The figure was revealed recently by Dinh Duy Hung, deputy director of the Contribution Collection Department under the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).
Hung said total collection of social insurance premiums paid by foreign workers in the country has amounted to 100 billion VND.
According to statistics by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the number of foreign employees in the country increased from 63,557 in 2011 to 83,046 in 2016. They mostly came from Asian countries like China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, accounting for 73 percent of the total; followed by European nations (21.6 percent) and North America (2.4 percent).
Decree No.143/2018/ND-CP took effect from December 1, 2018. It stipulates that employees who are foreign citizens working in Vietnam with either a work permit, practice certificate, or practice licence granted by Vietnamese authorities and under unfixed-term labour contracts or contracts with a term of full one year and above will be covered by compulsory social insurance.
Similar to Vietnamese employees, the social insurance scheme for foreigners will cover sickness, maternity, occupational diseases and accidents, retirement, and survivor benefits.


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Kulesze-Podawce – wieś w Polsce położona w województwie podlaskim, w powiecie wysokomazowieckim, w gminie Kulesze Kościelne.

Zaścianek szlachecki Podawce należący do okolicy zaściankowej Kulesze położony był w drugiej połowie XVII wieku w powiecie brańskim ziemi bielskiej województwa podlaskiego. W latach 1975–1998 miejscowość administracyjnie należała do województwa łomżyńskiego.

Wierni kościoła rzymskokatolickiego należą do parafii św. Bartłomieja Apostoła w Kuleszach Kościelnych.

Historia
Wieś istniała prawdopodobnie w XV w. Mieszkał w niej zapewne opiekun tworzonej w 1493 roku parafii w Kuleszach. Osoba taka miała prawo do pierwszej ławki przy ołtarzu. Posiadała również przywilej wskazywania plebana parafii. Ten kto wskazywał kandydata na plebana, po staropolsku nazywał się podawcą.

Podawce pojawiają się w dokumentach w 1569 roku. W roku 1580 właścicielem był Więczsław Kulesza, woźny bielski ziemski. Wraz z działem w Kuleszach-Podlipie miał 11 włók ziemi.

Przez wieki była to niewielka miejscowość zamieszkała przez drobną szlachtę. Na przełomie XIX i XX w. naliczono tu 12 gospodarzy. Uprawiali 120 ha ziemi. Średnie gospodarstwo miało obszar 6,7 ha.

W 1921 roku w miejscowości 12 domów i 72 mieszkańców.

Zobacz też
 Kulesze Kościelne, Kulesze Podlipne, Kulesze-Litewka

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Kulesze Kościelne (gmina)
Zaścianki szlacheckie I Rzeczypospolitej (województwo podlaskie)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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84-year-old detainee killed in Antipolo jail fire; 1 escapes
By: Cathrine Gonzales - Reporter / @cgonzalesINQ
INQUIRER.net / 06:40 AM December 28, 2018
MANILA, Philippines — An 84-year-old detainee died while another escaped after a fire broke out at the Antipolo City Jail on Thursday night.
The 84-year-old prisoner charged with rape initially complained of difficulty of breathing and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital, according to a statement from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Friday.
The BJMP has not yet named the victim.
Meanwhile, another detainee, Michael Zimon Dig, reportedly escaped during the commotion. He was in detention while facing two counts of robbery, the BJMP said.
Tracking teams have been sent against him, the agency said.
Ten other detainees were hurt in a stampede triggered by the fire and were brought to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
According to the BJMP, the fire broke out at about 8 p.m. and it was declared put out by the Bureau of Fire Protection at about 9 p.m.
There were 1,471 detainees at the jail at the time of the blaze, the BJMP said. Some of these were evacuated to a nearby basketball court but were returned to their cells before daybreak Friday. /cbb
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TAGS: Antipolo City Jail, BJMP, Fire, jailbreak, news, Philippine news update, Philippines
'On the Wings of Love forever': JaDine breakup stirs up emotions of fellow celebs and celeb fans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Real Housewives mogul also shared if their daughters have met one another.
Following Bobby Zarin's passing last month, the one-time icy relations between Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin seemed to thaw out a bit. The Real Housewives of New York City mogul even paid her respects to Bobby at his funeral. Following the funeral, Bethenny shared, "Today is a sad day with a silver lining. I laughed. I cried. I saw old faces & watched a family come together surrounding a loss. 'I have a dream' that Bobby's death makes us realize what is important & treat each day as our last."
When the Bethenny & Fredrik co-star stopped by the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Clubhouse on Tuesday, she shared if the ladies saw each other after Bobby's funeral, if their daughters have met one another, and if they were ready to put their drama in the past. Check out what she shared in the video, above.
Jill's longtime love Bobby passed away at age 71 after a battle with cancer. He was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009. Jill confirmed in November 2016 that Bobby's cancer had returned. He was hospitalized in July 2017 due to complications from his illness.
Below, Bethenny opens up more about seeing Jill at Bobby's funeral.


