Abstract
When looking at visual stimuli, context often easily affects elements of perception and cognition such as aesthetic evaluation, memory, and time perception. However, the relationships between aesthetic evaluation and time perception as influenced by context are not fully understood. This study's aim was to examine whether context can influence not only aesthetic evaluation but also time perception. To achieve this, a temporal reproduction task was used. Participants viewed stimuli in either an art context or a realistic context. Identical affective pictures were presented in one of three durations (2500 ms, 4500 ms, or 6500 ms) and the participants reproduced their perceived viewing time for each picture. The pictures were rated as more pleasant when viewed in the art context compared to the realistic context. Additionally, the perceived duration of identical visual stimuli differed according to the particular context. Thus, contextual differences were found to be attributed to different operations of a switch within the internal clock. In sum, context can influence both aesthetic evaluation and time perception.
Keywords Aesthetic evaluation Affective picture Context Perceived duration Time perception ASJC Scopus subject areas Visual Arts and Performing Arts History Applied Psychology


Abstract
Introduction: Vision is often an essential capacity for the interaction between individuals and their environment. Yet, for some individuals, an impaired visual system alters that opportunity. Visual loss can be lifelong, present from birth; for others, it can be progressive or abrupt. For some individuals, particularly those who lose vision later in life, the loss of vision is associated with a corresponding loss of independence, and impact on their emotional status. A lifespan perspective regarding visual impairment (VI) holds that the experience of VI since birth or early childhood is qualitatively different from the experience of individuals who acquire VI later in life. For example, in early childhood, VI impacts psychomotor and cognitive development that relies upon visual information processing and places challenges on the educational system, which must provide appropriate supports. In contrast, when acquired later in life, VI may place challenges on the ability to complete tasks of daily living, be independent, and engage in leisure activities, but not affect learning status or how knowledge is shared. While VI may impact the trajectory of lifespan development, it also taps an individual's (and their family's) ability to cope effectively with the challenges VI elicits. Professionals working with individuals with VI must take into consideration the developmental trajectory and cognitive, behavioral and psychological sequelae of VI when assessing neurocognitive functioning, to determine the most appropriate educational, vocational, and/or rehabilitative setting to optimize quality of life.
Original language English (US) Title of host publication Principles and Practice of Lifespan Developmental Neuropsychology Publisher Cambridge University Press Pages 277-298 Number of pages 22 ISBN (Electronic) 9780511674815 ISBN (Print) 9780521896221 DOIs State Published - Jan 1 2010 ASJC Scopus subject areas Psychology(all)


According to a report released in March by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there were about 450,000 displaced persons in Tanganyika, the most affected region among the four provinces of the former Katanga, DRC. But in the past five months, it seems that this number has doubled. In Kalemie, the province capital, there are more displaced people than local inhabitants: for every ten people, six are migrants.
To support displaced people in the region, AVSI is currently implementing two projects. The first project’s main goal is to guarantee that 15,000 children living in Kalemie have access to quality education. Funded by Fonds Communs Humanitaires, the project responds to the current crisis in DRC supporting the most vulnerable victims: children who have lost everything.
As part of this project, AVSI is financially supporting the schools located near the displaced population camps, so the schools can accommodate new students, train teachers and school directors to ensure that greater attention will be on those who have already suffered major traumas, and provide school materials, such as kits for teachers and soccer balls and toys for the moments of leisure.
The second project is the Rapid Response to Population Movements (RRPM) that has been extended for the eighth year and whom AVSI is one of the main partners.
In the next six months, RRPM aims to reach displaced people in the most inaccessible areas of the four provinces of the ex-Katanga (Tanganyika, Lualaba, Haut-Lomami and Haut-Katanga), where other NGOs have no access. The main goal is to assist those who have been displaced for less than three months, providing essential goods, and organizing interventions in the fields of education, health and hygiene in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC).


Tether recorded a transaction higher than Bitcoin last Thursday, setting a new historical record in its daily trading volume of approximately US $20 billion, while Bitcoin remained around 17 billion.
Tether’s trade volume exceeds its historical highs
The volume of Tether has been increasing throughout the year, at the same time that all the pairs of operations that were previously led by Bitcoin have been decreasing significantly because the stablecoins are becoming more popular to be negotiated against the altcoins than BTC.
Tether’s total offer has experienced rapid growth since 2017, reached a new all-time high of 4.27 billion units compared to $ 2.7 billion last year. Tether is used in between 40% and 80% of all transactions in the Huobi and Binance exchange houses, the latter of which now offers loans based on Tether guarantees.
Tether has really good liquidity in China. Asian operators over the counter (OTC) avoid banking restrictions using stablecoin. They maintain that a significant part of their movements comes from Chinese customers who use Tether to move assets beyond the strict capital controls of their country, such movements being estimated at around 30 million dollars a day between Russia’s border with China, using USDT.
Despite the creation of new dollar-anchored tokens, the growing market preference for Tether can be evidenced. The dominance of the Tether among its competition has always been superior. The token currently stands at 81.77% dominance in the market with respect to its competition.
Tether’s new Blockchain
Tether has migrated the issuance of its Omni Layer blockchain tokens to Ethereum. During the last week, transactions based on ERC-20 (tokens based on the Ethereum Blockchain) have increased considerably with respect to those of Omni. On Thursday, there were about 100,000 ERC20 transactions compared to 39,000 Omni transactions. The utilization of the Ethereum network has skyrocketed by 90%. In the last month, Tether paid the computers that process transactions in the Ethereum digital book USD $260,000 in fees.
The change to the ERC-20 standard is because the Ethereum Blockchain has much lower network transaction rates and much faster confirmation times (15-30 seconds) compared to the Omni Blockchain. There are currently approximately 2.5 billion USDT in the Omni network and 1.5 billion USDT using the Ethereum network.
Considering that the aforementioned characteristics may be attractive to active traders, it is objective to think that the issuance of Tether in Ethereum continues to grow in relation to the issuance in Omni, which will have as a consequence that the market demand for the Tether increases progressively.
Polemic around tether and its influence on the price of Bitcoin
The relationship between the issuance of Tether with respect to the price of Bitcoin is a controversial issue in the crypto world due to the lack of clarity about USDT financial statements and the direct relationship with Bitfinex.
The main stablecoin in the market is immersed in a quiet complex legal controversy. The New York prosecution filed charges against Tether and Bitfinex in the Supreme Court, claiming the cover-up of losses of $850 million from the Bitfinex company with funds that were intended to support the issuance of Tether; and also demonstrating that the token was not fully backed by the dollar; charges that both companies deny. However, this trend seems to have no impact on the growth of the currency.
Chinese merchants use the Tether to liquidate their broader portfolios in global exchanges such as Binance, OkCoin or Huobi. This affects the Bitcoin market because traders and exchange houses use this cryptocurrency to obtain fiduciary liquidity. Exchange houses like Kraken and Bitfinex offer these pairs against Bitcoin. When investors buy Tether using fiat money, the emission and demand of the token increases, which also increases the total market supply. Most Bitcoin transactions are in exchange with Tether.


The winners of the Family Law Awards 2020 were announced at 4pm during a much-anticipated virtual awards ceremony. Over the past ten years, the Family Law Awards has recognised the leading players in...
The Department of Health has launched a 12-week consultation on a revision of the UK Health Departments Code of Practice and Guidance on Genetic Paternity Testing Services (March 2001), which is being amended to reflect changes in the law since 2001.
The Department is seeking views from major stakeholders in this area for their views on the following three questions:
does the revised guidance adequately address the changes in UK law since publication of the Code in 2001?;
will the arrangement, whereby UK Health Departments issue voluntary guidance on paternity testing services, be sufficient in ensuring the continued application of good practice in the future?;
if not, what other measures or arrangements do you believe should be put in place to help maintain good practice across the board?.
The consultation will run from 4 February to 5 May 2008.


Concerns around global health issues concerning COVID-19 (Coronavirus) have led to many companies implementing flexible and remote work, both temporarily and permanently.
Fear not! This shift from the traditional office environment to a global remote workforce does not spell disaster for the wellness and engagement of your employees. In fact, by structuring a clear plan, utilizing technology, and incentivizing behaviors, your workforce can become healthier and more productive than ever before!
In this eBook, we outline the steps your organization can take to build a thriving, remote corporate wellness program.


Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) defined as an inflammation of bony structures of the cranial base, is rare condition with substantial morbidity and mortality. It typically involves temporal bone and manifested as otologic symptom and cranial neuropathy. Central skull base osteomyelitis (CSBO) is atypical form of SBO that involves the sphenoid and clivus and related to non-otogenic conditions. We present an unusual case of CSBO presented with ischemic stroke and multiple cranial nerve involvement. A diabetic women of 45 years old, with a previous history of right otalgia without otorrhea and severe headache, admitted with sudden left hemiplegia and controlateral multiple cranial nerve (CN) palsies. Cerebral imaging investigations (CT and MRI scans) showed ischemic infraction secondary to the occlusion of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and radiological evidence of invasive osteomyelitis on the right side of the central skull base with contiguous lateral sinus thrombosis. Broad spectrum antibiotics and anticoagulant therapy was initiated with unfavorable outcome. Based on thorough review of the literature, arterial cerebrovascular complications revealing CSBO are extremely rare and the diagnosis is often challenging for the clinician.
Leila Tamaoui, Mounia Rahmani, Chaimae El Jemli, Meriem Fikri, Maria Benabdeljlil and Saadia Aidi


Coronavirus (COVID-19) update – 26 May
Mettis continues to operate within the guidelines and recommendations provided by the UK Government, Public Health England and the World Health Organisation. Paramount is the health, safety, wellbeing and welfare of our people.
With air travel down over 90% and barely a day passing between new announcements of airlines around the world cancelling or suspending orders for new aircraft, significant cuts to delivery rates and other critical decisions, we continue to scale back our commercial aerospace operations accordingly, furloughing employees in the areas affected.
Our military operations are less affected with customers requiring us to deliver components according to existing plans and the Ministry of Defence classing our employees as ‘essential workers’ due to the nature of their work.
We continue to monitor the changing situation daily and are actively engaged with Government departments and agencies, our customers and suppliers.
Government guidance confirms that manufacturing workers can travel to work (details here) and extensive measures to protect all employees who continue working with us remain in place, including:
The provision of personal protective equipment including material masks that can be washed and gloves for all our people. A rigorous cleaning regime carried out by a dedicated, full-time cleaning team. In addition we are carrying our regular, site-wide deep cleans, including our air conditioning systems to ensure they’re circulating fresh air. The provision of sanitation kits for all teams across our site which include cloths, surface cleaners and anti-bacterial spray. Hand sanitiser in high-traffic areas including clocking stations, rest areas and other key locations. To meet the increased demand, we’re now producing extra hand sanitiser in our state-of-the-art laboratory onsite. Shielding of those with known medical conditions. Requesting people to carry out their roles remotely where possible. Large meetings are not taking place and are replaced by virtual conferences. Robust communications including a comprehensive guidance pack provided to all operational managers and shared with their teams, SMS updates to all employees who have signed up as well as Coronavirus information posters displayed in all areas across our site on noticeboards, on our internal TV system and in break areas. Unless business critical, visitors and contractors are not permitted on our site and, those who are, will be screened prior to entry. Delivery drivers are restricted to their cabs. Travel is restricted and meetings, unless business critical, cancelled.
We truly appreciate everything our talented people are doing to help us keep delivering during these challenging times.


PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To assess the objective response rate (complete and partial responses), following the
administration of cabozantinib for 12 weeks in patients with locally advanced biopsy-proven
non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) prior to undergoing surgery.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess the safety, and tolerability of neoadjuvant cabozantinib.
II. To determine the clinical outcome (disease-free survival [DFS], overall survival [OS]) of
patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who treated with neoadjuvant cabozantinib.
III. To evaluate the surgery related outcomes.
IV. To evaluate correlative studies, including biomarkers, quality of life, and
frailty/sarcopenia assessment of patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who treated with
neoadjuvant cabozantinib.
OUTLINE:
Patients receive cabozantinib orally (PO) once daily (QD) for 12 weeks in the absence of
disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients with renal mass consistent with a clinical stage ≥ T3Nx or TanyN+ or deemed
unresectable by surgeon.
- Renal cell carcinoma with clear cell component on pre-treatment biopsy of the primary
tumor.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 1.
- Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function, based upon meeting all of the
following laboratory criteria within 14 days before first dose of study treatment:
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/mm³ (≥ 1.5 GI/L) without granulocyte
colony-stimulating factor support.
- White blood cell count ≥ 2500/mm³ (≥ 2.5 GI/L).
- Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm³ (≥ 100 GI/L) without transfusion.
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL.
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline
phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN). ALP ≤ 5 x ULN with
documented bone metastases.
- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (for subjects with Gilbert's disease ≤ 3 x ULN).
- Serum albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dl.
- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min (≥
0.67 mL/sec) using the Cockcroft-Gault equation:
- Males: (140 - age) x weight (kg)/(serum creatinine [mg/dL] × 72)
- Females: [(140 - age) x weight (kg)/(serum creatinine [mg/dL] × 72)] × 0.85
- Urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≤ 1 mg/mg (≤ 113.2 mg/mmol).
- No hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or any other systemic therapy for a
malignancy, in the 5 years prior to current study enrollment.
- Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use medically
accepted methods of contraception (eg, barrier methods, including male condom, female
condom, or diaphragm with spermicidal gel) during the course of the study and for 4
months after the last dose of study treatment.
- Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant at screening. Females
of childbearing potential are defined as premenopausal females capable of becoming
pregnant (ie, females who have had any evidence of menses in the past 12 months, with
the exception of those who had prior hysterectomy). However, women who have been
amenorrheic for 12 or more months are still considered to be of childbearing potential
if the amenorrhea is possibly due to prior chemotherapy, antiestrogens, low body
weight, ovarian suppression or other reasons.
- Capable of understanding and complying with the protocol requirements and must have
signed the informed consent document.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Evidence of metastatic disease on pre-treatment imaging.
- The subject has received of any type of cytotoxic, biologic or other systemic
anticancer therapy for kidney cancer.
- The subject has received any other type of investigational agent within 28 days before
the first dose of study treatment.
- Known brain metastases or cranial epidural disease.
- Concomitant anticoagulation with oral anticoagulants (eg, warfarin, direct thrombin
and Factor Xa inhibitors) or platelet inhibitors (eg, clopidogrel). Allowed
anticoagulants are the following:
- Low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection (per local applicable guidelines) is
permitted.
- Low-dose low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are permitted.
- Anticoagulation with therapeutic doses of LMWH is allowed in subjects without
known brain metastases who are on a stable dose of LMWH for at least 6 weeks
before first dose of study treatment, and who have had no clinically significant
hemorrhagic complications from the anticoagulation regimen or the tumor.
- The subject has prothrombin time (PT)/international normalized ratio (INR) or partial
thromboplastin time (PTT) test ≥ 1.3 × the laboratory ULN within 14 days before the
first dose of study treatment.
- The subject has uncontrolled, significant intercurrent or recent illness including,
but not limited to, the following conditions:
- Cardiovascular disorders:
- Congestive heart failure New York Heart Association Class 3 or 4, unstable
angina pectoris, serious cardiac arrhythmias.
- Uncontrolled hypertension defined as sustained blood pressure (BP) > 150 mm
Hg systolic or > 100 mm Hg diastolic despite optimal antihypertensive
treatment.
- Stroke (including transient ischemic attack [TIA]), myocardial infarction
(MI), or other ischemic event, or thromboembolic event (eg, deep venous
thrombosis, pulmonary embolism) within 6 months before first dose.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders including those associated with a high risk of
perforation or fistula formation:
- The subject has evidence of tumor invading the GI tract, active peptic ulcer
disease, active inflammatory bowel disease (eg, Crohn's disease),
diverticulitis, cholecystitis, symptomatic cholangitis or appendicitis,
acute pancreatitis, acute obstruction of the pancreatic duct or common bile
duct, or gastric outlet obstruction.
- Abdominal fistula, GI perforation, bowel obstruction, or intra-abdominal
abscess within 6 months before first dose. Note: Complete healing of an
intra-abdominal abscess must be confirmed before first dose.
- Clinically significant hematemesis, or hemoptysis of > 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of
red blood, or other history of significant bleeding (eg, pulmonary hemorrhage)
within 12 weeks before first dose.
- Cavitating pulmonary lesion(s) or known endotracheal or endobronchial disease
manifestation.
- Other clinically significant disorders that would preclude safe study
participation.
- Serious non-healing wound/ulcer/bone fracture.
- Uncompensated/symptomatic hypothyroidism.
- Moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C).
- Major surgery (eg, GI surgery, removal or biopsy of brain metastasis) within 8 weeks
before first dose of study treatment. Complete wound healing from major surgery must
have occurred 1 month before first dose and from minor surgery (eg, simple excision,
tooth extraction) at least 10 days before first dose. Subjects with clinically
relevant ongoing complications from prior surgery are not eligible.
- Prolongation of the QT corrected for HR using Fridericia's method (QTcF) interval
defined as > 500 msec per electrocardiogram (ECG) within 28 days before first dose of
study treatment. Note: If a single ECG shows a QTcF with an absolute value > 500 ms,
two additional ECGs at intervals of approximately 3 min must be performed within 30
min after the initial ECG, and the average of these three consecutive results for QTcF
will be used to determine eligibility.
- Pregnant or lactating females.
- Inability to swallow tablets.
- Previously identified allergy or hypersensitivity to components of the study treatment
formulations.
- Diagnosis of another malignancy within 2 years before first dose of study treatment,
except for superficial skin cancers, or localized, low grade tumors deemed cured and
not treated with systemic therapy. Patients with Gleason 6 (3+3) prostate cancer with
previous treatment or on active surveillance may also be allowed on protocol.


