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.
Our 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.
Our 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.
And 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.
But 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.
So 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
ALL 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.
Oh, 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.
And 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.
Admit it. You were seduced.
The 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.
No, please don't blame yourselves. You were seduced.
While 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.
You 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.
I 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.
I 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.
I 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?"
"I'm walking around the playgrounds," he said. "Do you want to join me?"
I did.
I 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.
When the ringing bell ordered us all back to our respective classrooms, every student was in this line.
Every single student.
I 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.
And, to me, that's when my friend breathed its last breath.
Whether 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."
For 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.
There are some uncorrupted, unafraid voices out there. If you're interested, I'll share them with you.
In 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.
It requires nobody's permission. It's legal. There's still enough of the First Amendment in place to empower us all.
Do you think I'm crazy to want to start walking? Please let me know.


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:
I’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!


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.
There 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:
Bring 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.
Gail 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.


May 21, 2010 Bronin on Curbing Energy Sprawl Sara C. Bronin (UConn) has posted Curbing Energy Sprawl on SSRN. Here's the abstract:
Energy 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.
Rather, 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
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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.


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.


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.


Locate a doctor, pharmacy, hospital or other health care facility in our network.
Monthly premiums vary depending on age, tobacco use and Body Mass Index (BMI), which is the ratio between height and weight.
Monthly 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.
Employees of Participating Employers In a group plan, employers pay one-third of the monthly premium and the employer or employee pays the final third.
CoverTN 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.
Employees 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.
Spouses 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.
Self-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.


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.


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.
Assessing Genetic Risks: Implications for Health and Social Policy
tions 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."
128.
Paul 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.
129.
Canadian Privacy Commission, Genetic Testing and Privacy (Ottawa, 1992).
130.
Neil A. Holtzman and Mark A. Rothstein, "Invited Editorial: Eugenics and Genetic Discrimination," 50 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 457-459 (1992).


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.
You may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.
This paper was revised on February 8, 2013


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.


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.
Stagnation 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.
The 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 …


Parks for People–Cleveland Credit: Darcy Kiefel
People 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.
We'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.
Right 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.


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.
The 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.
The 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.
Currently, 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.
In 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.
The 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.


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.


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.”^
Subject Area Social Work|Psychology, Clinical
Recommended 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


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.
When 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.


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.


Inclusion of individuals with disabilities
MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
Author
Ayesha Saeed Husseini
Copy
"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.


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
Keywords:single molecule, zinc finger, bacteriophage
Abstract: 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.
Nanotech 2008 Conference Program Abstract


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Basic GuideVirusPreventionImpactSARS EssayCase Studies Amoy Gardens Lab IncidentsFast FiguresPioneers & Heroes Dr. Carlo Urbani Dr. Guan Yi
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Basic Guide: Recommendations There are several procedures or guidelines that are recommended to individuals who might possibly be affected by SARS.
These recommendations issued by the CDC will help slow the spread of SARS and prevent further infections.
However, the individual affected must be aware of new warnings, especially the following recommendations for travelers and possible SARS patients.
Below all content of this page is listed by header title. Click on the link to go to a particular part within this page.
At anytime you can return to this list by clicking on 'Content Outline' at the end of each part.
There 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.
However, 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.
1.3.1 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).
Possible 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.
Also, 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.
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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)


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.
By 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.
Similar 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.


Life Tabs 120 Tablets
(492030)
You 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.
Size of Dog - Serving
Up to 20 lbs. - ˝ Tab Daily
20 lbs. and Over - 1 Tab Daily
Ingredients & Guaranteed Analysis (per tablet)
Minerals
Calcium - 20mg
Potassium - 4mg
Sodium - 10mg
Magnesium - 1.5mg
Iron - 1.5mg
Copper - 0.05mg
Manganese - 125mg
Zinc - 1.7mg
Vitamins
Vitamin A - 750IU
Vitamin D-3 - 75IU
Vitamin E - 7.5IU
Vitamin B-1 - 0.120mg
Vitamin B-2 - 0.325mg
Ascorbic Acid - 1mg
Pantothenic Acid - 0.340mg
Niacinamide - 1.7mg
Vitamin B-6 - 120mg
Folic Acid - 0.025mg
Vitamin B-12 - 0.004mg
Biotin - 0.010mg
Vitamin K - 0.101mg
Choline - 20mg
Wheat Germ Defatted - 100mg
Corn Syrup Solids - 100mg
Other Ingredients
Liver, Sucrose, Brewer's Yeast, Sorbitol, Cellulose, Lactose, Silicon Dioxide, Safflower Oil Dry Powder, Magnesium Stearate
Miscellaneous :
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
People 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.
When 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.
It 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.
Meditating 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.
When 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.


What's wrong with me? Concerns about online medical self-diagnosis
Robertson, 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..
Attached Files(Some files may be inaccessible until you login with your Deakin Research Online credentials)
Self-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.
ISBN
1863081585
Language
eng
Field of Research
150503 Marketing Management (incl Strategy and Customer Relations)
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Every 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.


Volume 42, Issue 1 (January 1997)
Team 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.


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.
A 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.


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
petroleum 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.
Public 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.
To 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.
This 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.
Hence, 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.
Public 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.
Upstream 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.
RC Joshi is director, media and communication, ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The views expressed by the author are personal.


BOOKS
Published by Palgrave Macmillan,
These 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.


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.
Participants 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.
This photo gallery highlights some of the issues raised and debated at the Forum.


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.


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)


“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.


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.


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.


A great essay, definitely worth the read. A tidbit:
Conservatives 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.


