Intersectionality
The term “intersectionality” was originally coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in 1989. I was surprised to learn that the term had not formally existed before then. Intersectionality, or the idea that our identities overlap and intersect in unique ways, seems fundamental to the human experience. The conceptual framework for intersectionality originally emerged from Crenshaw’s perspective on the black female experience. In her paper, “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color” she articulates this:
“Contemporary feminist and antiracist discourses have failed to consider the intersections of racism and patriarchy.” (page 1) Personal Experience
I am intrigued by how individuals tend to emphasize certain aspects of their identities. It seems like a lot of the time when discussing issues of diversity and inclusion, we tend to focus on the aspects of our identity that are disadvantaged or oppressed. For example, when discussing race, white women tend to gear the conversation toward issues of gender instead (Stolzman, 2004). I recall a conversation I had with a classmate once that highlights this point. He was a white male but insisted that he was not privileged and had more disadvantage than other people (e.g., people of color or women) because he grew up poor. While all of these things are certainly legitimate parts of his identity, he seemed to conceptualize them as completely separate and unrelated. Instead, intersectionality asks us to consider how the different parts of our identity come together to shape our experiences and opportunities. This student’s perspective was problematic because he did not seem to recognize how his white-ness and male-ness may give him certain advantages, despite his low-income background. This type of perspective seems especially problematic because it is perhaps not always productive to try and
quantify who has more or less disadvantage given their identities. Instead, taking an intersectional approach, we can respect how our multiple identities give us qualitatively different experiences. Moving Forward
I am guilty of (unknowingly) engaging in the behavior described by Stolzman (2004). Moving forward, I’d like to be more conscious of my own intersectional identity, acknowledging that my experience as a woman is also influenced by more privileged aspects of my identity. Taking a more holistic approach in conversations of diversity and inclusion will help me more accurately understand others’ experiences.
In my research, I will strive to be more cognizant of intersectionality in the populations that I study. For example, a lot of my work examines how socioeconomic disadvantage impacts brain development and psychopathology. However, it is somewhat incomplete to consider the effects of socioeconomic status without also considering how issues of class intersect with race.
On a more macro level, Crenshaw describes the structural inequalities related to intersectionality. For example, women of color experience both racial and gender oppression, which makes them more likely to also be burdened by socioeconomic disadvantages. I hope that some of these structural barriers can be remedied through community resources and legislative change, though it will not be easy to dismantle such a long history of oppression.


Abstract
This paper investigates how the demand for residential real estate depends on age and other demographic characteristics at the household level. Based on a detailed cross-sectional survey of English households, it finds that housing demand is significantly determined by a household’s human capital, and that housing demand generally increases with age. After retirement it declines, but only to a small extent. High education levels, good health, and high income will increase a household’s demand for housing even when households age. These results are relevant for countries that experience population shrinkage, but where total housing demand could still grow in the future despite stagnating household numbers and aging populations. The paper further shows that changes in demographics lead to very heterogeneous demand responses for different housing attributes, providing information regarding the future qualitative demand for housing.
Keywords Housing demand Demographics PRICES MODELS MARKETS


Protons (ionized hydrogen) in the solar wind frequently exhibit distincttemperatures ($T_{\perp p}$ and $T_{\parallel p}$) perpendicular and parallelto the plasma's background magnetic-field. Numerous prior studies of theinterplanetary solar-wind have shown that, as plasma beta ($\beta_{\parallelp}$) increases, a narrower range of temperature-anisotropy ($R_p\equiv T_{\perpp}\,/\,T_{\parallel p}$) values is observed. Conventionally, this effect hasbeen ascribed to the actions of kinetic microinstabilities. This study is thefirst to use data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) to exploresuch $\beta_{\parallel p}$-dependent limits on $R_p$ in Earth's magnetosheath.The distribution of these data across the $(\beta_{\parallel p},R_p)$-planereveals limits on both $R_p>1$ and $R_p<1$. Linear Vlasov theory is used tocompute contours of constant growth-rate for the ion-cyclotron, mirror,parallel-firehose, and oblique-firehose instabilities. These instabilitythresholds closely align with the contours of the data distribution, whichsuggests a strong association of instabilities with extremes of ion temperatureanisotropy in the magnetosheath. The potential for instabilities to regulatetemperature anisotropy is discussed.


Avoids labour shortages in a booming industry
In the years ahead, the B.C. construction industry will need all the help it can get. With $115 billion in projects currently underway and another $206 billion in proposed future projects, BCCA forecasts an accumulated labour shortfall of over 7,900 skilled workers by 2028.
The trades sector is a key economic driver throughout British Columbia. It employs about 180,000 workers out of a total of more than 242,000 construction jobs. Yet, despite a strong sector performance—up 17% since 2014— a severe labour shortage exists, especially in the skilled trades sector.
Boosting diversity is good for business!


Abstract : A diary approach was used to explore location-sharing preferences of 126 parents with young children with the goal of investigating which elements play a role in their decision to share their location. During a 3-week user study, we daily collected parents’ preferences of location sharing along with data related to the physical and social context, their interest in socializing with other parents and their emotional states. Our analysis points out several insights for this previously underexplored user group. In particular, our results suggest a relative greater importance of the context, both physical and social, with respect to individual traits such as personality, trust dispositions, and demographic characteristics. Moreover positive and negative emotions seem to influence the intention to share location information in a peculiar way: positive moods like happiness seem to encourage private sharing with selected people such as partner, relatives, friends and nearby parents, yet, when parents experience a negative mood, such as being worried, angry or sad, their intention to share publicly on the web is higher.


In April of 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first HIV-related drug of the year. Marketed as Dovato, it is the first approved combination of dolutegravir and lamivudine. Both of these drugs have been commonly prescribed to HIV patients, but the combination of the two has not been thoroughly tested. Despite its FDA approval, Dovato has drawn some skepticism from doctors and medical experts. It is not the only HIV medication that has raised questions, however.
Another popular HIV medication, Truvada, has seen some additional warnings required by the FDA since its initial release. Despite these changes and the reported problems that brought them about, the FDA has done little to address the issues with this drug.
Showard Law Firm has begun its own investigation into these HIV drugs. Our skilled team has received reports of bone loss and kidney disease linked to Truvada and other TDF-based HIV meds. We are working diligently to establish if Big Pharma has put HIV patients at risk. A successful HIV medications lawsuit could result in significant financial compensation for a patient’s medical injuries. This compensation could include money to cover medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma. If you believe you have a claim related to HIV medication injuries, contact us immediately to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
FDA-Approved HIV Drugs
The FDA has steadily approved drugs designed to combat HIV since the late 1980s. Since that time, the options for HIV patients has only grown. In the early years, doctors began prescribing a number of medications to combat the spread of HIV. However, in recent years, pharmaceutical companies have focused on combinations of these medications. Today, the most commonly prescribed HIV medications include Truvada, Stribild, Viread, and Complera. A new drug known as Dovato has also been recently approved.
Truvada
Truvada is an HIV medication manufactured by Gilead Sciences. This drug consists of a mixture of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or TDF. TDF antiretroviral drugs are a common form of treating HIV. However, they also have been linked to cases of kidney and bone damage. TDF drugs are an important part of Gilead’s portfolio. In 2018, the drug maker earned $3 billion from Truvada alone.
Truvada FDA Approval
Truvada was first approved by the FDA in 2004 for treatment of HIV and again in 2012 for use as an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In 2018, the FDA expanded the allowed use of the drug again. This time, the regulator accepted the use of Truvada to reduce the risk of HIV among adolescents.
FDA Warnings About Truvada
The original insert warning informed users that cases of lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis had been reported. In some cases, the use of Truvada had fatal consequences during testing. The warning also cautions users of the possibility of side effects, including:
Fat redistribution Immune reconstitution syndrome Lactic acidosis Hepatoxicity Flare-ups of Hepatitis B Changes in bone density, and Kidney problems
The warnings included in Truvada’s packaging were expanded by the FDA in 2012. This was due to the drug’s approval for the use as a PrEP drug. The new warning informed consumers that Truvada for PrEP was only intended for patients confirmed to be HIV-negative. The warning also suggests additional testing every three months. The FDA issued a strong warning against the use of PrEP for anyone that is HIV positive or unsure of their status.
Dovato
Released in early 2019, Dovato is the first two-drug complete regimen ever accepted by the FDA. Dovato contains dolutegravir and lamivudine, two drugs that have previously been used to treat HIV. The use of the drug is limited to patients who have never used antiretroviral treatments. It is also ineffective for anyone with a known resistance to either dolutegravir or lamivudine. Some doctors have voiced their skepticism about the drug given issues with resistance to the medication. There are additional concerns that the drug was approved despite the lack of long-term testing.
FDA Recall of TDF Drugs
Despite the serious medical issues linked to the use of Truvada and other HIV medications that contain TDF, the FDA has remained silent. To date, the regulator has declined to issue any form of recall or make a public statement. However, behind the scenes, the FDA has required some label changes to Truvada. Additionally, as discussed above, certain warnings have always been present on the Truvada package insert.
Contact Showard Law Firm
The research on the complications related to HIV medications is ongoing. However, given the reports of bone and kidney damage due to the use of TDF, our experienced HIV medications team is prepared to hold the pharmaceutical companies accountable. If you believe you have been injured by Truvada, Dovato, or other HIV medications, contact Showard Law Firm right away.
Additional Resources: FDA encourages additional Truvada research. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-brief/fda-brief-fda-continues-encourage-ongoing-education-about-benefits-and-risks-associated-prep National Institute of Health. https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/fact-sheets/21/58/fda-approved-hiv-medicines


