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A farm survey on the presence of dioxins and dl-PCB in beef production systems in Switzerland
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Hans Dieter Hess & Michel Geinoz
In 2006, new maximum levels for the concentration of dioxins (PCDD/F) and dioxin-like PCB (dl-PCB) in food entered into force in the European Union [Regulation (EC) No 199/2006]. The Swiss Confederation decided to adopt these values from the 1 January 2009 on (RS 817.021.23). A previous appraisal showed that beef from extensive production systems in Switzerland may exceed the new maximum level of 4.5 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. In order to identify the reasons of the presence of dioxins (PCDD/F) and dioxin-like PCB in Swiss beef, a detailed survey was conducted on eight farms in 2008. Depending on the production system, on each farm several suckler cows and their calves or fattening bulls and heifers were selected and followed over several months. Samples of soil, milk, forages, concentrates and meat were taken and analyzed according to standard protocols. The sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCBs in soil averaged 1.4 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 dry matter (DM) across all farms. The mean value found in feed samples was 0.25 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 feed (88% DM), which is considerably lower than the legal maximum level of 1.25 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 feed. The mean value of milk from suckler cows was 2.75 pg, and the one of milk from dairy cows was 2 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. Although two individual beef samples (out of 36) slightly exceeded the legal limit of 4.5 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat, the mean value of all beef samples was 2.3 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. The results did not allow to establish direct relationships between the presence of contaminants in feeds and milk or beef and they showed that variation in PCDD/F and dl-PCB contamination of meat within the same farm was very high. It can be concluded that the situation in Switzerland seems not to be alarming and that no particular measures have to be taken. Nevertheless farmers should be aware that extensive production coupled with absence of delay between weaning and slaughtering may induce some risk for producing non compliant beef.
Keywords : milk, beef, dioxins, PCDD, PCDF, dl-PCB, suckler cows, Switzerland
4.1. Feed
4.2. Milk
4.3. Meat
4.4. Effect of the production system
1Dioxins cover a group of 75 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) congeners and 135 polychlorinated -dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners, which are summarized under the abbreviation PCDD/F. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are a group of 209 different congeners which can be divided into two groups according to their toxicological properties. A small number exhibit toxicological properties similar to dioxins and are therefore termed dioxin-like PCB (dl-PCB). The majority does not exhibit dioxin-like toxicity but has a different toxicological profile. Each congener of PCDD/F and dl-PCB exhibits a different level of toxicity. Over all only 17 congeners of PCDD/F and 12 congeners of dl-PCB are of interest due to their toxicity. In order to be able to sum up the toxicity of these different congeners, the concept of toxic equivalency factors (TEF) has been introduced. This means that the analytical results relating to all the individual PCDD/F and dl-PCB congeners of toxicological concern are expressed in terms of a quantifiable unit, the toxic equivalent (TEQ).
2In the environment, these compounds decompose very slowly and due to their liposolubility they accumulate in the food chain and represent a serious hazard for human and animal health. In 2006, new maximum levels for the concentration of PCDD/F and dl-PCB in food entered into force in the European Union [Regulation (EC) No 199/2006]. With regard to these changes, the Federal Office of Public Health, the Federal Veterinary Office and the Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux (ALP) conducted a preliminary appraisal to assess the current level of PCDD/F and dl-PCB contamination of beef in Switzerland (BAG, 2008). The results of this appraisal showed that part of the beef samples originating from extensive production systems exceeded the new maximum level of 4.5 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. As the Swiss Confederation had decided to adopt this value from the 1 January 2009 on (RS 817.021.23), a subsequent study was conducted by ALP in collaboration with the Federal Office of Public Health, the Federal Veterinary Office, the Federal Office for Agriculture and the Federal Office for the Environment to identify the reasons of these exceedances and to give advice to farmers about possible measures to respect the new regulations.
3Based on the results of the preliminary appraisal (BAG, 2008), eight farms were selected. The farms were located in the north-western, the western and the central part of Switzerland. Six out of the eight farms were grouped by couples. The farms of a couple were located close to each other. In the previous study, one farm of each couple had presented a value above the new maximum level and the other one below. This arrangement was made in order to identify possible local sources of contamination. A further farm was selected because of its special production system. On this farm, calves were exclusively fed with milk from suckler cows, complemented with hay and cereals until slaughtering. The farms were visited once per month from April to November 2008. Depending on the production system, on each farm several suckler cows and their calves or fattening bulls and heifers were selected and samples of soil, feed, milk, and beef were taken during this period.
4Soil samples were taken from the pastures and grazing areas by means of a manual bucket auger from points distributed along a transect within the farm area. The first 10 cm of the soil cores obtained were air-dried, ground with an electric mortar and homogenized. A subsample of 300 g of soil per farm was taken for subsequent analyses. On the farm where calves only consumed milk from suckler cows and cereals, no soil sample was taken, because soil was not considered as a potential source of contamination. Consequently only 7 soil samples were analyzed in this survey.
5Samples of forages and other diet ingredients were taken separately, oven-dried, ground in a laboratory mill and homogenized. Subsequently samples were mixed according to the proportion of the individual diet ingredient in the total daily ration of the animals (i.e. only one diet sample was analyzed per farm and sampling period). Since diet composition varied during the survey period, samples were taken at monthly intervals. Overall 45 feed samples were analyzed.
6Samples of milk from suckler cows were taken at monthly intervals until the calves were weaned. On the farms, where calves received milk from dairy cows or milk replacer, samples of these feeds were taken. Prior to analyses, samples of milk (500 ml) were lyophilized, ground and homogenized. All in all 59 milk samples were analyzed.
7Meat samples were taken at the moment of slaughtering. For this purpose 500 g of the right hind leg were cut and immediately frozen. A total of 36 meat samples were analyzed.
8All samples were sent to the laboratory of Eurofins at Hamburg (Germany) and analyses were conducted according to the Commissions regulation (EC) No 1883/2006 concerning methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCB in foodstuffs. All results given in this study are upper-bound levels.
9In addition a questionnaire was developed for collecting information on farm history, production system, feeding system (e.g. forage production, diet composition), factors related to the calf (breed, date of birth, date of weaning, date of slaughtering, body condition score at slaughtering), factors related to the cow (breed, age, number of lactation, month of lactation), and potential local sources of contamination. A summarized description of the production and feeding systems of the selected farms is given in table 1.
10Statistical analyses were performed considering the fact that data on PCDD/F and dl-PDB were not normally distributed. The tests used to identify significant relationships or differences were the Spearman's rank correlation, the Kruskall-Wallis-test and the Mann-Whitney-test.
11The sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB in soil varied between 0.7 and 2.0 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 dry matter (DM), and no influence of the geographical location was apparent. No relationship between farms of the same couple could be found. The median value of the sum of PCDD/F and PCB was 1.4 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 DM. In all samples the concentration of PCDD/F was clearly higher than the concentration of dl-PCB.
12In the daily rations, the concentration of PCDD/F did not vary between the production systems. By contrast, the dietary concentration of PCB and the sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB was clearly lower (P < 0.01) in intensive systems than in extensive systems (Figure 1). The median value of the sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB was 0.25 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 of diet (88% DM). Concentrations of PCDD/F and dl-PCB in grass samples did not vary much and no effects of the location or relationships between farms of the same couple could be seen. Contrary to the soil samples, in feed the concentration of PCDD/F was lower than the concentration of dl-PCB.
13The sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB in individual milk samples ranged from 1.1 to 7.9 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat and varied heavily within farm (Figure 2). Despite this large within-farm variation a certain effect of the cow type could be observed. Milk from dairy cows showed a lower (P < 0.05) concentration of PCDD/F and dl-PCB than milk from suckler cows (2.00 vs 2.75 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat). Number or month of lactation had no effect (P > 0.05) on the contamination with PCDD/F and dl-PCB.
14In meat, the concentrations of PCDD/F and dl-PCB varied considerably between and within farms. The sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB of individual samples ranged from 0.76 to 5.7 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. Meat from intensively managed cattle (farms No 1 and 2) showed lower (P < 0.01) levels of contamination than meat from all other production systems (Figure 3). Despite the relatively intensive production system on farm No 3 (calves semi-intensive), the meat produced on this farm presented similar levels of contamination as the meat produced in extensive systems (cattle extensive and calves from suckler cows on pasture, farms No 4-8). Overall two individual meat samples (out of 36) slightly exceeded the legal limit of 4.5 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat for the sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB. The median value of all meat samples was 2.3 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. The duration of the period between weaning and slaughtering had a significant effect on the contamination with PCDD/F and dl-PCB (Figure 4). Meat from animals which consumed milk from suckler cows until slaughtering showed considerably higher levels (P < 0.05) of contamination than meat from animals which had been weaned several months before slaughtering. No effect (P > 0.05) of breed or number of lactation of the mother on the contamination with PCDD/F and dl-PCB was found.
