Abstract
Historically, patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis secondary to colorectal cancer have a poor overall prognosis. Recent data support the use of cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS + HIPEC) to specifically address the peritoneal disease. Retrospective studies on CRS + HIPEC have been promising, showing significant improvements in OS compared with systemic chemotherapy alone. However, CRS + HIPEC carries morbidity similar to other advance oncology procedures such as liver resection and pancreatoduonectomy. It is hoped that ongoing clinical trials will clarify its role in the treatment of patients with peritoneal metastatic colorectal cancer.
Keywords CC score Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) Intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IP) Peritoneal carcinoma index (PCI) Peritoneal metastasis (PM) R score ASJC Scopus subject areas Surgery


Can Webcams Take Pictures of You Without You Knowing?
By Todd Bowerman
A webcam on your laptop or desktop computer allows you to record video content and chat with people across the globe, but also opens a small window into your home. Keeping the webcam safe from hackers and other trespassers is critical if you want to protect your privacy. Unprotected webcams are easily accessible to malicious Web users.
Site Vulnerabilities
Every website you visit is a potential security risk, even for your webcam. While the majority of spyware and virus programs are designed to steal information, an application that delivers remote access to your webcam can also be injected via worm or Trojan. If a hacker has access to your system due to some malicious code somewhere on your hard drive, that hacker can theoretically enable and control any connected peripherals at will.
Secure Networks
Everything you do on your wireless network is easily accessible to anyone with access. If your network is not secured with a strong password, a hacker can enter the network and gain access to any device connected to it. This includes webcams. The hacker would have to be within range of the network for this method to work, but it's still important to lock down your wireless network just to be sure.
Idle Computers
If you leave your computer on and active when you're not using it, you're giving hackers and thieves the perfect opportunity to access your devices and content without your being aware. In fact, it doesn't take a hacker's mind to access an idle, unprotected camera – sites exist that allow even regular computer users to browse hundreds of cameras connected to the Web but not secured. Shutting down your computer when not in use, or closing the laptop lid, helps keep it and you safe.
Prevention
While it's true that hackers and other individuals can access webcams without your permission, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe. Lock your network with a password, install a robust suite of anti-virus and anti-spyware software, keep your firewall active and remind everyone in your home to follow safe browsing practices. Covering the webcam with tape or disconnecting it between uses will ensure no one sees anything you don't want them to see.


Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate agreement between the predicted ablation depth calculated by the EX500 excimer laser (Wavelight Laser Technologie AG, Erlangen, Germany) and the measured ablation depth in eyes that have undergone femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (FSLASIK) for myopia. METHODS: Corneal thickness was measured with a rotating Scheimpflug camera preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively and the difference between these values was defined as the measured ablation depth. The difference between the predicted and the measured ablation depth was defined as the difference in ablation depth (ΔAD). RESULTS: In 85 eyes of 85 patients, no statistically significant difference was detected between the mean predicted ablation depth (66.33 ± 24.15 μm) and the measured ablation depth at the thinnest corneal location (67.04 ± 30.94 μm), the corneal apex (67.52 ± 31.22 μm), or the pupil center (67.73 ± 31.48 μm). Bland-Altman plots revealed moderate agreement for measurements at the thinnest point (95% limits of agreement [LoA]: -25.13 to 23.70 μm), corneal apex (95% LoA: -24.70 to 22.33 μm), and pupil center (95% LoA: -25.30 to 22.51 μm), with a proportional bias between the average ablation depth and DAD. The predicted ablation depth was overestimated in eyes with lower correction and underestimated in eyes with higher correction.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Ophthalmology Surgery


Abstract
Endothelial cells (EC) are the main target for Orientia tsutsugamushi infection and EC dysfunction is a hallmark of severe scrub typhus in patients. However, the molecular basis of EC dysfunction and its impact on infection outcome are poorly understood. We found that C57BL/6 mice that received a lethal dose of O. tsutsugamushi Karp strain had a significant increase in the expression of IL-33 and its receptor ST2L in the kidneys and liver, but a rapid reduction of IL-33 in the lungs. We also found exacerbated EC stress and activation in the kidneys of infected mice, as evidenced by elevated angiopoietin (Ang) 2/Ang1 ratio, increased endothelin 1 (ET-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. Such responses were significantly attenuated in the IL-33
-/- mice. Importantly, IL-33 -/- mice also had markedly attenuated disease due to reduced EC stress and cellular apoptosis. To confirm the biological role of IL-33, we challenged wild-type (WT) mice with a sub-lethal dose of O. tsutsugamushi and gave mice recombinant IL-33 (rIL-33) every 2 days for 10 days. Exogenous IL-33 significantly increased disease severity and lethality, which correlated with increased EC stress and activation, increased CXCL1 and CXCL2 chemokines, but decreased anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2 in the kidneys. To further examine the role of EC stress, we infected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. We found an infection dose-dependent increase in the expression of IL-33, ST2L soluble ST2 (sST2), and the Ang2/Ang1 ratio at 24 and 48 hours post-infection. This study indicates a pathogenic role of alarmin IL-33 in a murine model of scrub typhus and highlights infection-triggered EC damage and IL-33-mediated pathological changes during the course of Orientia infection. ASJC Scopus subject areas Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Infectious Diseases


By Amarica Rafanelli 10/22/20, for The Fix.com
New and expectant mothers face unique challenges when seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. On top of preparing for motherhood, expectant mothers often face barriers to accessing treatment, which typically involves taking safer opioids to reduce dependency over time. The approach is called medication assisted therapy, or MAT, and is a key component in most opioid treatment programs.
But with pregnant women, providers can be hesitant to administer opiate-based drugs.


According to a new study, a detailed analysis of antibody responses in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could help develop an effective vaccine.
Image Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2020.
The study was published in
PLOS Pathogens—an open-access journal—on September 10 th, 2020, by Chao Wu and Rui Huang from Nanjing University Medical School and collaborators.
The latest outcomes prove that the neutralizing activity of antibodies from patients who recovered from COVID-19 is generally not powerful and decreases sharply within a month of hospital discharge.
The entire world is facing an unparalleled challenge with economies and communities affected by the rising COVID-19 pandemic. At present, no effective drugs or vaccine have been approved to prevent or treat the disease.
A better interpretation of antibody responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for causing the COVID-19 infection, will offer underlying information for designing effective therapies and a preventive vaccine.
In the new research work, scientists constantly tracked SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody reactions in 7 severe COVID-19 and 19 non-severe patients for a period of seven weeks from the onset of disease.
A majority of the patients produced antibody responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as the viral nucleoprotein and three portions of the spike protein—the ectodomain, S1 protein, and receptor-binding domain.
While 80.7% of recovered COVID-19 patients had different levels of antibody neutralization activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, only a small number of patients elicited a strong level of neutralization activity.
This finding emphasizes the significance of meticulously choosing blood samples from the recovered COVID-19 patients using antibody neutralization assays before administrating them into other COVID-19 patients.
Three to four weeks following hospital discharge, the neutralizing activity of antibodies from the recovered patients decreased considerably, implying that the recovered COVID-19 patients could be probably re-infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Additionally, patients with severe COVID-19 exhibited a huge amount of non-neutralizing antibodies, which may contribute to the antibody-dependent improvement of infection. According to the study’s authors, the new study offers significant insights for antibody-based intervention, vaccine design, and serological testing.
Source:
Journal reference:
Chen, Y.,
et al. (2020) A comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of humoral responses specific to four recombinant antigens of SARS-CoV-2 in severe and non-severe COVID-19 patients. PLOS Pathogens. doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.


If the financial industry still held any objections to the case for providing firmwide communications flexibility and remote working capabilities, March 2020 saw the argument’s proverbial microphone drop.
In addition to the functional challenges of navigating market swings and record highs in volumes and volatility,¹ pandemic conditions compelled most global market participants to quickly transfer almost all personnel to home working environments.
While operational disruption affected nearly every institution in the financial industry, Greenwich Associates estimates that over two-thirds of firms experienced varying degrees of avoidable challenges² on top of the unavoidable ones.Methodology
In the second quarter of 2020, Greenwich Associates conducted over 30 interviews with U.S.-based representatives from banks, broker-dealers, buy-side firms, exchanges, regulators, and financial technology providers. Information gathered from these interviews, which focused on the operational and functional challenges experienced by compliance teams during the unfolding events of the COVID-19 crisis, informed the qualitative analysis expressed in this report, along with other proprietary Greenwich Associates market research. Additionally, where indicated, select data was provided by and used with the express permission of Bloomberg LP.