Is a highly sought after speaker and event emcee. She's been the choice of event planners for entertainment and speaking for more than 10 years. Known for her breath-taking storytelling skills, inspirational principles and the command of a room, Robin has been called to speak and share the stage with headliners such as Lucinda Cross, Les Brown, Sherri Shepherd, KeKe Palmer, Carla Stephens and Darin Henson, just to name a few. As a writer, author, publishing maven, and cancer survivor, Ms. Devonish has the ability to turn your event into a highly entertaining experience.
Robin's journey has been both inspiring and impactful. She has emceed and entertained thousands along the way to come to this realization: It is less about how many people you have in the room and more about the lifelong influence and experience each event brings. She has masterfully crafted her messages and stories while sharing strategies for real life improvements while keeping everyone engaged and entertained.
""Infectious, commanding, comforting, and powerful are the adjectives that come to mind to describe my experience with Robin "The Voice." I had the pleasure of having Robin Emcee my conference which was hosted at a very turbulent time in our society. It was the week after the 2016 election, and I was torn between canceling the event in NYC or postponing for a later date. The climate of the city was thick and heavy. I was most sure people weren't in the mood to be inspired and encouraged.
Robin affirmed me to continue the course as planned and she came through in a major way. Despite all the protests on 5th Avenue that deterred guests, trains, cabs we all arrived at a central place, and Robin delivered.
— Nichole Bailey, Founder of Bits Of Faith, Inc.
— Raquel Smith, Founder of Execute That!
— Monique Denton Davis, Founder and CEO of Embrace Your CAKE, LLC.
"I had the pleasure of meeting Robin Devonish at Lucinda Cross' Dream Big Vision Board workshop in January 2016. I created an idea and expectations on what I would receive at this seminar, however, my expectations were exceeded by far. Robin brought life into the room and kept the entire audience engaged from the beginning to the end. She was real, funny, inviting and encouraging. I typically sit back and observe when I am in a large group, but her presence and energy had me excited to participate wholeheartedly.
As I was planning my first fundraising event, I thought to myself, who can I call on to entertain my guest, control the flow, ensure a great time and an awesome event. I called Robin right away, hoping she would be available to emcee and knowing that she would be the icing on the cake for my "dream big" event. I hosted my first fundraiser for Friend Village, a group home for developmentally disabled adults and Robin was the emcee extraordinaire. It was indeed an awesome event. I received calls and text messages from the majority of my guest the next day letting me know they had a phenomenal time.
Robin required minimal direction, I provided my vision and basic instructions, and she took care of everything else. The day was incredibly overwhelming for me as you can only imagine, having her there took the pressure off and gave me an opportunity to breathe and greet the attendees. My guests got up out of their seats, mixed and mingled with smiles, took photos together while giving generous donations for a great cause. Robin fostered an environment which allowed people to relax, participate and enjoy themselves while keeping my mission and purpose in full focus.
"I have always admired her spiritual and creative whit to observe the audience while engaging them to participate. She is truly the spirited speaker and emcee. I've had the pleasure of attending a few events where she Robin was the emcee. It seemed to me that she has mastered the art of emceeing. Robin knows just the right tone to use and allow the spirit of God to lead her. It didn't matter if it was a large audience or an intimate setting, she always has the right antidote to make things run smooth.
It's because of those observations I made previously; I didn't hesitate to book her for Eloquent Essentials Youth Scholarship Program (EEYSP) retreat - A Noble Retreat For Generational Wealth. I thank Robin for being available and adding her talents to my event. I honestly felt at ease knowing she was there and able to help speakers facilitate workshops, group gatherings and keep the attendees focused on the purpose of the retreat. The feedback from the participants was excellent. I look forward to partnering with you shortly for another one of my events.