15One objective of this study was to identify possible local sources of contamination. Therefore farms which were located close to each other and had presented contrasting levels of contamination in the previous study were grouped by couples. The present study did not confirm the previous results and no systematic difference or relationship between farms of the same couple could be identified. Within-farm variation in the concentration of PCDD/F and dl-PCB in milk and meat was considerable and in part even higher than differences between farms. Furthermore contamination of soil samples was not influenced by the geographical location and had no apparent effect on the contamination of feed, milk or meat. No important local sources of PCDD/F or dl-PCB could be identified. Thus the grouping by couples resulted to be inappropriate and was not further considered in the interpretation of the results.
16The composition of the daily rations varied according to the production system of the farms. On the extensively managed farms, between May and October 2008, fresh forage represented the most important diet ingredient (approximately 90% of DM). By contrast, on the intensively managed farms, animals only received silage or hay, and the forage proportion in the daily ration was much lower than on the extensively managed farms. As shown in previous studies (André et al., 2003; Czub et al., 2004; Rychen et al., 2008), fresh forage is the most important source of PCDD/F and dl-PCB for ruminants. This suggests that the considerably higher PCDD/F and dl-PCB contamination of the daily rations on extensively managed farms mainly resulted from the higher proportion of fresh forage in the diet.
17Excretion of milk fat is an important way of elimination of PCDD/F and dl-PCB from the body (Perry et al., 1981). In cattle, a significant proportion of dl-PCB and PCDD/F consumed with the forage is transferred to the milk fat (Ruoff et al., 2007). In general, suckler cows produce clearly less milk and excrete less milk fat than dairy cows. On the other hand the amounts of PCDD/F and dl-PCB to be excreted per day, are similar or even higher in suckler cows, due to the higher proportion of roughages in the diet. Consequently, these substances are more diluted in milk from dairy cows than in milk from suckler cows. This relation was confirmed by the observations made in the present study.
18Compared to other feeds, milk from suckler cows presented relatively high levels of contamination. Thus large consumption of milk from such cows, particularly when they are grazing on extensively managed pastures, may lead to an accumulation of these contaminants in the body fat of calves.
19The results of this study showed, that the contamination with PCDD/F and dl-PCB may vary heavily from one animal to another within the same farm. On one farm, where cattle were extensively managed, the sum of PCDD/F and dl-PCB ranged from 2.1 to 5.7 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. Nevertheless, it was evident that animals which consumed milk from suckler cows until slaughtering were more contaminated than animals which were weaned several months before slaughtering.
20During gestation, PCDD/F and dl-PCB present in body tissues of the cow may be transferred directly to the fetus. After birth, these contaminants are transferred via milk to the new born and suckling calf (Peterson et al., 1983; Hirako, 2008). Consequently young bovines may be more contaminated than older ones. The contamination may be particularly high, when milk from suckler cows represents the main component in the diet of calves. In the present study this was the case in the semi-intensive system, where calves were fed mainly with milk from suckler cows and some hay and cereals until slaughtering. These animals showed higher levels of contamination than animals which received milk from dairy cows and were weaned several months before slaughtering.
21Independent of the production system, younger animals tended to be more contaminated than older ones. Furthermore the level of contamination was reduced, when animals were weaned several months before slaughtering. This indicates that the amounts of PCDD/F and dl-PCB which had been accumulated during milk consumption were diluted by increasing the amount of body fat. This is in good agreement with Peterson et al. (1983) who showed that calf meat is more contaminated during the suckling period than after weaning.
22In summary, these results showed that the meat with the lowest contamination level was found in the intensive cattle production system. In this system, animals received feed with low levels of PCDD/F and dl-PCB (milk replacer or milk from dairy cows, silage, hay and concentrates). This agrees well with the observation made in the previous study (BAG, 2008). In the extensive cattle production system, the level of contamination was slightly higher but still clearly below the legal maximum level. Although these animals consumed milk from suckler cows with high levels of dl-PCB, the time period between weaning and slaughtering was apparently long enough to result in a dilution of these contaminants in the body. This is supported by the results of the calves from suckler cows on pasture. These animals consumed milk from suckler cows until slaughtering, which resulted in the highest rate of contamination.
23The results of this study did not allow the identification of specific factors or local sources of contamination with PCDD/F and dl-PCB. Nevertheless they gave certain indications about why meat samples originating from certain production systems may exceeded the maximum level of 4.5 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. On average, meat samples from extensive productions systems showed a higher contamination (2.7 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat) compared to samples from intensive systems (1.4 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat). Furthermore, meat from animals that were fed with milk from suckler cows until slaughtering was more contaminated than meat from animals that had been weaned several months before slaughtering. Although two individual beef samples (out of 36) exceeded the legal maximum level, the mean value of all beef samples was 2.3 pg WHO97-TEQ·g-1 fat. The results did not allow to establish direct relationships between the presence of contaminants in feeds and milk or beef and they showed that variation in PCDD/F and dl-PCB contamination of meat within the same farm was very high. Therefore, no conclusion about an entire farm should be made based on the analysis of a single beef sample. It can be concluded that the situation in Switzerland seems not to be alarming and that no particular measures have to be taken. Nevertheless farmers should be aware that extensive production coupled with absence of delay between weaning and slaughtering may induce some risk for producing non compliant beef.
25This paper is based on a presentation given at the 3rd International Feed Safety Conference – Methods and Challenges, 6-7 October 2009, Wageningen, The Netherlands, and was supported by Feed for Health, COST Action FA0802 (www.feedforhealth.org). The Swiss Government provided the financial means for conducting the study.
André F. et al., 2003. Incinérateurs et santé, exposition aux dioxines de la population vivant à proximité des UIOM. Saint-Maurice, France : Institut de Veille Sanitaire.
BAG (Bundesamt für Gesundheit), 2008. Dioxine und PCB in Schweizer Lebensmitteln. Bern: Bundesamt für Gesundheit, http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/lebensmittel/04861/04911/index.html, (December 2010).
Czub G. & McLachlan M.S., 2004. A food chain model to predict the levels of lipophilic organic contaminants in humans. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 23, 2356-2366.
Hirako M., 2008. Transfer and accumulation of persistent organochlorine compounds from bovine dams to newborn and suckling calves. J. Agric. Food Chem., 56, 6768-6774.
Perry T.W. et al., 1981. Dietary aroclor 1254 in the milk fat of lactating beef cattle. J. Dairy Sci., 64, 2262-2265.
Peterson L.A., Ross P.F., Osheim D.L. & Nelson H.A., 1983. PCB residues in a lactating beef cow and calf. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 31, 263-266.
Ruoff U., Walte H.G., Teufel P. & Blüthgen A., 2007. Zum Eintrag chlororganischer Umweltkontaminanten aus Futtermitteln in die Milch und Möglichkeiten des Gegensteuerns durch Massnahmen der Futtermittelsicherheit. Kieler Milchwirtschaftliche Forschungsberichte, 1, 5-54.
Rychen G., Jurjanz S., Toussaint H. & Feidt C., 2008. Dairy ruminant exposure to persistent organic polluants and excretion to milk. Animal, 2, 312-323.
Hans Dieter Hess & Michel Geinoz, «A farm survey on the presence of dioxins and dl-PCB in beef production systems in Switzerland», BASE [En ligne], Volume 15 (2011), numéro spécial 1, 31-37 URL : https://popups.ulg.ac.be/1780-4507/index.php?id=6849.
About: Hans Dieter Hess
Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station (ALP). Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA). P.O. Box 64. CH-1725 Posieux (Switzerland). E-mail: dieter.hess@alp.admin.ch
About: Michel Geinoz
Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station (ALP). Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA). P.O. Box 64. CH-1725 Posieux (Switzerland).


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Home Celebrity Did OJ Simpson Confess to "Man on a Ledge" Writer?