Isotropic superfinishing is an ideal method of removing the problematic white layer created during the nitriding process.
By: Nathan Michaud Developed in the early 20th century, nitriding has evolved into a standard process across many industrial applications. Often considered the simplest technique for case hardening, the process is commonplace in aircraft manufacturing, bearings, automotive components, turbine generation systems, and various industrial machineries [1]. Modern practitioners have perfected nitriding into…


Enabling High Purity in Critical Applications
Fluoropolymers play an essential role in chip manufacturing. Even the smallest trace impurities or certain elemental materials can create significant impact to device yields. Chemours manufactures its resins to maintain the highest levels of purity.
Chemours regularly analyzes products to verify their compliance with both internal and industry inspections, including ASTM and SEMI. This analysis helps to achieve and maintain the lowest levels of surface extractable ionic, metal, and total organic carbon content. Properly processed components produced with Teflon™ fluoropolymer resins are used successfully in applications requiring SEMI F57¹ and SEMI C90² compliance.
¹SEMI F57: Specification for Polymer Materials and Components Used in Ultrapure Water and Liquid Chemical Distribution Systems
²SEMI C90: Test Method and Specification for Testing Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) Materials Used in Liquid Chemical Distribution Systems


A NEW series of pH and reference electrodes from Sensorex promise the performance of mercury chloride (calomel) electrodes but without the mercury and its associated hazards.
The new ‘calomel-free’ electrodes are available in a glass or thermoplastic body, and feature a silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl)-based double junction reference. They incorporate a silver ion trap to prevent contamination with silver-sensitive samples. The reference output is adjusted to deliver the same output as calomel electrodes using a silver chloride reference.
Electrodes are available in a combination model featuring a pH cell and a reference cell in a single body, with separate reference half-cells also available, and in both sealed and refillable reference styles. Gel-filled sealed references are maintenance-free, while refillable designs offer extended electrode life.
Measurement range of is a full 0-14pH (0-12.3pH without Na+ error) with a response speed of >95% in one second. They feature an isopotential point of pH 7.00 (0mV), an offset of +/-0.20pH and a span of 97% or higher. The electrodes operate up to 60C.
Calomel Free Electrodes are also available in several different length and diameter requirements, including the popular 12x150mm Epoxy Body Combination pH Sealed Reference. All Sensorex electrodes are supplied with a 76cm cable, soaker storage bottle or soaker cap, and BNC connector, and are suitable for virtually every meter on the market today.


This week, the Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData) submitted a
letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition team, offering an agenda to guide the incoming administration's efforts to support student success through improved postsecondary data. PostsecData, a coalition of thirty-six organizations led by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, is committed to the use of high-quality postsecondary data to improve student outcomes, particularly for low-income students and students of color.
In this letter, the signers offer a series of administrative actions for President-elect Trump's first 100 days in office, as well as strategies for the longer term. These recommendations focus on improving data quality, consistency, stewardship, and use, while leveraging existing data systems and ultimately reducing burden on institutions.
This letter's signatories, listed below, appreciate the opportunity to work with the incoming Trump administration to pursue data-driven policies that will help inform decision-making, institutional practice, and ultimately, student success.
Signatories to Postsecondary Data Collaborative letter to President-elect Trump's transition team:
Advance CTE
Achieving the Dream
Association for Career and Technical Education
Center for Law and Social Policy
The Education Trust
George Washington Institute of Public Policy
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
Institute for Higher Education Policy
New America
The Institute for College Access & Success
uAspire
Workforce Data Quality Campaign
Young Invincibles


Discrimination Issues Psychological Assessment - Discrimination Issues Discrimination, whether it is based on race, sexual preference, gender, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, national origin, or another factor, can have a profound and damaging psychological impact on a person. Psychologists can evaluate that emotional impact. Psychological evaluations to assess the effects of discrimination must consider many of the same issues addressed in evaluating sexual harassment. After all, sexual harassment is a specific form of discrimination, only it can also include additional behavioral trauma, as well as the emotional damage. There needs to be a distinction made between perception of discrimination and the legal definition of discrimination, which is a legal issue, not a psychological one. However, beyond that issue, psychologists can assess whether an individual presents with psychological distress or a disorder, and whether this condition appears to be preexisting the alleged discrimination, or as a result of the incident. Psychologists can also identify the functional emotional impairments that have resulted from the discrimination, including any disability, if evident. When discrimination occurs within the workplace, it can create a hostile work environment that not only results in distress, but can limit a person's capacity to care for themselves and their family, because it affects their capacity to earn a living. Psychologists can offer an opinion regarding whether a person's expectations about how s/he was treated were reasonable, based on the circumstances of the incidents. The ultimate determination, regarding whether discrimination took place or not, is made by the court, but a psychological assessment can describe the extent of emotional harm and the potential for recovery, if discrimination is established. Dr. Franklin provides psychological evaluiations to assess the emotional impact of discrimination. For more information, call (908) 526-8111.


Many global automotive companies have been putting efforts to reduce traffic accidents by developing advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) as well as autonomous vehicles. Lane detection is essential for both autonomous driving and ADAS because the vehicle must follow the lane. However, existing lane detection algorithms have been struggling in achieving robust performance under real-world road conditions where poor road markings, surrounding obstacles, and guardrails are present. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a multi-lane detection algorithm that is robust to the challenging road conditions. To solve the above problems, we introduce three key technologies. First, an adaptive threshold is applied to extract strong lane features from images with obstacles and barely visible lanes. Next, since erroneous lane features can be extracted, an improved RANdom SAmple Consensus algorithm is introduced by using the feedback from lane edge angles and the curvature of lane history to prevent false lane detection. Finally, the lane detection performance is greatly improved by selecting only the lanes that are verified through the lane classification algorithm. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on our dataset that captures challenging road conditions. The proposed method performs better than the state-of-the-art method, showing 3% higher True Positive Rate and 2% lower False Positive Rate performance.


A recent survey found that, regardless of age, nearly three quarters of adults said they enjoy magazines, even when they can have access to the same content online. Another interesting finding – respondents overall were more receptive to print advertising than to internet ads. This suggests that targeting your audience through carefully chosen print media remains an effective marketing strategy – provided you have something compelling to say in an engaging and memorable way.


Geophysical fluid flows are predominantly turbulent and often strongly affected by the Earth's rotation, as well as by stable density stratification. Using direct numerical simulations of forced Boussinesq equations, we study the influence of these effects on the motion of fluid particles. We perform a detailed study of Lagrangian statistics of acceleration, velocity, and related quantities, focusing on cases where the frequencies associated with rotation and stratification (RaS), f and N, respectively, are held at a fixed ratio N/f = 5. The simulations are performed in a periodic domain, at Reynolds number Re approximate to 4000, and Froude number Fr in the range 0.03 less than or similar to Fr less than or similar to 0.2 (with Rossby number Ro = 5Fr). As the intensity of RaS increases, a sharp transition is observed between a regime dominated by eddies to a regime dominated by waves, which corresponds to Fr less than or similar to 0.07. For the given runs, this transition to a wave-dominated regime can also be seemingly described by simply comparing the timescales 1/N and tau(eta), the latter being the Kolmogorov timescale based on the mean kinetic energy dissipation. Due to the known anisotropy induced by RaS, we consider separately the motion in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the regime N tau(eta) < 1, acceleration statistics exhibit well known characteristics of isotropic turbulence in both directions, such as probability density functions with wide tails and acceleration variance approximately scaling as per Kolmogorov's theory. In contrast for N tau(eta )> 1, they behave very differently, experiencing the direct influence of the imposed rotation and stratification. On the other hand, the Lagrangian velocity statistics exhibit visible anisotropy for all runs; nevertheless the degree of anisotropy becomes very strong in the regime N tau(eta) > 1. We observe that in the regime N tau(eta )< 1, rotation enhances the mean-square displacements in horizontal planes in the ballistic regime at short times but suppresses them in the diffusive regime at longer times. This suppression of the horizontal displacements becomes stronger in the regime N tau(eta) > 1, with no clear diffusive behavior. In contrast, the displacements in the vertical direction are always reduced. This inhibition is extremely strong in the N tau(eta )> 1 regime, leading to a scenario where particles almost appear to be trapped in horizontal planes.
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Titolo: Single-particle Lagrangian statistics from direct numerical simulations of rotating-stratified turbulence Autori: Data di pubblicazione: 2020 Rivista: Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11770/305763 Appare nelle tipologie: 1.1 Articolo in rivista


Tax laws and regulations can be a minefield of ever-changing information. Is a tax refund considered income that you have to report on the following year’s tax return?
What is a tax refund?
The IRS collects income taxes each year. A tax refund is simply “a return of money paid that is more than what is actually owed for taxes,” according to
Merriam-Webster.
Regular employees will have taxes deducted from each paycheck based on how they fill out their Form W-4. Often, this can lead to overpaying on their taxes, which results in a refund. Self-employed individuals may also receive a tax refund due to overestimating their quarterly tax payments throughout the fiscal year.
Having a professional prepare your taxes may help avoid missed deductions, overpayment, and other issues.
Many Americans like receiving a tax refund in April. However, getting a refund means that you’ve been loaning your money to the federal government. Some people prefer to overpay to avoid the risk of underpaying and owing money at the end of the year.
The IRS states that over 90 percent of refunds are issued within 21 days of processing a tax return. Some taxpayers elect to receive a paper check for the refund. However, around eight in ten people choose e-file and receive a direct deposit. The federal government issued nearly 122 million tax refunds for fiscal 2019 totaling $452 billion.
Is a tax refund considered income?
It can be confusing to determine exactly what the IRS categorizes as taxable income.
A tax refund on your federal income tax isn't considered income. Taxpayers don't need to worry about paying more taxes on the refund they received since it's technically the taxpayer’s money to begin with.
The refunds you receive from your state income tax returns may be considered income. It depends on whether you deducted state and local income taxes in your tax returns the previous year.
Using a standard deduction instead of an itemized one with deductions for state and local income taxes means that the refund isn't counted as income.
Is a tax refund taxable?
The IRS doesn't require you to report your federal tax refund as taxable income. However, the rules are different for state income taxes.
If you elected to take an itemized deduction on your taxes the previous year, part or all of that refund may need to be reported as income the following year. Individuals can find out information for their specific situation on the IRS website.
If you didn't itemize your deductions and took a standard deduction, the resulting tax refund isn't taxable by the government. Another factor to recognize is that if you deducted state and local sales tax instead of income tax, your tax refund isn't taxable, according to H&R Block.
When do you pay taxes on a tax refund?
For your state income tax refund, any taxes that you owe will be due the tax year immediately following the year the refund was issued. So, if you received a state income tax refund for 2019, you may need to report the refund as income on your 2020 tax returns.