WASHINGTON — Drivers with experience using advanced driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist were nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving while using the systems compared to when they were driving without the systems, according to new research from AAA.
Alternatively, drivers with less experience and familiarity using the technology were less likely to drive while distracted with systems activated compared to when systems were not in use, noted Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
“This new research suggests that as drivers gain more experience using ADAS technology, they could develop complacency while behind the wheel,” Yang said. “Overreliance on these systems can put drivers and others in dangerous conditions during critical moments.”
Researchers at the AAA Foundation collaborated with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to analyze video of on-road behaviors for two groups of drivers using advanced driver assistance technology. Individuals in one group owned a vehicle equipped with ADAS while drivers in the other group were given a vehicle equipped with ADAS to use during the four-week study period and had less experience with the technology.
“Don’t get caught driving distracted when being focused on the road can save your life.”
The research found those drivers already familiar with the technology were more likely to drive distracted when these systems were active than when they were not. For example, some observed distracted driving behaviors included texting or adjusting the radio. Meanwhile, drivers with less experience using the technologies were more likely to remain attentive and engaged while the systems were engaged.
“Advanced driver assistance technologies have a lot to offer in terms of comfort and safety, but they should never replace an attentive and engaged driver,” said Dr. William Van Tassel, AAA manager of driver training programs. “Remember, technology fails us daily while at work and at home. So, don’t get caught driving distracted when being focused on the road can save your life.”
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today


This study attempts to assess whether Sri Lanka has improved its competitiveness in both global and regional textile and clothing markets following the phasing-out of the Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA) quota in 2005. It mirrors similar studies conducted across South Asian in four other countries. The study conducted by IPS evaluated strategies developed by firms in the industry to move up in global value chains, but also examined whether any potential exists for developing supply chains within the region.
Strengthening the Textile and Clothing Industry in Sri Lanka Research team
Ashani Abayasekara
Chandana Karunaratne


This year's HIPAA settlements ran the monetary gamut and included the first ever fine levied due to untimely breach reporting. Here's an overview.
While 2016 saw a dramatic uptick in the number of HIPAA-related settlements doled out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - including the largest settlement to-date - there were fewer cases overall in 2017. Despite this, the first ever settlement related to untimely reporting of a breach was issued this year and more than half of the fines landed in the multimillion dollar range, indicating that the improper disclosure of patients' protected health information (PHI) and electronic PHI (ePHI) remains a prominent and costly issue. Â Here are the details surrounding a few of the worst HIPAA-related settlements of 2017.


Innovation is not about novelty; it is about creating value!
We can all be creative and innovative, as long as we take care to be:
- Optimistic and open - Biaised towards action - Empathetic - Collaborative - Willingness to experiment - Iterative
Everything we do more than once is a process. Innovating is no exception.
Using the Design Thinking methodology, we work through the steps:
The design team is equiped with a great toolbox. "Brainstorming" is usually the first to come to mind, but there is also:
- Journey mapping - Prototyping - Visualization - Analogies - Ethnography - Personas - Storytelling - Mind mapping - Root cause analysis - Interviewing - Research - Learning launches - Minimum viable products - more...
Successful innovation being the overlap of:
We are so taken by the design thinking methodology that we apply it to the wickedest problem of them all: life design.
Working off of the teachings of Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, we facilitate physical and virtual work groups in both french and english.


By Paolo Teotino
The latest Trellance M360 release, the most comprehensive update in the platform’s history, empowers organizations by digitally transforming their data into customized insights that accelerate business decisions. This comprehensive update offers new tools to boost customer engagement, elevates brand recognition, and saves community financial institutions time, energy and money.
These updates happen against the backdrop of unprecedented change and disruption that has forced community financial institutions to pivot frequently, build resiliency and adapt to rapidly accelerating changes daily. M360 now helps community financial institutions stay ahead in this world of constant change by offering more robust access to insights across the organization and scalable customized dashboards – delivering the connection and simplicity organizations crave.
With this powerful upgrade, the M360 platform further helps organizations take the risk out of decisions, minimize costs and deliver transformational business outcomes that set community financial institutions up for success – both during disruptive times and long after they’re over.
Learn more about the latest M360 updates with our on-demand webinar, The New M360: Helping Credit Unions Connect with Their Members Through Data.
Increasing Access to Data
To further transform valuable data into actionable insights, M360 has added two new Loan Origination Systems (LOS) connectors to its already robust connector portfolio –Meridian Link LoansPQ and Finastra Fusion Mortgagebot.
Meridian Link LoansPQis the industry’s leading consumer loan origination software, adopted by over 1,300 clients and used by 68 of the top 100 credit unions. The LoansPQ connector maps 311 new fields into M360. Finastra Fusion Mortgagebotis the leading mortgage loan origination software supporting retail wholesale and correspondent mortgage lending, with nearly 1,500 clients and 15% market share in the credit union industry. The Mortgagebot connector maps 245 new fields into M360.
M360 customers can now benefit from a portfolio of ten pre-built integrations to the most popular cores and ancillaries’ software, unlocking key LOS insights such as loan pipeline metrics, loan lifecycle analysis, loan officer performance optimization, account/member profitability and more.
Beyond the connector portfolio expansion, the M360 data model has expanded to leverage data generated from digital banking platforms – resulting in an addition of more than 400 data elements into the M360 common data model at the heart of the platform.
Improving Insights and the Customer Experience
As community financial institutions face a new reality of rapidly evolving global markets and changing member behavior, it is vital they have visibility into multi-domain operations and deeper transactional insights. To accommodate, M360 has recently introduced a set of 19 new PowerBI data visualization dashboards mapping nearly 200 KPIs across many critical business domains such as finance, lending, product, member and application. To easily provide the most relevant data, these KPIs have been grouped into dashboards developed focusing on the needs of five executive profiles: CLOs, CFOs, CMOs, CXOs and CAOs.
These new dashboards, available to all our new and existing customers via direct download from an updated Trellance app store, generate benefits including:
Reducing the need to hire analytical resources to build and maintain custom reports. Reducing the “time to generate insights.” Increasing the ROI of the M360 investment by reducing the total cost of ownership. Creating an Ecosystem to Support Digital Transformations
Recently, Trellance has refreshed its partnership programs to establish an ecosystem of certified software applications supporting the digital transformation journey of community financial institutions. This ambition’s guiding principle has been to help organizations reduce the complexity of integrating and managing distributed software requiring access to key core data while enabling credit unions to adopt new technologies and execute repeatable services efficiently.
As the M360 platform is already deeply integrated with credit unions’ core and ancillary systems, it represents the natural platform to deploy multiple vertical solutions. With the latest update, new partners will join the program:
Prisma Campaigns:A marketing automation platform for financial institutions. Profit Resources:An insights organization that provides a web-enabled profitability dashboard that helps credit unions magnify the profit of their account holders, products, officers and branches. Flow Tracker Analytics: A tool that enables banking institutions to analyze money flow and make actionable insights accessible to marketing, sales and front-line staff.
Thanks to these new integrations, community financial institutions will be able to execute marketing campaigns or run profitability analysis that are automated, contextual, relevant and personalized. This not only delivers more value to members, but it also increases operational efficiency by making it easier to secure insights on member behavior via a seamless integration with Trellance M360 platform.
Supercharging the Business Future
With this latest update, Trellance’s M360 platform solidifies its position as the market-leading analytics platform for community financial institutions looking to drive better business decisions through powerful data insights. As the world continues to evolve quickly, Trellance is already looking ahead to anticipate and solve new challenges in future updates with additional connectors, third-party data enrichment, predictive analytics and a cloud version of the M360 platform. These updates and continued support ensure that M360 remains a powerful and cutting-edge platform for organizations across the financial industry.
Learn more about the latest M360 updates with our on-demand webinar, The New M360: Helping Credit Unions Connect with Their Members Through Data.


The Covid-19-pandemic will cause a global recession in 2020. In fact, the European Commission expects a decline of the Italian GDP by 9.5 %. The present report, which was written by the IER - Institute for Economic Research of the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano in collaboration with EURAC Research, examines the impact of the emergency on the South Tyrolean economy and presents firms’ first reactions to the crisis.


