndrome parathyroid Hypoparathyroidism - Hyperparathyroidism pituitary hyperfunction (Acromegaly, Hyperprolactinaemia, ) - Hypopituitarism Kallmann syndrome, Growth hormone deficiency) - Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction adrenal Cushing's syndrome) - Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency) - Bartter syndrome) - Adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) gonads - 5-alpha-reductase deficiency - Hypogonadism - Delayed puberty - Precocious puberty other - - Psychogenic dwarfism - Androgen insensitivity syndrome -", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9848731160163879}
{"content": "Your technical expertise has brought you to\nyour current level of success. Now you are discovering that ongoing\nsuccess is no longer just about technical ability. Now, you are more\nlikely to succeed or fail on how you interact with others.\nYou find yourself needing to persuade and influence. You need to\nnegotiate. You need to chair and facilitate meetings, to develop\nrelationships and networks, to manage conflict. These challenges\nrequire a range of Interpersonal and Communication Skills you may not\nhave needed to such a high level in previous roles.\nOur programmes give you an understanding of your default or preferred\nstyle. We then work with you to develop a range of practical and\neffective approaches.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7163042426109314}
{"content": "Beckley, WV -- To date, disaster recovery officials have approved $20.8 million in grants and loans for those affected in May by severe storms, flooding and landslides in West Virginia. They expect these figures to climb as the recovery operation continues. The deadline to apply for state and federal assistance is July 5.\nAs of Monday, June 17, a total of 5,619 individuals had registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state for disaster assistance. Of these, FEMA has received 5,045 applicants for the temporary Disaster Housing Assistance program. This program provides grants to disaster victims to make their home habitable or to rent alternate accommodations until a more permanent solution is found.\nTo date, FEMA has approved 4,847 Disaster Housing Assistance grants totaling $8,529,602; the state has approved 794 IFG grants totaling $2,375,376; and the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $5.2 million in low-interest disaster-assistance loans to 240 individuals and business owners; in addition FEMA has obligated $4.7 million in assistance to restore public infrastructure damaged by the disaster.\n\"We have received 3,420 applicants for the Individual and Family Grant Program (IFG),\" said Steve Kappa, director of the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services. \"The IFG program provides grants to individuals or families for serious disaster related needs not covered by other disaster assistance programs.\"\n\"When a person registers for disaster assistance, the agency determines what assistance we may be able to provide,\" said FEMA's Justo Hernandez, Kappa's federal counterpart appointed by President Bush to coordinate the federal recovery efforts. \"FEMA then sends out a contract inspector who makes an appointment with the applicant to verify damages. When appropriate, we follow with grants to allow eligible applicants to make needed repairs or rent someplace else. Sometimes we're able to provide a trailer or a mobile home.\"\nSix counties - Kanawha, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh and Wyoming - are eligible for assistance to individuals and families following President Bush's major disaster declaration for West Virginia on May 5.\nThose needing assistance should call FEMA, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362); Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Persons with difficulty hearing or speaking can call TTY at 1-800-462-7585.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5686874389648438}
{"content": "Water related hazards affect millions the world over. Population growth in flood-prone areas, coupled with climate change, continues to heighten the risks of water-related disasters. These are compounded by the growing occurrence of extreme weather conditions that further exacerbate these risks, both in terms of their frequency and severity.\nIn Africa and Asia, RIMES assists national meteorological and hydrological services to enhance capacity to generate and apply end-to-end early warning systems for flood, drought and tidal surges.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7162270545959473}
{"content": "Sometimes I am overcome with gratitude.\nThese moments sneak up on me unexpectedly and can leave me teary-eyed if I let myself fall into them — which I often do. Because gratitude is, I think, a very good thing to cultivate.\nWhen these grateful feelings overwhelm me, I find myself awestruck by how fortunate I have been in some area of my life. I run through a list of people I have to thank for helping me get to the place I’ve reached. It might be someone who has taught me something, encouraged or supported me, helped a dream of mine to grow, or shown me how to open a door I hadn’t even seen. Often, there are many such someones to thank.\nIf you maintain a gratitude practice, you probably have your own list. It might include mentors, friends, colleagues, some higher power, or a combination thereof. You may write out your thoughts or keep them in your head. Doesn’t matter.\nRegardless of if or how you actively practice gratitude, my question to you is the same:\nHow often do you remember to thank yourself? My answer, until recently, was never.\nA few days ago, I found myself overcome with the familiar feeling of gratitude. I began a mental list of the people to whom I owed thanks for helping me reach the place where I was metaphorically standing at that moment. There were the usual players, plus a few new faces, and I spent a little time with each.\nBut as I mulled over my list, I couldn’t find that central figure, the one to whom I owed the largest chunk of gratitude for this particular moment, the one who had been most instrumental in this specific journey. There remained a hollow space, a slot still waiting to be filled.\nAnd then I realized: That person was me. As my actions begin to bear fruit, as the steps I’ve been taking start to pay off, I have to remember myself. I have to say, “Thank you, self, for acting instead of drifting, for taking the reigns and not giving up.” Others have been instrumental in my journey, but without deciding to take that first step myself, and without choosing to keep taking steps, I couldn’t have budged an inch.\nThe feeling was uncomfortable at first. Thank myself? What kind of super-ego did I have? Surely someone else had brought this good fortune to me. I couldn’t possibly claim a hand in it.\nBut that’s not true at all. Including gratitude toward yourself is giving credit where credit is due. It’s putting yourself on equal standing with the others who contribute to your progress. It’s becoming confident in your own self worth.\nNone of that is easy for me to swallow. It goes against the self-deprecating modesty I’ve often felt the need to cultivate. But I keep telling myself: If you are willing to acknowledge the role others have played in your accomplishments, big and small, then you must acknowledge your own as well. Without your participation, nothing can even begin.\nAnd so I vow, from here forward, to include myself in my moments of gratitude alongside the others who have helped me grow. I hope you will, too. Because when it comes to achieving your dreams, it can’t even begin to happen without you.\nWhat’s Your Take? Do you practice gratitude? Do you remember to thank yourself?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.826015830039978}
{"content": "With over 1.4 million professionals employed across all engineering sectors (a number expected to rise in line with the average job creation rate over the next 10 years) engineering is undergoing a renaissance and is currently one of the most vibrant employment categories in the United States.\nWithin the world of engineering, the chemical engineering sector is enjoying a particularly buoyant job market with growth opportunities expected over the next several years. In particular, opportunities in the service industry markets, such as scientific research and development, are expected to increase — primarily in the energy and biotechnology fields.\nThe current chemical engineering expansion is due in large part to increased demands for alternative energy sources, evolving regulatory obligations and rapid growth in both the biomedical and environmental industries.\nLearn where the best jobs are at and how you can build a successful career in this vibrant sector. Access our exclusive white paper report now!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6305805444717407}
{"content": "Other Symptoms that Can Accompany Foot Pain Foot pain can occur in the\ntoes, the ball of the foot, the heel, the arch, the instep, the sole (bottom of the foot), the top of the foot, or the ankle. The onset of pain may be sudden, or may develop slowly over time. Foot pain can vary from a mild ache, to a severe stabbing, throbbing, and burning pain.\nDepending on the cause, symptoms that may accompany foot pain include the following:\nBruising Numbness Redness Swelling Tingling Complications that can occur include infection (e.g., fever, redness, severe pain, warmth, swelling), an inability to bear weight, and deformities (e.g., hammertoes/claw toes, bunions). Patients who have diabetes are at increased risk for foot complications, such as sores (ulcers), Charcot foot, and diabetic neuropathy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9344079494476318}
{"content": "The latest study regarding the amount of sleep needed for adults confirms earlier research. The study, reported in Sleep (February 2004), found that individuals who sleep an average of 7 hours a night live the longest. For this particular study, Japanese researchers followed 104,010 adults for a decade. At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked to complete questionnaires about their sleep patterns and about their health, mental health, and lifestyle habits, which also can affect survival.\nYet, the ideal amount of sleep for each individual varies due to factors that are not completely understood, noted Daniel Kripke, MD, a sleep researcher at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine. There is no evidence that shortening sleep from 8 to 7 hours will lengthen any specific individual's life. Genetics and other factors that also influence life span may play a role in an individual's sleep, he said.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7187097072601318}
{"content": "‘Color blind’ policies could make diversity harder to achieve Whether it be growing concerns about bias or recognition of the value of diversity, many organizations and institutions have elected to deemphasize race or remove it entirely from their decision-making processes. Yet new evidence from psychological science research suggests that this color-blind approach may not be as effective as people believe it is.\nColor blindness offers a seemingly simple way to deal with race: If individuals and institutions do not even notice race, then they cannot act in a biased manner on that basis.\nBut according to a new article published by Evan Apfelbaum of the MIT Sloan School of Management and colleagues, efforts to ignore race can backfire.\n“Shutting our eyes to the complexities of race does not make them disappear,” they write in the June issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.\nApfelbaum and his co-authors, Michael Norton of Harvard Business School and Samuel Sommers of Tufts University, delve into the existing research on the unintended consequences of racial color blindness. For example, in one study, White individuals who avoided mentioning race in conversation were perceived as more biased by Black observers than White individuals who openly talked about race. And another study suggests that people who read arguments promoting color blindness are more likely to display racial bias than people who read arguments promoting multiculturalism.\nBecause color blindness is difficult to maintain even between two people, it’s not surprising that the approach has had mixed results for larger groups. Psychological scientists have found that whether color blindness succeeds at an organization largely depends on how diverse the organization is. Minority applicants perceive diverse organizations that endorse color blindness more favorably than they do predominantly White organizations. Policies that promote color blindness can even lead to racial tension when they are used to support claims of reverse racism by White individuals who believe they are victims of discrimination.\nA proposed alternative to colorblindness, according to Apfelbaum and colleagues, is multiculturalism,in which racial differences are openly discussed rather than ignored. Research indicates that when people are encouraged to use a multicultural approach, they are better at understanding the perspectives of other people and better at spotting discrimination when it occurs. The authors acknowledge that multiculturalism isn’t perfect either (White individuals can feel alienated by multiculturalism), but they suggest that racial inequities are harder to hide — and more likely to be corrected — with a multicultural approach compared to a color-blind one.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7418078780174255}
{"content": "Use-Triggered Fees As noted above, free-rider tendencies can be more easily overcome in intermediate- and small-sized groups, where the actions of group members are subject to coordination. Identifying libraries and other organizations that have demonstrated use of a given publication makes it easier to overcome free ridership by introducing the social dynamics of a smaller group.\nA use-triggered fee model supports open-access publication by imposing usage fees on a voluntary basis. Under the model, individual users, and users from less-developed countries, would have access to an online publication without charge. Additionally, occasional users at an educational institution would be able to use the service, on a limited basis, without charge. However, once use from an institution reaches a specified threshold, the publisher would request the institution to pay an access fee for the service.\nAs Open Access, by definition, would prevent a publisher from blocking access to institutions that cross the use threshold yet fail to pay, a mechanism is required to encourage compliance. Further, this mechanism needs to apply to institutions that operate under purchasing policies that prevent them from paying voluntary fees.\nAs described above, two of the principal approaches to overcoming the freerider obstacle are the provision of selective benefits and an appeal to a social network. We describe two such approaches below in the context of a use-triggered fee.\n3.3.1 Selective Benefit As one technique to increase compliance with a voluntary license, a publisher could present users from institutions that decline to pay with a pop-up message asking them to urge their institution to comply with the license terms. The absence of such a nuisance notice would represent a selective benefit to a contributing library, thus encouraging participation.\nThe principal shortcoming of this approach is that the nuisance message would be delivered to the end user, not to the librarian responsible for licensing online resources. As a result, it would not provide a particularly effective mechanism for encouraging compliance.\n3.3.2 Social Network A publisher could secure provisional consent from an educational institution indicating its willingness to comply with the publisher’s license in the event that the institution crosses a specified use threshold. This authorization would only obligate the institution to pay in the event that its usage triggered an invoice. Although the use threshold would be reset annually, the publisher could provide pro forma invoices that would allow institutions to pay the access fee as part of their routine acquisition process. To leverage the small group dynamic described above, the pre-approval process could be centrally coordinated and target institutions for which prior use of the resource indicates that they would cross or approach the use threshold.\nA program to coordinate the pre-authorization process could be sponsored by an organization with an interest in promoting alternative income models to support Open Access, such as a library consortium. The sponsoring organization could seek participation from its membership and from other libraries identified as significant users of a publication. The program could be constructed to make it easy to monitor the participation of others in the group in order to increase the effectiveness of social incentives. For efficiency, the pre-approval program could accommodate multiple publications. If pilot programs proved successful, the solution would be scalable. (For a description of how such a program could be implemented, see Appendix F.)\n3.3.3 Use-Triggered Fee Example The use-triggered, open-access license was pioneered by the Royal Anthropological Institute for the Anthropological Index Online. (http://aio.anthropology.org.uk/aio/conditions.html)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6405750513076782}
{"content": "We come to the table with great regularity in obedience to Jesus’ command, “Do this in remembrance of me.” But there is a temptation every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper that we focus on what Jesus did on the cross as if it was the end of the story. While the story of the cross plays a central role in our faith narrative, if the story ended there our faith would be built on a martyr’s story rather than the Savior’s story. We are an Easter people. While grace is finds its foundation at the feet of the cross, it is made complete in the moment of resurrection. But, our story does not end there. It is not just about what Jesus\nDID for us, but also of what JesusDOES for us as a people of faith.Earlier in our service you heard Betsy Stewart read our focal passage from the New International Version. I would like to share it again, but this time from the more contemporary New Living Translation. I think it puts in terms we can best understand. It reads,\n14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. You may remember that when I began this sermon series on Hebrews a few weeks ago, I told you that the audience for this book was believers who had come out of Judaism. The writer unapologetically uses images and language that would have been familiar to them. In this passage the writer seized the image of the High Priest, the one who was to be the people’s advocate God. This image would have grabbed their attention. It would have immediate meaning for them. But, in a quick twist they hear that Jesus is that ultimate High Priest. It is Jesus that leads us to the throne of God. The writer wanted them to understand that Jesus understood them. He had dealt with the same temptations and testings that they, and we, face. Jesus understood their and our weakness because he had walked beside them, and walks besides us still. This scripture tells us that Jesus, who is Son of God, the very face of God, is at the same moment our High Priest and Divine advocate. It tells us that the Jesus who acted on our behalf on the cross, still acts on our behalf so that we can come boldly God’s throne and find mercy when we need it most. God is a God of second chances. You can start your life with God again. You can find the grace and mercy you need to be renewed and restored. You have an advocate – a High Priest. Your heart cry matters to God! This Scripture reminds me that my testimony sings out both what God did for me and what God continues to do in my life.\nWhere can you specifically identify where God is active in your life? Claim it and celebrate it! What is going on in your life where you need to move boldly to God’s feet to find God’s mercy and grace? Jesus understands what you are going through. God stands ready to act.\nToday, I invite you to celebrate what God has done that we might find forgiveness, grace, and a personal relationship with God. Today, I invite you to run with boldness to God throne knowing that mercy awaits you. Today, with equal passion, I invite you to sing out what God is doing in your life. In Jesus we have a Savior and a Priest, our Lord and our advocate.\n(Homily followed by Lord's Supper by intinction at five stations located throughout the sanctuary.)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6084885597229004}
{"content": "Bridor offers a wide selection of crispy golden baguettes and stone-baked loaves and rolls, destined for hotel and catering professionals. The range includes prestigious recipes crafted by master bakers from the Lenôtre School in Paris. They help make Bridor a renowned provider of bread and pastries to delight the tastebuds of even the most discerning gourmets. The recent launch of a range of large Bridor loaves “Signé Frédéric Lalos” has been a resounding success. These outstanding products are suitable for any establishment looking to offer high-quality stone-baked products.\nBridor takes the greatest care in selecting its flour – this must be of at least T 65 category – to ensure high-quality deep-frozen bread, made as traditionally as possible using natural, French flour, and guaranteed additive-free. Bridor, a supplier of bread and pastries, is constantly engaged in research, devising products that are a skilful blend of health and wellbeing.\nBread and pastry manufacturer Bridor offers a broad selection of tasty products under six brands. One such brand is the Délifibres range of baguettes, based on recipes using 100% soluble natural fibre (like that found in fruit, vegetables and cereals). 100 g of Délifibres bread provides the body 30% of its RDA, prolonging the feeling of fullness.\nAnother is the Pure Bio Organic range, the first certified organic range of bread and pastries. These baguettes, sandwich breads, small pavés and pastries are made using organically farmed raw materials, minimising the use of fertilisers. Pure Bio Organic bread and pastries combine pleasure and care for the environment – key values that are dear to Bridor, provider of breads and pastries.\nBridor recipes are varied, easy to use and economical – and will satisfy all tastes! Whatever the product – deep-frozen pre-proofed, frozen pre-cooked or unbaked – Bridor ensures guaranteed freshness and quality. Deep freezing does not affect product flavour in any way. Bread and pastries supplied by Bridor stay fresh all day, enabling hotel and catering professionals to fulfil their schedules’ demanding requirements.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6414735913276672}
{"content": "Despite securing more than 100 commitments and actions on sustainable energy, Rio+20 has been dubbed a failure by environmental groups.\nSpeaking at Rio+20 on Friday, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said developing sustainable energy for all was not only necessary but possible.\n“Sustainable Energy for All provides a powerful model for the future. This initiative is already mobilizing significant action from all sectors of society. Working together, we can provide solutions that drive economic growth, expand equity and reduce the risks of climate change,” he said.\nUnder the auspices of the initiative, Ghana has developed a national energy plan to support capacity-develop and innovative financing mechanism and Brazil has pledged $4.3 billion to achieve universal energy access across its borders by 2014.\nMeanwhile, the summit has managed to secure a commitment from Microsoft to go carbon neutral and the Renault-Nissan Alliance has promised $5 billion to commercialise affordable zero-emission cars.\nThe meeting also agreed a plan for future global sustainable development, The Future We Want, which calls for the establishment of sustainable development goals, introducing financing and using the green economy to achieve sustainable development.\nBut Craig Bennett, director of policy and campaigns for Friends of the Earth, says the meeting has not addresses the real issues.\n“World leaders in Rio have responded to the tide of global destruction that’s fast approaching by sticking their heads firmly in the sand,” he said. “These talks have been completely undermined by a dangerous lack of ambition, urgency and political will – and weak politicians too afraid to push for anything tougher.”\nFor further information: www.uncsd2012.org/ www.foe.co.uk\nRelated stories: “Gaping holes” in Rio+20 draft deal, say environmental groups (21-Jun) Development banks pledge a $175 billion jump start for sustainable transport (21-Jun) UN launches sustainable cities initiative (20-Jun)\n25 June 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5417032837867737}
{"content": "Sales forecasting updates: how good are they in practice? Both theory and the opinions of practising forecasters expect that, as the lead time before an event reduces, updates to the forecast will efficiently incorporate more recent information and so be more accurate and less biased. However, in practice, it may be anticipated that there will be some inefficiency due to excessive anchoring on the last forecast, leading to positive correlations in forecast revisions. This study tests these expectations using a large sample drawn from judgementally estimated sales forecasts from 10 manufacturing organisations. The results suggest that forecast accuracy does not improve as much as anticipated as the lead time reduces, and that the forecast revisions display negative not positive first-order autocorrelations. The inefficiency of the fixed-event forecast revisions does not appear to be related to the rolling-event forecast accuracy. This is in distinction to the one period ahead forecast errors where efficiency was strongly related to forecast accuracy performance. Some reasons for the findings are discussed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9929052591323853}
{"content": "SIEF progress is mixed Progress amongst SIEF’s has been mixed. This has been partly due to companies being reticent to take up the roles of SIEF Formation Facilitator (SFF) and the more onerous role of Lead Registrant. At time of writing ECHA lists fewer than 2000 SIEFs having formed (see: http://echa.europa.eu/home_en.asp).\nConsortium formation has, as anticipated, proved to be a difficult area with a significant legal input being needed. Even so time delays in reaching consensus on issues such as data compensation, data valuation, letters of access, late joiners etc have resulted in significant delays in getting work started. Initiatives from industry bodies such as CEFIC have proved invaluable in getting standardized agreements to allow companies to move forward (see: http://cefic.org/templates/shwPublications.asp?HID=750 ).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9303598403930664}
{"content": "Detox Diet Quiz\nAre You In Need Of A Detox Diet?\nA detox diet can be a powerful self-healing tool. We are constantly being exposed to toxins in our food, water and environment. While our bodies are equipped to remove them, our increasing exposure may mean that we can't do it optimally, which alternative practitioners believe may result in tiredness, constipation, skin eruptions, struggles with weight, brittle nails and other ailments. A detox diet allows our bodies to focus on repairing itself.\nBefore looking more closely at the detox diet, take this quiz to put your lifestyle and health in focus and become familiar with some of the reasons people try this diet. Affirmative answers to the questions indicate that you may benefit from a detox diet, but keep in mind that this quiz should not replace medical diagnosis or assessment. Start the quiz below!\nSources:\nWong, C. The Inside-Out Diet. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons, 2007. In-Depth: Detox Diets The Detox Diet Plan - A great starting point.\nPrepare for a Detox - What to know before you start.\nFoods to Eat - A list of foods to eat on a detox diet.\nFoods to Exclude - A list of foods to avoid on a detox diet.\nSample Menu - A sample menu on the detox diet.\nTop 20 Detox Foods - A gallery of top 20 detox foods.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7136701345443726}
{"content": "Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are a family of anti-oxidants that protect cells from metabolically produced reactive oxygen species (ROS). The presence of these enzymes in the secretomes of many parasitic helminths suggests they provide protection against ROS released by host immune effector cells. However, we recently reported that helminth-secreted Prx also contribute to the development of Th2-responses via a mechanism involving the induction of alternatively activated macrophages. In this review, we discuss the role helminth Prx may play in modulating the immune responses of their hosts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6666992902755737}
{"content": "Web Exclusive Essay Forensic Fandom and the Drillable Text While the rise of spreadable media is a major trend of the contemporary era, another development within media seems to pull in an opposite direction: narrative complexity of media storytelling, especially on television. Since the late 1990s, dozens of television series have broadened the possibilities available to small-screen storytellers to embrace increased seriality, hyperconscious narrative techniques such as voice-over narration and playful chronology, and deliberate ambiguity and confusion. These trends, which I’ve explored at length elsewhere (Mittell 2006), are tied into transformations within the television industry and technologies of distribution that have enabled programs to be viewed more consistently by smaller audiences and to still be considered successful.\nSuch long-form complex narratives as Lost , The Wire , 24 , and The Sopranos seem to run counter to many of the practices and examples of spreadable media found elsewhere in this book. These shows are not the ephemeral “video of attractions” common to YouTube that are shared and commented on during downtime at work. They are the DVD box sets to be shelved next to literary and cinematic collections, long-term commitments to be savored and dissected in both online and offline fora. They spread less through exponential linking and emailing for quick hits than via proselytizing by die-hard fans eager to hook friends into their shared narrative obsessions. Even when they are enabled by the spreadable technologies of online distribution, both licit and illicit, the consumption patterns of complex serials are typically more focused on engaging with the core narrative text than the proliferating paratexts and fan creativity that typify spreadable media.\nPerhaps we need a different metaphor to describe viewer engagement with narrative complexity. We might think of such programs as drillable rather than spreadable. They encourage a mode of forensic fandom that invites viewers to dig deeper, probing beneath the surface to understand the complexity of a story and its telling (Mittell 2009a). Such programs create magnets for engagement, drawing viewers into story worlds and urging them to drill down to discover more.\nAn example of such engagement can be seen in a fan website such as Lostpedia. This wiki, open to be edited by anyone with an interest in the show, aggregates engagement by directing it inward toward the core text itself. Lostpedians come together to decode episodes, to theorize possible explanations, to play paratextual games, and to draw connections among the broad range of episodes, transmedia extensions, and external cultural references. Even though such a site is not an official product of ABC, it is solely focused on the centrality of Lost as the site of collective engagement. Fans congregate at Lostpedia to drill down into the text, not to spread fan practices outward (Mittell 2009b).\nNarrative complexity and drillable engagement is not an entirely new phenomenon but rather an acceleration by degree. Highly serialized genres such as soap operas have always bred fan archivists and textual experts, while sports fans have a long history of drilling down statistically and collecting artifacts to engage more deeply with a team or player. Contemporary examples are notable for both the digital tools that have enabled fans to collectively apply their forensic efforts and the demands that mainstream television network programs make on their viewers to pay attention and to connect the narrative dots.\nOne text can inspire fans to both drill and spread. For instance, the twenty-first-century update to Battlestar Galactica (the reimagined series which first launched on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003) features a highly complex narrative that engages fans to drill into the mythology on the Battlestar Wiki and countless blogs and online forums. Fewer fans engage as they drill down to deeper levels, but their intensity rises in positing theories and interpretations about the story world and its potential outcomes, or debating the show’s representational politics or social commentary. This type of engaged drilling requires concentration and motivation by fans, making it a realm for the most dedicated and die-hard viewers.\nHowever, even a complex serial in which every aspect of the narrative is interconnected can inspire spreadable offshoots more akin to the bulk of shared texts on YouTube. One such example comes from season four of Battlestar , in which a character unexpectedly and brutally kills herself. Forensic-minded fans took this moment as an opportunity to explore motivations, rationale, and repercussions, but one fan saw a spreadable opportunity. Posting a video on YouTube called “Worst Commercial Placement Ever,” the clip shows the moment of the suicide, ending with the body lying in a pool of blood, and then continues into the advertisement that followed the scene on Canadian television: a cracker commercial with slow-motion shots of splashing tomato soup (resembling blood via this juxtaposition), set to an upbeat song with the lyric “I just want to celebrate another day of living!” This clip fits YouTube’s attraction model, with a clear moment of spectacular humor requiring no depth of story-world knowledge—it is not surprising that the clip has been seen over 250,000 times and linked to on numerous blogs and social network sites. Even after the clip was blocked as copyright infringement, fans posted numerous copies to continue the spreadable moment. (Alas, I have no information as to how successful this ad was in promoting the cracker brand, but clearly many more people have seen it via this spread.)\nThe opposition between spreadable and drillable shouldn’t be thought of as a hierarchy but rather as opposing vectors of cultural engagement. Spreadable media encourages horizontal ripples, accumulating eyeballs without necessarily encouraging more long-term engagement. Drillable media typically engage far fewer people, but they occupy more of their time and energies in a vertical descent into a text’s complexities. Privileging depth over breadth is a knee-jerk response bred in the humanities, where complexity is a marker of quality over surface pleasures of sensation and surprise that are more typical in spreadable media. However, we need to shift our normative stance to allow that both spreadable attractions and drillable complexity are legitimate forms of cultural engagement, differently appropriate depending on a viewer’s context and goals.\nReferences Mittell, Jason. 2006. “Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television.” Velvet Light Trap 58:29–40.\n———. 2009a. “Lost in a Great Story: Evaluation in Narrative Television (and Television Studies).” In Roberta Pearson (ed.), Reading Lost, 119–138. London: I. B. Tauris.\n———. 2009b. “Sites of Participation: Wiki Fandom and the Case of Lostpedia.” Transformative Works and Cultures 3. http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/118/117.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5288470387458801}
{"content": "The United States Food and Drug Administration approved a helmet that treats depression using — wait for it — magnets. It might sound like weird science, but doctors are hailing it as a non-invasive and effective alternative to antidepressants.\nTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (or TMS), involves wearing a helmet filled with electromagnetic coils that sends magnetic pulses to “rewire” specific neural pathways in the brain. Brainsway, a publicly traded Israeli company, has an exclusive license for the technology.\nWhile TMS bears some resemblance to electroconvulsive therapy, doctors say it works quite differently. Traditional shock therapy induces seizures to release neurotransmitters, the goal for TMS is to energize nerve tracks in the brain by making them fire more frequently. The magnetic field impulses of TMS are far gentler, the same strength as those used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8458832502365112}
{"content": "By Judy Harrow I had trouble writing this essay. It seems overwhelmingly difficult to think or write about the Shadow, even in a theoretical mode. How much more difficult must it be, then, to actually encounter our own personal shadows, the challenges (or challengers) that await us at various points in our inner journeys?\nYet, if we do not engage with and resolve those challenges, we cannot progress. Consider Inanna, Who had to pass seven gates, and meet seven challenges, before She could confront Her own dark sister in the Underworld.\nOur Shadows are terrifying aspects, yet integral part of us. We can make them disappear — temporarily — by staying out of the light, by immersing ourselves in shadow. This may be what happens when the autonomous, responsible individual disappears into a flock, finding some sense of righteousness in uncritical obedience to authority or adherence to group norms. At worst, such flocks turn into violent mobs: crusaders, jihadists, lynching parties.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9976598024368286}
{"content": "Feature\n\"All of the authors except one are psychologists,\" noted Miranda, the report's senior science editor and a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles.\nAnd that makes sense, she says, because psychologists have \"led the way in ethnic-minority research.\" But, there is still a \"tremendous need for research,\" she added.\n\"Ethnic minorities haven't participated in treatment outcome research, so there's no real evidence about what treatments work for ethnic minorities,\" she said.\n\"We need to really understand how treatment affects ethnic minorities,\" she said. However, she noted, \"They are not seeking treatment. Researchers are predominantly white. We don't provide enough services, such as Spanish services.\"\nShe admits she was surprised by the numbers. \"Minorities are among the most vulnerable groups. Approximately 40 percent of the homeless population are African American....As a field, we don't really think about them enough.\"\nMiranda says she hopes the report will spur action in the field. \"We haven't moved ahead in a long time. Now that there will be national attention on this, I'm optimistic it will bring more research and action.\"\n--J. DAW", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9945716857910156}
{"content": "This rare skin disorder involves the constant separation of the first and second layers of the skin, between the dermis and epidermis. With exposure to minor injury, irritated, angry-red blisters form on the skin, and then develop into open sores. Often, in many cases, skin on the fingers and toes will heal incorrectly, fusing fingers and toes together; as a result, many epidermolysis bullosa patients need help completing simple tasks, making it a debilitating disorder.\nThis genetic disorder is classified into four main categories: dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, epidermolysis bullosa simplex, hemidesmosomal epidermolysis bullosa, and junctional epidermolysis bullosa, with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa being the most severe form. However, some scientists believe there is a fifth type of epidermolysis bullosa known as epidermolysis bullosa acquista, although it is classified as an autoimmune disorder.\nAlthough the exact origin of this disorder remains unknown, this disorder often occurs at birth or shortly after birth. It has also been classified as an inherited genetic disorder, in which both parents must be carriers for the mutated gene. However, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is usually present in people over 50, but some cases have been seen in children; some scientists have linked the origin of this form of epidermolysis bullosa to Crohn’s disease, otherwise known as inflammatory bowel disease, and to lupus.\nAlthough the symptoms of this skin disorder can vary from condition to condition, patients usually experience blistering of the skin and may face lethal skin blistering that poses a threat on other bodily organs. In contrast, patients with epidermolysis bullosa simplex, the least severe form of E.B., may not see signs until adulthood, causing the individual to go years without diagnosis of the disorder.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6063812971115112}
{"content": "Dynamic Evaluation of Atmospheric Response to Emission Trends\nScientific investigations and environmental decision-making rely on environmental models to accurately simulate not only pollutant concentrations but also their sensitivities to emissions. Simulating sensitivities is especially challenging for air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter that exhibit nonlinear and highly variable responses to multiple precursor emissions. Whereas models are routinely evaluated against observations for pollutant concentrations, much less is known about the accuracy of pollutant sensitivities that cannot be directly observed. This research is considering recent abatement efforts in the United States as a real-world experiment in emissions perturbations and developing innovative techniques to ground-truth pollutant sensitivities to emissions trends. Modeling is being applied to evaluate ozone and PM responsiveness to emission trends and exploring the leading contributors to uncertainty in responsiveness estimates.Funding: National Science Foundation CAREER AwardStudent: Wei Zhou", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9013540744781494}
{"content": "Strategic initiatives by governments to stockpile “technology metals” or impose policies to limit export quotas on materials which are labeled “rare” indicate the classification of resources is worth considering for investors and industry stakeholders, since it will obviously have broader impacts on global supply and demand dynamics.\nArticles Tagged \"rare earth elements\" Consumer goods manufacturers and industrial companies appear to be showing interest in securing strategic partnerships directly with lithium exploration and development companies.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6031167507171631}
{"content": "Peter Costello Treasurer 11 March 1996 - 3 December 2007 NO.025 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – MARCH QUARTER 2004 Today’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that inflation remains low, with the All Groups CPI increasing by 0.9 per cent in the March quarter 2004 and yearly inflation declining to 2.0percent. This result places annual inflation at the bottom of the medium-term inflation target band.\nAustralian households benefited from price falls across a range of items in the March quarter, with falls in motor vehicles (down 1.8percent), audio, visual and computing equipment (down 4.5per cent), overseas holiday travel and accommodation (down 5.5percent) and clothing and footwear (down 1.4percent), partly reflecting the strong Australian dollar. Competition in the airline industry saw domestic holiday travel and accommodation prices decline (down 1.1percent). Despite drought which affects meat supplies, meat and seafood prices recorded only a minor increase (up 0.5percent).\nThe pick up in the CPI was driven by housing, food, automotive fuel, education and other seasonal price increases. Continuing high levels of activity in the construction sector saw house purchase prices rise 1.1percent in the March quarter. An increase in food prices (up 1.8 per cent) was driven by higher fruit and vegetable prices, with a combination of drought, floods and frost affecting supply. Higher automotive fuel prices (up 3.4percent), reflecting increases in world oil prices, and an increase in urban transport fares (up 1.9percent) contributed to an overall rise in transportation prices. Increases were recorded in pharmaceuticals (up 11.3percent) reflecting the annual resetting of the Pharmaceuticals Benefit Scheme safety net in the March quarter. Coinciding with the beginning of the school year, education recorded a strong increase (up 7.6percent), driven by indexed increases in HECS payments, some significant increases in state based TAFE fees and wage and operating costs in the preschool, primary and secondary education sectors.\nLooking forward, the key medium-term influences on inflation point to continued moderate outcomes. Housing sector leading indicators are showing signs of a slow-down while wages pressures remain contained, underpinned by solid productivity growth. In addition, the stronger Australian dollar should see continued lower prices for imported consumables. These conditions are consistent with the Government’s forecasts that inflation will remain around, or a little below, the lower end of the medium-term inflation target band in the coming year.\nLow inflation is a key to ensuring that the economy can grow strongly on a sustainable basis. Today's CPI release, along with recent employment figures, shows that the Government’s macroeconomic policies continue to deliver solid economic outcomes.\nMELBOURNE\n28 April 2004\nContact: David Alexander (03) 9650 0244", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6585732698440552}