By Niharika Yadav
The morning of 1st February witnessed the presentation of the Interim Budget 2019. Amidst the clamor of members of the 16th Lok Sabha, Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal began by thedeclaration – “India is solidly back on track.”[1] The statement was a euphemism for all the table-banging, chest thumping and bold proclamations that were underway in Mr. Goyal’s ravishing budget speech. The government broke conventions as it did not just target constituencies of swing voters, but also meddled with income tax to assuage them. While twitching the indirect taxation had been a common trend amongst past interim budgets, a change in direct taxation had not been observed before. This was because the budget was implemented only for a short duration before re-elections.
The government announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi under which farmers holding less than 2 hectares of land, would be provided direct income support of Rs. 6,000 per year. Among chants of “Jai Kisan”, the FM highlighted that the government aimed to target about 12 crore small and marginal farmers through the same. It proposed the allocation of not just Rs. 75,000 crore for the current year (FY 2019-20) but also Rs. 20,000 crore in the revised estimates of previous year’s (FY 2017-18) budget.
The FM hailed this announcement as a culminating step by the government to uplift the farmers. He reminded the listeners about the rise in MSP by 50%, issuance of soil health cards and other pro-farmer initiatives taken up by the govt. However, opposition claimed that the measure was too insignificant to lead to any tangible benefit. Politician Yogendra Yadav went on to call the measure ‘an insult to the injury of farmers’. He said that the Telangana Govt., on whoseschemes this measure was modelled after, had promised Rs. 10,000 crore per hectare to the farmers whereas this scheme allowed for Rs. 6,000 per farmer which turned out to be Rs. 3 per farming family per day – an amount that was too tiny to even buy a cup of tea. Moreover, the announcement to implement the scheme retrospectively and to meddle with the balance sheet of FY 2017-28 irked various analysts. They believed that the government overstepped its bounds in doing so as it didn’t follow the convention of an interim budget.
The government also announced 2% interest subvention for animal husbandry and fishery farmers provided they availed loans through the Kisan Credit Card scheme. A healthy credit culture was also incentivised in the budget as it allowed an additional 3% subvention in case of timely repayment of these loans.
This scheme was further expanded to include farmers who faced natural calamities. As 2% interest subvention already existed for the first year of rescheduling of their loans, the govt. proposed to allow this benefit for the entire period of disaster along with an additional 3% for timely repayment of loans.
The government sought to target communities that hadn’t received appropriate policy interest. It established a committee under NITI Aayog to identify De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities and proposed other measures to ensure their development. Further, the government increased the allocation for North-East by 21% to Rs. 58,166 crore in FY 2019-20. For workers above the age of 60 in the unorganised sector, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan, which provided a monthly pension Rs. 3,000 per month, with contributions of Rs. 100 per month. While this was assured for workers joiningat the age of 29, the government mandated contributions of a mere Rs. 55 per year for workers joining the workforce at the age of 18.
The FM dodged the raging topic of unemployment amidst the outcry of fellow Lok Sabha members, by claiming that strong GDP growth and formalisation in the past 4 years implied job creation. He refused to engage with the controversy regarding methods of unemployment calculation, and relied on EPFO membership statistics that indicated an increase of about 2 crore people.
Charting the territories of direct taxation, the FM announced full tax rebate to individual taxpayers earning taxable annual income of up to Rs. 5 lakh under Section 87A. The FM went on to claim that this measure would benefit about 3 crore middle income consumers and would provide benefit of Rs. 18,500 crore. Analysts claimed that these figures were highly exaggerated as they included individuals having gross income greater than Rs. 5 lakh who invested in provident funds, specified savings, education loans, National Pension Scheme contributions, medical insurances and other deductions. Various analysts were sceptical of this assumption as bringing an income of Rs. 7 lakh down to Rs. 5 lakh by indulging in these deductions would be unrealistic for an individual taxpayer.
Tax benefits for the salaried middle class included a hike in standard deductions from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000. For individuals occupying two households, income tax on the second self-occupied house was exempted. This aimed to benefit various middle income earners who had two households on account for care for parents, children’s education and jobs. Moreover, the threshold for TDS on interest earned through bank/post office deposits was raised from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 40,000.
The budget leapt beyond its fiscal deficit target of 3.1% for FY 2019-20 by pegging it at 3.4%. Analysts have differing views on how this will impact the fiscal health of the government. Arvind Chari, Head Fixed Income & Alternatives, Quantum Advisors, categorised the budget to be inflationary in nature as overall expenditures saw a 13% hike. This was majorly due to the income support allocations for the farmers. Moreover, many claimed that the FM’s expectation of revenue through GST collections was overestimated, and so were his estimates of growth in taxation rate of about 18% for FY 19-20. Data revealed a fluctuation in GST collections from May 2018 with collections from November dropping to Rs. 97,00 crore in November 2018 and Rs. 94,000 crore in December as compared to Rs.1 lakh crore in October.[2] In the lack of a clear upward trend in collections, the market expected the fiscal and revenue targets to be moderate. Chari claimed that this could affect the bond market negatively. He further added, “The RBI and the MPC may view the fiscal compromise, aggressive assumptions and the potential inflationary nature of the budget and leave interest rates unchanged.”
However, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey brushed aside these claims boldly. He maintained that GST is going through a phase of stabilization and despite the recent implementation, revenue trends are encouraging. Moreover, he said that due to a wide increase in tax base under the Modi government around 1 crore people have been added to the list of taxpayers. This increase along with an increase in corporate tax collection was sufficient to account for (a) loss of revenue, or (b) increase in expenditure by the government, and ensure that the fiscal map of the coming year was realistic.[3] Opposition also pointed out that the Rs. 7 lakh crore of market borrowing in this budget, which is higher than the Rs. 5.71 lakh crore estimated for this year, can disrupt the fiscal balance. However, Pandey cleared that only about Rs. 4 lakh crore of the total was for financing the fiscal deficit, while the rest was meant for repayment of past loans.
The budget can prove to be either the
Aaakhri Jumlaa, as Rahul Gandhi crudely put, or a pro-growth budget maintaining fiscal prudence. Only the upcoming year can reveal which of these possibilities stands corrected. Till then, however, we must await the nation’s verdict on who it will invite to form the next government.
Sources:


Homeowners and renters continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, as the economy has not yet fully recovered. On Thursday, August 27, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have extended the moratoriums on single-family foreclosures until December 31. The moratoriums cover some evictions as well. Previously, these moratoriums were set to expire on August 31.
The third extension of the moratorium was issued independent of the CARES Act passed by Congress in March. This legislation provided a 60-day moratorium on foreclosures and evictions on properties financed by federally backed mortgages. The FHFA requires direct mortgage servicers to halt all new foreclosure actions and suspend those in process. This is intended to help homeowners who have faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Will Homeowners Be Affected?
According to FHFA director Mark Calabria, the move protects close to 28 million homeowners. Designed to keep borrowers in their homes during this difficult time, the moratorium extension provides benefits such as:
Relief for about 28 million renters left out of federally mandated relief options. Homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage or facing possible foreclosure may have options to obtain assistance during the national emergency. Homeowners with a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured mortgage can request an extension of forbearance for up to a year. Waiving of penalties and late fees for delayed mortgage payments. Lump sum payments will not be required when the forbearance period ends. A qualified principal residents indebtedness exclusion, for up to $2 million (for married couples), of forgiven debt. This tax break is temporary unless Congress renews it.
However, the moratorium doesn’t apply to homeowners with private mortgages; separate moratoriums may apply to borrowers working with private lenders.
Does It Do Enough?
Housing advocates insist Americans need more relief than the extension provides. For example, the National Housing Conference has called on lawmakers to extend relief to up to 40 million renters at risk of being evicted. A letter to Congress submitted by 31 housing organizations requested protections for property owners and renters in the next stimulus package. According to the letter, COVID-19-impacted renters owe an estimated $25 billion in back rent and up to $70 billion by year’s end, potentially putting tens of millions at risk of eviction and financial ruin.
In July, foreclosure filings were down 83% from a year ago, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, but with economic fears and more people losing their jobs, some experts predict the numbers to rise in 2021. The current stalemate in Washington over the next relief package doesn’t help. House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act in May. It would provide $175 billion in rent and mortgage assistance, while Senate Republicans have introduced their own stimulus proposal, which includes several smaller bills.
Nonetheless, the moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures are much needed. The results of a Mortgage Bankers Association survey in August led the organization to estimate 3.6 million homeowners are receiving forbearance and identify a spike in delinquencies for mortgage loans on one- to four-unit residential properties.
Contact OakTree Law for Mortgage Help
If you’re facing financial difficulties, foreclosure, or bankruptcy, the Los Angeles and Orange County bankruptcy attorneys at OakTree Law can help. Our law firm is open during the coronavirus pandemic to assist clients, conducting consultations by phone and filing cases with the courts. To request a free evaluation, contact us online or call 562-219-2979 today!


Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant, chronic lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by proliferation and accumulation of monoclonal B-cells in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, lymph nodes, liver and spleen.
It is the most common form of adult leukemia in the Western world but rare in Asians.
Exact etiology is unknown but usually associated with genetic aberrations and lesions.
Diabetes is a key risk factor for heart failure (HF), which is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients with or without diabetes. SGLT-2* inhibitors (SGLT-2is) have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for HF (HHF) regardless of the presence or absence of diabetes.


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What's your value proposition? Did you know a value proposition is made of two parts. The first is a promise of the value your business will deliver to your customers. The second part is the customer ́s perception about how that value will be received.
For many B2B marketers, defining exactly what their “value” is can be a daunting task. This is why we recommend referencing “The B2B Elements of Value” chart. The chart was created by
Bain & Company in 2018 and is based on a study carried out by the firm into what matters most to B2B buyers.
This chart breaks down the different elements that can play a part in an organisation’s value proposition. To make it more digestible, the elements have been broken down into 5 categories, each with their own subcategories.
To help you get the most out of the model, we’ve created a short list of questions you can answer to get a clearer understanding of your organisation’s value.
Inspirational Value
Vision - What is your company’s vision for its customers and the world?
Hope - How does your company inspire hope for a brighter future?
Individual Value
1. Career -
Network expansion - How does your business help someone expand their professional network?
Marketability - How does your business help someone become a more attractive candidate in the job market?
Reputational assurance - How does your business boost and safeguard the reputation of a client or customer?
2. Personal -
Design & aesthetics - How does your product or service’s design add value to a client or customer?
Growth & development - How does your business aid a client or customer in their career growth and development?
Reduced anxiety - How does your business alleviate worries and fears for clients and customers?
Ease of Doing Business Value
1. Productivity -
Time savings - How does your offering save clients time?
Reduced effort - How does your offering enable your clients to use fewer resources to complete a task?
Decreased hassles - How does your offering reduce common customer pain points?
Organisation - How does your offering empower your clients to become more organised?
Connection - How does your offering improve the connection between departments in a client’s organisation?
Integration - How easy is it to integrate your offering into established business practices?
2. Access -
Variety - Do you have one offering or many? What are the benefits of your chosen approach?
Configurability - Is your offering customisable or not?
3. Relationship -
Responsiveness - How quickly can your team respond to queries?
Expertise - How knowledgeable is your team regarding the industry and offering?
Commitment - How dedicated is your team in helping clients achieve their desired outcomes?
Stability - How stable is your business within the marketplace and current economic climate?
Risk reduction - Does your offering reduce risks for your clients?
Reach - Does your offering allow your clients to improve their reach?
Flexibility - Is your offering a flexible solution?
Component quality - Are the various elements of your offerings enhancing your client’s own offerings?
Functional Value
1. Economic -
Improved top-line - How does your offering improve a client’s business growth?
Cost reduction - How does your offering allow your clients to cut costs or save money?
2. Performance -
Product quality - Is your offering exceeding the expected quality standards within the marketplace?
Scalability - How easy is it to scale or roll out your solution within larger, global organisations or different departments within smaller organisations?
Innovation - How is your offering ahead of the curve in comparison to others that are available?
Table Stakes
Meeting specifications - Does your offering meet the specifications your target clients have in mind?
Acceptable price - Is the price of your offering acceptable within the marketplace and reasonable for the value demonstrated?
Ethical standards - Does your organisation demonstrate ethical standards that are in line with those of your target clients?
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Would your organisation like to refine its value proposition to make a bigger impact?
Get in touch with Philip Martin to discover how DMA Partners can help you use the elements mentioned in this article to strengthen your position in your industry:
philip.martin@dma-partners.com.


This paper estimates the importance of temptation (Gul and Pesendorfer, 2001) for consumption smoothing and asset accumulation in a structural life-cycle model. We use two complementary estimation strategies: ﬁrst, we estimate the Euler equation of this model; and second we match liquid and illiquid wealth accumulation using the Method of Simulated Moments. We ﬁnd that the utility cost of temptation is one-quarter of the utility beneﬁt of consumption. Further, we show that allowing for temptation is crucial for correctly estimating the elasticity of intertemporal substitution: estimates of the EIS are substantially higher than without temptation. Finally, our Method of Simulated Moments estimation is able to match well the life-cycle accumulation proﬁles for both liquid and illiquid wealth only if temptation is part of the preference speciﬁcation. Our ﬁndings on the importance of temptation are robust to the diﬀerent estimation strategies.


Research and reports UNICEF’s work is grounded in empirical data, rigorous research and thoughtful analysis. Latest publications Public finance for children
UNICEF and the Ministry of Finance and Planning of the United Republic of Tanzania have been jointly analyzing public expenditure on children since 2016. The 2018 edition of budget briefs is the second in the series.
These briefs focus on analyzing and monitoring budget allocations in key social sectors like health, education, WASH and HIV/AIDS, especially since these affect children.
They provide an overview of the public expenditure, and emphasize on critical dimensions such as spending trends, execution performance, equity aspects, fiscal decentralization, and sources of funding.
Data for children Publications catalogues
The Knowledge for Children in Africa publication catalogue collects studies and reports that are being produced on the continent, representing the collective knowledge supported by UNICEF.
The aim of the catalogue is to create an increased demand for products that will be produced by UNICEF over the coming year, and to provide timely information on the knowledge UNICEF and partners are generating in Africa.
The availability of knowledge and evidence is crucial for informing policies and programmes to ensure they have an impact on children and contribute to the realization of children’s rights.


In 2018, the Upjohn Institute launched an initiative to explore how communities can create broadly shared prosperity by helping residents get and keep good jobs. Our initiative brings together two areas of Institute expertise: place-based scholarships that help local residents increase their education, and economic development policies, such as tax incentives and customized business services, that directly target local job creation.
We link strategies that support firms in creating good jobs with strategies that give residents the skills and supports needed to work in those jobs. Our approach focuses on strategies communities can
themselves deploy to achieve these ends. While we recognize the importance of federal and state support in helping communities achieve these objectives, we believe locally led efforts are vital in laying the groundwork necessary to create vibrant local economies that benefit everyone.
In this effort, the Institute benefits from growing linkages between its research and operations activities. In addition to the research on employment policies it has conducted for three-quarters of a century, the Institute administers federal and state workforce training programs in a four-county region in Southwest Michigan. We also advise communities in our backyard and throughout the nation on best practices in areas such as economic development, workforce/talent development, and the design of place-based scholarships.
The Institute collaborates with the Kalamazoo Promise, the first of the current generation of place-based scholarships, and the City of Kalamazoo, which is engaged in innovative place-based development through the Foundation for Excellence and Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo. The Upjohn Institute works with the city and the Kalamazoo Promise around best practices, data systems, and evaluation, and aims to use what we learn locally to inform other small- to mid-sized cities facing similar challenges.
The research initiative is led by three co-directors with the support of an internal steering committee, a policy advisory committee, and a research affiliate network.


We appreciate the thoughtful comments of Rath and associates and agree with their assessment of the limitations of our study. We intended to examine the diagnostic yield and therapeutic benefit of nonquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the management of anterior uveitis. Our data suggest that under these conditions PCR has limited utility. We agree that quantitative PCR can have greater utility in select cases. We also wish to point out that complications, even severe ones, can occur. Given our data, we cannot advocate routine use of nonquantitative PCR for anterior uveitis.


Information for reviewers Additional Guidance for Reviewers on mitigating against how COVID-19 has impacted applicants and the risk of projects needing to be abandoned for grants that were already awarded/ongoing before the COVID-19 pandemic and accounting for the unknown impacts of COVID-19 in any new application
UKRI recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities and are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career(s) such as breaks and delays, disruptive working patterns and conditions, the loss of on-going work, and role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic.
When undertaking your assessment of the research project, you should consider the unequal impacts of the impact that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the track record and career development of those individuals included in the proposal, and you should focus on the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.
UKRI acknowledges that it is a challenge for applicants to determine the future impacts of COVID-19 while the pandemic continues to evolve. Applicants have been advised that their applications should be based on the information available at the point of submission and, if applicable, the known application specific impacts of COVID-19 should be accounted for. Where known impacts have occurred, these should have been highlighted in the application, including the assumptions/information at the point of submission. Applicants were not required to include contingency plans for the potential impacts of COVID-19. Requests for travel both domestically and internationally could be included in accordance to the relevant scheme guidelines, noting the above advice.
When undertaking your assessment of the research project you should assess the project as written, noting that any changes that the project might require in the future, which arise from the COVID-19 pandemic and these will be resolved as a post-award issue by UKRI if the project is successful. Potential complications related to COVID-19 should not affect your assessment or the score you give the project.
Please also refer to the UKRI Principles of Assessment and Decision Making documentation.
All applications for research grants undergo scientific assessment of research quality by UK and overseas experts in the field from academia, government or industry.
This assessment considers how applications meet the criteria for:
Scientific excellence Strategic relevance Industrial and stakeholder relevance Economic and social impact Timeliness and promise Value for money Staff training potential of the project.
Reviewers should not use journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, as a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles, to assess an individual scientist’s contributions. This is in line with our commitment to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
Fellowship reviewers
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Grant reviewers
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Keywords
The spreadsheet below contains a revised list of keywords launched in December 2008.
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Prominent sociopsychological approaches interpret collective victimhood as inseparable, central characteristic of societies involved in intractable conflicts. Victimhood is broadly perceived as an essential conflict‐supportive belief also in other disciplines. In the context of Israel, there is a cross‐disciplinary consensus that collective victimhood is the country’s foundational identity. This project argues that states’ employment of this theme changes and is context dependent. It discusses under what conditions Israel’s political elites incorporate victim narratives towards armed conflicts. It examines public communication during the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD) and the Yom Kippur war of 1973 (YKW). Employing a modified method of narrative conceptualization analysis, the research demonstrates that victim narratives were used almost twice as much during OPD than during YKW.