Our 2020 Healthcare Communications salary and workforce insight survey found that across the sector the average salary for a male worker in the USA is 4.1% higher than the average female salary.
The average male salary is $145,200 which is 4.1% higher than the average female salary of £139,427.
This has reduced slightly compared to 2019 where there was a gap of 4.5% (where the male average salary of $128,575 and female average salary of $123,014.
We are very pleased to see that the gender pay gap has reduced and look forward to seeing further progress towards pay parity in 2021.
You can view our summary report or request a free copy of our full detailed report that include more insights into the sector including average salaries, employer’s hiring plans, the most in-demand skills employers are looking for and the impact of COVID-19.


The 3D printing industry has seen $3B in all-time funding through Q3 2019. Let’s examine the graphic below and analyze which of the 9 3D printing categories are leading the sector in total funding amounts.
As the analysis demonstrates, the Manufacturers category has the highest all-time funding at $1.9B, followed by Applications at $421M and 3D Scanners with $417M in funds raised.
Visit our report overview page to learn more about our full 3D Printing coverage.
Categories
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A legal challenge against New York State’s “Green Light Law” has been been dismissed by a judge, which will in effect allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in the Empire State.
As noted in Fox News, Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola’s legal efforts were shot down as a judge determined that Merola lacked standing because he could not reasonably lay claim to “cognizable injury.” The judge emphasized that his ruling was not related to the legality or illegality of the law itself, but was, instead, a procedural decision, acknowledging: “To the dissatisfaction of the parties and public-at-large, courts are at times unable to pass upon the merits of a case for one reason or another.”
Merola’s defeat follows a similar dismissal against Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns in November, who argues the law championed by Governor Andrew Cuomo is both dangerous and in violation of federal law.
As the 13th state to provide illegal immigrants with access to driver’s licenses, New York now joins with California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington in carrying out the controversial policy. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico likewise do so within their territories, according to City and State.
“You do not need a Social Security card to apply for a license or permit,” reads a portion of New York State’s Department of Motor Vehicles webpage. However, applicants do need to provide documentation that proves the individual’s name, date of birth, and state residency. Among the combination of documents accepted by New York include: a foreign birth certificate, a border crossing card, and even an expired foreign driver’s license–so long as it has not been expired for two years or more.
Despite the multiple legal challenges, Democrats in the state, such as State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda, are hailing the new policy as a political, economic, and humanitarian victory. “This is a major step forward for all New Yorkers as we keep building New York to live up to its full potential of equity, opportunity and justice,” Sepúlveda declared. “We also look forward to the significant economic and safety benefits the law will bring to communities across our state.”
Written by Red Blue Divide editorial staff


byWed 4 March 2020
Andy Pham
It is a collaboration between mentor and mentee who works together to identify goals that are specific to the individual’s role and aligned to corporate objectives. The mentor should be supportive and listen to the ideas of the mentee. This is critical as it guarantees that mentee will know “what is expected of me”, which is another key drive of engagement and performance. It also frames the conversation in a meaningful way. Are the goals on track or not? Why? What can the individual do to improve? What can others do to support? If the performance or behavior under question does not change, the mentor needs to remind the mentee of the goal and hole him/her accountable. Mentor set priorities and had ability to work toward stated as success could be defined as a progressive realization of a predetermined goal. Mentor amplified limited power by empowering mentee to take on shared challenges, seeking to surround with the most talented people representing a wide range of skills that could be helpful in achieving the goals. Mentor in collaboration with mentee helps to set goals, to move forward these goals, and to advice on what course of action mentee should take. Furthermore, mentor coaches mentee to build the processes necessary to collaborate on a strategy on how to best implement the project.
Mentoring is a long-term commitment with a broader range; include guidance toward professional education and career choices.


Abstract
Calendar-dated tree-ring sequences offer an unparalleled resource for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Where such records exist for a few limited geographic regions over the last 8,000 to 12,000 years, they have proved invaluable for creating precise and accurate timelines for past human and environmental interactions. To expand such records across new geographic territory or extend data for certain regions further backward in time, new applications must be developed to secure “floating” (not yet absolutely dated) tree-ring sequences, which cannot be assigned single-calendar year dates by standard dendrochronological techniques. This study develops two approaches to this problem for a critical floating tree-ring chronology from the East Mediterranean Bronze-Iron Age. The chronology is more closely fixed in time using annually resolved patterns of
14C, modulated by cosmic radiation, between 1700 and 1480 BC. This placement is then tested using an anticorrelation between calendar-dated tree-ring growth responses to climatically effective volcanism in North American bristlecone pine and the Mediterranean trees. Examination of the newly dated Mediterranean tree-ring sequence between 1630 and 1500 BC using X-ray fluorescence revealed an unusual calcium anomaly around 1560 BC. While requiring further replication and analysis, this anomaly merits exploration as a potential marker for the eruption of Thera.
Original language English (US) Pages (from-to) 8410-8415 Number of pages 6 Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Volume 117 Issue number 15 DOIs State Published - Apr 14 2020 Keywords Annual C Mediterranean Bronze Age Thera eruption Tree rings ASJC Scopus subject areas General


A17: No, a certificate can only be issued if the CAB is able to evaluate all the applicable requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1 (9.3.1.2 Stage 1 and 9.3.1.3 Stage 2) through a complete and effective audit of the client’s management system, followed by a successful review and decision making activities. However, this could change for specific schemes.


Abstract
Background: Hürthle cell carcinoma (HCC) is a rare form of thyroid carcinoma and is considered an oxyphilic variant of follicular thyroid carcinoma. However, little is known about its biological characteristics or clinical behavior. We conducted a retrospective study to determine whether the prognosis of HCC differs from that of ordinary follicular thyroid carcinoma (OFC). Methods: The subjects were the 558 patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma who underwent initial surgery at our institution between 1989 and 2010 and consisted of 73 patients with HCC and 485 patients with OFC. There were 410 females and 148 males, and their median age was 51 years. A univariate analysis was conducted in relation to cumulative cause-specific survival (CSS) according to the Kaplan-Meier method for the following variables: age at the time of initial surgery, gender, tumor size, invasiveness, distant metastasis at presentation, and histological type (HCC vs OFC). Differences between groups were analyzed for significance by the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed by using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: A total of 4 patients (5.5 %) in the HCC group had distant metastasis compared with 106 patients (21.9 %) in the OFC group. Significant factors in relation to CSS in the univariate analyses were age, tumor size, and invasiveness, but there were no significant differences between the HCC group and the OFC group. Multivariate analysis showed that age, tumor size, and distant metastasis at presentation were significant factors. Conclusions: HCC does not have a poorer prognosis than OFC.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Surgery Oncology


Description
Citicoline is a powerful nootropic supplement best known for its potential to enhance memory and protect the brain against memory loss.
Benefits Memory Enhancement Increased Mental Energy Better Focus and Concentration Potentiating and Amplifying Other Nootropics How To Take?
Anywhere from 250–1000 mg, either in a single dose or in two doses is considered safe and effective. 1000mg is the maximum within the same day.


Abstract
We are facing unprecedented phosphorus (P) challenges, namely P scarcity associated with increasing food demand, and an oversupply of P fertilisers, resulting in eutrophication. Although we need a multidisciplinary approach to systematically enhance P-use efficiency, monodisciplinary studies still prevail. Here, we propose to tighten the P cycle by identifying P-efficient crop genotypes, integrating four plant strategies: increasing P-acquisition efficiency, photosynthetic P-use efficiency and P-remobilisation efficiency, and decreasing seed phytate P concentrations. We recommend P-efficient genotypes together with diversified cropping systems involving complementary P-acquisition strategies as well as smart P-fertiliser management to enhance P-use efficiency in agriculture dependent on soil P status. These strategies will reduce P-fertiliser requirements and offsite environmental impacts, while enhancing seed quality for human and livestock nutrition.


Committed to achieving incident-free operations
Prevent injury to personnel and damage to offshore and onshore assets with our full range of Dropped Object Management and Inspection services, fine-tuned according to the industry best practices and in compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.
Dropped objects have been known to present a constant risk and play a significant role in incidents in the oil and gas industry, including offshore drilling and onshore production plants — affecting both productivity and safety.