{"content": "Turn on more accessible modeSkip to main contentTurn off more accessible modeEducation Final 05-15-12 -1.3.a - State Need GrantThis Site: 1.3.a - State Need GrantEducation Final 05-15-121. Access and Enrollment2. Student Accomplishment3. Student and Economic Outcomes1.1 - State-Funded Preschool Enrollment1.2 - Higher Education Participation1.3 - Financial Aid1.4 - E-Learning1.5 - Foster Child School Changes1.1.a - Percentage of Eligible Children Served1.1.b - Enrollment by Age1.1.c - Child Risk Factors1.1.d - Enrollment by Family Income1.1.e - Enrollment by Parents' Education1.2.a - CTC Enrollment1.2.a.1 - Minority Student Enrollment1.3.a - State Need Grant1.3.b - State Work Study1.3.c - College Bound Scholarship1.3.d - Passport to College Promise Scholarship1.3.a.1 - Unserved SNG Students2.1 - State-Funded Preschooler Learning Outcomes2.2 - CTC Student Achievement2.4 - Workforce Training Completion2.6 - CTC Transfer Rate2.7 - Foster Youth Graduation Rate2.1.a - Social-Emotional Skill Improvement2.1.b - Behavioral Improvement2.1.c - Medical Exams2.1.d - Dental Screenings2.1.e - Family Outcomes2.2.a - Basic Skill Gains2.2.b - Pre-College Course Completion2.2.c - First 15 & 30 College Credits2.2.d - First 5 Math Credits2.2.e - Certificate, Degree, and Apprenticeship Completion2.4.a - CTC Workforce Training Completion3.1 - Degree & Certificate Production3.2 - High Demand Degrees & Certificates3.3 - Training Participant Employment3.1.a - Sub-Baccalaureate Degrees & Certificates3.2.a - High Demand Sub-Baccalaureate Degrees & Certificates3.2.e - Workforce Skill Gap3.3.a - Relatedness of Training to Employment3.3.b - Training Participant EarningsFinal GMAP Reports>9. Education>Education Final 05-15-12>1. Access and Enrollment>1.3 - Financial Aid>1.3.a - State Need Grant1.3.a - State Need GrantWhat has happened to State Need Grant funding and service levels?View History2010-08-152011-04-152010-11-30Print VersionOperation in progress...Data NotesData Source:Higher Education Coordinating Board financial aid data system.Measure Definition:Number of students served and program funds expended on student aid by academic year.Target Rationale:Determine the extent to which the program is adequately meeting the need for student financial assistance.Link to Agency Strategic Plan:TheStrategic Master Plancalls for the state to \"maintain its leadership role in providing need-based financial aid by expanding and refining need-based financial aid programs to serve more low-income students.\"Relevance:The SNG program is the largest Washington need-based aid program.Notes: (Optional):Also AvailableAction Plan:NoExtended Analysis:NoDrill Down Measures1.3.a.1 - Unserved SNG StudentsSummary AnalysisThe chart shows the growth in State Need Grant (SNG) funding and the associated increases in the number of students served through the program.The 2010-11 academic year was unique in that state funding decreased due to a midyear budget rescission but the number of students served went up due to a large shift in served students to the community and technical college (CTC) sector. SNG awards in the CTC sector are less than half of the awards for the public and private four-year sectors, therefore more students can be served.Funding for 2010-11 was reduced by $25.38 million due to a mid-year budget reduction. The reduction was targeted to public institutions where SNG was replaced by local institution funds.Between 2002-03 and 2010-11 funding increased 93% and the number of students served has increased 37%.In the 2009-11 biennium, total program funding increased to compensate for rising tuition. However, the economic effect of the recession prevented funding levels from keeping pace with student demand(seedrill down measure).Extended Analysis and Action Plan", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9873443841934204}
{"content": "Re:Lymphangioma\nLymphatic Malformations Lymphatic Malformations used to be called cystic hygroma, hemangiolymphangioma, or lymphangiomas. The lymphatics serve as a collection and transfer system for tissue fluids. When something disturbs this system, a lymphatic malformation is formed. The excess fluid accumulates and the affected lymphatic vessels enlarge and you see a mass. Research indicates that an absence of the correct number of lymphatics is the cause of the lymphatic malformation. Lymphatic malformations are sponge-like masses of abnormal channels and spaces containing clear fluid. Leakage from the skin can occur. This can further lead to cellulitis. If the lymph vessels in the face are affected, the face swells because the normal active transport mechanism has been disturbed. These lesions can occur anywhere but are common in the head and neck area. These lesions may be superficial or deep (superficial ones are seen in the mouth area and look like frogs eggs). These lesions increase or grow with the individual. They may enlarge following an upper respiratory infection. Lymphatic malformations are either micro-cystic or macro-cystic. Lesions that are macro-cystic (large spaces in the lesion) appear as a soft, clear mass under normal or bluish skin and may respond to a drug called OK-432. This treatment should be discussed with a physician to determine if the patient is a candidate; and should only be attempted if no prior surgery has been performed on the lesion. Micro-cystic malformations are small raised lesions containing clear fluid. These superficial lesions appear like small, clear bubbles, sometimes turning dark red due to bleeding. It should be noted that only a skilled surgeon should operate on a lymphatic lesion. By removing some lymphatic vessels during surgery, you can actually cause enlargement of the lesion and further growth period. MRI and CAT scan are used to diagnose lymphatic malformations. Laser treatment, sclerotherapy, and surgery are used to treat or remove these lesions. this material is directly from the VBF \"facts about vascular birthmarks and Tumors pamphlet. Corinne\n__________________\nCorinne Barinaga\nVBF Director of Family Services\nvbfadvocate @ live. com (no spaces)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9324662685394287}
{"content": "The KHRC has, since its inception, advocated for constitutional change that would secure for Kenyan people governance systems and structures that promote, protect and enhance the full spectrum of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The promulgation of the constitution this year is the first major step toward this vision.\nHowever, impunity, indifference to corruption, tribalism, nepotism and apathy towards political participation are but a few of the enduring attitudes of the past despotic epochs. If the new constitution is to be effectively implemented there must be a profound change in the peoples approach towards their rights, their Government and their elected or appointed officials. There must also be a shift in the attitude of government itself.\nTherefore, the KHRC seeks to engage in securing the pledges made under the new constitution through advocacy initiatives aimed at ensuring the comprehensive observance and implementation of the constitution and the meaningful participation of the citizenry in governance and policy creation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995861053466797}
{"content": "By Michael Ashbaugh, MarketWatch\nEditor’s Note: This is a free edition of The Technical Indicator, a daily MarketWatch subscriber newsletter. To get this column, including 100 technical stock picks every month, click here.\nCINCINNATI (MarketWatch) — Market bulls have shown signs of life with this week’s upturn.\nIn the process, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index has risen within view of significant resistance, detailed below.\nBefore detailing the U.S. markets’ wider view, the S&P 500’s hourly chart highlights the past two weeks.\nAs illustrated, the S&P has sold off from its breakdown point, and is now vacillating around its 50-day moving average.\nFrom current levels, initial resistance holds at the February peak of 1,378 — matching its 50-day moving average, currently 1,377 — and is followed by the breakdown point of 1,391.\nA close atop these areas is needed to neutralize the April breakdown.\nMeanwhile, the Dow industrials’ near-term backdrop is equally technical.\nConsider that its 50-day moving average currently holds at 13,001, matching its breakdown point of 13,002.\nMore plainly, the 13,000 mark represents an inflection point.\nThe index is trading above this area in Tuesday’s early action, and a close higher would place the brakes on bearish momentum.\nAnd the Nasdaq Composite’s near-term backdrop is the weakest.\nNonetheless, the index has staged a shaky, but successful, test of well-defined support.\nWith Tuesday’s upturn, initial resistance holds around 3,032, and is followed by more significant overhead around 3,060, matching the bottom of last week’s gap.\nWidening the view to six months adds perspective.\nOn this wider view, the Nasdaq has thus far drawn buyers around three technical areas:\nThe Nasdaq’s 50-day moving average, currently 3,005.\nThe February peak of 3,000.\nThe early-April low of 2,987.\nLooking ahead, a close atop resistance around 3,060 — better illustrated on the hourly chart — would neutralize the April breakdown.\nMoving to the Dow, its six-month backdrop is similar.\nAs detailed previously, resistance effectively holds at the 13,000 mark, matching its breakdown point, and the 50-day moving average.\nThe index is trading above this area in Tuesday’s early action, and a close at current levels would place the brakes on bearish momentum.\nAnd the S&P 500’s backdrop marks the real bull/bear battleground.\nAs illustrated, the index is retesting its 50-day moving average (in blue), matching a former three-year range top.\nThe bigger picture Tuesday’s upturn marks the latest market whipsaw as bulls and bears vie for the trend.\nAgainst this backdrop, the S&P 500 is the most representative U.S. benchmark, making it a useful technical gauge.\nReturning to the S&P’s near-term view, three inflection points stand out:\nResistance at the S&P’s 50-day moving average, currently 1,377.\nResistance at the February peak of 1,378.\nMore significant overhead spanning from 1,388 to 1,391, matching the S&P’s breakdown point.\nTechnically speaking, a close atop these areas would neutralize the April breakdown.\nAnd the breakdown point — roughly, S&P 1,391 — marks the “real” bull/bear battleground.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9657254219055176}
{"content": "November 6, 2012 — In a Slate opinion piece abouta challenge to Arizona’s 20-week abortion ban, Emily Bazelon writes, \"When in a pregnancy can a state ban abortion? For years, the answer has been clear: after viability.\" Bazelon outlines reasons why the court will \"probably\" strike down the Arizona law, including that it \"defies the spirit of Roe v. Wade and the letter of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court's 1992 affirmation of the core of Roe, which allows the state to regulate abortion before viability but to bar it only after that threshold has passed.\"Nonetheless, the case is a \"reminder ... of the impact of the wave of state restrictions on abortion that have passed since Republican electoral gains in 2010, and of how the ground will shift under women's feet if the courts let these [laws stand]\" (Bazelon, Slate, 11/5).\nRepro Health Watch — an exciting new edition of the Women’s Health Policy Report — compiles and distributes media coverage of proposed and enacted state laws and ballot initiatives affecting women's access to comprehensive reproductive health care, as well as litigation in response to those provisions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5360035300254822}
{"content": "Hint: place your cursor over buttons for tips.\nEmployer engagement is a key government priority for colleges and training providers. Tribal has developed the Raising Skills series to meet this agenda providing standardised, high quality learning and support materials for full-cost delivery. The courses are comprehensive, yet concise, and focus on key issues for employers. They are designed to support a range of delivery models, including face-to-face, distance or blended learning.\nThis concise programme is ideal for anyone who has direct contact with children as part of their job role, whether this be in a full-time, part-time or voluntary capacity.\nThe term ‘safeguarding’ covers a range of responsibilities that adults have towards children and young people in their care. This course aims to provide the particular skills and knowledge to enable learners in a wide variety of settings to carry out these responsibilities effectively. As they work through the course, learners will become clear about their role in preventing abuse. They will be able to recognise potential or actual danger and harm and identify the appropriate action to take in response to these different situations.\nThe programme contains guidance on relevant legislation and provides the learner with an opportunity to understand workplace policies and procedures relating to safeguarding children and young people. It also emphasises the importance of working together and how to share information with others to benefit children and young people.\nFor the learner, materials include:\nFor the tutor, materials include:\nA comprehensive tutor guide is supplied to accompany these materials. To view a sample of a tutor guide, click here.\nRaising Skills for Work courses will support learners’ continuous professional development, and potentially improve their career prospects. Learners may also wish to progress to further training or study for qualifications.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7176380157470703}
{"content": "A.F.Ferguson Tax Partner Demanding Revolution Syed Shabbar Zaidi, an authoritative and leading tax expert, also partner for taxation of A.F.Ferguson, reminded the policy makers, yet again, that we need a working and stable tax collection system.\nShabbar Zaidi has said that improvement in the prevailing system of tax collection can lead to tax-revenue of Rs 200 billion to 250 billion.\nIn a statement, Shabbar Zaidi said there was a dire need for revolutionary measures in the system of tax-collection to ensure effective implementation of administrative matters and that of the law.\nZaidi also proposed that, in his view, all political parties should share the same agenda for economic stability in the country. He also emphasized that income tax should essentially be received on all the income above Rupees 400,000, regardless of the sources of income.\nTax has been imposed on agriculture but it is not being collected effectively, he added.\n“Despite the target of tax collection amounting to Rupees 1952b, only Rs 1875 bn to Rs 1900 billion would be received as tax during the current year”, added Zaidi. He noted the government was depending on economic growth rate for collecting a tax of Rs 2380 bn in the next year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.736536979675293}
{"content": "As the title indicates, this book bridges the gaps and explores the interfaces between pediatrics, neurology, and psychiatry. The subjects covered include, among others, autism, depression, regressive behavior, sleep disorders, headaches, seizures, movement disorders, learning disabilities, child abuse and neglect, and aggressive and violent behavior. These disorders are not the sole domain of pediatricians, psychiatrists, or neurologists. Most textbooks that concern themselves with these entities exclusively focus on what is relevant to their own discipline. The result is often a discipline-related interpretation of pathophysiologic and narrowing intervention strategies.\nThe authors have organized the text in a manner that allows clinical application. Each chapter begins by listing questions that, if answered, would give a clinician core information for more effective problem solving. For example, in the chapter on hysteria, the questions addressed are as follows: \"What is the definition of hysteria? Is it a diagnosis of exclusion or inclusion? What organic", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7972413301467896}
{"content": "We review and compare the phenomenological aspects and physical origin of shear-localization and shear-banding in various material types, namely emulsions, suspensions, colloids, granular materials and micellar systems. It appears that shear-banding, which must be distinguished from the simple effect of coexisting static-flowing regions in yield stress fluids, occurs in the form of a progressive evolution of the local viscosity towards two significantly different values in two adjoining regions of the fluids in which the stress takes slightly different values. This suggests that from a global point of view shear-banding in these systems has a common physical origin: two physical phenomena (for example, in colloids, destructuration due to flow and restructuration due to aging) are in competition and, depending on the flow conditions, one of them becomes dominant and makes the system evolve in a specific direction.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6212940216064453}
{"content": "Teachers Rather than thinking\nof ADHD as a disability, it can be helpful if you regard it as a\ncondition that has a very different learning style. This section\nis designed to help you understand the symptoms of ADHD and the\ncurrent treatment options. It also includes teaching strategies\nto create a positive learning experience that can help children\nachieve their potential as they progress through school.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9959190487861633}
{"content": "SFGate.com (San Francisco) (03.07.13)\nWith pressure from lessening federal funds driving their actions, the West Virginia Senate pushed forward a bill on March 7 that would allow local health departments to charge individuals fees for STD testing. According to Loretta Haddy, director of epidemiology with the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources, for the state to deliver basic public health services, legislation must be amended to allow local departments to charge for delivery services. Haddy explained that, due to budget cuts and the coming Affordable Care Act, states are moving to transfer costs to insurers. Currently, anyone in West Virginia can receive free STD testing and treatment at local health departments; however, throughout the last two years, the state has lost approximately $617,000 in federal funding for its HIV/AIDS program as the federal government has shifted money to other states with higher HIV rates. Despite the funding cuts, local health departments have continued to provide services free of charge; under the proposed bill, they would charge individuals for STD testing but continue to provide free or reduced-cost testing and treatment for those who are uninsured.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9354382157325745}
{"content": "As organic production increases, seed sales stay stable\nBy Ching Lee\nDespite the significant growth of the organic market in the last decade and increasing organic crop acreage in the United States, there is one area of organic agriculture that has yet to gain notable traction—organic seed production.\nPlease log in to see this story. Full online content is available to Farm Bureau agricultural or collegiate members.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6818745732307434}
{"content": "Have you heard of service-learning, student volunteerism and work study but do not know the difference? Read on.\nStudent Volunteer Organizations and Clubs\nMost campuses offer opportunities for students to join clubs that match their interests, and some of these clubs provide volunteer hours to the community. In fact, some student groups require their members to participate in a specified number of service hours each year. Examples of student clubs that offer volunteer services include fraternities and sororities, service-related clubs (e.g., Circle K), pre-professional interest groups (e.g., Virginia Academy of Student Pharmacists), and student chapters of national service organization (e.g., Campus Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, Engineers without Borders). Some benefits of recruiting volunteers from a Student Volunteer Organization include (1) student clubs can host fund raising events, (2) student clubs can provide a targeted short- or long-term service across one or more academic years, (3) student clubs rally a large number of volunteers for special projects, sometimes on a short-notice basis. The challenges of working with student clubs may include: (1) communication challenges due to frequent changes in student leadership, and (2) possible inconsistent participation by students due to academic class demands.\nService-Learning Courses\nService-learning courses integrate community service with an academic for-credit course. Students in a service-learning course complete required community service activities that relate to what they are learning in the classroom. For example, students in a religious studies class assist in urban community gardens while studying how various religions view the man-nature interaction. Service-learning classes typically enroll between 10 and 30 students, place students at one or more community site, and require students to complete a specified number of service hours before the end of the semester. The benefits of partnering with student volunteers from a service-learning course include (1) community organizations often develop long-term relationships with the university faculty member who teaches the class, thereby enabling a steady supply of student volunteers, (2) in their classrooms, students are learning about the social issue addressed by the community organization, and (3) the student volunteers are typically dependable because the service is connected to their academic studies. Potential challenges include: (1) long-term planning with the course instructor (i.e., 3 to 6 months before the volunteers arrive) is often necessary to insure that the service activities completed by the students meet the organization's needs and match the course content, and (2) students are typically involved in the service-learning course for only a single 3-month semester, so a new group of students must be oriented every few months.\nFederal Work-Study\nWhile not specifically a student volunteer program, the Federal Work-Study program is worth mentioning here. Federal Work-Study is a government subsidized and needs-based employment program for students with financial need that allows them to earn wages in special student employment positions, typically up to 20 hours per week. Students who qualify to receive federal work-study funding are placed in part-time jobs for an entire academic year, typically for either 10 or 20 hours per week. Many universities approve a list of off-campus, community-based work study positions that enable qualified students to work within local community organizations. Because the federal government pays a portion of the student's hourly wage, the community organizations realizes a significant cost savings when it employs a work-study student. The potential advantages of employing a work-study student include: (1) the student typically remains on the job for at least one academic year and can return to the same position for multiple years, (2) community organizations can typically interview more than one work-study student applicant and select the student who best fits the needs of the organization. Potential challenges of employing a work-study student include: (1) organizations must be flexible in scheduling the student's work hours around his/her class schedule, (2) organizations must pay a portion of the student's wages, (3) organizations must hire only those students who qualify for the work-study award and must be approved by the university as a community work-study site, and (3) typically work-study hiring occurs only once a year in August-September.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5861272811889648}
{"content": "Postmodern Evangelism Gospel through shared experience is a conversation about reinventing evangelism for a postmodern world; more specifically, it is a conversation about a new and generative evangelistic methodology, one that is patient and poetic.\nPatient. Evangelism is a collaborative process – one plants, another waters, but God makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:5-7) – and this process takes time.\nContrary to what you might think, being an evangelist is less like being a salesman who can close the deal and more like being a farmer who knows the soil, understands the division of labor, and does his or her part planting, watering and waiting. Effective evangelism is collaborative and patient.\nPoetic. Evangelism is more poetry than prose, less reporting, more re-creating.\nTaking our cues from the Teacher in Ecclesiastes we begin with commonly observable, shared experience, speaking languages of immediacy that connect with our hearers. It might be a universal human experience like love, loss, pain, suffering, longing or joy or it might be something more specific like music or art, but whatever it is, this language of immediacy is a sort of vicarious experience by which we can pass from our own experience into the realm of shared experience.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6053884029388428}
{"content": "Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.\nOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.\nPerforming General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.\nMaking Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.\nThinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.\nUpdating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.\nCommunicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.\nDocumenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.\nInterpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.\nAssisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.\nScheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.\nPerforming Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.\nJudging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.\nGuiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.\nMonitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.\nIdentifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.\nInspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.\nProvide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.\nSelling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.\nProcessing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.\nCoordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.\nControlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).\nHandling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.\nResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.\nDeveloping Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.\nAnalyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.\nInteracting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.\nEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.\nDeveloping and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7928494811058044}
{"content": "African and global retail and manufacturing companies increasingly are focusing on emerging markets in Africa. They continue to invest, restructure and expand with the expectation of significant growth.\nIn Rwanda, PwC works with clients to expand or improve operations in this rapidly-developing market through a variety of service offerings including tax, consulting and assurance.\nPwC can help you to manage today’s key issues:\nContact Nelson Ogara T: +250 782 276 058 E: nelson.o.ogara@rw.pwc.com", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.872491180896759}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: To evaluate the prevalence, clinical significance, interobserver agreement, and follow-up of extracardiac findings on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA).A prospectively recruited cohort of 80 patients at low to intermediate risk of having coronary artery disease underwent CTA with field of view imaging from lung apices to upper abdomen. Two staff radiologists read each scan independently. Scans read by reader no. 1 were read as part of routine clinical practice, and the findings were subsequently reclassified to potentially significant, as defined by requiring clinical or radiologic follow-up, and insignificant by a separate observer, whereas reader no. 2 retrospectively read and autonomously classified the findings as potentially significant or insignificant.Reader no. 1 found 7 potentially significant findings in 7 patients and 33 insignificant findings in 29 patients. Reader no. 2 found 10 potentially significant findings in 10 patients and 59 insignificant findings in 42 patients. Inter-rater agreement was moderate (kappa = 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.67) for the presence vs the absence of extracardiac findings and moderate (kappa = 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.89) for the presence of potentially significant extracardiac findings. The most common potentially significant finding was possibly malignant lung nodule (n = 6 [reader 1], 4 [reader 2]). Four patients with potentially significant findings received follow-up imaging, and 1 patient underwent biopsy, which was complicated by pneumothorax. No diagnoses of malignancy were made.Extracardiac findings are frequent and moderately reproducible, however, in this study, not associated with clinical benefit. Large prospective studies are required to establish whether reporting of extracardiac findings is associated with improved patient outcomes. Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal 12/2010; 61(5):286-90. · 0.69 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9885662198066711}
{"content": "This survey report explores ethical misconduct in today's workplace from the perspective of HR professionals and addresses the following six key themes: organizational ethics standards and practices; roles of human resource professionals in organizational ethics; ethical behavior of top management, supervisors and nonmanagement employees; pressures to compromise organization’s ethics standards; observed misconduct on the job; and reporting of ethical misconduct. This report presents an analysis of the results from the current study and examines differences by HR professionals’ industry, staff size and employment sector. Where applicable, this report also discusses the results from the 1997 and 2003 SHRM/ERC surveys on this topic and draws comparisons with ERC’s 2007 National Workplace Ethics Surveys (NWES) of employees.\nPurchase report from SHRMStore ($79.95 for SHRM members; $99.95 for non-members)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6913767457008362}
{"content": "John Kominek, Gregory Aist, and Jack Mastow Speech offers a powerful avenue between user and computer. However, if the user is not speaking, or is speaking to someone else, what is the computer to make of it? Project LISTEN’s Reading Tutor is speech-aware software that strives to teach children to read. Because it is useful to know what the child is doing when reading, we are investigating some potential uses of computer vision. By recording and analyzing video of the Tutor in use, we measured the frequency of events that cannot be detected by speech alone. These include how often the child is visually distracted, and how often the teacher or another student provides assistance. This information helps us assess how vision might enhance the effectiveness of the Reading Tutor.\nThis page is copyrighted by AAAI. All rights reserved. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of all of AAAI's terms and conditions and privacy policy.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9650354385375977}
{"content": "Minimum Wage Increases On the Table Proposals to raise the minimum wage have been placed on the\ntable at both the federal and state level. At the federal level, President Obama used his State of the\nUnion address to unveil his plan to raise the federal minimum wage rate in\nstages to $9 an hour by 2015. The current federal minimum wage rate is $7.25 an\nhour. At the state level, a California legislator introduced a\nbill (AB 10 - Alejo) to raise the minimum wage in stages to $9.25 an hour by\n2016. The current minimum wage in California is $8 an hour. The bill also\nproposes to tie the minimum wage to the California Consumer Price Index\nbeginning January 1, 2017. This would allow for annual upward adjustments to\nthe minimum wage. The bill, as currently drafted, would prohibit the state\nIndustrial Welfare Commission from adjusting the minimum wage downward and from\nadjusting the minimum wage upward if the average percentage of inflation from\nthe previous year was negative. The federal proposal is also tied to inflation. The federal minimum wage has not been adjusted since 2007.\nThe state minimum wage was adjusted in 2008.Reminder: Employers\nin San Jose must comply with a new city minimum wage ordinance effective March\n11, 2013. The minimum wage rate for local businesses in San Jose will increase\nto $10 an hour. San Francisco has had a higher minimum wage in effect since 2004.\nThe current rate for employers with employees working in San Francisco is\n$10.55 an hour. Both San Francisco and San Jose have mandatory minimum wage\nposting requirements. These posters are available for purchase at the\nCalChamber Store. HRWatchdog will continue to monitor developments in this\narea.\nGail Cecchettini Whaley, CalChamber Employment Law Counsel/Content", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6848851442337036}
{"content": "Thousand years ago: science was\nempirical, describing natural phenomenaLast few hundred years:\ntheoreticalbranch, using models, generalizationsLast few decades: a\ncomputationalbranch, simulating complex phenomenaToday:\ndata exploration(eScience)--unify theory, experiment, and simulation. (Data captured by instruments, or generated by simulator; processed by software; information/knowledge stored in computer; scientist analyzes database/files, using data management and statistics.)Jim's equating of \"eScience\" with \"data exploration\" seems a little too narrow. (John Taylor, who coined the term, had a somewhat broader definition: \"e-Science will refer to the large scale science that will increasingly be carried out through distributed global collaborations enabled by the Internet.\") However, the growing importance of data can hardly be overstated, and Jim's perspectives are worthy of careful consideration, especially by those who think of \"computation and science\" as being entirely about simulation", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6089463233947754}
{"content": "Publication Details\nNetwork-based elucidation of human disease similarities reveals common functional modules enriched for pluripotent drug targets. PLoS Comput Biol. 2010; (2): e1000662\nCurrent work in elucidating relationships between diseases has largely been based on pre-existing knowledge of disease genes. Consequently, these studies are limited in their discovery of new and unknown disease relationships. We present the first quantitative framework to compare and contrast diseases by an integrated analysis of disease-related mRNA expression data and the human protein interaction network. We identified 4,620 functional modules in the human protein network and provided a quantitative metric to record their responses in 54 diseases leading to 138 significant similarities between diseases. Fourteen of the significant disease correlations also shared common drugs, supporting the hypothesis that similar diseases can be treated by the same drugs, allowing us to make predictions for new uses of existing drugs. Finally, we also identified 59 modules that were dysregulated in at least half of the diseases, representing a common disease-state \"signature\". These modules were significantly enriched for genes that are known to be drug targets. Interestingly, drugs known to target these genes/proteins are already known to treat significantly more diseases than drugs targeting other genes/proteins, highlighting the importance of these core modules as prime therapeutic opportunities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9521607160568237}
{"content": "Readership: Researchers, academics, and graduates in development economics, China studies, transition economics.\nJohn Knight, Professor of Economics, University of Oxford; and Fellow, St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and Lina Song, Institute of Economics and Statistics, University of Oxford\n\"invaluable insights into key areas of development\" - The Royal Society for Asian Affairs\n\"This study must be the most comprehensive analysis ever written on the sources and scope of China's urban-rural gap.\" - David Zweig, The Journal of Asian Studies\n\"This well-organized study ... Both China specialists and development econonmists will welcome this book for its straightforward, rigorous treatment of a critical contemporary issue.\" - R.P. Gardella, Choice, Jul/Aug.00.\nPart I. Introduction1: Setting the StagePart II. Rural-Urban Comparisons of Income2: The Rural-Urban Income Divide: Macroeconomics3: The Rural-Urban Income Divide: MicroeconomicsPart III. Rural-Urban Comparisons of Welfare4: Eduaction5: Health6: HousingPart IV. The Movement of Factors7: Rural-Urban Transfer of Capital8: Rural-Urban Migration of Labour: Macroeconomics9: Rural-Urban Migration of Labour: MicroeconomicsPart V. Conclusions10: Precis, Policy, and Perspective", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8083503246307373}
{"content": "November 5, 2012\nTaxation of Owner-Occupied and Rental Housing: Working Paper 2012-14 Abstract Larry Ozanne\nThis paper illustrates how the different tax treatments of owner-occupied and rented houses affect the relative costs of owning and renting. In the examples, a representative landlord computes the rental rate (the ratio of the rent to the value of the house) required to break even on an investment in a house. Potential homeowners compare that market rental rate as a tenant with an implicit rental rate that reflects the cost of owning a home.\nThe tax advantages tend to make owning more advantageous than renting for higher-income households, but lower-income households can find renting cheaper than owning. The paper also illustrates how limiting or eliminating certain tax advantages would change the cost of owning relative to renting. While the precise comparisons are specific to the conditions detailed in the examples, their general implications are broadly applicable.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6062010526657104}
{"content": "GM Holden Environment - Case Studies/Water Holden Engine Operations: HydroShare - real-time water monitoring and reporting Holden Engine Operations has established a long-term collaborative partnership with provider South East Water to refine existing water-saving initiatives and to more effectively monitor, analyse and reduce water consumption at its Port Melbourne facility.\nA successful HydroShare program, initiated with South East Water in 2006, is an example of industry and government working together to produce significant environmental benefit.\nHydroShare is real time online reporting system that uses water main data loggers to manage and monitor water usage at five minute intervals, where previously water consumption data was available on a monthly basis.\nData is automatically uploaded to a secure website for viewing and analysis by HEO, allowing pinpoint monitoring of plant water consumption. The system is particularly efficient at immediately identifying unaccounted-for water usage - spikes in consumption due to leaks or other causes which can be promptly investigated and rectified.\nIn the first quarter of 2008, South East Water investigators used acoustic leak detection methods to identify a burst water pipe at the HEO facility. The leak was otherwise undetectable in porous soil beneath thick concrete road paving. Following excavation and pipe repair, the HydroShare system quantified the amount of water that was being lost via the burst pipe. Prompt leak detection and repair represented an annual water saving of 74,935 kilolitres.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9455775022506714}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: This study examined the effectiveness of an assessment and intervention study targeting prekindergarten children at risk for reading failure. Across 38 child care sites, 220 children were identified as \"at risk\" for reading failure due to their performance on a screening measure of early literacy skills and randomly assigned to receive immediate or delayed intervention. The intervention consisted of eighteen 30-minute lessons delivered twice weekly for 9 weeks and focused on teaching critical emergent literacy skills within small groups. Hierarchical linear models were used to nest children within center and measure treatment and dosage effects for students' residualized gains in rhyming, alliteration, picture naming, and print and letter knowledge skills. Results indicated significant treatment effects on two of four outcome variables (rhyming and alliteration) and significant dosage effects on all four variables. The study demonstrated a significant positive impact of this intervention for prekindergartners at risk for reading failure. Journal of learning disabilities 05/2009; 42(4):336-55. · 1.77 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9529659152030945}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: We studied the efficacy and safety of image-guided balanced orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopathy.The data of 24 patients (45 orbits) were reviewed for demographics, ophthalmologic outcomes, and complications in regard to image-guided (18 orbits) versus non-image-guided surgery (27 orbits).Overall, all patients had a reduction in proptosis (mean reduction, 6.2 mm in proptosis) as measured by Hertel exophthalmometry. There was improvement in the visual acuity of all 12 orbits with preoperative acuity of 20/40 or worse and either complete resolution (38%) or improvement (62%) in the 16 orbits with optic neuropathy. These measures reached statistical significance. Despite subjective improvement in surgeon confidence, the use of image guidance did not result in a statistically significant difference in postoperative ophthalmologic outcomes. Medical and sinonasal complications were experienced by 11.1% and 18.5% of patients who underwent image-guided and non-image-guided orbital decompression, respectively.Image guidance may be a useful adjunct to balanced orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopathy, but it was not associated with a statistically significant improvement in outcomes in this study. The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology 04/2008; 117(3):177-85. · 1.05 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.721721887588501}
{"content": "This formula combines the whole adrenal and adrenal cortex with a mixture of herbs that nutritionally supports the adrenal glands. Panax ginseng and Eleutherococcus senticosus, or eleuthero, are used primarily as adaptogens, supporting overall health by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors. The ingredients in this formula support the production of certain adrenal hormones and maintain a healthy immune response.\nUses For ADR Formula Adrenal Gland Support: This formulation of adrenal extracts and botanical and nutritional cofactors nutritionally supports the proper functioning of the adrenal glands. This combination contains ingredients that provide complementary support for reducing fatigue, moderating stress, and enhancing resistance.\nWhat Is The Source? This product contains: whole adrenal and adrenal cortex derived from pasture-fed, pesticide-free bovine herds. These glandular extracts are freeze dried and vacuum dried; Panax ginseng extract (root) (standardized to contain 5% total ginsenosides); Eleutherococcus senticosus extract (root) (standardized to contain 0.8% eleutheroside E & B); licorice extract (root) (standardized to contain 12% glycyrrhizic acid); calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5) (synthetic). Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate) is derived from corn dextrose fermentation and palm oil.\nServing Size: 1 capsule Servings Per Container: 60\nAmount per Serving:\nPanax ginseng extract 200 mg. (standardized to contain 5% total ginsenosides) 10 mg.\nEleutherococcus senticosus extract 100 mg. (standardized to contain 0.8% eleutheroside E & B)\nlicorice 100 mg. (standardized to contain 12% glycyrrhizic acid)\nwhole adrenal (bovine) 150 mg.\nadrenal cortex (bovine) 75 mg.\ncalcium pantothenate (B5) 100 mg.\nvitamin C 15 mg. (as ascorbyl palmitate)\nInactive Ingredients: Vegetable Capsule\nRecommended Dosage: 2–4 capsules per day, in divided doses, between meals.\nAre There Any Potential Side Effects Or Precautions? If pregnant or lactating, consult your physician before taking this product. Stomach upset and nausea have been reported by sensitive individuals using adrenal extracts. Other reports suggest a general stimulatory effect attributed to adrenal extracts, eleuthero, and Panax ginseng that could result in anxiety, irritability or trouble sleeping. Glycyrrhizin-containing licorice extracts have been associated with increasing blood pressure at several grams per day but not in the amounts provided by this formula. However, eleuthero and Panax ginseng are not recommended for individuals with uncontrolled high blood pressure.\nAre There Any Potential Drug Interactions? Some ingredients contained in this formula may adversely interact with Digoxin, Warfarin, Ticlopidine and diuretics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5551697015762329}