The discontinuation of oral oncology medications before the full-month supply has been finished results in medication waste, leading to increased costs for patients and for payers. Split fills allow for a 14- to 16-day supply for oral oncology medications rather than a full 28- to 30-day supply. Researchers compared the discontinuation rates, patient-reported adverse events, estimated pharmacy costs, and potential waste in patients with pharmacy benefit designs that included a split-fill option with patients who did not have this option (Staskon FC, et al. J Oncol Pract. 2019;15:e856-e862).
This retrospective cohort study included patients who were new to therapy with one of the 11 split-fill oncology oral medications within the managed program, between September 2015 and August 2017. Patients using split-fill and non–split-fill medications were matched by age, sex, state census areas, index medication, start date, and the use of >1 medication. The study included 2363 patients within the managed program who met the selection criteria for the 11 medications, and 671 patients from each group were matched.
The per-month medication discontinuation rates were assessed for each group. The monthly utilization trends indicated a significantly higher persistency rate for the split-fill cohort than the non–split-fill cohort in the second month (71.6% vs 67%, respectively; P <.001). Payers participating in a split-fill program had mean average wholesale price (AWP) savings of $2147.60 at 1 month and $928.60 at 6 months. Based on modeled waste, payers without a split-fill program could expect to save $2646.74 AWP monthly if they moved to the split-fill option.
Both cohorts had similar rates of adverse effects (55.3% for the split-fill cohort vs 56.4% for the non–split-fill cohort). The time until the first reported adverse effect trended toward being earlier for the split-fill group, but not significantly earlier.
“Even after noted modifications were made for new therapies, the split-fill patient managed component had lower discontinuation rates, significantly reduced pharmacy costs, and reduced potential wastage,” concluded the researchers. “By adopting a split-fill option, insurance payers have a means of reducing the pharmacy cost for new oncolytic therapy drugs, providing additional benefits to patients regarding copay, and addressing adverse events.”
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Forex trend strength refers to the likelihood of an emerging trend to come to fruition, persist, or dictate movements in the
foreign exchange market. Traders new and old are aware of the importance of trends, but not many pay attention to the strengths of such trends. To gauge trend strength and make more informed trade decisions that lead to success, it would help to consider the following techniques. High and Low Monitoring
Many analysts believe that the highs and lows on a chart tell the whole story. The relationship between these high and low points as they form over time can help predict the next trends. This technique is primarily about observing where the extended swing highs and lows are within a given trend.
With high and low monitoring, the key to determining the
strength of a trend is finding the signs that a trend is about to start reversing. For example, a chart for a particular period shows a trend of ascension if the highs continue going higher while the lows are not going lower. Generally, this trend is only deemed to be reversing if the highs start dropping along with the lows.
The trend will not always be obvious, but it is not that difficult to spot the points when the highs stop climbing up and the lows start descending. If the trend appears too fuzzy, it helps to compare the highs and lows with a key level that offers a favorable picture. Doing so will make it easier to see the extent of the trend and when it will likely reverse.
Average Directional Index (ADX)
The ADX is a basic tool used in determining when a price is trending strongly. It quantifies trend strength based on a moving average of price range increases in a given period. It is applicable to various traded assets including mutual funds, stocks, and futures. An ADX value in the 0-25 range is described as absent or weak. The 25-50 range is considered strong. Meanwhile, ADX values in the 50-75 and 75-100 brackets are regarded as very strong and extremely strong respectively.
Some forex traders may not pay attention to ADX because it does not exactly indicate when to buy or sell. However, it can actually be used in forex trading especially in MT4, the trading platform used by many online speculative traders like
Gainsky, eToro, and Zulutrade.
MT4 features an advanced ADX function that utilizes tweaked auto-smoothing techniques to come up with a graph that is more precise but not as smooth as usual. Together with the MACD indicator, ADX values can be used not only to determine trend strength but also to make a buy or sell decision.
Subsequent Retest Distance Tracking
A retest refers to the reversal of the price direction after a break and returns to the breakout level. In other words, the highs continue going up in an upward trend while the lows keep going down in a downward trend.
Subsequent retest distance tracking means observing the distances between the lows and the reversal points, starting from the subsequent retest instance. If this distance continues to decrease, the conclusion is that the trend is weakening. A trend reversal is already imminent. Hence, the logical reaction is to tweak plans to trade in the direction of the strong trend to reduce risks.
Clustering Price Action
This technique can be considered as a combination of high-low monitoring and retest distance tracking. Its focus is on the point when the market starts to exert constant pressure on a key level over a short duration.
To determine trend strength through clustering price action, it’s crucial to watch out for market responses to support or resistance within a given period, which may be a few days to an entire week. If the market starts to group together for an extended time at a key level, it can be said that the trend is already disintegrating, headed for a reversal.
Gainsky Investment is a forex shared trading platform that offers different asset trading such as forex and cryptocurrency. Determining the strength of a trend is crucial in forex trading as it subjects probabilities into more discernible success-loss probabilities. By trading with a strong trend, the chances of yielding a profit increase. It becomes easier to make a decision as compared to viewing graphs and data with a much broader perspective. Gainsky can help to provide a solution if you are facing any problem. Image: Pexels


Teachers have long been identified as the number one in-school factor that influences student outcomes. Conversely, teacher turnover is correlated with lower student outcomes and contributes to school cultures where churn and instability prevent positive change from taking root. How to retain teachers has emerged as a key area of interest for district leaders and policymakers.
In Core Education’s June issue brief, we explore the problems associated with teacher turnover, look at the reasons teachers themselves give for leaving the profession, and examine strategies for increasing retention of effective educators, including teacher mental health, administrative support, professional learning and school climate.
To access the issue brief, visit: https://mailchi.mp/a17cbcb5fa5a/7y14uz9cvv-1824961
To ensure you do not miss future monthly briefs, subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/G1ciT


A mandate is a contract by which a person, the mandator, gives power to another person, the mandatary, to represent him. This contract is called a power of attorney.
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s lasts for many years, during which time behaviors and abilities change as the disease progresses
The following has been reprinted with permission from the Association for Psychological Science. Older adults are often encouraged to stay active and engaged to keep…
An Israeli study has discovered a biological mechanism that could explain how challenging mental and physical activity can delay the development and onset of Alzheimer’s…
I recently attended the 2014 Canadian Conference on Dementia in Vancouver. The focus of the conference was a “person-centred approach to dementia care.” Research presented…


Our Abuja reporter│ 17 July 2020 │ 10:00
Beginning on August 1, 2020, banks in Nigeria will have the power to debit loans and accrued interests due from bank accounts of loan defaulters across the Nigerian banking system.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on July 14 issued a new guideline to this effect, implying the seizure of debtors’ fund across the banks. The Apex bank has once again reinforced its commitment to strengthening the financial services sector.
According to a circular issued by the CBN Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Kevin Amugo, this initiative aims to improve the credit repayment system, reduce non-performing loans in the banking system and watch-list consistent loan defaulters.
This operational guideline is tagged ‘Global Standing Instruction’ (GSI). The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) will manage the entire operations of the GSI on behalf of banks, using customers Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
This initiative, which has been underway since May 2019, is based on a prolonged series of agreements involving the CBN, NIBSS and the Bankers’ Committee.


Miranda, A., Pego, J. M., Correia-Pinto, J. 2017. Animal facility videoendoscopic intubation station: Tips and tricks from mice to rabbits. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 204-207.
Endotracheal intubation of laboratory animals is a common procedure shared by several research fields for different purposes, such as mechanical ventilation of anaesthetized animals, instillation of cytotoxic nanoparticles, infectious agents or tumour cells for induction of disease models, and even for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. These different research purposes, achieved in different animal models, require technical expertise and equipment that suits every research need from animal facilities. In this short report we propose a videoendoscopic intubation station that could be shared among the most common laboratory animals, namely the mouse, rat, guinea pig and rabbit, from neonates to adult animals. This report aims to contribute to the reduction of animals excluded from experiments due to false paths during direct and blind intubations and to the refinement of procedures by replacing surgical approaches such as tracheotomy.


At Kristus Darzs we practice person-centered care approach.
We involve residents and their families in care planning alongside health care professionals. Our nurses and personal support workers strive to provide exceptional care honouring individual values, preferences and lifestyles while maintaining the dignity and rights of each resident. Nursing staff make every effort to meet the residents’ physical, emotional and social needs by working collaboratively with other departments, medical doctors and specialists.
Nursing care is provided 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Our staff assist residents in performing all activities of daily living including personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring and mobility. Staff are mindful of the physical and psychological abilities of the individual. Residents are encouraged to use their abilities to their full potential to maintain their skills and independence for as long as possible.
The majority of our residents are living with dementia. Dementia care requires additional knowledge and specialized skills in providing individualized care with kindness, patience and respect. Working in collaboration with other departments, nursing staff employ their expertise to creatively and effectively manage responsive behaviours. When necessary, we seek guidance from external agencies specializing in behaviour management or through Geriatric Psychiatrist referral.
In recent years, we have made several updates to our physical environment. The distinct wall colours make way-finding easier for residents with dementia. The dining room murals depicting Riga and the much-loved birches and fields of Latvia provide calm space where residents can reminisce and feel peaceful. Our staff are provided with opportunities for professional growth and development fostering pride and personal satisfaction.
Kristus Darzs is committed to lifelong learning by encouraging pursuit of professional degrees, designations or certificates within the healthcare field. Staff are encouraged and regularly complete continuing education to enhance evidence informed knowledge within specific areas of interest, such as wound care, responsive behaviours, and continence management.


