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We have Lotus Notes based application, which is accessed by several users. We communicate with our users by using mailboxes which reside on Domino server. With mailboxes migrating from Lotus notes to Microsoft exchange. What are possible ways to continue communications categories mentioned below:
1) Send normal email containing attachment to users. - Is it possible to send email from lotusscript when mailbox resides on microsoft exchange server? Any other solution.
2) Send email with buttons to approve or reject - How will it be done through Lotus notes when mailbox is microsoft exchange? In case we do not migrate mailbox however our clients access outlook mailbox is it still possible to send email containing approval buttons etc?
3) Agents look up mailbox regularly to receive communication from backend - Is it possible to access Microsoft exchange mailbox from Lotus notes so that we can process incoming emails? Any other solution?
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1) You first need to setup your Notes Domain to be able to forward to an Exchange domain. Microsoft provides some help here: _URL_
As you migrate users, you'll change their person documents to point to "Other Internet Mail", and include their Exchange email address, so the Notes environment knows how to reach them. Up to this point, this is something a Notes Administrator would handle if you have one at your company.
After that, you can send to any Notes user normally from LotusScript. Attachments go through fine.
2) Approval buttons are not feasible because they require some level of interactivity to be sent back to Notes. When you send an email from Notes to Exchange, you're sending it over SMTP and usually in an HTML format. It's the same as if you send an email from Notes to someone across the globe - as soon as it leaves the Notes domain, the email is converted to a MIME-based email and Notes-specific buttons, embedded objects, etc won't be converted.
As an alternative, you could send a link to the Notes database and have the users click that first, then open up the database to approve. That's very easy if your Notes database is on Domino and accessible via a browser. If it's a database that requires the Notes client, and you're on Windows, you can programmatically create links to the documents using the Notes:// URL scheme, which can easily be sent in an email.
3) This is a "it depends" answer. What are you trying to accomplish? If you're reacting to emails sent from an application, you could perhaps send two emails - one to a user, one to the database within Lotus Notes that needs to run an action. Or, you can set up rules from Exchange that send emails to Notes to trigger actions. If you absolutely must react to emails sent to Exchange, you should look into using Rules in Outlook/Exchange, and perhaps VBA to gain finer control of what actions occur.
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text:
Data storage requirements are increasing dramatically and therefore much attention is being given to next-generation data storage media. However, in optical data storage devices the storage density is limited by the wavelength of light. This limitation can be avoided by an alternative data addressing mechanism using electric fields between nanoelectrodes with smaller dimensions than the wavelength of commercially available lasers. It has been shown that DNA of a range of lengths can be aligned in an electric field [1, 2]. In this study we demonstrate the use of an ac electric field to address DNA as a data storage technique.
λ-DNA, immobilised on an array of electrodes utilising its self-assembling properties, serves as a scaffold for fluorescent molecules. The DNA is immobilised onto gold electrodes in a multi-step procedure ensuring a controlled surface coverage of the molecules onto specific electrodes. To minimise background fluorescence and to enable reversible stretching, the substrate surface is silanised prior to DNA immobilisation. Using a strong, spatially confined ac electric field (1MV/m, 400kHz) the DNA molecules on each electrode are individually and reversibly stretched into a focused Argon laser beam. The fluorophores (YOYO1, Molecular Probes) are rapidly photobleached when the power density of the beam is increased, allowing for data storage when associating a photobleached data point with a binary 1 and an intact data point with a binary 0 (Figure 1). The resulting pattern of high/low fluorescence intensities is read by measuring the fluorescence intensity, using the same dielectrophoretic addressing mechanism, but in conjunction with a much reduced power beam. Although this concept of data storage has been demonstrated only on the micrometre scale, it is a promising candidate for miniaturisation, potentially to the molecular scale.
Figure 1. A pattern of selectively stretched λ-DNA on an array of 4 gold electrodes. Photobleaching the stretched DNA in this configuration will result in a 1, 0, 1, 0 signal when reading back by sequentially stretching the DNA on each electrode into a reduced power beam. The DNA is being stretched in a 1 MV/m, 400 kHz ac field. The electrodes are 10 μm in width and 15 μm apart.
M. Wasizu, and O. Kurosawa, IEEE T. Ind. Appl, 1990, 26, 1165.
M. Wasizu, O. Kurosawa, I. Arai, S. Suzuki, and N. Shimamoto, IEEE T. Ind. Appl, 1995, 31, 447.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
First, here is a picture of some hot glue that dried in the shape of Squidward:
Now here is how to make diaper cupcakes:
- Unfold and refold diapers lengthwise.
- Roll up like a doobie (half of the diapers - save the other half)
- Other half - roll up straight edge to edge.
- Wrap a rubber band around.
- Stick the doobie inside the straight roll.
- Decorate with anything that will not affect the integrity of the diaper (no staples/pins/markers/etc).
For a cake, wrap them all up straight except for one, which will be the top layer. Put a bottle of wine or water or something the mommy and daddy like to drink in the middle of a platter. Place diaper wraps all around, making three layers. Secure each layer with a big rubber band. Wrap ribbon around, or cover each entire layer with a receiving blanket - the possibilities are endless!

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
"Out & Proud in Chicago" is the first television documentary to tell the history of Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens. Its timeline spans from the Civil War through present day. This parallel history of the city tells a story of invisibility, oppression, devastation, revolution and triumph.
Chicago's role in the national history of the LGBT movement is often overlooked. Yet major milestones include the country's first chartered gay rights organization (1924), the pushback that brought down Anita Bryant's national campaign of homophobia, and the creation of the one of the country's premier gay and lesbian community centers, the $20 million state-of-the-art Center on Halsted. "Out & Proud in Chicago" highlights these accomplishments as well as the stories previously untold or limited to examination by academia. These include the story of Jenny Hodgers, a cross-dressing Civil War hero who lived the majority of her adult life as a Albert Cashier, a reexamination of the guarded personal life of social activist and Nobel-prize winner Jane Addams and her Boston marriage, and the life and work of Tony Jackson, an openly gay African-American ragtime pianist.
Most significantly, "Out & Proud In Chicago" includes the stories of 20 LGBT Chicagoans, from ages 30 to 80, including men, women and transgender people. Their journey, from awareness of their sexuality and gender identity, to overcoming the challenges of coming out, to becoming leaders is the real story of the documentary.
WTTW Channel 11 made a major commitment to the making and airing of the 90-minute documentary and also to the LGBT community. Now, under the umbrella "Out & Proud In Chicago Presents," WTTW is continuing its commitment to the LGBT community with new documentaries such as "Schoolboy to Showgirl: The Alexandra Billings Story."


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The Davies Sisters during the First World War
The First World War had a profound effect on the lives of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, two sisters from mid Wales whose gifts and bequests completely transformed the range and quality of Wales's national art collection.
They lost much-loved relatives and served with the Red-Cross in France, seeing the destruction first hand. They were deeply conscious of the horrors experienced by both British and French soldiers, and shocked at the suffering of civilian refugees.
While their brother David flung himself into the cause of international peace, the sisters hoped to repair the lives of ex-soldiers traumatized by the war, through education in the crafts and through music. Out of this grew the idea of Gregynog, as a centre for the arts, and for the discussion of social problems.
Bringing Refugee Artists to Wales
On 4 August 1914 Germany invaded Belgium, precipitating the First World War. Over a million Belgians fled their homes.
The Davies family decided that Belgian artists should be brought to Wales, where they could work in safety, and inspire the country's art students. Major Burdon-Evans, their agent, and their friend Thomas Jones journeyed to Belgium where they assembled a group of ninety-one refugees, including the sculptor George Minne, and the painters Valerius de Saedeleer and Gustave van de Woestyne and their families.
All three artists were to spend the rest of the war as refugees, largely dependent on the Davies family for support. While their impact on the arts in Wales was limited, the work of all three was to be profoundly influenced by their Welsh exile.
The Sisters in France, _PHONE_
Initially the sisters undertook charitable work at home in connection with the war. They were keen to do more 'in the way of helping', but few women managed to go out to France. One way of doing so was to volunteer through the London Committee of the French Red Cross.
There was little provision in the French army for the welfare of the ordinary soldier, and the Committee sent women to operate canteens at railway stations, hospitals and transit camps.
In July 1916 Gwendoline was posted to a transit camp near Troyes. Margaret joined the canteen there in June 1917, and her journals record their lives at this period.
The sisters were deeply moved by the stoicism of the ordinary soldiers of the French army and by the suffering of exhausted, sick, and hungry refugees.
The sisters sometimes managed to add to their art collection during the First World War. Although wartime travel in France was difficult, trips to Paris on Red Cross business provided Gwendoline with opportunities to visit the Berneheim-Jeune gallery.
She bought a Daumier and a Carriêre there in April 1917, and paintings by Renoir, Manet and Monet in December. In February 1918 she bought her two celebrated landscapes by Cézanne, Midday, L'Estaque and Provençal Landscape, which are among her most important and far-sighted purchases.
In February 1916, Gwendoline Davies spent £2,350 on ten oils and a drawing by Augustus John. Both she and Margaret went on to acquire more, and they collected the work of no other artist on this scale.
Gwendoline was determined that the work of Augustus John be seen at Amgueddfa Cymru, later placing several of her own purchases on loan to the Museum.
Guide to the paintings
- Paul Cézanne (_PHONE_), Provençal Landscape, oil on canvas, about 1887-8. Bought by Gwendoline Davies with Cézanne's Midday - L'Estaque in 1918, this picture cost half as much, £1,250. It was probably painted at his family's property outside Aix-en-Provence. Full of the shimmering colour of the South of France where the sisters had holidayed in 1913-14, it must have seemed a world away from war-time Paris in winter. Amgueddfa Cymru (Bequest of Gwendoline Davies, 1951) NMW A 2438.
- Paul Cêzanne (_PHONE_), Midday, L'Estaque, oil on canvas, about 1879. This landscape is one of Gwendoline Davies's greatest pictures, bought in Paris for £2,500 in February 1918. The Troyes canteen was closed for repairs. She was in the city, then under intermittent German bombardment, on Red Cross business. She may have seen it on a previous visit, as in January Margaret had translated from the French the art dealer Ambroise Vollard's anecdotal account of Cêzanne's life. Together with Provençal Landscape acquired with it, this was one of the first Cêzannes to enter a British collection. Amgueddfa Cymru (Bequest of Gwendoline Davies, 1951) NMW A 2439.
- Camille Pissarro (_PHONE_), Sunset, the Port of Rouen (Steamboats), oil on canvas, 1898. Margaret Davies bought several works by Pissarro at the Leicester Galleries, London, in June 1920. This was the most expensive at £550. The previous year she had worked at a canteen in Rouen run by the Scottish Churches Huts Committee. Amgueddfa Cymru (Bequest of Margaret Davies, 1963) NMW A 2492.
Article Date: 29 July 2007