{"content": "We performed an empirical study exploring people's interactions with an embodied conversational agent (ECA) while performing two tasks. Conditions varied with respect to 1) whether participants were allowed to choose an agent and its characteristics and 2) the putative quality or appropriateness of the agent for the tasks. For both tasks, selection combined with the illusion of further customization significantly improved participants' overall subjective impressions of the ECAs while putative quality had little or no effect. Additionally, performance data revealed that the ECA's motivation and persuasion effects were significantly enhanced when participants chose agents to use. We found that user expectations about and perceptions of the interaction between themselves and an ECA depended very much on the individual's preconceived notions and preferences of various ECA characteristics and might deviate greatly from the models that ECA designers intend to portray. Au...", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7964120507240295}
{"content": "On Tuesday, July 31, during a workshop for Veterans Service Organizations, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) emphasized the importance of the Fully Developed Claims (FDC) initiative.\nThe initiative is designed to encourage veterans and those that assist them with VA disability claims to strive to submit a FDC to help reduce the backlog of disability claims the VA is currently dealing with. According to CBSNews , over 500,000 claims are awaiting decisions, which can take an average of 254 days to reach.\nThe VA considers a veterans’ disability claim to be fully developed when it includes all available supporting evidence, especially private and federal treatment records. These records can often take the VA up to 175 days to obtain, while the veteran themselves or their veterans’ disability attorney can often gather them much faster.\nDuring the workshop, the VA encouraged Veterans Service Organizations to promote the submission of more FDCs. Currently, only about three percent of the claims filed with the VA are FDCs, which can process in about 110 days.\nVeterans Service Organizations have outreach programs across the nation, but one of the best local resources for disabled veterans is still their area veterans’ disability attorneys.\nIf you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7489612102508545}
{"content": "On Tuesday 17 July, in the context of preparations for the budget proposal for the year 2002, the Ministry of Finance reviewed the prospects of the Finnish economy. The economic outlook has weakened further since the assessment this spring.\nIn the first half of this year, economic growth has fallen off considerably due to downturn in industrial production. Economic development in Finland's most significant export countries is proving weaker than estimated. Thus, the growth estimate for total output for this year has been adjusted down to 2.7 per cent from the previous estimate of 3.7 per cent, and the growth estimate for next year has also been lowered, from 3 per cent to 2.5 per cent.\nThe need to adjust the estimates is largely due to slower than expected growth of exports. Despite this, however, domestic demand and employment are developing roughly as predicted.\nIt is estimated that the unemployment rate will fall this year by one percentage point to 9.0 per cent (the previous estimate was 8.9 per cent). In 2002, the unemployment rate is now estimated at 8.8 per cent, compared to the previous estimate of 8.5 per cent.\nThe inflation rate is expected to slow down to below two per cent in 2002, as estimated this spring.\nFor further details, please contact: Director General Martti Hetemäki, tel. +358 9 160 3177", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5808543562889099}
{"content": "As country representatives meet under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to forge a new climate agreement, a major challenge dominates discussions: how can a system be created to assure that countries are held accountable for their commitments and actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and their obligations to provide technology, finance and capacity building support? This working paper seeks to facilitate progress on this critical component of a successful climate agreement. It aims to help policy-makers, UNFCCC negotiators and civil society groups navigate the complexity of the “MRV” challenge by focusing attention on central questions in advance of the December talks in Copenhagen and presenting country positions to date.\nInquiries Remi Moncel, Senior Associate Permissions All rights reserved. For quotes and references, please refer to suggested citation on the title page of the PDF document. You may reproduce summary information about this report, such as the title, author(s) and summary details, provided you include a link to the publication's landing page where users can download the PDF version and/or other documents. If you wish to use this report in any other manner, please contact us to request permission.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6535704731941223}
{"content": "Calcification of the intervertebral disc was mentioned for the first time by von Luschka in 1858 1 and demonstrated in cadavers by x-ray in 1897 by Beneke.2 It was 1922 before Calvé and Galland first described disc calcification in the living subject.3\nSince that time, calcification of the lumbar and thoracic discs has often been noted incidentally in older individuals and generally has been ascribed to degenerative changes within the disc. It also has been seen in vitamin D intoxication and in alkaptonuria, apparently unrelated to any symptoms.\nIn the child, however, especially in the cervical spine, calcification of the disc ordinarily is associated with impressive signs and symptoms. Striking similarity of the natural history, reported complaints, and the physical and roentgenologic findings in cases of cervical disc calcification appears to warrant the consideration of this condition as a specific clinical entity.\nThe following cases are presented as", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6385357975959778}
{"content": "Infographic: Importance of feedback in business and its evolution How do we become remarkable at work? We ask questions, we challenge assumptions, and we request feedback to improve! Employee feedback is necessary for both employees to advance their careers and companies to enhance their performance.\nToday over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use formal feedback processes; however, we’re shifting into an era where employee empowerment and engagement is crucial to retain talent and the traditional feedback processes are no longer effective. Many of these feedback processes were invented for the military and are top-down driven in nature and happen only once a year.\nMoving forward, feedback is being driven by the employee on a continuous real-time basis. Mirroring social networking, employees crave instant feedback to develop their skills and advance their careers. Responding to the market, 7Geese is releasing its employee-driven continuous feedback feature today and we’ve created this infographic to show you how feedback has evolved!\nSubscribe to 7Geese Blog Enter your email... Recent Posts Categories Archives", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9611698985099792}
{"content": "State of the Nation: Anti-Semitism and the economic crisis State of the Nation: Anti-Semitism and the economic crisis Neil Malhotra and Yotam Margalit The media coverage of the Bernard Madoff scandal made extensive reference to Madoff’s ethnic and religious background and his prominent role in the Jewish community. Because the scandal broke at a time of great public outcry against financial institutions, some, including Brad Greenberg in The Christian Science Monitor and Mark Seal in Vanity Fair , have reported on its potential to generate a wave of anti-Semitism.\nThis concern makes good sense. In complex situations such as the current financial crisis, where the vast majority of us lack the relevant expertise and information, biases and prejudices may play a significant role in shaping public attitudes. To evaluate just how large a role, we conducted a study (part of a larger survey of 2,768 American adults) in which we explored people’s responses to the economic collapse and tried to determine how anti-Semitic sentiments might relate to the ongoing financial crisis.\nThis entry was posted on Monday, August 6th, 2012 at 10:16 am and is filed under NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9068204164505005}
{"content": "In an opinion piece for the Telegram & Gazette, Melissa Weiner, assistant professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, argues that increasing funding for low income schools is not easy, but essential. In a recent report released by the Equity and Excellence Commission, solicited by the U.S. Department of Education, a group of 27 educational experts, economists, and civil rights leaders, write that there is a dire need to address the current educational system’s unequal distribution of opportunity, including funding inequities.\nShe writes, “Money translates into tangible resources that make a real difference. It means more qualified and experienced teachers, laboratory equipment, attractive school grounds, heat and air conditioning, buildings without asbestos, rats, and lead.”\nThis “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9821026921272278}
{"content": "Full Article, submitted by Bridget Scanlon\nIn her article, Mallory Woodrow provides a “down and dirty” approach to integrating social media on a company website. While some of these tips (i.e. including visible social media buttons, allowing sharing/liking, and using analytics) seem like no brainers, many companies are not even taking these steps, including me! Upon doing a review of my own website, these simple tips are not properly implemented AT ALL!! For example, the placement of the social media buttons that we use, is first on my list to address and relocate. I’ll also be looking into placing smaller buttons on each page of the website.\nAdditionally, Woodrow suggests using other tools, AddThis and ShareThis, to allow web visitors to share information from a website. Implementing these tools seems both easy and essential to spreading the value of information and activities at no cost to the organization. In my Association, like many other organizations, knowledge is power. Therefore, if we can use a current member, consumer or potential consumer to spread our message or lend credence to our value proposition, at no cost, it is truly a no brainer!\nFinally, the ability to produce tangible support for implementing social media or any other strategic tools will always be beneficial. Woodrow suggests a tool, SproutSocial, which integrates google analytics with social media traffic to demonstrate any relationships and hopefully success!\nI think that these 9 tips provide a nice starting point for any organization looking to truly integrate their website and social media as part of a larger plan.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8865688443183899}
{"content": "Summary:\n\"Am I my genes? shows how real individuals have confronted these issues in their daily lives. Robert L. Klitzman interviewed 64 people who faced Huntington's disease, breast and ovarian cancer, or Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The book describes--often in the person's own words--how each has wrestled with the vast implications that genetics has for their lives and their families. Klitzman shows how these men and women struggle to make sense of their predicament and its causes. They confront a series of quandaries--whether to be tested; whether to disclose their genetic risks to parents, siblings, spouses, offspring, friends, doctors, insurers, employers, and schools; how to view and understand themselves and their genetics; what treatments, if any, to pursue; whether to have children, adopt, screen embryos, or abort; and whether to participate in genetic communities. In the face of these uncertainties, they have tried to understand these tests and probabilities, avoid fatalism, anxiety, despair, and discrimination, and find hope, meaning, and a sense of wholeness. Forced to wander through a wilderness of shifting sands, they chart paths that many others may eventually follow.\" --Publisher description.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9883221983909607}
{"content": "While cats tend to live longer than dogs, our feline friends typically receive far less veterinary care. Cats also are a lot better at hiding symptoms, leading to bigger bills when they finally get a thorough examination. Getting cats to do anything other than eat, sleep and play can require a Herculean effort. The idea of placing cats in a carrier and driving across town seems impossible.\nBut it can be done.\nWhile Victoria Stilwell’s TV show, “It’s Me Or the Dog,” typically focuses on wayward pooches and their people, she has joined forces with Banfield Pet Hospital clinics to launch an “inFurvention” campaign focused on getting more cats face time with their vets…\nHERE", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.583064079284668}
{"content": "On February 29, 2012, Bill S-8, Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act, was introduced in the Senate.\nWhile the spirit of the proposed legislation is the same as former Bill S-11, which died on the Order Paper when Parliament was dissolved March 26, 2011, the Government has incorporated significant changes to the current bill based on feedback received from First Nations, Senators and Members of Parliament.\nThis enabling legislation is a vital step towards ensuring First Nations have the same health and safety protections for drinking water as other Canadians.\nSubject to the proposed legislation receiving Royal Assent, this bill will allow the Government to develop, in partnership with First Nations, enforceable federal regulations to ensure access to safe, clean and reliable drinking water; the effective treatment of wastewater; and the protection of sources of water on First Nation lands.\nOn June 18, 2012, after due consideration, the bill was passed by the Senate without amendment and received first reading in the House of Commons June 19, 2012. Second reading debate began November 1, 2012 in the House of Commons. The bill is currently awaiting further second reading debate.\nLearn more about the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act by consulting the following reference documents:\nShould you have any questions or comments on the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act, please contact us for more information.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5008668899536133}
{"content": "On the cover: Cytokine receptors instigate intracellular signaling by activation of Janus kinases (Jaks) that are constitutively associated with the receptor intracellular domains. Despite the central role of Jaks in a plethora of signaling events, their overall structure has remained elusive. In this issue, Lupardus et al. (pp. 45–55) apply single-particle electron microscopy to visualize the architecture of Jak1 alone and in association with a full-length gp130 receptor homodimer complexed to interleukin-6 and its alpha receptor. The cover illustrates that free Jak is characterized by high flexibility, thereby assuming extended and compact conformations amongst its four main modules (green, FERM domain; blue, SH2 domain; yellow, pseudokinase domain; orange, kinase domain). This intersegmental flexibility is a feature that likely facilitates allosteric activation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9763826727867126}
{"content": "Fractures Stress Fractures Stress fractures are not uncommon and may occur after simple walking without any apparent injury. Metatarsal stress fractures can occur at any age and often cause the foot to swell and hurt with any weight placed on it.Patients often go to an emergency room and are told nothing is wrong as the initial x-rays are often negative, not showing evidence of the fracture. Prompt treatment is helpful to avoid metatarsal deformities. Follow-up x-rays a few weeks later will typically show the fracture.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5475027561187744}
{"content": "Grape has long been known for its health bestowing properties. It is a unique fruit which can easily qualify as a super food. It is a rich in phyto-nutrients which act as a powerful anti-oxidant. Grape is also rich in a variety of vitamins such as A and C. It contains a good quantity of poly phenols which are known to be effective in reducing bad fats (Low density lipoproteins) in the body.\nAt the Kenilworth Resort & Spa, the unique grape therapy is offered on special occasions where in there is a package of spa services that fully utilizes the beneficial qualities of the grape fruit.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8360567092895508}
{"content": "Marco Ottaviani (Dipartimento di Economia) ha pubblicato Competition through Commissions and Kickbacks su American Economic Review , Volume 102, No. 2, April 2012, pag. 780-809, doi: 10.1257/aer.102.2.780, con Roman Inderst (Goethe Universität Frankfurt).Abstract : In markets for retail financial products and health services, consumers often rely on the advice of intermediaries to decide which specialized offering best fits their needs. Product providers, in turn, compete to influence the intermediaries' advice through hidden kickbacks or disclosed commissions. Motivated by the controversial role of these widespread practices, we formulate a model to analyze competition through commissions from a positive and normative standpoint. The model highlights the role of commissions in making the advisor responsive to supply-side incentives. We characterize situations when commonly adopted policies such as mandatory disclosure and caps on commissions have unintended welfare consequences.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7410895824432373}
{"content": "Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have shown that combining distal protection devices with the prophylactic use of the drug nicardipine is more effective at preventing life-threatening complications following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (angioplasty, stenting) on patients who have undergone previous bypass surgery than distal protection devices alone.\nTheir findings will be presented on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 8 a.m. at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, at the Miami Beach Convention Center by Michael P. Savage, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Jefferson.\nAngioplasty or stenting on bypass vessels, called saphenous vein grafts, is associated with a high risk of complications due to distal embolization, the dislodging of plaque and clots downstream, impairing blood flow and leaving patients at-risk for a heart attack.\nDistal protection devices are commonly used to prevent blockages by catching the dislodged plaque and clot in a basket-like device, allowing blood to filter through the bypassed artery. Still, complications remain in up to 10 percent of patients. Preliminary studies have suggested that prophylactic doses of the drug nicardipine, a common intracoronary vasodilator, can also help in this regard, but never have the two techniques been combined.\nSavage and colleagues looked at clinical outcomes at 30 days post-PCI in 163 consecutive patients with prior bypass surgery. Group I consisted of 60 patients who underwent PCI using a distal protection device alone (no pre-treatment with nicardipine); Group II included 103 patients who underwent PCI with a distal protection device and pre-treatment with prophylactic nicardipine.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5702592134475708}
{"content": "Astaneh-Asl said that steel flanges \"had been reduced from an inch thick to paper thin.\" [3] At a recycling center in New Jersey, he saw 10-ton steel beams from the towers that \"looked like giant sticks of twisted licorice.\" [4] He showed the San Francisco Chroniclea \"banana-shaped, rust-colored piece of steel\" that had somehow \"twisted like toffee during the terrorist attack.\" [5]He noted the way steel from the WTC had bent at several connection points that had joined the floors to the vertical columns. He described the connections as being smoothly warped, saying, \"If you remember the Salvador Dali paintings with the clocks that are kind of melted--it's kind of like that.\" He added, \"That could only happen if you get steel yellow hot or white hot--perhaps around 2,000 degrees.\" [6] In an interview in 2007, Astaneh-Asl recalled, \"I saw melting of girders in [the] World Trade Center.\" [7] He found a foot-long twisted shard of steel that was \"like a piece of bread, but it was high-strength steel.\" He commented, \"I haven't seen anything like this [before].\" [8] He came across \"severely scorched [steel] members from 40 or so floors below the points of impact [by the planes].\" [9] The fireproofing that had been used to protect the WTC steel also showed evidence of extreme conditions. In some places it had \"melted into a glassy residue.\" [10] Astaneh-Asl saw a charred I-beam from WTC Building 7--a 47-story skyscraper that collapsed late in the afternoon of 9/11, even though no plane hit it. \"The beam, so named because its cross-section looks like a capital I, had clearly endured searing temperatures. Parts of the flat top of the I, once five-eighths of an inch thick, had vaporized.\" [11] These observations indicate that the World Trade Center steel was subjected to very high temperatures. Yet, while postulating that the towers collapsed due to fire (and without the use of explosives), even Thomas Eagar--an engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology--admitted, \"The temperature of the fire at the WTC was not unusual, and it was most definitely not capable of melting steel.\" [12] One must conclude that the phenomena observed by Astaneh-Asl are therefore highly suspicious. ...\nEngineer Sees Evidence of Extreme Temperatures in WTC Steel 1 | 2", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8293166756629944}
{"content": "Näytä suppeat kuvailutiedot\ndc.contributor.author Gürsoy, Mervi dc.date.accessioned 2012-12-01T19:59:42Z dc.date.available 2012-12-01T19:59:42Z dc.date.issued 2012-12-07 dc.identifier ISBN 978-951-29-5241-0 - dc.identifier.uri http://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/86313 dc.description.abstract The mechanisms leading to an enhanced susceptibility to gingivitis in pregnant women have\nnot yet been completely described. Therefore, the current study series were performed to\ninvestigate longitudinally the influence of pregnancy on periodontal tissues, and to evaluate\nmicrobial and host response factors related to pregnancy gingivitis formation.\nPregnancy-related periodontal changes were analysed in 30 generally healthy women (24-\n35 years old) once per trimester, till the end of lactation. Matched non-pregnant women\n(n=24) served as the controls, and were examined three times, once per following month.\nPregnancy-related gingival inflammation was observed as enhanced tendency towards\ngingival bleeding and pseudopocket formation with a concomitant decrease in plaque\nlevels. Gingivitis reached its peak during mid-pregnancy and then decreased transiently\nvisit by visit. After lactation, no differences in periodontal status were seen between the\nstudy and control populations.\nIn contrast to previous studies reporting increased levels of Prevotella intermedia, a specific\naim was to analyse phenotypically two identical species, P. intermedia and Prevotella\nnigrescens, separately using a 16S ribosomal DNA-based PCR. As a result, the increased\nlevels of P. nigrescens were related to pregnancy gingivitis.\nMatrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in periodontal destruction. However,\ntheir role in pregnancy gingivitis is not well studied. Therefore, neutrophilic enzymes and\nproteinases, such as MMP and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were analysed from saliva\nand gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples during the follow-up. Despite increased\ninflammation and microbial shift towards anaerobes, the host response did not activate the\nMMP, elastase and MPO secretion during pregnancy.\nThese results demonstrate that during pregnancy gingival inflammation is enhanced\nespecially during the second trimester, when P. nigrescens levels in subgingival plaque were\nincreased, whereas the neutrophilic enzymes and proteinase levels in both saliva and GCF\nremained low. These findings could explain, at least in part, why pregnancy gingivitis itself\ndoes not predispose or proceed to periodontitis. - dc.language.iso en - dc.publisher Annales Universitatis Turkuensis D 1047 - dc.title Pregnancy and periodontium. A clinical, microbiological, and enzymological approach via a longitudinal study - dc.type.ontasot Doctoral thesis (article-based) dc.identifier.urn URN:ISBN:978-951-29-5241-0\nViite kuuluu kokoelmiin: Näytä suppeat kuvailutiedot", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9957253932952881}
{"content": "Opium cultivation rises in Afghanistan despite major eradication push – UN report 20 November 2012 – Despite significant eradication efforts, high opium prices led to an increase in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan this year, a joint report released today by the Government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has found.\nCultivation was 18 per cent higher this year than it was last year, covering 154,000 hectares, according to the 2012 Afghanistan Opium Survey. However, since plant diseases and bad weather had damaged crops, potential opium production fell 36 per cent over the same period from 5,800 to 3,700 tons.\nThe increase in cultivation occurred in spite of a major push by the Government to promote eradication efforts, UNODC noted in a news release. The number of poppy-free provinces remains unchanged at 17, but Ghor province in the west lost that status in 2012 while Faryab province in the north regained it.\n“High opium prices were a main factor that led to the increase in opium cultivation,” said UNODC’s Executive Director, Yury Fedotov.\nThe agency noted that, in 2012, farm-gate prices for opium remained at a relatively high level at $196 per kilogramme, which continues to provide a strong incentive for farmers to start or resume poppy cultivation in the coming season.\nMr. Fedotov called for a sustained effort by the Afghan Government and international stakeholders to address illicit cultivation with “a balanced approach of development and law enforcement measures.”\nThe Survey highlights a link between insecurity and opium cultivation, noting that this year saw 95 per cent of cultivation concentrated in the southern and western provinces where insecurity and organized crime are present. Seventy-two per cent of cultivation was in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Day Kundi and Zabul provinces in the south, and 23 per cent in Farah, Herat, and Nimroz provinces to the west.\nIn the east, cultivation rose significantly in the provinces of Kunar, where it was up 121 per cent; Kapisa, where it climbed 60 per cent; and Laghman, where it rose 41 per cent. However, the eastern provinces contributed only four per cent to the national total of opium production in 2012, the Survey pointed out.\nOpium cultivation rose by 10 per cent in the northern province of Baghlan despite the eradication of 252 hectares in 2012. Badakhshan was the only north-eastern province to see cultivation rise – up 13 per cent – in spite of a sizeable eradication of 1,700 hectares. Kabul, the central region’s only poppy-growing province, saw cultivation decrease by 45 per cent.\nNEWSLETTER\nJoin the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6103702187538147}
{"content": "A remaining challenge for the human genome project involves the identification and annotation of expressed genes. The public and private sequencing efforts have identified approximately 15,000 sequences that meet stringent criteria for genes, such as correspondence with known genes from humans or other species, and have made another approximately 10,000-20,000 gene predictions of lower confidence, supported by various types of in silico evidence, including homology studies, domain searches, and ab initio gene predictions. These computational methods have limitations, both because they are unable to identify a significant fraction of genes and exons and because they are unable to provide definitive evidence about whether a hypothetical gene is actually expressed. As the in silico approaches identified a smaller number of genes than anticipated, we wondered whether high-throughput experimental analyses could be used to provide evidence for the expression of hypothetical genes and to reveal previously undiscovered genes. We describe here the development of such a method--called long serial analysis of gene expression (LongSAGE), an adaption of the original SAGE approach--that can be used to rapidly identify novel genes and exons.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6917139291763306}
{"content": "Power to the People! In a world where instant messaging, email and online audio meetings reign supreme; shifting an organization’s culture to adopt visual collaboration or unified communication solutions can be extremely challenging. Implementing a new technology is a significant organizational change that, if underestimated, can produce disappointing results. There are several key steps an organization must take in order to effectively drive adoption throughout the organization – including proper communication and training. This is the fourth post in a five-part series covering the successful development of a video culture within an organization. Read part one here. People are inherently resistant to any major change; they take comfort in the status quo because of fear associated with the uncertainty of something new. A major organizational change, such as the implementation of a visual collaboration solution, changes the way colleagues interact with each other and perform their daily tasks. This shift in the daily routine moves users out of their comfort zone by expecting them to learn something new; which if not addressed, can produce significant resistance.\nIt is imperative for senior management to address the impact that visual collaboration has on their employees. Frequent and open communications regarding the reasons for change and expected benefits for both the organization and the end user are a necessity. If organizations do not address the uncertainty around a new technology the resulting resistance can be insurmountable, leading to an abandoned solution.\nThose familiar with video conferencing applications, such as Skype or Face Time, are more apt to accept enterprise video than people who have never used video before. Many people take comfort in security of email and phone calls because others cannot read their facial expressions. Therefore, new users can initially become overwhelmed by the face-to-face exposure video provides. Proper training along with open dialogue can help address some of the uncertainty associated with switching to video communications. Training should include several different topics; such as operational procedures, best practices and video etiquette.\nWhile most users understand basic functionality of video equipment; they lack the expertise to manage the infrastructure required for effective visual collaboration. A team of video professionals, who operate the back-end video environment and provide technical support when needed, is crucial to any video environment. Advanced video operators should proactively monitor video meetings to allow participants to focus on the matters at hand rather than the collaboration technology. Therefore, organizations must either locate the right technical support staff or partner with a video services provider for access to advanced technical support.\nThis post is part of a five-part series covering the successful development of a video culture within an organization.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9263492822647095}
{"content": "By Wajahat Ali The recent arrest of American Colleen LaRose (who reportedly called herself Jihad Jane online) and seven individuals for allegedly plotting the murder of Swedish Cartoonist Lar Vilks, could be a teachable moment.\nVilks was allegedly targeted by assassins for drawing the Prophet Muhammad as a stray dog. This event speaks tellingly of how certain inflammatory images, which some non-Muslims may consider satire or benign parody, are intentionally provocative insults to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.\nAs a Muslim-American writer, I know firsthand that creating thought-provoking art about Islam and Muslims can be a thankless task. If one’s fictional Muslim characters are not avatars of perfection or they happen to speak critically about certain Islamic customs, then the Muslim artist risks being convicted as a godless instigator by a vocal minority. However, in my experience the overwhelming majority of Muslim audience members embrace these uncomfortable, yet necessary, artistic depictions of religiosity provided the characters and images are complex, honest, and crafted respectfully, instead of being reduced to vile stereotypes purely for the sake of sensationalism.\nRespected Muslim scholar Shaikh Faraz Rabbani of SeekersGuidance.org explained it to me, “I think the critical issue is recognizing the power of sacred symbols to committed believers. In Islam, the most central symbols are the Qur’an and the person of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).”\nOut of devotional love and reverence for the Prophet’s sacred and elevated status, for centuries most Muslim artists have depicted his face covered with a veil. Additionally, many Muslim scholars have discouraged artistic representations of people — especially the Prophet — to prevent undue idolization of the human form at the expense of the divine. Instead of paintings or sculptures, Muslims honor the Prophet by emulating his behavior and etiquette. Furthermore, Islamic history celebrates a rich, multicultural tradition of praising the Prophet through poetry and song, most notably in the epic 13th century poem “Qasidah al-Burdah” (Poem of the Prophet’s Mantle), which is still recited worldwide to this day.\nIn light of this cultural context, a cartoon portraying the most beloved figure in Islam as a dog, a violent extremist, or a suicide bomber will sometime spur an emotional response amongst many Muslims despite the best intentions of the artist.\nIronically, over the past few years, some misguided Muslims have responded to similar cartoons with cowardly and inexcusable acts of violence only to emerge as the same stereotyped caricatures they are purportedly rebelling against.\nTragically, these individuals ultimately bear the greatest responsibility for betraying the image and sanctity of the Prophet, whose own elegant conduct urged calm and civility.\nAs an artist who relishes creative freedom, I resist calls that advocate artistic censorship or pander to political correctness. However, art – whether it be through words or images – has never existed within an isolated vacuum, and generally draws upon and animates the existing cultural context of the day.\nArt can be used as a loaded cultural and political weapon to incite animosity amidst an already hostile climate dominated by foolish controversies — or it can be used wisely and bravely as a common language to bridge the divides.\nWajahat Ali is the author of the play “The Domestic Crusaders.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6111528873443604}
{"content": "A âcerebralâ or âbrain aneurysmâ is a disorder in which there is a weakness in the wall of blood vessel like cerebral artery or vein within the brain network. There is ballooning or dilation of the blood vessel.\nA common location of cerebral aneurysms is on the arteries at the base of the brain, known as the âCircle of Willisâ. It often looks like a berry hanging on a stem.\nThese aneurysm formations can be benefited by homoeopathic medicines. Recurrence and sequelae of the aneurysms can be withheld by homoeopathic medicines.\nRisk FactorsA number of factors can contribute to weakness in an artery wall and increase the risk of a brain aneurysm.\nThe contributing factors include:Older ageSmokingFamily history of brain aneurysm, particularly a first-degree relative, such as a parent or siblingDrug abuse, particularly the use of cocaineHead injuryHeavy alcohol consumptionCertain blood infectionsMenopause\nCausesHigh blood pressure (hypertension)Hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis)Birth DefectCerebral aneurysms occur more commonly in adults than in children but they may occur at any age.They are more common in women than in men, by a ratio of 3 to 2SymptomsRuptured aneurysm: Sudden, severe headache is the key symptom of a ruptured aneurysm. This headache is often described as the \"worst headache\" ever experienced. Patient become unconscious, if bleeding has occurred in brain because of rupture aneurism. It is medical emergency patient need to be hospitalizing immediately in critical care for monitoring.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9762934446334839}
{"content": "This personal experience was shared by S. Michael\nWilcox in his book:\nHouse of Glory -- Finding Personal\nMeaning in the Temple , 1995, p. 47-48:\n“When I moved to Utah ten years ago, my children were entering\ntheir teenage years. Having taught teenagers in seminary, I knew\nhow critical the next years would be, for during these years we win or\nlose so many battles for the souls of men. The more I thought about\nthe world my children were growing up in and the pressures and opposition\narrayed against them, the more anxious I felt.\nI went to the temple one afternoon to seek guidance about my\nchildren. The calm, loving spirit of the temple seemed to magnify\nmy natural love for my family, and I found myself offering a deeply sincere\nprayer filled with desire for my children. I told the Lord I was\nwilling to offer any sacrifice if he would protect my children from Satan’s\npower and bless them with his Spirit until they could come to his house\nand receive their own endowment. I do not think I offered a unique\nprayer. It is the uttered and unuttered prayer of every true Latter-day\nSaint parent, and I think most parents would give the Lord the sacrifice\nhe required.\nAs I sat in the temple, an answer was given in which the required\nsacrifice was revealed to me. I thought the Lord would demand some\ngreat thing for the blessing I was asking, and had it been some great thing,\nI believe I would have been willing to fulfill it. Often we are more\nwilling to do the great things than the small, everyday acts of obedience\nand sacrifice that comprise living the gospel.\nHowever, the Spirit simply whispered: “This is the sacrifice\nI ask of you. Be in this house frequently, constantly, and consistently,\nand the promised protection you seek, which this house has the power to\nbestow, will be extended to those you love.” For that blessing alone\nI would be in the temple as often as I could.\nAt first I thought this counsel was unique to me, but I came\nto realize as I read and studied the scriptures that it is a promise with\nmuch broader application. I found this promise again and again in\nboth the scriptures and in the words of our living prophets and apostles.\nIt was not a special request and promise to me, but one that was extended\nto all the Saints in behalf of those they love.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5993436574935913}
{"content": "Abstract We consider a principal-agent relationship where a buyer contracts with a risk-averse supplier for the production of certain good. At the time of contracting, both parties share incomplete information on cost of production. However, after contracting and before production, the supplier privately discovers its cost of production. We study the optimal contract between the two parties in the presence of cost uncertainty when the supplier is privately informed of its risk preference at the time of contracting.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997506141662598}
{"content": "Lipid metabolite profiling identifies desmosterol metabolism as a new antiviral target for hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been clinically associated with serum lipid abnormalities, yet our understanding of the effects of HCV on host lipid metabolism and conversely the function of individual lipids in HCV replication remains incomplete. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling of the HCV JFH1 cell culture infection model, we identified a significant steady-state accumulation of desmosterol, an immediate precursor to cholesterol. Pharmacological inhibition or RNAi-mediated depletion of DHCR7 significantly reduced steady-state HCV protein expression and viral genomic RNA. Moreover, this effect was reversed when cultures were supplemented with exogenous desmosterol. Together, these observations suggest an intimate connection between HCV replication and desmosterol homeostasis and that the enzymes responsible for synthesis of desmosterol may be novel targets for antiviral design.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5995888113975525}
{"content": "The product - Actilight® Actilight® is a sweet soluble dietary fibre with prebiotic properties.\nThis ingredient composed of short chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) is being used in many food products for consumers health and well-being. Actilight® allows to improve their nutritional and health profile by adding fibres, replacing sugars, reducing caloric value, lowering Glycaemic Index and contributing to rebalance the intestinal microflora.\nActilight® is produced from beet sugar by a bio-synthesis process providing consistent characteristics and reliable functionalities. It is available in powder and liquid form, with fibre content ranging from 55% to 95%.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5434367656707764}
{"content": "Comparative Analysis of the Development of the United States and European Union Biodiesel Industries, A Miguel Carriquiry\nJuly 2007 [07-BP 51]\nWorldwide production of biodiesel is growing at a rapid pace. Arguably, the European Union (EU) is the global leader in biodiesel production, but the United States has recently expanded its production. The growth of the biodiesel industry in both regions has been fueled by a series of government-provided financial incentives. However, the timing of the growth and incentive provisions, the nature of the main incentives, and the market conditions differ across regions. This article provides a comparative analysis of the EU and U.S. biodiesel industries, highlighting market and policy aspects that are leading to a rapid but distinct growth.\nKeywords: biodiesel, biodiesel industry, biodiesel quality, biofuels, energy security, rapeseed oil, rapeseed methyl ester, soybean oil, soydiesel, ultra low sulfur diesel.\nFull Text 199 kB", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9605425596237183}
{"content": "updated 11:50 am EST, Mon December 24, 2007 Windows Antivirus Failure The third-party antivirus software for Windows PCs is buckling under the load of advanced security threats, German computer magazine c't reports in its latest issue. A comparison of 17 different antivirus tools show that while a few programs are adept at picking up known trojans viruses, such as AVG and BitDefender, most have seen a degraded ability to recognize malware that does not fit existing patterns. With the exceptions of F-Secure and NOD32, most halved their detection rates of unknown from 40-50 percent in January to just 20-30 percent. This places most Windows PCs at risk of catching a 'wild' virus before the antivirus software firms have a chance to update their signatures to recognize it, c't warns.\nThese failures are largely attributed to the increasing complexity of the malicious code itself. An increasing number of virus threats are designed to recognize and bypass the most common security programs, rendering behavior-based and traditional detection methods obsolete.\nThe software is also placing an increasing burden on the host computers, the magazine adds. The operating system's performance is more likely to drop while the antivirus utility runs in the background, while false alarms have increased and led people to believe useful files were viruses. In a separate incident, Kaspersky has accidentally flagged Windows' shell program Explorer as a virus and threatened to quarantine the code. [via Heise UK ]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5427120923995972}