School catchment zones can add instant appeal to your property – so buying an investment property within one seems like a no-brainer. This theory has the numbers to back itself up too. In his recent column in Switzer, John McGrath explains some of the things you need to know about buying in a school catchment zone….


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Chipper Truck: Versatile Hauling for the Adaptive…
Chipper Truck: Versatile Hauling for the Adaptive Crew
The chipper truck, commonly used by arborists, tree-removal professionals, and federal and state forest and land management divisions, provides a clean solution to a messy job. Primarily used for wood chipper transport (and subsequent wood chip collection), this model offers far more than the ability to haul chipped wood. Featuring a series of toolboxes, a hoist, and even an aerial bucket in forestry body conversions, the chipper truck is a mainstay for anyone working in tree-removal applications.
Shop Chipper Trucks
The common body lengths range from 9' to 18'. In most operations where chipping is infrequent, a smaller 9' container will do the job handily, and you'll have more than enough cargo space to break down and transport smaller trees and limbs without overloading the vehicle. On the other hand, if your operation uses a chipper capable of grinding more than 10"-diameter limbs, and feeds it all day, then it pays dividends to consider a heavy-duty option for maximizing cargo volume.
Most light-duty trucks may be able to support most of the weight that an 18' chipper body affords, but it is best to adhere to your truck manufacturer's GVWR specification, in order to ensure that your truck lasts longer and that no warranties are voided, when accidentally overloaded.
Side Height
Chipper trucks come in an assortment of side heights and roof configurations, to make sure your operational needs are met. The most common options measure in around 72" from the bottom to the top of the body, and feature solid straight panel sides, with an angled roof for water run-off and aerodynamic transportation. On the back of the chipper truck, you'll find an open rear space that is partially covered by a swing or drop-style panel door. This open space allows for chipped material to be shot into the cargo area and stowed, to ensure that your friendly neighborhood drivers aren't covered in any "arborist confetti".
Steel chipper truck bodies have the extreme durability that this raw material offers. Their corrosion-resistant and slick coatings provide further utility to the end-user. That being said, steel is heavy. On average, aluminum alloys will offer a close counterpoint in durability and scratch resistance, while also reducing the body's impact on payload capacity. But what about the price?
Steel will beat out aluminum in up-front costs, in most cases. Where aluminum alloys differ from steel, however, is in the saved cost perspective. With a reduced weight in payload, aluminum affords the user with a decreased impact on fuel economy in comparison to steel. Additionally, the corrosion-resistant nature of aluminum alloys can provide a longer useful life than steel, resulting in infrequent repairs and a lower cost-to-own.
Side Options
The chipper truck, with its rigid side panels, drives your versatile operation onward with options for both fixed or removable roof options - and the removable roof panel, an often-overlooked aspect of the chipper truck, allows you and your team to convert your chipper truck into a dump body truck in a matter of mere minutes.
The versatility of the chipper truck in its dump body conversion allows your team to keep working, long after the busy summer months have passed. Perfect for transporting sand, gravel, or heavier materials such as scrap metal or boulders, the removable roof section unveils an adaptable transport system for many vocations.
Most successful businesses adorn their fleet in an array of branding, which gives your potential customers a sense of professionalism founded in unity. Each truck, regardless of the model, features a cohesive design and sends a clear message which conveys confidence in your customers each time that the truck passes by. Take the opportunity to get your name out there, with professional decals on your chipper body truck.
Trailer Plug
The trailer plug is the ultimate solution for drawing attention to longer trailers and equipment, with strict adherence to DVM and DOT laws and regulations. Most common trailer plugs offer seven-function controls for connecting your trailer's signaling and braking system to your vehicle's electrical system, but more function-inclusive options are also available for heavy-duty trucks. The trailer plug provides an efficient connection when workdays seem short, and syncs braking, turning, reverse driving, and tail lights to arrange safe transport for your vehicle's equipment and your crew.
The chipper truck allows your team to carry a variety of tools and equipment along the body, in its widely-available backpack and underbody toolbox systems.
Built with heavy considerations toward organization and security, these systems are compact enough to avoid interference with the truck's hoist operation, but still provide enough useful area for items like chainsaws, PPE, and harnesses, where necessary. Some manufacturers also provide interior shelving units for separating your items, providing a desirable level of organization in an - at times - "cluttered" industry.
Modern chipper trucks come equipped with a single or multi-directional electric, electric over hydraulic, or hydraulic hoist system for unloading chipped wood without back-breaking labor. Most hoist systems are operated by a series of dual-cylinder hydraulic hoists. These hoists are operated by control panels on the body or frame, and allow users to easily offload the material.
In conditions where an "x"-point turn is not only undesirable but nearly impossible, the multi-directional hoist is a preferred option. These systems feature several hoists, which operate in unison to allow your team to dump in almost any direction.
Though the main function of the chipper truck is in hauling chipped wood, this commercial vehicle also provides your team with a wealth of towing capacity for a variety of trailers and equipment. A receiver hitch provides more than enough towing capabilities, for both conventional trailers and towed wood chippers alike. While the receiver hitch is suitable for most general towing applications, be sure to review your vehicle and trailer's respective weight ratings, in order to avoid exceeding weight capacities.
Commonly called a Forestry Body, once the aerial lift is installed, the chipper truck allows your team to easily reach limbs, which were previously only accessible by climbing.
Each bucket lift (and their respective supports) will vary in height and bucket size, but most bucket lifts can reach up to 40' in height. These lifts will typically match the body in build, and come in steel and aluminum alloy configurations. While onboard, you'll quickly find that the ease and safety of its operation becomes even more pronounced, featuring onboard controls and safety harness hookups.
Box Trucks Basics: A Simple Guide
Chassis Cab: The Definitive Guide to Choosing a Cab