text:
One hundred days in outer space wasn't enough to kill "Neffi" the spider, but a simple trip to Washington, D.C., proved enough to do the trick.
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the University of Colorado confirmed the death on Monday of "Nefertiti," the spider at the center of an experiment conceived by an Egyptian student and launched by Boulder researchers.
A 42-million-mile jaunt through space and subsequent splashdown in the Pacific Ocean seemingly didn't faze the Johnson jumping spider (species Phidippus johnsoni). But after being put on exhibit at the Smithsonian's Insect Zoo on Thursday, it was dead by Monday.
Neffi, of a species that typically enjoys a lifespan of about one year, was 10 months old. Monday's passing of the so-called "spidernaut," according to the Smithsonian, was due to natural causes. However, the Smithsonian conceded that no necropsy was performed on the deceased arachnid.
"There was not," admitted Smithsonian press officer Kelly Carnes, who described museum staff as "pretty devastated."
Carnes added, "I think the reasoning is that we want to add her to our collection so that we can continue to learn about spiders. And she is much more useful as a research specimen if we keep her intact.
"The mission lives on."
Also counted among the mourners is Stefanie Countryman, the projects manager for K-12 Educational Projects at CU's BioServe Space Technologies. But Countryman was philosophical.
"That's how it is, with living organisms. You just never know," Countryman said. "Someone didn't squish her. It wasn't something someone did. She had been eating well at the Smithsonian, and active. There is no other explanation, other than that she was reaching the end of her lifespan."
'Bonus she came back alive'
The spider's life was short. But it was memorable.
As Countyrman put it, "She traveled from Arizona to Colorado
Countryman added, "It's a bonus she came back alive, honestly."
The experiment that made Neffi famous was conceived as part of the NASA-sponsored YouTube Space Lab contest in which two student-proposed studies were selected from thousands submitted worldwide by video. Amr Mohamed, 18, of Egypt, suggested examining whether a spider normally dependent on gravity for catching its meals would be able to adapt, and eat, in a micro-gravity environment.
Specific procedures for the winning experiments then were designed in CU's aerospace engineering sciences department. Countryman said the Neffi experiment demonstrated that, in fact, the spider was able to hunt down fruit flies in her sealed space environment on the International Space Station just fine -- until her food supply ran out.
"You can blame that on me," Countryman said.
She explained that a month-long supply of fruit flies actually lasted 55 days. However, there was adequate water -- the critical element in bare-necessities survival for a spider -- for the remaining 45 days of its time on the space station. Also, Neffi was sent into space "gorged" on a full stomach, Countryman added.
Neffi circled the earth more than 1,500 times, then splashed back down off the Southern California coast Oct. 28. She was recovered by Countryman at Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 30. The spider was returned to Boulder and nursed back to health for about a month before being transported to the Smithsonian.
After the whirlwind of recent months, just a few days in Foggy Bottom were apparently the last straw.
"I'm going with, she was eating well, she was fat and happy and said, 'You know what? I've been around the world, I've been to space and back. What more is there? I might as well give up the ghost now, before they make me do something else,'" Countryman said.
A Smithsonian announcement of Neffi's passing noted, "The loss of this special animal that inspired so many imaginations will be felt throughout the museum community."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Charlie Brennan at _PHONE_ or _EMAIL_.


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Water Refilling Stations in the Philippines
In the Philippines, bottled water has established a major foothold. In some places, piped-water systems are lacking; in others, people are uncertain about biological contaminants, disinfection by-products from the chlorination process, taste, and odor.
Even in the capital Manila, only about three fourths of the population receives piped water from the municipal authority. Outside Manila far fewer people have access to clean water distribution. In both locations, these families must find alternate water sources if they are to avoid cholera epidemics and other health problems spawned by the foul, contaminated water available in their neighborhoods.
A solution has appeared in the thousands of water refilling stations that now dot the Philippine landscape. These shops began as privately-run community sources, where consumers would bring containers and fill them for a per-gallon fee that is a small fraction of commercially bottled water's cost. Demand is such that most stores now offer home delivery for regular customers.
Other shops are likely supplied by unauthorized or illegal deep well diggings. A proliferation of these private sources could have detrimental effects on groundwater reserves and subject them to contamination.
The government has accepted private water shops as a necessary weapon in the fight against waterborne disease and regulates their quality control practices and final product as much as possible. However, given the large number of shops, it is difficult to adequately monitor the entire industry.
Though many in the Philippines benefit from the availability of water shops, the system does not address the long-term water delivery and sanitation infrastructure improvements necessary to provide reliable water to all.
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text: This interesting name has two possible origins. The first being locational 'of Baston' from a place thus called in Lincolnshire. Such locational names were frequently given to the Lord of the Manor as in the following recording: 'Turstan de Baston" (1191) - The Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire. The second possibility is that the name derives from the Olde French 'bastun' meaning a'stick' and was probably originally given as a nickname to a particularly thin person. In the modern idiom, the name has two spelling variations Baston and Bastone. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Bastun. which was dated 1203 in the Assize Court Rolls of Northamptonshire. during the reign of King John, known as Lackland, 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.