{"content": "On Monday, as I entered the gurdwara in Richmond Hill, NY, I encountered a scene of solidarity unlike any that I had witnessed before. Two uniformed NYPD officers were stationed outside, monitoring the entrance. A third was patrolling the hallway inside, smiling as community members insisted he join them in the community kitchen downstairs for a hot meal of lentils, vegetables, and yogurt after his shift. The diligence with which law enforcement officials have responded to the tragedy in Oak Creek and the sacrifices made by the police on the scene—along with the outpouring of support from the public—have been humbling and heartwarming. Physical protection and public outcry, however, are not enough to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. While we are still learning the motivation of the attacker, his actions—singling out and killing Sikhs with turbans—match a broader pattern of post-9/11 bias in our country. Violent hate crimes—such as the murder of two Sikhs in California earlier this year and the fire bombing of a Sikh-owned convenience store in Virginia last year—continue to occur regularly. According to a survey conducted by the Sikh Coalition, a third of Sikh children with headwear say have been physically assaulted in school. Employment discrimination still forces Sikhs to choose between their articles of faith and their livelihoods. Since 9/11, the Sikh Coalition has documented thousands of such bias incidents in the US. Sikh Americans are certainly not alone in these experiences. Organizations working with other religious groups, such as Muslims and Hindus, have documented incidents that stem from the same source: racism and xenophobia. Ultimately, the only way to prevent further violence is to eliminate the hate that fuels it. This responsibility is far beyond the purview of law enforcement. It lies with our policymakers, schools, local communities, and families. The most essential step is education—to dispel the ignorance and stigma that surrounds religious minorities. It also requires a conscious commitment by policymakers to not ostracize and exclude minorities in daily life. Despite a decade-long struggle, Sikhs are still not allowed to serve in the NYPD with their turbans—as they do with pride in Canada and the UK. A reversal of this policy would be a powerful visual reminder that the public can trust Sikhs to help keep us safe. As a turbaned woman, each time I fly, I am pulled aside for a secondary screening of my one-inch thick headwear. I am instructed to wait in a clear plastic bullpen for a “female assist”—while women with billowing summer skirts sail through security in front of me. A screening policy based on assessment of actual risk would prevent minorities from being humiliated and cast as de facto suspects. It would also keep us safer by allocating the TSA’s scarce resources more effectively. In the aftermath of such tragedy, Americans of all faiths will mourn together, express solidarity for each other, and address the immediate crime. But if we leave this opportunity for deeper reflection without a commitment to make real change, we will have failed in our obligations as a citizenry.\nSupreet Kaur, Ph.D., has been involved with the Sikh Coalition since its inception and worked as a full-time volunteer in 2004. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Her work applies Behavioral Economics to the study of poverty in developing countries and in the US. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government and an M.P.A. in International Development, both from Harvard University. Supreet has been selected as a David A. Wells Prize recipient by the Harvard Economics Department (2012), a Giorgio Ruffolo Doctoral Fellow in Sustainability Science at Harvard's Center for International Development (2010-2011), a Dissertation Fellow at the Project on Justice, Welfare, and Economics at Harvard (2010-2011), and a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School (2005-2007). Her work has received financial support from the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Financial Management and Research in India, and various institutes at Harvard and Columbia universities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8468271493911743}
{"content": "Advanced Policymaking Seminar (APS)None programmed\nThese three-day seminars were designed to help participants to expand their knowledge in security and defense policy formulation processes. The seminar has been offered periodically, primarily for Caribbean audiences, including CHDS alumni. The seminar operated at theoretical and applied levels to expand competence in analytical, planning, forecasting, evaluation, and managing tools used to address the key questions facing defense decision-makers. It introduced participants to the advanced concepts and analytical tools for designing the defense establishment for the 21st Century with a focus on adaptation, modernization, and transformation of security and defense capabilities.\nSeminar participants were primarily selected among applicants from the Caribbean who had graduated from the Caribbean Defense and Security Course and other CHDS Washington, DC resident courses. Experienced civilian, military, and policy-making officers who were not CHDS graduates, but who were professionally engaged in defense or security issues in their countries, were often also selected to join the program.\nThe APS permitted participants to analyze and compare the nature and scope of different perspectives on security and defense issues in the Caribbean, and to envision ways to increase regional cooperation in response to threats and challenges confronting the region. The APS’s were designed for a multi-country audience and emphasized \"whole of government\" and multinational views. The 2011 APS in Barbados was the final seminar in that format. Future seminars will generally be for a single country, or several neighboring countries, for in-depth discussions on pertinent topics. Examples of topics that could be discussed include:\nGlobal Environment Threats in Caribbean Small Arms Smuggling Drug Trafficking Regional Cooperation MINUSTAH Disaster Relief Interagency Cooperation Experience and Challenges for United States Experience and Challenges in the Caribbean Public-Private Partnership SOUTHCOM NORTHCOM CARICOM NGOs » Previous Advanced Policymaking Seminars May 2011 - Barbados May 2009 - Miami May 2006 - Miami May 2005 - El Salvador Feb 2005 - Bahamas August 2004 - Paraguay", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.503524899482727}
{"content": "The syndrome of phosphorus depletion became widely recognized following the description by Lotz et al1 of hypophosphatemia in patients undergoing prolonged therapy with antacids. Since their description, others have reported similar cases of hypophosphatemia due to therapy with antacids in patients with uremia,2,3 in patients receiving intravenous hyperalimentation without phosphorus supplementation,4-6 and in the debilitated and starved patient.7 The clinical and laboratory findings in these patients included confusion, weakness, anorexia, malaise, paresthesias,1-3,6,7 electroencephalographic and electromyographic changes,3 altered hemoglobin-oxygen affinity,2,4,5 changes in the concentrations of erythrocyte organic phosphates and glycolytic intermediates,2,4,5,7 and, more recently, hemolytic anemia with rigid red blood cells (RBC).7 Metabolic studies in a severely hypophosphatemic patient are presented herein to support the concept that a generalized inhibition of glycolysis and glycogenolysis with subsequent depletion of energy stores may underly the manifestations of severe hypophosphatemia.\nPatient Summary A 47-year-old chronic", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6740896105766296}
{"content": "Second Language Acquisition is similar to the process undergone by children when learning their first language. Through meaningful interaction with the target language, a stable order of acquisition is followed. Rather than learning by knowing the rules and following proper form, the meaning of the message you convey and the way you interact with the language is far more significant. Unlike conscious learning which does indeed rely on rules and error correction, second language acquisition relies on listening to and speaking in the target language without any significant stress on syntax.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5904338359832764}
{"content": "Equilbrium Price Paths in Sequential Auctions with Stochastic Supply Thomas D. Jeitschko Michigan State University - Department of Economics\nSeptember 1998\nAbstract:\nIn many settings where several objects are auctioned sequentially, the total supply is not known with certainity ex ante. In such settings, price formation over the sequence of sales depends critically on the information available to the bidders regarding the remaining supply. For instance, prices may decline due to a reduced \"option value\" in early auctions caused by uncertain supply. However, if in the course of the auction it becomes known that fewer than expected units will be auctioned, prices may increase due to diminished supply and the corresponding increase in competition in latter auctions.\nDate posted: March 3, 1999 Suggested Citation\n© 2013 Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.\nFAQ\nTerms of Use\nPrivacy Policy\nCopyright\nThis page was processed by apollo3 in 0.547 seconds", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6510246992111206}
{"content": "Study of physiological profile of Indian boxers G. Khanna and I. Manna Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2006) 5 (CSSI), 90 - 98 The present study was conducted to study the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of Indian National boxers as well as to assess the cardiovascular adaptation to graded exercise and actual boxing round. The study evaluated junior (<19 years of age) and senior (0-25 year of age) boxers in different weight categories.\nConclusions . Results showed a significantly higher stature, body mass, LBM, body fat, and strength of back and grip in senior boxers compared to juniors. Moreover, the senior boxers possessed mesomorphic body conformation where as the juniors' possessed ectomorphic body conformation. Significantly lower aerobic capacity and anaerobic power were noted in junior boxers compared to seniors. Further, significantly higher maximal heart rates and recovery heart rates were observed in the seniors as compared to the juniors. Significantly higher maximum heart rates were noted during actual boxing compared to graded exercise. Blood lactate concentration was found to increase with the increase of workload during both graded exercise and actual boxing round. The senior boxers showed a significantly elevated levels of hemoblobin, blood urea, uric acid, and peak lactate as compared to junior boxers. In the senior boxers, significantly lower levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDLC were observed as compared to junior boxers. No significant change has been noted in HDLC between the groups. The age and level of training in boxing has significant effect on aerobic, anaerobic component. The study of physiological responses during graded exercise testing may be helpful to observe the cardiovascular adaptation in boxers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9847410321235657}
{"content": "Product Description The enhanced fixation and improved stability at the pin-bone interface seen with Orthofix OsteoTite Bone Screws with hydroxyapatite coating significantly reduces the incidence of pin loosening and therefore reduces the risk of infection.Orthofix OsteoTite Bone Screws with hydroxyapatite coating may eliminate the need to replace the external fixation system with an alternative treatment for long term therapy.\nThe hydroxyapatite coating is complemented by the well-established conical design of the Orthofix screws. Each thread cuts a new, slightly larger path in the bone on insertion, providing excellent bone purchase.\nIndication Indicated to secure fixation in cortical, cancellous and osteoporotic bone.\nPhysician Benefits Using a hydroxyapatite surface screw, the bone grows into and onto the hydroxyapatite so that the border between the two materials becomes indistinct This biological bond is a strong anchor which will insure long-term stability of the bone-screw construct, allowing it to withstand repetitive loading cycles without loosening of the screw No significant difference in insertion torque between hydroxyapatite-coated and uncoated screws The extraction torque is significantly greater with hydroxyapatite-coated screws than with uncoated screws It is possible to remove the hydroxyapatite-coated screws without the need for hospitalization, sedation or anathesia A clinical study demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of pin track infection with hydroxyapatite-coated screws than with uncoated screws A significant correlation between pin track infection and implantation in a metaphyseal site was found with uncoated screws, but not with hydroxyapatite-coated screws Physician Support Materials Brochures:\nTechnical Monograph Pin Loosening and Infection are No Longer a Challenge Brochure: XCaliber Bone Screws", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9937093257904053}
{"content": "After showing struggling business conditions for most of 2011, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has now been positive for two consecutive months. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the December ABI score was 52.0, following the exact same mark in November. This score reflects an overall increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 64.0, down just a point from a reading of 65.0 the previous month.\nKey December ABI highlights:\nRegional averages: South (54.2), Midwest (53.1), Northeast (52.6), West (45.1) Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (54.3), commercial / industrial (54.1),institutional (51.3), mixed practice (44.5) Project inquiries index: 64.0 The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the index and inquiries are monthly numbers.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7272781133651733}
{"content": "A survey of waffle consumption in Russia reveals that traditional non-packaged snacks remain very popular.\nThe survey, conducted last month by consulting agency Market Advice , took into account the snacking preferences of 1,542 respondents in the 13 largest cities of European Russia, excluding Moscow.\nIt revealed that non-packaged waffles - hugely popular in the Soviet era - remains one of the largest sectors of the market. These products are largely produced by domestic bakeries and confectionery firms.\nAs a result, the Market Advice report confirmed that Russian companies remain a significant force within the waffle industry.\nBut as with much in the country, things are beginning to change. Competition within the waffle market is increasing, and several large multinationals now operate within the country.\nThese include the Nestlé group, which has three factories, Cadbury, which operates a plant in the north west of the country and Danone, which has a factory in Moscow. This is resulting in more expensive glazed and packaged products coming onto the market.\nInterestingly, the Market Advice survey revealed that there is significantly higher awareness of foreign brand products than of domestic products. For example, 43 per cent of respondents instantly recognised Nestlé group's products, while 20 per cent of respondents instantly recognised both Cadbury and Danone brands.\nAn impressive 87 per cent of respondents were able to identify a Nestle waffle product with the aid of a hint.\nThe Sladko Group was the highest placed Russian brand in terms of instant product awareness - 10 per cent of respondents instantly identified the brand.\nThese findings suggest that while traditional non-packaged snacks still dominate the market, foreign brand names are beginning to dominate consumer consciousness through expensive advertising and promotion.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7180565595626831}
{"content": "HOUSTON - Randy€™s Fine Foods stock frozen meat, catfish nuggets, chicken tenders, pickles, Honey buns, candy and corn dogs €\" a veritable grocery store on wheels. These days, a big part of its business comes from food stamp recipients, the San Antonio Express reports.\nRandy€™s, along with Bag Lady on Wheels and Boxes and Bags Mobile Grocery, frequent low-income neighborhoods to deliver access to residents lacking cars or nearby grocery stores. Texas makes it easy for those folks to spend their food stamp money at mobile food trucks with its Lone Star Card, a debit card that loads food-stamp funds on it.\n\"We rarely get cash,\" said Keidrick James, a Randy's manager. James estimated that nearly 100% of customers pay with Lone Star Cards.\nHowever, not everyone is happy with the arrangement. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which administers the Lone Star Card program for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is concerned that mobile food trucks could be doing more harm than good in the neighborhoods they serve.\n\"Vans that deliver food may provide a convenience for families without transportation, but it comes at a high price,\" said Stephanie Goodman, HHSC spokeswoman. \"The prices can be so high that it hurts families struggling to make ends meet in the long run.\"", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5325667262077332}
{"content": "It is a widely known fact that healthcare providers are behind most industries in the management and automation of back-end processes. They have the longest way to go in improving the effectiveness of their payment practices.\nEmdeon Payment Network which was launched on June 21st provides a comprehensive suite of electronic and print payment infrastructure that supports both electronic and paper based payments management.\nBy offering a variety of print and electronic payment channels including virtual card, Automated Clearing House (ACH) direct deposit and Image Cash Letter (ICL) payment capabilities, Emdeon Payment Network does not force the Healthcare Providers to accept electronic payments which greatly reduce the barrier to adoption. However, the analytical engine embedded into the Payment Network identifies and suggests a suitable electronic payment method which nudges the hospitals to move away from paper to a more economical electronic payment platform.\nYou might also be interested in reading:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9721537828445435}
{"content": "There are many potential advantages to investing in SBA Pools. In fact, SBA Pools have historically earned strong yields. Meanwhile, their variable rate feature allows upside-yield potential in the event rates rise. In a declining rate market SBA Pools maintains wide spreads over alternative indices. Consider the following questions and highlights:\nSignature Securities Institutional Trading group and the vast experience of its financial professionals makes the SBA pooling process simple for institutions of any size. A brief overview of the process is outlined in the steps below:\nFirst, a financial institution originates a new SBA loan and sells the guaranteed portion to an SBA pool assembler.\nThen the pool assembler combines several SBA loans of similar characteristics into a pool in a process similar to a mortgage backed security formation.\nBy “stripping away” a portion of the coupon from each loan, the assembler may sell the pool for a lower dollar price.\nThe resulting security maintains the same “Full Faith and Credit” guarantee of the U.S. government.\nThe investor in a SBA pool owns an interest in a diverse group of SBA loans.\nEach month, the lender (originator) remits the pro-rata share of the principal and interest payment from the guaranteed portion of the loan to Colson Services Corporation, the Fiscal and Transfer Agent (FTA) for the Small Business Administration.\nColson Services Corp. then forwards the applicable payment to the SBA pool investor.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6294428706169128}
{"content": "The CMO's Quickly Revolving Door August 11, 2010 By Lisa ArthurChief marketing officers face a quickly revolving door, underscored by the tremendous pressures and short leash they are given to show success and turn over results. According to global executive search firm Spencer Stuart, the average shelf life of a CMO was 34.7 months in 2009, significantly shorter than the \"hot seat\" for CEOs, which ranges from 7 to 10 years.\nKey risks for CMOs include: 1. Running marketing tactically and not like a business; 2. Failure to build and unite right-brain and left-brain organizations without silos; 3. Getting caught in the short-term \"hamster wheel\" spin vs. balancing long-term vision and short-term results; 4. The Credibility Crisis—talking too much like a marketer and failing to cement strong cross-functional relationships; 5. Black-boxing the craft of marketing, which reduces understanding and buy-in on strategies, tactics and execution; 6. Forgetting the number one stakeholder: the customer; 7. Hiring like-minded/skilled people and not seeking a balance through opposite skill sets; 8. Forgetting that collaboration can be simple and provide needed insight for success; 9. Being satisfied with the status quo and not pushing to embrace and drive change in emerging channels and technologies; and 10. Forgetting that the \"Chief\" in CMO means you lead. The marketing industry is constantly evolving and marketers must exemplify a wide range of capabilities beyond the traditional role of creative leaders. CMOs must embrace these necessary role shifts to survive and lead their organizations:\nFrom player to coach— Marketing has earned its place as a strategic player and it's time for CMOs to chart the organization's path toward measurable results.From adaptor to discoverer— Upper management is continuously searching for innovative marketers capable of driving change. In the face of ever-changing consumer behavior, evidenced by the outburst of social media, marketers must consistently rediscover best practices to remain ahead.From back seat to front seat— A vast understanding of the metrics and analytics has jump-started the engine. It's time for marketers to leverage their knowledge and hop in the front seat.From creator to mastermind— The balance of creativity with analytics is central to differentiation in the new climate of channel proliferation. Marketers must demonstrate accountability for growing revenue.A recent Advertising Age article titled \"Traditional CMO Roles Won't Position Your Company or Your Career for Growth\" underscores the evolution CMOs must go through in order to survive, thrive and lead organizations into the future.\nThe CMO must be the \"change agent\"—embracing and driving change within its organization. The quickly revolving door will lose momentum as CMOs prove ROI, embrace new channels and lead with customers first.Lisa Arthur is chief marketing officer of Indianapolis-based on-demand marketing software provider Aprimo. She can be reached at Lisa.Arthur@aprimo.com.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8845999836921692}
{"content": "HIV and Housing Assistance in Four U.S. Cities: Variations in Local Experience Alison Scott, Jonathan Ellen, Gretchen Clum and Lori Leonard\nNovember 2007\nThis paper provides an account of how young, HIV-positive women manage their lives on limited budgets in four United States cities: New York City, New Orleans, Miami, and Chicago. The study findings elucidate city-to-city variability in housing assistance, and how this manifests in locality specific differences in the experience of HIV. The study suggests that the receipt of housing assistance has ramifications for women’s engagement in care, and for their health. Women not receiving aid often move frequently in and out of homelessness, or “double up” with others in complex household arrangements to share costs. Women with long-term housing assistance, while still struggling financially, possess a stable base from which to approach daily life and HIV care. This account suggests a need for empirical research assessing the impact of local variations in housing assistance on specific health outcomes for those with HIV. It also highlights the importance of understanding local contexts when designing housing interventions at both the individual and structural levels.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986768960952759}
{"content": "E-book\nGeneral Education Essentials: A Guide for College Faculty ISBN: 978-1-118-32955-9\nE-book\n176 pages\nApril 2012, Jossey-Bass\nThis price is valid for United States. Change location to view local pricing and availability.\nOther Available Formats: Paperback\nEvery year, hundreds of small colleges, state schools, and large, research-oriented universities across the United States (and, increasingly, across Europe and Asia) are revisiting their core and general education curricula, often moving toward more integrative models. And every year, faculty members who are highly skilled and regularly rewarded for their work in narrowly defined fields are raising their hands at department meetings, at divisional gatherings, and at faculty senate sessions and asking two simple questions: “Why?” and “How is this going to impact me?” This guide seeks to answer these and other questions by providing an overview of and a rationale for the recent shift in general education curricular design, a sense of how this shift can affect a faculty member’s teaching, and a sense of how all of this might impact course and student assessment.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8473234176635742}
{"content": "The RESAVE website is a guide for homebuilders and energy auditors working in California on how to improve ventilation in existing residential buildings. A good mechanical ventilation system can help protect buildings and their occupants. Inadequate ventilation often leads to increased levels of moisture and pollutants in a home.\nRESAVE is a California Energy Commission (CEC) Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program whose overall goal is to facilitate the reduction of energy and peak power spent in homes to condition air that enters from outdoors.Infiltration, the uncontrolled exchange of air through leaks and penetrations, typically accounts for over one-third of the total space conditioning energy. New homes typically spend the same fraction of energy on mechanical ventilation. This program aims to reduce ventilation and infiltration related peak load and energy costs by 25 to 50 percent.\nMore on the RESAVE program:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7823260426521301}
{"content": "Document Type Presentation\nPublication details Newton, D & Ellis, A 2007, ‘An e-learning comparative alignment framework’, Proceedings of E-Learn 2007: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education , Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Quebec City, Canada, 15-19 October, AACE, Chesapeake, VA.\nAbstract Researching the factors influencing e-learning effectiveness is a complex and contentious task due to the dynamic, complex and interrelated factors in education and training environments. A recent major study of the Australian Army’s use of e-learning courses approached the understanding of e-learning effectiveness factors by aligning multiple perspectives across e-learning activities. A model was proposed that highlights that e-learning effectiveness was framed primarily in terms of the alignment of the e-learning culture with the organisational culture. This paper presents the development of an E-learning Comparative Alignment Framework (ECAF) based on this model. This framework provides a scaffold and a comparative analysis approach for understanding e-learning effectiveness factors from multiple perspectives across an organisation. The practical and theoretical implications of the ECAF are discussed.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.972639799118042}
{"content": "The Indigenous Cadetship Support (ICS) is part of the Australian Government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy and aims to improve the professional employment prospects of Indigenous Australians. It links Indigenous tertiary students with employers in a cadetship arrangement involving full-time study and work placements. Cadetships enable Indigenous students to gain the professional qualifications and experience needed for a range of jobs in the private, public and community sectors and move into employment on completion of their studies. It can also assist employers to identify potential Indigenous employees.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9983763694763184}
{"content": "However, what sets\nour protocol apart from automated or radioactive ones is the use\nof biotin. Biotin is a compound that we incorporate into the primer,\n(used to elongate replicating strands of DNA), which can be detected\nthrough a streptavidin-alkaline-phosphatase wash. The biotin binds\nto the DNA fragments while the streptavidin alkaline-phosphatase\nwash latches onto the biotin. Using X-ray film, the DNA fragments\ncan be captured because the wash cleaves phosphates that emit light.\nThis particular method is called chemiluminescent detection.\nA hurdle we have faced with\nthis protocol is keeping the biotin from degrading at the high temperatures\nnecessary to denature the DNA so that biotin-labeled primers can\nattach to the fragments. We've slightly altered the protocol so\nthat the biotin survives denaturation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8230331540107727}
{"content": "Alternative Dispute Resolution Alternative dispute resolution refers to the process of resolving conflict by alternative means, usually with the help of a neutral third party. Examples of alternative dispute resolution include Mediation, Arbitration, and Collaborative Law. The goal is to resolve legal issues outside of court, often reducing the cost, delay, emotional stress, and unpredictability of the traditional court process.\nMediation\nMediation is a dispute resolution process that involves a neutral third party, a Mediator, who acts to help the parties identify the issues and propose resolutions which are mutually acceptable for both parties. If this is achieved, the result is a “win-win” situation, rather than the typical “win-lose” outcome of a court proceeding. Mediators do not decide cases, but rather act as intermediaries, allowing lines of communication to remain open between parties, and encouraging the parties to reach more expeditious and cost effective resolutions of their disputes.\nArbitration\nArbitration is a process in which disputes are resolved by one or more trained, impartial arbitrators, whose decision the parties often have agreed will be final and binding. The process of arbitration is similar to a typical court proceeding in that a third party hears each party’s case, examines the evidence, and renders a decision. However, arbitration is often more cost-effective and expeditious than the traditional legal process. Also, there is more flexibility in that the parties have more control over certain aspects of the process such as the decision maker, the rules, the time frame, and the binding or non-binding effect of the decision.\nThe Attorneys at Raines, Buechel, Conley & Dusing, P.L.L.C. have experience in these areas in a variety of cases in many different areas of the law, including complex commercial litigation, business law, general civil litigation, employment law, environmental litigation, toxic tort and product liability litigation, personal injury, family law, and construction law and litigation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6254346966743469}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: To determine the prognostic value of the extent of ulceration, categorized as diameter of ulceration and as percentage of invasive melanoma diameter.Ulceration is an adverse prognostic factor for clinically localized primary cutaneous melanoma. However, the prognostic significance of the extent of ulceration remains unclear.Clinicopathologic and follow-up data on 4661 patients treated at a single center were analyzed.Both the presence and extent of ulceration were independent predictors of survival. The 5-year melanoma-specific survival (MSS) for ulcerated and nonulcerated melanomas was 77.6% and 91.3%, respectively. The 5-year MSS for minimally/moderately ulcerated melanomas (≤70% or ≤5 mm) was 80.4% and 82.7%, respectively, compared to extensively ulcerated melanomas (>70% or >5 mm), which had a 5-year MSS of 66.4% and 59.3%. On multivariate analysis, tumor thickness and the presence/absence of mitoses were the most powerful predictors of MSS. The presence of ulceration was also an independent predictor of poorer MSS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.55, P < 0.001). Patients with minimally/moderately ulcerated tumors (≤70% or ≤5 mm) had a significantly higher risk of death (HR = 1.53 and HR = 1.39, respectively) compared to nonulcerated melanoma, as did patients with extensively ulcerated tumors (>70%: HR = 2.20 and >5 mm: HR = 2.03).Extent of ulceration (measured either as diameter or percentage of tumor width) provides more accurate prognostic information than the mere presence of ulceration. This has potential implications for melanoma patients with regard to prognosis, staging, management, and eligibility for clinical trials. We recommend that extent of ulceration be recorded in pathology reports for all ulcerated primary cutaneous melanomas. Annals of surgery 05/2012; 255(6):1165-70. · 7.90 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9888204336166382}
{"content": "News FAO Calls for Stronger Involvement of Farming and Forest Communities in Climate Change Mitigation 4 December 2008: Farmers and forest users should become more strongly involved in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to unlock the potential of agriculture and forestry for climate change mitigation, said Alexander Müller, Assistant Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome, Italy.\nHe stated that, despite the fact that agriculture and deforestation\nare major contributors to climate change, “farmers and forest users\ncould become key players in reducing GHG emissions.” In this regard, he\ncalled for financing mechanisms and for small-scale land users and\nemission-reducing measures that also contribute to food and energy\nsecurity, poverty reduction, and sustainable use of natural resources.\nFarmers,\nforesters or herders are directly or indirectly managing 40% of the\nglobal land biomass.\nAgriculture, deforestation and forest degradation\ncontribute over 30% of global GHG emissions, while agriculture alone is\nresponsible for 50% of methane and 75% of nitrous oxide emitted\nannually. Müller stated that the “global battle against climate change”\ncan only be won “if we succeed in mobilizing the potential of these\nland users to reduce GHG emissions and in sequestering carbon in soil\nand plants.” He outlined measures, such as using more efficient crop\nvarieties, better control of wildfires, improved natural resource\nmanagement, biogas capture from animal manure, and restoring land by\ncontrolled grazing and organic soil management. Furthermore, he noted\nthat conservation agriculture, and agro-forestry systems are promising\nmethods that should be more vigorously promoted to reduce GHG emissions\nand enhance adaptation to climate change. [FAO Press Release]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6308673620223999}
{"content": "The 1.5 megawatt turbine, made by General Electric, broke apart on March 6th, and caused a small fire on the ground, as seen in this video from the local NBC affiliate, WPTZ.\nAccording to press reports, the park had experienced a power outage at the time, but two of the 65 turbines malfunctioned and continued to spin at speeds faster than the machines are designed to sustain — until one eventually collapsed.\nThe park was shut down immediately after the collapse, and Noble noted that while the debris scattered 345 feet from the turbine’s base, that was still less than the local setback requirements. In Altona, turbines must be at least 1,200 feet from a home, and 500 feet from roads.\n“Although this incident is extraordinarily rare, it is reassuring to see that the setbacks worked as intended,” said Walt Howard, the chief executive of Noble, according to last week’s press release.\nGeneral Electric is testing the other turbines in the park, and turning them back on after making sure they are properly wired.\nSamuel Dyer, a councilman in nearby Beekmantown, told the local newspaper, in rather colorful terms, that the Altona incident frightened him. “Excuse my language,” he said.\nBeekmantown has decided against turbines of its own.\nIn England, some imaginative theorists attributed a similar wind-park mishap in January to the work intergalactic aliens, though it was later blamed on “material fatigue.”", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5173165798187256}
{"content": "Follow us on twitter for regular updates.\nWebsites that load in 2 seconds enjoy an average conversion rate almost double that of websites that take 8 seconds to load - this translates to significant potential gains in revenue. Do you know how your site performance fares against the competition?\nThis whitepaper, aimed at Retail Executives and eCommerce Managers is packed with information and resources on how to reap the business benefits of having a faster, more competitive website.\nFrom design through to delivery and beyond, application performance is increasingly becoming a priority in getting the most revenue potential out of websites and retail systems. This is especially true when approaching peak trading times. With the right information on a site's current performance relative to competitors, it's possible to achieve invaluable quick fixes in good time for these critical points in time. The most important factor is gaining an understanding of a site's current performance and its potential for improvement.\nSimply fill in the form to request your copy of this exclusive whitepaper from Intechnica.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5807318687438965}
{"content": "Marts & Lundy has always believed that planned giving efforts should be positioned strategically within the broader context of organizations' short- and long-term plans. With the economic recession, some donors may be increasingly reluctant to make direct cash donations, though they may be persuaded to commit to future gifts. For that reason, planned giving has risen to a new prominence and is likely to take on even greater importance in many institutions' larger fundraising programs.\nThe down economy offers a double-paned window of opportunity to nonprofit communicators and the organizational leadership they support. From large institutions, such as universities and medical centers, to small community agencies, constituents and employees are eager for information about financial impacts during this unprecedented period of economic uncertainty.\nMarts & Lundy is pleased to announce a new feature on www.martsandlundy.com.\nVideo content and a video archive have been added to Marts & Lundy’s homepage, allowing visitors and site users to watch and download videos in which Marts & Lundy consultants discuss the most significant and pressing issues in philanthropy today.\nBy mid-November, when the economic recession had become an inescapable reality, nonprofits surveyed by Marts & Lundy reported that resulting uncertainties were having an impact on their ability to fill vacancies, on staff morale and on operating budgets for the next fiscal year.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5797247886657715}
{"content": "Background\nIntestinal schistosomiasis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity among communities located around Lake Victoria and on its islands. Although epidemiological surveys have been conducted in other areas bordering the lake in western Kenya, Mbita district and its adjacent islands have never been surveyed, largely due to logistical challenges in accessing these areas. Consequently, there is a paucity of data on prevalence of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections that are endemic in this region.\nMethods\nThis cross-sectional study determined the prevalence, intensity of infection and geographical distribution of schistosome and STH infections among 4,065 children aged 5–19years in 84 primary schools in Mbita and nearby islands of Lake Victoria (Mfangano, Ringiti, Rusinga and Takawiri), in western Kenya. Single stool samples were collected and examined for eggs of\nSchistosoma mansoni and STHs (Hookworms,Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura ) using the Kato-Katz technique. Primary schools were mapped using geographical information system data on PDAs and prevalence maps generated using ArcView GIS software.Results\nOverall, 65.6% (95% CI=64.2-67.1%) of children were infected with one or more helminth species; 12.4% (95% CI=11.4-13.4%) of children were infected with one or more STH species. Mean school prevalence of\nS. mansoni infection was 60.5% (95% CI=59.0-62.0%), hookworms 8.4% (95% CI=7.6-9.3%),A. lumbricoides 3.3% (95% CI=2.7-3.8%), andT. trichiura 1.6% (95% CI=1.2-2.0%). Interestingly, the meanS. mansoni prevalence was 2-fold higher on the islands (82%) compared to the mainland (41%) (z=5.8755,P <0.0001). Similarly, intensity of infection was 54% higher on the islands (217.2±99.3) compared to the mainland (141.3±123.7) (z=3.9374,P <0.0001). Schools in closest proximity to Lake Victoria had the highestS. mansoni prevalence while prevalence of STHs was more homogenously distributed.Conclusions\nThe very high prevalence of schistosomiasis in Mbita and the 4 islands is quite alarming, and indicates an urgent and critical need for control interventions. Findings from this survey indicate the need to implement treatment in remote areas not previously covered by mass drug administration programs.\nKeywords: Geographical distribution, Island, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted helminths, Western Kenya", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7369872331619263}
{"content": "Kuvailutiedot\ndc.contributor.author Kiviniemi, Tuomas O - dc.contributor.author Saraste, Antti - dc.contributor.author Toikka, Jyri O - dc.contributor.author Saraste, Markku - dc.contributor.author Raitakari, Olli T - dc.contributor.author Pärkkä, Jussi P - dc.contributor.author Lehtimäki, Terho - dc.contributor.author Hartiala, Jaakko J - dc.contributor.author Viikari, Jorma - dc.contributor.author Koskenvuo, Juha W - dc.date.accessioned 2012-06-17T20:13:50Z dc.date.available 2012-06-16 13:37:10 - dc.date.available 2012-06-17T20:13:50Z dc.date.issued 2008 - dc.identifier.issn 1476-7120 - dc.identifier.uri http://tampub.uta.fi/handle/10024/65809 dc.description BioMed Central Open access - dc.description.abstract BackgroundThe cardioprotective effects of certain alcoholic beverages are partly related to their polyphenol content, which may improve the vasodilatory reactivity of arteries. Effect of cognac on coronary circulation, however, remains unknown. The purpose of this randomized controlled cross-over study was to determine whether moderate doses of cognac improve coronary reactivity as assessed with cold pressor testing (CPT) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) measument.MethodsStudy group consisted of 23 subjects. Coronary flow velocity and epicardial diameter was assessed using transthoracic echocardiography at rest, during CPT and adenosine infusion-derived CFR measurements before drinking, after a moderate (1.2 ± 0.1 dl) and an escalating high dose (total amount 2.4 ± 0.3 dl) of cognac. To explore the bioavailability of antioxidants, the antioxidant contents of cognac was measured and the absorption from the digestive tract was verified by plasma antioxidant capacity determination.ResultsSerum alcohol levels increased to 1.2 ± 0.2‰ and plasma antioxidant capacity from 301 ± 43.9 μmol/l to 320 ± 25.0 μmol/l by 7.6 ± 11.8%, (p = 0.01) after high doses of cognac. There was no significant change in flow velocity during CPT after cognac ingestion compared to control day. CFR was 4.4 ± 0.8, 4.1 ± 0.9 (p = NS), and 4.5 ± 1.2 (p = NS) before drinking and after moderate and high doses on cognac day, and 4.5 ± 1.4, and 4.0 ± 1.2 (p = NS) on control day.ConclusionCognac increased plasma antioxidant capacity, but it had no effect on coronary circulation in healthy young men. - dc.language.iso en - dc.title Effects of cognac on coronary flow reserve and plasma antioxidant status in healthy young men - dc.type fi=Artikkeli aikakauslehdessä | en=Journal article| - dc.identifier.urn urn:nbn:uta-3-574 - dc.identifier.doi 10.1186/1476-7120-6-25 - dc.type.version fi=Kustantajan versio | en=Publisher's version| - dc.subject.okm fi=Sisätaudit | en=Internal Medicine| - dc.journal.title Cardiovascular Ultrasound - dc.journal.volume 6 - dc.journal.number 25 - dc.journal.volumepagerange 1-9 - dc.oldstats 68 -\nViite kuuluu kokoelmiin: Kuvailutiedot\nSelaa kokoelmaa Kirjaston henkilökunnalle Ohjeita ja linkkejä", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9733418226242065}
{"content": "Leptospirosis: Caused by spiral shaped bacteria, leptospirosis can be serious for dogs if they’re infected. While it’s spread through the urine of an infected animal or human, this bacterial dog disease includes symptoms of weakness, fever, kidney inflammation, and vomiting.\nBasically, your dog may have been drinking, swimming, or walking through contaminated water. If your pet has been exposed to wildlife such as skunks or raccoons, there could be a higher chance of exposure to the disease if these animals have already been infected with leptospirosis.\nWhile clinical signs of this disease are nonspecific (get this – some dogs don’t even display symptoms), common signs include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. If you think your dog has contracted leptospirosis, definitely contact your veterinarian immediately. This way, your vet can perform tests to determine if leptospiral antibodies, the nasty bacteria, has invaded your pet.\nIf the tests are positive, rest assured this disease is treatable with antibiotics. Plus, if your dog is treated early there is a high probability it will rapidly recover from the disease. While Fido may be diagnosed with leptospirosis, the next steps for you as the pet owner depends on your interaction with your dog. For instance, if you were to contract the disease high risk factors include direct contact with urine, blood, and tissues during the peak of its infection. Plus, assisting in the delivery of newborn pups of an infected animal is high-risk for you to contract the disease.\nIf you have experienced high-risk situations such as the abovementioned scenarios, its time to inform your physician. If you experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and headaches, your doctor will need to perform tests to see if you have contracted the disease, too.\nAt The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being -", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9069461822509766}