Did OJ Simpson Confess to "Man on a Ledge" Writer?
by Roger Friedman - January 27, 2012 9:07 am
This week's main offering at the movies is "Man on a Ledge"–described as "ludicrous" by some critics and certainly not an Oscar nominee. (It was a lowly 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is like an F.) It's January, of course, and if you couldn't release a movie by December 31st, you know what January means. But "Man on a Ledge" has another reason of interest. Its screenwriter is Pablo Fenjves. Don't recognize his name? He ghost wrote O.J. Simpson's infamous confessional book, "If I Did It," which outlined how O.J. murdered in cold blood his ex wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
The ironic part of that is that Fenjves, creepily, was a witness in the Simpson murder trial. He was the neighbor who testified he'd heard a dog's plaintive wail near Nicole Brown's house in Brentwood. Did OJ do it? Well, a civil jury said he did, and of course OJ is in jail for something else. Is he metaphorically the man on the ledge in the new movie? Deciphering hidden meanings may be the only reason to see this film, which I keep confusing with a mostly unreleased film from last year called "The Ledge."
Here's my exclusive 2007 interview with Fenjves:
Pablo Fenjves, author of O.J. Simpson's controversial book, "If I Did It," says the book's original publisher told him it was a confession.
Fenjves writes in a prologue to the book, obtained by this column exclusively, that Judith Regan, then of ReganBooks/HarperCollins, told him:
"He wants to confess, and I'm being assured it's a confession. But this is the only way he'll do it."
The book, which was canceled by HarperCollins and is today being published by Beaufort Books after a court battle, now belongs to the family of Ronald Goldman. A civil jury found Simpson responsible for the 1994 slayings of Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. A criminal jury acquitted him of murder charges.
Blood, Pregnancy and Dan Rather: Click Here for More Shocking Details From "If I Did It."
Ironically, Fenjves, who was hired by the publisher to write the book with Simpson, had been a witness in the murder case. He was one of Nicole's neighbors, and had heard what he describes as the "plaintive wail" of her dog that night after the murders occurred.
The book, which hit stores Thursday, is approximately 60,000 words long. But readers will be mostly interested in a 10,000-word section in which Simpson describes with brutal detachment how — "if" he did it — he killed the pair in cold blood while a companion, named "Charlie," stood by and watched.
"Charlie," if Simpson is telling truth, was a new friend at the time and not his best buddy A.C. Cowlings or anyone else from the parade of clowns who occupied America's TVs and media in 1994-95.
Fenjves writes that he doesn't believe there was a "Charlie" and that Simpson was alone on the night in question.
While Simpson's account lines up pretty well with evidence presented in the trial, it's Fenjves' prologue that actually says more about the entire episode.
At one point early on in their discussions, Simpson says to the writer, "I don't know what the hell you want from me. I'm not going to tell you that I sliced my ex-wife's neck and watched her eyes roll up into her head."
That Simpson could even speak so dispassionately and violently about his ex-wife and mother of two of his children should sound alarms for those who think "If I Did It" is fiction or a hypothesis.
What's really alarming is that those two children, Sydney and Justin, now in their late teens, don't seem to care or understand what their father did to their mother.
When Simpson first was going to sell the book and make money from it, they signed off on an agreement to form a dummy corporation in which they would profit from the proceeds.
Fenjves recalls in his prologue that at one point, Simpson wanted the chapter about the murders to come out of the manuscript. "I hate that f—ing chapter," he told the writer, but was reminded that it was the reason he'd sold the book. Fenjves observes that Simpson never said it was untrue or imagined.
Simpson did ask for one detail to be removed, however. He originally told Fenjves that Nicole's Akita, named Kato for their perennial houseguest Kato Kaelin, had wagged its tail when O.J. saw it greet Goldman moments before the murder.
It was a telling detail, Fenjves thought, that Simpson had noticed the dog was familiar with Goldman. No one had ever heard anything like that before. Simpson must have realized that, too.
The ex-football superstar wasn't stupid, though. He told Fenjves after the manuscript was completed that he'd made some mistakes on purpose in the telling of the murders.
"I treated it as fiction," he said. "I purposefully didn't correct some of the mistakes, because if the time comes that I have to defend myself, I can say, 'Hey look, it can't be me because that couldn't have happened.'"
Fenjves says Simpson cited removing his shoes but not his socks, the fact that he would have had to scale a 10-foot chain-link fence to get from the tennis court to the guesthouse and that no one had ever seen him on a golf course with a knit-cap and gloves.
He also told Fenjves he'd never known any "Charlie." The author felt at this point that Simpson was backtracking, and reading to him over the phone from a prepared script.
It didn't matter. The book was written, and HarperCollins was set to publish it. Of course, that didn't happen. The book was cancelled and the Goldmans went to court and won the rights to it as part of their civil judgment against Simpson.
Thursday, with obvious reluctance and distaste, Oprah Winfrey interviewed Ron Goldman's dad, Fred, and his sister, Kim, on her show. According to sources, she was supposed to discuss this prologue and also an afterward written by Dominick Dunne.
None of that came up. Instead, Oprah appeared to be angry with the Goldmans for publishing the book. In a later segment, she told Nicole's sister Denise Brown that she wasn't even going to read it.
The whole thing was very strange, and Oprah — who is usually on the side of the angels — came off badly.
One thing mentioned on Winfrey's show — that the Goldmans would see only 17 cents per book from sales. Winfrey was skeptical and asked what kind of book deal they had gotten.
In fact, sources tell me that if the Goldmans have figured out their profits to 17 cents, it's because over 13 years they've accrued mounting legal fees and debts for which they were not prepared.
"Fred Goldman was never rich," says the source. "He works for Nordstrom."
Winfrey, on the other hand, accepted at face value many of Denise Brown's ridiculous statements. She didn't ask her where all the money has gone from the charity that was set up in her sister's name. She also didn't bat an eyelash when Denise described Nicole as a good mother because she let her kids mess up her brand new Ferrari.
One thing about Denise … she's not good at mustering much sympathy for her late, hard-partying sister.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296746,00.html#ixzz1kfQP2Dsi
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telfer cronos
June 18, 2013 7:45 pm at 7:45 PM
Roger, your analysis is strange. You accept uncritically the words of a ghostwriter. The ghostwriter may be completely above board. But we do not do know this. His brief was to write a confession,. i.e. make SImpson look bad. The ghostwriter acknowledged in the book that he had always thought that Simpson was guilty.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Current issue Archive About the Journal Subject Indexing bases College and Council Contact Principles followed by the Editor Statement of the Editor For Authors For Reviewers Reviewers 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2021
Subject Indexing bases College and Council Contact Principles followed by the Editor Statement of the Editor
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Principles followed by the Editor
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Alice wins gold at Northern Champs.
Alice Jennings has catapulted herself to a title-winning grade two clearance in the high jump of 1.56m to win the North of England Under 15 Girls Indoor Championship Alice also reached the 60m hurdles final and finished sixth with a grade three time of 9.97 seconds after posting a personal best of 9.86 seconds for third place in her qualifying heat.
Training partner, Abi Williams, of Deeside AAC, claimed a silver medal in the under 15 girls 60m hurdles after equalling her personal best of 9.31 seconds, and she finished fourth in her heat of the 60m with 8.41 seconds.
Leah Ferrie and Alice McMahon both returned home after pocketing bronze medals.
Leah secured third position in the under 17 ladies 200m final with a grade two time of 26.3 seconds after winning her qualifying heat in 26.72 seconds, and she added a grade three time of 8.3 seconds in her 60m heat.
Alice achieved her bronze medal after posting a new personal best grade one time of 8.13 seconds in the under 15 girls 60m final, and she finished fourth in the 200m final with a grade one time of 26.3 seconds after winning her qualifying heat.
Danielle Erskine posted a new best of 8.35 seconds in the under 17 ladies 60m, and finished eighth in the long jump with 4.68m.
Richard Farley finished seventh in his 800m heat with 2:19.45, while Dave Donkin posted 60.2 seconds for sixth spot in his under 17 men's 400m heat.
Tom Booth clocked 9.28 seconds for fourth place in his under 17 men's 60m hurdles heat, and rounded his 400m heat in 56.1 for fourth position.
Aidan Stoakley secured a new under 17 men's 200m best of 24.82 for fourth place, and clocked 53.57 seconds for fifth spot in his 400m heat.
Steve Jones posted a new under 17 men's 60m best of 7.71 seconds in his semi-final.
Lucy Earl posted a new under 15 girls 60m hurdles best of 11.49 seconds for seventh place and 30.72 for sixth place in her 200m heat.
Kelly Baker hit a new under 15 girls shot best of 8.75m for eighth place and a new 200m best of 29.16, while Tom Kellett finished seventh in the under 15 boys shot (7.90m) and was fourth in his heat of the 200m with 26.35.