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The spectroscopic examination of artworks is of high importance for conservators, art-historians and keepers of private or public museum collections. These investigations reveal information, which is of general (art-) historical interest: the knowledge of the artistic materials that were used and were available at a certain period in a particular region and the dissemination of new methods provide information about the interactions between distinct cultures and about trade routes. The knowledge on the artists' materials that were available in particular regions and periods can help in dating artefacts. The retrieval of pigments with a well-known date of invention enables to date the artefact post quem. Other materials are known to have disappeared from the artists' palette, because they were substituted by others and retrieving enables to date artefacts ante quem. Finding anachronisms in the materials that were used, is a straightforward way for the exposure of counterfeit masterpieces. Another method consists of the comparison with the materials that were used in known works of the same artist. If it is well-established that a certain artist in a large group of works from a particular period never used certain pigments, finding these materials in a suspect painting deepens the suspicion and invites for further examinations. Besides these reasons for the spectroscopic examination of objects of art, an important purpose of this work is to help conservators in finding the reasons of the deterioration of a certain artwork and helping them in optimising the conditions of conservation. The main purpose of any analytical examination of artefacts should be to gain as much information as possible in a non-destructive way.
Molecular Raman spectroscopy is well-suited for this purpose: it enables the identification of inorganic and organic pigments, as well as binding media and varnishes. By focusing a laser on a sample the intensity of the inelastically scattered light is plotted against the Raman wavenumber, which is proportional to the difference in energy between the laser and the scattered light. By using a microscope to focus the laser beam on the sample, i.e. micro-Raman spectroscopy, one can get spectra from particles with a diameter down to 1 µm, which is about the usual dimension of artists' pigments. This high lateral resolution can be used for the examination of
In this work examples of these four different ways of application of Raman spectroscopy are given.
- embedded stratigraphic samples, of
- micro-samples, or even for the
- direct investigation of artefacts that can be positioned under the microscope. For large artefacts
- fibre optics can be used for remote investigation. In this case there is loss of spatial resolution to some mm2.
Micro-Raman investigations are performed using a dispersive Renishaw System1000 Ramanspectrometer. The device is fitted with a diode laser operating at 50 mW and 780 nm. An Olympus BH-2 microscope is used to focus the laser on the sample, using objective lenses of 5x, 20x, 50x and 80x magnification. The microscope is equipped with binoculars and a colour video camera, allowing to position the sample and to select a specific region for investigation. The backscattered light passes through a holographic notch filter (HNF), which rejects the abundant elastic Rayleigh scattering, to avoid outshining of the weaker Raman signal. The backscattered light is dispersed by using a 1200 lines / mm grating and is detected on a Peltier-cooled CCD-detector. This configuration allows to record spectra with a spectral resolution of ca. 1 datapoint / cm-1 in the spectral region between 150 and 2500 cm-1. The fibre-optics Ramanspectra are recorded on a Bruker FT-Raman spectrometer, allowing to record spectra from 250 cm-1 onwards.
Direct Analysis of 19th Century Porcelain Cards
Raman Analysis using Fibre Optics
Direct analysis of art objects with larger dimensions necessitates the use of fibre optics. The panel painting Baby Elephant was painted by Lucebert, a member of the Cobra movement. For the non-destructive investigation of that 20th Century panel painting fibre optics FT-Raman was used in order to identify the pigments in the artwork. The painting is part of the collection of the S.M.A.K., the municipal museum of contemporary art in Ghent (Belgium). The spectra that are presented in Fig. 2 are of sufficient quality for identification of the pigments. The Raman spectrum of titanium white is presented, together with the organic pigments PY 3 and PR 4. PY 3 is a Hansa yellow mono-azo pigment, PR 4 is of the b-Naphthol type.
Fig 2: Fibre optics Raman analysis of Baby Elephant. a. Titanium white; b1. Green area; b2. Reference of PY 3; c1. Red area; c2. Reference of PR 4.|
Micro-Raman Examination of Embedded Stratified Samples
Another possibility for the analysis of painted artefacts is the investigation of the superposed layers in small samples of the paint, embedded in a resin. These stratified samples are frequently used by conservators for the examination of the structure of paintings, polychrome sculptures or furniture, and allow to identify the frequently observed overpaintings. Thanks to the good lateral resolution it is possible to record with Raman spectroscopy spectra of the different layers of an embedded stratigraphic sample. In Fig. 3 a Ramanspectrum of a stratified sample from a historical table (dated ca. 1500) is presented. The spectrum of the greenisch layer reveals the presence of Prussian blue (Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3), but the spectrum also contains the features of starch, which may have been used as binding medium. Barite can be added during the production process of the pigment or may be used as a filler in the paint.
Fig 3: Ramanspectrum out of the greenisch layer of a stratigraphic sample (bottom) in combination with reference spectra from Prussian blue, starch and barite.|
Gentle Micro-sampling Method and a Combined Method Approach
Transport of precious objects of art to the laboratory is not always possible. and sampling is required. The largest disadvantage of stratigraphic samples is that this method causes visible damage to the artefact. To overcome this severe disadvantage a microsampling method was developed, consisting of gently rubbing a dry and clean cotton bud (Q-tip) over the paint surface. Without leaving a trace on the artefact, a small amount (ca. < 1 µg) of pigment and binding medium is removed from the top layer, which largely meets the needs for multiple investigations using micro-Raman spectroscopy and other micro-analytical methods. An example of this approach is given by the examination of two Egyptian burial masks. Due to the fragility of these antique artefacts, it was impossible to transport these to the laboratory. Therefore, micro-samples were taken, using the Q-tip method. The samples were examined by a combined approach of molecular micro-Raman spectroscopy and (atomic) total-reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF). Some Ramanspectra are shown in Fig. 4. TXRF analysis showed that the beige sample contained considerable amounts of As, being an indication for the presence of the orange realgar (AsS) or yellow orpiment (As2S3). Raman analysis revealed that the yellow particles were none of these pigments, but were identified as para-realgar, a yellow photo-degradation product of realgar (Fig. 4). This brings up some interesting questions for art-history and conservation science. One could wonder whether the ancient Egyptians applied the orange realgar (which degenerated on the mask to para-realgar) or a yellow pigment. Were they aware of the photo-degradation of realgar and did they know the difference between orpiment and para-realgar?
Fig 4: Raman investigation of micro-samples from Egyptian burial masks. ab. A combined spectrum of vermilion (Hgs, a.) and haematite (Fe2O3, b.). c. Ramanspectrum of para-realgar (AsS) and (d.) realgar (AsS)|
In this work the application of Raman spectroscopy in the field of non-destructive art analysis is demonstrated. The method can be used for direct analysis of small stratified samples embedded in a resin, for micro-samples, taken by the gentle Q-tip method and for direct analysis. Small artefacts can be analysed as such under the Raman microscope, for large objects of art fibre optics can be applied. Molecular Raman spectroscopy is applicable to the identification of inorganic pigments, of 20th Century synthetic organic colorants and for the identification of the binding media, which makes the method suitable for art-analysis of modern as well as ancient artworks.
The authors thank Alex von Bohlen, Reinhold Klockenkämper, Howell Edwards, Paul De Paepe, Frederika Huys, Freya Joukes, Georges Dewispelaere and Francis Verpoort for their help and support.
- B. Wehling, P. Vandenabeele, L. Moens, R. Klockenkämper, A. von Bohlen, G. Van Hooydonk and M. De Reu, Mikrochim. Acta 130, 253-260 (1999).
- P. Vandenabeele, L. Moens, H.G.M. Edwards and R. Dams, A Raman Spectroscopic Database of Azo-pigments and application to Modern Art Studies, J. Raman Spectr. 2000,


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Market-based control: the solution to slow progress with patient safety?
 1. Richard G Thomson
 1. Professor Richard G Thomson, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; richard.thomson{at}
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In this issue of Quality and Safety in Health Care, there is a paper that should stimulate considerable debate (see page 99);1 indeed, we have published three commentaries alongside the paper24 to initiate this and a further response from the authors (see page 90).5 Despite major initiatives to improve patient safety, there is a perception that attempts to improve safety have made slow progress. Hence, Coiera and Braithwaite argue for the implementation of market based control mechanisms as an incentive to promote patient safety. Their proposal is modelled on the "cap and trade" approach to creating a market in emissions trading, a key component of the Kyoto protocol that allows organisations that are successful in reducing carbon emissions to sell credits to organisations that have been less successful.
The parallel between emissions trading to improve the environment and patient safety event trading to improve healthcare safety is fascinating; each of our commentators is intrigued by the proposal. However, each of them believes that the model, while intriguing, is unlikely to be implemented or effective. Coiera and Braithwaite have responded to these commentaries with a further robust argument!
Chin and Wilkes2 are concerned that a market of this type will lead to further widening of inequalities through a variety of mechanisms including lobbying power, resource constraints, ability to pass or shift costs and gaming. If market mechanisms were to enhance inequalities, this would be unacceptable (see page 88). While Chin and Wilkes believe that measurement of patient safety and holding healthcare organisations accountable in a fair manner, consistent with Coiera and Braithwaite's proposals, are important, neither is unique to market solutions.
Donaldson3 expresses a fundamental concern—he argues that healthcare is not a public good in the same way as the environment (see page 87). He also points out that the introduction of quasimarkets in healthcare has been largely unsuccessful in addressing issues of quality and safety. Instead he calls for more explicit and better developed methods to determine priorities for investment in constrained healthcare systems. He also, quite rightly, raises the question as to whether the emissions trading model has yet shown itself to be effective—indeed, Coiera and Braithwaite themselves accept that it is too early to evaluate that.
Meltzer4 points out that incentives for patients and payers to avoid errors through competitive market forces already exist, in contrast to carbon emissions prior to trading, thus making the argument less compelling (see page 86). He highlights the challenge of measurement and of how an appropriate level of adverse events might be set. He also believes that such a system is likely to increase healthcare costs. Meltzer flags up one element of the proposal that he describes as compelling; that is the underlying assumption that some level of harm is appropriate or acceptable because reducing harm is costly.
In addition to the concerns expressed in these commentaries, I believe there are several other issues that need to be considered before pursuing an MBC approach. First, this approach is very top down; it appears to ignore the importance of engagement of healthcare staff in improving safety. The mantra of "first do no harm" is embedded within the culture of most healthcare professionals, and when patient safety incidents occur, they are rarely due to negligence or intended actions but largely reflect the inevitabilities of human error and the inadequacies of systems. A top-down model such as that proposed here is likely to provoke resistance among professional groups.
It is also likely to provoke resistance among patients and the public. What level of acceptability would this engender within the public domain, particularly given Meltzer's comments that an underlying implication is that there is a level of acceptable harm? One of the challenges to patient safety has been the fact that the value placed upon harm produced by healthcare is often quite different to the value placed upon injury or ill health arising de novo. Fundamentally, patients access healthcare with the expectation that it will make them better and find the concept that it might make them worse very difficult to understand.
Another issue of relevance is the complexity of healthcare. The issue of carbon emission is arguably much more straightforward in both its measurement and its aetiology than harm caused by healthcare. This complexity in healthcare may explain why some of the methods of quality and safety improvement that have been effective in industrial settings are more difficult to apply in healthcare. Market-based control is likely to be similar in this respect.
A key problem, also flagged up by our commentators, is that of measurement. We know that incident reporting significantly under-reports for a variety of reasons. Equally, there is evidence to suggest that those organisations that report more incidents have a better and more effective safety culture.6 Any market-based mechanism that penalised higher rates of incidents would have the potential effect of switching off the tap of reporting, upon which much safety improvement depends. The approach would be replete with perverse incentives. Furthermore, the use of measures of safety or quality from routine information systems, such as the AHRQ indicators suggested by Coiera and Braithwaite, would need to take account of the fact that routine data quality and completeness are hugely variable, not only across different healthcare systems but also within countries, again emphasising the considerable challenge of measurement of safety within this proposal.
In conclusion, this is a fascinating and intriguing proposal that merits wide debate. But is this proposal something that healthcare systems should take seriously and consider testing?
Could this approach dramatically improve safety within healthcare systems, or should we once again heed HL Mencken's view that "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong"?
 - Competing interests: None.
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Nanotech in Formula One – Is It Legal?
A bit of digging around in the F1 technical regulations (thanks to Chris Walker at Diamond Hard Surfaces for originally drawing our attention to this) only found the following prohibition on using carbon nanotubes incorporated within carbon fibres, although given the difficulty of making an accurate distinction between nanotubes, nanofibres and carbon fibre. It would be interesting to know which definition the is FIA using.
Carbon fibres manufactured from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor which have :
a tensile modulus < 550GPa ;
a density < 1.92 g/cm3 ;
unidirectional or planar reinforcement within their pre-impregnated form, not including three dimensional weaves or stitched fabrics (but fibre reinforcement using Z-pinning technology is permitted) ;
no carbon nanotubes incorporated within the fibre or its matrix ;
a permitted matrix, not including a carbon matrix
However, the 2014 regulations bring some new potential prohibitions, tightening up on the use of nanotubes and nanofibres:
Composite Materials – These are materials where a matrix material is reinforced by either a continuous or discontinuous phase. The matrix can be metallic, ceramic, polymeric or glass based. The reinforcement can be present as long fibres (fibre length greater than 10mm) or short fibres, whiskers and particles (discontinuous reinforcement). Nanoscale reinforced materials are to be considered as composites. (a reinforcement is considered to be nanoscale if any dimension of the reinforcement is less than 100nm.)
In terms of nanotechnologies in Formula 1 it is a minor prohibition. As far as we know, plenty of other applications of nanotechnology is used widely in Formula One. Typical examples include;
McLarens KERS system which was using A123's nano phosphate lithium ion batteries as a result of their combination of weight and charge/discharge capacity,
Nanoparticles such as CuO, ZnO and ZrO2 being used in lubricants to reduce friction and wear,
Carbon nano fibres used in brakes and
Nano structured paints and coatings for aerodynamic drag reduction and thermal management.
In the meantime we would be interested to know what has caused the FIA to turn their attention back to nano fibre composites, and in the meantime there are plenty of Montmorillonite clays that will do a similar job for weight reduction.