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Haringey at the end of the welfare state
You may have seen the Guardian's two-pager on poverty and homelessness on 19 Nov. The New Economics Foundation's (NEF) report ; Everyday Austerity; life at the end of the welfare state looks at the impact of the ConDems' myriad benefit cuts in Haringey – and Birmingham. It details the local effects of cuts in tax credits, housing benefits, benefits for disabled people – and the horrendous prospect of more to come, with £28 billion to be stripped out of the national welfare budget by 2017. Haringey Citizen'sAdvice Bureau has estimated that the 'benefits cap' of £500 per week being introduced by the ConDems in April 2013 will hit around 1100 families in the borough, with 600 of them losing over £100 a week.
There are now at least four food banks in Haringey, serving those hit by cuts and increasingly by the new sanctions regime which, since October, allows job centres to deny people benefits for up to three years if they offend against the very rigid jobseeker rules.
The NEF report reveals:-
Drastic effects of the limits on housing benefit/local housing allowance which were introduced in January this year, placing 6900 Haringey homes that were affordable for people claiming these benefits now out of their reach. Up to 1100 families are expected to become homeless as a result –plus over 800 single people who are ineligible for local authority rehousing and are already cramming into church-run night shelters.
A mounting personal debt crisis, with three and a half times as many applications for 'crisis loans' in 2009/10 compared to 2005/6. (The Social Fund which provided "crisis loans" will close and the responsibility for making them devolved to local councils in April 2013 – it's not yet clear what Haringey will do about this).
A huge overload for the Citizen's Advice Bureau, which now sees queues from dawn onwards of people needing debt advice, help with appeals against benefit cuts and withdrawal of benefits due to sanctions and the much-criticised ATOS medical tests. (These tests have re-classified many disabled people – often inappropriately- as 'fit for work' in the worst job market for decades).
All this comes as Paul Nicholson, of Taxpayers against Poverty (TAP), has begun a campaign against cuts in Council Tax Benefit (see earlier post on this blog and the Haringey Independent). From April 2013, central government money for this benefit will be reduced, and councils will have to either source more of its cost themselves, or devise their own local schemes at lower rates. Haringey's consultation about this ended on November 19th, with TAP and many others arguing that it is both unjust and unrealistic to expect people already facing benefit cuts, to pay 20% of their council tax when previously all of it had been paid for them. Whilst rich councils like Westminster can afford to fill the gap and maintain CTB levels, Haringey cannot. Its main solution must be to lobby central government against the change with other similarly affected councils.
Likewise London-wide is needed to secure more affordable housing and challenge Tory policies. Mayor Johnson recently announced that he would no longer fund any new social-rented housing. He said the 50,000 target for new 'affordable' homes over the next four years would mean rents at between 60 and 80% of the market rate – well above the levels that housing benefit will now pay. Unless Haringey acts with other councils to demand the reinstatement and increase of genuine 'affordable homes' targets, and to demand the reintroduction of rent control, low waged and disabled people will basically be driven out of London.
The failure of other boroughs to provide sufficient low cost housing also impacts on Haringey. Families hit by the housing benefits cuts are moving to Haringey to escape high rents closer to the centre. Other boroughs are also renting private landlords' here for 'their' homeless - between June and September 2012, 258 homeless households were housed by other boroughs in Haringey, amongst them 27 'vulnerable' needing social work support, whilst Haringey council had to place 105 of its own homeless applicants out of the borough. With other London boroughs, by last month it was looking for homeless accommodation outside of London.
But on affordable homes, Haringey's own policies need a re-think. The new "Plan for Tottenham" with its promise to increase the proportion of owner-occupied housing in Tottenham and restrict conversion of existing buildings to bedsits ("HMOs" or "houses in multiple occupation") makes one wonder where more badly needed low-cost housing is going to come from.
We need some Green Councillors to stand up for the low-paid, disabled and unemployed people of Tottenham, to secure adequate housing for them, more jobs and a London living wage level.
Written by Anne Gray
Labels: ConDems, economics, employment, equality, haringey, housing benefit, local government, privatisation, welfare, work
Is co-operative energy the solution to climate change?