Washington D.C., Nov. 2, 2020 —
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement issued its annual report for fiscal year 2020 today. The report provides a comprehensive view of the Division’s accomplishments over the past year, discusses significant actions and key areas of strategic change, and details the Division’s COVID-19-related enforcement efforts.
“This year’s report highlights Enforcement’s extraordinary efforts across the country to identify wrongdoing and take meaningful action to protect American investors from misconduct, including in the face of the many challenges imposed by COVID-19,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. “In addition to discussing the core types of cases brought by the Commission, the report shows how Enforcement took action at the onset of the global pandemic against wrongdoers who sought to take advantage of the uncertainty and volatility in the markets. The report also illustrates our strong commitment to the Commission’s whistleblower program, as we devoted additional resources, achieved significant milestones in the total amount awarded and number of individuals awarded, implemented process improvements and adopted Commission rules designed to improve transparency, clarity and efficiency for whistleblowers. The dedicated women and men of Enforcement, in our headquarters and 11 regional offices, demonstrated their unwavering commitment to protect investors and our markets.”
“Fiscal year 2020 was a year filled with extraordinary challenges that impacted us all in countless ways. I am incredibly proud of the exceptional work of my colleagues in the face of these challenges and I am pleased to share the results of that work in our annual report,” said Stephanie Avakian, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
This year’s report discusses how the Division took affirmative steps to prevent potential fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic and bring actions against wrongdoers who attempted to capitalize on it, while at the same time continuing to focus on the multitude of existing and new non-COVID-related enforcement issues arising in the normal course. The report also describes strategic changes the Division implemented to improve its operations in several key areas, including by implementing a number of efficiencies in the whistleblower program and increasing the pace of investigations. Additionally, as in prior years, the report highlights the Division’s commitment to core principles such as protection of retail investors, focus on individual accountability, and imposition of remedies that most effectively further enforcement goals.
In fiscal year 2020, the SEC brought a diverse mix of 715 enforcement actions, including 405 standalone actions. These actions addressed a broad range of significant issues, including issuer disclosure and accounting violations; foreign bribery; investment advisory issues; securities offerings; market manipulation; insider trading; and broker-dealer misconduct. Through these actions, the SEC obtained judgments and orders totaling approximately $4.68 billion in disgorgement and penalties – a record amount for the Commission – and returned more than $600 million to harmed investors. Significantly, through the Division’s efforts, the SEC awarded a record $175 million to 39 whistleblowers in fiscal year 2020, both the highest dollar amount and the highest number of individuals awarded in any fiscal year.


In “The New Rules of Retail,” industry gurus Robin Lewis and Michael Dart explained how unprecedented consumer power, enabled by technology and globalization, is revolutionizing retail. They warned that survival in these dynamic times called for a business model based on three distinct competencies: preemptive, perpetual distribution; a neurological customer connection; and total control of the value chain.
In the years since that book published, many of their predictions have come true. Now, they revisit timeless case studies like Ralph Lauren and Sears, as well as new additions like Trader Joe’s, Lululemon, and Warby Parker, to assess how retailers must continue to evolve in the era of e-commerce, data mining, and tiered distribution.
They also identify the five current trends that are currently driving consumer demand, including technology integration and channel consolidation, as exemplified by Jeff Bezos at Amazon. This is a fully revised and updated guide from two proven retail prognosticators.
To purchase a copy or to learn more, click HERE.


Cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) group IValpha is a critical enzyme involved in the liberation of arachidonic acid from cellular membranes. cPLA(2)(-/-) mice have reduced allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The goal of this study was to investigate polymorphisms of the (CA)(n) and (T)(n) microsatellites and surrounding regions in the cPLA(2)alpha gene promoter. We analysed the cPLA(2) promoter regions containing (CA)(n) and (T)(n) repeats in 87 patients with severe asthma and in 48 control subjects by bidirectional sequencing. Functional studies were performed utilizing reporter genes derived from subjects with varying numbers of these repeats, and on constructs with a series of deletions. We found that the (CA)(n) and (T)(n) regions are polymorphic and that constructs with CA or T repeats or CA and T repeats deleted revealed, respectively, a 41.8 +/- 7%, 22.3 +/- 5% and 100 +/- 20% increase in reporter gene activity. A lower number of CA or T repeats caused higher cPLA(2) promoter luciferase activity. The group of shorter alleles of the (CA)(n) microsatellite region (n = 12-18) (P(cor) = 0.00006), and the group of shorter alleles of (T)(n) repeats region (n = 17-38) (P(cor) = 0.0039) occurred significantly more often in patients with severe asthma. We also found novel SNPs in positions -292 C > G, -185 A > C, -180 T > C and -165 A > C. Two of them were associated with the severe asthma phenotype: -180T allele (P(cor) = 0.03996) and -185 A allele (P(cor) = 0.03966). These results demonstrate that (CA)(n) and (T)(n) repeats may have an influence on cPLA(2) transcription which might play a role in severe asthma pathogenesis.


“The customer is king” is an inspirational quote that has been around for a while now, and for good reason. An American Express survey claims that up to 68% of customers reported to have the will to spend more for the company that delivers excellent customer service. One of the most prominent methods to offer exceptional service and customer interactions is by having a thorough understanding of your customer. Data collection and analysis has helped businesses understand their customers better. However, it must be noted that this data collection and analysis had been a common practice even before the new-age technologies helped the cause.
The advent of advanced technologies such as big data and analytics, AI, ML, and advanced robotics, has transformed customer interactions, and real-time tracking became easier. However, even now, data accumulation remains an intrusive process that largely involves queries and physical feedback. In the digital age, the ultimate customer experience will depend on proactive and not reactive measures.
To approach customer experience and customer interactions in a fundamentally transformed manner, businesses are starting to experiment with various innovations and emergent technologies of data collection and analysis, such as AR/VR and cognitive computing. More recently, facial expressions and emotions are being analyzed for immediate feedback indexing rather than relying on traditional channels of feedback.
The Need for Facial Expression Recognition
There is a wide spectrum of expressions and micro-expressions that can denote specific emotional responses. So, the potential to register the facial movements and analyze them against a set benchmark data is quite huge. Some tests have even reported an astounding accuracy rate of 95% which can be considered impressive by any measure.
The technological innovations have provided us with better and more efficient measures that can be utilized to record customer feedback. So far, customer feedback collection has depended on tried and tested traditional measures such as filling out forms, evaluating services and experiences on a scale of five or 10, pressing buttons on consoles, or responding to questions asked by providers or aggregators. However, this approach is progressively turning redundant and underproductive as consumer endpoints drastically increase in number. Therefore, businesses are trying to collect data from facial expressions and reactions, and evaluate their products, services, and overall customer experience.
One of the primary aspects of facial expression recognition is that it offers a non-intrusive alternative to asking for customer feedback. On the other hand, filling out surveys or rating experiences physically may be considered a tedious task by customers, thereby affecting the ratings. Additionally, facial expressions are reactionary and, in most cases, involuntary. This ensures that the true reaction or feedback is registered based on the experiences delivered thereby ensuring a higher authenticity of customer data.
The Benefits
Evaluating feedback is an integral process of product and service enhancements. They are also crucial for marketing campaigns. It is therefore paramount for businesses to gain as much authentic insight as possible. As mentioned, facial expressions are the most authentic reactions and hence a reliable form of feedback and recognizing facial expressions for feedback also remarkably reduces the time taken compared to the survey model of feedback. It also makes it easier for customers as they do not need to consider giving feedback as a task.
Facial expressions are the most authentic reactions and hence a reliable form of feedback and recognizing facial expressions for feedback also remarkably reduces the time taken compared to the survey model of feedback.
In this highly competitive market, customer experience is fast becoming the key differentiator. It is therefore important for businesses to be proactive in their approach and gain feedback from facial expressions. While facial expression recognition-based feedback cannot be as exhaustive as a survey-form feedback, the technique is in its nascence and in conjunction with emergent technologies and smarter devices; it will be the foremost form of data collection in the future owing to its non-intrusiveness and other associated advantages.
Another aspect of consideration is that this process offers real-time insights without any risk of data security. In the long run, this method will show remarkable progress by improving performance while reducing cost and time.
The Way Forward
Technology, however, should not be used for technology’s sake. Ultimately the outcome is to provide an exceptional customer experience leveraging the insights generated by the recorded data. This empowers organizations to provide improved services that ultimately enhances the customer experience manifold.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging technology to enable businesses to function has become the new normal. In this paradigm, advancements in facial expression recognition have the potential to revolutionize the interaction between businesses and customers. And on a fast track to a digital future, this promises a definite way to elevate customer experience to newer heights.