“Engage your patient.” So important. So many different ways to approach it. Consumerism in healthcare is on a steep climb, yet due to a lack of clarity as to the best approach to patient engagement, many organizations offer a less-than-ideal, far-from-comprehensive strategy to tackle the initiative. Patients are no longer satisfied with a healthcare experience that is riddled with inefficiencies and shrouded in mystery. And baby steps won’t work. Effective patient engagement strategies impact all areas of your organization, and they all must be addressed simultaneously.
Consider these five areas: 1. Build your strategy on a mobile platform
Today’s consumer relies on mobile technology for everything from shopping to banking, but healthcare organizations have lagged other industries in reaching the patient with mobile solutions. As more innovative organizations deliver patient engagement strategies using mobile technology, consumers will begin to choose providers based on the ease in communicating with them. The proliferation of mobile platforms in healthcare will transform the consumer experience and drive changes in consumer behavior.
2. Tackle financials early and often
Consumers have more financial responsibility for their healthcare than ever before and are now the nation’s second largest payer. It’s a rapid and dramatic shift, and healthcare organizations can effectively address the challenge through their patient engagement strategy. Consumers want more transparency with regard to the prices of healthcare services, need to understand their responsibility, and welcome the convenience of paying their portion on a mobile device.
3. Embrace mobile clinical innovations
From the habitually healthy to the chronically ill, consumers are more knowledgeable about and actively involved in and their own health status than ever. This trend continues to grow and healthcare organizations must understand and address it. Clinical outcomes can improve by pointing patients to clinical resources that align with your organization, and encouraging them to think about their health and do their own research between visits. Your patient engagement strategy also must embrace advances in virtual care and telehealth.
4. Keep administrative needs at the forefront
Many of your organization’s most repeatable tasks deliver the most salient benefits from your patient engagement strategy. And patients embrace these administrative solutions readily. From appointment scheduling to requesting prescription refills to general office communications, a mobile platform improves patient relations while reducing time spent by your office staff. The number of patients that expect mobile solutions for administrative services will continue to grow, and healthcare organizations can use this trend as a competitive differentiator.
5. Always drive patients to the mobile front door
Identifying the right mobile solutions for patient engagement is an ongoing challenge for healthcare organizations, and it’s not as straightforward as it should be. Tried-and-true technology vendors are not always the ones that have the best solutions. Often it’s new vendors, making the challenge of identifying and sourcing these vendors time-consuming and risky. Commonwealth Health Advisors helps healthcare organizations develop a comprehensive patient engagement strategy and execute it.


Grandparent Visitation and Children's Wishes How do the Child's Wishes Weigh in on Grandparent Visitation Cases in New York?
Child custody, visitation, and maintenance cases in the state of New York follow a very important standard. Any court, judge, or divorce attorney handling a case involving children must put the best interests of the child or children first in any matter. This simply means that no decisions should be made that might harm the mental or physical health of the child in any way. Of course, there are many different components that go into helping a court decide what the best interests of any child might be. For instance, the courts might consider the earning potential of the parents, the ability of any parent to provide a child with the continued emotional and financial support they need, and even the desires or wishes of the child in question.
As a child custody attorney in New York, Mr. Shapiro has worked on numerous cases wherein the wishes of the child have been considered an important element in the discussion of that child's best interests. Of course, it's worth noting that the child's wishes will only be taken into consideration in a case where the child is deemed to be in a state, or at an age that allows them to make decisions fairly about their future. Even when a child's wishes are considered, they may not be adhered to if the court believes that they're not in the best interests of the child.
The Wishes of the Child in Grandparent Visitation
The desires and wishes of a child can be considered in numerous cases surrounding divorce, including child visitation, custody, and parenting time. Importantly, when it comes to addressing visitation cases in the courts of New York, it's worth remembering that people beyond the parents can also apply for visitation rights. For instance, grandparents may apply for visitation rights when one or both of the parents involved in a case argue against their ability to see the grandchild. In this case, section 72 of the New York Domestic Relations Law can provide guidance on the guidelines that must be followed, along with Section 651 of the Family Court Act.
Mr. Shapiro has plenty of experience as a divorce lawyer dealing with cases that involve complicated relationships between divorcing parties and the grandparents of a child in a visitation case. As he often reminds his clients, there are many complex issues to consider when it comes to determining the possibilities of grandparent visitation. However, grandparents who can show that there are circumstances wherein they should be allowed to see the child can ask to obtain visitation rights. Once again, with grandparents, the decisions that the courts make will be based on the simple principle of " what's best for the child."
As mentioned above, the expressed wishes of a child to continue seeing, or maintain a relationship with a grandparent or grandparents may be considered when determining best interests. However, this isn't always the case. The courts of New York generally give more weight to the desires expressed by older children who understand their circumstances clearly and are capable of making reasoned decisions without the input of a parent disrupting their choices. Younger children can easily be swayed by parents who don't want them to see a grandparent. This concept brings to light an interesting point that comes up in many grandparent visitation cases, regarding the animosity between the grandparents seeking visitation and the custodial parent.
Providing Visitation Rights to Grand Parents
Through years of experience in the New York and Long Island courts, Mr. Shapiro has become very familiar with cases that can help to inform his clients about the nature of child custody and visitation situations. As a child custody attorney, he often draws attention to this information to guide his clients. For instance, in one particularly important case related to grandparent visitation, the courts outlined that in certain cases where the grandparents in question must turn to legal processes to obtain visitation rights, there is likely to be some animosity between grandparents and custodial parents.
Ultimately, the courts understand that the feelings of the parent can often influence the expressed wishes of a child in any case. That's why a child's desires are only a single factor in a range of elements that a court considers during its determination. Although grandparent visitation cases are less common these days, the courts have provided insights into the factors they consider when making their rulings. For instance, they may look at:
The emotional and mental impact of a child not being allowed to see grandparents The documented history of conflict that may exist between the grandparents and parent which may negatively affect the child. Whether the grandparents have ever acted as a primary caregiver for the child. Whether the grandparents have been shown to have a positive and nurturing relationship with the child in the past. Do You Need Help Getting or Opposing Visitation Rights?
If you're currently involved in a case seeking visitation rights so you can spend more time with your grandchildren, it's important to ensure you have the right support at your side. The law and mediation office of Darren M. Shapiro can offer guidance and support into child visitation cases and custody issues. To learn more or book your free (up to a half hour free) initial consultation, please call (516) 333-6555.


In Maryland, the value of a business interest acquired during the marriage is considered marital property, even if it is owned and operated by only one spouse.
Upon divorce, the Court must determine the “fair market value” of a spouse’s business interest, which is what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller, neither being under the compulsion to act and both having reasonable knowledge of all relevant facts.
However, a spouse’s “personal goodwill” in the business is their non-marital property, not subject to equitable distribution by the Court. “Personal goodwill” is the part the business value which is directly attributable to the reputation and success of the spouse owner.
Business valuation in divorce is a complex issue in divorce cases, often requiring forensic analysis of business records and an industry professional testimony.
On July 16, 2012


Requests for self-managed abortion via a telemedicine service increased by 27% from March 20, 2020, to April 11, 2020, in the United States in the wake of widespread lockdowns and shelter-in-place directives because of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on data from a provider of such services.
Access to abortion care is challenging in many areas under ordinary circumstances, but the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic led to many states suspending or limiting in-clinic services, wrote Abigail R.A. Aiken, MD, PhD, of the University of Texas at Austin and colleagues.
“As a result, people may increasingly be seeking self-managed abortion outside the formal health care system,” they said.
In a research letter published in, the investigators reviewed request data from Aid Access, a telemedicine service that provides medication for abortion at up to 10 weeks’ gestation for users who complete an online consultation form. They also collected data on the implementation and scope of COVID-19–related abortion restrictions by state.
The analysis included all 49,935 requests made between January 1, 2019, and April 11, 2020.
Overall, the rate of requests for self-managed medical abortions increased significantly, by 27%, during the period from March 20, 2020, to April 11, 2020, which reflected the average period after clinic restrictions or closures at the state level. A total of 11 states showed individually significant increases in requests for self-managed medical abortions, with the highest of 94% in Texas and the lowest of 22% in Ohio. In these 11 states, the median time spent at home was 5% higher than in states without significant increases in requests for self-managed medical abortions during the same period. These states also had “particularly high COVID-19 rates or more severe COVID-19–related restrictions on in-clinic abortion access,” the researchers noted.
Patients want alternatives to in-person care
“Our results may reflect two distinct phenomena,” Dr. Aiken and associates wrote. “First, more people may be seeking abortion through all channels, whether due to COVID-19 risks during pregnancy, reduced access to prenatal care, or the pandemic-related economic downturn. Second, there may be shift in demand from in-clinic to self-managed abortion during the pandemic, possibly owing to fear of infection during in-person care or inability to get to a clinic because of childcare and transit disruptions,” they explained.
The study findings were limited by the inability to measure all options for women to achieve self-managed abortions and a lack of power to detect changes in states with low request numbers or where restrictions were implemented at later dates, the researchers noted. However, the results suggest that telemedicine services for medication abortion should be a policy priority because patients may continue to seek alternatives while in-clinic services remain restricted, they said.
In fact, “the World Health Organization recommends telemedicine and self-management abortion-care models during the pandemic, and the United Kingdom has temporarily implemented fully remote provision of abortion medications,” the researchers wrote. However, similar strategies in the United States “would depend on sustained changes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which requires patients to collect mifepristone at a hospital or medical facility, as well as changes to state-specific laws that prohibit remote provider consultation,” Dr. Aiken and associates concluded.