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Finally, Wear OS has a problem that's seemingly random and hard to understand: "Can't reach Google at the moment." Having tested at least a dozen Wear OS watches, we can say that an unexplained failure when using voice commands is the most common negative trait for all of them. It's impossible for the layperson to understand which part of the watch-to-phone-to-Internet relay is falling down, but it can happen at any time, even right after you've used the watch to do something else successfully. When Google Assistant is made the center of Android watches, not being able to reach Google Assistant lowers the value of that watch considerably.
In order to find the best smart watch, we looked at text and call features and, of course, design. We dug into tech reviews to separate must-haves from perks. Then, we brought in 19 smart watches to test for call responsiveness, text-ability, app accessibility, and general ease of us. In the end, three watches stood out for their reliable connectivity, gorgeous interfaces, and easy navigation.
Apple Watch Series 3: If you are an iPhone user and generally exist in Apple's ecosystem, it makes sense to get an Apple Watch. The design quality is exceptional and the Watch makes a nice pairing with your iPhone as materials and design elements are common to both. Apple's Health app covers most of the bases when it comes to tracking your essential fitness and activity indicators - nutrition, sleep, physical exercise, but Apple has gone further with HealthKit, which allows health and fitness apps downloaded from the App Store to share data with each other. Apple has committed to Watch, and its attention to practical and eye-pleasing design as well as useful tracking features is commendable. ($529)
Smart watches are here to change the way you live. Now you can power through your workouts while the latest technology keeps track of your every move, check your calendar and keep an eye on the weather forecast wherever you are. You can also sync your smartphone with your watch, so you can check your texts, see who's calling and receive notifications while keeping your iPhone 6 Plus safely tucked away.
The claim to fame on the Ticwatch Pro is battery life. The Pro offers up to 30 days of battery on a single charge. Of course, that all depends on how you use it. Mobvoi's trick to improve battery life comes with the addition of a layered screen that acts as two displays. One is designed for use when the watch is idle, only showing crucial information such as the time to sip power. Under that is a standard OLED display that delivers the full Wear OS experience.
To round off the Gear Sport's positives, it has very solid battery life (almost never less than 50 percent of the battery remaining after a full day), it can play offline Spotify playlists (even for free accounts), and if you have a Samsung phone, it integrates easily with most of the apps you have installed there. The Gear Sport is easier to set up with a non-Samsung Android phone than previous versions of the Gear watch, too. It still requires the installation of at least four apps and some regular updating, but it's not the hour-long trial-and-error of other Gear watches we've tested, working reliably in our testing.
The Series 4 now has several new health-focused features, which are very intriguing, including the ability to detect when you fall and even alert emergency contacts if need be, as well as an electrical heart rate sensor that works with an app to alert you to heart health issues. The electrocardiogram (ECG) app has been certified by the Food & Drug Administration, but it's not out yet.
Samsung released its Galaxy Watch, a follow-up to the Gear S3, a prior pick. The Galaxy Watch is available in 42 mm and 46 mm configurations, with either a Bluetooth-only connection or Bluetooth plus LTE from T-Mobile (at launch). The biggest update seems to be the battery life, which the company claims will last for days between charges. The Bluetooth version of the Galaxy Watch is available for $330 for the smaller version and $350 for the larger (46 mm) model; the 42 mm LTE version is available for $380 and the 46 mm is $400.
None of these smart watches are necessarily waterproof but they are water-resistant. The Samsung Gear Sport is good to go so long as you don't go any deeper than 50 meters. Same for the Apple Watch. However, the Q Venture is a little more delicate and can only withstand some splashing and momentary submersion in a meter of water. In other words, the Q Venture will survive if you drop it in a sink full of water and you scoop it out almost instantly.
At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Razer released the Nabu Watch, a dual-screen smartwatch: integrates an always-on illuminated backlit display, that takes care of some pretty standard features as date and time, and a second OLED screen, which is activated by raising your wrist, allows access to extra smart features.[80] Luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer released TAG Heuer Connected, a smartwatch powered by Android Wear.[81]
Of the three second-generation Samsung smartwatches, the Gear Fit is the most creative and stylish departure from the original Samsung Galaxy Gear. It's just as much an activity monitor as it is a smartwatch, and it has a markedly new look—slim, sleek, and light. It also has an unconventional sideways display that's unlike any of the other tested watches; it takes a bit of wrist-twisting to view it. (You can opt to view your display vertically, but you'll be reading a lot of truncated words that way.)
Since the early days of modern smartwatches, we've sought to test as many relevant models as we can and recommend the watches that do the best job of making a smartwatch convenient and useful. We test Wear OS watches by wearing them while they're connected to Android phones. Whenever possible, we ask other people to try out our potential picks to get an idea of how others react to a watch's size, style, interface, and other features.
▽ Your account minimum payment amount is determined by the purchases and balances on your WebBank/Fingerhut Credit Account. The change in minimum payment amount is based on your account balance at the time it is advertised, and includes an assumption of interest charges and SafeLine fees, as applicable. The change in minimum payment amount does not include subsequent activity on your account such as any purchases, including deferred payment purchases, backordered, unshipped, returned or other pending purchases or exchanges; any payments, including partial, missed or returned payments; any fees, including recurring partner program charges, subsequent interest charges, late fees or returned payment fees. It is also subject to change based on shipping address, shipping method, partial shipments and taxes. Your minimum payment amount will not change and the purchase will not reflect on your statement until the order ships. If you have a balance or are making a multiple item purchase, see the Existing Balance Payment Chart.
Wrist watches have been fashion accessories since they were first invented. The first generation of smartwatches were dull, chunky looking devices, more functional than fashionable. How things have changed. You can select from thousands of watch faces and even design your own. Wrist straps can be swapped out and designers have come up with clever quick-release clasps for them, knowing that the need to charge your watch regularly will see you needing to remove it quickly.
Our top pick for most people is the Apple Watch Series 4 with GPS (starting at $399), which has a huge display, ultra-fast processor, Raise to Speak Siri, fall detection and a built-in electrical heart rate sensor for taking on-the-go electrocardiograms. It also runs watchOS 5, which makes the watch even more useful with automatic workout-tracking, offline podcast playback and a Walkie-Talkie voice chat feature.


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Preeclampsia Linked to Heart Disease Risk | DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog
Home / Blog / Preeclampsia Linked to Heart Disease Risk | DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog
According to studies conducted by British and Norwegian researchers, women with cardiovascular risk factors are at increased risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy, and pregnant women who do develop preeclampsia are at higher risk for developing heart disease later in life. Preeclampsia, a condition in which abnormally high blood pressure develops during the second half of pregnancy, affects about 5 percent of all first pregnancies and presents serious risks to both mother and child. The findings of these studies are published in the November 2, 2007 online edition of the British Medical Journal.
In the first study, Norwegian researchers found that cardiovascular risk factors that are present prior to pregnancy increase the risk of developing preeclampsia sevenfold. "This study is the first that confirms the hypothesis that lipid and blood pressure abnormalities before pregnancy are strong predictors of preeclampsia," said lead author Elisabeth Balstad Magnussen, a researcher in the Department of Public Health Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.
In assessing the risk of developing preeclampsia, the researchers evaluated nearly 3500 women and documented relevant cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, weight and body mass index, prior to pregnancy. The researchers discovered the following: (1) 133 members of the group developed preeclampsia during pregnancy; (2) women with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels before pregnancy were seven times more likely to develop preeclampsia as compared with the others; (3) women with a family history of high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes had double the risk of developing preeclampsia; (4) women who were overweight or obese faced an increased risk of developing preeclampsia; and (5) women who had used oral contraceptives had half the risk of preeclampsia as compared with those who never used oral contraceptives.
"The findings suggest that preeclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share a common origin, and that the increased risk of cardiovascular disease subsequent to preeclampsia, at least partly, is due to an underlying biological trait of the woman," Magnussen said.
In the second study, British researchers reviewed 25 studies that included 3.5 million women worldwide and found that nearly 200,000 had developed preeclampsia while pregnant. The researchers then projected the future risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension and thromboembolism. "Women who have had preeclampsia are at a roughly twofold increased risk of cardiovascular disease in later life, compared with women who did not have preeclampsia," said David Williams, lead researcher and a consultant obstetric physician at the Institute for Women's Health at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Obstetric Hospital, University College London. "Specifically, these women have an almost fourfold increased risk of hypertension, and a doubling of the risk of heart disease, stroke, and venous thromboembolism," he added. Further, according to Williams, some of the more extensive studies in the review suggested that the increased risk of heart disease after preeclampsia is independent of other known risk factors and, thus, should become an important factor when assessing a woman's cardiovascular risk.