{"content": "Organizing Records with Retention Requirements National Get Organized Month is an opportunity to reduce risk to the University by thinking about the type of data your office handles. Begin by reviewing the University’s Records Retention and Disposal Policy and considering some of the actions provided below.\nUniversity Records Retention and Disposal Policy American University requires records retention and disposal to be a standardized process. Access, maintenance, retention, and disposal procedures for university records must be followed by staff in designated official repositories. In addition, duplicate or multiple copies of these records, retained in locations other than official repositories, must also be properly disposed of when they are outdated and no longer useful. The policy was signed with an effective date of November 1, 2006.\nActions to consider for organizing your office’s data: Begin by scheduling an office meeting to determine whether your office has retention requirements for specific data. Use the Record Retention and Disposal Policy to Guide your discussions. Consider your office’s retention requirements. Set guidelines and expirations for records identified by your office. Avoid making duplicates of Confidential data – know where your Confidential office data resides Shred paper documents no longer needed. Delete electronic documents, no longer needed, from your shared and local drives. Designate an electronic folder or physical location for storing data that needs to be retained for a specific period of time. Review records identified with retentions annually to determine whether they should be deleted or shredded.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5420016646385193}
{"content": "For best performance, air-conditioning supply and return airflows should match.\nCareful backfilling reduces risks and improves quality.\nWhen working with vinyl floorcovering, any blemishes below the surface are destined to show through, making it essential to properly prep the subfloor.\nThese simple tips will ensure precise, clean cuts in your sheathing every time.\nThese smart installation techniques are key to ensuring a successful job underneath siding.\nDoing this right is vital.\nEnergy conservation is driving thick, high R-value ceiling insulation, which then requires tall truss heels to contain it.\nIt may take more time, but this way builders can avoid the consequences of a callback.\nProper ventilation of the roof can save homeowners money.\nA good ICF job depends on proper bracing to avoid bends and blowouts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9928018450737}
{"content": "Document Number: 5968\nCritical Mass MS Word PDF - When a reform idea hinges on strong evidence and a broader consensus and is replicated widely or successfully, it can generate so much more knowledge and interest that it feeds off of its own growth, eventually reaching a critical mass as more and more states implement similar policies. This article discusses areas of education policy that have reached a critical mass, including charter school laws, restructuring policies, alternative certification and school finance litigation, in addition to identifying areas that may reach critical mass in the near future. (Kathy Christie, Phi Delta Kappan, March 2005. Reprinted with permission.)...Author: Kathy ChristiePublication: Publisher: Phi Delta KappanRelated Issues\nState Policymaking", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7798898816108704}
{"content": "Stargazing The national parks and monuments of the Colorado Plateau have long been popular destinations for travelers. In addition to their stunning landscapes and rich cultural history, these areas share another resource: some of the darkest skies remaining in the contiguous 48 United States.\nThough often unappreciated, the utter dark of a moonless night in Canyonlands surprises many visitors. As few as one in ten Americans live in areas where they can see the estimated 2,500 stars that should be visible under normal conditions. In many cities, the night sky is completely obscured by the glow of urban settlement. At Canyonlands, the naked eye is sufficient to witness a wealth of stars. Under the right conditions, common binoculars may even reveal the rings of Saturn.\nHowever, a clear view of the Milky Way is more than an aesthetic experience. Research indicates that light pollution severely impacts the ability of many animals, especially birds and insects, to navigate. On many occasions, thousands of birds have died in a single night by following artificial lights into towers, buildings, smokestacks and even the ground.\nCanyonlands preserves a wealth of resources. Many, like natural dark, have become more significant as they become increasingly rare outside the park.\nDid You Know? Lizards, including the colorful collared lizard, are one of the most frequently seen animals in Canyonlands. When not chasing flies or basking in the sun, they are often seen doing what appears to be push-ups. Scientists believe this and other behaviors signal dominance and facilitate courtship.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6992521286010742}
{"content": "by Tatyana Elleseff In recent years the percentage of “at-risk” children has been steadily increasing across pediatric speech-language pathology caseloads. These include adopted and foster care children, medically fragile children (e.g., failure to thrive), abused and neglected children, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds or any children who for any reason lack the adequate support system to encourage them to function optimally socially, emotionally, intellectually, or physically.\nAt times speech-language pathologists encounter barriers when working with this population, which include low motivation, inconsistent knowledge retention, as well as halting or labored progress in therapy.\nAs a speech-language pathologist whose caseload consists entirely of at-risk children, I have spent countless of hours on attempting to enhance service delivery for my clients. One method that I have found to be highly effective for greater knowledge retention as well as for increasing the kids’ motivation is incorporating multisensory stimulation in speech and language activities.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5313340425491333}
{"content": "Summary: Contemporary Labor Economics, 8epresents the ''new'' labor economics. In the past, study of labor was highly descriptive, emphasizing historical developments, facts, institutions, and legal considerations. Labor markets and unemployment was given some attention, but the analysis was typically minimal. This state of affairs has changed significantly in recent decades. Economists have achieved important breakthroughs in studying labor markets and problems. Labor economics is increasing ...show morely an applied field of micro and macro theory and has become a critical part of the core of analytical economics. As a result, the focus of the text is on the ''new'' labor economics. However, it also presents traditional topics such as labor law, structure of unions, and collective bargaining since these issues also play an important role in labor markets. In the Eighth Edition, the authors deliver new and updated discussions of public policy issues. Additionally, the text's integrated focus on global aspects of U.S. labor markets has continued and been expanded with this edition. ...show lessMore prices and sellers below.\nClose", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9078171253204346}
{"content": "This is three times the European average of 21.4%, and was followed by Macedonian Greeks at 52.8% and Valencia youth at 50.9%.\nThe lowest rate was recorded in Tubingen, in Germany, at 4.3%. The spread in youth unemployment percentages between different parts of the EU is widening, and youth aged 15-24 are twice as likely to be unemployed as those 25 and up in three fourths of EU countries, according to Eurostat. Spain still leads in overall unemployment rates, with 30.4% in Andalusia and 29.7% in the Canaries, and there are 17 EU regions with over 19.2% unemployment, or twice the EU-27 rate: 10 Spanish regions, 4 French departments, and 3 Greek regions, Eurostat reported.\n(ANSAmed).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8955932855606079}
{"content": "By THEODORE L. GATCHEL NEWPORT, R.I.\nIn his remarks before signing 23 executive actions on gun control, President Obama said, \"We don't benefit from ignorance.\" Ironically, the gun-control lobby he supports has not only benefited from the American public's ignorance regarding firearms but has actively exploited it.\nTake, for example, the president's interchangeable use of the terms \"assault rifle\" and \"assault weapons\" during his remarks.\n\"Assault rifle,\" derived from the German word Sturmgewehr, is a technical term used to describe a specific type of military small arm. The Germans developed the assault rifle during World War II after determining that the cartridges used in the semi-automatic and bolt-action service rifles of the day were unnecessarily powerful given the relatively short ranges of most infantry engagements.\nAccordingly, the Germans developed a shorter, less powerful cartridge of a type now called an intermediate round. The resulting new rifle/cartridge combination gave every infantryman a weapon capable of select fire (either semi- or fully automatic).\nThe Sturmgewehr had an unusual appearance, but the two characteristics that distinguished its operation from other infantry small arms were the intermediate cartridge and its ability to use select fire. The war ended before the Germans fully equipped their army with assault rifles. That honor fell to the Soviet Union when it adopted the AK-47 that has since become the world's most widely used assault rifle.\nFirearms experts disagree about exactly which rifles qualify as true assault rifles and frequently include rifles that use full-power cartridges. One point of agreement, however, is that an assault rifle must be capable of select fire.\nUnlike the term \"assault rifle,\" the term \"assault weapon\" is an ill-defined one that has no clear meaning. Although an argument continues regarding who actually coined the term, it came into prominence when used in the assault-weapons ban enacted in 1994. In that legislation, the term covered a group of firearms that included semi-automatic rifles that looked like assault rifles but didn't function as such and a disparate group of pistols and shotguns whose only offense was having an appearance that many gun-control advocates considered menacing.\nBecause fully automatic weapons, including assault rifles, have been strictly regulated and taxed by the federal government since 1934 and banned completely by some states, neither past nor proposed assault-weapons bans have any bearing on them.\nRegardless of the origin of the term \"assault weapon,\" there is little doubt why the gun-control lobby has embraced it. Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, wrote in 1988, \"The semi-automatic weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons - anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun - can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.\"\nThe degree to which that strategy has worked can be seen by the treatment of the subject in the U.S. media that has been a virtual compendium of ignorance regarding firearms.\nMuch commentary has reflected the sentiment behind the words of a recent Providence City Council resolution that \"semi-automatic weapons, whether pistol or rifle, were designed for use by the military on the battlefield.\"\nIn a welcome exception to the current media trend, The Journal rated that claim false, noting correctly that firearms companies including Winchester, Remington, and Browning were selling semi-automatic shotguns and hunting rifles 20 years before the U.S. Army adopted its first semi-automatic rifle in 1936 (\"Experts reject city claim about semi-automatics,\" Jan. 16).\nA related argument holds that semi-automatic firearms such as the popular AR-15 have no legitimate civilian use. Someone making that statement obviously doesn't consider self-defense to be a legitimate use. Beyond that, however, those individuals must never have attended a shooting match ranging from weekend ones at local clubs to the National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, and witnessed the large number of shooters who use some variant of the AR-15.\nVice President Biden contributed to the confusion by recent comments that seemed to play down the idea of a renewed ban on \"assault weapons\" like the one being proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.). In his remarks, Biden recommended a shotgun for home defense because \"it's harder to use an assault weapon to hit something than a shotgun.\" He also admitted that assault weapons only \"account for a small percentage of the gun crimes in America.\"\nGun dealers who advertise AK-47s that are actually semi-automatic copies of the AK-47 also contribute to the confusion and should not then complain when newspapers incorrectly refer to AK-47s in sensational articles about shootings.\nIn his recent inaugural address, President Obama noted that we cannot \"treat name calling as reasoned debate.\" If the president truly wants a reasoned debate, he should insist that the debate be conducted before any legislation is passed, not after, and include such contentious issues as comparing the number of \"assault weapons\" that are used to commit crimes with the number used by law-abiding citizens for legitimate purposes including, in the president's words, \"hunting or sport or protection or collection.\"\nFinally, any debate must be based on facts, not emotions, and use legally and technically precise language crafted to educate Americans, not frighten them.\nCol. Theodore L. Gatchel (USMC, ret.), a monthly contributor to The Providence Journal, is a military historian and a professor emeritus of joint military operations at the U.S. Naval War College. The views here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Marine Corps or the Department of Defense.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5293837785720825}
{"content": "Peer mentors and peer advocates provide a positive role model and active support for others just starting out in their road to recovery, helping individuals to consider their options and supporting them to achieve their goals.\nThe empathy and understanding that peer mentors have gained through their own experiences can help them win the trust of service users and encourage them to sustain their commitment to change.\nOur peer mentor and peer advocacy training programmes for stable and former service users provide opportunities for personal development and growth and provide career pathways for individuals with a history of substance misuse and criminal behaviour.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9679980278015137}
{"content": "In an ecosystem where all life is interrelated and connected, the decline of one life form can precipitate the decline of another. In other words, as the whitebark pine seeds go, so go the Yellowstone grizzlies. In November 2011, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone’s iconic grizzly bear population.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5778422355651855}
{"content": "Legitimacy and procedural justice in prisons A functioning correctional system depends on the orderly reproduction of a stable and acceptable prison environment. The argument in this paper has two parts: first, a key factor in the social order of a prison is the legitimacy of the prison regime in the eyes of inmates; and second, the legitimacy of authorities depends in large part upon the procedural fairness with which officers treat prisoners.\nFollowing a discussion of the relevance of procedural justice to the production and sustenance of legitimacy in British prisons, this paper explores how the perspective can inform policy developments that aim to improve the experience, and integration, of black and minority ethnic prisoners.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5350769758224487}
{"content": "Creating a sustainable economy - having enough to be happy without cheating the future - can't be easy. Governments needs to engage citizens in a process of debate about the difficult choices that lie ahead and rebuild a shared commitment to the future of our societies. This title starts an important conversation about how we can begin.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7532491087913513}
{"content": "Worksite Assessment\nVocational Rehabilitation is the process of enabling those disadvantaged by illness or disability to access, maintain or return to employment or useful occupation. A vocational rehabilitation programme will involve detailed Worksite Assessment of the individual’s abilities, capacity, goals and preferences in relation to occupation, as well as liaison with the employer.\nFor those in employment or with a specific job in mind, Worksite Assessment is used to evaluate the suitability of the job and the environment for the individual. Worksite Assessment involves observing the individual undertaking tasks associated with their job where it is safe and practicable to do so.\nWorksite Assessment findings are integrated with the needs of the employer and their organisation to identify a vocational rehabilitation programme aiming to ensure productivity and satisfaction.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.990212619304657}
{"content": "Jet fuel prices reported to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics differ from producer prices. Reports to BTS show the cost per gallon of fuel used by an airline during the month rather than the price charged by a producer on a single day. Fuel costs for scheduled airline services reflect contractual and storage advantages available to large buyers, while fuel costs for nonscheduled airline services reflect economic conditions for smaller buyers. Jet fuel prices also reflect seasonality due to both the seasonality of aviation and because jet fuel has similar refining requirements to heating oil.\nCurrent Dollars per Gallon Mar-01 Mar-02 For nonscheduled airlines 0.84 0.71 For nonscheduled airlines percent change from same month previous year -1.84 -15.20 For scheduled airlines 0.79 0.61 For scheduled airlines percent change from same month previous year 9.26 -22.80\nNOTES: The current value is compared to the value from the same period in the previous year to account for seasonality.\nData for December 2001 to March 2002 are preliminary due to late reports by carriers.\nSOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5209347009658813}
{"content": "‘Beyond the Wire’ accounts for the seeker of asylum who unwittingly becomesentangled in the Australian detention regime. This thesis provides a lens throughpersonal visits to Villawood Detention Centre—1999–2004—for studying theinterpersonal and intrapersonal experiences behind the wire. Midrashimdeveloped through a framework of Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophy revealdialogic relationships in the visitors yard of surveillance. When interpretedthrough the multiple layers of the researcher–author’s Midrashim, boundaries arecollapsed, disclosing spaces and lacunae.People detained are not victims in these relationships, and power dynamicsshift between the free and the locked up. The Midrash Social ResearchMethodology extends the boundaries of qualitative research methods, offering anew pathway for knowledge creation, which in this thesis is the in-between.During the decade 1999–2009 the Australian Government’s response topeople seeking asylum reflected an uncoupling of the letter of the law from thespirit of the law. This thesis argues for a paradigm encompassing ethics more thanpolitics and law with which to conceive and receive the 21st-century refugee.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9142780900001526}
{"content": "Ayesha Abbasi was an intern on Grameen Foundation’s Marketing and Communications team from August through November of this year. A senior at American University’s Kogod School of Business, Ayesha wrote this blog post as she was preparing to graduate in December.\nAs I walked into the Grameen Foundation office in Washington, DC on my first day back in August, I remember being captivated by the vibrant images of microfinance borrowers from around the globe. One by one, I closely examined the portraits hanging on the walls, trying to understand the relationship between the organization and these individuals with smiles of satisfaction on their faces. Now, having been at Grameen Foundation for more than three months, I am not only aware, but wholeheartedly passionate, about the organization’s noble influence in underprivileged communities around the world.\nMy role as the Marketing and Communications Intern this semester has been a rewarding experience through which I’ve gained invaluable insights into the microfinance sector. Despite its challenges and complexities, the underlying principle of microfinance – channeling small amounts of funds to those who can put it to a productive use and thereby achieve a better economic and social condition –continues to make it extraordinary way of helping the poor.\nThrough its innovative, strategic approach of reaching the poorest of the poor, Grameen Foundation is creating a positive ripple effect of microfinance’s benefits in diverse regions. While doing research and writing stories, I learned that the organization’s work goes above and beyond fostering entrepreneurial spirits among the poor. It’s amazing how, despite their harsh situations, these poor individuals maintain a positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and willingness and desire to be entrepreneurs who think outside the box. All they need is an opportunity – a chance that Grameen Foundation and its partners provide – to take their ideas and turn them into action. In a global society that is becoming increasingly competitive and beset with economic disparities, the presence of institutions such as Grameen Foundation and its microfinance partners helps to eradicate inequalities by enabling the poor to advance.\nSo how does Grameen Foundation empower the poorest of the poor? Through my time here, I find it is the passionate employees and unique organizational culture that make this possible. Grameen Foundation is a dynamic, fluid organization with free-flowing ideas and collaboration between all individuals, who are dedicated to providing the poor with access to small loans, vital information, and viable business opportunities. All staff members work collectively to achieve the mission of alleviating worldwide poverty. While supporting the Marketing department, I have come to truly understand the Grameen Foundation brand and align myself with its core values and mission. Having come to the end of my internship, I am so grateful for all the new knowledge I have gained by contributing to Grameen Foundation’s microfinance- and technology-focused initiatives.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8804756999015808}
{"content": "In a recent Psychology Today blog, Sam Sommers explores why Penn State fans would hold a pep rally on Joe Paterno’s lawn despite allegations suggesting he turned a blind-eye towards child rape. It is easy to dismiss these people as rabid football fans who have become soft in the head after years of keg stands and beer funnels. However, a closer examination suggests that this behavior is something we are all capable of.\nThere is a long history of sports fan delusion. One can still see Atlanta Falcons fans who wear Michael Vick jerseys despite his dismissal from the team years ago for running dog a fighting ring. Tiger Woods is still the most popular player on the tour. Steroids sullied baseball’s reputation, but the offending players are still idolized. Sports fans’ emotions can trump astoundingly bad facts.\nBefore the non-sports fan becomes too lofty in his or her judgment, politics has established the same double-standard. How many Bill Clinton supporters believed the Monica Lewinski scandal was a witch hunt, but still readily attacked Christopher Lee, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich for accused infidelity? How many Republicans sat mute while George Bush rapidly raised the federal deficit, but now carry a rallying cry against Barack Obama for reckless spending?\nThis list attempts to illustrate the human capacity to make facts fit our particular worldview. As the research supporting cognitive dissonance suggests, people will utilize amazing shifts in thinking to avoid conflicting beliefs. The more committed a person is to a principle, the further they will go to avoid rejecting it.\nIn law, it is easy to become entrenched in the facts of a case. The rule of law establishes a concrete methodology for deciding disputes. In a purely rational world (note that I did not say a “perfect world”), logical argument would always be the weapon of choice. However, we live in an imperfectly emotional world, where logic can easily be trumped by emotional response.\nGiven that Skynet has not yet gained self-awareness and created a robot-dominated planet (despite the Terminator prediction of 04/19/2011 @ 8:11 pm), our attempts to convince an audience must speak loudly to potential emotional motivations. Mock trial research frequently demonstrates that the case with the best facts can easily be the loser if proper storytelling is not utilized to motivate jurors.\nJudges, arbitrators, mediators and jurors will not be as emotionally connected to your case arguments as Penn State fans are to Joe Pa. However, they will still have significant investments in particular storylines and emotional appeals. The trick is to deduce what these storylines are before creating your strategy. Overly-complex factual arguments will impress a law professor, but may land with a thud in the real world. Unless, of course, you have already used more simplistic emotional motivation to create a strong desire within your audience to weed through the complexity.\nThere is an old adage suggesting we avoid the discussion of religion, politics and sex in mixed company. These topics are taboo because they can inspire fervent emotion. They often cause people to reject logic and maintain an entrenched belief system. In worst-case scenarios, these discussions can result in physical blows.\nWhile we look upon the Penn State fans on Joe Paterno’s lawn as misguided and clouded by sentiment, we must also respect their dedication. Rightly or wrongly, who among us would not want such a motivated crew fighting for our defense?\nBlogger: Matt McCusker", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9034504294395447}
{"content": "The (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) or DASH is recommended for people with hypertension (high blood pressure) or prehypertension. It is based on an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy, with whole grains. It is a high fiber, low to moderate fat & sodium diet, rich in potasium, calcium, and magnesium.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5134890675544739}
{"content": "A numerical evaluation of global oceanic emissions of α-pinene and isoprene\nAtmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, 251 Fuller Road, Albany, New York, 12203, USA\nAbstract. A numerical evaluation of global oceanic emissions of α-pinene and isoprene based on both \"bottom-up\" and \"top-down\" methods is presented. We infer that the global \"bottom-up\" oceanic emissions of α-pinene and isoprene are 0.013 TgC yr\n−1 and 0.32 TgC yr−1, respectively. By\nconstraining global chemistry model simulations with the shipborne\nmeasurement of Organics over the Ocean Modifying Particles in both\nHemispheres summer cruise, we derived the global \"top-down\" oceanic\nα-pinene source of 29.5 TgC yr−1 and isoprene source of\n11.6 TgC yr−1. Both the \"bottom-up\" and \"top-down\" values are subject to large\nuncertainties. The incomplete understanding of the in-situ phytoplankton\ncommunities and their range of emission potentials significantly impact the\nestimated global \"bottom-up\" oceanic emissions, while the estimated total\namounts of the global \"top-down\" oceanic sources can be influenced by\nemission parameterizations, model and input data spatial resolutions,\nboundary layer mixing processes, and the treatments of chemical reactions.\nThe global oceanic α-pinene source and its impact on organic aerosol\nformation is significant based on \"top-down\" method, but is negligible based\non \"bottom-up\" approach. Our research highlights the importance of carrying\nout further research (especially measurements) to resolve the large offset\nin the derived oceanic organic emission based on two different approaches.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8850457072257996}
{"content": "During the 1960s, the U.S. Army Umatilla Chemical Depot in Eastern\nOregon began receiving and storing chemical munitions as one of eight chemical stockpile sites in the continental United States. The stockpile\neventually reached a total of 3,717 tons of chemical agents in\napproximately 220,000 individual munitions. The chemical weapons stored\nat the Depot represent approximately 12 percent of the United\nStates' original chemical weapons stockpile.\nIn 1985, Congress directed the Army to destroy the entire U.S.\nchemical agent stockpile per the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty,\nwhich requires signatory countries to destroy all chemical agent\nstockpiles by 2007, a deadline later extended to 2012.\nDestroying chemical weapons safely to avoid harm to the environment\nand human health requires careful and rigorous processes, safety\nmeasures, controls and oversight.\nIn February 1997, the Environmental Quality Commission, Oregon DEQ's\ngoverning board, issued environmental permits to the U.S. Army to\nconstruct, operate and ultimately close down the Umatilla facility after\ndestroying the stockpile. Construction of the Umatilla Chemical Agent\nDisposal Facility was completed in August 2001 and the Depot began\ndestroying chemical weapons in 2004.\nDEQ staff oversee the day-to-day operation of the\nUmatilla Chemical\nAgent Disposal Facility, ensuring that the Army and its contractor\ncomply with the hazardous waste and air permits. Throughout the process,\nDEQ has involved the communities of Umatilla and Morrow counties and the\nConfederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation with regular\npublic meetings.\nSuccessful destruction of the chemicals is eliminating a significant\nrisk to the environment and human life. The Umatilla plant is destroying\nthe weapons via incineration with a myriad of protective measures\naccompanied by one of the nation's most advanced emergency response\nsystems.\nThe last bomb in the Umatilla stockpile was destroyed in 2006 and the\nlast munitions containing nerve gas were destroyed in 2008. The Army\nexpects to complete its final phase, disposal of mustard agent, by 2011,\non schedule for closure of the facility in 2012.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5983566045761108}
{"content": "Clean – wash all food contact surfaces with hot, soapy water followed by disinfecting with 1/2 tablespoon chlorine bleach in 1/2 gallon of waterSeparate – keep fresh fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry and seafoodCook – to kill any bacteria that might be present, thoroughly cook meat, poultry and eggs to the appropriate temperatureChill – refrigerate leftover perishables at 40 degrees within 2 hours of cooking or servingFor more information, please see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Food Safety website.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7216203808784485}
{"content": "Market Overview: Digital Commerce Solutions 2011 In the past, online transactions for digital product purchases differed little from physical product purchases, with the exception of the delivery method. However, today's digitally connected consumer is eschewing the traditional ownership model of buy, download, install, and use. Consumers want access to digital content and services across their connected devices, anytime, anywhere—and are increasingly embracing virtual ownership models that provide access to vast libraries of content, services, and products under subscription, usage, and other ownership models. eBusiness leaders charged with monetizing their firms' catalog of digital content, software, or online services must find digital commerce solutions that allow flexibility to trial alternative business models while supporting fulfillment across multiple consumer touchpoints. This new complimentary research, provides tactics for selecting digital eCommerce solutions and looks at some of the key solutions available in the market today.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5391278266906738}
{"content": "keep your clothes clean, because moths usually go for the spots where something tasty has been spilled. Anything clean that might be infested—and you cant tell by looking—should be frozen for a few days. This will eradicate the little buggers. If your freezer is small, you can keep the clothes in sealed plastic garbage bags until they get their turn. Cedar does work as a preventive measure, but it needs to be refreshed. You can buy cedar balls or blocks, and you can refresh cedar chests or closets with cedar oil. No matter what course you choose, act immediately. If you let things slide for a few weeks, your closet could look like Mothra came for lunch.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8423100709915161}
{"content": "Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...\nGenerate a file for use with external citation management software.\nUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA. john.j.johnston@usda.gov\nThe brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is a significant ecological, agricultural, and economic pest on Guam. Acetaminophen has recently been identified as a promising snake toxicant. Subsequent experimentation has shown that acetaminophen-mouse baits are readily consumed by and acutely toxic to browntree snakes. Before implementing an island-wide acetaminophen-mouse baiting program for the reducton of brown tree snake populations,the potential risks to nontarget wildlife must be evaluated. Quantification of nontarget hazards by comparing potential exposure levels to toxicity values suggested a significant level of concern for rodents, cats, pigs, and birds. For these species, subsequent calculations and field and laboratory experiments, which quantified acetaminophen consumption under field conditions, indicated that acetaminophen consumption was minimal. These results indicate that the advantages of using acetaminophen to reduce brown tree snake populations on Guam outweigh the minimal risks to nontarget feral and wildlife species.\nYour browsing activity is empty.\nActivity recording is turned off.\nTurn recording back on\nNational Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9691323041915894}
{"content": "ULTRA LOW-CARB GLUCO SUPPORT BAR CHOCOLATE MINT FUNCTIONAL\nFOOD BAR A COMPREHENSIVE MULTIVITAMIN/MINERAL SPECIALTY BARBioGenesis Ultra Low-Carb Chocolate Mint provides a nutritious and convenient source of protein, fiber, and essential micronutrients for people on a carbohydrate controlled diet. Fortified with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, the Ultra Low-Carb Bar helps support healthy metabolism and energy production while providing a controlled glycemic response\nHIGH QUALITY PROTEIN can help promote healthy body\ncomposition and prolong feelings of satiety for weight management. Ultra\nLow-Carb Chocolate Mint provides 10 grams of protein from whey and almond\nbutter.LOW NET CARBOHYDRATES to support healthy blood sugar\nlevels. Ultra Low-Carb Chocolate Mint is sweetened with natural low glycemic\nsweeteners such as Fruitrim® and agave nectar as well as sugar alcohols to\nfacilitate a more balanced glycemic response. Each bar provides seven grams of\ndietary fiber and only four net (effective) carbohydrates. This bar is free\nfrom artificial sweeteners, including sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame.ESSENTIAL FATS from almond butter help support appetite\ncontrol and cellular health. Almonds are a source of monounsaturated fatty\nacids, which have been shown to support healthy blood lipids and protect\nagainst diseases.MICRONUTRIENT FORTIFIED to provide the essential tools for\nall physiological metabolic processes. BioGenesis Ultra Low-Carb Chocolate Mint\nis fortified with micronutrients including chromium and vanadium to help\nsupport proper insulin activity and glucose control.LOW IN CERTAIN ALLERGENS to be suitable for your patients.\nUltra Low-Carb Chocolate Mint is free from gluten, wheat, and soy protein. Cost Per Serving: $2.93 Brand: BioGenesis Nutraceuticals SKU: BIO034 MPN: 118 Made In: USA Serving size: 1 Bar Servings per container: 15\nCalories 210 - Calories from fat 100 - Total fat 11g 17% Saturated fat 3.5 g 18% Trans fat 0 g 0% Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Sodium 85 mg 4% Potassium 105 mg 3% Total carbohydrate 22 g 7% Dietary fiber 7 g 28% Sugars 6 g - Sugar alcohols 9 g - Protein 10 g 20% Vitamin A - 10% Vitamin C - 166% Calcium - 18% Iron - 15% Vitamin D - 25% Vitamin E - 166% Riboflavin - 588% Niacin - 250% Vitamin B6 - 1000% Folate - 37% Vitamin B12 - 833% Biotin - 100% Pantothenic acid - 750% Magnesium - 25% Zinc - 60% Selenium - 34% Manganese - 50% Chromium - 83% Vanadium - -\nIngredients Almond butter, sugar free dark chocolate (maltitol, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin [emulsifier], vanilla), organic agave syrup, inulin (dietary fiber), whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, cocoa powder, xylitol, whey crisps\nSuggested Use Use as a a meal replacement bar. Many people use them for breakfests and in between lunches.\nWarnings This product contains dairy, tree nuts, and soy and is produced in a facility that processes other food products that may contain peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, fish, and soy.\nChocolate Mint Ultra Low-Carb Gluco Support Bars taste like a mint truffle. They are a great way to curb chocolate cravings and satisfy hunger while I am on the HcG diet through my naturopath. It would be difficult to keep to this diet without these bars. I have to hide these delicious bars from my 5 kids! (Posted on 10/17/12)\nNo questions asked yet", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5211621522903442}
{"content": "The brothers Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr, both Elmhurst alumni, rank among the pre-eminent American theologians of the 20th century. Their bold scholarship and commitment to social engagement helped shape the political and religious thinking of their time—and ours.\nThe historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. called Reinhold Niebuhr “the supreme American theologian of the twentieth century.” Niebuhr’s writings and dynamic lectures made him a national figure from the 1930s to the 1970s, and his work continues to inform the social and political debates of the present day.\nThe Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science ranks H. Richard Niebuhr “alongside Jonathan Edwards as one of the truly creative American theologians.” Both Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr exemplified lives of faith that demonstrated the relevance of belief to contemporary culture. The spirit of the Niebuhrs lives on at Elmhurst College. As a faith-based, service-oriented college that aims to prepare students for lives filled with purpose and meaning, the College honors the legacy of these two remarkable alumni.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7011432647705078}
{"content": "SEATTLE, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Stroke patients who also have a history of migraine headaches have reported that their migraines stopped or were significantly reduced following a closure procedure of a common heart defect, called Patent Foramen Ovale, according to a study published in the February 15, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.\nPatent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a small hole in the heart. The presence of this hole is normal during fetal development when the fetal blood supply is being enriched and oxygenated by in the mother's lungs. The hole generally closes shortly after birth. However, in approximately 25% of the general population, they fail to close completely and become a persistent PFO into adulthood. In these cases, this provides an opportunity for venous blood that is returning to the heart, exhausted of oxygen and other nutrients that it would be replenished from circulating through the lungs, to cross over to the arterial side prematurely (before circulating through the lungs) and then be pumped back into the arterial circulation and the brain. This unfiltered venous blood circulating into the brain is the suspected corollary that sparks the migraine event.\nThe study, lead by cardiologist Dr. Mark Reisman, showed that patients that suffer from migraines with aura are twice as likely to have a PFO, compared to the general population. During a two year period, researchers examined 162 patients who had experienced unexplained stroke-like symptoms, and after confirming the presence of a high-grade PFO using the PMD100 transcranial ultrasound system, all patients underwent transcatheter closure of the PFO. A one-year follow-up after the PFO closure showed 56% (28/50) of patients had complete resolution of migraine symptoms, and 14% (7/50) reported a significant reduction in migraine frequency.\nSpencer Technologies, a Seattle manufacturing company, developed the PMD100 transcranial ultrasound system used in the study to assist in the PFO diagnosis, as well as post-closure follow-up.\n\"The PMD100, bar none, is the simplest and most accurate device to diagnose PFO,\" stated Dr. Merrill Spencer, medical director for Spencer Vascular and researcher in the PFO-migraine study. \"It is the only modality with a proven grading scale, which helps the physician determine if a PFO can and should be closed.\"\nAbout Spencer Technologies\nSpencer Technologies was co-founded in 1992 by Dr. Merrill Spencer, a pioneer in the development of diagnostic ultrasound. Spencer Technologies is dedicated to preventing a variety of adverse cardiovascular related events, including strokes, and significantly improving healthcare through the development and use of non-invasive ultrasound technologies for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic effects. Spencer Technologies is involved in all aspects of ultrasound through clinical research, R & D, and manufacturing products.\nTo view supporting video footage: http://www.scctv.net/scctv/spencertech.asx .\nSpencer Technologies", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6468053460121155}
{"content": "How does composting work? How does composting work? Certified compostable bioplastics completely degrade within 180 days. They do not create any toxic byproducts as they compost. Industrial composting facilities carefully regulate temperature and humidity levels to encourage quick degradation. In an ideal environment, PLA loses molecular weight and becomes a food source for naturally present microorganisms.\nIf you put compostable material in the trash can or recycling bin it will not compost. In an anaerobic environment such as a landfill, compostables do not have the oxygen they need to biodegrade. Compostable containers cannot currently be recycled.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8598999977111816}
{"content": "This report examines the limited access to reproductive services at hospitals in the United States, with a particular focus on hospitals in Texas. After discussing the decline in access to reproductive services and the importance of hospital provision of services, I discuss Catholic hospitals and the threat to reproductive services posed by Catholic hospital mergers with non-Catholic facilities. I also present newly collected data on access to reproductive services, particularly abortion and emergency contraceptives, at hospitals in Texas. This data represents preliminary results from written and phone surveys of all hospitals offering maternity services in Texas. Further, I present a case study of the lease agreement between Seton Healthcare Network and the City of Austin for the operation of Brackenridge hospital. Finally, I offer policy recommendations aimed at increasing access to reproductive services in hospitals.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995323419570923}
