A team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside has found a new mechanism responsible for the abnormal development of neuronal connections in the mouse brain that leads to seizures and abnormal social behaviors.
The researchers focused on the area of the brain called hippocampus, which plays an important role in learning and social interactions; and synapses, which are specialized contacts between neurons.
Each neuron in the brain receives numerous excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. The balance between excitation and inhibition in neuronal circuits, known as E/I balance and thought to be essential for circuit function and stability and important for information processing in the central nervous system, can play a role in causing many neurological disorders, including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia.
The researchers also focused on a protein called ephrin-B1, which spans the membrane surrounding the cell and plays a role in maintaining the nervous system. The goal of their study was to determine if the deletion or over-production of ephrin-B1 in astrocytes—glial cells in the brain that regulate synaptic connections between neurons—affects synapse formation and maturation in the developing hippocampus and alters the E/I balance, leading to behavioral deficits.
"We found the changes in the E/I balance are regulated by astrocytes in the developing brain through the ephrin protein," said Iryna Ethell, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine who led the mouse study. "Further, astrocytic ephrin-B1 is linked to the development of inhibitory networks in the hippocampus during a critical developmental period, which is a new and unexpected discovery. Specifically, we show the loss of astrocytic ephrin-B1 tilts the E/I balance in favor of excitation by reducing inhibition, which then hyperactivates the neuronal circuits. This hyperactivity manifests as reduced sociability in the mice and suggests they can serve as a new model to study autism spectrum disorder."
The findings, published in the
Journal of Neuroscience, can further scientists' understanding of the mechanisms that lead to neurodevelopmental disorders, allowing researchers to discover novel interventions for treating these disorders by targeting astrocytes during a specific developmental period.
Ethell explained that astrocyte dysfunctions are also linked to synapse pathologies associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease where early dysfunction in synaptic connections can also lead to neuron loss.
"How exactly astrocytes use the ephrin protein to control the development of neuronal networks remains to be explored in future studies," she said. "Our findings open a new inquiry into future clinical applications as impaired inhibition has been linked to several developmental disorders, including autism and epilepsy."
The report is first to establish a link between astrocytes and the development of E/I balance in the mouse hippocampus during early postnatal development.
"We provide new evidence that different ephrin-B1 levels in astrocytes influence both excitatory and inhibitory synapses during development and contribute to the formation of neuronal networks in the brain and associated behaviors," Ethell said.
She explained that synapses are building blocks of neural networks and function as fundamental information-processing units in the brain. Excitatory synapses are cell-cell connections that facilitate neuronal activity, she said, whereas inhibitory connections negatively regulate brain activity to coordinate brain responses, their timing, and specificity.
"Hyperactivity of neuronal networks resulting from the loss or impaired function of inhibitory synapses can lead to neural dysfunctions and seizures," she added. "Like a car without brakes, the brain without inhibitory neurons cannot function properly and becomes overactive, resulting in loss of body control."
Ethell acknowledged further investigation is needed to determine how exactly ephrin signaling in astrocytes alters inhibitory synapses, and specifically how astrocytes may contribute to these mechanisms.
"Given the widespread and growing research interest in the astrocyte-mediated mechanisms that regulate E/I balance in neurodevelopmental disorders, our findings establish a foundation for future studies of astrocytes in clinically relevant conditions," she said.
More information: Amanda Q Nguyen et al, Astrocytic ephrin-B1 controls excitatory-inhibitory balance in developing hippocampus, The Journal of Neuroscience (2020). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0413-20.2020 Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience
Provided by University of California - Riverside


Gergana Petrova Romanova
PhD Student
Section for Production, Markets and Policy
Rolighedsvej 25, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Bygning C, stuen, Building: 0.204
ORCID:0000-0002-0524-7059
In my PhD, I explore the phenomena of university-industry collaborations, applying innovation management and organizational theory lenses. In the qualitative investigation I am conducting, I collect data on the level of the management of the university and at a collaborative project level – projects where university scientists collaborate on research projects with industry partners. Interviews with project participants and observations conducted during collaborative project meetings and advisory board meetings comprise the larger chunk of my data set. However, initially I started by looking at the local institutional settings to understand how collaborations are perceived, initiated and supported. As I delve into the individual research projects, I aim to understand how university-industry collaborative research projects are managed in practice. I base my individual articles of the dissertation on these different empirical settings and points. As this is an inductive study and I have let the data to lead the process of investigation, I have currently found the notion of
openness to guide my research and further data collection. Openness, I found, plays out in fascinating ways when exploring the way middle and top management work towards developing university strategy with focus on the three missions of the university, and particularly on the third mission of innovation and creating impact to society. Additionally, I am interested in understanding how open innovation and open science are practiced in the collaboration between scientists and their industry partners in the individual projects. Teaching
I teach in the MSc course of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Food Innovation & Entrepreneurship course (part of the MSc in Integrated Food Studies). The topics I cover span across Business Models, Business Model Canvas, Lean Start-up Approach, Venture Financing and Business Planning.
Supervision
I co-supervise MSc students across natural science fields who work on their Projects In Practice and master’s theses with focus on innovation & entrepreneurship.
ID: 182562812


Federal Income Tax Bankruptcy Laws
Income taxes and bankruptcy are common but strange companions. As the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) becomes more user friendly, individuals and business owners finally have a bit of flexibility in paying or receiving forgiveness of taxes due. People should, nevertheless, become familiar with this relationship and learn the laws that apply. Maximizing cash and minimizing stress should result.
Income Tax
The only tax that can be considered for discharge (elimination) is the income tax. Only individuals, not businesses, have the opportunity for income tax forgiveness. However, small businesses that are sole proprietorships, with all income recorded as individual compensation for income tax purposes, often qualify for elimination in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Therefore, some or all income tax due may be eliminated if the taxpayer qualifies.
Chapter 7 Versus Chapter 13
While there may be some ability to discharge income taxes as part of a Chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy, there is no provision for elimination of taxes with a Chapter 13 (wage earner) petition. Chapter 13, which allows the petitioner to pay a reduced amount to creditors over a three- to five-year period, requires that all income taxes be paid in full (no discount or percentage) during the bankruptcy term.
Taxes That May Qualify For Discharge in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Income taxes due prior to three years before filing a bankruptcy petition may be discharged. Those taxes for individual returns that were (or should have been) filed within the three years immediately preceding a bankruptcy filing cannot be discharged. Non-dischargeable income taxes also include tax applicable to returns filed late and within two years of the bankruptcy filing. Add taxpayers who are suspected of committing fraud on their returns to the list of non-dischargeable income taxes. Other income tax obligations should, however, be dischargeable. Always consult with an experienced tax advisor before making any final assumptions regarding dischargeability. However, businesses do not qualify for tax forgiveness.
Income Tax Liens
Income tax bankruptcy laws prohibit discharging obligations after liens have been filed and recorded. Past due taxes, for which the IRS files liens against real estate and personal or business property, become secured debts. Creditors having properly acquired security must receive payment or physically take possession of the security to satisfy their debts. Should the IRS file a valid lien against the taxpayer’s property for delinquent tax payments, these income taxes cannot be discharged.
Competent Advice Required
While many bankruptcies are straightforward and relatively simple, when income taxes are a component, individual and business cases can easily become complex. For example, most other taxes, e.g., payroll taxes collected by a business, are never dischargeable in bankruptcy. However, questions arise with small businesses that are sole proprietorships or C corporations, where all profits are distributed to the owners as compensation. The most important rule is to get experienced, correct advice from tax advisors, be they accountants, attorneys or other qualified professionals. Whenever possible, consult with one or more experts before filing for bankruptcy. Proper planning and knowledge can help avoid income tax traps during a bankruptcy.


Notice:Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience. Journal of neuro-oncologyLober, R. M., Cho, Y., Tang, Y., Barnes, P. D., Edwards, M. S., Vogel, H., Fisher, P. G., Monje, M., Yeom, K. W. 2014; 117 (1): 175-182 Abstract
While pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) remain fatal, recent data have shown subgroups with distinct molecular biology and clinical behavior. We hypothesized that diffusion-weighted MRI can be used as a prognostic marker to stratify DIPG subsets with distinct clinical behavior. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values derived from diffusion-weighted MRI were computed in 20 consecutive children with treatment-naïve DIPG tumors. The median ADC for the cohort was used to stratify the tumors into low and high ADC groups. Survival, gender, therapy, and potential steroid effects were compared between the ADC groups. Median age at diagnosis was 6.6 (range 2.3-13.2) years, with median follow-up seven (range 1-36) months. There were 14 boys and six girls. Seventeen patients received radiotherapy, five received chemotherapy, and six underwent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. The median ADC of 1,295 × 10(-6) mm(2)/s for the cohort partitioned tumors into low or high diffusion groups, which had distinct median survivals of 3 and 13 months, respectively (log-rank p < 0.001). Low ADC tumors were found only in boys, whereas high ADC tumors were found in both boys and girls. Available tissue specimens in three low ADC tumors demonstrated high-grade histology, whereas one high ADC tumor demonstrated low-grade histology with a histone H3.1 K27M mutation and high-grade metastatic lesion at autopsy. ADC derived from diffusion-weighted MRI may identify prognostically distinct subgroups of pediatric DIPG.
View details for DOI 10.1007/s11060-014-1375-8
View details for PubMedID 24522717