Test candidates with case-studies on real world situations with variance in how you evaluate
Author custom case-study based assessments and evaluation schemes
Analyse evaluation results against expert benchmarks for different skill levels
Make authored or selected case-study assessments available online for delivery and reference
Case-study based assessments requires test-takers to consider constraints, information and desired outcomes before making decisions
Test-takers are engrossed with the real-world situations which tests their problem-solving ability without relying on mindless memorization
A multi-dimensional representation of the assessment allows test-takers and administrators to analyse strengths and weaknesses with detailed data on performance while allowing productive career-based feedback
Difficult to determine whether a candidate will be a good "culture-fit" and "role-fit".
Assess emotional intelligence, respond to situations and overall outlook to determine the fitment into the role and organizational culture.
Decision making skills are not tested in the conventional hiring process.
Authess tests the candidate’s critical thinking and decision-making skills by posing constraint laden situations and targets.
Placing candidates in roles according to their skill level is a demanding task.
Authess compares performance and skill against set benchmarks to help place candidates appropriately.


Silicon is the most widely used material in modern electronics industry, both in Taiwan and the world, due to its natural abundance, semiconductor/doping property, mass production, and capability to be densely integrated. It is a long-awaited goal to amalgamate photonics with the advantages of silicon, i.e. silicon photonics. In the field of electronics, the key success relies on nonlinear components, such as transistors, that can control electric signal via voltage or current, i.e. all-electric control. Similarly, in silicon photonics, light-control-light, or equivalently all-optical control, is a highly desirable function. However, the optical nonlinearity of silicon is too weak to achieve efficient all-optical control.
Under the support of MOST “Outstanding young scientist project”, MAGIC program, and regular projects for one decade, as well as long-term support from NTU Molecular Imaging Center, Prof. Shi-Wei Chu of NTU Physics has formed an international and national collaboration team, including Prof. Junichi Takahara and Prof. Katsumasa Fujita of Osaka University, Prof. Xiangping Li of Jinan University, Dr. Kung-Hsuan Lin of Academia Sinica, Dr. Chih-Wei Chang of NTU, and Prof. Kuo-Ping Chen of NCTU. In two recent publications in top journal “Nature Communications”, they jointly revealed that silicon nanostructures, which exhibit special electromagnetic resonance mode that can enhance light interaction, plus thermally isolated nano-environment that enables efficient temperature increase, can provide 3-4 orders of magnitude enhancement of optical nonlinearity over bulk silicon. The underlying mechanism is photothermal interaction between light and silicon nanostructures, but impressively, the response time is a few orders faster than common photothermal responses, reaching nanosecond scale. The giant and fast nonlinearity allows nearly 100% all-optical modulation of scattering light from a single silicon nanoparticle, at GHz speed. Furthermore, we combine the giant nonlinearity and super-resolution techniques to realize 40-nm resolution, featuring not only one order resolution enhancement, but also label-free imaging in silicon nanostructures. These results open up a new avenue in silicon photonics, toward the goal of all-optical circuits with silicon.


Metaglip (glipizide/metformin) may interact with the following drugs: beta-blockers such as propranolol; anticoagulants like warfarin; azole antifungals such as miconazole; chloramphenicol; clofibrate; insulin; monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); phenylbutazone; probenecid; quinolones; salicylates; sulfonamides, such as sulfamethoxazole; and thiazolidinediones, like pioglitazone. Additional medications that can interact with Metaglip include: calcium channel blockers, like nifedipine; corticosteroids such as prednisone; diazoxide; diuretics, such as furosemide or hydrochlorothiazide; estrogen; hormonal contraceptives; isoniazid; nicotinic acid; phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine; phenytoin; rifampin; sympathomimetics, such as albuterol; pseudoephedrine; thyroid hormones such as levothyroxine; gemfibrozil amiloride; cimetidine; digoxin; morphine; procainamide; quinidine; quinine; ranitidine; triamterene; trimethoprim, or vancomycin.
Continue Learning about Antidiabetic
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.


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Abstract
There is an imperative need for effective control of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) on a global scale and vaccination of cattle may prove to be pivotal in achieving this. The oral and parenteral use of a heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) vaccine has previously been found to confer partial protection against


Choosing Sides: Doing Interviews in a Divided Field
“You are not going to agree with this, but I voted leave.” A participant in my research told me this early on in an interview. I had not shared with her my personal opinion on the EU, but from my accent (which does not sound Scottish) she discerned I was from continental Europe and decided that I probably did not agree with Brexit. During interviews I am not trying to find out how the interviewee voted in the EU referendum, but it is a difficult topic to avoid when discussing Europe.
Navigating a divided field
In the past six years, the Scottish people have taken part in two divisive referendums. In 2014 they were asked whether Scotland should become an independent state (55% chose to remain part of the UK) and in 2016 they were asked whether the UK should remain a member of the EU (in Scotland, 62% chose to remain part of the EU). Both referendums left a significant mark on the current political landscape in Scotland. My research focusses on the personal dimension of this: how do Scottish people, in particular supporters of Scottish independence, identify with Europe and what does the concept of Europe mean to them. To do this, it is important for me to get beyond the results of the referendums in my fieldwork, but this is not always straightforward.
The problem with discussing politics in Scotland today is that opinions are immediately pigeonholed into the answers of the referendums: participants in my research often identify themselves (and others) first as yes/no or remain/leave. It is of course uncommon that reality is as binary as that: it is a messy and personal calculation of values, beliefs, influences and experiences. Participants are hardly ever completely
yes or remain without a conditional but. To get a result which is valuable for my research, I aim to break through the referendum replies as early as possible in the interviews and uncover what is hidden below. Placing myself in the field
At the same time as providing us with an opportunity to research beyond the suggested binaries of the referendums, ethnographic fieldwork forces the researcher to reflect on his/her own connection to the communities being researched. In my case, that reflection starts by asking and being asked where I fit on the yes/no, leave/remain spectrum.
I have experimented with sharing my own opinions on these matters and keeping them to myself during fieldwork. Sharing my stance can have different effects: if it is in agreement with the participant, the interview feels more at ease, resulting in a form of ‘safe space’ which can be highly beneficial for the results. On the other hand, disagreement can lead to a more tense interview with defensive arguments. Although perhaps not as comfortable, these defensive arguments can also be a useful contribution to the research. Both scenarios involve me being judged by the participants and have an inevitable influence on the interview. But not sharing my opinion at all is also difficult, as it creates an interview with a clear interviewer (who is neutral) and an interviewee (who has opinion, which forms the centre of the interview). This feels less natural, as neutrality is rare in the current political landscape.
I prefer taking a (natural) honest approach instead of an (artificial) neutral approach, I believe it brings me closer to achieving the final aim of the interview: to create an atmosphere whereby all participants feel they can share their opinions openly and can be respected for them. If achieved, this has allowed me to move the interview beyond the inevitable referendum results.
Photo by Alastair Mackie.
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Does an allergen need to be declared if it disappears during processing?
Standard 1.2.3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code broadly requires the declaration of allergens that are present in a food product. However, the wording of this Food Standard might cause manufacturers to wonder whether the declaration of the allergen applies when that ingoing substance is expected to no longer be present in the final product by the time it is sold. This article explores this issue and sets out the relevant allergen labelling requirements using the scenario of an ingredient that disappears during processing.


Did You Get a Stimulus Check for Someone Who Died?
The CARES Act did not provide a mandate to return stimulus money that was mistakenly sent by the IRS to dead people. Now the IRS wants this money back. It would be less expensive to return it to them now, even if the taxpayer must negotiate a payment plan. Otherwise, the IRS has two years to file a lawsuit to get the money back plus the interest that accrues from the date of the first request.
Why Did Dead People Receive Stimulus Checks?
The IRS sent stimulus payments to approximately 1.1 million dead people that total nearly $1.4 billion. To quickly get money in taxpayers’ hands, the IRS sent direct deposits, checks, or debit cards to individuals who filed tax returns in 2018 and 2019. Taxpayers who died before 2020 were not removed from the IRS records.
Who Is Entitled to a Stimulus Payment?
The stimulus payment that many Americans received is not free money. It is a tax credit that is paid in advance of filing an income tax return in 2021. Stimulus funds are intended for those who were alive for at least part of 2020 and might file a federal income tax return for the year. If an individual died before 2020, they would not file a return in 2021 and are not entitled to a stimulus check.
Those who are eligible to receive a stimulus payment under the CARES Act include individuals who:
Have a valid social security number or are married and filing jointly with someone who does Are not a nonresident alien Cannot be claimed on someone else’s tax return Is an individual and not an estate or trust What to Do with Stimulus Payments Sent to the Deceased?
Now the IRS wants the stimulus money that was mistakenly sent to deceased taxpayers back. They have provided guidance on how to return stimulus funds and uncashed checks. They have canceled checks that have not yet been cashed. If checks were cashed, the money must be returned to the IRS. Recipients must also return any money received via direct deposit or a debit card intended for a deceased person.
If a surviving spouse received a payment for a deceased spouse, he or she must return the portion that is meant for the decedent. The amount returned should be $1,200 unless the adjusted gross income was more than $150,000.