Abstract
© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) was investigated at El Gorguel Bay (Cartagena-La Unión Pb-Zn mining district, Murcia, Spain), a Mediterranean region where mine tailings have been accumulated for decades at the shoreline. At this site, groundwater may become enriched in metals prior to discharge to the coastal sea and may lead to significant releases that can contaminate the coastal environment. The distribution of dissolved metals and Ra isotopes were studied in seawater and groundwater samples collected during the summer season in 2013. Cross-shore gradients of 224Ra in the bay allowed the calculation of a SGD flow of (39±14)103m3day-1. SGD-driven metal fluxes were 47-180molday-1km-1 for Zn, 0.20-0.60molday-1km-1 for Pb, 4-32molday-1km-1 for Fe, 0.8-2.3molday-1km-1 for Cu and 0.9-2.8molday-1km-1 for Ni. Compared to other coastal zones not affected by mining activities, SGD-driven metal fluxes were especially significant for dissolved Zn and Pb. The magnitude of these SGD-driven metal fluxes indicates that SGD is a relevant pathway in delivering metals to the coastal environment at El Gorguel Bay. This fact highlights the importance of investigating the role of SGD as a possible source of contamination to the sea in mining districts located in the proximity of the coast.
Keywords Lead Metals Mine tailings Radium isotopes Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) Zinc


Attachments HIGHLIGHTS
In response to displacement from Ramadi, UNHCR provided emergency shelter for 1,440 displaced people in Al Qaser camp, in Habbaniyah Tourist City (HTC). Displaced families sheltering in various locations in HTC and Ameriyat al Falluja also received winter assistance kits and kerosene to meet their domestic needs.
UNHCR continued to deliver essential assistance to help the displaced families cope with harsh winter temperatures. UNHCR is distributing winter household items to 60,000 vulnerable displaced families this winter.
UPDATE ON ACHIEVEMENTS Operational Context
According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), the estimated number of internally displaced Iraqis now exceeds 3.19 million, spread across more than 3,500 locations countrywide.
Conflict and violence continue to affect most of Central and North-Central Iraq, including Anbar, Ninewa, Salah al Din and Kirkuk governorates.
Displacement continued throughout Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salah al Din governorates. Access to safety for IDPs continues to be a challenge across Iraq. Access to many of Iraq’s governorates remains contingent upon sponsorship and many families cannot cross checkpoints and remain stuck at governorate borders. The inability of civilians to access safety is a major protection concern, both on account of being prevented from fleeing areas under the control of armed groups or due to restrictions imposed by authorities.
An estimated 4,000 people were newly displaced following military operations to regain control of Ramadi, Anbar Governorate’s capital, from armed insurgents. Displaced families are living in various camps established by local authorities in Habbaniyah Tourist City and Ameriyat al Falluja, which are now at full capacity. Expansions are planned to accommodate more displaced Iraqis.
The city of Falluja has been under siege due to ongoing military operation and supply lines have been cut off. Residents in the city are reportedly facing an acute lack of fuel, as well as basic necessities, clean water and medicine.
As of end January, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix identified more than 485,000 people who have returned to their areas of origin in Anbar, Diyala, Erbil, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salah al Din governorates. Returnee families remain vulnerable as they face a lack of livelihood opportunities, destruction of property, contamination by explosive remnants of the conflict, limited availability of food and non-food items, documentation problems as well as poor access to services, health, clean water and education. UNHCR and the UN humanitarian country team do not encourage organized returns of IDPs in view of the continued absence in many locations of protection conditions conducive to return. However, support is provided to spontaneous IDP returnees whenever it is safe to do so.
Temperatures continued to drop across Iraq as winter set in, with displaced families living in tents and unfinished building struggling to cope with heavy rains and cold. This is particularly challenging in the mountainous areas of Duhok and Sulaymaniyah in the KR-I, where the conditions remained challenging for the displaced, despite the assistance given by the international community.


Abstract
Chemical vapour deposition of graphene was the preferred way to synthesize graphene for multiple applications. However, several problems related to transfer processes, such as wrinkles, cleanness and scratches, have limited its application at the industrial scale. Intense research was triggered into developing alternative synthesis methods to directly deposit graphene on insulators at low cost with high uniformity and large area. In this work, we demonstrate a new concept to directly achieve growth of graphene on non-metal substrates. By exposing an amorphous carbon (a-C) film in Cu gaseous molecules after annealing at 850°C, the carbon (a-C) film surprisingly undergoes a noticeable transformation to crystalline graphene. Furthermore, the thickness of graphene could be controlled, depending on the thickness of the pre-deposited a-C film. The transformation mechanism was investigated and explained in detail. This approach enables development of a one-step process to fabricate electrical devices made of all carbon material, highlighting the uniqueness of the novel approach for developing graphene electronic devices. Interestingly, the carbon electrodes made directly on the graphene layer by our approach offer a good ohmic contact compared with the Schottky barriers usually observed on graphene devices using metals as electrodes.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes Materials Science(all)


Los Angeles County is home to 10 million people and hundreds of cities, communities, and neighborhoods. Los Angeles is also known as one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States, which is reflected in its many cultural enclaves and communities.
The earliest of Los Angeles enclaves include Chinatown, Frenchtown, Greek Town, Little Italy, Little Tokyo, and Sonoratown. Only Chinatown and Little Tokyo exist today. The second wave of ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles began following the 1968 enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. It ended an immigration-admissions policy based on race and ethnicity, and gave rise to large-scale immigration, both legal and unauthorized. The enclaves are products of both historical racial discrimination and self-segregation driven by mutual, ethnically specific interests. Ethnic enclaves provide protection from hostile elements in society, aid in the retention of cultural norms (including language), and offer immigrants economic opportunities such as employment and business ownership. One of the communities featured in the exhibit include the city of Watts and its famous Watts Towers. The artist Simon Rodia titled the structural art piece, “Nuestro Pueblo,” meaning “Our Town.” Los Angeles has myriad communities including LGBTQ, activist groups, campus communities, and women’s groups. These diverse communities and cultural enclaves that make up Los Angeles have a long history striving for acceptance, equality, and empowerment. Explore the items on display to catch a glimpse of the significant events and communities of Los Angeles.


Cultural Heritage Expert (2018)
The Government of Indonesia contracted with the World Bank and Tourism Development International (TDI) to develop an Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP) for Yogyakarta, Borobudur and Prambanan in Central Java. The plan provides a strong framework for effective and sustainable tourism and land development.
As the Cultural Heritage Expert, I researched and inventoried all sites in the region to ensure that planned developments are sustainable and comply with international standards for heritage preservation.
Borobudur (9th Century Buddhist) and Prambanan (9th Century Hindu) temples are both cultural heritage sites of global significance and were inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. However, they are in danger of losing their outstanding universal values due to over visitation, mismanagement, and an overall lack of understanding and awareness of the importance of preserving the country's tangible and intangible heritage resources. It is hoped the ITMP will mitigate some of these negative effects.
Yogyakarta is the center of the country's hand painted batik fabrics. Indonesian Batik was inscribed onto the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List in 2009.


Abstract
Massive rural–urban migration in China has drawn attention to the prevalence of mental health problems among migrants. Research on the mental health of Chinese migrants has a narrow focus on rural–urban migrants, emphasizing the institutional role of hukou in migrant mental health. We argue that the heterogeneity of migrants, including


Abstract
Research on emotion technology in artificial intelligence is taking off, but there has been less attention on the possible applications of emotions and emotional intelligence in artificially intelligent systems. Reviewing contemporary literature, this thesis provides a comprehensive overview of emotion in humans, affective computing and modern emotion technologies. Additionally, recent


At the point when individuals plan to offer a home, the greater part of them work hard to make their house is as alluring as could be allowed. This could incorporate pretty much anything, from re-painting dividers to making minor repairs to enlisting a home organizing expert. In a purchasers showcase like this, venders work hard at making their home shimmer. They could never associate that all with these enhancements could be totally refuted by the family canine.
For property holders with pets, offering a house could require some additional exertion. Pets desert proof of their quality, regardless of whether it be as scratch marks, hair, scents, or more. This can represent an issue for potential home purchasers which may have hypersensitivities. There could be security issues for pets and individuals alike, as there truly is no real way to know how a creature will respond with unusual individuals in the house. Moreover, a few people are so emphatically opposed to pets they will decline to consider a home where they have dwelled as of late. Fortunately, there are steps a mortgage holder can take with a specific end goal to guarantee that the family pet doesn’t drag out the offer of a house or more terrible, adversely affect its cost.
The main answer for be considered is to move the pet to Sunroom Addition Guys else if conceivable. This could be a companion or relative willing to deal with the hairy little person or it could include boarding the creature. Having the them out of the family unit would be the simplest, best approach to keep a pet’s essence from meddling with the offer of a home. The disadvantage is homes are spending longer available nowadays and boarding a pet for a considerable length of time would not just get costly, it would be savage.
In the event that boarding the creature outside of the house is impossible, check whether its conceivable mastermind companions or family to take the pets for a couple of hours amid showings. Having them at the house is the last decision and ought to be kept away from no matter what. If so, they ought to be limited in a pet hotel or outside. Not exclusively are yapping canines and underneath felines diverting, if a potential home purchaser is chomped, they won’t buy the home and they may document a claim to boot.


Anyone who has spent time around children knows they love to wonder, “Why?” By using history mysteries in our lessons, we can turn the questions of “Why?” and “How?” back onto students to engage them fully. Continue reading Strategy Share: Using History Mysteries to Engage Students
I have been fascinated with the Galápagos Islands since reading Darwin’s On the Origin of Species as a college student. When I had the opportunity to explore the islands as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, I naturally thought I would design a student project focused on evolution. However, observations I made while in Galápagos led me down a different path. Continue reading Strategy Share: Conservation Lessons From Galápagos


Computational models provide a framework for integrating data across spatial scales and for exploring hypotheses about the biological mechanisms underlying neuronal and network dynamics. However, as models increase in complexity, additional barriers emerge to the creation, exchange, and re-use of models. Successful projects have created standards for describing complex models in neuroscience and provide open source tools to address these issues. This lecture provides an overview of these projects and make a case for expanded use of resources in support of reproducibility and validation of models against experimental data.
Introduction to the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS): a standard for organizing human neuroimaging datasets. This lecture was part of the 2018 Neurohackademy, a 2-week hands-on summer institute in neuroimaging and data science held at the University of Washington eScience Institute.
NWB: An ecosystem for neurophysiology data standardization
NWB: An ecosystem for neurophysiology data standardization
This lecture provides an overview of depression (epidemiology and course of the disorder), clinical presentation, somatic co-morbidity, and treatment options.
This lecture will highlight our current understanding and recent developments in the field of neurodegenerative disease research, as well as the future of diagnostics and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
How genetics can contribute to our understanding of psychiatric phenotypes.