According to Dr. Richard Levine, a senior investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the United States, women who develop preeclampsia should be screened for heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and women at risk for preeclampsia before becoming pregnant should also try to reduce their cardiovascular risk factors to help prevent the condition.
For important information about preeclampsia, please see The Preeclampsia Foundation.
If you or a family member believes that you have a case involving the medical care, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at (202) 463-3030 for a free consultation. If you would like to receive our complimentary electronic newsletter, please click here.


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The ten graphic novels everyone should read
Paul Gravett is a London-based freelance journalist, curator, lecturer, writer and broadcaster, who has worked in comics publishing and promotion since 1981. He the author of Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics.
Two titles on his list of ten graphic novels everyone should read, as shared at the Guardian:
The broader sweeps of history have been recorded in graphic memoirs. There is an unparalleled immersive immediacy to the hand-drawn, handwritten, black-and-white, personal stories of the Holocaust and Iran's Islamic regime in Art Spiegelman's Maus (1980-91) and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (2000). These accessible and acclaimed autobiographical works – Maus won a Pulitzer prize; Persepolis was taught to soldiers at the US's West Point Academy – are essential foundation stones of the modern medium and continue to inspire other works of graphic non-fiction.
Also see Ross Johnson's twelve titles for readers new to graphic novels, Brian Boone's ten essential nonfiction graphic novels, Saskia Lacey's five fantastic coming-of-age graphic novels, Ross Johnson's twelve top graphic novels in which the personal is political, Ian Williams's ten top uncanny graphic novels, Max Brooks's seven top graphic novels about war, Robin Etherington's ten top graphic novels, Nicole Hill's five graphic novels for beginners, Mary Talbot's top ten graphic memoirs, Rachel Cooke's ten best graphic novels, Lev Grossman's top 10 graphic novels, and Malorie Blackman's top 10 graphic novels for teenagers.
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The 10 House Rules You Need to Embrace Once and for All This Year
As controversial as it seems, we're thinking it's time to instate no shoes in the house.
By Lauren Smith McDonough
It's so easy to use the excuse "I'll do it tomorrow." But habits aren't made by only embracing your chores every once and awhile. That's why if you decide to not let yourself break these 10 rules all year long, your home life will benefit for it big time in the long run.
Keep your phone out of the bedroom.
If you're like 71% of Americans, you probably tuck your smart phone in bed with you. But if you resist and leave it outside of the bedroom, you'll have an easier time falling asleep, wake up feeling more rested, and more.
Put clothes away as soon as they're folded.
Everyone's guilty of leaving a stack of clean clothes out, then pulling from it throughout the week. But all this does is create clutter where it's not needed, which is why we want to break this bad habit once and for all.
Make your bed every morning.
It's so easy to abandon this task when you're running five minutes late, but when you force yourself to make your bed you'll start your day off on the right foot, sleep better at night, and return to a much happier home at the end of the day.
Clean your coffeemaker daily.
Even though this might feel excessive, it's actually one of the germiest spots in your kitchen. So to ensure your cup of jo isn't contaminated in the morning, wash removable parts after every use and wipe down spills on the outside as needed.
Replace bed sheets every week.
Sigh, there's nothing like crawling into a bed with fresh sheets — so why don't we do it more often? Not only is this better from a health perspective (see you, germs), but this will also help your linens last longer and prevent them from losing their shape.
Don't leave dishes in the sink.
It's so easy to say "I'll do it tomorrow," but what this really means is you get stuck doing dishes before you can even start cooking dinner the following night. Give yourself a break and rinse up the night before. Your growling stomach with thank you.
No shoes in the house.
Research has shown that things like the chemicals you use to treat your lawn or the coal tar that's used on asphalt roads can easily get tracked into your house on your shoes. That, along with the fact that they bring in dirt and ruin hardwood floors, is why you should follow this rule this year.
Sanitize your sponge every week.
The good news: You don't have to replace this cleaning tool when it gets germy — but you do have to clean it more often than you might realize. If you make zapping it in the microwave a habit this year, you can rest assured that your dishes are as clean as can be.
Pack your lunch at night.
Be honest: If you leave this chore for the morning, chances are it won't happen and you'll just end up buying (again). But if you embrace this rule, you'll also help yourself stick to your budget resolution. Talk about a win-win.
Squeegee your shower after every rinse.
By taking on this one-minute task every time you wash up, you'll save yourself some gross shower experiences and an unpleasant deep clean that would end up taking way longer (and require a lot more elbow grease) in the end.
30 Things You Need to Do This Month
Lauren Smith McDonough Senior Editor Lauren is a senior editor at Hearst.
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Send Flowers for David "Chris"
David "Chris" Chandler
September 8, 1951 ~ January 19, 2023 (age 71) 71 Years Old
David Christopher Chandler, age 71, affectionally known as Chris, peacefully passed away at his home in Brighton, CO on January 19, surrounded by loved ones. Chris was passionate about being outside with the warm sun rays on his face, he enjoyed the roar of a classic V8 motor, and was an avid lover of food. Some of Chris's favorite moments were listening to music and rocking in a chair on a porch. Chris had an unwavering faith in Jesus and he is now in the presence of the Lord.
Chris was a friend to everyone he met. To know him was to love him. He is survived by countless friends and family who will miss him dearly.
A Memorial Service for Chris will be on Friday January 27, 2023 at 11:00am at Harvest Fellowship Church, 11401 East 160th Avenue, Brighton, CO 80602. Reception at Church immediately following the service.
Harvest Fellowship Church
11401 E. 160th Ave.
Send Flowers to David "Chris" Chandler's Memorial Service


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Berkeley medical cannabis commissioner faces fraud and extortion charges
By Frances Dinkelspiel
Sept. 232015, 9 a.m. Jan. 52017
Dan Rush addresses a group at the Cannabis Workers Rising Symposium in Winchester, Nevada. Photo: Facebook
The former chair of Berkeley's Medical Cannabis Commission (MCC) is scheduled to appear in federal court today, Sept. 23, to face extortion, fraud and money laundering charges connected to his dealings with cannabis dispensaries in Berkeley, Oakland and Las Vegas.
Daniel Rush, who used to serve as the executive director of the cannabis division of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5 until he was fired in August, and who still sits on the MCC, faces more than 70 years in prison and a $1.27 million fine if convicted of the 15 counts with which he is charged.
In one of those counts, Rush, 55, is alleged to have offered special treatment to one of the applicants for Berkeley's fourth dispensary spot. In exchange, Rush "demanded a well-paid job" from the applicant, according to the indictment filed Sept. 17 in federal court. The applicant is only identified in court papers as "Company A."
Rush's indictment has intensified criticism of Berkeley's dispensary selection process by some applicants who had already been disqualified. But Zach Cowan, Berkeley's city attorney, said the process was not tainted by Rush because he had nothing to do with the early stages of the selection process.
While Rush sits on the MCC, he has not played an active role in winnowing down the applicants to a smaller list, said Cowan. Rush has also promised to recuse himself in the future from any discussion or decision about the fourth dispensary, he said.
"It's immaterial because he hasn't been in control of anything yet and he hasn't had a vote on anything yet," said Cowan.
Kriss Worthington, the city councilman who appointed Rush to the commission about four years ago, said he does not plan to fire him or ask him to resign.
"In the United States, unlike many other places, people are considered innocent until proven guilty," Worthington said in an email.
Rush, who has been one of the state's most visible proponents of unionizing cannabis workers, is a powerful force on Berkeley's MCC. As a union organizer who has worked in cities all over the Bay Area, as well as in Nevada, Rush has more experience in the cannabis industry than many of the other commissioners. He has taken a leadership role and was the one who presented models about how to structure a merit-based dispensary selection process, said Charles Pappas, the current chair of the MCC.
Pappas said he and Rush had "rapport," but that Rush's big ego is occasionally a detriment during commission discussions. Rush brings a specific agenda to promote unions and workers to the MCC, and is an an advocate for vertical integration, where one cannabis company controls both the grow operation and the dispensary. Other commissioners are in favor of making sure small operators have a crack at the business, said Pappas. That means he isn't always a great listener, said Pappas.
However, "I didn't doubt his honesty," said Pappas.
Rush was not present at the last MCC meeting, on Sept. 10.