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EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THERMAL CONTACT RESISTANCE OF NEEDLE-PUNCHED C/C-SIC COMPOSITES AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES
In this study, thermal contact resistance (TCR) of needle-punched C/C-SiC composites under different conditions (temperature, pressure) is experimentally measured by a three-element system. The "three-element system" refers to a thermal conductivity measurement facility, a surface roughness measurement microscope and a one-D heat conduction system. Details of the three elements and the measurement process are described. Under the measurement conditions, the values of TCR of the needle-punched C/C-SiC composites are within the range of 0.00005 to 0.000275 K·m2·W-1. Generally speaking the TCR increases with interface temperature when it is lower than about 220° and decreases with loading pressure monotonically. Four variation curves of TCR are presented.


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We Care Family Services and Child Visitation
Helping families maintain a healthy and safe interaction
Supervised Child Visitation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Child Monitoring, Supervised visits, Monitored visits?
These terms all refer to Supervised Visitation. See below for definition..
All of the terms above refers to the monitoring of a child
What is Supervised Visitation?
Supervised visitation means that all contact between the visiting parent and the child(ren) is under the direct eye shot and ear shot of a neutral professional monitor from the beginning of the visit when the child is brought to the visit until the child is returned to the custodial parent or guardian. While the child is in contact with the visiting parent, the monitor is always within eye shot and ear shot no matter whether the visit occurs.
What is Supervised Exchange?
Supervised exchange means that only the actual transfer of the child from one parent to the other and back again is supervised. Both parents are allowed to have completely unsupervised time with their child outside the time of the transfer.
Why would the Court Order Supervised Visitation?
There are numerous situations in which the Court might order supervised visitation. While the situations may vary widely, what they have in common is a lack of information about the supervised parent's ability to appropriately parent a child in a manner that is safe and nurturing.
The Court has a responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of the child first, followed by frequent and continuing contact with the parents. In a situation where the safety and welfare issue is unclear, the Court is likely to utilize supervised visitation with a professional monitor for a period of time to ensure that the children are able to maintain their relationship with the supervised parent while ensuring the children are safe.
A judge may order supervised visitation for many reasons, like:
 - To give the visiting parent a chance to address specific issues
 - To help reintroduce a parent and a child after a long absence
 - To help introduce a parent and a child when there has been no existing relationship between the parent and the child
 - When there are parenting concerns or mental illness;
 - When there is a parental threat of abduction.
The court order will specify the time and duration of the visits. Sometimes, the court order will also specify who the supervised visitation provider is to be and where the visits are to take place.
What does the supervisor/monitor do?
Supervisors are present simply to monitor the physical and emotional well-being of the child during the visit. In most cases, the supervisor will sit quietly through the visit while taking notes. The visit monitor will only interrupt the visit when necessary for the child or co-parent's safety or to assist in facilitating a healthy interaction.
Once I have receive a court order, how do I schedule services?
Please contact us at _PHONE_ to schedule your intake. The monitor will inquire more about your case, as all cases vary. Visitation services are scheduled after both parents complete the intake process.


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Short grain Japanese brown rice (500g) Organic NON GMO
The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just colour. A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing.
Brown rice is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of selenium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and niacin (vitamin B3).


text:
A Majors Abroad Program
This Majors Abroad Program (MAP) has an interdisciplinary focus on politics, history, international relations, and French language and culture.
The Major in French Studies requires the student to spend two semesters abroad in France, at the American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) and the Alliance Française or at Hollins University in Paris.
If due to extenuating circumstances a student cannot study abroad for the required year to complete the MAP, a petition may be submitted for an Individualized Major, which would include only one semester abroad. This petition must be submitted by the beginning of the student's junior year to the Academic Adviser for Individualized Majors in the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, for review by that Adviser and the UAPC Chair.
Requirements for the B.A. in French Studies
1. Glenside – Requirement for French Studies Major
Before departing, between the freshman and the sophomore years, four classes or 20 credits from the following courses in French:
- FR 202 Intermediate French Language and Culture
- FR 203 or 204 French Conversation
- FR 214 Readings in French
- FR 285 Topics in French
- FR 326 French through Cinema
2. Paris – Two Semesters
In order to study abroad, students should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 before departing. Before departing, students must contact the adviser in French, in Glenside, to select courses.
3. Glenside – Senior Year
- FR 490 French Senior Thesis I
- FR 491 French Senior Thesis II
4. One departmental course in linguistics taught in English


Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Verbal Abuse - A-421.
Anonymous said...
Another part of this regulation warns against "language that tends to 'belittle' a student".
Some definitions found for 'belittle' :
1. to make little of a person.
2. to express a negative or low opinion of a person.
3. to find fault with a person.
Under these definitions, do you realize how little it takes to 'belittle' someone? Any kind critisizm, even if entirely fair or valid is open to these interpretations of the word. Student complaints, even the most rediculous, are used by administrators as a weapon to threaten teachers, to put letters in the file, or to instigate verbal abuse charges.
Another part of this regulation warns against "holding a student up to ridicule".
Under this part of the regulation, statements that are intended to be jokes can be made to seem to hold students up to 'ridicule'. Again, student complaints are used to threaten teachers, or put letters in the file which sometimes result in U ratings.
Anonymous said...
In my school, a teacher got written up for "not the content of what a teacher said to a student but the manner that how it was said. The case was made for verbal abuse, a violation of the Chancellor's Reg. A421.
Chaz said...
In other words any word or deed a teacher does can result in the teacher being disciplined.
I can't believe the union allowed these interpretations to be used against their members. A strong union would have never accepted this language.
Anonymous said...
but an A.P. hurt a studnet by dragging him out of a class, parent made the complaint. what happened, NOTHING.
Chaz said...
Different rules for administrators. See my articles on the DOE double standard.
Under Assault said...
I heard a couple of teachers complain just today at the D.A. about the "tone" they feel constrained to use with kids out of fear someone might report them. They both said they never show their real feelings, using instead a kind of mechanical tone that is entirely neutral.
Being even-tempered in the classroom is a good thing, but masking your message in fake language you'd never use anywhere else is bad for the kids.
For one thing, some high school students think that as long as your voice is smooth and modulated, they have the right to argue the point with you on the spot. That's wrong. There are times when a dialogue between you and a disruptive student is unacceptable to the max.
Secondly, altering your tone to mask your intent is dishonest. They have the right to know when they are overstepping the lines, and the tone you use is part of the message. Couching these parameters in robo-speech ain't gonna do them no good in the real world.
I'm not condoning any kind of abuse, intimidation or belittlement. Only that when we over-modulate, we send a mixed message. When we mean "Shape up!" it shouldn't come out as "Can I help you set your boundaries, dear?"
Patrick Sullivan said...
I saw the trailer for the Rubber Room film. There's a kid who says something along the lines of I know how to get a teacher in trouble. Have the changes undermined the authority of teachers to manage their classrooms?
Under Assault said...
I was waiting for a chance to talk about that particular kid in that particular movie about the rubber room.
He's been at my school for a couple of years. Has always been friendly: big smile, warm greetings. But "off" somehow. He used to walk into our classrooms uninvited whenever he saw we were free, and could just not understand that he needed to leave and be somewhere else. We never could get him to leave easily, it was bizarre. I think he might be bit better this year, probably because he's older.
So to see him in that film clip saying what he said about how to "get" a teacher having experienced so many instances of his strange behavior was startling. It made me wonder if he was, in fact, much more calculating a kid than all his flaky behavior indicated. Perhaps we was pretty darn sophisticated about discipline issues in general. It was surprising, and scary.
Patrick: the shortest answer to your question is that there has been a terrific erosion of our ability to control bad behavior at the HS level. Many kids have just not learned enough skills along the way to get serious about school. They don't know times tables, they can't do punctuation or write sentences. They think it's a game, school, and when bored or frustrated, they frequently mouth off the most horrific stuff at us. And they are never made to apologize - because that part is not in the so-called safety plan. We punish them but do not have the time or resources to re-wire them and undo their unsocial behavior.
A lot of us can convert some of the negative energy some kids have because we are good at what we do. But it takes so much time to do it, maybe a whole semester. They can destroy the learning environment for whole periods if they want to, esp. when they act in consort with a couple of other equally damaged or needy kids.
The best learning years in too many kids' lives are terribly cut into by the ones who are acting out and refusing to just plain grow up and settle down.
Chaz said...
Woodlass is completely right. The Chancellor's regulations have totally eroded the authority of the teacher in the classroom. In fact, a student's accusations all it takes to remove a teacher. I can give you specific examples if you like to talk to some of these teachers. Email me if your interested.
I previously wrote a piece on how little the DOE values a teacher's word and how students and administrators are believed while teachers are not.
Anonymous said...
What about when the rules of administration cause a case of corpral punishment. For example, there is a 10 minute rule--no passes for the first 10 minutes or last 10 minutes of the period or your pass will be confiscated and the teacher given warning. You are like a rock in a hard place when a student asks permission and you follow the rule but the student wets his/her pants??? Help!!!
Wasn't I just following the rule?
Anonymous said...
Maybe the Commissioner of Education in Albany should be contacted about these Chancellor's Regulations? It would be in the best interests of the NYS Education Department to have all the school districts in the State, including the NYC Department of Education, adopt local regulations which are harmonious with State regulations.
Anonymous said...
I work in a school where children are regularly threatened and physically abused. I use the term "abuse" quite literally. Students have been locked in closets until they wet themselves, taken into bathrooms and had their noses bloodied during "discussions with staff members", and punched in the stomach. Unfortunately, the accusations are swept under the rug and explained away as temporary poor judgment calls. I have read that some teachers feel the regulations are too strict. I doubt these teachers work in the many schools where students suffer regular abuse at the hands of staff members. The protection of the child is paramount and I would rather have the regulations be overly strict than be permissive of this type of behavior. If these regulations are lifted there will be no recourse against teachers who believe the only way to maintain order in their classroom is through fear.
Unknown said...
While doing bussing in afternoon, student rushing the line to go after smaller student. Yelled for him to not push line. No response, he almost hurt a smaller child I grabbed his coat. He swung at me saying no one touched me
Suspended a day now parent currently does not wanna press corparol punishment but, the principal might.
So next time just let the kid hurt another student.
30 years nothing now possibly this due to a mouthy parent.
_EMAIL_ said...
Dennis Sanchez, Rating Officer, did this me, in a closed school in the south Bronx.
He started the process...and then was removed for the conduct of an illicit relationship with the former union delegate...conducted at the worksite...during the school day.
DOE the NYSUT obstruct review of his license...refuses to review whether or not he is a licensed administrator at all!
The hostile horrible acts turned upon his having an Administrator's license....
DOE and NYSUT have obstructed all review of his licenses.