Jan. 23
January 23, 2009
Supersize It
READ: Isaiah 6:1-10
In 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
After 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.
In 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?”
Isaiah 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.
God 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).
Let’s ask God to supersize our understanding of His greatness today. — Marvin Williams
Oh, I want to know You, blessed Lord,
Better than I’ve ever known before!
In Your Word I read of Your great purpose—
Help me understand it more and more. —Hess
Knowing about God is fascinating. Knowing God personally is life-changing.


Did You Know?
Each old vehicle scrapped keeps an average of more than five tonnes of greenhouse gases out of our air every year.
Climate Action Helps Clear the Air
As part of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020, B.C. has
introduced legislation for strict tailpipe emission standards for all new vehicles sold in the
province. These standards are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles
by 30 per cent. They will also help to reduce air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, which is a
leading source of ground-level ozone precursors and a significant contributor to fine particulate
matter.


August 1, 2012
As 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.
S. 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.
S. 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.
S. 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).
On 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.


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.
Worldwide, 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).
At 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.
Engineers 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.
INL collaborates with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, national laboratories, universities, international partners, and commercial entities for both reactor conversions and fuel development.
Quick 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.


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.


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."
Read the rest of the article!
" 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".


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.
Downloads: (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


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.


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.
Gartner 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.
Source: Online SageContentTM Library


Geographic Beds The Geographic Beds consist of six collections, each representing a different biogeographic region of the World:
The Mediterranean Basin South Africa South America North America New Zealand Asia
These beds are situated within the Walled Garden, adjacent to the original 17th century walls.
These provide a sheltered microclimate, allowing the cultivation of a number of borderline hardy species.
The 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.
The 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.


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.
A 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.
The choice of interventionist per addict is significant.
Candy 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.
Jeff 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.


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.
Many 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.
Both 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.
The Results of the Study I. Trials
SEC 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.
A 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.
Complaints 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:
A. Liability
Of 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
1. SEC Respondents
These respondents had a relatively high success rate during the period (approximately 28%),3 which was greater than in FY 2008 (approximately 19%).
2. FINRA Respondents
These 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.
B. Representation by Counsel in FINRA Proceedings
FINRA 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.
C. Fraud Charges
Presumably, 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).
II. Sanctions
This section discusses only those cases where the decisions indicate a specific sanction sought by the staff.
A. Monetary Sanctions
When 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
1. SEC Respondents
These 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
2. FINRA Respondents
These 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
3. Increase by Adjudicator
It 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.
B. Time Out from the Industry
When 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
1. SEC Respondents
When 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
2. FINRA Respondents
These 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
III. Initial Appeals
SEC 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:
A. SEC
Thirty-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.
B. FINRA
FINRA 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
IV. Further Appeals
SEC 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.
A. SEC
Five 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.
B. FINRA
Seventy 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
Only 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.
During 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.
V. The “Settlement Discount” in FINRA Proceedings
“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
Sutherland 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.
Hearing 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.
VI. The Timing of Litigation
Litigating 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.
A. Time for Trials
For 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.
B. Time for Appeals
Appeals 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.
About 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.
In 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.


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?
By 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...
What 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.


The largest source of natural gas, bigger than shale gasreserves worldwide containing 100,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
NETL on MethaneHydrate Potential
Per USGS (via EIA)
World’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.
For example, compare this to Chevron’sGorgon Project estimated to contain 35.3 trillion cubic feet of naturalgas.
Work on how to tap these gas hydrates continues.
Methane 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


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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
find 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
fixed 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
fixed 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.


Seeing Beauty: A visual exploration of transformative experience. Simone, A (2011) Seeing Beauty: A visual exploration of transformative experience. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania.
Abstract This thesis is concerned with developing a visual language to explore the concept of
immaterial reality as encountered through transformative experience.
Many individuals have had unique, and often profound, transformative experiences
which have made them aware of a different order of reality. Following the experience,
there is a certainty within the individual that an intangible aspect of reality exists,
traditionally referred to as the immaterial or spiritual. The experiences are not
exclusive to, or necessarily associated with, traditional forms of institutionalised
religion and they are not automatically related to the occult. They can occur to any
individual, regardless of age, sex, race or their location in time and space. The
experiences are imbued with an archetypal form of beauty which permeates the
individual’s vision of existence. This deepened vision becomes part of their daily
experience of reality.
Utilising archetypal imagery, light, pattern, symmetry, and geometry, I visually
explore my transformative experiences. The exploration of the archetypal concepts of
transformation, duality and the immaterial, has resulted in a body of work comprised
of installations that incorporate video, photography and sound. Each of the seven
works draws from my own subjective experience of reality, creating a highly
personal, meditative, and immersive environment.
Personal transformative experience has prompted me to examine the metaphysical
questions surrounding the human condition. This has resulted in a multidisciplinary
theoretical framework for my art practise. I have engaged with writings from
psychology, philosophy, mythology, modern physics and comparative religion,
including the works of C.G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, Fritjof Capra and Paul Davies.
The same questions of existence stimulated by my transformative experiences have
inspired artists throughout recorded history. My research is contextualised by
contemporary artists who explore matters pertaining to the immaterial aspects of
reality. Video artists, Bill Viola and Jordan Belson, explore their own subjective transformative experiences, while others explore humanity’s spiritual connection with
nature, or imbue their work with an invisible presence through an engagement with
human perception.
I seek to contribute to my field through an examination of ancient archetypal symbols
and ideas using new technologies. Thus I have utilised, computer generated imagery
and digitally generated audio to represent the experience of revelation and create a
metaphor for spiritual transformation. Additionally, my work links the idea of
transformation and revelation to experiences of childhood; both through the recreation
of experiences from my childhood as well as drawing on more recent events with my
own children. These aspects combine to render an individual vision of a universal
experience.
Item Type: Thesis (PhD) Additional Information: Copyright © the Author
Keywords: 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
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