Dan Rush did not attend the Sept. 10 meeting of the Medical Cannabis Commission. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel
The federal government first charged Rush in August and amended the charges Sept. 17. Rush has maintained his innocence and posted a letter from his attorney on his Facebook page Aug. 14 that reminded journalists of that fact. "The accusations in this complaint … are nothing but allegations; they are unproven by any standard, let alone the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and have never been tested through cross examination in a court of law," wrote William Osterhoudt, a San Francisco attorney. "The charges are based on 'informants' and 'cooperators' who for their own reasons implicated Mr. Rush in alleged wrongdoing. Under the law Mr. Rush is presumed innocent until the contrary is proven to a requisite standard, and no competent proof of his guilt has yet been presented."
Allegations Rush has been taking kickbacks since 2004
The federal charges against Rush are complex, date back 11 years, and involve FBI recruitment of his former associates, who agreed to cooperate in exchange for leniency. In short, the U.S. attorney's office alleges that from 2010 to 2014 Rush received payments or other things of value from people who were in a position to hire union workers, which violates the Taft-Hartley Act. In addition, Rush allegedly borrowed $600,000 from a cannabis operator, couldn't repay the loan, and offered to minimize the threat of union organizing in that operator's businesses in exchange for forgiving the loan, among other promises. Rush used the assistance of an attorney to hide the source of the money and its partial repayment, according to federal documents.
Four of Rush's former colleagues worked with the FBI to tape telephone conversations with Rush, as well as write down notes of conversations. They also told officials about previous kickbacks Rush provided, according to the indictment. They include Marc L. Terbeek, an Oakland attorney who specializes in workman's compensation, real-estate and cannabis law; and Martin Kaufman, a dispensary operator looking to win one of the four new permits issued by Oakland. Kaufman is affiliated with Blum Oakland as well as Medifarm, a group seeking to operate in Nevada. There's also Carl Anderson, a dispensary operator who wanted one of Oakland's permits; and Derek Peterson, a colleague of Kaufman's.
Here is a timeline of events, according to the federal complaint filed Aug. 10:
In March 2010, Rush introduced Kaufman to Anderson, who wanted to open a new dispensary, AMCD, in Oakland. Kaufman gave $50,000 in a paper bag to Andersen as an investment in the dispensary. The next day, Rush showed up at Anderson's office and allegedly said he would be taking half of all the money raised for AMCD. He took $35,000. A few weeks later, Kaufman delivered another $35,000. Rush came later that day and took $10,000.
Rush also demanded a secret interest in AMCD. Anderson had stock certificates made up in Rush's and Kaufman's name. Rush held $51,000 in stock. But Rush complained because he didn't want his name on the stock certificates, so Andersen destroyed them.
In January 2010, Kaufman delivered $500,000 in cash to Rush at Terbeek's law offices on International Avenue in Oakland. The money came from Kaufman's involvement in cannabis activities, according to the federal documents. The money was intended for Rush, who wanted to convert his long-time family home at 472 W. MacArthur St. in Oakland into a dispensary. It was supposed to be a five-year loan. A few months later, Kaufman delivered another $100,000 to Rush through Terbeek.
Terbeek, Kaufman and Rush allegedly tried to hide the nature of the $600,000 loan by depositing it into one of Terbeek's business accounts. The money was quickly used to pay off the loan against Rush's house on MacArthur. Rush also used some of the money to buy the house next door. Rush would then make regular interest payments to Kaufman, but would disguise them as payments for consulting services and even issue a 1099 for tax reporting purposes.
Rush was also the treasurer of Instituto Laboral de la Raza, a nonprofit that advocates for the working poor. Rush encouraged Terbeek to start handling worker's compensation cases and promised to steer some cases his way from the Insituto. In exchange, Terbeek gave Rush a credit card to use, according to court documents. Over the years, Rush put $110,000 in personal expenses on the card, according to the government charges. Much of this money went to Verizon Wireless to pay the bills for Rush's motorcycle friends who belonged to the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club. On February 20, 2015, Rush texted Terbeek, "Just keep the card going for me."
Rush recommended Terbeek's legal services to groups interested in opening cannabis operations in Berkeley, Oakland, and Nevada. In exchange, Terbeek agreed to share fees with Rush.
In 2014, Terbeek told both Peterson and Kaufman that Rush was not going to be able to pay back the $600,000 loan by 2015 as previously agreed. This started a series of proposals and actions by Rush and Terbeek to "substitute labor and tax benefits for the debt," according to court documents.
Around then, a cannabis operation named Medifarm was formed to go into Nevada to try and establish medical cannabis dispensaries. Petersen was the manager and CFO and Kaufman was on the board of directors and was the director of Quality Assurance. Peterson told Rush he wanted union support for Medifarm's application for a license since union support would make the application more attractive to lawmakers. Terbeek then told Peterson that Kaufman should forgive the $600,000 debt in exchange for Rush's union support in Nevada. "The write-off would go a long way towards doors slamming slamming slamming for other people," he said.
Rush then suggested that Medifarm sign a "toothless neutrality agreement" that seemed to signal it was open to union representation of its workers, but Rush assured him it wouldn't be enforced and there were tips how to tell workers not to sign up for the union.
On May 14, 2014, Terbeek met with Kaufman and told him how the bad debt could be repaid through a tax fraud scheme.
Terbeeck told federal officials that he had been paying kickbacks to Rush since 2004.
As a result of these alleged interactions, Rush was charged with "honest services fraud," meaning he was violating the Taft-Hartley Act by depriving union workers of his honest representation by selling his services and allegiances to their potential employers. Rush posted a $100,000 bond after the first charges were filed in August. The charges were refined and refiled on Sept. 17.
The new charges refer to a $550,000 debt, not a $600,000 debt, however. Abraham Simmons, the public relations representative for the U.S. attorney's office, is trying to find out the reason for the discrepancy but didn't have an answer by press time.
City Council will review process for selecting fourth dispensary on Sept.29
In the meantime, some of the applicants who were disqualified from being selected as one of Berkeley's cannabis dispensaries have raised questions about Rush's role, although none has actually accused Rush or described the process as fatally flawed.
"The revelations flowing from the federal indictment of one of the Commissioners on the Medical Cannabis Commission crystallized our feelings with regard to the overall conduct of the dispensary selection process," Anh Solis, the public relations manager for Vallejo-based reLeaf, wrote in an email to Berkeley City Council members Sept. 20.
Whitney Leigh, the attorney for Chris Smith, whose application from Forty Acres to become the fourth dispensary was also disqualified, brought up the Rush situation is a recent complaint filed against Berkeley.
"Those involved with the Commission should not have been entirely surprised by Mr. Rush's indictment," Leigh wrote. "Since its formation, the Commission has devoted itself to promoting and sanctioning the illegal, for-profit marijuana industry in Berkeley. Under Rush's leadership, the Commission – and through ratification of Commission acts the Berkeley City Council – have fostered a multi-million dollar scheme, through which a coterie of "authorized dispensaries", owned and run by a handful of well-connected individuals, have turned the delivery of medical cannabis to Berkeley patients into a illegal, City-protected, profit-making enterprise. Compared to the illegal profits reaped by these illegal dispensaries, Rush's $600k bribe is a pittance."
In March, 12 groups applied for the license for the fourth dispensary. A few dropped out, two consolidated their application, and a number were disqualified for incomplete applications. Currently, six applicants remain in the running.
Council is scheduled on Sept. 29 to hear appeals from reLeaf and CP4H, a dispensary proposed by Pappas. Both have expressed concern that they were eliminated in haste and the material required for the application kept changing. They are asking the council to reinstate them. A city staff report on the issues said their disqualification, as well as the disqualification of Forty Acres and another applicant, were done after due process and consideration. Staff decisions are final, according to Berkeley law.
City staff is due to release a list of five finalists soon. The finalists will hold community meetings to discuss their plans. However, council members may amend the current law Sept. 29 to either increase the final list to six; allow those that were disqualified to reenter the competition; or proceed with five finalists, according to a staff report. However, any changes will delay the selection of a fourth dispensary, the staff report warns.
Read the complaint against Rush.
Twelve apply to operate Berkeley's fourth dispensary (03.24.15)
Berkeley City Council: Let's add fourth cannabis dispensary (06.18.14)
Berkeley will again consider a 4th cannabis dispensary (06.03.14)
Berkeley delays decision on fourth dispensary (09.20.13)
Berkeley to consider 4th medical cannabis dispensary (09.17.13)
Berkeley delays fourth medical cannabis dispensary (06.13.13)
Follow Berkeleyside on Twitter and on Facebook where we often break news. Email us at tips@berkeleyside.com. Would you like the latest Berkeley news sent to your email inbox once a day? Click here to subscribe to Berkeleyside's free Daily Briefing.