Blockchain has been taking the digital world by storm. With some myriad applications from real estate to financial transactions, the term refers to the process of creating a ‘chain of blocks’ – within which a series of encrypted transactions are embedded, creating a ‘ledger’ of transactions. The entities (individuals or interfaces, as the case may be) responsible for creating a block are called nodes.
It is essential to understand that a block once added to the existing chain is permanently accessible – to be shared/available for use by other nodes. Moreover, every node must adhere to specific storage standards for transaction data and have a complete copy of the data. This consolidated record forms the ‘distributed ledger’.
Several rules define how nodes can exchange Blockchain information, and mathematical rules – unanimously determined by all nodes involved – control the integrity of data. This ensures that all transactions are validated and no valid transaction can be added more than once. Security is further fortified via cryptography – implemented through a combination of public and private keys. The relevant nodes verify the transactions to avoid double accounting.
In addition, access to the Blockchain network can be classified as either permissioned or permission-less – in the first scenario, only certain entities can function as nodes and gain access to the Blockchain network. On the other hand, permission-less Blockchain technology adds a measure of flexibility. With no restriction on who can perform the role of the node, validating the transactions and adding the instructions to the ledger becomes a more open process.
The Blockchain’s dynamic capabilities make it all the more appealing – with a provision to add automated, programmable outcomes based on an event. For instance, payment can be triggered if the interest payment date has been reached for a particular bond. Within the world of Fintech, therefore, the technology can be leveraged in multiple ways – here are three crucial use cases that illustrate the power of Blockchain.
Use case 1 – Simplifying equity settlement with a Blockchain-based network
Once investors have posted the orders to the trading venue, the orders are matched and the trades are sent to the Blockchain network for validation and addition to the ledger. The differentiating factor is that the transaction is validated by brokers on both sides – marking the transactions as “settled” and making ledger additions without further disputes.
Besides enabling the use of bitcoin, Blockchain also stores a holistic settled transaction history for related equities, along with the cash and securities ledger. Brokers, trading venue, and depository can be key stakeholders – checking incoming transactions with parameters like eligibility, position checks, KYC, and so on. The system is supplemented by a regulator node, with overarching access and rights akin to the oversight function.
The technology also performs a preemptive role – avoiding ‘double spend’ issue where a duplicate transaction might be sent to the system at the same time. With a consensus-based verification model, the latest state of the ledger can be isolated and only one transaction is accepted if two with the same details arrive simultaneously.
Alongside access to bitcoin, Blockchain network is restricted only to key stakeholders within a particular settlement. In fact, this boosts transaction throughput – currently, one of the main drawbacks plaguing Blockchain technology in its present form.
How will the Broker or Dealer be impacted?
All the brokers can actively contribute to the final settlement – performing asset availability checks and eliminating transaction rerouting needs through a specific clearing member. However, as the transactions are settled in the gross format rather than net, it may create intra-day liquidity pressure.
On the other hand, this can be offset by a reduction in collateral pressure. Regulatory reporting pressure is also significantly eased as the regulator now gets better access to the ledger details – till the end investor level.
Use case 2 – Decentralizing asset ledgers within an enterprise
The typical centralized asset ledger offers a few inherent advantages – like maintaining a single version of truth and a single point of control. Yet, there are certain crucial impediments, such as over-dependence on a monolithic system. A distributed asset ledger can significantly lessen reconciliation effort, as in the case of cross-border transactions.
Asset ledgers can be decentralized through the implementation of the Blockchain technology. Internal systems form geography-agnostic nodes – validating inbound transactions for eligibility. Since only internal systems are allowed to be part of the Blockchain, the need for additional security features is minimized. This leads to a decrease in operational costs for running the Blockchain network, while increasing the speed of transaction processing.
How will the asset custodian respond?
With the shift to a distributed ledger, a custodian will be able to drive efficiency by performing as a global custodian – this is because the global as well the local custodian is consolidated in a single ledger. Further, it will provide a real-time, across-the-world view of risk exposures for proprietary/client trades. Finally, it will reduce redundancies in trade processing functions – such as multiple layers of validation or enrichment– once at the global and again at the local custodian level.
Use case 3 – Integrating documentation frameworks within an enterprise
In a dynamic and constantly expanding regulatory landscape, the cost of upkeep for key documents keeps soaring in tandem – for storing signed documents and sharing them with key stakeholders, both internal and external. In a Blockchain-enabled scenario, all documents can be contained within a ledger and tagged to the key parties or signatories involved, for easy retrieval.
It is important to note that these nodes can be internal or external – therefore, an advanced cryptographic system needs to be in place to ensure secure transportation of documents between parties. Only certified nodes can post documents for addition within a Blockchain network or arrive at the new state of ledger through a common consensus, to avoid posting the same document again. Access to the documents will be further regulated via advanced encryption tools.
How can a bank’s KYC and document management systems benefit?
Since the documents are centralized at the group level, it will reduce the cost of performing KYC checks. Duplication of KYC functions can be avoided – especially when a client of one subsidiary tries to avail services from another subsidiary. Finally, maintaining the documents in digitally accessible e-form ensures faster retrieval when compared to manual processes.
References: Use Case 1: Oliver Wyman report on Blockchain – Blockchain-In-Capital-Markets Use Case 3: Very High level inputs from news regarding Mizuho and CTS


Restoration: Continuity
Continuity, or Business Continuity, is the concept of maintaining the Institution’s most core-critical functions under compromised or limited conditions.
Continuity assesses and prioritizes the programs, services, and systems that must remain operational under all circumstances. Subsequent continuity activities include detailed planning regarding the policies, plans, procedures, and resources needed to ensure continued operations.
Continuity bridges the gap between response and recovery by focusing on those functions that need to stay online or become operational as soon as possible, even under temporary conditions.
The three main priorities for consideration toward continuity are:
Identify and restore critical facilities Identify and restore crucial functions Mobilize essential personnel
For example: A fire in the Registrar’s office during the first week of the semester requires the immediate evacuation of personnel. Fire crews respond and extinguish the fire, and Facilities Services makes every effort to prevent further water damage caused by fire suppression systems. These are considered response activities. The fire and water led to considerable damage that will take weeks to repair, but the office needs to resume operations immediately to avoid a lengthy disruption of service. Continuity plans address contingencies to temporarily relocate the Registrar’s office, reestablish a functional work space, restore critical information systems, and resume services.


en When infection and malignancy intersect in Rwanda: A diagnostic challenge in the tropics—Case Report Tuan, J.; Nkeshimana, M.; Masaisa, F.; Manirakiza, F.; Ruhangaza, D.; Murayire, J.; Mukanumviye, M.S; Kubwayo, A.P.; Niyigena, O.; Habanabakize, T.; Byukusenge, M.; Niyoyita, B.; Moise, I.S.; Niyotwambaza, J. & Kailani, L.Abstract
Keywords
CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 38-year-old Rwandan male patient who presented to the hospital with a two-week history of left axillary lymphadenopathy, fever, weight loss, and one-year history of dysphagia. Lymph node fine needle aspirate was consistent with tuberculous lymphadenitis. Peripheral blood smear suggested a concomitant diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), which was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. Although several cases of concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis and AML exist, fewer cases of concomitant tuberculous lymphadenitis and AML have been reported. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the need to keep a high suspicion for malignancy in a patient with lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis, and constitutional symptoms; at the same time, a coexisting opportunistic infection such as tuberculosis should not be overlooked in the tropical clinical setting. Tuberculous Lymphadenitis; Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Lymphadenopathy; Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome; Fine-Needle Biopsy; Immunohistochemistry; Leukocytosis; Pulmonary Embolism; Splenomegaly


Conspiracy theorist
Eric Bahrt may be factually correct in both his recent letters concerning the polio vaccine. However, he has missed at least one important point. As I understand it, the vaccine delivered orally contains an attenuated virus, which stimulates an immune response without giving you polio. This attenuated virus may be passed from one person to another. Thus, although not everyone receives the vaccine, they may still benefit from the vaccination programme by “catching” the attenuated virus strain. This would explain why herd immunity may be achieved without necessarily vaccinating everyone.
Perhaps more importantly, Mr Bahrt seemed to be implying in his first letter that vaccination is some kind of weird conspiracy, though I may have misunderstood him. It is not entirely clear precisely what he believes. Perhaps he might care to state his views explicitly.
NIGEL WOODWARD


موارد
KEY RISKS: The increased tensions between host communities and refugees could decrease social stability and undermine progress made to date under the LCRP.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease.
As the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread in an unpredictable manner it presents a growing risk to all stakeholders involved in food assistance, particularly during food distributions
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the corona virus (COVID-19) a global pandemic.
COVID-19: How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement
The LCRP Business Continuity Plan for COVID-19 reviews ongoing impact on LCRP operations and outlines risks and critical interventions needed to ensure life-saving access to services and protection
This briefing note summarizes key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.