With climate change increasingly having a disastrous global impact, growing numbers of local communities are responding by launching their own renewable energy co-operatives in an effort to slash the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
In fact green energy co-ops are now one of the fastest growing parts of the UK co-operative sector having grown by 24% in the past four years.
"The first co-operatively-owned wind farm opened in Cumbria in 1997," explains Rebecca Willis, co-author of a report into co-operative renewable energy published earlier this year.
"Since then, over 7,000 individual investors have ploughed over £16 million into community-owned wind turbines and other renewable technologies resulting in that there are now over 40 co-operatively-run renewable energy projects across the UK."
Typical of the motivation that lies behind this behind this surge in the numbers of renewable energy co-ops is that demonstrated by Mark Wells, a director of the newly-launched Sheffield Renewables co-op: "When we bring future generations to mind, ignoring the problem of climate change is not an option. So even though climate change is a very big problem, we want to do our bit, and so we chose to work as a community to build a renewable energy scheme."
The co-op aims to build a hydro-electric generator on the river Don which will be the largest community-owned hydro scheme in England providing enough electricity to power 80 homes.
The project is being funded by a share offer which aims to raise £200k and which will pay individual investors up to 3% interest.
"Investing in Sheffield Renewables is about much more than the financial return," cautions Wells. "It's about working together to bring carbon-free local energy to the city with profits going back into more green initiatives. Plus once people become involved with the project they're more likely to think about climate change and start to reduce their own carbon footprint."
Simon Gilhooly who helped launch the Green Energy Nayland project in Suffolk last year agrees that renewable energy projects are a great way to get the issue of climate change onto the agenda: "We've installed a photo-voltaic system onto the roof of local primary school and this has really helped raise awareness of climate change within the school and the wider community."
In the first year of their operation Gilhooly estimates that the school's solar panels has saved around £1,000 in energy bills. The scheme has also generated an income of over £4,000 through the government's feed in tariff resulting in that members who bought shares in the scheme are being paid a healthy level of interest on their investment.
All of the UK's renewable energy co-ops have been funded through share issues that target individual ethically-minded investors.
To help match up would-be investors with renewable energy projects a new website Microgenius has been launched as its founder Emily Mackay explains: "Microgenius is designed to simplify the process for both new renewable energy projects and investors. It has been specially developed to manage the administration of fundraising and to make it possible to reach a much wider range of people with the share offer."
Another source of financial support for new co-ops is from the Co-operative Group. "We have earmarked £1 million to support the establishment of new renewable energy co-operatives through our Co-operative Enterprise Hub," says Paul Monaghan, head of social goals and sustainability at the Co-operative Group. "This provides free business support for new and existing co-operatives."
So what are the key benefits of launching a renewable energy project as a co-op?
"One of the main advantages of co-operative structures is the strong message that the project is done by and for the community and is not imposed from the outside," answers Willis.
This is exactly what the Valley Wind co-op in West Yorkshire has found whilst planning its wind farm in the Colne Valley.
"So far we've had a pretty positive response from the community to our plans," says Chayley Collis, spokesperson for Valley Wind.
"A big part of this is because we're a co-operative and so people feel that the wind farm is going to benefit the community and that it is something that they will be able to invest in."
With opposition to wind farms growing around the country, the local paper in nearby Huddersfield ran a poll about the planned windfarm.
"Over 70% of respondents were in favour which is a fantastic vote for co-operative windfarms," says Collis.
However despite the passion and dedication of the renewable energy co-op community, the sector contributes only a minute amount of energy to the National Grid and scaling up their numbers remains an uphill task.
"If the government put the right policies in place then renewable energy co-op schemes could generate electricity equivalent to three conventional power stations," says Willis.