{"content": "Don't let J-51 be renewed with tenant protections! Ask your Assembly Member to send a letter like the one by Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell to Speaker Sheldon Silver. Read it below. THE ASSEMBLY\nSTATE OF NEW YORK\nALBANY\nDANIEL O'DONNELL Member of Assembly 69th Assembly District June 26, 2012\nSpeaker Sheldon Silver\nLOB 932\nAlbany, NY 12248\nDear Speaker Silver,\nI write to share concerns with a new piece of legislation, A10798, which is currently awaiting action in the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means. As you are aware, I am a cosponsor of this bill, and of your earlier, related legislation, A10071, which would have extended crucial tax abatements to co-op and condo owners in New York City.\nRecently, the content of A10071 was included in the new bill, A10798, and I agreed to cosponsor the new legislation to show support for efforts to extend this essential tax abatement. However, I was unaware that additional language was included in A10798 to extend tax benefits for real estate developers through the J-51 program, while neglecting to include any additional protections for the many rental tenants in my district and around New York City.\nI believe it is imperative that before we return to Albany and take action on A10798, this bill must be amended. It should include vital tenant protections currently not incorporated in the text. Some possibilities include reforms of the Rent Guidelines Board to make it more accountable, inclusion of rent controlled tenants under the Rent Guidelines Board for lease renewal purposes, protection for tenants with \"preferential rents\" from large increases, and a significant readjustment for how Major Capital Improvement Increases are dealt with, similar to the changes i my bill, A2459A, would institute.\nThank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to continuing to work with you to protect New York's tenants and improve the welfare of our communities.\nVery truly yours,\nDaniel O'Donnell Assembly Member (Click here for a copy of the original).\nAssembly Member\n(Click here for a copy of the original).", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5169739723205566}
{"content": "Costco \"Wild\" Salmon? Yesterday, I bought a salmon fillet labeled \"wild sockeye, product of USA\" at Costco in Brooklyn. When I was preparing it, I dried it with a paper towel and noticed that the paper towel was a bit pink, where it had touched the fish. Does this transfer of color mean that the salmon was actually farmed (with added color)?\nAccording to a Consumer Reports story this summer, almost all salmon labelled as wild really is wild during the main season (May - October). Outside of that time period, most of the salmon they tested was farmed.\nIf you salt salmon, wild or farmed, it will render pinkish juice so that's not a test. The added color in farmed salmon comes from the food they're fed so it doesn't leach out like a dye.\nI've bought wild salmon from Costco several times this summer and always been pleased with it.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8226330280303955}
{"content": "News UN/ISDR Releases Climate Change Adaptation and DRR Report in the Asia Pacific Region 23 August 2011: The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) has released a report titled “At the Crossroads Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Asia and the Pacific.”\nThe report aims to provide a snapshot of how DRR and CCA are integrated in the Asia Pacific region. Highlighting potential areas for cooperation among regional and sub-regional organizations, the report aims to support national and regional stakeholders in DRR and CCA, such as governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, research and technical organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the ISDR Asia Partnership on Disaster Reduction.\nThe report reviews past and ongoing regional initiatives and looks into the role of organizations in the implementation process. The report considers the political commitment and awareness of regional inter‐governmental organizations. In the Pacific region, it highlights the roles of Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), noting an historic disconnect between the two entities. It highlights that new leadership in both organizations is providing a more favorable environment for increased coordination and cooperation on CCA and DRR. The report also outlines the numerous regional policy and institutional mechanisms related to DRR and CCA. [Publication: At the Crossroads Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8302285671234131}
{"content": "Making a Difference Delegates were concerned that the World Conference make a difference. While the goal of Education for All may not be new, the hope was expressed that henceforth, the determination to achieve the goal will be better shared by all. The Conference should focus on finding viable solutions and new alternatives which would make possible education for all. It should focus also on resource mobilisation for education, rather than on situation-specific technical aspects.\nBusiness as usual\" is unacceptable; a new conceptual framework is outlined, one which, according to one delegate:\n[Ukrainian] [English] [Russian]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9793884754180908}
{"content": "People are weaving mobile technologies into the daily fabric of their lifestyles: checking real time traffic conditions, coordinating spontaneous gatherings of friends, resolving factual disagreements on the spot and more, according to a recent Pew Research report. Dominion Strategies helps clients enable their supporters to use the just-in-time convenience of mobile to advocate for their organizations too.\nEach day offers many moments of opportunity for advocates to engage current and potential supporters. Tapping into the immediacy of mobile technology gives advocates ready access to more of those moments. Dominion Strategies offers a range of technology solutions, including campaign-tailored mobile applications, to optimize your organization’s ability to engage, spur action and achieve results.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9488471150398254}
{"content": "I’ve just read 296 poems by young poets in New Zealand, for the annual New Zealand High School Poetry Competition. This was an amazing experience, perhaps at the ethnographic margin of reading. The quality of the work was uneven if judged by standard measures of correct writing, and the poems’ default mode was probably personal, anecdotal lyrics addressing a few familiar themes; but what was much more important and interesting was the variety of ways in which these poems were uttered, and at the same time their collective energy, which was overwhelming. It would be silly to claim I encountered some kind of aggregated self here, and equally silly to claim that each poet had a totally distinctive ‘voice’, though there were some marvellous, smart, and original poems in the pile. We speak and write using comprehensive common languages and, within those, in argots and accents that identify us tribally; what distinguishes our individual utterance involves variation rather than uniqueness. The effect of reading so many poems by poets within an age-span of thirteen to seventeen was of being within a dense texture, a layering of variations – a complex social chord; or, as Roland Barthes would have described it half a century ago, reminding us of the etymology of ‘Text’, a woven fabric, a textile. Of course I’m not suggesting that there is a single tribal language for New Zealand high school poets, god forbid: I encountered a great many interlocking variations within the span of English, and even within the span of English as a second language. Rather, what I think I was experiencing was a kind of poetic socio-biology, a situation in which the tensions between diverse tribals and distinct individuals generated extraordinary energy.\nI had to choose ten distinct threads from this interweaving of poems, and from that ten a single winner. These are the rules of the competition, which is, after all, a competition; which admirably aims to encourage young poets to write, to enter their poems in the competition, and perhaps to experience the satisfaction and encouragement of making the short list or winning. I think the short listed poems I’ve selected are terrific, and though there could have been other winners chosen, I also think the winning poem is a good one. Pulling these threads out of the collective text does highlight their distinctions, and I hope other readers will enjoy them on that basis; but I was lucky enough to encounter these individuals first-off within a larger, denser, richly textured, highly-strung, sometimes chaotic energy fabric. The ethnographer in me observed this ritualised face-off between cultural loyalty and individual subversion. Then I could look at the best results. That was a special, slightly illicit pleasure, and a privilege.\n11\nIf I wanted to translate silence I would have to be deaf, to remember silence I would have to recognise its opposite, for instance singing, a miracle, not too much to ask I hope, and why wouldn’t I hope, why not?", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5293821692466736}
{"content": "The purpose of this activity is for students to present a complicated academic debate within their own debate. Asher Orkaby assigned students to a position in the debate and had them prepare their arguments before class. The students were paired together and asked to debate JFK's performance during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They based their arguments on readings assigned for the week. After presenting their arguments, the students fielded questions from their classmates.\nHow did race, gender, employment, and other characteristics condition people's responses to revolutionary activities during the American Revolution? In this activity, students take on different personas and consider whether they would support a boycott of British goods.\nIn his Bible in the Humanities section, David Weimer had students present a modern object that makes an allusion or reference to the Bible. This activity allows students to explore modern-day understandings of the Bible as they relate to the original text.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6704807281494141}
{"content": "Somalia Food Security Outlook - April to September 2012 Key Messages\nIn the most likely scenario, rains in Somalia are expected to be ~60 to 85 percent of average with erratic distribution in both time and space. In the worst case scenario, forecasts suggest there is a 30 percent chance that rains will be ~60 percent of average or below. Gu rainfall will have a significant impact on food secuirity for poor, agropastoral households dependent on rainfed crop production.\nSouthern/Central agropastoral and inland rainfed cropping areas of Somalia, including areas still recovering from the 2011 Famine (IPC Phase 5), will experience a deterioration in food security outcomes due to anticipated poor Gu crop production in July and the limited number of saleable livestock over the course of the scenario period.\nDue to increasing debt levels, reduced fishing labor opportunities, a limited number of saleable livestock, overstretched social support networks, relatively poor milk availability, Serious or Critical malnutrition rates, and livestock holdings that are significantly below baseline levels, food security outcomes for poor, pastoral households in the Nugal Valley, Sool Plateau, and Costal Deeh livelihoods of the northeastern and central regions are deteriorating. Poor households are only meeting their basic food needs through loans and gifts to prevent the complete liquidation of remaining assets which could lead to becoming pastoral dropouts.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5912585258483887}
{"content": "A Global Effort\nEnergy is fundamental to our society – for our homes, our businesses, and our industries. However, the process of generating energy is our nations largest industrial source of air pollution.\nThe energy decisions we make every day can encourage the development of sustainable power resources, such as solar energy.\nEvacuated Solar Tubes\nA row of connected air-less glass tubes heat water through an evaporation and condensation process.\nCST’s evacuated solar tube collectors combine the best attributes of conventional solar panels and evacuated solar tube technology. They achieve all the reliability, and efficiency, of other more costly collectors, providng solutions unmatched in Canada’s solar industry.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5674177408218384}
{"content": "This is a golden chain tree; at least that is what my fathercalled it when he found one growing in the woods behind our house where I grewup. I remember the day he showed it to me. I followed him across the long backyardlawn to the ledge where the woods began. Maybe I was eight or nine. The woodssloped fast down a hill to a gravelly, private road below. Tall pines and oaks andmaples grew in these woods, the shaded ground covered in dense fabric: layers of brown pineneedles.\nIt’s a golden chain tree, Dad told me, pointing.\nThis thin tree looked reedy and delicate in the shade, a fewyellow petals dangling from it. He’d found a jewel.\nI’m going to transplant it, he said. Hewalked around it.\nAs usual he had a plan. My father liked to map things out inhis head—new highways and byways that included paths and flower beds, stone-dottedtrails and walkways through his garden. He’d already picked out a place for itin the front yard. I thought it wasgrand. A new tree! Sure. Why not! The excitementwas in the discovery of this sapling in the woods, and then the possibility ofwhat it would become.\nSo began one of his favorite activities: shoveling dirt. He becamesomeone else when he dug holes. I stood back and observed, offering anoccasional nod and approving comment. Looks good, I might say. Maybe I held ashovel—kind of like a nurse assisting a surgeon—passing him the appropriatetool when he asked for it.\nHere, hold this will you?\nHe handed me the shovel, then reached for thetrowel in his back pocket, using it to perform close-up, more refined scrapingand scooping.\nDuring this process, I listened to his grunting, watched sweatbeads spin into the air. Everywhere dirt—on his pants and face, knees, hands,cheeks. Messes in the garden didn'tdisturb him at all. (Messes inside thehouse, I'm afraid, drew out a different, beastly and frightening response.) Butin the garden, he maneuvered, pushed, tugged, carved a moat around the rootuntil all essential parts of the root and trunk released, and he pulled thesapling out like a babe from a womb.\nThen he swathed the roots in burlap (towel or sheet, I can't recall) andcarried the tree over his shoulder. He offered explanations for each step. I trailed him, crossing the lawn again,passing through the side yard until we rounded the house and crossed the frontyard to a far corner under my bedroom window. There, he stopped, pointed to the new, anointed place next to the house.He turned the tree upright and placed it carefully into a freshly preparedcradle of dirt.\nNext came Dad’s foot stamping dance. Round and round thetree, Dad filled the new hole with sod. He went down on his knees and withhis square-shaped hands he kneaded in the loose dirt around the rootsagain. He pushed and pressed, tucking and folding inmore dirt between spaces, making things snug for the tree.\nThinking about this now as an adult, I see how Dad understood that thisdisplaced tree needed to feel secure, anchored, and most of all—loved.\nThe tree took. It grewtall and lived a long, good life. Many decadeslater, I returned to our old house and saw that it was no longer there in the owner's yard, but my memoryholds to the vision of it. I watched it bloom every spring, below my bedroomwindow--those long, brush-like shimmers of gold, proud and graceful. Each year, they returned to show me that my father was more than a scary, raging,distraught self. I needed to know this—those sunny, gentle flowers and garden, they offered proof. (Published in Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-keener/in-my-fathers-garden_b_3361890.html)\n(Published in Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-keener/in-my-fathers-garden_b_3361890.html)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6861860752105713}
{"content": "The literature on disruptive technologies has previously stated that those innovations often emerge in low-end segments or in new markets and as the performance improves it eventually displaces the old technology. This article aims to explain how and why a technology may prosper in high-end or mainstream markets despite its initially lower performance and does so through three in-depth case studies. The findings suggest that those technologies may compensate the inferior performance by simplifying and removing work for customers. For instance, digital imaging emerged in high-end segments since these customers were willing to trade-off the initially lower image quality in order to remove the usage of film. Based upon these results, the paper concludes that the literature on disruptive technologies needs to maintain a more nuanced view of value and how it is created and distributed inside the customer’s organisation. Go to Source\nThe Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail :: Amazon What do the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? They are all examples of disruptive technologie", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9171338081359863}
{"content": "Susceptibility to infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), both in vitro and in vivo, requires the interaction between its envelope (Env) glycoprotein gp120 Env and the primary receptor (R), CD4, and Co-R, either CCR5 or CXCR4, members of the chemokine receptor family. CCR5-dependent (R5) viruses are responsible for both inter-individual transmission and for sustaining the viral pandemics, while CXCR4-using viruses, usually dualtropic R5X4, emerge in ca. 50% of individuals only in the late, immunologically suppressed stage of disease. The hypothesis that such a major biological asymmetry is explained exclusively by the availability of cells expressing CCR5 or CXCR4 is challenged by several evidences. In this regard, binding of the HIV-1 gp120 Env to the entry R complex, i.e. CD4 and a chemokine R, leads to two major events: virion-cell membrane fusion and a cascade of cell signaling. While the fusion/entry process has been well defined, the role of R/Co-R signaling in the HIV-1 life cycle has been less characterized. Indeed, depending on the cellular model studied, the capacity of HIV-1 to trigger a flow of events favoring either its own latency or replication remains a debated issue. In this article, we will review the major findings related to the role of HIV R/Co-R signaling in the steps following viral entry and leading to viral spreading in CD4(+) T lymphocytes.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5962907671928406}
{"content": "Skills for Life teacher education: creative routes 06/07 (Ongoing) What the project\nentails:\nNRDC is working with two national projects that currently have funds to support teacher education programmes. These are:\nIn broad terms the funds available through these programmes aim to facilitate the route through to fully qualified status for both prospective/new and existing adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL teachers. The QIA programme wishes to maximise the number of teachers achieving qualifications during 2006/2007. The LLUK project wishes to support and evaluate innovative developments in preparation for September 2007, with a particular emphasis on numeracy.\nProposals are invited in three categories:\nA: 'Stand-alone' Level 4 subject specialist qualifications for teachers of adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL\nB: Integrated subject specific initial teacher education programmes for adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL\nC: Diploma 'top-ups' for ESOL teachers\nAims:\nA Qualification Support Fund also offers a resource to contribute towards course fees, the cost of mentors, APL/APEL where appropriate and, in some circumstances, release or personal/travel costs to enable participation in training. Applications to this fund can be from employers/learning providers, individuals or teacher education providers, but need to represent the needs of teachers working in isolation from other Skills for Life teaching colleagues within the sector, particularly those working in voluntary/community organisations or those working with offenders or the long-term unemployed.\nFurther information:\nContact Alison Wedgbury at NRDC to discuss the application process.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5060559511184692}
{"content": "<back to Battery Care> Visually inspect for obvious problems: loose or broken alternator belt, electrolyte levels below the top of the plates, dirty battery top, corroded or swollen cables, corroded terminal clamps, loose hold-down clamps, loose cable terminals, or a leaking or damaged battery case.\nIf the electrolyte levels are low in non-sealed batteries, allow the battery to cool and add distilled water to ½ inch over the separator.\nRecharge the battery to 100% State-of-Charge. If the battery has a difference of 0.03 specific gravity reading between the lowest and highest cell, then you should equalise it.\nTo equalise, increase the charging voltage, add 5%. Heavy gassing should start occurring. Take specific gravity readings in each cell once per hour. Equalisation has occurred once the specific gravity values no longer rise during the gassing stage.\nMaintenance free batteries\nIf the hydro-eye is showing red, charge battery until it reaches 12.8 volts.\nSurface charge is the uneven mixture of sulfuric acid and water along the surface of the plates as a result of charging or discharging. It will make a weak battery appear good or a good battery appears bad. You need to eliminate the surface charge by one of the following methods\nAllow the battery to sit for between four to twelve hours to allow for the surface charge to dissipate Turn the headlights on high beam for five minutes, shut them off, and wait five to ten minutes With a battery load tester, apply a load at one-half the battery’s Cold Cranking Amps rating for 15 seconds and then wait five to ten minutes. Revision still waiting for June to provide on Temperature Compensation and table.\nAccessible: For Non-sealed batteries Check the specific gravity in each cell with a hydrometer and average the readings. For sealed batteries, measure the Open Circuit Voltage across the battery terminals with an accurate digital voltmeter. This is the only way you can determine the State-of-Charge. Some batteries have a built-in hydrometer, which only measures the State-of-Charge in ONE of its six cells.\nMaintenance Free: For Sealed Batteries If the State-of-Charge is BELOW 75% using either the specific gravity or voltage test or the built-in-hydrometer indicates “bad” (usually dark), then the battery needs to be recharged BEFORE proceeding.\nIf there is a .050 (sometimes expressed as 50 ‘points’) or more difference in the specific gravity reading between the highest and lowest cell, of an accessible battery you have a week or dead cell(s). If the battery will not recharge to a 75% or more State-of-Charge level or if the built-in hydrometer still does not indicate “good” (usually green, which indicates a 65% State-of-Charge or better), buy a new one. If a digital voltmeter indicates 0 volts, you have an open cell. If the digital voltmeter indicates 10.45 to 10.65 volts, recharge first. If the battery doesn’t recover you probably have a shorted cell. A shorted cell is caused by plates touching, sediment (“mud”) build-up or “treeing” between the plates. If the battery’s State-of-Charge is at 75% or higher or has a “good” built-in hydrometer indication, then you can load test the battery by one of the following methods:\nTurn the headlights on high beam for a few minutes. With a battery load tester, apply a load equal to one half of the Cold Cranking Amps rating of the battery for 15 seconds. Battery voltage should not drop below 9.8 volts during the test period. If the battery has passed the load test and after the load is removed, wait ten minutes and measure the State-of-Charge. The battery is okay if it has retained 75% State-of-Charge.\nIf the battery bounces back to less than 75% State-of-charge (1.225 specific gravity or 12.45 Open-Circuit-Voltage), then recharge the battery and load test again.\nIf the battery fails the load test a second time or bounces back to less than 75% State-of-Charge, then you should replace it because it lacks the necessary Cold-Cranking-Ampere power.\nIf the battery passes the load test, you should recharge it as soon as possible to restore it to peak performance and to prevent lead sulfation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.639438271522522}
{"content": "Hourly 4 inch (0.1m) Soil Temperatures\nThe image below (click on it to enlarge) shows the hourly 4 inch soil\ntemperatures at 6 locations across central North Carolina from midnight on\nFebruary 28 through midnight on March 6, 2010.\nFirst note that this winter storm was preceded by a few mild days\nwith temperatures reaching the 40s to lower 50s on 02/28 and\nin the lower and mid 50s on\n03/01. During this warm period the 0.1m (4 inch) soil\ntemperatures reached the lower to mid 40s during the late afternoon hours.\nThe amount of diurnal and spatial variability in the data is\nalso interesting with some location experiencing diurnal spreads of more then 10\ndegrees.\nNote the limited diurnal recovery on 03/02 given the expansive cloud\ndeck which results in soil temperatures in the upper 30s to lower\n40s just before the precipitation arrives. Once the precipitation begins during\nthe midday and afternoon hours on 03/02, the soil temperatures\nbegin a gradual drop through the evening and overnight hours.\nPast experience has shown that when max soil temperatures during the day preceding a\nsnow fall are in the lower 40s or colder and given modest snow rates with surface temperatures at or near\nfreezing, the snow can be expected to accumulate. While soil temperatures were a little\nwarmer then these guidelines, the heavy snow rates in the Triad during the afternoon and overnight across\nRandolph, Chatham, and Lee Counties allowed the snow to accumulate fairly quickly.\nNCAT - NC A&T State University Research Farm, Greensboro NC\nHIGH - UNCG Lindale Farm Station, High Point, NC\nCLAY - Central Crops Research Station, Clayton, NC\nGOLD - Cherry Research Station, Goldsboro, NC\nREED - Reedy Creek Field Laboratory, Raleigh, NC\nSILR - Siler City Airport, Siler City, NC", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5694686770439148}
{"content": "This paper addresses two fundamental questions about monetary policy, credit conditions and corporate activity. First, can we relate differences in the composition of debt between tight and loose periods of monetary policy to firm characteristics like size, age, indebtedness or risk? Second, do differences in companies’ financial compositions matter for real activity of firms such as inventory and employmentgrowth? The paper offers some evidence from firms in the UK manufacturing sector which suggests the composition of debt differs considerably with characteristics such as size, age, debt and risk, it also shows a significant effect from financial composition and cash flow to inventory and employment growth.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5516468286514282}
{"content": "Health Information Heat or Thermal Burns A heat-induced or thermal burn can occur when the skin comes in contact with any heat source, such as a cooking pan, an iron, a fire, a hot surface or a hot, scalding liquid.\nCaring for a heat-induced or thermal burn: Remove the child from the heat source.\nCool the affected area with cold water or cold compresses until pain is reduced or alleviated.\nIf a blister has formed, do not break it.\nProtect the burn with a dry, sterile, gauze bandage or with a clean bed sheet or cloth.\nIf your child's clothing is stuck to the burned area, do not attempt to remove it. Instead, cut around the clothing leaving the burn intact.\nDo not apply any ointments, oils, or sprays to the burned area unless prescribed by your doctor.\nIf your child has burns on the hand, foot, face, eyes, or groin, or burns that cover a large area, seek medical attention or dial 911 for emergency medical attention.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.975593626499176}
{"content": "Threat 3. Overuse of resources. Also referred to as “overgrazing” in the literature [ 2] Giving/ receiving or free riding, it involves overuse asymmetry without concern for the harm itcauses others [ 10].\nContexts. OSS. The overuse ofresources is not a significantthreat to OSS; software, likemany other information goods, isnonrival, and the cost of producing an additional unit of existingsoftware is negligible.\nComputing grids. In the case of two-way grids, the potential threat of overuse depends on Overuse of resources agreements among the partici- pants. In many cases, this threat is resolved by allowing a contribu- Preventing others from tion only when the contributor using computers are idle at the time of resources the contribution (so the resource becomes a nonrival good). In the Damaging a particular\ncase of one-way grids, the threat resourceof overuse is mitigated against ina similar way, as resources are usually contributed only when thecomputer is idle.\nWireless networks. Here, thethreat is significant, as wirelessaccess is rival and nonexcludable;overuse of resources could result in their insufficientavailability. Potential countermeasures include limiting the number of benefiting devices based onresource availability and limiting access to theresource for a certain period [ 2].\nContent. In the case of knowledge contribution viaWikipedia and Wikipedia-like initiatives, the threatof overuse is low, as content, like software, is also anonrival good.\nThreat 4. Preventing others from using resources in order to increase one’s own availability of resources. Contexts. OSS. The threat of preventing othersfrom using resources is not significant, as code is anonrival good; preventing others’ use of the resourceprovides little value.\nComputing grids. The threat of being blocked fromaccess is not significant in grids. However, a countermeasure would be like the one suggested in the caseof wireless networks: having the oversight body monitor and periodically analyze user complaints.\nWireless networks. This threat manifests itself in theprevention of others’ device operations so the remain-\nOSS\nIncrease motivation -benefits for contributors:learning, become lead users,tailor software to needs, fun,signal status, signal ability,support self identification,help others\nComputinggrids (users) WLAN\nIncrease motivation: Increase public display of motivation: self abilities, the identification, prospect of self status signaling identification, and status signaling\nContent\nMake people publiclycommit to contribution,increase social validity,create contributionrating by otherparticipants; increasemotivation: displayabilities, signal status,help others.\nUse of others’ Adopt software that restricts Monitor traffic, Use security Prohibit proprietary resources such proprietary appropriation, firewall, establish products, monitor appropriation, without encourage compliance with legal agreements the network for incorporate as a way knowledge or licensing terms through between parties bandwidth usage, to protect individual consent normative and legal sanctions, involved in the grid and remove contributors, transfer incorporate as a way to devices that property rights to protect individual contributors, overuse bandwidth nonprofit corporations transfer property rights to trademark brands and nonprofit corporations; logos, trademark a trademark brands and logos, foundation; protect trademark a foundation;, brand protect brand\nNot relevant\nContribute onlywhen resourcesare idle\nLimit the numberof receivers, limitaccess to theresource for acertain period\nNot relevant\nNot relevant\nOversightbody to monitorand periodicallyanalyze usercomplaints\nOversight bodyto monitor andanalyze usercomplaints andremoves offendersfrom the commons\nNot relevant\nReview before release\nNot relevant\nVaccinate own Use “change history”devices, avoid use function to restoreof hotspots with content. use alertsnonstandard to monitor contentequipment, changes, block userquarantine infected accounts, anonymousdevices, examine IP addresses, andnew access points IP ranges\nTable 3. Threats andcountermeasures.\ning devices have more available bandwidth. It can becountered by assigning an oversight body to monitorand analyze user complaints, identify offenders, andremove the offender from the commons [ 2]. However, this method is possible only in closed commonswhere excludability is possible.\nContent. As in OSS, this is not a major threat forcontent assets, as a content asset is a nonrival good.\nThreat 5: Damaging resources. Contexts OSS. Damage to resources is not a significant threat in the case of OSS, as software is reviewedand quality-controlled before it is released. Thus, thethreat associated with nonexcludability is averted.\nComputing grids. This is not a significant threat,due mainly to agreements among parties involved incomputing grids and the ability to monitor members’behavior.\nWireless networks. As open commons are nonexcludable, this threat manifests itself in terms of someone adding a device with viruses to wireless commonsor adding a device or access point that does not comply with 802.11X standards, possibly disrupting signals [ 2]. Ways to counter this threat in opencommons include regularly vaccinating one’s devicesand avoiding the use of hotspots with nonstandardequipment. In closed commons, one should quaran-", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5857368111610413}
{"content": "The Lawyers are Ready. Give Them the Data Intelligence They Need with StoredIQ Active eDiscovery Solutions Cost predictability and reduced downstream review fees Analyze data in place, real-time Legal-friendly repeatable workflow eDiscovery preservation and collection are mandatory steps in litigation response. However, missteps during these key phases can result in increased and on-going costs in downstream legal-hold retention, document hosting, and attorney review for the duration of a matter—often years or even indefinitely. Better insight into your data can help ease the costs and efforts involved in eDiscovery response and decrease the volumes of Big Data, by targeting only what’s most relevant to a particular case.\nUsing a slipshod or too-inclusive approach to litigation response without targeted collection can result in large volumes of irrelevant data entering the eDiscovery process, with escalating downstream costs for attorney review and production.\nIn fact, over-collection was cited by more than half of corporate counsel in an ESG survey as a challenge in their identification and collection of ESI. Serial litigants with multiple cases may even perform repeated collections on the same evidence, creating duplication of effort, as well as duplicated data and storage.\nToo many corporate legal departments do not know whose data may be relevant nor understand the volume of potentially relevant data until after collection. By giving legal teams insight into the data where it lives in the enterprise, they can determine exactly whose data needs to be collected, measure the volume of data relevant to the case, and then collect and preserve the smallest amount of legally relevant data. This knowledge can then be used to make an informed legal decision such as whether to defend or settle a lawsuit.\nStoredIQ's intelligent eDiscovery solution can help organizations respond rapidly and efficiently to legal matters, litigation, or investigations. Utilizing DiscoveryIQ, StoredIQ's eDiscovery application, corporate legal teams can identify, analyze and act upon unstructured electronically stored information (ESI) much more comprehensively and efficiently. As a result, companies can better manage their legal risk and reduce expenses, while formulating superior legal strategies.\nThe critical need for legally defensible eDiscovery Today, the eDiscovery process is frequently managed through a combination of point applications and process documentation applied in a reactive fashion. Often, in order to manage legal matters and execute eDiscovery processes, legal and IT teams utilize three or more stand-alone, disjointed applications. This inefficient approach requires multiple processing steps, increases costs and lengthens the discovery schedule; worse, the entire process may not be repeatable or defensible.\nEmployee self-collection also increases legal risk. Unfortunately, many companies still rely on this method. The employees, not the legal team, make the primary decisions about the relevance of their documents, and self-collection often alters ESI metadata. This approach is also not repeatable, verifiable or defensible, thereby increasing the risk of sanctions and inference judgments.\nAt the same time, however, court rulings regarding the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) are placing greater demands on the eDiscovery process with respect to speed, accuracy and defensibility. These rulings emphasize that controversies over the scope of discovery will likely be resolved by balancing the burdens and costs of providing the discovery against the potential benefit and value of the discovery.\nA proven, industry-accepted model StoredIQ eDiscovery solutions align with the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), the industry standard accepted by service and software providers, law firms, industry groups and corporations.\nStoredIQ and EDRM StoredIQ's capabilities cover the majority of the EDRM stages, ensuring a comprehensive, efficient approach to eDiscovery.\nInformation Management The StoredIQ solution automatically discovers, indexes, classifies, and manages unstructured data throughout the data lifecycle, mitigating legal risks and reducing costs.\nIdentification StoredIQ creates auditable data topology maps and analytics of all unstructured ESI under management, and provides powerful search technology that can be utilized to find potentially matter-relevant data “in place” across the industry’s broadest set of data sources. Reports are highly customizable to meet specific dimensional criteria.\nCollection Once ESI is identified; StoredIQ collects relevant data and places it on an immutable legal hold repository, without altering it--and without disrupting end users.\nPreservation StoredIQ authenticates collection and preservation by maintaining an audit log of the collection and by creating a hash value before and after collection. In addition, access control lists (ACLs) and security identifiers (SIDs) are preserved, proving file ownership as tracked by the file system.\nProcessing StoredIQ culls ESI to the minimum legally-defensible sub-set of potentially responsive data, de-duplicating globally or by custodian.\nAnalysis Organizations can better prepare for FRCP Rule 26(f) conferences, improving their ability to negotiate with the opposing counsel with StoredIQ’s advanced analytics, even before data is collected. This accurate, real-time insight can help organizations improve legal strategies and control litigation costs.\nYour benefits with StoredIQ Intelligent eDiscovery StoredIQ's Intelligent eDiscovery solution provides a range of business-critical information management benefits, including:\nQuickly locate matter-relevant electronic documents with advanced search technology Analyze electronic documents in-place with detailed data topology maps, advanced analytics, and precise data explorers Preserve and collect data to a secure legal hold repository, preserving all metadata and business context Act on and manage potentially relevant data in a legally defensible manner with audit trails and a robust chain of custody Reduces eDiscovery time by providing faster collection, preservation and processing to make better legal decisions, meet deadlines and avoid sanctions Provides a fixed-cost solution that provides legal cost predictability Repeatability, transparency, defensibility of the entire eDiscovery process Mitigates the impact and burden on IT", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5073142051696777}
{"content": "Font Size:\nRobust Active Learning Using Crowdsourced Annotations for Activity Recognition\nLast modified: 2011-08-24 Abstract Recognizing human activities from wearable sensor data is an important problem, particularly for health and eldercare applications. However, collecting sufficient labeled training data is challenging, especially since interpreting IMU traces is difficult for human annotators. Recently, crowdsourcing through services such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk has emerged as a promising alternative for annotating such data, with active learning serving as a natural method for affordably selecting an appropriate subset of instances to label. Unfortunately, since most active learning strategies are greedy methods that select the most uncertain sample, they are very sensitive to annotation errors (which corrupt a significant fraction of crowdsourced labels). This paper proposes methods for robust active learning under these conditions. Specifically, we make three contributions: 1) we obtain better initial labels by asking labelers to solve a related task; 2) we propose a new principled method for selecting instances in active learning that is more robust to annotation noise; 3) we estimate confidence scores for labels acquired from MTurk and ask workers to relabel samples that receive low scores under this metric. The proposed method is shown to significantly outperform existing techniques both under controlled noise conditions and in real active learning scenarios. The resulting method trains classifiers that are close in accuracy to those trained using ground-truth data.\nFull Text: PDF", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9069955945014954}
{"content": "Osteoporosis The word osteoporosis literally means porous bones. It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, the bones become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis. Breaks in the hip and spine are of special concern because they almost always require hospitalization and major surgery; and may lead to other serious consequences, including permanent disability and even death.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5794185996055603}
{"content": "Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors develop from a specialized cell in the lining of the GI tract that produces hormones that regulate digestive enzymes and peristalsis, the contraction of muscles that moves food through the intestines. Gastrointestinal carcinoids are slow-growing tumors that most often develop in the appendix, small intestine and rectum.\nSymptoms\nNo symptoms in early stage, but if the tumor has reached the liver or other parts of the body, the following symptoms may occur:\nRedness or a feeling of warmth in the face and neck\nDiarrhea\nShortness of breath, fast heartbeat\nFatigue\nSwelling in the feet and ankles\nWheezing\nPain or a feeling of abdominal fullness", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7741734981536865}
{"content": "Tamarisk Of the non-native plant species in Arches, tamarisk is often seen as the most troublesome. This water-loving, Mediterranean plant arrived in North America in the 1800's. It was used initially as an ornamental shrub, and was later planted by the Department of Agriculture to slow erosion along the banks of the Colorado River in Arizona. Spreading upriver at roughly 12 miles per year, tamarisk is now established on all of the Colorado’s tributaries.\nOnce established, dense tamarisk stands increase fire frequency, lower plant and animal diversity, and significantly alter stream hydrology. Tamarisk consumes a great deal of water, and rarely provides food and shelter necessary for the survival of wildlife. Mature cottonwood communities are declining because shading inhibits the growth of their seedlings.\nCourthouse Wash in Arches is one of several sites where the National Park Service has made an effort to control tamarisk. Similar control experiments have been established in nearby areas, mostly in small, tributary canyons of the Colorado River.\nDid You Know? Lizards, including the colorful collared lizard, are one of the most frequently seen animals at Arches. When not chasing flies or basking in the sun, they are often seen doing what appears to be push-ups. This odd dance might enhance their stereoscopic vision, helping them see what's looking back at them.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5469197034835815}
{"content": "News Release September 15, 2009\nFor Immediate Release\nContact: Barbara Isanski\n(202) 293-9300\nbisanski@psychologicalscience.org\nUnder Pressure: The Impact of Stress on Decision Making\nWe are faced with making decisions all the time. Often, we carefully deliberate the pros and cons of our choices, taking into consideration past experiences in similar situations before making a final decision. However, a new study suggests that cognitive stress, such as distraction, can influence this balanced, logical approach to decision making.\nPsychologists Jane Raymond and Jennifer L. O'Brien of Bangor University in the United Kingdom wanted to investigate how cognitive stress affects rational decision making. In this study, participants played a simple gambling game in which they earned money by deciding between stimuli—in this case, two pictures of different faces. Once their selection was made, it was immediately clear if they had won, lost, or broken even. Each face was always associated with the same outcome throughout this task. In the next stage of the experiment, the volunteers were shown each face individually and had to indicate whether they had seen those faces before. Sometimes volunteers were distracted during this task while other times they were not.\nThe results, reported in the current issue of Psychological Science , a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reveal that distractions significantly impact decision making. When volunteers were not distracted, they tended to excel at recognizing faces that had been highly predictive of either winning or losing outcomes. However, when they were distracted, they only recognized faces that had been associated with winning.\nThe authors note that when we are stressed and need to make a decision, we are \"more likely to bear in mind things that have been rewarding and to overlook information predicting negative outcomes.\" In other words, these findings indicate that irrational biases, which favor previous rewards, may guide our behavior during times of stress.\n###\nFor more information, please contact: Jane Raymond (j.raymond@bangor.ac.uk)\nPsychological Science is ranked among the top 10 general psychology journals for impact by the Institute for Scientific Information. For a copy of the article \"Selective Visual Attention and Motivation\" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Barbara Isanski at 202-293-9300 or bisanski@psychologicalscience.org.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5299069285392761}