Cameron Dierendonck
Mathieu Balcaen
Cameron joined the PaInT research group in October 2020. He obtained his MSc degree in bioscience engineering: catalytic technology at KU Leuven in June 2018. His MSc thesis focussed on the development of thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membranes. During his MSc thesis, Cameron spent 3 months at the Zuckerberg institute for Water Research, part of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel where the primary focus was on desalination applications. In January 2019, Cameron joined InOpSys NV where he worked as R&D scientist responsible for the implementation of membrane technology for industrial wastewater treatment cases of various pharmaceutical and chemical companies. Next, in March 2020, Cameron worked as scientific collaborator at the KU Leuven department of Biosystems for 6 months focussing on the development of microfluidic devices for biosensing applications.
His current research focusses on the development of lab and pilot scale membrane fractionation methods for drinking water applications. The goal is to investigate the contributions of the different fractions towards microbial stability and desinfection byproduct formation in drinking water. His research is conducted in the context of the FWO-SBO project 'Biostable', a collaboration between all Flemish drinking water companies, Aquaflanders, the Flemish Environmental Agency (VMM), the Agency for Healthcare (AZ&G), B-IWA, Vlakwa, CAPTURE and four research laboratories from Ghent University (PaInT, CMET, EnVOC and BIOMATH).
In his spare time, Cameron enjoys cycling, hiking, nature, basketball, (board)games and spending time with friends.
Office: B6.023
Phone: +32 (0)9 264 99 105


Rongme Ngatra of the Chola Mountains in Garze, Sichuan
Rongme Ngatra is the highest peak of the Chola Mountains in the Kham region of western Sichuan, China. The peak's name in Mandarin Chinese is Que Er Shan or Chola Mountains (Chinese: 雀儿山; pinyin: Què'ér Shān) also the same name as the entire range, which has led to some translations of the mountain peak to Chola Mountain. At 6,168 metres (20,236 ft), the mountain is the highest peak in the Chola Mountains, as well as the second highest in the greater Shaluli Mountains after Ge'nyen.[2]The mountain peak is flanked by glaciers to the north and east. The north glacier terminates at 4,100 metres (13,500 ft) above sea level, just above the nearby lake Yihun Lhatso.[3] Rongme Ngatra can be accessed from the town of Manigangoin Dege County, Garze Prefecture.


text:
Sleeping bags are convenient, as long as they're designed for regular night use and are small enough to stop your baby from sliding down into it. The safest are those the baby wears like a garment, which secures over the shoulders and has armholes that prevent the baby slipping down into the bag and overheating or having her breathing restricted. They shouldn't have hoods.
You can buy sleeping bags for babies up to 9-12 months, which easily covers the period at which little ones are at highest risk of cot death. Some can be extended to grow with the baby, ensuring his feet are at the bottom. But don't be tempted to add blankets, as they could easily overheat your child. And don't put your baby or tot to bed with a hot water bottle - you might suffer cold feet at night, but they don't!
Swaddling, where you wrap a baby up very tightly, isn't a tradition in our culture, so there's been very little research on the subject. If you do swaddle your baby, use thin materials, leave his head uncovered and restrict the use of other bedding - getting too hot is a greater danger than being too cold.
When should my child get his own 'big' bed?
All children are different, but it's usually at around 3. If you prepare your toddler well by discussing the move to a big bed, the emotional transition is likely to be smooth. But the physical change still involves a learning process, such as how not to tumble out on to the floor in the night.


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In my years of OT work with students, intervention for improving visual motor skills included many activities. When needing to support students ability to produce artwork in classroom projects or in art class using step by step drawing tasks focusing on production of people, animals and objects using basic shapes in a sequential fashion. One of my pre-digital favorite resources for step by step drawing were the books by Ed Emberly who created his Big Orange, Big Green, Big Purple and more books that displayed step by step instructions of animals, insects and other things kids would be drawing (and because I can't draw either). Although those still are great resources (if you find them in the library they are among the tattered, frequently used and loved books), of course there are also an apps for that providing step by step drawing instruction.
iLuv Drawing – Made by Learn with Fun Apps has created this step by step drawing app that is created with easy tools in a simple tracing format with audio instructions. Currently free, this app provides instruction for drawing 40 different animals using crayons, markers and other tools. Easy to use with a step by step method and audio of creating a digital picture, this app can be used for preschool through early elementary aged students.
iLuv Drawing also allow you to email your creations for printing and sharing. Here is a great review of iLuv Drawing from Technology in (Spl) Education. Available for iPad only.
Learn with Fun Apps also is the developer of the iLuv Drawing Santa app previously reviewed in an earlier posting on holiday apps. With the same kind of step by step drawing instructions, this app provides great seasonal visual motor activities with models of christmas tree, snowman and bell and other season items to draw through the winter months. Made for the iPad and also currently free!
These apps are a great addition to your OT itool kit and free helps you fill your tool kit without emptying your pocket book! What a great gift! Thank you Learn with Fun Apps!
PSLearn with Fun Apps also have some maze apps I haven't trialed but would be worth checking out from experience with iLuv Drawing apps!


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Bent Street, Paddington, is one of the most curious streets in Sydney history. Although having only 32 houses in the street by 1920, this small street contained a cross section of Australian life during the time examined, from 1890 to 1920. The street contained shops, a coal depot, magistrates, landlords, labourers, miners, tenants, and all the other groups of people that inhabited the streets. In it also resided the first Australian Labor Party Prime Minister, John Christian Watson.
The street came into prominence when an article appeared in the Sydney Mail, 9 August 1916, p.12. It was inspired by the local ALP M.L.A., Mr. Osborne, who collected 29 portraits of soldiers from Bent and sent them Sydney Mail.
The album describes the named inhabitants of each house over the period from 1890 to 1920. In addition, the 29 pictures are named with a brief military biography attached to them. Where ever possible, they are located at the house in which the person lived.
The street numbering created a great deal of confusion amongst the information collectors. Where a dual number appears, this was the result of number confusion. For example, there never was No. 6 Bent Street but this did not prevent people from describing No. 8 as No. 6. In addition to that, in 1900, houses were built at numbers 23, 25, and 27. However No. 27 was further subdivided into three houses named "Osraston", "Matlock", and "Chellaston". This created its own confusion until the numbers were corrected in 1919. So the houses from 29 onwards have two numbers, the pre and post 1919 house number.
A full listing of the Bent Street Album may be found at:


text:
Jejunoileal bypasses were performed in rats to determine the effect of improved absorption on the development of liver dysfunction occurring after this procedure. Several parameters of liver function were measured in rats 7 weeks after both the standard 85% small-bowel, bypass and an 80% bypass in which an extra 5 cm of intact bowel was retained. Animals having undergone 80% bypass had a lesser degree of lowering of serum protein and triglyceride levels, hepatic cytochrome P-450 content, and hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity than did the animals undergoing 85% bypass. Abnormalities found in 85% bypassed animals were only partially reproduced by reducing food intake in another group of 80% bypassed animals. These findings emphasize the importance of, nutritional factors in the etiology of bypass-induced liver disease and militate against toxin production in the defunctionalized bowel as the sole cause of liver dysfunction following bypass.
ASJC Scopus subject areas


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Chinese Language Curriculum Studies Association (CLCSA)
Professional Learning Activities
Saturday March 29 - Planning for learning in middle school (year 9); getting the most out of your textbook.
This workshop will look at processes for developing a unit of work on a familiar theme, and look at how each of the current textbooks may be adapted and enhanced to improve learning. Teachers will have the opportunity to participate in developing the unit, including the development of learning interactions, meaningful tasks and scaffolded resources to assist learners achieve their best.