"Currently though with its jungle of red-tape the market is designed to favour the established large-scale developments which have specialist teams to tackle the mountain of bureaucracy involved in bringing a scheme to market."
One way that co-ops have been able to bypass this bureaucratic-nightmare is to team up with existing windfarm developers.
In Scotland four community co-ops have been launched which now have a small stake in major windfarms that have been built by Falk Renewables, one of Europe's leading renewable energy companies.
"Community groups receive a pro rata per centage of energy production from the windfarm," explains Paul Phare from Energy4All which works to develop renewable energy co-ops.
"It's an opportunity to engage everyone within the community, whether it be through a new playground paid for by the windfarm developer or as individuals who can personally benefit from investing in the wind farm scheme."
One energy co-op which is aiming for the big time is Co-operative Energy, part of the Co-op Group which launched in 2010.
"We aspire to being as big in energy as we are in banking," says Ben Reid from Co-op Energy.
"Most people feel completely disengaged about energy and mistrust their energy supplier. We aim to treat our customers fairly which is the hallmark of the co-operative brand and as with all co-operatives, members would be offered a share of profits," says Reid.
"If the original Rochdale Pioneers were starting up in business in 2011," Reid adds, "then I'm convinced that it's the energy market they would choose."
Written by Simon Birch first published at The Guardian
Labels: energy, environment, socialism
Haringey Council Tax Benefit Reductions to Cause Increase in Poverty
A local activist writes an open letter to Haringey council opposing their proposed reductions to Council Tax Benefit:
I am a resident of Tottenham, living at 93 Campbell Road, N17 0BF; I pay the full rate of Council Tax (CT) for this property. I am responding to the Haringey Council's consultation about the abolition of the national council tax benefit (CTB), and about Haringey's proposals to replace it with their local scheme.
I write to oppose your proposals on the grounds that the 25,560 households, who now pay no council tax will have to pay 20%, or around £300pa, from April 2013.
It is irrational on three grounds;
•benefits are paid by the Department of Work and Pensions to our poorest fellow citizens to provide the necessities of life; they are already inadequate in work and out of work and the benefit claimants' health and well being will put at risk, as will their children's education, by taxing those benefit incomes.
•there are so many cuts to benefits being made by the Department of Work and Pensions to the already inadequate benefit incomes that the risks of ill-health mentioned in (1) are multiplied.
•the stress of enforcement in families who cannot pay places expensive demands on the mental and physical health services and the schools
•no account has been taken of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum income standards which underline the inadequacy of the benefits before they are taxed.
•the increasing number of calls on the three food banks in the Borough are further evidence that benefit claimants will not be able to pay the council tax
Haringey is also abolishing the CTB for an unspecified number of people whose level of savings is currently over £10,000 by cutting the level of entitlement from £16,000. The council has not provided enough information to enable anyone to make a decision about whether this policy is rational or not; this is not a valid consultation.
The council says it is consulting all residents; how is the council ensuring that commitment is being kept?
In 1989 the Thatcher government added an amount to unemployment benefit to help them pay the poll tax; there is no sign of that in Haringey today.
Haringey has not carried out an assessment of the cumulative impact of the measures taken by the DWP to cut the benefits of 25,560 Haringey residents they now propose to tax; the measures impacting on the income of benefit claimants are;
1. The rate of increase of already inadequate benefits has been reduced by the move of uprating from RPI to CPI in April 2011, while prices of food and fuel escalate,
2. Housing benefit caps,
3. Bedroom tax,
4. £500 cap on all benefits.
5. Nationally sanctions now stop or reduce benefit payments for between 2 weeks and six months. 508,000 benefit sanctions were handed out in 2011, a rise from the 139,000 imposed in 2009. Many sanctions have been applied in the borough of Haringey.
6. The social fund has been abolished.
The local authorities will charge inevitable defaulters around £70 for a liability order from the magistrate's courts, on top of the CT arrears, they and the advice sector, already overwhelmed will be swamped. The bailiffs charge defaulters up to £400 more.
Written by Rev Paul Nicolson, a local non party political aligned Haringey activist.
Labels: council tax, equality, haringey, Tories, welfare
Is co-operative energy the solution to climate cha...
Haringey Council Tax Benefit Reductions to Cause I...