{"content": "Mi SciELO Comunicación y sociedad versión impresa ISSN 0188-252XResumen LUGO-ORTIZ, Lourdes. Convergence, emotion and crisis: Journalists in Puerto Rico evaluate their field in the XXI Century . Comun. soc [online]. 2012, n.18, pp. 107-133. ISSN 0188-252X.\nThis article explores the challenges faced by journalists in Puerto Rico. Based on surveys, the work reports that respondents see their trade is being influenced by two main processes: one involves an economic crisis that has had a negative impact on the resources available for newsroom operations. The second involves a drive for immediacy in online news coverage, which often sacrifices the integrity of media content.\nPalabras llave : Convergence; internet; journalism; Puerto Rico; self-perception.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996743202209473}
{"content": "Where do you see yourself in five or ten years? It’s sometimes difficult to see the larger picture. Personal coaching provides clients with feedback, insights and guidance. For individuals who often feel overwhelmed in their lives, personal coaching can help. Coaching is a powerful vehicle for helping people overcome their present life challenges, enabling them function optimally and achieve greater happiness.\nA typical coaching session is 50-minutes in length, focused on you, your patterns and what you want out of life. You will leave each personal coaching session with greater insight, inspiration, goals and action steps.\nPersonal coaching facilitates growth and can assist you in the following ways: Gain powerful insight and greater self-awareness Transform beliefs and face emotions that have kept you feeling stuck or unhappy Improve interpersonal communication skills Identify, reduce and eliminate limiting mental and emotional patterns Learn new skills for successful life transitions Increase motivation and inspiration Improve self-esteem and self-confidence", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6043047904968262}
{"content": "Monday, 6 October 2008: 10:10 AM\nGeorge R. Brown Convention Center, 330B\nDuring a cultural heritage survey conducted by the National Forest Service, numerous (22+) small (2cm), fine-grained “clay marbles” were discovered at a prehistoric human habitation site in Blue Mountains of eastern Washington. The marbles were found adjacent to a cryptocrystalline projectile point associated with the Harder Phase (2500-250 yrs. BP) of human settlement in the Pacific Northwest. Their archeological significance is of some interest. Were the spheres geologic (i.e. sedimentary concretions), biogenic (digestive animal “bezoar” concretions), or were they anthropogenic? Initial visual observations led one of the authors (Williams) to conclude that they were likely natural sedimentary concretions. SEM/EDS revealed a composition consistent with the presence of quartz, feldspars, clays, and metal oxides. To determine the mineralogy, X-ray Powder Diffraction was performed in the UI X-ray Diffraction Laboratory. XRPD scans revealed that the spheres contain a significant non-diffracting component. The mineralogy of the spheres was interesting and unexpected: silica polymorphs (quartz and tridymite) and aluminosilicate polymorphs (sillimanite/mullite). One explanation for the assemblage is contact metamorphism of sediments by much older basaltic lava flows observed at the site location. Given their regular shape, and association with prehistoric artifacts, another possible explanation exists-anthropogenic pyrometamorphism. Mullite is a common component of firebricks, clay pottery, etc., which closely resemble mullite “buchites”. A preliminary conclusion is that the “marbles” may represent fired anthropogenic artifacts. The archeological significance of these items is unknown at present, however ceramic marbles have been used historically for various purposes (e.g. a type of bottle stopper). Also, small stone balls have been found at other prehistoric sites in the western US and interpreted as possible gaming devices. Forensically, the episode is instructive. Initial interpretations based on incomplete information may overlook critical data, and that one significant analytical observation, taken in context, can lead to very interesting and unexpected conclusions.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.7193354368209839}
{"content": "As neighbors of the Arborway Yard, we were disappointed the project failed to win federal funding. However, across the street, another key development is happening at the former Flanagan & Seaton automobile warehouse at 3521-3529 Washington St. This 3.4-acre development, bordered by McBride and Burnett streets, could double the number of residential units on Burnett and provide needed retail services along Washington. This property represents a fraction of land slated for redevelopment that, along with the removal of the Casey Overpass, has the potential to stimulate positive change—if done well.\nThe Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) seeks to ensure that these projects benefit the neighborhood and support 21st century values of sustainability and livability. When the developers of 3521 Washington approached us for feedback, we formed a working group to monitor the project, inform the neighborhood and solicit opinion. The SNA subcommittee conducted surveys and held countless meetings to build consensus. Besides separate residential components, the developers propose a suburban-style shopping center and a large parking lot anchored by a massive storage facility. In contrast, the neighbors desire an urban, transit-oriented, mixed-use development with expanded green space. Over 100 residents completed an association-sponsored survey, with 90 percent agreeing that “bicycling, transit use and walking should be supported on par or better with automobile use.”\nNot surprisingly, these sentiments reflect existing Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) guidelines for the Arborway Yard and other area parcels. Only three years ago, the BRA formulated its Forest Hills Improvement Initiative Use and Design Guidelines, stating, “All new buildings and uses should promote pedestrian, bicycle and public transit use, with only the minimum parking necessary…” Furthermore, the neighborhood “should be a model for green/sustainable development, including…transit-oriented, neighborhood-scaled development…” These guidelines call for 0.75 to 1.0 automobile parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail space. Yet, 3521 Washington’s proposed parking ratio is 2.5+ spaces, in contrast to a nearby BRA-approved parcel at Ukraine and Washington with a parking ratio of just over 1.0.\nThe City of Boston has its own “Smart, Green and Multimodal” initiative dubbed Boston Complete Streets (BCS), which aims to create “great public spaces,” and “address climate change and promote healthy living” by tackling transportation equity. According to its website, “approximately 75% of all trips within a neighborhood are made on foot.”\nThe redevelopment of 3521 Washington creates a unique opportunity to implement this initiative by establishing green space, incorporating into the Southwest Corridor the empty MBTA land abutting this property and creating community gardens. A serious-minded developer should welcome the chance to be a part of these improvements.\nWe request that the BRA follow the spirit of the Forest Hills Improvement Initiative and only approve forward-thinking developments. We also ask that the City uphold its Boston Complete Streets tenets to ensure a vibrant, livable Washington streetscape for all.\nOn Dec. 7 at the English High School Library, the Boston Transportation Department will present how Complete Streets could apply to Washington Street. We encourage everyone to participate in this conversation about its future.\nCarl Lowenberg Frederick Vetterlein Co-chairs, Stonybrook Neighborhood Association Jamaica Plain", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9609481692314148}
{"content": "A Dell Australia executive says women are too modest about their achievements in the workplace, noting: \"people whose confidence exceeds their ability are more likely to be men and those whose capabilities exceed their confidence are more likely to be female.\"\nJoe Kremer, the Dell executive, shared a story that feels very, very familiar. Kremer advertised a job that listed six key criteria.\nSeveral male employees who could meet two or three criteria lobbied for the role. Each had a plan for how they would skill up to meet the rest.\n\"The person who should have got the job was female but she didn't apply. I approached her and she said, 'but of the six things I need, I only have five of them nailed'.\"\nMr Kremer persisted and the woman applied and landed the role.\nAs a result of Kremer's observations, he pushed for a women's mentorship program at Dell, to make sure women were not being left behind. However, he notes that only half the battle will be recognizing women's talent.\nThe harder fight is getting women to take credit for their own accomplishments.\nTalented women too modest about abilities - expert [News.com.au]", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.534325122833252}
{"content": "Fundamental Principles And Case Studies By: Ted Cohen, MS, CCE; Willard S. Ellis, PhD, MD; Joseph J. Morrissey, PhD; Craig Bakuzonis, MEng, CCE; Yadin David, PE, EdD, CCE; and W. David Paperman, CE Many industries and individuals have embraced cellular telephones. They provide mobile, synchronous communication, which could hypothetically increase the efficiency and safety of inpatient healthcare. However, reports of early analog cellular telephones interfering with critical lifesupport machines had led many hospitals to strictly prohibit cellular telephones. A literature search revealed that individual hospitals now are allowing cellular telephone use with various policies to prevent electromagnetic interference with medical devices. The fundamental principles underlying electromagnetic interference are immunity, frequency, modulation technology, distance, and power. Electromagnetic interference risk mitigation methods based on these principles have been successfully implemented. In one case study, a minimum distance between cellular telephones and medical devices is maintained, with restrictions in critical areas. In another case study, cellular telephone coverage is augmented to automatically control the power of the cellular telephone. While no uniform safety standard yet exists, cellular telephones can be safely used in hospitals when their use is managed carefully. CLICK HERE to view/download the entire PDF file document.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9240260720252991}
{"content": "RTI holds the promise of ensuring that all children have access to high quality instruction, and that struggling learners – including those with learning disabilities – are identified, supported, and served early and effectively.\nThe statement of a single, specific desired result from an intervention. To be measurable, the outcome should be expressed in observable and quantifiable terms (i.e., Johnny will demonstrate mastery of grade-level basic math calculation skills as measured by a score of 85% or better on the end of the unit test on numerical operations).\nThe National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc., is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.\nMeets all 20 of the Standards for Charity Accountability.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9539743661880493}
{"content": "The Role of Uncle As Father Figure\nThe past three Father’s Days have been difficult days for me. I’ve spent each of them with my dad, but I missed my beloved uncle in a real and painful way. My Uncle Jerry died after a very brief battle with Pancreatic cancer in February 2009. As this year’s Father’s Day approached I thought about the father figure role that many uncles play in their nephews’ lives. I have a wonderful relationship with my own dad, but my relationship with my uncle was different. He served as a different type of role model for me than my father. My uncle was the one to take me to hockey games and for a ride on the back of a motorcycle. We went on day-long excursions by snowmobile or by boat. It was my uncle who taught me to appreciate an ice cold beer on a hot summer day and a fine glass of wine with good friends as the sun was setting. While my father taught me to drive, it was my uncle who taught me to drive aggressively and strategically and how to appreciate a luxury automobile. Uncle Jerry showed me by example that hard work pays off. He also demonstrated the value of a good vacation away from the office and the importance of enjoying time with the family. My uncle had his own children, but he still made time for me and his other nephews and nieces. Just as there is a significant role for a Savvy Auntie to play in one’s life, there is a significant role for a devoted uncle too. The uncle is an unsung hero in society. As the fond memories of my Uncle Jerry were floating in my head and I was considering the ways he served as a complementary (not surrogate) father figure in my life I was called upon to officiate at a funeral. On the phone, the local funeral director explained that the family was not affiliated with any congregation. He also told me that the contact person would be the deceased’s niece, but that she and her siblings should be treated as the grieving children. When I arrived at the house to meet with the family in preparation for the funeral the following day, I learned that the man I was to eulogize played a substantial role in the lives of his nieces and nephew. While his own father died when he was just a young boy and he grew up without a father figure in his life, he filled that role outstandingly for his own two children as well as for his three nieces and nephew. I listened to the stories flying at me from all directions about a man who shed the “Uncle” title and became “Dad” to four children when their own parents were no longer available. I considered how many uncles fill this role for their nieces and nephews. Some uncles, like the man who just departed this earth, step up and take on a father figure role when the need arises, and do so with love and affection. Others, like my own uncle, serve as a father figure in ways that complement the role of a biological father. Father’s Day was one of my uncle’s favorite days of the year. He loved to open his house to the family and barbeque for us. As everyone was finishing dessert he’d motion to me to go outside and we’d play catch until it was too dark to see the ball. Sometimes I would just watch him hit tennis balls with a golf driver to his eager Golden Retriever. Growing up, I now realize that Father’s Day for me was also a day to honor my uncle and the impact he had on my development. Just as Melanie Notkin has reframed our understanding of aunthood, I encourage everyone to take into account the special role that uncles play in the lives of their nieces and nephews. On this Father’s Day, I will once again pay tribute to the memory of my uncle. Through his actions he was influential in the way I now serve as a father to my own children. While I am not yet an uncle, I know that when the time comes I will look to Uncle Jerry as a role model. His legacy will inspire me to take a father figure approach to being an uncle. In a big way. Rabbi Jason Miller is a blogger and entrepreneur. A frequent contributor to the Huffington Post, he also blogs at http://blog.rabbijason.com. He is the president of Access Computer Technology, based in Michigan. Follow him on Twitter @rabbijason. Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net Published: June 17, 2012", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.557560920715332}
{"content": "I'm a single gay male in my late 20s. I've met a guy I really like. We chat all the time and we're attracted to each other. We haven't yet been sexually active with each other, but we're planning to get naked and sweaty (and break out the ropes and blindfolds) over Christmas break. Why do we have a date \"scheduled\" for the sex? Well, because he lives six hours away and that's when he's next coming to visit.\nBut here's the \"problem\"—he happens to be HIV-positive. Before you start yelling at me for calling his status a problem, let me elaborate. The problem isn't that he's HIV-positive, per se. The problem is with me. I've had sex with poz guys in the past, but the thing is, I didn't know it at the time. I've always been safe and sensible and yadda yadda yadda, and my last HIV test (two months ago) came back negative. So while I know the risk is no greater with this new guy than it was with any of the poz guys I've slept with before, I'm still nervous and I'm not sure how I'll react emotionally when we go to bed together.\nSo here's my question, Dan. Is it fair to him to warn him that I might feel a little nervous having sex with him despite the fact that he's smokin' hot and we really want to fuck each other's brains out? I feel like HIV isn't supposed to be a \"deal breaker,\" and he's got it and can't change that fact, and I'd feel guilty putting another burden on him in the form of my own insecurities about it. What should I do?\nNeg Kinkster In The Heartland\nUnless HIV has been found to burn fat calories, repair damaged split ends, and act as a natural male enhancement since the last time I Googled the virus, NKITH, your friend's HIV status is a problem. While HIV infection may not be the fatal illness it once was (so long as you have access to life-saving drugs, of course), it's still no fucking picnic. It's better to be neg than it is to be poz—and that's a fact, NKITH, not a thought crime.\nPresumably you're aware of this guy's HIV status in advance of his visit because he had the decency and the courage to disclose his HIV status to you. The decent and courageous thing for you to do now, NKITH, is to disclose your nervousness to him. Before you break out the ropes and condoms, NKITH, he needs to acknowledge the risks you're taking on when you sleep with him and do all he can to minimize those risks.\nAsk him if he's being treated. Inquire about his viral load. Impress on him—in a good-natured, matter-of-fact way—that you desire to remain negative. Emphasize the importance of condoms and tell him that you apologize in advance if nerves get the better of you the first time out. And if you don't know this guy well, I'd leave the bondage and blindfolds off the menu until you've established a real sense of trust. And guess what, kiddo? You can't establish that kind of trust during your first face-to-face/ass-to-face/cock-to-ass visit.\nAnd finally, NKITH, you have to accept that you could get infected even if you do everything right. If you're going to have insertive sex with this man (or any man whose HIV status you're unaware of)—particularly if you plan to blow him without a condom or let him fuck you even with one—you can only minimize your risks, NKITH, not eliminate them. Condoms break, condoms leak—rarely, if they're used correctly, but it does happen. People get infected giving blowjobs—rarely, again, but it does happen. He shouldn't sleep with you if he can't promise to do his best to keep you negative, NKITH. But you shouldn't sleep with him if you can't promise not to hold it against him if, even after doing everything right, you wind up positive.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.77040034532547}
{"content": "Mouse and human lung fibroblasts regulate dendritic cell trafficking, airway inflammation, and fibrosis through integrin αvβ8-mediated activation of TGF-β. The Journal of clinical investigation , Vol. 121, No. 7. (July 2011), pp. 2863-2875, doi:10.1172/jci45589 Key: citeulike:11972854Formatted Citation Show HTML Likes (beta) Abstract The airway is a primary portal of entry for noxious environmental stimuli that can trigger airway remodeling, which contributes significantly to airway obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic asthma. Important pathologic components of airway remodeling include fibrosis and abnormal innate and adaptive immune responses. The positioning of fibroblasts in interstitial spaces suggests that they could participate in both fibrosis and chemokine regulation of the trafficking of immune cells such as dendritic cells, which are crucial antigen-presenting cells. However, physiological evidence for this dual role for fibroblasts is lacking. Here, in two physiologically relevant models - conditional deletion in mouse fibroblasts of the TGF-β-activating integrin αvβ8 and neutralization of αvβ8 in human COPD fibroblasts - we have elucidated a mechanism whereby lung fibroblast chemokine secretion directs dendritic cell trafficking, in a manner that is critically dependent on αvβ8-mediated activation of TGF-β by fibroblasts. Our data therefore indicate that fibroblasts have a crucial role in regulating both fibrotic and immune responses in the lung.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8352243900299072}
{"content": "A wheel of Comté in Paris' Rungis Market. Photo: Max Shrem\nThis summer, Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. For the next two months, in 'Le Cheese Course,' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise! For many of us, tasting a cheese just involves swiping a cheese plane or knife against the surface (or the\npâte ) of a cheese and popping it into our mouths. In France, amongstfromagers (cheese mongers) andaffineurs (cheese agers), a dedicated process involves not only tasting the cheese, but also touching it to feel its texture.is a cheese ritual in which a slender, curved instrument called a Faire la sonde Faire la sonde\nsonde à fromage is used to remove a small cylinder of cheese from a wheel. It's like performing surgery on a cheese to inspect the flavor development.A\nsonde , which looks like a surgical device, literally translates as a drill, taster and probe. From this tool, the taster pinches off a piece of the cheese to try. In fact, Pascal Trotté of Fromagerie Trotté insists that one actually pinches it off, because he says it's about touching the cheese and acknowledging its consistency.For Pascal, it's this pinching that permits him to measure the quality of a cheese before it enters his mouth. While purchasing cheeses at Rungis, the world's largest food market (573 acres) just outside of Paris, Pascal will choose specific wheels based on this method of tasting.\nThis tasting process does not leave the wheel with an exposed hole. After the tasting, the piece ejected by the sonde is placed back into the cheese covering part of the hole. Because no fromager wants a hole in his gorgeous round of cheese, and no affineur wants a taster to ruin the look of his or her cheese.\nThe sonde also lets affineurs taste their cheese and determine how to proceed with the aging process. For instance, an affineur may decide to continue or to terminate the aging of a wheel of Gruyère depending on the flavor and on the texture that he is looking to create.\nWhile we may not all have the pleasure of sampling a cheese using a sonde, we can still perform some more elementary tests on cheese. The next time you're sampling a new cheese, give it a pinch before popping it in your mouth: if it's soft and creamy, it's typically sweet and mild. If only we could apply these character tests to people!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5693502426147461}
{"content": "Qatar increases its Index ranking by seven places. Energy security is very weak (rank 81) due to weak diversity of electricity production and of energy exports, a small wholesale margin on gasoline and a positive 5 year energy consumption growth trend. However, a decrease in the energy consumption growth trend improved energy security rankings from 2011. An improvement across all indicators also led to a better environmental performance. Qatar continues to perform well in social equity and economic strength with good scores across all indicators. However, a drop in political and societal strength is driven by a small deterioration across all indicators.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9928917288780212}
{"content": "NETWORK LAUNCHED TO UNITE MILITARY SPOUSES WITH LAW DEGREES Website and Facebook Group allow military spouses to connect and advocate for eliminating barriers to the practice of law. Attorney spouses of military members face significant challenges maintaining their legal careers while supporting their spouse’s military career. Many families find balancing a military career with a legal career too difficult. In those cases, either the legal profession or the military loses a valuable member. The Military Spouse JD Network (\"MSJDN\") was formed by two military spouses who have maintained successful legal careers through frequent transfers with their spouses. The MSJDN focuses on:– advocating for provisional bar membership and admission in each state,\n– educating the community about the benefits of hiring military spouses with law degrees, and\n– providing a network for attorney spouses to connect with and support each other. With the support of co-founder Mary Reding, Ohio is considering providing provisional bar membership to qualified military spouses. The MSJDN urges each state to review its bar admission requirements to ensure they are reasonable for military spouses who typically move every two to four years. The MSJDN also supports the uniform bar exam. The MSJDN will highlight to employers the benefits of hiring military spouses. In addition, the network allows attorney spouses to share career advice, such as identifying legal careers that are portable and consistent with being a military spouse. \"No organization previously existed to connect attorney military spouses,\" according to co-founder Erin Wirth. \"Spouses navigated bar admissions and employment searches without any support or advice. This network provides a way to identify military spouses with law degrees; document our diverse career paths, challenges, and achievements; and to address our unique needs.\" The MSJDN includes spouses from all five branches of the United States Military: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy. The network is also open to active duty military members, spouses of retired service members and reservists, and community members who support the network’s mission.\nThe Military Spouse JD Network is dedicated to eliminating barriers to the practice of law and making the legal profession a portable and viable career option for military spouses. If you would like more information about the Military Spouse JD Network, contact Mary Reding at and visit .", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.506554365158081}
{"content": "Introduction to the Theory of Social Representations Humans are social animals who live through interaction with each other. Individuals, therefore, do not think in isolation. Instead, they construct a framework of shared references that define how to think about the world around them. Such shared references can be viewed as social representations. This seminar aims to familiarize students with social representations theory, an original approach to social psychology. The interdisciplinary orientation of this approach provides us with new insights into many key aspects of modern life. With the help of social representations theory, we are able to re-examine and shed new light on engaging societal phenomena such as health and illness, madness, AIDS, biogenetics, intelligence, food, money, or race.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6790404319763184}
{"content": "ARHP members are expected to regularly affirm their support for the organization’s Code of Ethics and consistently abide by this Code. This applies to all ARHP members, including those who engage in clinical or public health practice, research, teaching, medical/legal, administrative, managerial, regulatory, and related realms.\nARHP members attest that they:\nare guided by serving the best interests of individual patients and patient populations. Business needs, societal expectations, and organizational pressures do not take priority over these best interests. support individual autonomy and patient-centered care. This includes valuing patients’ cultural traditions, personal preferences and values, family situations, and lifestyles. It includes working collaboratively with individuals to make decisions about health care that are best for his/her unique needs. value reproductive care, rights, and justice. This includes access to health services by under-served communities, and a fair distribution of health resources to actively eliminate discrimination. This value promotes policies that aspire to protect or improve the health of communities while reducing inequities. strictly abide by the ethics and standards of his/her profession. Professionals who provide or have provided direct patient care should have an absence of formal, credible professional disciplinary actions that result in restrictions or limitations placed on his/her license. seek to regularly maintain professional competence. This includes a commitment to life-long learning about current scientific evidence and best practice guidelines, while continuously improving his/her professional performance. Approved by ARHP’s Board of Directors, March 10, 2011.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9748585224151611}
{"content": "Professional certification is the voluntary process by which a non-governmental entity grants a time-limited recognition to an individual after verifying that predetermined and standardized criteria have been met. Because biofeedback is an unregulated field, certification is crucial for providing standards of care. To be viable as a professional service, standards of competence and clinical practice must be defined and measured. Since 1981, BCIA has taken on this task.Through the BCIA recertification program, each certificant is held accountable to a code of ethics, obtains specified continuing education, and maintains proper credentialing appropriate for clinical practice.\nTo become a Board-certified practitioner, one must:", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.920116126537323}
{"content": "President John Mahama has pledged his government will expand the Youth in Agriculture programme to boost growth in the agricultural sector.\nHe noted that the success of the National Service Scheme (NSS) youth in agriculture programme across the country is impressive.\nSpeaking at the 28th National Farmers Day celebration at Abokobi in the Ga East municipality in the Greater Accra Region, President Mahama stated that it delights him to see the youth improving their lives through agriculture.\n“An increasing number of our youth are seeing agriculture as a profitable and attractive venture and are therefore taking to agriculture. The Youth in Agriculture programme has been a remarkable success and government intends to expand it,” he said.\nHe commended the National Service Scheme (NSS) for venturing into projects in the agric sector “and the interests they are generating amongst our young people and National Service men in agriculture.”\nThe President further outlined government policies for the Agric sector saying, “it is the commitment of this government to sustain this achievement in the agric sector by continuous acceleration of its development.”\nHe revealed that in the second term of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration if voted back into power, the economic transformation of Ghana will be hinged on agricultural modernization as a major pillar for economic advancement.\n“This pillar will be propelled by two main strategies. The first involves the implementation of the food and agricultural development policy which we popularly call FASDEP and the corresponding investment plan as detailed in our medium term agricultural sector investment plan,” he explained.\nPresident Mahama added that “the key elements of this strategy will include transforming the agric sector from a resourced based to a technology based industry.”\nBy: Citifmonline.com/Ghana", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5107935667037964}
{"content": "Planning for case closing:\nis a clearly defined process that includes assignment of staff responsibility;\nbegins at intake; and\ninvolves the worker, the family, and others, as appropriate.\nThe organization provides youth transitioning to independence with information about:\nhealth and financial assistance or other available benefits;\ncommunity resources and support services;\nhousing options;\nfinancial planning;\ncompiling necessary legal and personal documents; and\ninformation to maintain an ongoing relationship with their tribe and tribal community members, as appropriate.\nInterpretation: “Legal and personal documents” can include:\nan identification card;\na resume;\na driver’s license;\nan original copy of the youth’s birth certificate;\nreligious documents and information;\ndocumentation of tribal eligibility and membership;\ndocumentation of immigration, citizenship, or naturalization, if applicable; and\neducational records.\nInterpretation: Housing options may include a full range from supported living to a fully independent living environment. When the case involves an Indian child, the organization should work with the tribe and the youth in transition to explore the risks and benefits of housing options within Indian country and prepare youth for this potential transition.\nResearch Note: Organizations should explore the definition of independence with youth to ensure that youth are transitioning into a living arrangement that meets their needs and honors their belief system and cultural values. Establishing strong interdependent relationships with a committed\ncaregiver, extended family, and supportive community members can smooth the transition into adulthood and independence.\nNA The organization does not serve youth transitioning to independence.\nUpon case closing, the organization notifies any collaborating service providers, including the courts and tribal governments, as appropriate.\nIf a family is asked to leave the\nprogram, the organization makes every effort to link them with appropriate services.\nThe organization that has a contract with a public authority that does not include aftercare planning or follow-up:\nconducts a formal case closing evaluation and assessment of unmet needs; and\ninforms the public body of the findings, in writing, as appropriate to the contract and with the permission of the family member.\nNA The organization does not have a relevant contract.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5235847234725952}
{"content": "To look over; to explore or examine for something; as, to prospect a district for gold.\nTo make a search; to seek; to explore, as for mines or the like; as, to prospect for gold.\nGenerally a donor; may also be a record of information of persons related to donors and donations (solicitors, contacts, groups, corporations, families, etc.). The term may also be used as shorthand to refer to PledgeMaker records (Prospect Information).\nA potential hydrocarbon trap which has been confirmed by geological and geophysical studies to warrant the drilling of an exploration well.\nA lease or group of leases on which an operator intends to drill.\nan area of land with insufficient data available on the mineralisation to determine if it is economically recoverable, but warranting further investigation. development of additional reserves; depletion of existing reserves through production; actual mining experience; and price forecasts.\nA specified location or an area targeted for leasing and drilling.\nA potential buyer of an insurance policy or program.\nA person who the consultant has identified as a potential customer, or potential new consultant - See Applicant\nAn alumnus/a or friend of Eastern Michigan University with the potential to make a charitable gift.\nexplore for useful or valuable things or substances, such as minerals\na friend you haven't met yet\na geologist's idea of a petroleum filled trap which is documented in some manner by interpreted geologic data\na qualified person or business that has the potential to buy your product or service\nto explore, especially for mineral deposits.\nA mineral deposit with insufficient data available on mineralisation to determine if it is economically recoverable, but warranting further investigation.\nA potential new customer who can be approached for buying an insurance policy.\nThe hypothesis that a naturally occurring, commercially exploitable accumulation of oil or gas exists, at a clearly defined underground location. One or more geologic maps describe it. A single well should be sufficient to test the hypothesis. Surface area of a prospect could range from a ten-acre tract enough for a single well, to a tract covering many square miles and requiring dozens of wells to fully develop its reserves.\nmineral occurrence with the potential for an economic deposit.\nA promising area where exploratory wells could be drilled.\nA potential buyer for a product or service who has yet to make a purchase\nA potential buyer or customer.\nA potential buyer for insurance.\nA geological or geophysical anomaly that has been surveyed and defined, usually by seismic data, to the degree that its configuration is fairly well established, and on which further exploration such as drilling can be recommended.\nA geographical area that exploration has shown contains sedimentary rocks and structures favorable for the presence of crude oil or natural gas.\nA person whose name is on a mailing list considered to be a potential buyer for a given product or service, but who has not previously made such a purchase.\n1) To investigate land for valuable mineral deposits. 2) A potential buyer.\nn., V.t. n. any potential donor whose linkages, giving ability, and interests have been confirmed. V.t. to identify (a prospect).\nA mining property, the value of which has not been determined by exploration.\nA potential buyer of a product or service.\nA person on a list who is considered to be a potential buyer but who has not made a purchase yet.\nPotential customers.\nAn area designated for the potential drilling of development or exploratory wells.\nAny entity (person or non-person) that has been identified with the potential to provide major-gift level support (current or future) to the University of Idaho. They must also indicate philanthropic interest in the UI.\nA potential customer or recruit.\nA specific geographic area which, based on supporting geological, geophysical or other data and also preliminary economic analysis using reasonably anticipated prices and costs, is deemed to have potential for the discovery of commercial hydrocarbons.\nOne who is looked on as a potential policyholder.\nA potential customer who you have targeted.\nThe name of a person on a mailing list, who has not previously made a purchase, but is considered to be a potential buyer for a given product or service .\nAn area of ground considered worthy of investigation with respect to mineral potential;\nPotential customer or client.\nThe term commonly used to refer to a potential buyer of insurance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9562063813209534}
{"content": "The Portuguese property sales market remains weak, despite strong lettings activity, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics)/Ci Portuguese Housing Market Survey (PHMS).\nResults from the March PHMS show the continued weakness of the sales market, across price, activity and expectations. While the national price balance and confidence index improved slightly, they still remain in negative territory.\nFalling demand is one of the reasons cited behind the decline in property prices in Portugal.\nBy contrast, the lettings market has benefited from a lack of available finance, as households who cannot afford a mortgage are deciding to rent instead.\nJosh Miller, senior economist at Rics, said rents were also declining, despite being more robust than the rest of the property market.\nHe stated: \"[This] may be indicative of the current stresses on the household sector, reflected in a 15% unemployment rate.\"\nThe Financial Times recently reported that property prices are lower in central and northern Portugal, compared to those in the popular tourist areas further south and around Lisbon.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9832881093025208}
{"content": "KitchenAid has spent decades creating innovative products for the well-equipped kitchen. From commercial grade cooktops and wine cellars to stand mixers and an impressive assortment of cookware, bakeware and accessories, they offer virtually every culinary essential you could need. Before their dishwashers clean your dishes, they test them beyond accepted industry standards. The result is a wash system that delivers exceptional cleaning performance in many notable ways. A signature feature of all KitchenAid dishwashers is their convenient in-dishwasher food disposer. During the cycle, food particles are collected, ground up, then filtered out of the dishwasher. There is no filter to clean by hand - removing a common source of unwanted odors. Simply put, the in-dishwasher food disposer minimizes unwanted steps - such as pre rinsing dishes - letting you take dishes straight from the table to the dishwasher. Another example of their commitment to higher standards is their stainless steel lower wash arms. Four arms release jets of water from then precisely angled locations. Continuously sending water to every corner of the tub ensures that even your large loads receive maximum coverage. And, because they're made of stainless steel, you can expect them to wear well over time. Their wash system is also designed to consumer's needs. This drives them to innovations such as their ProScrub option. The ProScrub option delivers exceptional cleaning performance during a Normal cycle with no added time or energy/water consumption. Powerful spray jets increase water pressure at frequent intervals and direct the water towards dishes loaded in the lower rack. The concentrated cleaning is ideal for stubborn messes that result from seared, baked on, or caramelized soils. With the increased intensity occurring only in a specific area, you can still clean delicate stemware in the same load.\n4 of 4(100%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9611579179763794}
{"content": "Allsup is the premier nationwide provider of disability services that helps veterans and those with disabilities lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible.\nReasons you should choose Allsup for appealing your veterans benefits:\nAllsup specializes in disability and has nearly 30 years of experience helping people navigate complex government programs. Our team focuses on helping veterans like you successfully win an appeal so they can receive the highest possible rating level of disability compensation. We know the ins and outs of navigating the roadblocks to get you the benefits you deserve. Allsup’s VA-accredited Claims Agents prepare a thorough and accurate appeal so the VA can quickly and efficiently review your case and make a decision. We take an integrated approach to your needs – we also can represent you for an SSDI benefits claim if you’re eligible, and help you achieve greater financial stability with the Disability Life Planning Service ®. Only Allsup delivers True Help® , with a wide range of specialized services, information, guidance and customer support to help you manage through the financial and healthcare impact of your disabilities, now and in the future. Your duty was to fight for our country. Our duty is to fight for the disability benefits you deserve.\nAllsup can help you through this unfamiliar, complex and long process.\nYou can elect that a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) appeal go directly to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) or to a Decision Review Officer (DRO). Once an (NOD) appeal is filed, it takes an average of 645 days for a (DRO) to reach a decision, and 1,215 days, or over three years, for the (BVA) to reach a decision. If the BVA remands your claim back to the Regional Office to correct any mistakes, it takes an average of 427 days for the Regional Office to process a new decision. The soonest you can expect to receive a decision regarding your claim is, on average, approximately five years. More realistically, claims can take six to seven years to resolve completely. You don’t have to go it alone.\nThis long process points to the need for specialized help, especially because veterans who use a paid VA-accredited Claims Agent generally receive a higher approval rate and disability benefit rating. With Allsup’s help, you don’t have to go through the process alone.\nA 2005 report by the VA Office of the Inspector General stated that “the average annual disability payments for veterans with representation were $6,225 higher than the payments for those without representation.” In 2005, a $6,225 increase in benefits was approximately a 40 percent increase in a veteran’s disability rating.\nWe are not affiliated with or funded by the VA.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5622259378433228}