Description: File: Organisation: Abstract:
Central Asia has emerged as one of the worlds fastest growing regions since the late 1990s and has shown notable development potential. This is significant for a region comprising largely of small landlocked economies with no access to the sea for trade. Among the advantages, of the region are its high- priced commodities (oil, gas, cotton and gold), reasonable infrastructure and human capital as legacies of Soviet rule; and a strategic location between Asia and Europe.
Furthermore, many Central Asian Republics (CARs) have embarked on market-oriented economic reforms to boost economic performance and private sector competitiveness. Central Asia: Mapping Future Prospects considers the regions economic prospects to 2015. It charts recent economic performance, highlighting the economic revival. It also synthesizes recent forecasts and constructs scenarios for future economic variables against a constant global background. Projections include, among others, gross domestic product (GDP), manufactured exports per head, GDP per capita and poverty. A special theme chapter develops a manufacturing competitiveness index to compare the CARs with other transition economies and explores the impact of economic reform and supply-side factors (e.g. foreign investment and human capital) on industrial performance


This assessment report provides an evaluation of the long-term commercial viability of farm enterprise advisors (FEAs) and business development advisors (BDAs). It presents a range of findings that aim to inform future investment and the wider adoption of FEA/BDA services. Accordingly, the report then outlines a series of critical factors intended to maximise the commercial success of FEA/BDA services for agribusinesses, before proposing some key recommendations for future donor-funded programmes.
Farm Enterprise Advisor assessment report
File size: 9.35 MB
File type: PDF


Poison Ivy removal in Wakefield is not a do-it-yourself task. It should be handled by professionals who have the right equipment and protective suits to handle the plant extraction. The usual cost of Wakefield poison ivy removal is around $10 per bag. A trailer full can cost a homeowner between $300 and $400. Vine removal can cost $80 to $100 per hour. Overall, a poison ivy removal can cost between $26 up to $133 depending on the location of your house and the number of plants that have to be removed.
Estimated final cost for poison ivy removal
Item Quantity Fair Price Treatment Chemicals Cost 321 Square Feet $13.80 Treatment Chemicals Labor 2 Hours $66.27 Totals - Cost to Maintain Lawns - 321 Square Feet $80.07 Average Cost Per Square Foot $0.27


Abstract
Photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent (EL) efficiencies of poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) film were found to be significantly increased by sandwiching an energy-transferable poly(2-carboxyphenylene-1,4-diyl) (PCPD) layer. Energy transfer from PCPD to PPV in the prepared PPV/PCPD/PPV trilayer film was detected by photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence decay profiles, and was attributed to the chemical-interlocking between two polymers in the interracial regions. It resulted in a strong increase of the PL intensity, a ∼250-times increase of the maximum external EL quantum efficiency (up to 1.3% photon/electron), and a ∼500-times increase of the maximum light output for the ITO/PPV/PCPD/PPV/A1 device compared to the neat PPV. The significant increase of EL was also attributed to the higher energy bandgap of inserting PCPD layer that trap the holes and electrons in the interfacial regions, facilitating the formation of excitons in situ and energy transfer.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes Chemistry(all) Materials Chemistry


A Concerning Gap in Cybersecurity for Medical Technology
Health Populi
OCTOBER 31, 2018
Notwithstanding mass adoption of antivirus protection and firewalls among healthcare providers, there remains a security gap for biomedical
technologies, according to a report from Zingbox. This concerning finding was confirmed in recent observations from Gartner, which wrote in a market trends report that, “generally, medical devices are not replaced for at least ten years, with many running old software that has not been updated or patched.”


Jon Cuncliffe, the deputy governor for financial stability of the United Kingdom’s central bank, the Bank of England (BoE), has warned that the emergence of a cryptocurrency economy may weaken or eliminate bank credit issuance.
In a speech delivered to the London School of Economics on Feb. 28, Cunliffe predicted that the integration of stablecoins on social media platforms could lead to people putting much of their money currently held with banks into stablecoin wallets, warning:
“In such a world, and depending how and whether stablecoins were backed with other financial assets, the supply of credit to the real economy through the banking system could become weaker or indeed disappear. That would be a change with profound economic consequences.“
The British envoy to the European Union defines the Bank of England’s role as ensuring that the U.K.’s money “works safely and reliably.” He said that virtual currencies pose “very important questions” for the U.K. government, regulators, and the Bank of England.
Cincliffe urged regulators and central banks to prepare for the unique challenges associated with the emerging cryptocurrency ecosystem before it becomes “systemically important.”
The risks of stablecoins “go beyond” existing payment system
The BoE official acknowledged that the current financial system as comprising “the equivalent of 18th-century bank clerks with quill pens altering their banks’ ledgers to debit one account and credit another.”
Stablecoins claim to offer a number of benefits, including “very large reductions in the costs of payments, especially cross border,” and “greater financial inclusion through easier and cheaper access to payment services for the ‘unbanked.’”
However, he asserts that regulators must be prepared for risks associated with stablecoins before they achieve “a systemic footprint.” Cunliffe warns that as a result of Facebook’s size, its proposed stablecoin Libra has the potential to reach…


A recent case from the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals provides us with a reminder of what can happen to a prime contractor when it settles a subcontractor claim and then seeks to pass through the settlement amount to the government. In
Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., (November 19, 2018), the prime contractor ("KBR") sought to pass through to the government the cost of settling two subcontractor requests for equitable adjustment. The board held that KBR had failed to demonstrate that the cost of settlement was reasonable and denied KBR's claim in its entirety.
The underlying prime contract was for the provision of logistics during the United States' military operation in Iraq. The subcontract out of which the REAs arose involved the transport of prefabricated housing through Iraq. The subcontractor, whom the board described as "sophisticated," was impacted by the limitations on the United States' ability to provide security for the transport convoys due to the many demands placed on the military during the time of contract performance.
The first subcontractor REA sought over $30 million and, as the board pointed out, was based on "rates" and "prices" rather than costs. The board pointed out that the subcontractor did not provide actual costs to support its REA. The board further noted that, although KBR initially sought backup information, it lost interest in that information and focused on what a reasonable rate should be. Furthermore, the board noted that KBR did not verify what equipment was actually added as a consequence of the impact to the subcontractor's performance. KBR ultimately settled the REA for approximately $24 million, deciding that the subcontractor's pricing was "fair and reasonable."
The subcontractor subsequently submitted a second REA for approximately $42 million that sought reimbursement for idle truck time. The subcontractor's claim was based on rental rates rather than actual costs. In fact, the subcontractor redacted the actual rates when it provided KBR with the truck leases that supported its REA. Moreover, the subcontractor did not provide KBR with actual days of delay upon which its REA was based. Instead, it provided a model that contained several assumptions which the board found unrealistic and inaccurate
After negotiation, including an ignored request by KBR for actual costs, KBR settled the second REA for approximately $24 million based on price rather than cost. The board pointed out KBR never received any data or records showing the actual costs that the subcontractor had incurred.
KBR paid the subcontractor the agreed upon amounts and sought to pass the amounts paid to the government with administrative markup. The DCAA audit ultimately disapproved of the two payments, finding KBR had failed to obtain accounting and cost data that would support either of the settlement amounts. The ACO ultimately issued a decision that denied reimbursement of almost all of the settlement amounts, the only exception being the cost of a land lease, which the ACO determined had been adequately supported.
The board upheld the denial of payment of the settlement costs, noting that FAR 31.201-2 limits payment to costs that are "reasonable" as defined by FAR 31.201-3. The board noted it was KBR's burden to establish cost reasonableness, and reasonableness is based on the circumstances at the time the costs were incurred.
The board first found that the government's actions in providing convoy protection were reasonable, notwithstanding the impact incurred by the subcontractor. As such, since the government fulfilled its promise to provided protection, it was not prudent for KBR to have paid its subcontractor additional compensation.
The board then held that, even if the government had breached its promise, a prudent person engaged in a competitive business would not make the payments that KBR made to its subcontractor. The board pointed out that the subcontractor's model was flawed, the fact KBR did not require the subcontractor to provide its cost support even though there was no proof that such support was lacking and that the subcontractor was sophisticated and indeed there was evidence that such costing was available. The board rejected KBR's argument that the subcontract was for "commercial items" and, as such, justified a departure from the requirement that the pricing be reasonable. Finally, the board rejected KBR's assertion that the claim was akin to a "jury verdict" method of calculating damages, noting that there were other means available to determine costs and a "jury verdict" method of establishing damages does not relieve the claimant from the burden of proving reasonableness.
The result was that the board did not attempt to determine what a reasonable settlement amount should have been. Instead, the board found that KBR had failed to establish a "reasonable" cost and denied KBR's claim in its entirety. The teaching points are these: (a) as a prime contractor considering a settlement with your subcontractor, make sure you require the subcontractor to establish and support its equitable adjustment with evidence that will be accepted by the government, and (b) consider whether your contractual language and the statutory framework you are operating under allows you to "pass through" the subcontractor's REA as a claim rather than paying the claim and then prosecuting the claim on your own behalf.


Date:October 26, 2020 Location:Virtual Event
With the TCJA reducing the corporate income tax rate to a flat 21%, a significant number of S corporations will likely be converting to C corporations. These same corporations, however, may find themselves down the road desiring to regain S status. This presentation will explore the potholes and obstacles that may hinder travel on this two-way road, including the built-in-gains tax, LIFO recapture, excessive passive income, unreasonable compensation, personal holding company status, excessive accumulated earnings, and re-election time restrictions.
For more information and to register, visit the Oregon Association of Tax Consultants (OATC) website.