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Since 1962, the year of its independence, Rwanda has been a partner country of Belgian cooperation.
Rwanda is 26,338 km² large and 9.3 million inhabitants, of which about 87% live from agriculture. Strong demographic pressure translates in very fragmented land ownership, which aggravates issues of poverty on the countryside, where 83% of the population lives.
Regardless of the efforts made since 1994 for the socio-economic development of the country, Rwanda remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with almost 57% of population living below the poverty threshold (2007). Less than three quarters of the population have access to drinking water, whereas less than half the population have no hygiene or sanitation facilities. There is one doctor per 18,000 inhabitants and one nurse per 1,690 inhabitants; healthcare service usage is 70% (2007).
Belgium is one of Rwanda's main donors and intervenes in different sectors.
In the health sector, the interventions of BTC contribute to accessing primary healthcare, through the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure and through institutional strengthening of the central level and of decentralised instances.
BTC supports justice by strengthening institutional capacities and by supporting the justice reform.
For rural development, many projects are underway in agriculture, water and sanitation, and rural energy.
Thanks to its expertise, BTC also executes projects for other donors. That is why BTC executes the support programme to reforestation in the 9 districts of the Northern and Western Provinces of Rwanda for the Dutch embassy in Kigali. The partnership with the European Union enabled BTC to implement the water and sanitation programme in the Southern Province.


++ed by:
2 PAUSE users
1 non-PAUSE user.
Tomas Doran
 # Terminal 1:
 # Terminal 2:
 $ message-passing --output STDOUT --input ZeroMQ --input_options '{"socket_bind":"tcp://*:5552"}'
A ZeroMQ transport for Message::Passing.
In your application emitting messages, you can either use Message::Passing::Output::ZeroMQ directly, or you can use it via Log::Dispatch::Message::Passing.
 use Log::Dispatch;
 use Log::Dispatch::Message::Passing;
 use Message::Passing::Output::ZeroMQ;
 use Message::Passing::Filter::Encode::JSON;
 my $log = Log::Dispatch->new;
 name =>'myapp_aggregate_log',
 min_level => 'debug',
 output => Message::Passing::Filter::Encode::JSON->new(
 connect => 'tcp://',
All consumers will get a copy of every message.
Both Message::Passing::Input::ZeroMQ and Message::Passing::Output::ZeroMQ support either binding a server or connecting to a remote host, due to the fact that ZeroMQ connections can be in any direction, as noted above.
Therefore, each input or output should have one (but not both!) of the following attributes:
Connects to a remote server, e.g. tcp://
Binds a server and waits for connections from clients, e.g. tcp://*:5222
This defaults to SUB for Message::Passing::Input::ZeroMQ and PUB for Message::Passing::Output::ZeroMQ, however you can override it to PUSH/PULL as appropriate for your use case if desired.
 # The message distributor:
 # Workers
 package MyApp::MessageWorker;
 use Moo;
 sub filter {
 my ($self, $message) = _USER_;
 return undef; # Do not output the message..
 --filter '+MyApp::MessageWorker'
 --output STDOUT
Tomas (t0m) Doran
This module exists due to the wonderful people at Suretec Systems Ltd. who sponsored its development for its VoIP division called SureVoIP for use with the SureVoIP API -
Copyright Suretec Systems 2012.
GNU Affero General Public License, Version 3


Bunyakovsky conjecture
From Number
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The conjecture (not yet proved or disproved) states the following: suppose is irreducible, i.e., is an irreducible polynomial of degree two or higher with integer coefficients. Consider the set:
Then, one of these two cases must hold:
 1. The greatest common divisor of all the elements of is greater than 1, i.e., all elements of have a nontrivial common factor.
 2. contains infinitely many prime numbers.
Note that the first case occurs if and only if the polynomial can be written as (a positive integer greater than 1) times (an integer-valued polynomial).
Related facts and conjectures
Related known facts
Related conjectures
 - Bateman-Horn conjecture is a stronger conjecture that also makes assertions about the frequency of primes in the set of values taken by a polynomial.


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Banda Neira or Banda Naira is one of ten volcanic islands in the Banda Archipelago in the Maluku province, in eastern Indonesia. The Banda Islands, probably better known as the fabled Spice Islands of ancient times, are covered with towering, aromatic, tropical-evergreens.The Myristica Trees, indigenous to the Banda Islands, are the source of two rare and lucrative spices: nutmeg and mace – once found exclusively on the Banda Islands. A sparkling, sapphire sea surrounds these already incredible islands, brimming with exquisite corals and abundant ocean life, making the Banda Islands not only a historically significant destination, but also an internationally recognized diving spot.
Stepping onto the shores of Banda Neira is like taking a stroll through history—a trip back in time into a town that has remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Remnants of a once great trading centre are visible across the island. The majestic Dutch Fort, Belgica, sits in its lofty position atop the high hill overlooking Neira's Bay, commanding the attention and recognition of all who pass. Ancient cannons lie scattered across the island, serving as reminders of the days when the Banda's production of one of the world's most sought-after commodities was one that was worth fighting to rule. Huge colonial palaces from times of the Dutch, Portuguese and British rule still leave their mark on Neira, built by those who had been catapulted into riches after successfully completing the arduous journey across oceans and seas for a spice once worth their weight in gold.
The Banda Islands have been a regional trading post for thousands of years, but were first settled by European sailors in the early 16th century. Upon discovery of the island's high production of these spices, the Bandas were instantly transformed into an international centre of trade, luring merchants from opposite ends of the globe for a chance at fortune. The spices are well-known for their preservative qualities, and were once believed to have multiple medicinal qualities, including being a cure for the bubonic plague.
Neira is the only one of the Banda islands with enough flat space to allow a small town, and therefore supports the only settlement of significant size on any of the Banda Islands, and sustains more than half of the archipelago's 15,000 population. Neira is one of only three inhabited islands in the cluster.
Pulau Run, or Run Island is one of the smaller Banda islands, measuring only about 3 x 1 km, yet it is sometimes considered to be Indonesia's "most valuable real estate." Multiple European powers had battled for control of the islands for many years until the signging of the Treaty of Breda in 1667. The British traded the tiny island of Run with the Dutch for an equally tiny island on the other side of the world, thus giving the Dutch full monopoly of the Banda islands which they maintained for almost two hundred years. The island across the globe traded to the British still goes by its Dutch name: Manhattan, in New York, USA.


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Describe the key features of the Stresemann foreign policy in the years _PHONE_ (6 marks). In 1924 Stresemann and Charles G. Dawes created the Dawes Plan. The Dawes Plan reduced annual reparation payments to an affordable amount. It was also agreed that American Banks would invest in German industry. This also improved the trust the allies had in Germany, as they were reassured that they would get their reparation payments. In 1925 Stresemann signed the Locarno Pact. This was a treaty between Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium. The Pact consisted of Germany agreeing to keep its border with France and Belgium if Allied troops left the Rhineland and France promised peace. This opened talks about Germany joining the League of Nations, as the Allied troops began to see Germany as a friend instead of an enemy. In 1929 Stresemann signed the Young Plan. This reduced the total reparations debt to £2 billion. Also Germany was given a further 59 years to pay. This helped Germany's debt problems, as they didn't have the worry of not being able to afford the annual reparation payments. Describe the key features of the Dawes plan (6 marks).
In 1924 The Dawes Plan was created between Stresemann and Charles G. Dawes, an American Banker. One feature of The Dawes Plan was that annual reparation payments that Germany had to pay were reduced to an affordable amount. This meant that there would be less chance of an incident, like the occupation of the Ruhr, would happen again; as the annual payments were much more realistic to Germany's financial state. Another feature of The Dawes Plan was that American banks would invest in German industry. This meant that Germany could rebuild their industry, therefore increasing employments, which lead to increased profits. One bad feature of The Dawes Plan was that it relied heavily on American banks. This would prove to be a bad idea after the Wall Street Crash; as America called in all their foreign loans,...
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UNITY TIP: Utilize C# interfaces to simplify development
 When I first started programming I never quite understood the benefits of using interfaces.
Over time this however has changed. And they have been proven to be quite useful in Unity.
What is an interface?
The way I would explain it is that a interface is a addition for functionality within a class or struct.
When you add it, you are required to add the methods that the interface contains.
The benefit of this is that multiple classes can use the same interface,
This creates common functionality which can be called that doesn't depend on the object type.
Microsoft documentation on C# interfaces
DotNetPerls has a practical explaination.
///
/// Gets called from a health component if it has taken damage
///
public interface IDamageable : IHealthInterface
void OnDamaged(HealthInfo info);
view raw IDamageable.cs hosted with ❤ by GitHub
Obtaining references to Iinterfaces in Unity 3D
In Unity it is possible to get interface references calling GetComponent()
Since it is possible for multiple scripts to implement a interface, I would always use GetComponents().
For the example above you would call GetComponents() and that will return all references to implementations of the interface at the root of the Game Object. You can cast the object to a interface and the other way around by calling >object< as >type<.
(flashOnHitComponent as IDamageable). You can find more information about casting here
The pattern I apply using interfaces in Unity 3D
Usually I create a script that is responsible for obtaining and notifying all interfaces on a object.
For example I wll use the Health component from Health Pro & Effects, which will get all health related interface references during editor-time.
Such as IKIllable, IDamageable, IReviveable. And during run-time it will notify all those components based on the implemented interfaces.
The benefit of this pattern is, I do not longer have to think about creating references for the Health script. No need for delegates, or UnityEvents.
Why use Interfaces?
Interfaces can make your project more complex to understand, since you cannot directly see how they are implemented if you don't know the design. Altough the benefits are great, since it will greatly simplify your code. If you name your interfaces correct you will immiedtly see the responsibilities for a class based on it's interfaces and class name.
In the case of a closed source engine like Unity it can also be beneficial to use interfaces when inheritance is impossible.
A example of this is the TileBase class, from the new tilemap system in Unity. This class is inherits from ScriptableObject.
If you wanted to make a class that applied to both TileBase and ScriptableObject, that would be impossible to do through inheritance. Since you cannot modify any of those classes. A interface would make it possible for both types to have shared functionality.
Example – Interactable objects
In the sample project you can find below I have given a example of how I've used interfaces to add functionality to a class.
The pillar objects contain a Interactable component and a component that scales them up once they are focused by the player.
And a component that destroys the pillar once interact has been called by the player.
I recommend looking through the repository map. The way it works is relatively straightforward.
 - Interactor – Checks for collisions with Interactables. And prioritizes them based on distance and angle.
 - Interactables – Get all components that implement IInteractable interface, and notifies them
 - Player – Has examples of retrieving callbacks and calling the Interactor.
 - Interact Actions – Example components of actions that get called through interface