Two crises that could not be more different and yet are closely linked. In the wake of the corona crisis, governments are adopting strict measures and funds are flowing in billions to cushion the economic fallout. Many climate activists would wish for this determination to save the climate. What can we learn from the corona crisis for the climate crisis? What role does the media have? And what influences our society’s actions in these crises?
*The dialogue will be carried out in German


This paper from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology may be of interest. It provides an update on the core components of cardiac rehab as outlined in the European Association of Preventive Cardiology 2010 statement.
Read it here: Ambrosetti M, Abreu A, Corrà U, Davos CH, Hansen D, Frederix I, Iliou MC, Pedretti RF, Schmid JP, Vigorito C, Voller H. Secondary prevention through comprehensive cardiovascular rehabilitation: From knowledge to implementation. 2020 update. A position paper from the Secondary Prevention and Rehabilitation Section of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2020 Mar 30:2047487320913379.


Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, expressed support for same-sex civil unions in the new documentary
Francesco. He stated that gay people are children of God and said, “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way, they are legally covered.” Do his remarks signal a shift for the Roman Catholic Church, and how significant are they in the global context of LGBT+ rights? In many countries, cultural and religious beliefs are formidable barriers to more inclusive LGBT legislation. The current status of global LGBT rights can be mapped on a continuum from countries where homosexuality is criminalized (68 countries, including 11 that include the death penalty) to countries where same-sex marriage is legal (27 countries). The remaining countries fall somewhere in between, ranging in the degree of protections and rights afforded LGBT populations Americans may underestimate the immense power and influence that the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church have in many countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Beyond cultural and religious influence, the Roman Catholic Church is involved in legislation in many countries. For example, after Belize decriminalized homosexuality in 2016, the Roman Catholic Church of Belize filed an appeal to reinstate the criminalization. The Pope’s pro-civil unions statement could have major implications in many countries. This is not the first time Pope Francis has expressed support for the LGBT community. As archbishop in Buenos Aires, he endorsed civil unions for gay couples. In 2013, he said, “If someone who is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” However, this is his clearest and most progressive statement on the matter since becoming Pope, and it suggests not only tolerance but legal coverage for LGBT families. While these LGBT-tolerant statements signal increased acceptance of LGBT populations by the Roman Catholic Church, nothing has changed in terms of official doctrine or policy—and Pope Francis is still decidedly against gay marriage within the church. The reluctance to change church policy could be connected to the Catholic Church’s expanding presence in the Southern Hemisphere, where church leadership and parishioners are generally less likely to accept homosexuality. This statement comes as an important message to LGBT Catholics and aligns with Pope Francis’ generally more tolerant and inclusive tone (particularly compared to his predecessor, who connected same-sex marriage to the Antichrist). It may also serve as a message condemning violence committed against LGBT individuals in an effort to make it clear that people cannot be committing this violence in the church’s name. This message may lead some Catholics to examine their views, such as those in Poland, where “LGBT-free zones” have recently been established across the country (supported by senior members of the Catholic Church), and LGBT Poles face significant discrimination and violence.


In this op-ed, Eryn Wise, Jicarilla Apache/Laguna Pueblo, and communications director for Seeding Sovereignty, discusses two fiercely traditional, two-spirit warriors from history that embody the spirit of women’s resistance. To learn more and support our work, please visit www.seedingsovereignty.org .
Through the month of March, Women’s History Month “commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history,” according to the official Women’s History Month website. But what about the stories and roles of women that predate the founding of America? There are not many written accounts of the vital roles the original women of this nation had, and yet their descendants and histories cloak the land.
One such account came to my attention in the form of a love story between a Chihenne Chiricahua Apache woman named Lozen and a Mescalero Apache woman named Dahteste, that was shared with me at a discussion on two-spirit wellness. (Two-spirit is a name for people in Indigenous culture who carry the duality between the sacred feminine and sacred masculine within them, though definitions vary per Indigenous nation and person).
It was a brief retelling that was part of a much larger discussion, but for so many reasons and all at once, I was brought to tears. Listening to another two-spirit person introduce a love story that centered on two openly queer, traditional Apaches rocked me to my core. I have long known about these women, but never heard anyone introduce them in the context of being two-spirit people, or partners.
I heard in this retelling that even as a child, Lozen demonstrated prolific abilities beyond her years. She emerged as a leader within her community before becoming a medicine woman
and a warrior for her tribe. Throughout her life (1840-1889), she eschewed the traditional roles of Apache women, favoring the art of war, never married a man, and was often described as being more masculine than other men in her tribe. Her brother, Chief Victorio, described her as his “right hand” and “a shield to her people,” according to the Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered [ sic] History in America.
While her physicality, strength, and fearlessness was deeply honored, she was also a highly renowned and respected medicine person, possessing a wealth of knowledge about the medicinal properties of plants and minerals. Because she was deeply connected to the earth and its elements, her people honored her ability to detect danger and enemies when they were near. When in ceremony Lozen would sing, extend her arms, and turn in a circle until her palms tingled, which let her know where the enemies were coming from. After her brother was killed and journeyed to the spirit world, she banded with Goyatła (aka Geronimo or, “One Who Is Yawning”) to exact revenge on the colonizers that had stolen him and their land, according to KQED. In what is now known as southern New Mexico, she met the woman she would soon come to love, Dahteste.
According to Cristoso Apache, writing for the Qualia Folk Encyclopedia of Gay Folklife, Dahteste was also a warrior since her youth and, despite being married with children, spent a significant amount of time riding with Cochise’s band against the current of Western Expansion. Some years later, she joined Goyatła’s band and rode alongside both him and Lozen. Unlike her partner Lozen, Dahteste was known for being a well-kempt woman who was fluent in English and acted as a translator for the bands that she traveled with. After helping Geronimo escape from detainment at the San Carlos Reservation in 1885, she, with help from Lozen, began negotiating treaties of peace for their people. One such treaty stated that after a two-year, voluntary imprisonment, the Apaches would have their freedom. American leaders at the time dismissed this treaty, and despite having been a mediator and scout for the U.S. Calvary, her loyalty to both her people and the U.S. Army did not prevent her eventual arrest alongside Goyatła and Lozen
The only photo that survives of Dahteste and Lozen was taken after they’d been captured, before they were separated. In the photograph, they are seated close together, along with Geronimo and other warriors in front of the trains that would soon carry them away in cattle cars to exile in Florida and Alabama. Having eluded capture for over a decade, Lozen would die as a prisoner of war at Mount Vernon in Mobile, Alabama, of tuberculosis at age 49, never to see her home or partner again.
Dahteste’s story continued after she was taken and held as a prisoner of war in St. Augustine, Florida. She remained there for eight years in an internment camp, managing to survive pneumonia and tuberculosis, and years later and still a prisoner, was shipped to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. There she lived for another nineteen years before being given permission to join the Mescalero Apache in New Mexico where she remarried, refused to again speak the English language, and lived out the rest of her life among her relatives. Eve Ball, who interviewed Dahteste before her death, wrote: “Dahteste to the end of her life mourned Lozen.”
Too many people remember Lozen and Dahteste without acknowledging the fact they were two-spirits, fiercely devoted to the land and their people, who were in love before being violently separated by colonization. I was told my entire life that there were no Apache women who were "that way," only to find out that there actually were — and that they the fiercest of them all. This critical part of Indigenous, women’s, and two-spirit history reminds us that loving who you love doesn’t make you any less of a warrior. It is imperative that we fight the erasure of our ancestor’s narratives, and work to reclaim our own.


Informal settlements are crowded places where entire families often share a single room.
Kibera, located within the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, is one such place.
Residents told BBC Africa that they are worried about insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene, and about the virus spreading within the community.
"We are being told we must wash our hands for at least 20 seconds every time we touch things. That water is too much. We don't have money."
In informal settlements like Kenya's Kibera, where millions of people live at close quarters, many fear self-isolation is not possible. pic.twitter.com/MOsStIdjSu
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 23, 2020


8/9 December 2020
The MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) GPvP (Good pharmacovigilance practice) inspectorate recently published their latest inspection metrics report.
During the period 01 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, the MHRA conducted a total of 48 pharmacovigilance inspections. Approximately 29% of these inspections were of marketing authorisation holders (MAH) that had not previously undergone a MHRA pharmacovigilance inspection. The largest proportion of inspections (21 inspections) was performed as routine re-inspections (i.e. of MAHs who had previously undergone a pharmacovigilance inspection).
A total of 27 Critical, 169 Major and 155 Minor findings were identified during this period. The number of Critical findings identified during this reporting period had increased from the previous period (19 Critical findings) and were found during 17 of the 48 inspections that were performed.
The majority of Critical findings were reported in relation to the maintenance of reference safety information, representing 29% of all Critical findings identified. Critical findings associated with reference safety information were (again) characterised by failures and significant delays to submit safety variations to update the safety sections of SPCs (summaries of product characteristics) and PILs (patient information leaflets).
In this reporting period, Critical deficiencies associated with signal management represented the next largest proportion of findings identified (26% of all Critical findings). A safety signal is information on a new or known adverse event that is potentially caused by a medicine and that warrants further investigation. These signals can be generated from several sources such as spontaneous reports, clinical studies and scientific publications. Seven critical findings were reported and these were associated with:
In some instances the persistent non-compliance had had a measurable impact. Subsequent completion of signal detection activities had resulted in new signals being identified and updates to product information.
Further Critical findings were identified in relation to:
A single Critical finding was identified in each of the following areas:
There were no Critical findings in relation to non-interventional programmes compared to four reported during the April 2013-March 2014 period.
The topic areas representing the major proportion of inspection findings remain associated with key pharmacovigilance activities and outputs such as ICSR management, signal management and reference safety information.
To find out further details please see the complete Pharmacovigilance inspection metrics report available on GOV.UK.