A new study conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) finds that while steps to stop the spread of the intestinal superbug Clostridium difficile-often called C. diff infection or CDI-have increased, they are not yielding significant improvements.
According to the survey of 1,087 APIC members conducted earlier this year, 70 percent have adopted additional intervention measures to counter CDI since March 2010, but only 42 percent have seen a decline in CDI rates in their healthcare facilities; 43 percent report no decline at all.
CDI can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon, and it kills about 14,000 Americans each year. It most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term-care facilities.
While the researchers were encouraged by the fact that more efforts are being undertaken to prevent CDI, "more needs to be done to reduce the spread of this disease," says Jennie Mayfield, APIC president-elect.
"Environmental Services [referring to cleaning and housekeeping services] must take the lead in developing aggressive programs [and] cleaning practices...and ensure that the results are shared with front-line staff. Without this, [conditions] are unlikely to improve."
The report did not specifically mention what types of "aggressive programs and cleaning practices" might be necessary, but because current cleaning practices are not having the desired results, some experts suggest new or alternative cleaning methodologies may now be called for.
For instance, some healthcare facilities are replacing conventional cleaning methods-cleaning cloths, mops, and buckets-with spray-and-vac or "no-touch" cleaning systems.
Dr. Jay Glasel, founder of Global Scientific Consulting, LLC, in Farmington, Connecticut, reports that these systems can be as much as "60 times more effective at reducing bacterial contamination when compared to conventional cleaning methods."
All the more reason to look into cleaning alternatives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths related to CDI are increasing, due in part to a stronger germ strain.


Aided by rock-bottom interest rates, the U.S. housing market reached a new milestone: total American mortgage debt hit a record high of $9.86 trillion in the third quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The total value of new mortgages, including home purchase loans and refinances, rose to $1.05 trillion. While the debt load is higher than ever, the silver lining is that the share of borrowers with credit scores above 760 is also at its peak.


Practical supports that impact day to day living for people living with HIV/AIDS are a core outcome of many PWA services, and we specifically highlight financial assistance and food within the practical supports category.
Financial Assistance We reimburse people for the purchase of uninsured prescription medication, supplementary treatment costs and nutritional supplements. This program also offers a stipend to individuals applying for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), individuals 64 and older and 17 and younger. The program and criteria is reviewed annually. Review the latest Guidelines for the most up-to-date coverage.
We partially reimburse people for the purchase of expenses such as:
Uninsured prescription medication, Supplementary treatment costs, Nutritional supplements, Emergency veterinarian, Transportation
The Program is available to all PWA Clients on a limited basis. For more information, you can review our 2020/2021 Financial Assistance Guidelines or speak to your Income & Community Liaison.
Essentials Market This is PWA’s food bank which provides staple food items, fresh produce from our community garden, pet food, home start-up items, family hampers, special needs supplies such as baby items, and special diet accommodations based on availability. The PWA Food Bank is the only food bank in Toronto that exclusively serves people living with HIV / AIDS. Participants can access the market twice a month, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 7pm. ID is required
If you have any questions about this program, contact the Food Programs Coordinator.
Community Food For Life Program
This community program is in partnership with Dixon Hall Neighborhood Services, it is a weekly frozen meal delivery program for PHAs returning home from the hospital, experiencing severe mobility, acute medical issues, or are receiving palliative care.
If you have any questions about this program, contact the Food Access Liaison.
Vitamin Supplements Based on availability, vitamins are also provided.
PWA would like to thank the Village Pharmacy for their generous donation of Vitamin Supplements for this program. Their dedication to helping people living with HIV/AIDS is deeply appreciated.


The paper explores the rural-urban axis in post-socialist Macedonian views of the past, present and future. Social tensions in the Balkans, and the former Yugoslav republics in particular, are often viewed as a direct product of interethnic hostilities. Focusing in particular on Macedonian responses to domestic unrest since 1991, this paper traces the importance of crime, gender roles and mobility as key concerns in the post-Yugoslav context. It offers a complementary interpretation of anti-Albanian discourse, which highlights the enduring significance of the rural-urban distinction in contemporary Macedonia.


Data integrity refers to maintaining and assuring the accuracy and consistency of data over its entire life-cycle, and is a critical aspect to the design, implementation and usage of any system which stores, processes, or retrieves data. The term data integrity is broad in scope and may have widely different meanings depending on the specific context– even under the same general umbrella of computing. This article provides only a broad overview of some of the different types and concerns of data integrity.
Data integrity is the opposite of data corruption, which is a form of data loss. The overall intent of any data integrity technique is the same: ensure data is recorded exactly as intended (such as a database correctly rejecting mutually exclusive possibilities,) and upon later retrieval, ensure the data is the same as it was when it was originally recorded. In short, data integrity aims to prevent unintentional changes to information. Data integrity is not to be confused with data security, the discipline of protecting data from unauthorized parties.


Making the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home or assisted living center is often fraught with guilt and worry. That’s understandable, since one-third of the residents and patients in skilled nursing facilities experience harm like infections and medication errors related to their treatment.
In one independent review of patient records, physicians found 59 percent of the injuries and errors were preventable. Over 50 percent of those patients who suffered harm were readmitted to hospitals as a result.
The inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a research study focusing on the quality of skilled nursing care. They followed patients for as long as 35 days after their discharge from acute care hospitals.
These doctors discovered that 22 percent of the discharged patients suffered adverse events causing lasting harm, with 11 percent suffering temporary harm. Sadly, 1.5 percent of patients succumbed due to the poor care they received even though their physicians had not anticipated their demise.
These deaths and injuries resulted from inadequate monitoring, delays, substandard treatment and failing to provide necessary treatment. The fatalities resulted from preventable issues that included:
kidney failure blood clots excessive bleeding from anticoagulant drugs fluid imbalances
If your loved one is in a skilled nursing facility, you often have to take on the role of patient advocate if they are no longer able to advocate for themselves. If you see or suspect signs of abuse, neglect or other red flags, you might need to take legal action against the facility, its owners and managers, and the doctors and nurses providing substandard care.


Strategy 2021+ builds on the strong foundation of continuous performance to deliver sustainable value creation and attractive shareholder returns. Leveraging its Romanian skills and expertise, OMV Petrom is committed to maintain and strengthen its position as a leading energy player in the region, ensuring its long-term growth, focusing on opportunities that Romania still offers while enhancing customer experience and developing its portfolio through regional expansion.
The strategy is driving performance through three key pillars:
Enhancing competitiveness in the existing portfolio Developing growth options Regional expansion
With a clearly defined execution plan, the strategy is addressing the sustainability of the reserve base, targeting the maximization of operational efficiency and exploring opportunities along the value chain, preparing the company for new developments in the energy sector. Strategy implementation ensures improved profitability while maintaining a strong balance sheet and offering attractive shareholder returns.
The success of the strategy is fueled by three enablers:
People and Organizational Culture Sustainability Technology and Innovation
For more details please see the attached
"Strategy 2021+" presentation. Disclaimer:
The information herein represents the strategic directions of OMV Petrom and may be interpreted as forward looking statements subject to uncertainties, risks and regulatory changes which may cause the actual results/performance of OMV Petrom to be materially different. Under no circumstances may be deemed as representation/warranties of OMV Petrom or of its management regarding the company’s’ future results as well as a recommendation/ offer / invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities. Contact: corporatestrategy@petrom.com


Following the release of latest newsletter, by the Financial Conduct Authority, Market Watch 64 directed towards MiFIDii Firms signaling the preparation for the end of the Brexit transition period, Point Nine is offering a helping hand.
” The temporary transitional power aims to minimise disruption for firms and other regulated entities at the end of the transition period. It allows firms time to adapt to new requirements from Brexit. But in some areas, applying the power would not be appropriate. One of these areas is transaction reporting rules under MiFID II. It is crucial that we receive these reports to ensure market oversight and the integrity of financial markets. So, firms and Approved Reporting Mechanisms should comply with the changes to their regulatory obligations by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Firms that are not able to comply fully with the regime immediately following the end of the transition period will need to be able to back-report missing, incomplete or inaccurate transaction reports as soon as possible.” Market Watch 64, FCA – August 2020.
If you are unsure how Brexit will impact your reporting obligations, Point Nine can help you navigate.
For further details on Brexit reporting implementation or support for meeting the deadline for your regulatory obligations by end of the transition period. In case of difficulty meeting the end of transition deadline (31 December 2020) Point Nine is equipped and ready to seamlessly support with back-reporting, quality assurance, reconciliation, and governance. Contact us


Our Philosophy
A dog-lead training process.
A dog-led Training Process
We believe that clear communication and biological fulfillment lead to a confident state of mind. The goal being: training for a dog that makes choices and decisions that align with its owner’s agenda and lifestyle.
It's a dog-led process, in that we have to have patience, awareness, and consideration for your dog, their feelings, and how they are expressing themselves. Emotions are instinct, and rather than suppress our dog's emotional responses to the world, we support the dog through their emotional responses, and guide them to the desired behavior. The ultimate goal of this approach is to foster a calm dog with a positive outlook on the world:
Using clear communication and biological fulfillment to develop and nurture a calm, neutral dog.
Moving training beyond obedience and management to focusing on a dog’s state of mind and outlook on the world.
Combining Animal Behavior science, dog psychology, and neuroscience, to form the emotions-based training philosophy.
By rewarding your dog's choices that are in alignment with your agenda, you prime them to think, act, and feel like the dog you want them to be in the future.
Training for your dog and your lifestyle
Do you want a dog who:
Will come when you call no matter what the distraction is?
Is in a healthy state of emotional stability in all of their interactions with the world?
Makes good choices and stays out of trouble, even when you aren't around?
Ends each day feeling happy, satisfied, and biologically fulfilled.