For those seeking to be politically engaged, the coronavirus pandemic poses significant issues. Across the country, local and state governments have created restrictions which bar large gatherings and discourage social interactions. With college campuses at their mercy, many universities have shut down for the fall semester. For those fortunate enough to remain on campus, engagement, especially that of a political nature, has been stifled. However, college students aren’t the only ones who face this issue. These troubles reach far past universities themselves, and deep into the communities in which these campuses reside.
Older populations are notorious for their political involvement. According to a 2019 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 64% of eligible Baby Boomers voted in the 2018 midterms, while only 42% of eligible millennials and 30% of eligible Generation Z voters. This November, as many older voters stay home to remain safe, this will not only lower the number of voters at the polls, but the number of poll workers as well.
In another study conducted in 2020 by PRC, it was found that during the 2018 midterm, around six in ten poll workers were over the age of 61, and approximately 27% were over the age of 70. With citizens in this demographic being more likely to contract the novel coronavirus, poll worker shortages will be inevitable in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
History has shown that poll worker shortages are a direct cause of voter disenfranchisement, with effects ranging from long lines to complete poll closures. With many touting the 2020 election as one of the most important in recent history, and the growing doubt surrounding the use of mail-in voting, ensuring polling locations are adequately staffed is imperative.
Campaigns such as Power The Polls, the Campus Compact Safe Elections Project, and the Campus Vote Project seek to make sure that voting as a form of civic engagement remains accessible to all. As students still on campus strategize ways which to both respect social distancing policies while also furthering their respective political causes, becoming a poll worker appears to be a strong option. In most places, poll workers are paid, which, along with protecting democracy, is a lucrative incentive for college students, who are usually low on money. Additionally, with many universities discussing the possibility of cancelling class on Election Day, being a poll worker is more accessible to students than ever.
For those seeking more information on how to become involved in their respective areas, visit Power The Polls for more information.


The anticipated impact of autonomous vehicles on driver safety
cannot be overstated. According to federal data, roughly 37,000
people died and another 2.7 million were injured in car accidents
in the United States in 2017 alone.
1
The United States Department of Transportation estimates that
94% of crashes involve driver-related factors, such as impaired
driving, speeding or illegal maneuvers.
2 These striking
numbers are a driving force behind the enthusiasm for autonomous
vehicles, which are expected to substantially diminish or eliminate
accidents caused by human error.
Such a shift would not only improve safety, but also transform the litigation landscape. Most obviously, a substantial reduction in accidents would likely produce a correspondingly substantial reduction in accident-related litigation. But commentators have suggested that the character of the remaining litigation would also likely shift.
If human factors are largely eliminated from car accidents, the
supposition has been that liability for accidents would shift
almost entirely to car manufacturers, removing or severely
restricting the availability of comparative fault
defenses.
3 Indeed, a number of automobile manufacturers
have previously stated that they would assume liability for
accidents involving self-driving technology in their automobiles,
while also noting that the anticipated liability for such accidents
is likely to be very small or nonexistent, due to the safety
improvements that the technology is expected to
confer. 4
This approach also appears to reflect the assumption of
potential regulators of autonomous vehicles. For example, in a
white paper authored this month by the Governors Highway Safety
Association — which is a nonprofit group that represents
state highway safety offices — a panel of experts
commissioned by the association noted that while some have
suggested that owners could remain liable for autonomous vehicles
involved in accidents, "[o]thers have suggested that the
[autonomous vehicle's] manufacturer [would] be responsible
under product liability law."
5
In reality, such statements — while broadly correct, in
noting that autonomous driving technology is likely to alter the
shape of litigation — likely oversimplify things
significantly. Already, what little litigation there has been over
alleged defects in autonomous driving technology has involved
allegations of fault by human parties to the accidents at issue, a
trend that is likely to continue at least during the likely long
transition period during which autonomous, semi-autonomous and
nonautonomous vehicles coexist.
6
Moreover, even assuming there is a shift away from driver liability, it is not clear that liability will shift entirely to automobile manufacturers — especially in light of the trend toward outsourcing the multiple necessary components for an autonomous driving system to a diverse array of third-party vendors. Computerization of the driving function also opens potentially new frontiers for liability that were previously confined to other fields — such as hacking, which traditionally has threatened informational rather than physical harm.
To see the full article click here
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.


Neurotherapy utilizes the brains neuroplasticity, its ability to change, to guide the brain to a healthier functioning state. This is a lifelong ability.
NEUROFEEDBACK
To understand how the brain is functioning, a brainmap, called a Quantitative EEG (QEEG) is analyzed, so the best brain training approach and protocols can be selected. Neurofeedback has been around for over 50 years and with the explosion of neuroscience research, significant advances have been made in the past decade.
We utilize state of the art neurotherapy approaches including Infra Slow Fluctuation, S-Loreta, Z-Score, HEG and LENS, utilizing Brainmaster technology. Unlike older methods that might require 20-40 sessions for evidence of change, these newer approaches demonstrate results quickly.
A typical neurofeedback session entails having 3 sensors applied to the scalp and watching a video. The computer system analyzes brain activity and provides visual and auditory feedback, which the brain utilizes to improve its' self regulation.
The human brain is truly amazing. It grows and changes with consistent, repetitious stimulation. While it may be hard to believe that something that looks so simple can produce such significant change, it really does, to the delight of clients, every single day...


Are you worried about an adult?
Please call
0344 800 8020
This briefing from NHS Providers is based on extensive interviews with the leaders of
seven trusts in the NHS providing good or outstanding care to people with a learning disability and people with autism, and broader ongoing engagement with trusts providing these services.
The report sets out in detail the
common themes behind high-quality care, offering detailed case studies of how these services have succeeded.


The journal of the Genome engineering is devoted to rapid publications of full length research papers that lead to significant contribution in advancing knowledge in genome engineering. It promotes rigorous research that makes a significant contribution. Currently many journals primary objective is to encourage and assist the development of better and faster measures of Genome engineering. In cases where the scientific community believe they could contribute directly, as opposed to through highlighting the work of others, some of the journals are producing their own measures of research activity. work is mainly of interest to investors, organizations and individuals in the financial sector and to significant corporations with global operations, as well as governments and academic researchers.
Last date updated on
December, 2020


Development and the Brain: Ages, Stages, and the Neuroscience of Youth Development SKU:
Understanding the ages and stages of child and youth development helps to design effective programs, navigate behavior management, and have a stronger impact. This session will explore the latest research from neuroscience and child behavior to understand each stage of childhood and adolescence.
This session is a 2-hour workshop. For 3 hours, the fee is $1,150, and for 5 hours, the fee is $1400. You will receive follow-up materials to support adoption of practices, and you can request further assistance after the session if needed.
Audience: All staff who work with children and youth or who lead/design youth programs
Want a customized version of this learning module? Just contact us!
*Pricing is for NYC, Long Island, and Westchester. If outside of this metro area, additional travel fees may apply.


Titre : Performances of highland sheep under community-based breeding program in Atsbi Wenberta District, Tigray, Ethiopia Auteur : Regassa, M. Université de soutenance : Bahir Dar University. Grade : MSc thesis in Animal Breeding and Genetics. 2018 Résumé partiel This study was conducted in three PAs namely Habes, Golgolnealea and Gebrekidan of Atsbi Wenberta district of Tigray Region, Ethiopia, aimed at evaluating productive and reproductive performances of Highland sheep under on-going community-based breeding program (CBBP). The study also assessed existing sheep production system, major challenges and opportunities, farmers’ perception about the breeding program, its importance and the perceived impacts of the program, opportunities and challenges faced in running the program. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated from primary and secondary sources. For the survey work a total of 195 household were randomly selected and interviewed using pre-tested, structured questionnaire. For the performance study, a total of 892 births, 817 weaning, 751 six months, and 564 yearling weight records and for reproductive performance evaluation a total of 464 age at first lambing, 381 lambing interval and 461 liter size records were used for the analysis. Additional data was collected during the study period (monitoring data) from randomly selected flocks in CBBP and non-CBBP households Growth performances, reflected in both birth and weaning weights, of Highland sheep under CBBP showed an improvement. Birth weight of progeny of selected rams was found significantly heavier than base flocks (2.39± 0.14kg vs. 2.02±0.21 kg ; p<0.01). Similarly, three month weight had shown highly significant variation between the two groups (8.98 ± 0.24 kg vs. 8.51± 0.38 ; p<0.01). However, this difference became insignificant at six month and yearly weight (p>0.05). This variation might indicate body weight improvements were accumulated due to effects of selection of rams in two rounds. In the current study, type of management, parity, sex of lambs, birth type, birth season and year were found significant sources of variation for both birth and three month weights. However, six month and yearling weights were affected by sex of lambs and birth season only (p<0.05). The overall mean reproductive performance in terms age at first lambing, lambing interval and liter size were 494±37.31days, 266.7±11.07days and1.12 ±0.15, respectively. Type of management was not found a significant source of variation (p>0.05). However, type of birth, parity and season of birth had significantly influenced AFL, LI and LS .Findings of the study indicated that the breed can produce three lambings in two years.
Page publiée le 21 avril 2020


Minnesota voters now have seven days to submit their absentee ballot in advance of the 2020 general election on November 3, 2020. For the past several presidential elections Minnesota has led the nation in voter participation, and nothing is likely to change in 2020. Moreover, residents of our state have really taken to early voting. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports, “No-excuse absentee voting has been available in Minnesota since 2014 and has become an increasingly popular option with every passing election, but this one is likely to take the cake.”
To date, nearly 1.8 million absentee ballots have been requested and approximately 1.2 million of those have already been submitted and accepted by election officials across Minnesota. This represents a 375% increase in the total number of early ballots accepted in the general election of 2016 and the 2018 midterm elections.
For information on ways to vote early, including how to request, complete, submit, and track your absentee ballot, please visit the Office of the Secretary of State Elections and Voting webpage. This dedicated page also provides comprehensive details on how to register and vote safely on election day.
Your voice matters. VOTE!