text:
|MATLAB Function Reference|
Create and control multiple axes
subplot divides the current figure into rectangular panes that are numbered row-wise. Each pane contains an axes. Subsequent plots are output to the current pane.
creates an axes in the
p-th pane of a figure divided into an
n matrix of rectangular panes. The new axes becomes the current axes.
p is a vector, it specifies an axes having a position that covers all the subplot positions listed in
If the specified axes already exists, delete it and creat a new axes.
makes the axes with handle
h current for subsequent plotting commands.
subplot('Position',[left bottom width height])
creates an axes at the position specified by a four-element vector.
height are in normalized coordinates in the range from 0.0 to 1.0.
h = subplot(...)
returns the handle to the new axes.
subplot specification causes a new axes to overlap any existing axes, then
subplot deletes the existing axes and uicontrol objects. However, if the
subplot specification exactly matches the position of an existing axes, then the matching axes is not deleted and it becomes the current axes.
clf deletes all axes objects and returns to the default
You can omit the parentheses and specify subplot as.
m refers to the row,
n refers to the column, and
p specifies the pane.
Special Case - subplot(111)
subplot(111) is not identical in behavior to
subplot(1,1,1) and exists only for compatibility with previous releases. This syntax does not immediately create an axes, but instead sets up the figure so that the next graphics command executes a
reset (deleting all figure children) and creates a new axes in the default position. This syntax does not return a handle, so it is an error to specify a return argument. (This behavior is implemented by setting the figure's
NextPlot property to
income in the top half of a figure and
outgo in the bottom half,
The following illustration shows four subplot regions and indicates the command used to create each.
Basic Plots and Graphs for more information


In Mixed letter coding type of questions, three or four complete messages are given in the coded language and the code for a particular word is asked. To analyse such codes, any two messages bearing a common word are picked up. The common code word will mean that word. Proceeding smilarly by picking up all possible combinations of two, the entire message can be analysed.
In a certain code, 'ile be pee' means 'roses are blue';'sik hee' means'red flowers' and 'pee mit hee' means 'flowers are vegetables'.
How is'red' written in that code?
A. hee
B. sik
C. be
D. Canont be determined
E. None of these
Answer: B. sik
In the second and third statements, the common code word is 'hee' and the common word is 'flowers'. So, 'hee' stands for 'flowers'.
Thus, in the second statement,'sik' stands for'red'.


3. }
This will change the instance data too, and now our structure will contain the updated value for the name. This is quite useful, and you can see that you did not have to modify anything, unlike C or C++, Go does not require you to use other operators like -> to access data from pointers. Data from pointers is accessed in the same fashion, as it is accessed from normal variables.
Panic recovery in Go
Exception handling in Go follows the same patterns as they had in C language. There is no try...catch block in Go language, you raise an error, and you handle in other procedures, by checking what has been set up in external modules, or your own module. You must have seen how we tried to return the error from a function, based on how it was provided the arguments. In case your function cannot proceed, then you need to call panic and pass the value indicating the problem. For example, imagine you are trying to download the data for the Person type, and the network is unavailable, then you must panic, there is no way to recover from this error, same is the case if you are loading the data from a file, and somehow you can either not file the file, or the file cannot be created/accessed.
 1. func namelength(buffer NetworkBuffer) (count int, problem error) {
 2. // Just imagine, please.
 3. if buffer == nil {
 4. panic("Network buffer is nil.")
 5. }
 7. var person Person
 8. person.name = buffer.Readstring()
 9. return len(person.name), nil
 10. }
Panicking starts to close the stack of your program until there is no module left. Within those functions, and modules, you can resolve anywhere. You use the recover function call in Go program, that will help you to get the problem that was raised, and you can try to recover from there, if not possible then you can proceed onwards. The way to do this is by using the defer functions, these functions are called once the function that encloses them finishes executing. Like this,
 1. func crashingfunc () {
 2. defer func () {
 3. problem := recover()
 4. if problem != nil {
 5. fmt.Println(problem)
 6. }
 7. }()
 9. panic("Calling panic function call to be caught in deferred function")
 10. }
This is the way, that you can perform post-execution actions, like exception tracing, closing any resources that you are currently holding access to. The deferred functions are always called, think of them like try...finallycalls, where finally will always be called even if code crashes.
Remaining topics...
Go has so many other topics that should be covered, topics like concurrency, packages, networking, data interchange, and so many more topics need to be discussed in Go language, and they require a separate post of their own. I am planning to write a bit more posts on this topic and then will move onwards to some more advanced concepts like containerization of Go program, or how to perform cryptographic operations on the data.
Until then, consider checking out the code that I have supplied with this post, and explore them, create your own type alias, create functions, work around with pointers and non-pointer types. One thing I should ask from you, try exploring the arrays, and try to see where arrays fail.


text:
MTB TraIl nearby Soto de Viñuelas natural area, in España and Alcobendas population.
The largest locality in the area is Fuencarral-El Pardo
, with a population of 220,085 persons, at a distance of 11.038 kilometers from the center of the map.
The nearest is Alcobendas
(107,514 persons), at a distance of
The following indicators give us an idea of the difficulty of the route:
- Trail length: 37.219 kilometers.
- Min height: 654 meters above sea level.
- Max height: 757 meters above sea level.
- Average height: 712 meters above sea level.
- Average slope uphill: 2.500 %.
- Average slope downhill: -2.615 %.
- Mathematical difficulty index: 5.885.


text: The NIH plans to spend $178,000 to unlock the mystery of why drug-using prostitutes in Thailand are more likely to be infected with HIV. The study, "Substance Use and HIV Risk among Thai Women," will have researchers interview 60 sex workers to understand the factors that make the prostitutes prone to HIV infection. Watchdogs groups are calling the study a huge waste of American taxpayers' money. "This really is a complete waste of money and should not be funded by the taxpayer," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste. Other NIH studies that have come under scrutiny include investigations on why the obese are underrepresented in long distance running competitions and why the blind make extraordinarily poor search and rescue pilots.


text:
Sabah: Malaysian wildlife researchers have tagged a Bornean slow loris for the first time as part of efforts to find out more about the nocturnal primate known for its big eyes and rare toxic bite.
The researchers in Sabah state on Borneo island fitted a radio-collar on a recently caught slow loris -- a protected species that is threatened by the illegal pet trade -- to enable them to study its behaviour.
It will give scientists a valuable insight into the animal's habits, such as where it sleeps and how it hunts for insects, lizards and other prey, they said in a statement on Sunday.
"As little is known about the Bornean slow loris, particularly in Sabah, any information collected... through tracking through the forest will be important in understanding the species," Benoit Goossens, director of the Danau Girang Field Centre that is spearheading the study, said in the statement.
"With this study, we also hope to raise the awareness in Sabah on the importance of protecting nocturnal primates as much as protecting orangutans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears and elephants," Goossens added.
Laurentius Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said the Bornean slow loris was the second most common primate species owned as pets in Asia, after macaques. They also face threats from the medicinal and ornamental trade.
"Although slow lorises are protected by law from international and commercial trade, the greatest growing threat to slow lorises is the illegal pet trade," Ambu said in the statement.
"Lorises face extremely high mortality rates in markets and transport of them, due to starvation, dehydration and infections from dental health injuries, as their teeth are removed to increase their sales," Ambu added.
Goossens said it was hard to estimate how many Bornean slow lorises, which are indigenous to the island shared by Malaysia and Indonesia, were left in the wild.
He said no surveys had been conducted on the population but researchers hope they will be able to trap more slow lorises high up in the jungle canopy to fit them with collars.
"We hope that this can be a long-term study," he said.
Despite conservation efforts, poaching and logging threaten the survival of animal and plant species in Borneo's vast jungle, which is home to many endangered species, such as pygmy elephants and rhinos.
First Published: Monday, July 18, 2011, 09:53