Frances Dinkelspiel is co-founder and executive editor of Cityside. Email: frances@citysidejournalism.org.
Charley PappasForty Acres Medical Marijuana Growers' CollectiveKriss WorthingtonMedical cannabisMedical Cannabis CommissionMedical marijuanaUnited Food and Commercial Workers UnionWhitney LeighZach Cowan
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Reaching America's Legislative Leaders with the Good News of Jesus Christ
About Capitol Commission
Capitol Commission places a qualified and trained State Minister at the Capitol building to minister to the Legislators and staff. We are a religious organization with no political or lobbying agenda and under no specific denomination.
"The gospel proclaimed without an agenda is powerful! As Capitol Commission proclaims and teaches God's Word to state and national leaders across this nation, I see hearts changing and leaders being empowered to seek after righteousness. This ministry needs to advance."
- Brad Harbaugh, President of Capitol Commission
"Jesus did not come to take sides but to take over"
Most Legislators spend a significant amount of time away from home, especially during Legislative Session. They travel or even have temporary residences close to the Capitol building.
Our organization recognizes the need for trusted support to these men and women while surrounded by the stresses of politics.
We believe consistent presence at the State Capitol provides opportunities like Bible Studies, discipleship, counseling, prayer, and more.
Watch Our Impact Video
The ministry of Capitol Commission is identified by fervent Prayer, a faithful Presence, and a bold Proclamation of the gospel.
A Significant Need Provides an Opportunity
A Capitol Commission State Minister is a man your legislator can trust. He proclaims the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ to the governing leaders.
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"Scripture tells us to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us. In fact, the Apostle Paul goes even further to say that our prayers should be evangelistic because God our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. If we are responsible to pray for the salvation and sanctification of our leaders, it follows that we should be engaged in every effort possible to impact them for the gospel. Capitol Commission does just that by placing trained men of God in the state capitols to be effective evangelists and edifiers. We at Grace Community Church wholeheartedly endorse this effort."
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School corporation receives B grade on Indiana DOE annual performance report
By Rebecca Sandlin - Monday, April 15, 2019 7:59 AM
The Indiana Department of Education has released its 2018 annual performance report, including indicators used to compute schools' accountability letter grades.
On the whole, the Huntington County Community School Corporation received a B grade on its performance-based report, first released by the Indiana Department of Education last fall. Factors such as enrollment and attendance, student test performance, accountability and school personnel data such as teacher salaries were used to score schools.
Enrollment of the district's 5,169 students counted was weighed in the report, with the attendance rate at each HCCSC school up slightly past the state rate of 95.3 percent. The student-to-teacher ratio was lower than the state average of 13.5 to 1 at Andrews, Lincoln and Salamonie elementary schools and Crestview Middle School. The ratio was higher at Flint Springs and Roanoke elementary schools, Riverview Middle School and Huntington North High School.
In the elementary test performance domain, 56.4 percent of students passed the mathematics assessment, below the state average of 59.5 percent; and 67.4 percent of students passed the English/language arts assessment, above the state average of 65.1 percent.
In the high school domain, 33.7 percent of students passed the mathematics assessment, below the state average of 36.2 percent; and 65.4 percent passed the English/language arts assessment, above the state average of 60.2 percent.
No HCCSC school received an A grade for the past year. Schools either stayed the same or went down a letter grade from the previous year, with the notable exception of Lincoln Elementary, which improved from an F grade in 2016-17 to a C grade for 2017-18.
Here is how each school fared on its accountability grade and performance:
• Andrews Elementary – B, with 64.6 percent passing mathematics and 76.3 percent passing English/-language arts assessments. Enrollment was 376, with 376 with attendance rate of 96.2 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 12.1 to 1.
• Crestview Middle School – B, with 55.6 percent passing mathematics and 68.7 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 558 with attendance rate of 95.8 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 12.4 to 1.
• Flint Springs Elementary – C, with 45.3 percent passing mathematics and 67 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 437 with attendance rate of 96.3 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 13.6 to 1.
• Huntington North High School – B, with 33.7 percent passing mathematics and 65.4 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 1,516 with attendance rate of 95.4 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 13.6 to 1.
• Lincoln Elementary – C, with 45 percent passing mathematics and 50.3 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 408 with attendance rate of 95.5 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 11.3 to 1.
• Riverview Middle School – B, with 54.7 percent passing mathematics and 69.6 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 651 with attendance rate of 95.9 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 14.7 to 1.
• Roanoke Elementary – B, with 66.5 percent passing mathematics and 67.1 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 350 with attendance rate of 96.8 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 14.5 to 1.
• Salamonie School – C, with 67 percent passing mathematics and 66.3 percent passing English/language arts assessments. Enrollment was 207 with attendance rate of 96.7 percent. Student-to-teacher ratio was 10.8 to 1.
Horace Mann Elementary School, which re-opened for the 2018-19 school year and was closed last year, did not receive a grade.
Of the two elementary schools that were closed at the end of the 2017-18 school year, Lancaster Elementary School received a D and Northwest Elementary School was awarded a B.
Comparatively, Huntington Catholic School received a C on its accountability report, with 57.6 percent of students passing mathematics and 63.6 percent passing English/language arts assessments.
Another indicator was Huntington North High School's graduation rate of 95.4 percent, which was above the state average of 88.2 percent listed in the report; while college and career readiness was at 71.6 percent for HNHS, compared to 65.7 percent for the state average.
Chad Daughtery, assistant superintendent for instruction at HCCSC, says improving math scores in particular has been a priority for all students since the grades first came out last fall.
"We've also spent some time as well on our reading strategies, and we're in the process of trying to refresh a lot of our reading resources to help teachers meet the needs of students," he says. "We've been really cognizant of trying to give teachers trainings."
The E-learning program this past year included two "flex days," which allowed all teachers to go through training at the same time without needing to hire substitutes, Daugherty says.
"Now when we have our flex days we're able to give teachers training three to five hours at a time," he explains. "That was really beneficial for our corporation, everybody trying to get on the same page with our resources and a lot of our instructional practices."
Flex day instruction also included going over the new ILEARN assessment testing that is coming from April 22 to May 17, and will replace I-STEP.
Teacher salaries were also considered in the performance report. The annual salary range listed for HCCSC educators in 2017-18 was a minimum of $34,000 to a maximum of $68,954. The state average was between $34,165.70 and $65,536.65. Salary ranges were not listed for individual schools.
Daugherty notes that Indiana ranks in last place in average change in teacher salary by state between 2002 and 2017, referring to a chart published by Forbes.com. The accompanying article states the average teacher salary in the United States is approximately $60,000.
Statewide, the IDOE reports that roughly 22 percent of schools improved one or more letter grades in 2017-18, with nearly 9 percent improving their letter grade to an A. Overall, close to 64 percent of schools received an A or B.
"Our current accountability grades are an indication of the great education Indiana students are receiving, stated Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Superintendent of Public Instruction. "Our work is paying off and as a department we will continue to partner with dedicated stakeholders to ensure every school and every student is successful."
Due to differences between federal and state accountability equations and standards, IDOE also released federal accountability grades for the 2017-18 school year. About 67 percent of public schools – including all HCCSC schools – received the same letter grade for both state and federal accountability systems, with 31 percent receiving a higher letter grade on the state accountability system.
The complete report from the Indiana Department of Education can be accessed online at compass.doe.in.gov/dashboard/apr.aspx?type=corp&id=3625.


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Short Documentary Films by Goldsmiths Visual Cultures and Fine Art Students
Friday, 9 May 2014 from 19:00 to 22:00 (BST)
Prebooked Ticket 6 Tickets Ended £3.00 £0.83
Share Short Documentary Films by Goldsmiths Visual Cultures and Fine Art Students
A collection of short films by Visual Cultures and Fine Art students. Each ranging from 10-15mins, exploring aspects of Documentary film making through varying subjects including architecture, protest, community, globalisation and the body.
Do you have questions about Short Documentary Films by Goldsmiths Visual Cultures and Fine Art Students? Contact Cinema6
Cinema6 is a new neighbourhood cinema for Peckham running for six weeks this spring. Transforming a railway arch into a 40 seat screen, Cinema6 is showing films four times a week, from classic blockbusters and family films to world cinema and the work of local artists. It's a place to watch, discuss and learn about film and film making. We're inviting everyone from the area to be involved in choosing which films to show and to bring ideas for creative uses of the cinema space.
www.cinema6.co.uk


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Q&A: How much are billpayers paying for Hinkley and who gets the benefit?