Abstract:
BACKGROUND: There are limited empirical data available regarding the relationship between concussion history and neurocognitive functioning in active National Football League (NFL) players in general and NFL draft picks in particular. Potential NFL draft picks undergo 2 neurocognitive tests at the National Invitational Camp (Scouting Combine) every year: the Wonderlic and, since 2011, the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). After conclusion of the combine and before the draft, NFL teams invite potential draft picks to their headquarters for individual visits where further assessment may occur. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between concussion history and neurocognitive performance (ImPACT and Wonderlic) in a sample of elite NFL draft picks. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Over 7 years, 226 potential draft picks were invited to visit a specific NFL team’s headquarters after the combine. The athletes were divided into 3 groups based on self-reported concussion history: no prior concussions, 1 prior concussion, and 2 or more prior concussions. Neurocognitive measures of interest included Wonderlic scores (provided by the NFL team) and ImPACT composite scores (administered either at the combine or during a visit to the team headquarters). The relationship between concussion history and neurocognitive scores was assessed, as were the relationships among the 2 neurocognitive tests. RESULTS: Concussion history had no relationship to neurocognitive performance on either the Wonderlic or ImPACT. CONCLUSION: Concussion history did not affect performance on either neurocognitive test, suggesting that for this cohort, a history of concussion may not have adverse effects on neurocognitive functioning as measured by these 2 tests. This study reveals no correlation between concussion history and neurocognitive test scores (ImPACT, Wonderlic) in soon-to-be active NFL athletes.


Real-time alerts and monitoring save time, money and reduce waste
Precision farming requires farmers to adapt to a new technology-driven practice which demands collecting, managing and analysing data to make informed decisions quickly.
GlasCore now makes this easier by allowing you to monitor various aspects of your business in real-time with automated alerts. You can build your own bespoke alerts and set specific alert ranges, so you’ll get a notification as soon as an issue is recognised. Get in touch to mitigate small issues before they become big costs.


The INCLUDE special report ‘To graduate or not to graduate?’ features Cape Verde’s graduation from LDC status in 2007. This report draws valuable lessons for other potentially graduating LDCs. It also discusses dependence on foreign aid and suggests new modes of international cooperation to ensure greater independence from aid.
Graduation from least developed country (LDC) status is an issue of extreme relevance for development practitioners, donors, and potentially graduating countries. While graduation is generally positive and reflects inclusive growth, it comes at a cost. Graduated countries are no longer eligible for special treatment, including trade preferences and Official Development Assistance, and can be left in a vulnerable position if local or global conditions change. The Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action aims at halving the number of LDCs by 2020, which is clearly an immense task.
This special report is based on a seminar conducted as part of the seminar series on ‘New Modes of Development Cooperation’ co-organized by INCLUDE and the Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University.
Contributors are:
Dr Djalita Fialho, Pedro Pires Institute, Cape Verde Niels Hermes, Professor of Management and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business, Groningen University Maria de Jesus Veiga Miranda, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cape Verde Dr Corsino Tolentino, former Minister of Education and Director of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Cape Verde Marten van den Berg, MA, Director General International Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands Peter AG van Bergeijk, Professor of International Economics and Macroeconomics, Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University and INCLUDE Knowledge Manager Rolph van der Hoeven, Emeritus Professor of the Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, and Member of the INCLUDE platform
Video impression of the seminar:


The global
body scrub market size is expected to reach USD 18.9 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., registering a 5.1% CAGR over the forecast period. Growing awareness regarding skincare and the desire to have younger looking and healthier skin are expected to drive the market. Body scrubs, or exfoliants, have several benefits; they eliminate dead skin cells and dirt, cleanse and rejuvenate the skin, and increase blood circulation. These advantages have upped their usage and demand among consumers.
Another factor driving product uptake is increasing number of working women in developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil. A surge in disposable income has resulted in growing spending on bath and beauty products, including body scrubs. This factor is anticipated to fuel the market over the forecast period. Use of essential oils in scrubs, such as coconut oil or olive oil, helps in maintaining skin moisture and protects the skin from different allergies. This feature also drives product demand.
Asia Pacific dominates the global body scrub market and is expected to reach USD 6.6 billion by 2025. This revenue growth is attributed to high awareness regarding skincare among consumers and rapidly increasing population in countries like China and India. These countries have been attracting more players to invest in R&D so as to meet growing demands and requirements of people with various skin types.
North America is expected to be the fastest growing market, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.6% from 2019 to 2025. This region is expected to witness steady growth in light of higher spending power and rising awareness about healthier and younger-looking skin, especially in U.S. Furthermore, strong brand goodwill and foothold of major industry players, including Soapworks Santa Cruz and Home & Body Co., through their well-established distributor networks in the region is projected to remain a favorable trend.
Plant-based scrubs accounted for 46.8% of the overall market in 2018 owing to the many benefits they provide, resulting in a significant shift in consumer preference. An increasing number of salons and skin treatment centers globally have upped their usage and demand for these product variants to treat different skin problems.
The milk-based segment is also expected to witness rapid growth owing to increasing popularity of these product variants. They offer various benefits such as skin whitening and lightening, anti-aging, and treating sunburns. These products also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/body-scrub-market Further key findings from the report suggest: The plant-based segment is expected to value USD 9.1 billion by 2025, fueled by growing uptake of these products across salons and skin treatment centers The online distribution channel is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.0% over the forecast period owing to a thriving e-commerce industry and easy availability of a wide range of products Europe is expected to account for a share of 21.04% by 2025. Consumers in countries likeFrance, Germany, U.K., and Spain prefer using body scrubs instead of regular soaps to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin Key industry players in this body scrub market include The Body Shop; Shieshdo; 3Lab Inc.; The Face Shop; Tonymoly Co. Ltd.; L’Oreal; The Forest Essentials; Sephora Inc.; and Innisfree Corporation.


During a 20 day period of high fiber consumption in the form of bread made partly from wheaten wholemeal, two men developed negative balances of calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus due to increased fecal excretion of each element. The fecal losses correlated closely with fecal dry matter and phosphorus. Fecal dry matter, in turn, was directly proportional to fecal fiber excretion. Balances of nitrogen remained positive. Mineral elements were well-utilized by the same subjects during a 20-day period of white bread consumption.


Superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit large contact angle and small hysteresis which promote liquid transport and enhance heat transfer. Here, liquid-vapor phase change behavior is reported on superhydrophobic surfaces with short carbon nanotubes deposited on micromachined posts, a two-tier texture mimicking the surface structure of lotus leaves. Compared to one-tier microtexture which energetically favors the Wenzel state, the two-tier texture with nanoscale roughness favors the Cassie state, the desired superhydrophobic state. During droplet evaporation, the two-tier texture delays the transition from Cassie to Wenzel state. Using two-tier texture with hexadeconethiol coating, continuous dropwise condensation was demonstrated for the first time on engineered superhydrophobic surfaces.