A landmark emergency waiver granted by the FAA has allowed Verizon to deploy industrial drones to inspect their critical infrastructure during the US wildfires, ensuring first responders have reliable communications for disaster response. The drones are made by a company called Percepto, which are currently operating beyond-line-of-sight for this emergency deployment.
The FAA granted Skyward, A Verizon company, a temporary waiver that allows company pilots to fly the Percepto Sparrow drone from their homes to inspect critical communications infrastructure near the Big Hollow wildfire in Washington. The waiver permits operations 24 hours a day, with less than 3 miles of visibility and no pilot or observer on site. This is the first time a Beyond the Visual Line Of Sight waiver has been granted that allows pilots to control the drone from home.
The Sparrow drone platform is already able to land in high winds and in snow. Percepto recently incorporated a first-of-its-kind integral parachute into the Sparrow.
“At a moment when we are facing dangerous consequences of climate change and coping with a global pandemic, maintaining the Verizon Network has never been more important,” said Rima Qureshi, Chief Strategy Officer, Verizon. “Innovations in airborne technology have enhanced our ability to inspect our sites without putting engineers in harm’s way, and provide our first responders with reliable communications. We appreciate the FAA’s swift action in granting the waiver, which allows us to deploy a network-connected drone and provide critical services, safely and effectively.”
Desperate circumstances require desperate measures. Since September 9, the Big Hollow Fire in Washington has burned tens of thousands of acres and caused mandatory evacuation orders in the area. As the air quality was unsafe for humans, it was vital to ensure communication for first responders without putting staff in harm’s way.
Percepto, which we’ve followed at ZDNet, is a leading provider of autonomous drone-in-a-box solutions for monitoring and securing critical infrastructure and industrial sites. It specializes in rugged hardware and AI-based software that provides real-time insights for assessing risk in industrial inspection applications. The company claims the most deployed drone-in-a-box solution in the market.
During a season of apparent doom, with multiple natural disasters occurring throughout the United States, the ability to safely inspect sites that support critical communications for first responders has never been more important or necessary. The waiver was granted through the FAA’s expedited Special Governmental Interest process and applies to drone support operations for critical infrastructure that maintain communications for emergency responders.


Abstract
Accurate and rapid diagnosis of malaria infections is crucial for implementing species-appropriate treatment and saving lives. Molecular diagnostic tools are the most accurate and sensitive method of detecting Plasmodium, differentiating between Plasmodium species, and detecting subclinical infections. Despite available whole-genome sequence data for Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, the majority of PCR-based methods still rely on the 18S rRNA gene targets. Historically, this gene has served as the best target for diagnostic assays. However, it is limited in its ability to detect mixed infections in multiplex assay platforms without the use of nested PCR. New diagnostic targets are needed. Ideal targets will be species specific, highly sensitive, and amenable to both single-step and multiplex PCRs. We have mined the genomes of P. falciparum and P. vivax to identify species-specific, repetitive sequences that serve as new PCR targets for the detection of malaria. We show that these targets (Pvr47 and Pfr364) exist in 14 to 41 copies and are more sensitive than 18S rRNA when utilized in a single-step PCR. Parasites are routinely detected at levels of 1 to 10 parasites/μl. The reaction can be multiplexed to detect both species in a single reaction. We have examined 7 P. falciparum strains and 91 P. falciparum clinical isolates from Tanzania and 10 P. vivax strains and 96 P. vivax clinical isolates from Venezuela, and we have verified a sensitivity and specificity of ∼100% for both targets compared with a nested 18S rRNA approach. We show that bioinformatics approaches can be successfully applied to identify novel diagnostic targets and improve molecular methods for pathogen detection. These novel targets provide a powerful alternative molecular diagnostic method for the detection of P. falciparum and P. vivax in conventional or multiplex PCR platforms.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Microbiology (medical)


causation. A associated set of points will involve the extent to which we depend on societal regulation versus individual self-assist in defending genetically prone people. All regulatory applications confront choices between societal regulation and concentrating on high-threat people , but these choices might be heightened by the identification of genetic susceptibilities to specific merchandise or substances. For instance, ought to merchandise be labeled to warn people with particular genotypes to avoid using the product, simply as food regimen sodas are


Abstract : Chrysochromulina Ericina Virus CeV-01B was isolated from Norwegian coastal waters in 1998. Its icosahedral particle is 160 nm in diameter and encloses a 474-kb dsDNA genome. This virus, although infecting a microalgae (the haptophycea Haptolina ericina, formerly Chrysochromulina ericina), is phylogenetically related to members of the Mimiviridae family, initially established with the acanthamoeba-infecting Mimivirus and Megavirus as prototypes. This family was latter split into two genera (Mimivirus and Cafetariavirus) following the characterization of a virus infecting the heterotrophic stramenopile Cafeteria roenbergensis (CroV). CeV, as well as two of its close relatives infecting the unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes Phaeocystis globosa (PgV) and Aureococcus anophagefferens (AaV), are currently unclassified by ICTV. The detailed comparative analysis of the CeV genome presented here confirms the phylogenetic affinity of this emerging group of microalgae-infecting viruses with the Mimiviridae, but argue in favor of their classification inside a distinct clade within the family. Although CeV, PgV, AaV share more common features between them than with the larger Mimiviridae, they also exhibit a large complement of unique genes attesting of their complex evolutionary history. We identified several gene fusion events and cases of convergent evolution involving independent lateral gene acquisitions. Finally, CeV possesses an unusual number of inteins, some of which are closely related despite been inserted in non-homologous genes. This appears to contradict the paradigm of allele-specific inteins and suggests that Mimiviridae might be especially efficient in spreading inteins while enlarging their repertoire of homing genes.


This is a simple company friendly consultancy agreement for engaging independent contractors or consultants (e.g. individuals or sole operator companies) to work within a business.
This template includes a restraint on the independent contractor to ensure that the independent contractor does not jeopardise the company’s business (by competing or similar) during the term and for a set period after. To be enforceable, a restraint must be reasonable. This, in turn, will depend on the facts relating to the agreement. However, the longer the restraint and the broader the restrained area, the more likely that arguments could be raised about the enforceability of the restraint.
using our templates
Use of a template by business users is free of charge and is subject to you agreeing to our template terms of use.


The Target Retirement Date funds (Pathway One) are designed for those participants who wish to base their asset allocation decision on a specific target date, typically aligning the account with the fund that most closely matches their projected retirement date.
Eleven of these funds are included in the new plan, with 5-year incremental targets from 2010 to 2055. The way the Target Retirement Date funds are designed, the further away the target date, the more aggressive the asset allocation, conversely, the closer the date, the greater the emphasis on preservation of capital in the asset allocation.
Target-Date funds hold some appeal in that they are simple to explain and administer. While this approach is unique, we believe the asset allocation decisions provided by these funds are crude at best. Target-Date funds attempt to make decisions about asset allocation based solely on a target date. An investor’s tolerance for risk and financial goals are other key factors that should largely play a role in determining investment strategy and asset allocation. Additionally, they leave no room for the fund manager to tactically adjust the strategy based on specific opportunities within the financial markets or in response to prevailing market conditions.
The returns realized in these commingled vehicles are diluted by a rigid adherence to mechanical allocation parameters. These parameters may prove to be shortsighted and inappropriate for everyone participating in the pool. The real world changes every day, yet proponents of Target-Date funds expect someone to stick to a single game plan for as much as 40 years, whether interest rates are rising or falling, or whether the economy is in expansion or recession. While Target-Date funds offer a simple one-stop-solution, we continue to advise participants to avoid Target-Date funds and retain the flexibility to proactively adjust their portfolios as needed.
Please reference The Problem With Target-Date Funds


Much of the work on counterfactuals done in linguistics and philosophy in the past forty years has focused on their truth conditions and entailment patterns, in sharp contrast with the literature on indicative conditionals, which has had to reckon with a cottage industry of probabilistic triviality results (starting with Lewis 1976). This is an unfortunate oversight, since intuitions about the probabilities of counterfactuals provide a window into their meaning and the role they play in thought and talk. Moritz Schulz’s book aims to address this gap.
In my review, I discuss the central puzzle animating Schulz’s discussion and his proposed solution. The puzzle stems from a plausible empirical generalization about the probabilities of counterfactuals (Schulz calls this Skyrms’s Constraint; see 78–88).


Digestive Support Heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and bloating are all common symptoms of sluggish or compromised digestion.
Digestion is a cascade of physiological events that start before you even put food in your mouth. That anticipatory “mouthwatering” effect is your digestive system kicking into action.
Digestive prompting can also come from something today’s diets often lack: bitter flavours. These stimulate the vagus nerve in the mouth which ultimately results in the production of saliva, gastric juices, enzymes, and bile — crucial elements of healthy digestion.
Bitters also help the nervous system to shift into “rest and digest” mode (rather than “fight or flight”), which allows for optimal digestion.
Improving the digestion in this way can also promote greater absorption of critical nutrients, support for the immune system, and a reduction in sugar cravings.
St. Francis Herb Farm has uniquely crafted Canadian Bitters: our leading solution for digestive issues. A natural remedy that not only helps resolve those uncomfortable symptoms but also helps retrain the body’s digestive system, encouraging it to function more efficiently instead of merely providing a temporary solution.