Last updated on 23-8-2019 by Anonymous (niet gecontroleerd)
AuteursMarie-Alice Fraiture Trefwoorden Samenvatting:
To guarantee the traceability on the market and the freedom of choice for consumers, genetically modified organisms (GMO) legislations have been established in many countries, including in Europe (EU). However, the implementation of these legislations by the enforcement laboratories is becoming complex due mainly to the increasing number and diversity of GMO. To cope with the problematic of EU unauthorized GMO, this PhD aims to improve and strengthen the existing GMO detection system using high-tech approaches. First, as a study case, an overview of genetically modified (GM) rice, de…


Improve your personal protective equipment stash or add to your regular business wear with these face masks and respirators. These masks are small enough to keep multiples stored without wasting storage space. Some masks such as N95 masks provide ample protection from small particles to protect your respiratory system.
Disposable
Many of these face masks are disposable, so you can use them for protection on rough days and toss them in the trash. Make cleanup a breeze with a disposable option that takes up little room in comparison to larger, reusable options. For businesses that rarely need respirators or face masks, low-cost disposable options are ideal.
Reusable
Some models are reusable, including some N95 masks, though the internal filter typically needs to be replaced. These allow you to change the filter to better match the particles in the air you are trying to avoid. Keep these in stock next to ear plugs
and other personal protective equipment for a fully stocked supply cabinet that protects you and your employees.
Comfortable
Masks and respirators typically have many comfort features, including a molded nose bridge or a bendable bridge for the best fit. A secure seal around the top of the mask reduces fog on glasses for safety and comfort. Most models feature multiple straps for added comfort and adjustment options that can fit a range of users.
Breathing Valve
Opt for a face mask or respirator that has a cool flow exhalation valve for the most comfort when breathing, like certain N95 masks. This allows air to move out of the mask during exhalation, reducing heat and moisture as you work. These valves also ensure you get fresh air with each inhalation.


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During these unprecedented times of the spread of COVID-19, social distancing has become the new norm and businesses have turned to remote working. But what happens to processes like appraisals which involve in-house evaluations? In a recent webinar hosted by the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals, leadership from the National Appraisal Network (NAN) explained in-depth the impact of COVID-19 on appraisals.
First and foremost, all appraisals nationwide should start traditionally. In the case that a traditional appraisal is not possible, due to a lock-down or a homeowner not wanting anyone in the home, Fannie, Freddie, HUD, USDA, and others are offering alternative appraisals. Alternative appraisals can either be a desktop appraisal or an exterior-appraisal only.
Through these methods, appraisers rely on information from interested parties, such as borrowers, realtors and other property contacts. The element of measuring and sketches is removed entirely, and extraordinary assumptions are made on condition, quality, deferred maintenance, etc. Appraisers are also using creative techniques such as interviewing homeowners, asking homeowners for photos, or doing video walkthroughs.
Flexibility in these times remain key, and NAN anticipates more challenges before improvements. It is also important to note that appraisal practices vary by state. For instance, New York prohibited appraisals on March 22
nd in their stay-at-home order, yet recently reversed the decision stating residential appraisals are essential. Appraisal practices also likely will vary by loan type. For example, an agency lender might be willing to accept an exterior-appraisal if authorized to do so by Fannie or Freddie. Non-agency lenders, on the other hand, may not enjoy the same flexibility to accept something other than a complete internal appraisal, if that is what the rating agencies and bond markets require.
Currently, NAN assures us that alternative appraisal turn times align with traditional appraisals, if not faster. For updates on turn times and state laws, we encourage you to visit Nationwide-Appraisal.com/Covid-19.


This book investigates international Indigenous methodologies in curatorial practice from the geographic spaces of Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia. From a perspective of Indigenous peoples important place within society, this collection explores how Indigenous art and culture operate within and from a structural framework that is unique and is positioned outside of the non-Indigenous cultural milieu. Through a selection of contributions, Becoming Our Future articulates this perspective, defines Indigenous curatorial practice and celebrates Indigenous sovereignty within the three countries. It begins to explore the connections and historical moments that draw Indigenous curatorial practices together and the differences that set them apart. This knowledge is grounded in continuous international exchanges and draws on the breadth of work within the field.
With contributions by Nigel Borell, Nici Cumpston, Freja Carmicheal, Karl Chitham, Franchesca Cubillo, L uli Eshraghi, Reuben Friend, Jarita Greyeyes, Heather Igloliorte, Jaimie Isaac, Carly Lane, Michelle LaVallee, Cathy Mattes, Bruce McLean, Kimberley Moulton, Lisa Myers, Julie Nagam, Wanda Nanibush, Jolene Rickard, Megan Tamati-Quennell, and Daina Warren.


Measuring the Performance of Fiscal Reforms: The Case of the GCC
Ahmed Hashim Alyushaa
Published: March 2017
Public spending has raised the welfare of citizens in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) significantly over the period 1960–2015, particularly as measured in raised average life expectancy and lowered infant mortality rates. Fiscal policy in oil-producing countries is pro-cyclical, producing sharp fluctuations in the business cycle, but reliance on oil revenue provides challenges for future improvements in development. For the first time in decades all the GCC economies are going through major economic reforms aimed at increasing efficiency while enhancing the economic welfare of the residents. GCC countries are reforming subsidies, particularly for energy, diversifying tax revenues by introducing value-added taxes and privatizing state enterprises in the provision of electricity and water.


As Nebraskans begin returning to their homes in the aftermath of widespread historic flooding, Nebraska Extension has mobilized a number of resources to aid in the road to recovery.
Those affected by the flood are likely unsure of where to begin. Extension encourages individuals returning to homes and properties to first take steps to ensure their safety. When a home or building is flooded, there is likely damage to the structure. Buildings need to be thoroughly dried and it is critical to test domestic wells for bacteria. Also, be cautious when working in and around contaminated floodwater.
Extension has compiled a list of the state’s certified public health environmental laboratories where homeowners can obtain a water test kit.
To read the article about flood resources, visit the KTIC radio website.
NIFA supports the Nebraska Extension Service.


WHO 10 October 2016 – Depression is an illness that can happen to anybody. It causes mental anguish and affects people’s ability to carry out everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends. At worst, depression can lead to suicide. Fortunately, depression can be prevented and treated. Today, on World Mental Health Day, WHO is launching a 1-year campaign: Depression: let’s talk.
See: http://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2017/handouts-depression/en/
The handouts available from this page provide general information on the characteristics of depression and how depression can be prevented and treated. They are intended for people who are living with depression themselves or who know someone who is. They include practical advice on what to do.
- Depression: what you should know
- Living with someone with depression?
- Worried that your child is depressed?
- Worried about the future? Preventing depression during your teens and twenties
- Wondering why your new baby is not making you happy?
- Staying positive and preventing depression as you get older
- Do you know someone who may be considering suicide?
- Do you feel like life is not worth living?


RCT vertasi vähäkalorista ketoa ja standardivähäkalorista ruokavaliota vatsaan asetetulla laihdutuspallolla laihduttavilla. Keto pudotti enemmän rasvamassaa ja vähemmän rasvatonta massaa. Perusaineenvaihdunnan taso aleni ketolla vähemmän.
Impact of a Low-Calorie Ketogenic vs a Standard Low-Calorie Diet on Fat-Free Mass in Patients Receiving an Elipse™ Intragastric Balloon Treatment Lainaa:
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Elipse™ intragastric balloon (EIGB) is a new swallowable balloon for weight loss (WL). Preserving metabolically active fat-free mass (FFM) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) during WL are crucial to maximize fat mass (FM) loss. After EIGB placement, a standard low-calorie diet (LCD) is generally prescribed. A low-calorie ketogenic diet (LCKD) has proven to be safe and effective in reducing FM while preserving FFM and RMR. OBJECTIVE To prospectively compare the effects on WL, FM, FFM, and RMR in two groups of patients who were randomized to two different diets: LCKD and a standard LCD after EIGB placement. METHODS WL, FM, FFM, and RMR were measured before EIGB and at 4 months in 48 patients who received either a LCKD (n = 24) or a standard LCD (n = 24). Compliance in following the prescribed diet was determined with food frequency questionnaires in all patients. The impact of LCKD and LCD on renal function was also evaluated. RESULTS The LCKD group showed a significantly lower decrease in FFM and RMR when compared with the LCD group (3.55 vs 14.3%, p < 0.001, 9.79 vs 11.4%, p < 0.001, respectively). FM decreased more significantly with LCKD compared to LCD (41.6 vs 33.1%, p = 0.0606). Compliance in following the prescribed diets, without negative impact on renal function, was found. CONCLUSION Based on our findings, despite the small sample size, we were able to support the hypothesis that LCKD is associated with an increased FM loss while reducing the FFM loss and the RMR, without interfering with renal function after EIGB.