Updated: May 2019
A car is generally considered totaled when the cost to repair the car exceeds the value of the car. Some states have laws that define a totaled vehicle by specific thresholds. In Alabama, for instance, a car may be totaled when the damage is greater than 75 percent of its value. In that case, if a vehicle is worth $5,000 and the repair estimate is $4,000, the vehicle would likely be considered totaled.
In other cases, the insurer determines whether a vehicle is considered a total loss.
Comprehensive coverage and collision coverage help pay to replace a totaled vehicle. These two separate coverages are typically required on your car insurance policy if you're leasing or financing your vehicle. If your car is paid off, they're optional. But, if your vehicle is totaled and you don't have comprehensive or collision coverage, you may have to pay out of pocket to buy a replacement vehicle.
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If you're involved in a car accident, there are a few basic steps to follow before and after your vehicle is considered totaled:
Contact your agent and initiate an insurance claim.
Your insurer will determine whether the vehicle is a total loss, based on repair costs.
Your insurer will issue payment for the actual cash value of the totaled vehicle, minus your deductible on your comprehensive or collision coverage.
To determine your car's worth (the "actual cash value" in insurance terms) at the time of the accident, insurers typically use a number of factors to figure your car's actual cash value, including its age, condition, mileage and resale value, in addition to the selling price of similar vehicles in your area..
If you're financing a car that's been totaled, your insurance company will likely make the claim check payable to both you and your lender, which means you'll have to come to an agreement with your lender on how to release that money, the Insurance Information Institute (III) says. Typically, the lender will be reimbursed first, with any remaining money then being paid to you.
It's possible that you may still owe your lender more for the car than the insurance payment you receive. In that case, you are responsible for paying the remaining balance on the car lease or loan. For instance, suppose you owe $15,000 on your car loan, but your vehicle's value has depreciated to $13,000 when it's totaled. If you have collision coverage, your insurer would reimburse you for the actual cash value of your car — in this case, $13,000. You would have to pay your lender that amount, plus the remaining $2,000 out of your own pocket.
Adding loan or lease gap coverage to your car insurance policy is one way to help protect against paying a lender out of pocket for a totaled vehicle. Depending on your insurer, this optional coverage may be available as part of a package or as a standalone coverage. It may also be available only for brand-new cars
In some cases, a totaled car may not be anyone's fault. Suppose, for instance, that a tree topples onto your parked car and your insurer declares it's totaled. If you have comprehensive coverage on your car insurance policy, it will likely reimburse you for the actual cash value of your vehicle (again, minus your deductible).
If your car is totaled in an accident that is caused by another driver, your collision coverage may first come into play. However, your insurer may seek repayment from the other driver's insurer to cover the loss. In some cases, that may mean you are also reimbursed for the deductible that was subtracted from your insurance payout.
If your vehicle's airbags deploy in a car accident, that does not necessarily mean your car is a total loss. Your insurance adjuster will assess the situation and determine if the cost of replacing the airbags and repairing your vehicle would exceed its actual cash value. If the cost of repairs is less than the value of your car, your vehicle will likely not be declared a total loss.
Have more questions about car insurance coverages or a totaled vehicle? Talk to a local agent.


Key features A sustainable concept
The Jazia PVS concept is described under the bilateral governmental agreement between the governments of Tanzania and Switzerland, signed by MoHCDGEC and PO-RALG.
The Jazia PVS system was conceptualized and designed in a fully transparent and participatory approach involving regional, district and health facility stakeholders.
The Jazia PVS is sustainable as it is not a parallel system. It is built basing on existing government policies and guidelines and operates within the regional government structure.
A supplementary source to MSD and a safety net
The Jazia PVS serves as a safety net to the region in case of stock rupture at MSD and/or an unexpected spike in demand without compromising quality or price.
The Jazia PVS does not replace MSD but serves as a supplementary source for medicines and supplies out of stock or short supplied or not stocked by MSD.
The contracted Prime Vendor maintains sufficient stock level to meet supply shortfalls experienced from MSD.
Fixed costs and fiscal decentralization
The system does not utilize conventional source of funding e.g. funds deposited by the government at MSD for health facilities, but utilizes supplementary sources of funds such as user/cost sharing fees, CHF, NHIF and basket funds.
Districts pool their demand for supplementary medicines at the regional level, benefitting from uniform prices in all districts.
The PV system allows health facilities through Health Facility Governing Committees (HFGCs) to manage own funds following stringent SOPs hence enhancing fiscal decentralization. This is in line with the government policy of empowering health facilities to respond to community needs.
Delivery of quality medicines
The system supplies essential medicines and supplies of assured quality, safety and efficacy in accordance with the MoHCDGEC National Essential Medicines List and national oversight by the TFDA.
The system initially delivers to district headquarters; with option in the future to deliver directly to health facilities.
Public health facilities in the region have gained new options for improving drug availability without compromising quality or price.
Coordination, monitoring and expansion
The region operates a Jazia PVS office represented by a PV coordinator, a dedicated pharmacist and support staff to coordinate and monitor the performance of the system.
The system is closely managed and supported by mandated administrative structures such as a technical committee and a tender board appointed by the regional authorities.
The Jazia PVS was successfully piloted in Dodoma region and expanded to Morogoro and Shinyanga regions.
Scale-up to all regions of mainland Tanzania was decided by the PO-RALG.
Technical support is provided by the Health System Strengthening Resource Centre (HSS-RC) at PO-RALG.


Business Cycle Dating Committee Announcement June 8, 2020
Determination of the February 2020 Peak in US Economic Activity
Cambridge, June 8, 2020 - The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research maintains a chronology of the peaks and troughs of US business cycles. The committee has determined that a peak in monthly economic activity occurred in the US economy in February 2020. The peak marks the end of the expansion that began in June 2009 and the beginning of a recession. The expansion lasted 128 months, the longest in the history of US business cycles dating back to 1854. The previous record was held by the business expansion that lasted for 120 months from March 1991 to March 2001. (This report is also available as a pdf.)
The committee also determined that a peak in quarterly economic activity occurred in 2019Q4. Note that the monthly peak (February 2020) occurred in a different quarter (2020Q1) than the quarterly peak. The committee determined these peak dates in accord with its long-standing policy of identifying the months and quarters of peak activity separately, without requiring that the monthly peak lie in the same quarter as the quarterly peak. Further comments on the difference between the quarterly and monthly dates are provided below.
A recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, normally visible in production, employment, and other indicators. A recession begins when the economy reaches a peak of economic activity and ends when the economy reaches its trough. Between trough and peak, the economy is in an expansion.
Because a recession is a broad contraction of the economy, not confined to one sector, the committee emphasizes economy-wide indicators of economic activity. The committee believes that domestic production and employment are the primary conceptual measures of economic activity.
The Month of the Peak
In determining the date of the monthly peak, the committee considers a number of indicators of employment and production. The committee normally views the payroll employment measure, which is based on a large survey of employers, as the most reliable comprehensive estimate of employment. This series reached a clear peak in February. The committee recognized that this survey was affected by special circumstances associated with the pandemic of early 2020. In the survey, individuals who are paid but not at work are counted as employed, even though they are not in fact working or producing. Workers on paid furlough, who became more numerous during the pandemic, thus resulted in an overcount of people working in recent months. Accordingly, the committee also considered the employment measure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey, which excludes individuals who are paid but on furlough. This series plateaued from December 2019 through February 2020, and then fell steeply from February to March. Because both series measure employment during the week or pay period containing the 12th of the month, they understate the collapse of employment during the second half of March, as indicated by unprecedented levels of new claims for unemployment insurance. The committee concluded that both employment series were thus consistent with a business cycle peak in February.
The committee believes that the two most reliable comprehensive estimates of aggregate production are the quarterly estimates of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and of real Gross Domestic Income (GDI), both produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). These measures estimate production that occurred over an entire quarter and are not available monthly. The most comprehensive monthly measure of aggregate expenditures, which includes roughly 70 percent of real GDP, is monthly real personal consumption expenditures (PCE), published by the BEA. This series reached a clear peak in February 2020. The most comprehensive monthly measure of aggregate real income is real personal income less transfers, from the BEA. The deduction of transfers is necessary because transfers are included in personal income but do not arise from production. This measure also reached a well-defined peak in February 2020.
The Quarter of the Peak
In dating the quarterly peak, the committee relies on real GDP and real GDI as published by the BEA, and on quarterly averages of key monthly indicators. Quarterly real GDP and real GDI peaked in 2019Q4.
The quarterly average of employment as measured by the payroll series rose from 2019Q4 to 2020Q1. However, the committee concluded that the special factor noted above implies that the series should not play a significant role in determining the quarterly peak. The quarterly average as measured by the household survey reached a clear peak in 2019Q4. The committee concluded that like GDP and GDI, the number of people working also reached its quarterly peak in 2019Q4.
The fact that the monthly peak of February occurred in the middle of 2020Q1 while the quarterly peak occurred in 2019Q4 reflects the unusual nature of this recession. The economy contracted so sharply in March (the final month of the quarter) that in 2020Q1, GDP, GDI, and employment were significantly below their levels of 2019Q4.
Further Comments
The usual definition of a recession involves a decline in economic activity that lasts more than a few months. However, in deciding whether to identify a recession, the committee weighs the depth of the contraction, its duration, and whether economic activity declined broadly across the economy (the diffusion of the downturn). The committee recognizes that the pandemic and the public health response have resulted in a downturn with different characteristics and dynamics than prior recessions. Nonetheless, it concluded that the unprecedented magnitude of the decline in employment and production, and its broad reach across the entire economy, warrants the designation of this episode as a recession, even if it turns out to be briefer than earlier contractions.
Committee members participating in the decision were: Robert Hall, Stanford University (chair); Robert Gordon, Northwestern University; James Poterba, MIT and NBER President; Valerie Ramey, University of California, San Diego; Christina Romer, University of California, Berkeley; David Romer, University of California, Berkeley; James Stock, Harvard University; Mark Watson, Princeton University.