text:
(31) Calculate 1 ∗ λ, 1 ∗ and d ∗ λ where is the indicator function of the
(32) Calculate id ∗ id, φ ∗ σ and d ∗ φ.
(33) Calculate f ∗ f for f totally multiplicative.
(34) Use the Binomial Theorem to show that 1 ∗ μ = e.
(35) Show that the sum of the primitive n-th roots of unity equals μ(n).
(36) Deduce the formula for T in terms of ψ by means of 1 ∗ Λ = log.
(37) Show that 1∗(μ· log) = −Λ.
(38) Show that
log(rad(n)) = x log(x) + O(x)
where rad is the radical.
(39) a) Show that the number of rationals in the interval [0, 1] written in
lowest terms and with denominator ≤ x is asymptotic to 3x2/π2.
b) Show that the chance that two randomly chosen large integers be
c) A lattice point (j, k) occults the lattice point (m, n) if both lie on the
same ray from the origin and (j, k) lies closer to the origin. Show that
the proportion of lattice points in Z × Z visible from the origin is
(40) Show that
and generalize (Dirichlet).
(41) Establish the estimate
d(gcd(m, n)) −
x ≤ d(m)
for any fixed positive integer m.
(42) Show that
x + O(log(x))
as x → +∞.
(43) Let P
denote the largest prime factor of n. Show that the infinite
converges absolutely for every x ≥ 1 and that the sum is always positive.
Find the limit of the sum as x → +∞.


text: In the throes of winter, one starts looking for wintery activities. That can mean a lot of things, like throwing snowballs or making snow angels. But it can also mean undertaking more serious activities, like building an igloo. If you've always seen it as an out-of-reach activity, on account of not really knowing how, then take a look at this Icebox Igloo Maker. It's a snow packing tool which creates the basic cater nary shape necessary to create a self sustaining structure. You create the blocks in place, then remove the mold and move on to the next brick. Once you've built 8 rows, your winter home is complete!


text:
In July 2004, the Cranfills Gap Independent School District (Cranfills Gap ISD), located in Hamilton County, Texas, was identified as one of 54 school districts in the state meeting the criteria that initiate an Appraisal Standards Review (ASR) of the county appraisal district that served them. In April 2005, the Comptroller's Property Tax Division (PTD) began an Appraisal Standards Review of the Hamilton County Appraisal District (Hamilton CAD).
Appraisal Standards Reviews
The 78th Legislature, Regular Session, directed the Comptroller's office to conduct appraisal standards reviews of county appraisal districts if the Comptroller's office finds in its annual Property Value Study (PVS) that the appraisal district has one or more "eligible" school districts. Eligible school districts are those that meet all of the following conditions:
- the district's values are invalid in the most recent property value study;
- the district's values were valid in the two studies preceding the most recent study; and
- the district's local value is above 90 percent of the lower threshold of the margin of error.
In Texas, public education is paid for by a combination of state and local funds. Local funding comes from local property taxes. The chief appraiser of each county appraisal district (CAD) determines local property values, and school districts set tax rates that determine the amount of local tax revenue. Appraisal districts, under most circumstances, are required by law to appraise property at or near market value. Market value, in simple terms, is the price for which a property would sell under normal conditions. State funding is based on the total taxable property value within each school district as determined by the PVS.
The PVS independently estimates the taxable property value in each school district to ensure that state values reflect market value, which in turn ensures that school districts have approximately the same number of dollars to spend per student, regardless of the school district's property wealth or lack of property wealth. School districts with less taxable property value per student receive more state dollars for each pupil than districts with more value per student. The state's fair distribution of school funding depends largely on the Comptroller's taxable value findings.
By conducting appraisal standards reviews, the Comptroller's office helps school districts to understand the reason for the invalid finding so they can effectively work with the appraisal district to correct the problems and achieve market values. ASRs identify problems and recommend changes in procedures or methods to improve appraisal accuracy.
An ASR examines and evaluates a county appraisal district's appraisal practices, including appraisal planning, appraisal procedures and methodology, and application and adherence to appraisal standards. The Tax Code and Comptroller rules are the major criteria used to measure the appraisal district's performance. The evaluation of the appraisal district's appraisal methods are based on a comparison of local methods and procedures to those generally accepted by the mass appraisal industry in Texas. The Tax Code dictates certain appraisal procedures or standards such as the Uniform Standards for Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP), specifically Standard 6: Mass Appraisal and Standard 7: Personal Property. Also the International Association of Assessing Officers Standards (IAAO) Standards on Assessment are used as guidelines on the operation of an assessment office.
The two principal focuses of the review are to determine why a school district served by the CAD was deemed eligible and to make recommendations to improve appraisal practices so the school district's values can be determined valid in future studies. The review evaluates five broad functional areas of CAD operations: information processing systems, district staffing, property mapping and discovery, appraisals and appraisal standards.
The review methodology includes a self-assessment completed by the CAD, staff interviews, reviews of written policies, procedures, plans, financial and management audits, and assessments of manual and automated records systems.
As the result of the review process, the Comptroller's office is issuing this report of its findings that includes recommendations for change and commendations for exemplary district appraisal practices. The appraisal district is required by law to comply with the recommendations within one year of the release of this report. If the Comptroller determines that the appraisal district board of directors failed to take remedial action within one year after the issuance of the review, the Comptroller shall notify the district judges serving in the county, who shall appoint a five-member board of conservators to implement the recommendations. The board of conservators shall exercise supervision and control over the operations of the appraisal district until the Comptroller determines pursuant to the annual property value study, Section 403.302, Government Code, that in the same year the taxable value of each school district for which the appraisal district appraises property is the local value for the school district. The appraisal district shall bear the costs related to the supervision and control of the district by the board of conservators.
While the review team found several commendable practices implemented by dedicated and hardworking district employees, Hamilton CAD is facing a number of challenges in achieving and maintaining consistent valid findings, including:
- improving the management of office operations;
- documenting procedures; and
- enhancing reappraisal tools and appraisal methods.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Improve the Management Office Operations
Expand the detail of the budget presented to the board of directors for adoption to include the benefits for each position and a detailed list of each proposed capital expenditure. The district's budget lacks the detail necessary to comply with Section 6.06 of the Tax Code. The budget does not outline each set of benefits associated with each employee position. With 60 percent of the CAD's budget going to salaries, it's important for taxing units to understand where the money is being spent and ensure the district hires sufficient staff to perform appraisal functions.
Develop board procedures to evaluate the chief appraiser, insert a line for the chief appraiser's signature on the evaluation tool and use the newly developed tool to evaluate the chief appraiser annually. The board has not historically evaluated the chief appraiser in writing. After the onsite visit by the review team, the district developed an evaluation tool to allow the board to collectively evaluate the chief appraiser. The chief appraiser had not been evaluated with this tool. Setting annual expectations and evaluating the chief appraiser allows the board to communicate more effectively with the chief appraiser. The district should develop procedures to support the evaluation of the chief appraiser and begin annually assessing the chief appraiser's performance using the new tool.
Develop a comprehensive written policy and procedures manual for district operations. Hamilton CAD lacks well-documented policies and procedures to guide the day-to-day operations of the district in areas such as payroll processing, accounting, purchasing and related functions. Written procedures help guarantee tasks are performed correctly and provide useful training tools for new employees. By having a written policy and procedures manual for district operations, the district ensures consistency in performing daily functions and the procedures act as an internal control mechanism.
Continually update and review the personnel manual against current employment law. Hamilton CAD's personnel manual is currently being updated and is ready for the board of director's approval. The current manual is the board's by-laws and lacks information on the American with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, among more recent personnel law changes. An updated personnel manual protects management and staff from arbitrary employment practices and guarantees CAD employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Enhance Reappraisal Tools and Appraisal Methods
Adopt and implement a detailed reappraisal plan. Hamilton CAD lacks a detailed reappraisal plan to ensure the execution of timely and accurate reappraisals. The CAD's reappraisal plan does not outline staffing requirements, a detailed work plan, a budget or how the district's ratio studies will be used in establishing reappraisals. A detailed plan assures management is aware of the process that the district will use in conducting reappraisals, ensures resources are available for conducting reappraisals and provides a roadmap for completing the reappraisals.
Develop and implement effective appraisal maintenance programs based on ratio studies to identify and correct market value deviations. The 2003 PVS results indicate that Hamilton CAD's appraisal maintenance programs for at least one of its school districts did not achieve the desired result of identifying market areas whose values no longer reflect the market, so adjustments can be made. Cranfills Gap ISD's 2003 PVS eligibility was primarily attributed to under valuing rural residences while other property categories were inconsistently valued, or consistently overor under-valued. Appraisal districts use ratio studies to plan appraisal maintenance programs. The ratio study results indicate those market areas in the appraisal district whose values no longer reflect the market. Frequent ratio studies and the appraisal maintenance that follows enable an appraisal district to keep its values at or near the market.
The review team identified commendable practices in Hamilton CAD that other county appraisal districts may do well to review and implement where appropriate.
Hamilton CAD backs up appraisal data and stores it in a secure location. The district has an established process for storing daily backed up appraisal data. In the event of a disaster, the district would be able to get back to work quickly because its records are stored offsite and only a small amount of data would be potentially lost.