Damian Kahya
@damiankahya
Doug Parr
Christine Ottery
@christineottery
@damiankahya @christineottery
So. The French and Chinese state owned nuclear power companies have combined in a deal they hope will pave the way for a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset.
The announcement envisages the costs coming in at around £18bn, some way below the EU estimate of £24.5bn that had been bandied about which means that Hinkley may not – after all – be the most expensive man made structure on the planet (we don't know).
At least to those who are building it – but what about the consumer? And where will the money go. Here's a quick primer:
How much will the consumer pay for Hinkley? (£81bn)
There is a difference between the build cost of the project (which has apparently fallen by around £6bn) and the actual cost to the consumer (which remains exactly as it always was). Or put another way, Hinkley just got cheaper – but they are selling it for the same.
Under the "Contract for Difference" (CfD) fixed price deal proposed by the Government the owners of Hinkley would take in around £81bn in today's money over the 35 year lifetime of the contract.
How much of that is actually subsidy?
Ok. So some of that is just the money the new owners could expect to receive from selling their power in the same way an existing coal, gas or nuclear station does – on wholesale markets.
Because of the complexity of the deal the government has struck the subsidy element is actually impossible to know. Basically the consumer will "top up" the amount of money we pay per unit of power generated to bring it to a fixed price.
Let's start low. If, like the European Union, you factor in the cost of borrowing the money to build the plant (around £17bn) and assume that the wholesale cost of power is either reasonably high or at least stable at where it was a year or so ago then the subsidy element varies between £5 and £17bn which is – admittedly – not very low.
But under the deal EDF say they have dramatically cut their borrowing cost (by teaming up with the Chinese state and paying for it themselves) and that the total cost of the project will be £18bn, not the £24.5bn the EU estimated. At the same time the cost of power has fallen significantly – increasing the 'top up' the consumer has to pay.
So. By our calculations that leaves the total subsidy at around £41bn. If you want you can take out the financing cost (though they are financing it themselves) which – using the EU number – takes you to £24bn.
So what does that work out per bill-payer?
It works out at around £1.1bn a year or about £15 a household according to our calculations.
And how much profit will go to the two big players?
Again it depends who else they get involved but based on what we know now it's possible to work out the profit margin the Chinese and French state are getting on their investment by subtracting the build cost and the cost of maintenance from the amount of money they are being paid.
How much is that you say? It works out at £15bn for China and £30bn for France from UK bill-payers.
And who are these Chinese partners anyway?
Chinese state-owned nuclear company China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) has a 33.5% stake in the development of the Hinkley C reactors – and also a stake in the Sizewell B and Bradwell B plants. This is the first time CGN is investing in nuclear in the UK.
Another Chinese state-owned nuclear firm, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), is a joint venture partner.
CGN has worked with EDF on projects spanning 30 years, according their site. This includes the joint venture between CGN and EDF Group to build two EPR – European Pressurised Reactors – at Taishen in China, which is the same technology chosen for Hinkley Point C. These are not yet operational and HSBC says they are running three years behind schedule.
The firm styles itself as the "largest, most experienced nuclear power reactor operator in China" and is based in Shenzhen, China.
It has two operational nuclear plants, with several under construction and in the pipeline.
CGN isn't solely a nuclear company, and has many subsidiaries in China that operate a portfolio of mainly wind but also solar farms and hydro projects. In 2014, CGN also bought three windfarms from EDF that it built in the UK.
It is not really clear how CNNC is benefiting from the deal at this stage, though they might have a share in CGN's stake, but they are on board for their engineering expertise as the firm specialises in research and development. "Historically, CNNC successfully developed the atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and nuclear submarines and built the first nuclear plant… in China", according to their website.
CNNC is under government control but in May the company announced it aimed to raise $2.13 billion in an initial public offering – the largest in China for four years.
How much risk are they taking?
Because that's what you get big bucks for right? Big risks.
The answer is we don't really know. The government's infrastructure guarantee (which guarantees borrowing for big infrastructure projects so reducing the risk to, well not very much at all) only kicks in if EDF can prove it can build a nuclear plant a bit like Hinkley in France – which right now isn't going so well (it just got delayed, again).
That's been stalling things so today the two partners said they'd fund it themselves, well, to begin with at least, until y'know, they've managed to build the other one. How that breaks down is hard to say.
The treasury has already allocated around £17bn to the project (which is, um, only £1bn shy of the build cost). Earlier this year George Osborne announced an initial £2bn in infrastructure guarentees for the Chinese investment. If that is still a goer that should tide them over nicely until things become clearer.
So the answer on risk? We have no clue. Some of the risk will lie with the French and Chinese state. Some will lie with the UK taxpayer through the guarantee. Quite how that divvies up we won't know until long after we have committed our £81bn. Oh well.
How does all this compare to renewables?
It's impossible to say because Hinkley won't come on stream until 2023 (at the earliest) by which time the cost of other technologies will likely have changed. The Hinkley (and possibly Sizewell/Bradwell) deals is also several times larger than any single renewable contract.
In fact by the end of the 35 year contract (double the length of most renewables deals) none of the UK's existing renewable subsidies will any longer be in force.
However right now the government's contracts for onshore wind and solar power – which are just 15 years – are both coming in lower than that offered to Hinkley.
A Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysis says the UK could have six times the power-generation capacity for the same money by investing in wind turbines instead of Hinkley.
Offshore wind, on the other hand, which is arguably more comparable is still more expensive. Developers expect the cost to fall significantly over the next decade though.
The question – however – is somewhat moot because the government's push for at least three new nuclear plants (Hinkley, Sizewell and Bradwell) and the sheer size of those contracts is unlikely to leave any money for wind turbines for decades to come.


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Portaltunes News
Home » Apple
How your browser decides exactly what advertising you see
By the end of 2021 Google Third Party Cookies wants to abolish for advertising purposes. But while Apple and the Mozilla Foundation simply curtail the possibilities of advertising, that's what Google is not an option. The large advertising konzern and coarse browser manufacturers in the world is true, in the context of his "Privacy sandbox"-Project alternatives to create today's tracking-based advertising system.
The Group presented the latest proposal at the end of October: Federated Learning of Cohorts – short "Floc". The nuclear ideas of the new advertising system is to have a significant part of personalization to take place directly in the browser. Over techniques of machine learning the browser should automatically form an interest profile, the user "Cohort" – or: "Flock" – Composits.
To understand the system, you first have to look at the status quo. Advertising is barely booked on websites, but individually played every user due to the interest profile. This is made possible by programmatic real-time marketplaces, where advertising placements are still auctioned during the charging time in the browser.
Group tracking
To set up the necessary interest profiles, Third Party Cookies are currently indispensable. If a user visits about a technique website, the browser gives the information by cookie on often dozens of advertising service providers. For thousands of such signals, detailed user profiles are generated, for which, in addition to data such as age and gender of the user, also sensitive information such as diseases or religious convictions can be recorded. Add to that data handlers who combine profile information from numerous sources and unite them with the cookie profiles.
In view of the increasing resistance to the all-encompassing targeting, Google now wants to relocate the interest profiles into the browser. Chrome continuously calculates a kind of hash value from the user's browser history and summarizes all surfers with the same value to a cohort. The cohort formation should prevent you from dragging backlusses over individual users. Attached is a minimum grape of 5000 users, which are sufficiently similar. above "Federated Learning" If the user profiles are to be adjusted together, without the raw data relying the device of the user.
Important also: Every user is only a member of a cohort. Thus, advertisers and Adtech service providers can not retrieve individual attributes such as age or gender and integrate them into their own databases.
Skeptical advertising industry
Instead of retrieving exact user profiles, the advertisers had to satisfy themselves with the knowledge of the whole cohort. For advertisers, Google's initiative is not feeling well. However, given the increasing anti-tracking measures, a partial orientation of data is preferable to the complete loss of personalization, made Chetna Bindra, the stated product manager in Google, opposite C't.
So that the new system works, Google needs to convince many competitors and partners from change. Therefore, Google provides its proposals on GitHub for public discussion and takes part in the standardization organization W3C on a specialist dialogue, which now has many associations and companies from the advertising industry.
But here are rough reservations. The advertising industry does not want to be booted by industry hardwoods such as Google, Apple or Facebook, made the BVDW vice-prassident Thomas Dohr opposite C't. Who enforces with what suggest, must show 2021.
This article comes from C't 24/2020.
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