Nevada OSHA Provides Additional Requirements for Construction Employers to Address Feasibility of Social Distancing at Construction Sites
When Nevada’s Governor identified construction as an essential business amid the initial directives of the COVID-19 state of emergency, the executive order required construction employers to “maintain strict social distancing practices to facilitate a minimum of six feet of separation between workers.” Now, nearly a month later, Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recognized that strict social distancing measures are not always practical or feasible among workers on an active construction site. On April 20, 2020, Nevada OSHA issued revised guidelines addressing ongoing construction activity when social distancing cannot practically be maintained.
The guidelines continue to emphasize that safety and training meetings, tailgate talks, and similar gatherings must be restricted to 10 people or less. Additionally, the employer remains responsible for monitoring employees on lunch breaks, slack periods and in employee parking areas to ensure compliance with social distancing protocols.
Yesterday’s revisions to the guidelines, however, recognize that maintaining six feet of social distancing among employees is often neither practical nor feasible during active construction work. In such circumstances, the construction employer is now required to implement the following measures:
Complete a “Job Hazard Analysis” (JHA) for each task, procedure or instance where social distancing is infeasible. Each JHA must be of equivalent detail and scope as identified in Federal OSHA publication 3071. Each JHA completed for this purpose must specifically identify the task being addressed, hazard being addressed (spread of COVID-19), and controls used to address the hazard. Any policy or procedure identified in the JHA to address the hazard must be at least as effective, or more effective, than six feet of social distancing. Engineering controls, administrative controls, and/or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to implement the policy or procedure identified in the JHA must be provided by the employer. The employer must provide comprehensive training to all impacted staff for the implementation of the policy or procedure identified in the JHA, along with training for use of any and all equipment and PPE necessary for its implementation.
Nevada OSHA is implementing random construction site inspections to monitor compliance with all COVID-19 mandates, including the revised guidelines regarding the JHA procedures. Failure of an employer to observe the guidelines could result in OSHA administrative penalties up to and including site closure in extreme cases.
Newmeyer Dillion is tracking these trends and issues to counsel our clients whose businesses are at stake during these unprecedented circumstances. Please reach out to our COVID-19


Frontline caregivers across the United States—and in many other countries, no doubt—are bombarded by multiple quality improvement (QI) projects. A clinical unit might simultaneously be engaged in efforts to reduce readmissions, eliminate hospital-acquired infections and other complications, increase hand-hygiene compliance, improve performance on core measures, and enhance the patient experience. The demands brought by participating […]


Clean surfaces of the bath, basin and shower trays regularly. Rinse thoroughly with running water to prevent build-up of mildew.
Keep the shower door/curtain open and ventilate the room after use.
To remove soap residue and prevent build-up of lime stains, clean the bathroom surfaces regularly.
Launder towels, facecloths and bathmats regularly to remove bacteria of skin or faecal origin and fungi.
If the shower has not been used for a while, run hot water for 2-3 minutes to flush out any harmful microbes.
You can save water by taking a shower instead of a bath.
If someone at home has an infection, clean and disinfect taps and door handles often.
If someone has a skin or nail infection, clean bathroom surfaces more frequently and then use a disinfectant.
Do not share towels with other family members.
Legionnaires bacillus in the showerhead can be a risk to people with reduced immunity, if they inhale infected water droplets whilst showering.
Potentially harmful microbes from skin, nail and oral infections (e.g. athletes’ foot) can spread to others on surfaces, towels and toothbrushes.
A key moment for hygiene is touching surfaces frequently touched by others.
Install a water-saving shower head and tap nozzle and don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth.


The subject of ‘population’ is undergoing a renaissance in geography; this is seen, for example, in the voluminous studies addressing ‘marginalized’ populations, including but not limited to refugees, internally displaced persons, and children. In short, scholarship has focused on those lives rendered ‘wasted’, ‘precarious’, or ‘superfluous’. Population geographers have made substantial contributions; however, more can be done. In this and the next two progress reports, I suggest that population geographers reflect more deeply on the spatiality and survivability of vulnerable populations. More specifically, population geographers should consider the politics of fertility, mortality, and mobility from the standpoint of a layered demographic question: within any given place, who lives, who dies, and who decides? In this first report, I resituate the concept ‘surplus population’ within the broader domain of population geography. In subsequent reports, I consider more closely population geography’s association with related subject areas (i.e. biopolitics and necropolitics). I maintain that, by addressing vulnerability and survivability, we join others in geography and allied fields who are writing about ‘populations’ not as biological, pre-given entities, but instead as political subjects at risk of premature death.


Abstract
For a given invasive plant species and control method, effective invasive plant eradication requires regular monitoring and management. While most previous studies characterize invasive plant species, develop appropriate control methods, or prioritize species for management using aggressiveness and other considerations, few study why some forestland owners are less likely than others to regularly remove invasive plant species. Such information is useful in prioritizing and targeting forestland owners who are at greater risk for invasion, with the stands threatening adjacent forestlands. Towards this end, we surveyed 1800 forestland owners in Virginia and Texas. We use data on forestland owners' socioeconomics and forestland features-such as acreage, forestland ownership objectives, and forest management activities-to determine how these factors affect the regularity of invasive-plant removal. For these purposes, we used the Cochran-Armitage trend test, the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszal regression, odds ratio estimates, and partition-analysis techniques. Our results suggest that female forestland owners, owners with smaller forestlands, and forestland owners without written forest-management plans are less likely than others to regularly remove invasive plant species. Forest-management activities, such as building/maintaining roads in the forestland, partially harvesting stands, and wildlife- and fisheries-improvement projects, also significantly predict a more regular invasive-plant-removal tendency. However, since these activities are potential pathways for the spread of invasive plant species, we controlled for the other significant covariates and measured the relationship between frequent practice of the given forest-management activities and having a tendency to regularly remove invasive plant species. The results suggest that forestland owners that regularly practiced the said forest-management activities have higher odds for tending to remove invasive plant species regularly, suggesting that, despite their demonstrated effort at removing invasive plant species from their forest, their management activities may be inadvertently contributing to the spread of invasive plant species. These results highlight the importance of integrating invasive-plant-removal plans with forest-management plans as well as forestland owners' educational and outreach needs.
Keywords Control methods Forestland owners Invasive plants Management practices


Questioning strategies and critical thinking
A scrutiny numerous professors countenance is warranting cogent ways to buy students in meaningful tete-a-tete that advances thinking and enucleates ticklish, higher-order responses installed on ordinary literature needs.
The scope of this assignment is to plan scrutinys that succor ticklish and higher-order thinking. To accomplished the assignment, you accomplish criticize misapply scrutiny-asking methods for gradation and ability rolls.
Select an primary gradation roll and warrant aligning social or recite English discourse arts standards. Warrant at meanest 1-2 standards that you can blend into a realistic scrutiny and vindication tete-a-tete betwixt you (the professor) and one or past students. In 500-750 control, the tete-a-tete should include:
A nucleus on a question or ardor akin to balbutiation or communication a gradation-roll scholarly or informational quotation (e.g., discussing a warner quotation, discussing the structures of quotations, brainstorming during a communication workshop conference, etc.) At meanest three gradation-roll misapply scrutinys that enucleate higher-order and ticklish thinking amid the full area
In an additional 100-250 control, catalogue the standards separated and elucidate how the tete-a-tete teaches the skills pictorial in the standards.
Submit your tete-a-tete and meditation as one deliverable.
APA phraseology is not required, but strong academic communication is expected.


Samarthaben J. Patel
Credentials: B.Tech National Institute of Technology, Surat; M.S. Yale University
Position title: Graduate Student
Email: spatel46@wisc.edu
Phone: she/her/hers
Address:
Room 2029, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706 ABOUT ME
Samartha Patel is from Surat, Gujarat, India. She completed her Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering with a gold medal for outstanding academic performance in 2015. After completing her undergraduate degree, she earned a Master of Science in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University. Samartha joined the Van Lehn group in Fall 2016. In her free time, she likes to do oil painting, and sailing and winter kiting on Lake Mendota.
RESEARCH INTEREST
A significant challenge in designing drug and gene delivery agents is to understand how they interact with lipid bilayers which is the major component of the cell membrane. The self-assemblies of these amphiphilic biomolecules can affect a variety of interfacial properties and dictate their transport across the cell membrane. My research focuses on developing and applying multiscale simulations and enhanced sampling techniques to understand the molecular mechanisms of how the structure of biomolecules affect their self-assemble, interaction with other biomolecules and also their transport pathways across the cell membrane. The insights obtained from these molecular simulations would have potential applications in designing drug delivery agents and co-assembled structures of their synthetic mimics which can efficiently translocate across the cell membrane.
PUBLICATIONS
2. C. G. Gahan*, S. J. Patel*, M. E. Boursier, K. E. Nyffeler, J. Jennings, N. L. Abbott, H. E. Blackwell, R. C. Van Lehn, D. M. Lynn. “Gram-negative bacterial quorum sensing signals self-assemble in aqueous media to form micelles and vesicles: an integrated experimental and molecular dynamics study.”
Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2020, 124 (18), 3616-3628. [Link]
1. S. J. Patel and R. C. Van Lehn. “Characterizing the Molecular Mechanisms for Flipping Charged Peptide Flanking Loops across a Lipid Bilayer.”
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2018, 122(45), 10337-10348. [Link]


Our brains are pretty amazing, but they can make a lot of mistakes that we are not even aware of. Sometimes these may have negative long-term consequences, but often they just mean a moment of misunderstanding or confusion. Here are 5 common mistakes your brain makes every day! We trust our memories, even though they…


Foros:
Cyclotron Road is a fellowship program that supports leading entrepreneurial scientists as they advance a project with the potential for global impact. Our goal is simple: empower innovators to mature their ideas from concept to first product, positioning them to align with the most suitable commercial path to bring their technology to scale.
Cyclotron Road fellows are embedded in the Berkeley research ecosystem for two years with an explicit mandate to bring their ideas to the point of commercial viability. As part of our Cohort, innovators receive:
A two year fellowship—Rapid progress requires an “all-in” commitment. Our Cohort fellowship provides a living stipend and health insurance for two years so that innovators can be 100% focused on their projects. Unencumbered access to world-class research facilities and expertise—Hard tech innovation requires sophisticated infrastructure. As part of the program, Cohort innovators access facilities, equipment, and expertise at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, and receive initial research funding to catalyze collaborations. Innovators own all intellectual property developed during the program. An intensive program of mentorship, education, and networking—Our curriculum is tailored to support the challenges of hard tech innovation. Participants receive intensive mentorship and education covering all aspects of the journey from concept to product. We also expose them to a wide range of leaders from academia, industry, government, and finance that can serve as advisors or partners.
Applications for
Cyclotron Road Cohort Five are open until October 31, 2018. Please Click here to view a detailed timeline and our FAQs. Click the Apply button to start the application process. If you should have any additional questions, please contact Cedricka Harris at DOE-RPP@orau.org.