{"content": "Merchandise trade: September 2012 According to SCAD's report, the total value of non-oil merchandise trade in September 2012 was Dhs11,793m, of which Dhs9,242m (78.4% of total) was imports, Dhs1,242m (10.5% of total) was non-oil exports of and Dhs1,309m (11.1% of total) was re-exports.Total non-oil merchandise trade dropped by Dhs242m (2.0%) in September compared with August 2012, with non-oil exports retreating by Dhs948m (43.3%) while imports advanced by Dhs478m (5.5%) and re-exports by Dhs227m (21.0%) over the same period of time.\nA year on year comparison (September 2012/2011) shows a decrease of Dhs160m (1.3%) in total trade, with imports decreasing by Dhs1,140m (11.0%), while non-oil exports increased by Dhs684m (122.5%) and re-exports by Dhs297m (29.3%), over the same period.\nNon-oil merchandise trade: September compared with August 2012 Analysis of trade data for September compared with August 2012 reveals a rise of 5.5% in imports, due to increases in the imports of \"Machinery and transport equipment\" by Dhs432m (10.0%) and \"Chemicals and related products\" by Dhs249m(29.9%).Meanwhile, the value of non-oil exports declined by 43.3%, reflecting decreases of Dhs600m (79.3%) in \"Machinery and transport equipment\", Dhs289m (44.6%) in \"Chemicals and related products\" and Dhs115m (24.5% in \"Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material\".\nOn the other hand, re-exports advanced by 21.0%, with increases of Dhs192m (26.7%) in \"Machinery and transport equipment\" and Dhs47m (143%) in \"Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material\".\nNon-oil merchandise trade in September 2012 compared with September 2011 A year-on-year comparison of non-oil merchandise trade data ( for September 2012/2011) indicates a fall of 11 percent in the value of imports, due to decreases of Dhs713m (13.0%) in \"Machinery and transport equipment\" and Dhs417m (55.0%) in \"Other\" commodities.By contrast, non-oil exports advanced 122.5%, with increases of Dhs257m (1,268.9%) in \"Miscellaneous manufactured items\", Dhs180m (100.5%) in \"Chemicals and related products\" and Dhs118m (49.6%) in \"Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material\".\nSimilarly, the value of re-exports increased by 29.3%, reflecting increases of Dhs288m (46.4%) in \"Machinery and transport equipment\" and Dhs53m (143.0%) in \"Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material\", which were partially offset by a decrease of Dhs41m (17.9%) in \"Miscellaneous manufactured items\".\nNon-oil merchandise trade by country: September 2012 SCAD's report also details the imports, non-oil exports and re-exports in September 2012 by value and trading partner, revealing that the top countries of origin for imports were USA, which was the source of imports worth (Dhs1,119m), Germany (Dhs1,117m) and Saudi Arabia (Dhs915m). Together, these three countries supplied 34.1% of Abu Dhabi's total imports in September 2012.China was the top destination of Abu Dhabi's non-oil exports in September 2012, receiving merchandise worth (Dhs372m), followed by Saudi Arabia (Dhs363m) and Singapore (Dhs106m). The combined share of these three countries was 67.7% of total non-oil exports in September 2012.\nBahrain topped the list of destinations for Abu Dhabi's re-exports by value, receiving merchandise worth (Dhs271m), followed by Qatar (Dhs200m) and Saudi Arabia (Dhs178m). Re-exports to these top three countries made up 49.6% of total re-exports during September 2012.\nHistorical series of monthly trade data- January 2010 to September 2012 SCAD explained that the largest monthly figure for imports through the ports of Abu Dhabi over the period from January 2010 to September 2012 was Dhs12,777m, recorded in October 2011, while the largest non-oil exports figure (Dhs3,261m) was recorded in August 2010, and the largest re-exports (Dhs1,360m) in May 2012.The Centre noted that the goods covered under the report methodology do not belong entirely to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi but to other Emirates as well. This report does not record Abu Dhabi's trade through the ports of the other Emirates either.\nThe report data have been sourced from the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance - Customs Administration, with the scope of the statistic therefore restricted to the trade flows recorded at ports operated under the jurisdiction of the Customs Administration. The report highlights the relative importance of each individual component of imports, non-oil exports and re-exports.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5551273822784424}
{"content": "Update: West Nile Virus Screening of Blood Donations and\nTransfusion-Associated Transmission --- United States, 2003\nIn 2002, transfusion-associated transmission (TAT) of West Nile virus (WNV) infection acquired through blood\ntransfusion marked the emergence of a new threat to the U.S. blood supply\n(1 ). Although mosquito-borne transmission remains\nthe predominant mode of WNV transmission (2 ), identification of TAT underscored the need for WNV screening\nof donated blood. In June 2003, blood-collection agencies (BCAs) implemented investigational WNV nucleic acid--amplification tests (NATs) to screen all blood donations and identify potentially infectious donations for quarantine and retrieval. This screening was performed on approximately 6 million units during June--December 2003, resulting in\nthe removal of at least 818 viremic blood donations from the blood supply. This report summarizes the results of blood-donation screening tests conducted during 2003 and describes six cases of WNV TAT that occurred because of transfusion of components containing low levels of virus not detected by the testing algorithm. These data indicate that blood screening for WNV has improved blood safety. However, a small risk of WNV transfusion-associated transmission remains. To address\nthis risk, changes to screening strategies are planned for 2004.\nBCA Testing Activities\nIn June 2003, under the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) investigational new drug (IND) mechanism, BCAs\nbegan screening donations by using NATs from two test-kit manufacturers. Initial screening protocols included NAT performed on mini-pools (MP NAT) of samples from six or 16 donations, depending on the test-kit manufacturer. Donation samples\nthat were part of reactive mini-pools were tested individually. Any reactive samples were retested by individual\ndonation testing (IDT NAT). In certain cases, an alternate sample from the same donation or an alternate NAT might have been used for retesting. In addition, selected blood banks serving areas with epidemic activity stopped using this MP NAT\nscreening algorithm and implemented IDT NAT screening during limited periods of the epidemic season. Donors of IDT NAT--reactive samples identified by either screening method were asked to participate in a BCA-directed follow-up study to confirm WNV infection and evaluate for the persistence of WNV RNA in blood samples collected subsequently. Both\nfollow-up samples and the index-donation samples were tested for WNV-specific IgM antibody. Donations that were IDT NAT--reactive were not released for transfusion; these donors were deferred from donating blood again until\n> 28 days after the date of collection for the last NAT-reactive sample and the documented development of WNV-specific antibody.\nTo determine the sensitivity of the MP NAT--screening algorithm, certain BCAs performed retrospective testing studies in\nselected areas that experienced high rates of viremic donations. In these studies, individual components of archived MP NAT--negative donation samples were retested by IDT NAT.\nSurveillance Activities\nFor surveillance purposes, a donation that was repeatedly reactive on IDT NAT was considered to be from a\npresumptive viremic donor (PVD). Cooperating local blood centers provided reports of PVDs (including donor age, sex, postal code, and date of donation) to state health departments, which provided reports to ArboNET, the national arbovirus surveillance system.\nAs of March 31, 2004, state and local health departments had reported 818 PVDs to ArboNET; dates of collection\nranged from June 25 to December 2, 2003 (Figure). Complete information was available for 811 (99%) of these PVDs; six (1%)\nhad West Nile viral encephalitis or meningitis subsequent to donation (median age: 45 years, range: 28--76 years), 137 (17%) had West Nile fever (median age: 46 years, range: 17--76 years), and 654 (81%) remained asymptomatic. Of the PVDs reported to ArboNET, 691 (85%) were residents of nine states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota,\nOklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming). These states experienced WNV epidemics in 2003 and\naccounted for 60% of reported cases of West Nile viral\nencephalitis or meningitis.\nWNV Transfusion-Associated Transmission Investigations\nSince 2002, public health authorities have been encouraged to investigate reports of WNV illness among patients who\nhad received blood transfusions <4 weeks before illness onset and to report these suspected TAT cases to CDC. A probable TAT was defined as transfusion to a recipient who 1) had a confirmed WNV infection\n(3 ) and 2) had received a blood product from\na NAT-reactive index donation associated with a donor with WNV-specific IgM antibody in the index donation or a\nfollow-up collection. A confirmed TAT case was defined as meeting the criteria for a probable case and having any one of the following criteria: 1) unlikely mosquito exposure during the 14 days before recipient illness onset; 2) testing of remaining diagnostic\nsamples from the hospitalized transfusion recipient\nindicating that WNV infection occurred at the time of transfusion; or\n3) transfusion of a co-component of the infectious\ndonation into another recipient who then had a confirmed WNV infection.\nA case was classified as a noncase if WNV infection could not be confirmed in the recipient <4 weeks\nafter the implicated transfusions, if WNV RNA was not identified in any implicated donation, or if all implicated donors were seronegative for WNV. If samples were not available to satisfy the criteria for probable, confirmed, or noncase classification, the case\nwas considered inconclusive.\nDuring 2003, a total of 23 suspected cases of WNV TAT were reported to CDC. Public health authorities reported\n15 suspected cases of WNV TAT among patients who had WNV illness after receiving transfusions. Another eight suspected\ncases were in recipients of components derived from low-level viremic donations that were identified during special\nretrospective studies of MP-negative blood retested with IDT NAT by two BCAs. Follow-up of these eight cases was performed\nto determine if WNV infection had resulted from the implicated transfusions. As a result of these 23 investigations, six cases were classified as confirmed or probable WNV TAT, 11 as noncases, and three as inconclusive. As of March 27, 2004, three\ncases remained under investigation.\nIn each of these six confirmed or probable cases, the recipient received components from multiple donations; however,\nonly one infectious blood component was found in each case. All six of these infectious donations had been collected during July 29--September 18, 2003, and were not identified in MP screening. The median age of the six recipients was 63 years (range: 13--82 years); four had WNV encephalitis, one had West Nile fever, and one critically ill patient did not have\ndiscernible WNV-compatible illness despite confirmed WNV infection. A sufficient index-donation sample was available to estimate the titer of the implicated donor's viremia in four of six cases: the median estimated viremia was 0.11 plaque-forming units\nper milliliter (pfu/mL) (range: 0.06--0.5 pfu/mL). Two of these six cases were reported previously\n(4 ); a description of a third case follows.\nOn August 31, 2003, a male aged 13 years was admitted to a hospital with multiple injuries. On September 1, he received three units of packed red blood cells. On September 9, after hospital discharge, he had a maculopapular rash. On\nSeptember 12, he was readmitted to the hospital with fever, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea, consistent with West Nile fever; blood drawn on that day was positive for WNV-specific IgM antibody.\nThe three transfused blood units had been collected during the second week of August 2003. No donors of this\nblood reported symptoms of WNV illness before or after donation. Samples from these donations were nonreactive for WNV\nRNA by MP NAT performed on six-specimen mini-pools. All other components derived from these three donations\nwere quarantined immediately; there were no co-component\nrecipients. Recalled plasma samples from the three\nindex donations were WNV IgM negative. One donor seroconverted evidenced by development of WNV-specific IgM antibody\nin serum collected 50 days after donation. Recalled plasma from this donor was reactive when tested by IDT NAT.\nCDC confirmed results by using polymerase chain reaction; the\nestimated viral load was 0.09 pfu/mL. The recipient\nrecovered without sequelae.\nReported by: S Kleinman, MD, American Assoc of Blood Banks, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. M Busch, MD, Blood Systems\nResearch Institute, San Francisco, California. S Caglioti, Blood Systems Laboratories, Tempe, Arizona. SL Stramer, PhD, R Dodd, PhD, American Red Cross, Gaithersburg, Maryland. DM Strong, PhD, Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington. W Dickey, MD, Belle Bonfils Memorial Blood\nCenter, Denver, Colorado. B Salvidar, MS, M Gilchrist, PhD, Univ of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa City; S Brend, MPH, Iowa Dept of Public Health. H Nakhasi, PhD, J Epstein, MD, J Goodman, MD, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration.\nM Chamberland, MD, M Kuehnert, MD, Div of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases. L Petersen, MD, N Crall, A Marfin, MD, Div of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases; T Boo, MD, S Montgomery, DVM, EIS officers, CDC.\nEditorial Note:\nPrevious studies have documented that an estimated 80% of WNV-infected persons remain asymptomatic but are believed to have viremia lasting a median of 6.5 days\n(5,6 ). Asymptomatic WNV-infected persons with viremia\nlikely represent the largest risk group of blood\ndonors. Because symptom screening at the time of blood donation will not\nidentify most viremic donors, screening by NAT was implemented rapidly to identify potentially infectious blood donations by detecting WNV RNA.\nUse of blood-donor screening for WNV by NAT under the IND mechanism has enhanced the safety of the blood\nsupply. Despite this enhanced safety, documentation of the six WNV TAT cases in 2003 indicates that blood components containing low levels of virus might escape detection and that at least some of these might be infectious. Virus loads in infectious\ndonations were considerably lower in 2003 than in 2002 (1 ). In 2002, the estimated viremia levels in implicated\ndonations were 0.8--75 pfu/mL, compared with 0.06--0.5 pfu/mL for TAT cases during 2003. The reasons for this lower range are unclear, and the lower limit of donor viremia that can lead to transfusion-associated infection is unknown.\nData collected during 2003 will be considered by the blood supply community in collaboration with public\nhealth authorities when developing screening strategies for 2004, when widespread seasonal transmission of WNV is\nexpected to continue. MP screening will continue to identify most persons who donate during the short viremic period, but prospective IDT might be implemented in regions with high WNV-infection rates (i.e., high MP-screening--test yields). However, the capacity of laboratory equipment and personnel for performing IDT and the availability of reagents are limited, and\nthe higher false-positive rate of IDT (compared with MP screening) could have a negative short-term impact on the availability of blood in these regions.\nApproximately 4.5 million persons receive blood or blood products annually. Although persons needing blood\ntransfusions should be aware of the limited risk for WNV infection, the benefits of receiving needed transfusions outweigh the potential risk for WNV infection. In addition, blood donation poses no risk to the donor for acquiring WNV, and the U.S. Public Health Service encourages blood donation. FDA, CDC, and the\nblood-collection community will continue to evaluate\nWNV-screening strategies to ensure blood safety.\nAcknowledgments\nThis report is based in part on contributions by L Pietrelli, Roche Molecular Systems, Alameda, California. T Gahan, L DesJardin PhD, Univ of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa City, Iowa. RS Lanciotti, PhD, A Lambert, A Noga, R Hochbein, Div of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, CDC.\nReferences\nPealer LN, Marfin AA, Petersen LR, et al. Transmission of West Nile virus through blood transfusion---United States, 2002. N Engl J\nMed 2003;349:1236--45.\nCDC. West Nile virus activity---United States, November 20--25, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:1160.\nCDC. Epidemic/Epizootic West Nile virus in the United States: guidelines for surveillance, prevention, and control. Third revision, 2003. Available at\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/resources/wnv-guidelines-aug-2003.pdf\nCDC. Update: Detection of West Nile virus in blood donations---United States, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:916--9.\nMostashari F, Bunning ML, Kitsutani PT, et al. Epidemic West Nile encephalitis, New York, 1999: results of a household-based\nseroepidemiological survey. Lancet 2001;358:261--4.\nGoldblum N, Sterk VV, Jasisnka-Klingberg W. The natural history of West Nile fever. II. Virological findings and the development\nof homologous and heterologous antibodies in West Nile infections in man. Am J Hyg 1957;66:363--80.\nFigure\nReturn to top.\nUse of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of\nHealth and Human Services. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are\nprovided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply\nendorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.\nDepartment of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content\nof pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of\nthe date of publication.\nDisclaimer\nAll MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from ASCII text\ninto HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version.\nUsers should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the electronic PDF version and/or\nthe original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables.\nAn original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents,\nU.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800.\nContact GPO for current prices.\n**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to\nmmwrq@cdc.gov.\nPage converted: 4/8/2004", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5048754215240479}
{"content": "Send your queries and feedback on this paper by contacting the author.\nIf left unchecked, inventory inaccuracy can lead to a negative feedback cycle of declining productivity and increasing inaccuracies resulting in a downward spiral where warehouse productivity declines and feeds even more inaccuracies in the system. Left to itself, inventory inaccuracy erodes profitability and warehouse efficiency in a big way.\nReprinted with Permission from Sky-Trax\n:: IDS Emergency Management :: IDS Water ::IDS Publishing / Media::IDS Healthcare Management::IDS Environment::IDS Plastics::IDS Power/Energy::\nIndustry\nIDS, Inc. – Online Tradeshow, Exhibition, & Buyers Guide Solutions", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6268739700317383}
{"content": "[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex polygenic autoimmune disease, is associated with increased complement activation. Variants of genes encoding complement regulator factor H (CFH) and five CFH-related proteins (CFHR1-CFHR5) within the chromosome 1q32 locus linked to SLE, have been associated with multiple human diseases and may contribute to dysregulated complement activation predisposing to SLE. We assessed 60 SNPs covering the CFH-CFHRs region for association with SLE in 15,864 case-control subjects derived from four ethnic groups. Significant allelic associations with SLE were detected in European Americans (EA) and African Americans (AA), which could be attributed to an intronic CFH SNP (rs6677604, in intron 11, P(meta) = 6.6×10(-8), OR = 1.18) and an intergenic SNP between CFHR1 and CFHR4 (rs16840639, P(meta) = 2.9×10(-7), OR = 1.17) rather than to previously identified disease-associated CFH exonic SNPs, including I62V, Y402H, A474A, and D936E. In addition, allelic association of rs6677604 with SLE was subsequently confirmed in Asians (AS). Haplotype analysis revealed that the underlying causal variant, tagged by rs6677604 and rs16840639, was localized to a ~146 kb block extending from intron 9 of CFH to downstream of CFHR1. Within this block, the deletion of CFHR3 and CFHR1 (CFHR3-1Δ), a likely causal variant measured using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, was tagged by rs6677604 in EA and AS and rs16840639 in AA, respectively. Deduced from genotypic associations of tag SNPs in EA, AA, and AS, homozygous deletion of CFHR3-1Δ (P(meta) = 3.2×10(-7), OR = 1.47) conferred a higher risk of SLE than heterozygous deletion (P(meta) = 3.5×10(-4), OR = 1.14). These results suggested that the CFHR3-1Δ deletion within the SLE-associated block, but not the previously described exonic SNPs of CFH, might contribute to the development of SLE in EA, AA, and AS, providing new insights into the role of complement regulators in the pathogenesis of SLE. PLoS Genetics 05/2011; 7(5):e1002079. · 8.69 Impact Factor", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9911805987358093}
{"content": "Why invest in ERP?\nIntroducing an ERP system is all encompassing in the impact it makes across departments previously existing as ‘functional silos’:\nIn this traditional business model, the business processes of each functional unit within an organization are focused inwards on meeting the functional objectives.\nThis becomes problematic when the direction of focus creates barriers that do not serve a reasonable business purpose and negatively impacts that unit’s ability to serve its role in the broader mission of the organization.\nAs a consequence much of the management resource is focused on managing the relationship between these functional silos rather than on getting the job done.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.894610583782196}
{"content": "Issue #20\n“How Much to Give?”\nDecember, 1998 It is challenging to define how much\nis enough to give. Enough is subjective, arbitrary.\nTrying to apply a formula is ultimately unsatisfying,\nas the circumstances surrounding wealth are different\nfor everyone. This issue details specific creative approaches\nfor individuals arriving at their own definition of\nhow much is enough to give.\n(Please be patient, large file: 2,353K)", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930846095085144}
{"content": "Local Authorities As large employers, many local authorities have needed support from Burnetts' employment law team: advice on discrimination, compromise agreements, TUPE or policy drafting have been key elements of our work.\nMost local authorities also have a large number of properties to manage - Burnetts' six-strong commercial property law team has advised local authorities through rent reviews and other landlord and tenant matters, as well as providing expert advocacy during planning inquiries.\nIt is becoming increasingly common for councils to be part of joint ventures better to deliver services, but relevant legal expertise has been proved essential when entering into these agreements. Our experience has been vital in helping us to safeguard authorities' interests and ensure any newly developed products or commercial services are protected.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6778433322906494}
{"content": "Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP) Somatosensory evoked potentials evaluate the nerve pathway from the arms and legs through the spinal cord to the brain. Somatosensory evoked potentials are used to:\nIdentify spinal cord injuries or diseases Identify neuromuscular disease and demyelineating diseases Monitor patients during surgery on the spine at the neck and chest levels Before having a somatosensory evoked potential, avoid drinking coffee or tea for four hours prior to the procedure. When the test is done, electrodes (small metal discs that receive electrical currents) will be taped or pasted to your scalp and along the nerve pathway on your neck and shoulders. A small electrical current is sent through a probe to the skin near a nerve on your wrist or ankle. This may be done several times. This makes a twitching or pulsating feeling in your wrist and ankle. Your thumb or big toe may twitch during the test. While the sensation may be unusual or slightly uncomfortable, most people don't consider this test painful. Each arm and leg is tested separately. A somatosensory evoked potential takes two to three hours. If the spinal cord is pinched, the electrical signals sent during the somatosensory evoked potential will travel slower than usual.\nFor an appointment, a second opinion or more information, please call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771) or e-mail us.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5355298519134521}
{"content": "Dehydration It's not just your skin that's affected by the sun and heat. Summer also increases the risk for dehydration. This can be dangerous during pregnancy because it can compromise nourishment of the baby, increase the risk of blood clots, and even lead to preterm labor. In hot weather, your body cools itself by sweating, which can cause you to lose a significant amount of water, explains Sharon Phelan, MD, medical director of the maternity and infant care project at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque.\nSigns of dehydration include a dry mouth, thirst or light-headedness, nausea, and abdominal cramping. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek rest in a cool place and drink water. If the symptoms don't subside within 30 minutes, call your doctor.\nTo prevent dehydration, you should try to drink at least 12 eight-ounce glasses of noncaffeinated fluids per day (as caffeine can actually dehydrate you), Dr. Phelan says. Incorporate into your diet lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain substantial amounts of water. \"Your urine should be light yellow, and you should need to go to the bathroom every four hours,\" she adds.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6297155618667603}
{"content": "My research centers on the role of bodies, places, and pictures in the ancient Christian imagination during the fourth through sixth centuries. This was a transitional and transformative time for ancient Christians (and new converts), as the previously banned religion became a religion tied to imperial power.\nI am most interested in how Christians understood their relation to the material world. Can places be holy? Can the body be trusted or somehow trained to perceive or even reveal God? These questions are at the heart of The Memory of the Eyes: Pilgrims to Living Saints in Christian Late Antiquity (2000), which explores the role of the senses in early Christian pilgrims’ writings about their encounters with desert monastics and the biblical past.\nSince the book, my attention has shifted from those who left home (e.g., pilgrims and monastics) to those who stayed put, namely, preachers and ordinary Christians. A central figure in my recent work is Romanos the Melodist, a sixth-century preacher from Constantinople. His sung sermons performed on feast days retold biblical events giving speech to new or neglected figures (e.g., Judas, the Virgin Mary, Peter, Satan, even personifications of Death).\nI present my work in conferences on Early Christianity, Art History, Byzantine Studies, and Classics in the United States, France, Israel, and Britain.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9520729780197144}
{"content": "On Thursday, September 23, 2010, the National Healthy Start Association held a briefing on Capitol Hill focused specifically on infant mortality. The event was titled, “Celebrate Day 366: Strategies to Reduce Infant Mortality and Ensure that Every Baby Has a Healthy Start.” Speakers at the event included NHSA Board Chair Lo Berry, NHSA Executive Director Stacy Cunningham, Congressman Steve Cohen, and representatives from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Office of Minority Health. The second panel of speakers featured representatives from the March of Dimes, National Fatherhood Initiative and Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition.\nOver forty individuals attended the event, including Congressional staff, officials from federal agencies and representatives from other nonprofits that are committed to improved maternal and child health. This is the first time that a briefing has been held in the U.S. Capitol specifically to discuss infant mortality and highlight successful strategies to ensure healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. NHSA is committed to playing a leadership role in highlighting the tragedy of infant mortality and educating elected leaders about the need to increase support to disadvantaged mothers, babies and families.\nAfter Congressman Cohen provided opening remarks, Lo Berry provided an overview of Healthy Start and examples of how the Healthy Start program in Tampa, FL has succeeded in improving birth outcomes. Stacey Cunningham highlighted the work of the National Healthy Start Association and served as moderator during the remainder of the briefing. The event concluded with a personal story offered by the Cooper family of Baltimore Healthy Start.\nNHSA wishes to thank all who participated in yesterday’s successful briefing. To paraphrase the Deputy Director of the Office of Minority Health, Mirtha Beadle, the briefing was not the beginning nor end of this important work, but it was an important step in the process of eliminating racial health disparities!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9552185535430908}
{"content": "For years, the 4% rule provided the baseline from which advisors launched retirement strategies, but those strategies simply aren’t cutting it any more. Enter annuities with some attractive riders.\nA recent survey by John Hancock provides insights on a key area that advisors should try to address more directly: the failure of most people to prepare for the financial risk associated with the need for long-term care.\nLooks like long-term care is still a source of confusion if not outright denial for most Americans.\nA Government Accounting Office study of long-term care insurance finds that nearly half of government employees who had purchased coverage chose to accept a rate increase rather than accept reduced benefits.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9978371262550354}
{"content": "2012 - Volume 35, Number 9\nEditor, Karen Weller Swanson, Ed.D., Mercer University\nEffective Science Instruction:\nImpact on High-Stakes Assessment Performance\nCarla C. Johnson\nUniversity of Cincinnati\nCincinnati, OH\nDanhui Zhang\nUtah State University\nLogan, UT\nJane Butler Kahle\nMiami University\nBroomfield, CO\nComplete Article\nAbstract This longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted to determine the impact of effective science instruction on performance on high-stakes high school graduation assessments in science. This study provides powerful findings to support authentic science teaching to enhance long-term retention of learning and performance on state-mandated assessments. Students experienced some combination of zero to three effective teachers throughout their middle school experience. Findings revealed that all students who experienced effective science teachers who engaged students in inquiry-based science outperformed students who had less effective teachers. Additionally, those who had more effective teachers over time performed increasingly better. Implications for stakeholders will be discussed.\nISSN 1940-4476", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999379515647888}
{"content": "Mining Giant chooses GeoVisionary 1 ActiveWall von Vale bedient sich einer aktiven... 2 ActiveWall von VALE im Betrieb mit der Anzeige... operating in 38 countries. Vale produces iron ore, pellets, nickel, fertilizers, copper, coal, cobalt, manganese and ferroalloys, as well as platinum group metals and precious metals. Any mineral extraction process involves copious amounts of geological research and geoscientists around the world have been increasingly following BGS’s trailblazing lead in using GeoVisionary to aid the visualisation of their complex data. Henry Galbiatti, Vale’s general manager for iron ore exploration, closed mines and manganese planning, explained: “From our offices in Belo Horizonte, we constantly have new projects in the pipeline. So, naturally, long term planning is crucial if we are to successfully bring our plans to fruition. The nature of our business is such that visualisation is vital. Prior to our discovery of GeoVisionary, we used a GIS platform across our projects and while we had a small level of 3D capability, we weren’t able to understand fully and interact with our data. When I visited the British Geological Survey’s (BGS) ActiveWall and also Northampton University’s ActiveCube, I saw at once that GeoVisionary running in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment was exactly what we were looking for.”\nGeoVisionary was developed by Virtalis, in collaboration with BGS, as specialist software for the high-resolution visualisation of elevation and photography data overlaid with a wide range of geospatial data. The initial design goal was to ensure that data sets for large regions, national to sub-continental, could be loaded simultaneously and at full resolution, while allowing real-time interaction with the data. One of the major advantages GeoVisionary offers over other visualisation software (3 & 4D GIS) is its ability to integrate very large volumes of data from multiple sources, allowing a greater understanding of diverse spatial datasets.\nThe Virtalis ActiveWall is an installed, immersive, interactive 3D visualisation system. Vale’s ActiveWall draws on active stereo technology and features a custom rear-projection screen, specialist computer, Virtalis custom software and a powerful projector (Fig. 1). Movements within the ActiveWall environment are tracked using a tracking system. This added functionality alters the perspective of the visuals according to the user’s position and orientation within the scene to give a natural and accurate sense of relationship and scale. The hand held controller allows the immersive experience to be enhanced further. The user can navigate through the virtual world, pick and manipulate component parts in real-time and make decisions on the fly.\nVale’s ActiveWall is situated inside a dedicated room within the Long Term Planning Department (DIPF) (Fig. 2). Vale has also invested in a portable ActiveMove system and a multi-screen desktop VR system. As Vale’s staff becomes more experienced in GeoVisionary, they are providing Virtalis with valuable feedback for the creation of a specific mining module, as well and deciding what unique further tailoring is required for Vale. The Company is using GeoVisionary not just for exploration and mine management, but also as an environment for staff training.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.5216109752655029}
{"content": "International trade can be a challenging and highly rewarding business for both importers and exporters - but it’s not without risk!\nBesides contractual and commercial conditions you may face, factors such as political, economic and transfer risk all have a bearing on whether your trade transaction is secure and profitable.\nWhen evaluating your potential import or export contract, it’s important to assess where your risks lie and apply the most suitable terms of trade. Initially it may be prudent to seek advice from your bank to structure the most secure banking arrangements. As your relationship with your client develops, you might wish to review and perhaps relax the terms on which your future business is being concluded.\nWhatever your international trade requirements might be, Bank Al Etihad can assist you by structuring and providing facilities to ensure your overseas trade business is both secure and efficient. We have a highly experienced team of Trade Finance specialists dedicated to offering you the best possible advice and guidance through the turbulent and sometimes uncharted waters of international trade finance.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8907653093338013}
{"content": "Editor's Note:Last week, we debuted a new channel on CSRwire with Noble Profit to focus on short video interviews with key leaders in the sustainability field. These interviews share insights from corporate leaders who are actually creating profitable sustainable business practices and adopting clean tech, dispelling the myth that zero harm costs more.\nThrough these conversations, Noble Profit will explore the question of value, providing unique insight into today's trends with inventors, investors, sustainable business experts, and thought leaders. This week's interviewee: Wal Van Lierop, CEO and founder of Chrysalix, a clean tech venture capital firm in Vancouver.\n____________________\nWhat role does venture capital play in advancing innovation? In this interview with Noble Profit, Wal Van Lierop talks about the financial value of investing in clean energy such as nuclear fusion and addressing waste water issues as an enormous investment opportunity. There are three challenges facing us today, he says, the financial crisis, depleting hydrocarbons and our environment. We cannot solve either one of these without taking the other two into account, he says.\nThat's where innovation and venture capital comes in, he believes. Take a look!", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6967775821685791}
{"content": "Building a STEM Nation: Transforming STEM Education from the Ground-Up with Grants\nOct\n15\nFriday, October 15, 2010\nBoth reports emphasized the need for better recruitment strategies, teacher preparation and training, consistent standards, and access to technology. Highlighting how \" the United States is faced with a clear and profound choice between action and complacency,\" the NSB argues for significant steps to invest in STEM education, similar to the U.S. response to Sputnik forty years ago.\nNone of this is exactly ground-breaking news to the educators, leaders, business managers, and other stakeholders who have long-noted America's future workforce is flirting dangerously with obtaining unmarketable skill sets for the 21st century economy. However, the revitalized impetus to act at the federal level is already providing new opportunities at the grassroots level for action.\nGrant programs such as Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), Transforming STEM Learning (TSL), and Discovery Research K-12 are key sources to fostering new STEM learning initiatives. These grant programs, administered under the National Science Foundation (NSF), seek to promote new research and demonstration on effective strategies to recruit students (particularly from underrepresented populations), educate them in innovative ways, and facilitate their successful progression to higher education and career pathways. These grants also prioritize collaboration between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Deadlines for all three are in early 2011.\nSchools can also initiate or strengthen their STEM programs through grant programs less specific to the field. For example, the Smaller Learning Communities grant allows school districts to create separate groups of students in theme-focused academies. This grant would allow a school to carve out a separate school-within-a-school focused on a STEM curriculum. Similarly, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, intended to expand learning time for students, has been awarded to STEM academies that give students another outlet for education and growth.\nMost recently, the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation programs also featured a heavy emphasis on STEM learning (see GO Know September Issue, Special Report: Education Innovation). With the return of both programs possible in Fiscal Year 2011, grantseekers should gear up now for the lengthy application process common to both programs.\nWith Washington consumed by talk of deficits, the economy, and taxes, it's up to those working in or with local school districts to seize the initiative to advance STEM learning - even on a small scale. Grant funding, whether explicitly targeted towards STEM or more broadly focused on education, can facilitate these crucial building blocks to the future of students and the nation.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.6789208054542542}
{"content": "If the U.S. economy is to once again become globally competitive and driven by productive investment we need a tax code that provides generous incentives to invest in innovation and productivity while at the same time putting U.S. establishments that compete in global markets on a more level playing field with foreign competitors. Yet today’s partisan clash over taxes is the same one we have seen in every election for decades. Most Republicans insist that all taxes need to be reduced. Many Democrats insist on maintaining revenues needed for government programs they regard as critical and making sure “the wealthy pay their share.” However, this clash misses the point. Yes, we need lower taxes, but on businesses, not individuals. And we also need to expand investment", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.784618616104126}
{"content": "1. To practically confirm the theoretical work (simulations) performed in previous CMG studies\n2. To validate the viability of using CMG’s as actuators on a microsatellite in a practical way\n3. To confirm the agility and power efficiency that CMGs can potentially provide to microsatellites\nCMG systems are considered to be in the literature more efficient devices from an electrical power point of view, than current actuators such as reaction/momentum wheels (RW/MW). Thus it becomes important to measure the electrical power consumption of a CMG system. These measurements are presented in this paper and then compared to two of SSTL's RWs. These RWs are currently operational and in orbit: SSTL's minisatellite UoSAT-12 RW and Tsinghua University's Tsinghua-1 microsatellite RW. CMGs are shown to have a potential performance advantage over RW/MW, for spacecraft with agile requirements.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.8543663024902344}
{"content": "Released: 9/14/2007 11:00 AM EDTSource Newsroom: Homeland Security's Science & Technology DirectorateNewswise — These days, a drive across a bridge is not always a pleasure cruise. Mindful of the war on terrorism, it can often be a cautious experience.\nIn one scenario, someone sets off a series of bombs to weaken the cables and the key structural connections of a major city bridge, all during rush hour. Not easy to do, but now thinkable. This summer, the possibility of sabotage was quickly examined—then dismissed—when the I35W bridge in Minneapolis tragically collapsed into the Mississippi River.\nAs authorities monitor and stand guard over bridges, the Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate is looking to scientists and engineers for the security technologies of tomorrow. What if, for instance, we could one day not only guard bridges but fortify them? Like Superman's blue suit, what if the cables and connections on bridges could be shielded with protective sleeves or covers, making them nearly impossible for the villains to penetrate?\nThis is the goal of the Directorate's bridge-strengthening research. Through a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center, the Directorate's Infrastructure and Geophysical Division is testing current bridge designs and investigating advances in steel and reinforced concrete to explore whether such shields could work.\nThe first step is to determine which bridges and materials are most vulnerable, says Stanley Woodson, who oversees the project at the Center's Geotech and Structures Lab. A major focus, he says, are the cables and the support columns—or towers—that are used in the cable-stayed design of bridges. Unlike the cables of a suspension bridge, which are attached from tower to tower, the cables in a cable-stayed bridge are connected directly to accessible points along the horizontal bridge deck.\n\"In controlled experiments, Woodson's team has been re-creating the forces holding up these bridges and blowing up samples of their cables using various kinds of explosives,\" say Dr. Mary Ellen Hynes, director of the research. \"They then use sophisticated software to analyze the impact and results.\"\n\"We tension the cables just like a real bridge,\" Woodson explains. \"We want to see just how they'd react in an actual terrorist event.\"\nThe next step will be more complicated, says Woodson: Determining what material would suffice for another layer of protection, and what form it should take. \"We're looking at the practical as well as the innovative,\" he says, recognizing the potential for high costs.\nBy the end of 2008, Woodson and his team will be imitating concrete bridge towers and subjecting them to the same explosive testing.", "pred_label": "__label__POS", "pred_score_pos": 0.678661584854126}