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A dental implant is a replacement tooth that is secured into the jaw with a titanium post that is surgically positioned beneath the gum line by a specialist. Once the specialist has inserted the post and it has healed, Dr. Gradeless will place the replacement tooth onto it permanently.
If your teeth or jaw have experienced decay due to gum disease that is not fixable with a dental filling, crown, or veneer, dental implants could be your solution. Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth after extraction or dental trauma. Many prefer implants over dentures because they are more secure and feel more natural.
Though they serve a similar purpose, they aren’t quite the same. Many patients find dentures uncomfortable, especially if they have sore spots in their mouths or something is misaligned. Dental bridges, on the other hand, must be attached to teeth (or implants) on either side of the space left by the missing tooth. Dental implants replace individual teeth and are a permanent solution to missing teeth. Patients often say they look and feel more natural than dentures.
Healthy gums and a strong and healthy jawbone are necessary to support the post of the implant. If your bone has decayed from disease, bone grafting may help to ensure you have a stronger jawbone to support a dental implant. Or, if there is not enough bone between your jaw and your sinuses, a sinus lift may be a solution to get you ready for an implant.


Posted by Hotze Vitamins on 11/12/2020 to High Blood Pressure
In a day and age when doctors rely so heavily on drugs for every ailment, you may not realize that there are many things you can do to naturally lower your blood pressure. Incorporating these tips into your life will not only help keep your blood pressure in check, but also benefit your overall health.
Here are Dr. Hotze's 10 tips for lowering blood pressure naturally:
1. Detox Regularly - Our bodies are constantly bombarded with toxins and chemicals from our environment. These toxins are found in dry cleaning solutions, pesticides sprayed in our homes, the foods we eat, body lotions and soaps, air pollution, outgassing from synthetic carpets and many other products. These toxins cause inflammation in the arteries, leading to high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
2. Eliminate Sugar and Simple Carbohydrates - Avoid simple carbohydrates such as bread, pizza, pasta, white rice and potatoes, which are all starches that are quickly converted to sugar in your body. Sugar leads to weight gain and causes high blood pressure.
3. Avoid Trans Fatty Acids - Trans fatty acids are vegetable oils that have been heated to give them an indefinite shelf life. They damage the lining of your arteries, causing high blood pressure. Trans fatty acids are found in processed food products, salad dressings, margarine, donuts, cookies, crackers, chips, fried foods, and muffins. Avoid any food that has "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" on the label.
4. Maintain an Ideal Body Weight - Weight gain can cause high blood pressure. With added weight, your extra fat tissue needs oxygen and nutrients which call for the blood vessels to circulate more blood to that tissue. This causes the heart to work harder to pump more blood through additional blood vessels, which in turn causes more pressure on the artery walls, which increases blood pressure.
5. Quit Smoking - The nicotine in cigarette smoke causes he arteries to stiffen and narrow, which increases blood pressure.
6. Exercise Regularly - Regular physical activity keeps your heart strong so that it can keep pumping blood effectively. When your heart has to work harder to pump, that causes more force on your arteries, increasing your blood pressure.
7. Keep Stress to a Minimum - Stressful situations can cause your blood pressure to spike. During stress, your body produces hormones which temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow.
8. Restore and Balance Hormones - Testosterone and thyroid hormones have a significant positive effect on blood pressure. Testosterone dilates the coronary arteries, increasing blood flow to the heart and lowering blood pressure. When thyroid hormone is given to hypothyroid individuals who have high blood pressure, the hypertension is often completely reversed.
9. Magnesium - Magnesium relaxes the arterial walls, lowering blood pressure.
10. Dr. Hotze's Blood Pressure Support - Blood Pressure Support by Dr. Hotze helps regulate blood pressure naturally. It is a premium blend of herbs that has been designed to provide your heart with optimal support.
We are here to help.
Do you have questions about your health concerns and your vitamin and supplement needs? Call our Certified Holistic Nutritionists and Vitamin Consultants today at 281-646-1659. It will be our privilege to serve you.


J2 Servid
Avoiding the consequences of a poorly secured cargo is essential.
During transport, the pallets being transported move and the cargo shifts. Such movement can be due to abrupt stops, sudden accelerations, sharp bends… Moreover, if the pallets are not fully loaded, this situation can be even more complicated. These movements often cause the transported goods to shift and fall and these can be damaged. This is known as the
"domino effect".
Preventing cargo movements during transport through a good securing system will avoid unwanted costs, claims, and all kinds of problems. At J2 Servid we have different securing systems to prevent cargo movement during transport. All our securing systems have been designed and tested to prevent damage to goods and they all respond to different needs for securing and stowing the cargo, depending on its volume, weight, type... They include lashing belts, composite and textile strapping, protective awnings, edge protectors, anti slip products, etc.
Specifically, to prevent the domino effect and cargo movements when transporting pallets, at
J2 Servid we propose Niupack as a solution. This system does not require expensive investments and has been tested on hundreds of road trips with over 4,000 kilos of compression resistance.
The flexibility and ease of use of this system, which prevents cargo movement during transport, means that it can be adapted to the needs of a variety of industries: food, beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. It is also available in different sizes and formats.


Nampa ID Cosmetic Dentist | Don’t Rush to Brush Are you a diligent brusher who grabs the toothbrush as soon as you finish each snack or meal? While there are significant benefits to regular brushing, hurrying your hygiene might be doing more harm than good. The key lies in understanding the effects different types of food and drinks have on your teeth. The Dangers […]


Abstract
This paper investigates the mitigation of limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) using optimally designed nonlinear energy sinks (NESs). The study is based on an NES attached to a two-degree-of-freedom airfoil with nonlinear stiffness in pitch and heave. Depending on the nonlinear properties of the airfoil, it can exhibit super- or subcritical LCOs. The design of the NES is based on a stochastic optimization approach, which accounts for various sources of uncertainties, including initial and loading conditions. The optimization approach is also tailored to handle potential discontinuities in the response of the airfoil. The non-smoothness of the response can be either due to subcritical LCOs or due to the activation of the NES. Several stochastic optimization problems with the objective of maximizing the mean reduction of LCOs are presented.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Aerospace Engineering


Abstract
We studied, over a four-year period, two adolescents with α
1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency who subsequently died from complications of hepatic cirrhosis. Serial pulmonary function studies indicated mild obstructive lung disease involving peripheral airways in both patients. Postmortem histologic and pulmonary morphometric studies indicated mild diffuse airspace and bronchial gland enlargement, and slight dilation of small airways. This airspace enlargement may represent the early stage of lung disease in AAT-deficient subjects and suggests that pulmonary anatomic changes may occur long before the onset of clinically and pathologically significant emphysema. ASJC Scopus subject areas Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine


The
CBP Network encompasses all past and current students of the Management of Creative Business Processes Master’s program at the Copenhagen Business School. The program is focused on forming the students into skilled managers ready to work within the creative industries and any other industry deploying creative processes.
These industries rely and thrive on networks. Therefore, the network facilitates the students’ entry into the Danish labour market and the exchange about creative industries and processes.
The CBP NETWORK story
In 2010, four students from the
CBP Program initiated the network. What started as a small student project has now become an official non-profit organization. It is supported by the Copenhagen Business School. The network is now a key asset to the program.
Each year, the baton is passed to the next generation of CBP students who manage the
CBP Network, with the support of the program administration and past students. The network’s goals
The
CBP Network is bridging the gap between young professionals and organizations in the creative industries. Our main mission is to strengthen the link between CBP students and alumni as well as creative organizations through our website and various events.
The Network plays a role in promoting the
Master in Management of Creative Business Processes at the Copenhagen Business School, here in Denmark. We aim to attract talents from diverse backgrounds and interests to foster dialogue and create relationships. This will help to shape them into creative leaders with the necessary skillset, and network, to navigate the complex processes in creative and innovative industries, both on the local and international level.
The goal is that the
CBP Network will bring new opportunities to all members, as well as to create a pool of young talents with a passion for creativity coupled with a deep understanding of the management challenges it brings. Our members are passionate about the arts, design and innovation and understand an organization’s role in enabling and guiding creativity.