UK-based property market information provider Landmark Information announced today the launch of RiskHorizon, its new ESG management platform. The platform is designed to provide thorough and actionable global ESG due diligence of corporate investments and acquisitions to investors, property asset owners and managers and lawyers.
Landmark is launching the new product after acquiring the RiskHorizon ESG due diligence platform from global sustainability consultancy Anthesis Group in October. With the launch, Landmark stated that its proposition now includes a self-service software platform with an intuitive toolkit to screen, diligence, score and manage investment performance.
According to the firm, the RiskHorizon database spans 90 industries and more than 45 ESG risks in over 175 countries, assessing datasets from a host of authoritative sources including the World Bank, Unicef, the Global Child Forum, Freedom House, and United Nations Development Programme. Additionally, the platform has integrated the full breadth of the SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) Materiality Map to intelligently determine a wide range of relevant risks, by sector, including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity impacts, data security and customer privacy, diversity and inclusion, and bribery and corruption, among others.
Simon Boyle, Environmental Law Director of Landmark Information said:
“With C-suite executives, investors, supply chain managers and risk managers increasingly required to screen against Environmental, Social and Governance criteria, RiskHorizon significantly contributes to improving the performance of companies as well as managing portfolios, irrespective of their sectors or geography.
“Traditional environmental compliance is quickly evolving into the Environmental, Social and Governance space and those that do not engage with ESG will be left behind. With RiskHorizon, we provide the tools for risk management across law firms, private equity and corporate supply chains, enabling effective due diligence and ongoing ESG portfolio management.”


►▼Show Figures
Over the last several decades, warming in the Arctic has outpaced the already impressive increases in global mean temperatures. The impact of these increases in temperature has been observed in a multitude of ecological changes in North American tundra including changes in vegetative cover, depth of active layer, and surface water extent. The low topographic relief and continuous permafrost create an ideal environment for the formation of small water bodies—a definitive feature of tundra surface. In this study, water bodies in Nunavut territory in northern Canada were mapped using a long-term record of remotely sensed observations at 30 m spatial resolution from the Landsat suite of instruments. The temporal trajectories of water extent between 1985 and 2015 were assessed. Over 675,000 water bodies have been identified over the 31-year study period with over 168,000 showing a significant (p
< 0.05) trend in surface area. Approximately 55% of water bodies with a significant trend were increasing in size while the remaining 45% were decreasing in size. The overall net trend for water bodies with a significant trend is 0.009 ha year
−1
per water body.View Full-Text
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited


Beskrivelse
A new report titled Possible elements of a new global agreement to prevent plastic pollution aims to develop global sustainability criteria for product design, providing the tools for governments to regulate national markets. Potential objectives and strategic goals are defined, a first structure for a potential new global agreement is outlined, and national implementation measures are identified to achieve the global goal of zero discharge of plastics into the environment. By addressing the issue at the design phase, all sources and pathways of marine plastic pollution can be addressed. Importantly, the existing weakness in the current framework on upstream and midstream activities of the plastics value chain can be addressed by providing robust national financial mechanisms that improve downstream activities in all countries.


How we use and dispose of our resources is crucial – in fact it accounts for 60% of our emissions. We must be more conscious of the impact we are having by the daily choices we make. Sustainable alternatives exist to disposable cups and the purpose is to shift behaviour towards the use of these alternatives.
A targeted consultation is underway on the proposals, with key stakeholders such as those referred to in the question, in addition to a public consultation and it is open to all interested parties to have their say.
I also held a forum on the future of Ireland’s waste on the 16th of September. At that forum, stakeholders from industry, local authorities, waste collectors, NGOs and regulators were invited to discuss how we can deliver on our ambitious targets. There were six breakout sessions on the day and one of the items discussed was a suggestion to examine levies as a policy tool to reach targets.
Furthermore, in the context of raising awareness of Directive 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain products on the environment - commonly referred to as the Single Use Plastic (SUP) Directive, my Department has engaged and continues to engage with a range of stakeholders. This Directive includes an obligation on all EU Member States to introduce measures to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the amount of single use plastic cups for beverages.


Chemotherapy is the use of medication to kill cancer cells. It is used in advanced stages of uterine cancer. You can take chemotherapy either by mouth or have the medication injected. Because chemotherapy medication passes through your blood stream, it can treat cancer that has spread to multiple areas.
Continue Learning about Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer
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.


We were delighted to launch the new BGS website in September. If you have not already had an opportunity to visit it, please take a look.
On September 22 we were pleased to co-host with AHDB the second in a series of webinars on herbal leys. The panel discussion for the evening focused on establishment. Key messages from the evening were that a soil temperature of at least eight to 10C was critical to success, along with ensuring that a good fine seedbed was initially prepared, and the importance of rolling to achieve excellent seed to soil and moisture contact.
For a recording of the discussion please follow the link on the BGS website or visit the AHDB YouTube channel. The third webinar in the herbal ley series will be held on December 1 between 7pm and 8pm. Further details are also located on the website.
This is the last BGS column for 2020, following a very difficult year. The BGS team wish you a happy festive season and a healthy, prosperous 2021. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to BGS events next year.
Tom Goatman is the British Grassland Society chief executive.


Remember college classes? Sitting in a lectures taking notes? Remember how engaging these lectures were?
"Sage on the stage" is how this method of instruction is known.
If you're like most people, a good portion of college lectures were terribly boring and did not fully engage you.
Fast forward to - now - you're a teamwork facilitator (coach, trainer, manager, educator, etc.). How often do you talk at your audience (lecture at them)?
If you to are applying the "sage on the stage" method of teaching then it's likely your audience is walking away from the experience with much less than you think.
Research shows that your students will learn more if they are actively (as in out of their chair) learning.
"According to the best-evidence synthesis, we found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance."
LESSON: To be a more effective teamwork facilitator and fully engage your audience learn how to get people up and moving and learning at the same time.


The West Nipissing Assessment Centre is located at 219 O’Hara Street, Sturgeon Falls, ON P2B 2Y6. Please be advised that the Assessment Centre is located in the Marcel Noel Hall (upstairs) beside the Recreation Centre.
As of Tuesday, October 6, 2020, you will need an appointment to get a test at the Assessment Centre. Prior to booking your appointment, please:
Review the eligibility information below; Determine if you require a COVID-19 test by completing a self-assessment; Do not seek testing at multiple assessment centres as this will result in delayed access and delayed test results for all. If you have already booked an appointment at an assessment centre and can no longer make it, please cancel and rebook your time so others who need a test can be seen.
Monday: 10:00-4:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00-4:00 PM Wednesday: 10:00-4:00 PM Thursday: 10:00-4:00 PM Friday: 10:00-4:00 PM
As per provincial directives, testing at the West Nipissing Assessment Centre will be
by appointment only as of Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
If you are
symptomatic and require testing, please call (705) 580-2186 between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM to make an appointment.
Based on the
Ontario Government’s current COVID-19 testing guidelines, individuals meeting the criteria below are eligible to be assessed at the Assessment Centre: Individuals with symptoms of COVID-19* Direct contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases** identified as: a household contact (note this does not include contacts of contacts such as a friend of someone if your household) Directed or recommended by public health via contact tracing or outbreak investigation Notified via the COVID Alert app.
In addition, the below groups are eligible for testing at the Assessment Centre regardless of the presence of symptoms:
Workers in long-term care homes every two weeks. Long-term care workers should not be tested than every two weeks unless directed by public health in an outbreak setting. Essential caregivers visiting long-term care homes. Residents or workers in homeless shelters or other congregate settings as outlined in guidance from the Ministry of Health. Pre-operative patients prior to receiving general anaesthesia and cancer patients receiving therapy as outlined by the Ministry of Health. International students who have passed their 14-day quarantine period, or who have developed symptoms within their 14-day period (breaking quarantine to get a test is not encouraged but the assessment centre will not turn symptomatic individuals away). Farm workers. Indigenous communities. Individuals who need testing for international travel clearance (note: this is an interim measure. Please check Ontario.ca/covidtest to ensure you have the most current information).
The list of people who are eligible for testing at assessment centres regardless of their symptoms may change from time to time. You should confirm your eligibility for a COVID-19 test with your healthcare provider before seeking testing.
**If an asymptomatic close contact tests negative, they must remain in self-isolation for 14 days from their last exposure to the case. If they later become symptomatic within the isolation period, they should be retested.
The only exception is if the individual was alerted to a possible exposure by the COVID Alert app, then they must isolate until they receive their test results. If the results are negative, they are required to self-monitor for 14 days from when they received the alert. If they become symptomatic within the isolation period, they should be re-tested and self-isolate until they receive their test results.
Children are eligible for testing when they have the following symptoms:
Are recommended for testing by the local public health unit. Are exhibiting new/worsening symptoms of: Fever and/or chills Cough Shortness of breath Decrease or loss of smell or taste Exhibiting two (2) or moreof the following new/worsening symptoms: Sore throat Runny/stuff nose Headache Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea Fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise. You must screen for COVID-19 every day before going to school/child care. Use the school screening tool to help make this decision.
The following are examples of individuals who do not meet testing eligibility criteria:
Asymptomatic individuals seeking workplace testing outside of outbreak investigations or government requirements. Other members of the family that do not fit the current COVID-19 testing guidance (those without eligible symptoms or who are not a contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case). Asymptomatic close contacts of an individual with symptoms compatible with COVID-19, unless the individual is confirmed as COVID-19 infected. Asymptomatic contacts of case contacts (close contacts of an individual who is a contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19, unless the individual is confirmed as COVID-19 infected). Asymptomatic sports team member testing unless referred by public health.