Flow Chemistry at Pfizer
Paul Richardson, Senior Principal Scientist, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development
Despite the significant growth of interest in Flow Chemistry, it is often challenging to integrate this into research programs. This has been reflected in the utility and uptake of this technology within Pfizer. Early adoption focused on the development of reactions in Flow, which would otherwise be difficult to carry out in batch in the research setting for reasons such as safety. Although, this endeavour serves to expand diversity in terms of the chemical space that can be explored within a program, it can be difficult to justify the resource committed to do this based on the short term visible return on investment. As such, there has been a shift to look to judiciously implement Flow solutions to critical problems within the research portfolio, thus displaying the tangible value of the technology. This will be illustrated within this talk with examples being provided of both approaches including the development in Flow of the key step of the synthesis of a current Oncology clinical candidate. This example is unique to our portfolio in that it not only removes several bottlenecks of running the reaction in batch, but also in that the identical reaction fails in batch without additional protecting groups employed.


Crystallaria asprella, sole member of the genus Crystallaria, was distributed throughout much of the eastern United States but today persists only in isolated populations. We quantified genetic variation among remaining populations of C. asprella by sequencing the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b (cyt b) gene in 24 individuals from five sample localities. Phylogenetic analysis of these samples and individuals from eight other darter species, Perca, Gymnocephalus, Stizostedion, and Zingel, resulted in 80 equally most-parsimonious trees. Four of the five populations of C. asprella were monophyletic in all trees. Monophyly of the population from the Cahaba River was supported in 60 of 80 most-parsimonious trees. In the remaining 20 trees, one individual from the Cahaba River was included in a trichotomy with a clade of the other individuals from the Cahaba River and a clade of individuals from the Pearl River. The overall pattern of relationships among populations of C. asprella was (Elk River, WV (Saline River, AR (Zumbro River, MN (Cahaba River, AL, Pearl River, LA)))). The most divergent population of C. asprella is from the Elk River in West Virginia. In spite of considerable collecting effort, only five individuals have been collected from the Elk River since 1987. Crystallaria asprella from the Elk River differ from other populations by 11.2–11.8% sequence divergence. Their continued existence is currently threatened by logging, coal mining, and natural gas exploration. Our data document a distinct evolutionarily significant unit in the Elk River that likely is in great peril and should be protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. bSequence Variation in the Crystal Darter Crystallaria asprella(Actinopterygii: Percidae)," Copeia 2000(1), 20-26, (1 January 2000). https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2000)2000[0020:CBSVIT]2.0.CO;2


Publikationen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › Begutachtung
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze sagittal-plane knee biomechanics in individuals with ACL reconstructions in bilateral countermovement jumps. This aimed to determine potential knee compensation strategies during a high-demanding symmetrical movement task from pre to six months post-ACL reconstruction.
METHODS: 20 ACL-reconstructed individuals were tested pre-operatively, and then seven weeks, three months, and six months after reconstruction. Additionally, a matched control group was analyzed. Data were sampled with 3D motion capture and two force plates. The following kinematic data were analyzed: peak knee flexion during countermovement, knee angle at toe-off, and knee flexion excursion during landing. The following kinetic data were analyzed: peak knee extension moments during countermovement and landing.
FINDINGS: ACL-reconstructed individuals showed significant increases in knee flexion during countermovement and knee flexion excursion during landing from six weeks to six months after reconstruction but they remained significantly below the level of the controls. The reconstructed knee joint showed increased flexion at toe-off compared to the non-injured leg at all test sessions. Knee extension moments during countermovement increased up to six months after reconstruction, but remained deficient in ACL-reconstructed individuals during countermovement and landing compared to the controls.
INTERPRETATION: Although ACL-reconstructed individuals showed increases in most kinematic and kinetic variables, they remained below the controls at six months post-ACL reconstruction. The deficits between contralateral legs and compared to the controls show that six months post-ACL reconstruction, knee joint functionality was still not equal between reconstructed and non-injured legs or in comparison to controls.
Originalsprache Englisch Aufsatznummer 105048 Zeitschrift Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) Jahrgang 77 ISSN 0268-0033 DOIs Publikationsstatus Veröffentlicht - 07.2020
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
ID: 5451616


Authors:
T. Stephani, G. Waterstraat, S. Haufe, G. Curio, A. Villringer, V. V. Nikulin
Summary:
Brain responses vary considerably from moment to moment, even to identical sensory stimuli. This has been attributed to changes in instantaneous neuronal states determining the system's excitability. Yet the spatio-temporal organization of these dynamics remains poorly understood. Here we test whether variability in stimulus-evoked activity can be interpreted within the framework of criticality, which postulates dynamics of neural systems to be tuned towards the phase transition between stability and instability as is reflected in scale-free fluctuations in spontaneous neural activity. Using a novel non-invasive approach in 33 male human participants, we tracked instantaneous cortical excitability by inferring the magnitude of excitatory post-synaptic currents from the N20 component of the somatosensory evoked potential. Fluctuations of cortical excitability demonstrated long-range temporal dependencies decaying according to a power law across trials – a hallmark of systems at critical states. As these dynamics covaried with changes in pre-stimulus oscillatory activity in the alpha band (8–13 Hz), we establish a mechanistic link between ongoing and evoked activity through cortical excitability and argue that the co-emergence of common temporal power laws may indeed originate from neural networks poised close to a critical state. In contrast, no signatures of criticality were found in subcortical or peripheral nerve activity. Thus, criticality may represent a parsimonious organizing principle of variability in stimulus-related brain processes on a cortical level, possibly reflecting a delicate equilibrium between robustness and flexibility of neural responses to external stimuli.
Source: The Journal of Neuroscience, 2020; JN-RM-0241-20


Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to collect high spatial and temporal resolution data of various types of high wind events. Winds sampled include those generated from a thunderstorm outflow, hurricane, cold front, and two surface lows. The data were analyzed using the Empirical Mode Decomposition to assess the turbulent and transient nature of the flows. Traditional statistical methods were also used to compare their effectiveness. To complement the analyses, wind tunnel data was evaluated in a similar fashion. The preliminary findings are presented.
Original language English State Published - Jun 2009


To mitigate climate risks at the pace needed to create real change, corporate and government leaders must fundamentally shift the way they approach their risk strategies to address climate change challenges.
While finance leaders can, and should, play a crucial role in driving this change in corporate opinion, skepticism has held them back. To push the business community to evaluate climate risks, we must first stop the debate around climate change. Climate science is a legitimate field, and the findings are indisputable.
As we enter a new decade, the finance industry needs to correct climate change myths that businesses and governments have been using as excuses for lack of action. To accomplish this, we must start by acknowledging them.


David W. Cravens is the Professor of Marketing and the Eunice and James L. West Chair of American Enterprise at Texas Christian University. His research has primarily focused on international/global marketing strategies, new products, and sales force performance.
Marketing in the 80’s: Changes and Challenges is edited by Richard P. Bagozzi, David W. Cravens, Kenneth L. Bernhardt, Jospeh F. Hair Jr., Paul S. Busch, and Carol A. Scott. This volume is a compilation of proceedings presented at the 1980s Educators’ Conference. The papers focus on the problem and opportunities which would confront marketing in the 1980s. The collection of 124 papers are consolidated in five tracks: research methodology, public policy, marketing management, education, and consumer behavior.


Detection and Impact of Industrial Subsidies: The Case of World Shipbuilding
This paper provides a model-based empirical strategy to, (i) detect the presence and gauge the magnitude of government subsidies and (ii) quantify their impact on production reallocation across countries, industry prices, costs and consumer surplus. I construct and estimate an industry model that allows for dynamic agents in both demand and supply and apply my strategy to world shipbuilding, a classic target of industrial policy. I find strong evidence consistent with China having intervened and reducing shipyard costs by 13-20%, corresponding to 1:5 to 4:5 billion US dollars, between 2006 and 2012. The subsidies led to substantial reallocation of ship production across the world, with Japan, in particular, losing significant market share. They also misaligned costs and production, while leading to minor surplus gains for shippers.
I am very thankful to Jan De Loecker, Richard Rogerson, Eduardo Morales, as well as John Asker, Panle Jia Barwick, Allan Collard-Wexler and Eugenio Miravete for their helpful discussions of the paper. The paper has also gained a lot from comments by Steve Berry, Chris Conlon, Gene Grossman, Bo Honore, Ariel Pakes, Paul Scott, Junichi Suzuki. Charis Katsiardis and Daniel Goetz provided excellent research assistance. Sarinka Parry-Jones and Natalie Burrows at Clarksons have been extremely helpful. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation (under grant SES-1426933), as well as of the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies at Princeton University. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.


If we think about it, transmit a firm is not only a financial, legal and fiscal question, as too often it is reduced to. It is also and always the transmission of a living property, made with knowledge, culture, values, histories, relationships…
Transmit is then not only an individual action, born from the supposed unilateral decision’s owner-manager(s) concerned. It is also and always a collective commitment, that concerns and leads the old ones as well as the new leaders, their staff members, their customers, their partners.
Transmit, it is then not only selling finally and “hand over” to new a owner. It is first and foremost ensuring a continuity, a sense and a sustainability.
Because
entrepreneurship is always a collective action, transmission is always a dynamic one, that projects us into the future. The transmission deserves from everyone a true consideration… and real strategies !