Update for graduate and professional school students This message is being emailed to all graduate and professional students on August 11, 2020. For any updates, please visit the Student Affairs website.
Dear graduate student community,
Some of you have reached out with concerns about the current testing, quarantine and isolation procedures shared in a message with our graduate student community last week. We understand that with each decision and its subsequent communication during this time comes an incredible impact on our students and community. We want to acknowledge how challenging it can be to prepare for a new academic year during a pandemic. We are writing to provide clarification on the procedures and best guidance for how to stay as safe as possible during this time.
The State of California has recently released it’s guidance for institutions of higher education. These plans are designed to lower the risk of transmission in higher education campus communities. As we mentioned in the previous message, there will be a campus compact outlining all of the university measures on prevention, testing, quarantine, isolation and physical distancing that aligns with state and county guidance. The primary purpose of this email is to help you navigate your current housing transition into the academic year.
We understand that for current residents, the arrival of new students is a specific source of concern as we navigate current public health guidance.
Specifically, students who are living in multi-bedroom apartments have expressed concern for transmission of the virus in the entry testing period when a new roommate arrives. When moving on to campus, students are expected to follow the testing protocol shared in the August 6th message. To add, new students are asked to complete a Health Check before arriving. As students prepare for new roommates, here are a few key steps that you can take during the entry testing period:
Avoid close contactwith your new roommate. Specifically, for COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define a close contact as being within six feet of a person for at least 15 minutes. Wear a maskwhen you are in the common areas of your shared apartment and in the larger apartment building. Stagger useof common area spaces. For example, avoid sharing kitchen utensils and completely clean up the kitchen area after each use during the testing period. Engage in frequent handwashing and surface cleaning Set shared expectations with your roommate.Discuss how you both plan to communicate and engage in all of the public health measures together, including cleaning, physical distancing and mask wearing in the apartment.
For students who remain concerned about the transmission of COVID-19 during the entry testing period, we have a limited number of spaces for students to relocate during the entry testing period (up to 7 days). It is our expectation that the person who expresses discomfort with their current situation will be the one who will relocate temporarily. This is available through August 31, 2020 at which point, we will no longer have capacity to provide this option. Please contact the Graduate Life Office staff if you would like to learn more about this option.
We welcome your thoughts and concerns
During a time of a global pandemic, we cannot make our campus community completely safe from the virus; however, together, we can make it safer. COVID-19 is challenging all of us, but we will continue to find solutions together. We recognize that some of you will continue to have questions and concerns. Again, here’s where you can share your general concerns. In addition, if you have individual or specific concerns about navigating your needs, please consult with the Graduate Life Office to receive support and/or contact the Office of Accessible Education, should you have specific accommodations to address.
Shirley Everett
Senior Associate Vice Provost, Residential & Dining Enterprises
Mona Hicks
Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students
Dr. James Jacobs
Executive Director, Vaden Health Services


JTO Clin Res Rep. 2020 Nov 12:100124. doi: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2020.100124. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is associated with severe COVID-19 infections. Symptom overlap between COVID-19 and lung cancer may complicate diagnostic evaluation. We aimed to investigate the incidence, symptoms, differential diagnosis, and outcomes of COVID-19 in lung cancer patients.
METHODS: To determine an at-risk population for COVID-19, we retrospectively identified lung cancer patients receiving longitudinal care within a single institution in the 12 months (4/1/19 - 3/31/20) immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, including an "active therapy population" treated within the last 60 days of this period. Among patients subsequently referred for COVID-19 testing, we compared symptoms, laboratory/radiographic findings, and outcomes of positive versus negative patients.
RESULTS: Between 4/1/2019-3/31/2020, 696 patients received longitudinal care, including 406 (58%) in the active therapy population. Among 55 patients referred for COVID-19 testing, 24 (44%) were COVID-19 positive, representing a cumulative incidence of 3.4% (longitudinal population) and 1.5% (active therapy population). Compared to COVID-19-negative patients, COVID-19-positive patients were more likely to have a supplemental oxygen requirement (11% vs. 54%, p=0.005) and to have typical COVID-19 pneumonia imaging findings (5 vs. 56%, p=0.001). Otherwise, there were no significant differences in presenting symptoms. Among COVID-negative patients, alternative etiologies included treatment-related toxicity (26%), atypical pneumonia (22%), and disease progression (22%). Sixteen COVID-19-postive patients (67%) required hospitalization, and 7 (29%) died from COVID-related complications.
CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was infrequent in this lung cancer population, but these patients experienced high rates of morbidity and mortality. Oncologists should maintain a low threshold for COVID-19 testing in lung cancer patients presenting with acute symptoms.


For Abdul, living with albinism used to mean living in constant fear. Misconceptions about the cause of albinism made him cautious of interacting with others. But Abdul was able to connect with our disability ministry in Malawi. And, thanks to the support of people like you, Abdul was introduced to his Savior and found Christian community.
Since 2014, reported crimes against Malawians with albinism has risen to 163+ cases including 22 murders.*
Some Malawians believe the bones of people with albinism hold special powers. Others believe they are liars and can’t be trusted.
Albinism is a genetic condition that prevents the body from producing or distributing melanin.
– Abdul
While albinism doesn’t cause physical disabilities, those with albinism in Malawi face severe discrimination, judgment, and threats from their communities. This is why our disability ministry has made it a point to include them in our work.
Sunscreen is difficult, if not impossible, to find in Malawi, so sunscreen and hats are provided to individuals like little Elena.
At the same time, spiritual needs are met by connecting people like Abdul to the Bible and God’s love through direct gospel proclamation and worship opportunities.
Abdul was raised Muslim, but when he was sent to live with relatives 300 miles away he began practicing Christianity. Then he heard about a church that could supply him with sunscreen. It was there that he connected with the disability ministry.
The disability ministry introduced him to people who helped him explore the Bible and answered his questions. His faith began to grow. Now Abdul is not only a program participant with the disability ministry, he is a dedicated volunteer!
– Abdul
Abdul volunteers with the disability ministry to help both those with albinism and those with disabilities. “I want people to understand us fully,” Abdul says. “If they understand us fully, it will be easier for them to support us.”
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
Stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding albinism in Malawi instill fear, and separate people like Abdul from the rest of society. This keeps people with albinism from living the lives God created them to live. It keeps them from experiencing the freedom found in Jesus.
Names and images may have been changed for privacy or security.
*Amnesty International


Institutionalizing Peacebuilding Institutionalizing Peacebuilding
The UNCC, Conflict Resources, and the Future of Natural Resources in Transitional Justice
This chapter explores the appropriation and exploitation of natural resources during armed conflict and considers the challenges that conflict resources pose to post-conflict peacebuilding. It analyzes legal norms that constitute the international law into shaping how tribunals address conflict resources in the future and examines how the UN Compensation Commission’s (UNCC) approaches may be applied to conflict resources in other peacebuilding and transitional justice bodies. The chapter concludes with formalized institutional frameworks for future responses to conflict resources and wartime environmental harm.
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Macro Notes provide analysis on key macro and geopolitical developments. They complement the existing IIF product line up, which includes Global Macro Views, Economic Views, in depth country reports and data.
Government debt in Sub-Saharan Africa has risen markedly in recent years. This is partly due to issuance of Eurobonds in a low interest rate environment. Debt amortization will peak in 2024-25, while financing needs remain high. As a result, these countries will need to attract significant non-resident capital. Tightening of global financial conditions could increase debt costs substantially.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to display stronger growth than other EMs. However, this has not resulted in meaningful real convergence for most. Continued high, though declining, population growth is partly responsible. Higher productivity growth is necessary to improve living standards quicker. Rising indebtedness represents the key risk to the medium-term outlook.
Looser DM monetary policy and the US-China truce drove flows to EM. 2019 saw an important rebound in portfolio flows compared to 2018. Foreign currency and local debt attracted the bulk of non-resident flows. Going forward, foreign investors will likely focus on idiosyncratic stories.
Ukraine’s new agreement with the IMF is critical for external financing, even though recent flows into domestic bonds have alleviated pressure. The agreement signals confidence in ongoing reform efforts to markets, and will lead to renewed investor interest in local government bonds.
The release of the 2019 MTBPS was a wake-up call for politicians, just like in 2017. The 2020 budget in February, union negotiations, and Eskom resolution are key. Moody’s is likely to downgrade South Africa’s rating to sub-IG sometime in 2020. A deep domestic market and low short-term and FX debt mitigate our concerns. But with deteriorating debt dynamics, South Africa is exposed to external shocks.
EU structural funds have boosted growth in Eastern Europe, allowing for strong income convergence with the rest of the EU. Cuts in the 2021-27 EU budget will lead to smaller contributions, but a sudden slowdown is unlikely, and convergence will continue.
Inflation is trending down in many emerging markets. This is partially due to higher central bank credibility. EM inflation has also become increasingly synchronized. Persistently lower inflation could allow for more easing. Risk of reversals and country-specific shocks remains high.
Russian authorities announced a policy pivot towards growth. National projects exceed 3% of GDP per year over 2019-24. Apart from national projects, policies will likely remain tight. We therefore expect only a modest pickup in Russia’s growth.
Weak growth has led to deteriorating debt dynamics in recent years. Falling business and consumer confidence do not point to a recovery. External imbalances remain despite weak activity and depreciation. Interest payments to non-residents have risen sharply due to high debt. The Rand is vulnerable to shifts in market sentiment and portfolio flows.
Markets were disappointed by the 2019 MTBPS announcement. Revisions to growth, deficit, and debt were worse than expected. This follows an Eskom plan lacking details on debt restructuring. Moody’s changed the outlook to negative but kept the IG rating. Key market concern is no longer the rating, but debt sustainability.