Hello all,
In this update, I thought I’d finally disclose the findings of my research. While much remains unknown about mechanisms in the brain, certain systems— such as those that process opioids— have been explored in numerous contexts. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to conclusively determine whether the types of bonds drugs form in the brain influence their addictiveness. However, several studies allude to a potential correlation between drug addictiveness and intermolecular bonds in the brain. If further studies corroborate such a correlation, then our medical understanding of addiction could be greatly improved.


Young cancer patients should feel lucky to survive, and stop fussing about their prospects of having children. This attitude, though still widespread, is now being challenged by many patients and doctors, who argue that it is inexcusable to prescribe treatments that could render a patient infertile, without a thorough discussion of all the options.


Ordinarily, user profiling is conducted by formally surveying a statistically representative sample of the user population. Interviewing a few “expert informants” who are familiar with the needs and characteristics of a range of users can also provide valuable data in a fraction of the time needed for distributing and analyzing a survey instrument. However, “experts” on design teams occasionally hold mistaken beliefs about users, so the resulting user profiles may not be as reliable. Choosing the right approach for your organization should balance the costs of conducting a user profiling survey against the risks of developing a system based on false assumptions about the users.
We recommend profiling your user base even before you collect data about your target users’ work environments and tasks. Creating user profiles allows you to identify the categories of users who will be using the system most frequently or who may have high risk use cases, thus concentrating the most efficient allocation of your development resources. However, it’s a good idea to reassess your user profiles periodically, because demographic or economic shifts may alter the requirements of your user population.
Assistance from an experienced researcher will help ensure that the user profile data you collect will be accurate, objective, and relevant to your project, whether by aiding you with the design, administration, or analysis of a user profiling questionnaire, or by conducting interviews with user representatives.


Traders Lose $805 million Following Bitcoin Flash Crash
Bitcoin’s rise in the past few weeks has been an exciting ride for traders and investors who have been able to rack in profits. However, the recent developments in the last 24 hours show the thin line between profits and losses.
$805 million Liquidated
Bitcoin made quick gains in the early hours of the day, surging past the $18,000 barrier to set a new yearly high of $18,472. Soon after achieving this milestone, Bitcoin suffered a flash crash within minutes, dropping to $17,200.
This culminated in a pump of 11%, followed by a dump of 7%. The sudden rise and drop affected traders on top crypto platforms, with about $805 million liquidated during this period. This data was represented by ByBt.com, which posted a liquidation chart of some of the top crypto platforms.
Bitcoin dominated the list, with traders losing $617 million, representing 76% of the total losses. Ethereum traders suffered the second-most losses with $88.3 million liquidated during this period. On close observation of the chart, the major losers on most of the exchanges were traders that shorted. Binance was the only exception, with 51.6% of losses falling to traders that longed their crypto assets.
This development shows how volatile the crypto market can be as Whales are capable of manipulating the market. The recent bullish run has surprised many as Bitcoin has continued to surge despite anticipation of an extended bearish period. Bitcoin has corrected in the past few hours and is currently valued at $17,825.
Veteran Crypto Trader Warns Traders to Use StopLoss
One of the reasons why traders typically lose money during volatile swings from Bitcoin is a lack of protective measures. Veteran trader Peter Brandt today warned crypto traders to utilize stop losses during trades. Brandt suggested that the major reason traders lose is the lack of stop losses in a tweet to their followers.
He further added that the advice also applied to leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin. With the latest developments regarding traders liquidating on trades, Brandt’s advice is particularly useful.


Scientists are shedding new light on the importance of light-sensing cells in the retina that process visual information. The researchers isolated the functions of melanopsin cells and demonstrated their crucial role in the perception of visual environment. This ushers in a new understanding of the biology of the eye and how visual information is processed.


Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education
In September, I advised Members of a revised timetable for laying the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) code and operational regulations, which remain a key priority for this Government. These will be laid before the Senedd in February 2021 to support the commencement and phased roll out of the ALNET Act from September 2021. I also confirmed that the statutory roles in the ALNET Act will commence as planned, in January 2021 and that to accompany this I intended to lay regulations on the ALN Co-ordinator (ALNCo) role this year; and to publish guidance to support these statutory roles before their commencement.
This statement is to inform Members that on 29 October, I made an Order to commence various powers in the Act, including the power to make the ALNCo regulations, from 2 November. The Order also commences the requirements for schools and further education institutions; health boards; and local authorities to designate, respectively, an ALNCo; Designated Education Clinical Lead Officer (DECLO) and the Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EYALNLO) on 4 January 2021. In addition I have today laid before the Senedd the ‘Draft: Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (Wales) Regulations 2020’ (“the ALNCo regulations”). These regulations prescribe the qualifications and functions of the ALNCo role.
This role is a fundamental part of the ALN system designed to ensure a greater consistency in the designation of ALNCos and the co-ordination of additional learning provision. To support the development of this role we have allocated funding to develop an ALN National Professional Learning Programme. This is a targeted programme of training and development where tailored and timely training, relevant to the individual will be available, to help build on their existing knowledge and skills. It is intended to enable the ALNCo to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
The commencement of the requirements to designate each of the statutory roles and the laying of the ALNCo regulations marks a significant milestone in the progress of these crucial ALN reforms, for the benefit of all children and young people in Wales.
The Order also commences provision for establishing a list of Independent Special Post-16 Institutions (ISPIs) as outlined in the ALNET Act, and I intend to lay regulations relating to this in due course.


It is critical to pause, reflect, and recognize that cities who are not equitable will always be in recovery mode. Inequity is a noted stress in the language of resilience shocks and stresses. It increases the probability and severity of shocks – like social uprisings and the civil unrest we have seen unfold. This holds true for a vast range of other natural and man-made shocks.


PRM Engineering Services was engaged by a Roads and Infrastructure client to explore options for using vision technology to prevent incorrect discharge of hot asphalt during loading activities at facilities in Victoria.
There had previously been incidents where hot asphalt was accidentally discharged over the cabin of trucks due to the truck tray not being located correctly under the discharge chute. With temperatures of over 150°C, the risk of serious injury and damage to vehicles in such an event was significant and needed to be prevented.
PRM Engineering Services presented a range of possible solutions for accurately identifying the cab and trailer position within the discharge area. Using the information from the vision sensors, the system indicates to the plant operator whether or not the truck is located correctly under the discharge chute.
The system successfully deals with all truck and tray sizes, from small tippers to large articulated vehicles, while operating reliably in an industrial environment with steam, dust and fumes.
Next steps may include integrating the system truck location information into the control logic of the plant, so that confirmation of a correctly positioned truck tray forms part of the automated plant control processes, further removing the risk of human error.


© The Author(s) 2013. Long-fiber thermoplastic (LFT) composite materials are rapidly expanding in automotive, transportation, and recreational industry. Most of these materials are natural or black in color with a need for secondary painting of the manufactured products. Standard organic pigments and dyes are not stable above 250°C and degrade during processing. Alternatively, inorganic pigments are thermally stable to at least 800°C. High-performance inorganic pigments offer resistance to outdoor weathering, chemicals, and acids. However, in fiber-reinforced composites, the pigment causes fiber attrition and thereby shows reduction in strength. This work explores colored inorganic-pigmented LFT composites. The ability to integrate the color in the manufacturing steps eliminates the need for secondary painting. Pigment variables such as particle size, distribution, chemistry, and coatings have been investigated. The article presents the processing and performance envelopes of colored inorganic-pigmented LFTs in comparison with unpigmented standard LFTs.


The naturally derived vegetable acid proposed to reduce sebum production, reduces P. acnes bacteria, and prevents discoloration caused by inflammation or UV exposure.
A lipo-hydroxy acid, LHA exfoliates the skin, decongests clogged pores, refines the skin’s surface, and has anti-inflammatory effects.
This beta-hydroxy acid refines the pores and helps reduce acne.