Real time jobs report data summary. Figures are based on the latest data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov). All jobs numbers are for non-farm employment.
Paramus, NJ Jobs Report
October 2020 Jobs Report Jobs Added Month Over Month: +1.5% 3 Month Average: 123,733 Year Over Year: -10.8% Month Over Month: +1.6% 3 Month Average: 85,400 Year Over Year: -7.6% Month Over Month: +0.5% 3 Month Average: 934,333 Year Over Year: -6.1% Unemployment Rate Month Over Month: -3.5% 3 Month Average: 13% Year Over Year: +6.1% Month Over Month: -4.4% 3 Month Average: 10.67% Year Over Year: +3.1% Month Over Month: -1.0% 3 Month Average: 7.73% Year Over Year: +3.3%
The unemployment rate fell rapidly to 6.9 percent, from 7.9 percent in September, adding 638,000 jobs last month, a sign the labor market continues to heal slowly as a resurgence in the coronavirus threatens future growth. This came as a positive this month as the labor force participation rate that rose 0.3 percentage points to 61.7%.
“The strength of this report is really amazing in the face of rising coronavirus cases,” said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors. The U.S. economy has recovered two-thirds of the ground it lost during the first half of the year.
Sector Job Growth from the B.L.S. Month Over Month: +0.2% 3 Month Average: 1,449 Year Over Year: -10.1% Month Over Month: +2.2% 3 Month Average: 1,864 Year Over Year: -7.4% Month Over Month: +1.4% 3 Month Average: 1,539 Year Over Year: -9.6% Industry Job Growth from the B.L.S. Month Over Month: 0.0% 3 Month Average: 60 Year Over Year: -7.0% Month Over Month: +4.9% 3 Month Average: 37 Year Over Year: -12.4% Month Over Month: +2.2% 3 Month Average: 130 Year Over Year: -4.5% Month Over Month: +4.2% 3 Month Average: 19 Year Over Year: -16.7% Metropolitan Month-Over Month Job Growth by Sector
*The following chart displays the latest local job growth by sector compared to the previous month. Note that if a sector experienced losses or flat growth, it will not be displayed as part of the graphic.
BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
The BLS defines a sector as a subset of the domestic economy and excludes the economic activities of the following: general government, private households, and nonprofit organizations serving individuals. A sector consists of multiple industries.
The BLS defines an industry as a group of establishments that produce similar products or provide similar services. Multiple industries makeup sectors.


The US Treasury, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have implemented financial relief and regulatory flexibility to support health care entities through the unparalleled impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 20, 2020, Kelly Saunders, Chris Anusbigian, and Linsday Wisdom of Deloitte presented a webinar through the MA-RI chapter of HFMA on these important changes and have further summarized them here. For further details, follow this link to the recorded webinar and presentation from May 20, 2020.
Provider Funding
A total of $175 billion has been allocated for the Provider Relief Fund, including $100B through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and $75B through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. To date, roughly $70.4B has been allocated across Medicare fee-for-service providers, high-impact areas, rural providers and Indian Health Service. A significant portion of the Provider Relief Fund, roughly $104.6B, has yet to be distributed. However, HHS has stated that a portion of the remaining amount will be used to reimburse for uninsured patients and certain other provider types, including skilled nursing facilities, dentists and providers who solely accept Medicaid.
Recent Updates
HHS offers guidance in the
CARES Act Relief Fund FAQs, (link to https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/provider-relief-fund-general-distribution-faqs.pdf) on a variety of topics aimed at assisting organizations as they prepare to accept, return, and/or apply for additional funding through the General Distribution attestation portal. Importantly, HHS has stated that funds determined to be overpaid or paid in error should be rejected in their entirety, and providers should submit the appropriate revenue documents through the General Distribution portal to facilitate HHS determining correct payment. Additionally, if providers believe they have been underpaid, they should accept the payment and submit their revenues in the provider portal to determine correct payment.
Further FAQs on balance billing, situations where organizations/facilities have been recently purchased or sold, new TIN owners, and whether a provider that owns several hospitals has discretion to allocate throughout the system can be found using the link provided above.
Key Dates and Deadlines
For entities in receipt of funds from the General Distribution, the Provider Relief Fund attestation must be completed via the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal within 45 days of receipt of funds; this includes agreement to the accepted amount and the Terms and Conditions.
If the amount an entity has received to date does not cover lost revenue or increased expenses, requests for additional funds from the General Distribution can be made via the Attestation Portal by submitting the required supporting financial documentation. The deadline to request additional funds is June 3, 2020.
We recommend monitoring the HHS website and the
HFMA COVID-19 News page (link to https://www.hfma.org/topics/coronavirus.html) for updates. Waivers & Telehealth CMS has issued blanket waivers (link to https://www.cms.gov/files/document/summary-covid-19-emergency-declaration-waivers.pdf) for certain hospital conditions of participation, flexibility across types of facilities types and expansion of telehealth services. These blanket waivers are retroactively effective from March 1, 2020 through the declared end of the public health emergency.
CMS has promoted the use of telehealth services through removing geographic restrictions, expanding the types of allowed providers, increasing telehealth reimbursements to in-person fee-for-service rates and, through Office of Civil Rights (OCR) direction, allowed use of readily-available applications such as Apple FaceTime, Zoom and Skype. Please reference the recording and presentation through the link above for details on specific telehealth coding and billing information.
While support is available to help navigate the clinical, operational and financial hardship caused by COVID-19, knowing how to appropriately use the resources and relief is vital to success. Please stay on the lookout for future HFMA webinar sessions around COVID-19 current events.
About the Authors: Kelly J. Sauders is a Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP with over 25 years of experience in the health care industry. She specializes in providing regulatory compliance, risk and control-related services. Chris Anusbigian is a Specialist Leader at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Chris has over 30 years of experience working with health care and life sciences organizations around regulatory requirements, third-party payor billing rules and compliance programs. Lindsay Wisdom is a Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP where she assists organizations in developing solutions and strategies to address a variety of complex organizational and regulatory risks and challenges. Dhara Satija , Senior Manager and Tully Saunders, Manager, from Deloitte & Touche LLP also contributed to this blog and webinar.


This study set out to uncover how participants represent their experiences in a professional development institute for multimodal composition. Though clearly locally situated, the study’s findings are relevant for WPAs in a variety of contexts looking to design similar programs. They also suggest some pressing issues for the field of writing studies as it aims to prepare students for 21st-century environments. The following sections extend this study’s findings to larger disciplinary conversations and explore key issues this study raises for future research and practice.


While data is at the heart of business and technology, many organizations are unable to leverage these silos of wealth and make them useful, due to challenges in consolidating and sharing the information. Unlocking the power of data is key to creating a competitive advantage. This infographic looks at the volume, velocity, variety, veracity, and value of the data in organizations today.
Infographic Courtesy of Omnivex Photo Credit: iStockPhoto.com
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto.com
How digital communications can transform HR - October 25, 2018 How digital maturity is affecting core operations and value - October 18, 2018 Standalone digital communications displays are dead - May 3, 2018 Does your business need the Internet of Things and Blockchain? - April 19, 2018 Does your business need virtual reality and artificial intelligence? - March 14, 2018 AI is changing the face of retail - February 21, 2018 Big data in digital communications - January 17, 2018 Why unused data is a virtual goldmine - December 8, 2017 AI opens unforeseen opportunities for digital communications - December 6, 2017 Generating a tangible ROI with digital signage - November 8, 2017


B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone secreted predominantly from the ventricles in response to increased ventricular pressure. Along this line, hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy typically have high circulating BNP concentrations. BNP has natriuretic and vasodilatory actions. Obese persons have low circulating BNP concentrations, and a relative lack of this natriuretic and vasodilatory factor could contribute to obesity-related hypertension. The relationship between BNP, BP, left ventricular mass (LVM), and left ventricular filling pressure among obese persons is not clear. To address this issue, we studied 98 healthy obese medication-free men with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. We measured BP using 24 -h ambulatory (A) BP recordings, LVM and E/e', an estimate of left ventricular filling pressure, using echocardiography, and fasting BNP in serum. Mean systolic ABP ± SD was 114 ± 4 mm Hg in 1st and 149 ± 8 mm Hg in 4th systolic ABP quartile, P < 0.001. LVM and E/e' increased across systolic ABP quartiles (mean LVM±SD: 81.5±13.7 g/m2 in 1st and 100.1 ± 26.7 g/m2 in 4th quartile, P = 0.018; mean E/e'±SD: 5.3±1.6 in 1st and 7.0 ± 2.0 in 4th quartile, P = 0.002). In contrast, serum BNP did not increase across systolic ABP quartiles (median (IQR): 6.7 (3.1-12.3) pg/ml in 1st and 5.3 (2.8-9.7) pg/ml in 4th quartile, P = 0.75). Unexpectedly, among healthy obese medication-free men, serum BNP does not increase with higher systolic ABP despite evidence of BP-related increases in LVM and E/e'. This further suggests that a relatively low amount of circulating BNP could contribute to obesity-related hypertension in its early stages.


Abstract
We tested three innovation network governance mechanisms for exploring and exploiting innovation opportunities. We analysed household-level panel data from agricultural innovation networks in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. We found that first-order governed networks fostered capabilities for exploitation as well as exploration, while second-order governed networks fostered specialised capabilities for exploitation. Meta-governed innovation networks were most effective in combining multiple capabilities for exploration and exploitation. However, our results indicate that the relationship between network governance and ambidexterity of innovation networks is not robust, and we recommend further research on the context as a mediating factor between network governance and capabilities.
Keywords Africa Ambidexterity Capabilities Challenges Innovation Innovation platforms Network governance