By Kosol Suriyaporn, Director JTJB International Lawyers Co., Ltd Overview Information
Effective from 29th December 2018 onward, International Business Center (so-called “IBC”) tax incentives under the Royal Decree No 674 was enacted to replace all previous tax-incentivized of the Regional Operating Headquarters and International Headquarters (so-called “ROH” and “IHQ” respectively).
The existing ROH and IHQ companies are still eligible for the previous tax benefits under the existing conditions until expiration of their approval. However, those tax benefits granted to the ROH companies under the Royal Decree 405 approval – which does not have a time limit – shall enjoy the tax incentives merely until the end of the fiscal year 2020. In addition, under the Royal Decree No. 674, the existing ROH companies (under the Royal Decree No. 405) and IHQ companies can terminate their ROH and IHQ registrations and apply for the IBC without penalizations resulting from such terminations. Conditions & Requirements
Only a company incorporated under the laws of Thailand and engaging in the following business activities with/to it affiliates in Thailand as approved by the Revenue Department (“RD”) can apply for IBC:
1. Providing administrative and technical support services; 2. Providing money management services; and/or 3. Providing international trading services.
Other essential legal requirements for applying the IBC companies are as follows:
1. The company (applicant) must file an application and obtain an approval from the RD;
2. The company must have its paid-up capital at least 10 million Baht on the last day of each financial year; 3. The company must provide qualifying support services or treasury services to its affiliated/associated companies; 4. The company must have at least 10 skilled full-time employees or at least 5 employees in case of IBC providing money management services; and 5. The company must have the local spending at least THB 60 million per fiscal period unless converted from ROH or IHQ. Tax Incentives
Under the Royal Decree No 674, a granted IBC company shall enjoy 15 financial years (of the company) the following tax incentives from the date of approval by the Revenue Department:
1. Entitled to reduce its corporate income tax rates on the net profits from qualifying service fees and royalty incomes earned from its Thai and overseas affiliated/associated enterprises:
a. 8% when its annual operating expenditure of not less than 60 million Baht;
b. 5% when its annual operating expenditure of not less than 300 million Baht; and c. 3% when its annual operating expenditure of not less than 600 million Baht.
2. Exempt from corporate income tax on dividends received from its associated companies;
3. Exempt from specific business tax on incomes from treasury services; 4. Exempt from withholding tax on dividends distributed by the IBC to its overseas shareholders that are paid out of the reduced-corporate income tax profits of the IBC’s operations; and out of defined qualifying profits from the ROH’s/IHQ’s operations within one year after the conversion to an IBC is approved; and 5. Exempt from withholding tax on interest paid by the IBC to an overseas loan provider in connection with a loan obtained for re-lending due to its treasury activities.
Lastly, the IBC company’s expatriated employees also can enjoy to a flat personal income tax rate of 15% for employment remuneration derived from working full time.


We introduce a new task, Video-and-Language Inference, for joint multimodal understanding of video and text. Given a video clip with aligned subtitles as premise, paired with a natural language hypothesis based on the video content, a model needs to infer whether the hypothesis is entailed or contradicted by the given video clip. A new large-scale dataset, named Violin (VIdeO-and-Language INference), is introduced for this task, which consists of 95,322 video-hypothesis pairs from 15,887 video clips, spanning over 582 hours of video. These video clips contain rich content with diverse temporal dynamics, event shifts, and people interactions, collected from two sources: (i) popular TV shows, and (ii) movie clips from YouTube channels. In order to address our new multimodal inference task, a model is required to possess sophisticated reasoning skills, from surface-level grounding (e.g., identifying objects and characters in the video) to in-depth commonsense reasoning (e.g., inferring causal relations of events in the video). We present a detailed analysis of the dataset and an extensive evaluation over many strong baselines, providing valuable insights on the challenges of this new task.


You likely hoped that you and your spouse would begin your divorce on a level financial playing field. Yet, they may have had other intentions, which you discovered once you found your joint bank and savings accounts drained. Scrambling for funds will add extra challenges to your divorce. Yet, your main concern might be whether your spouse will be held accountable for their actions. Though they may, their consequences could depend on when they withdrew the funds from your accounts.
Before filing for divorce
During your marriage, you and your spouse could access and withdraw the funds in your joint accounts at any time. Yet, while emptying them is technically legal, it is inadvisable. Before filing for divorce, the general guideline is to withdraw no more than 50% of the funds in your joint accounts. If your spouse drained them, it is unlikely that Michigan courts will condone their behavior. Any penalties your spouse faces will reflect the severity of their actions. They may have to restore your share of funds or give you property of equal value in exchange for them.
After filing for divorce
After you or your spouse filed for divorce, you may have requested and received an ex parte order to uphold the status quo of your joint accounts. This order exists to prevent you and your spouse from withdrawing funds from them, aside from those needed for living expenses. Keep in mind, though, that state courts will not inform the financial institutions holding your accounts of this order. Yet, if your spouse drained them after the order was issued, they could face contempt of court charges. Besides restoring the missing funds, they may also have to pay your attorney’s fees, as well as a fine.
If you find your spouse has emptied your joint accounts, you must act swiftly. An attorney with family law experience can help you consider your options for restoring your financial status quo.


Every rider understands the importance of motorcycle safety, but the helmet debate remains a controversial subject for motorcyclists across the country. Some believe it’s a simple matter of protection, while others believe that federal law should stay out of their business. So, should helmets be mandatory?
In Support
The primary argument for mandatory helmet laws is that they save lives. A motorcycle accident lawyer in California points out that fatal accidents decreased by 37% after the state passed its helmet law. This was due to an 49% increase in helmet use, covering roughly 99% of riders.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations found a similar trend with helmets reducing fatal accidents across the country by 37%. This decrease comes from neck and head protection, significantly limiting the injuries those parts of the body receive in an auto accident.
Aside from the safety aspect, proponents also point to theft. Motorcycle thieves rarely bring a helmet with them, allowing a mandatory law to make these culprits easier to identify. Texas witnessed a 44% decrease in motorcycle theft after passing their law.
Others argue that most countries already have mandatory helmet laws in place, but the final main point to remember is insurance related. With the high cost of medical bills after an accident, insurers often require that riders wear a helmet to receive coverage. This leaves the public to pay for their medical costs, which also includes the uninsured.
In Opposition
The main argument against a mandatory law is that it would allow the federal government to supersede states’ rights, effectively infringing on America’s very design. Organizations and individuals alike argue that educating riders is far more effective than any law in ensuring their safety.
Some agree that minors should wear helmets, but believe that adults have the right to make that decision for themselves. Others believe that every rider should wear a helmet, but no law should force them to do so.
Most individuals against helmet laws also agree that they do not ensure the safety of the rider in the event of an accident. Instead, riders should follow safe practices to avoid dangerous situations altogether. They believe that these laws do not prevent accidents, therefore they are useless.
Finally, some point to a few studies that show medical costs are on par with other types of drivers and that the public does not pay more than they would in any other scenario. Furthermore, most accidents involving a motorcycle tend to be the other party’s fault. Relying on personal injury attorneys, riders can have their medical costs covered.
The Final Verdict
Whether or not helmet laws for motorcyclists should be mandatory is a highly controversial issue. Unfortunately, the debate remains at a standstill and up to individual states to determine. Congress is still unsure of their role in a mandatory law and if one would be constitutional.
However, both sides agree that helmets add a level of safety when riding in the event of an accident. While the jury is out on legality, choosing to wear a helmet can save your life.


Published February 6, 2020
How to Cite
Gucsi, L. (2020). Methods of Identification for Ceramics with Traces of Secondary Burning and their Occurrences in Mortuary and Ritual-related Assemblages.
Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 4, 215-240. https://doi.org/10.17204/dissarch.suppl3
Abstract Among archaeological assemblages recovered both from settlement sites and burial grounds, the presence of ceramics with traces of secondary burning is a relatively common phenomenon. The identification of such traces can nuance the interpretation of the archaeological contexts within which these ceramics occur. In case of cremation burials, it can highlight the details of the cremation process. However, most publications seem to mention secondarily burnt ceramics either when the pieces are clearly severely burnt, deformed or blistered, despite these cases being only partial representations of the whole phenomenon. Based on previous experience, three levels of secondary burning can be distinguished on archaeological ceramics: slight, moderate and severe secondary burning. This more detailed classification could aid the reconstruction of funerary rituals. The recognition and the correct identification of such ceramic pieces can provide details on whether a certain vessel (or vessel types) was/were placed on the funeral pyre or was only tangentially involved in the cremation process.


The North Connemara Locally Led Agri-Environmental Scheme is a local agricultural scheme to incentivise farmers to incorporate agricultural animals in improving the ecology of their land.
Projects & Practice
An award-winning organic farm in Finland set up a food production network with neighbouring farms aiming to achieve energy and nutrient self-sufficiency.
Using RDP support to turn a farm into a nature reserve; contributing to tackling biodiversity loss.
Maintaining natural and semi-natural meadows and wetlands to ensure suitable nesting conditions for an endangered bird species: the Aquatic Warbler.
Punkalaidun municipality conducted a feasibility study for setting up a biogas plant producing energy from manure, which resulted in an investment decision.
A regional cooperative chain for biomass was established to respond to the increasing demand for woodchip.
Agri-environment cooperatives in the Netherlands use results-based schemes to distribute payments to farmers according to on-farm nature conservation results.