In 2103, when Madhumita Kothe was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes during her second pregnancy at the age of 34, she was not troubled hugely. For a couple of years she drifted along without much concern for her condition.
"The joy of having a child was greater than the risk to my own well-being,"
BEST TIPS for Modeling with FFD in SketchUp!
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Maybe wait a day or two and test again, its so hard to wait.
Sorry to jump on your post but I'm the same boat! Any thoughts?
Robinangel its so hard for me to get a picture where you can see the other line its a lot more visible in person. Im just going to re test in a few days i think.
Heres another pic which is slightly more visible.
Hi ladies tested again this morning looks negative . I've still got 5 days until AF Is supposed to show so still keeping fingers crossed! the only reason I did the test so early is because I had dark blood in cm when I went for a wee 4 days ago sorry tmi and i was hoping it might have been implantation bleeding but trying to stay positive as it's still very early days! We will have to wait and see. How are you doing Gwhite18?
If it was in the time frame I would think that is a faint positive. Do you know when your period is expected?
Xxemaxx i can just make out a second line aswell, best to wait a few days and re test but good luck.
Xxemaxx I'm the same I end up buying so many tests!
Hi Gwhite18 hope everything go's okay! Keep us updated! It's not uncommon to bleed in the early stages !


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Mossback
When a Nazi spy came to Seattle
Herbert Mehlhorn's work brought him to the pre-war Northwest, where he was wined and dined while gathering intel for Hitler's government.
Knute Berger
Troops from the 42nd Rainbow Division of the 7th Army stand at the main entrance to the Dachau concentration camp, March 5, 1945. (AP Photo/Keystone)
In the early days of July 1938, a pair of visitors from Germany arrived in Seattle, where they were entertained by local members of the German American community. The two Berliners — Georg Herbert Mehlhorn, a doctor of law in his mid-30s, and his sidekick, Werner Heydenreuter, a tall, blond, 27-year-old athletic trainer — were supposedly on their way to Alaska to hunt after having crisscrossed North America. Starting in New York City in the fall of 1937, they'd logged over 28,000 miles, much of it by car, in a nearly yearlong journey to Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and all across the United States.
During their Seattle visit, locals took them to lunch at Blanc's, a downtown restaurant favored by the local German business community. They sailed on Lake Washington and visited Mount Rainier. They hobnobbed with prominent Seattle German Americans, talking politics with the likes of Hans Otto Giese, a lawyer and outdoorsman who did work for the German consulate, and Dr. Carl Leede, one of the founders of Swedish Hospital.
Dr. Mehlhorn even gave a brief, if barely willing, interview to an unnamed Seattle Times reporter who visited the pair at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel on Fifth Avenue. The journalist was given a cool reception. "I don't like reporters," Mehlhorn said. "They want to know: 'How about the war situation?' 'How about Hitler?' 'How does Germany compare to the United States?' It is annoying to be asked constantly about the 'war situation.' We in Germany do not want war."
The Germans, he averred, are "peace-loving people." He made no comment about Adolf Hitler. He claimed that Germans know as much about America as does a native of "darkest Africa."
Mehlhorn might not have liked being questioned, but his real purpose on this epic trip was to get answers. He was not here as a hunter or a tourist. His intended cover was that of a graduate student, but some documents list him as a government official. He was actually a member of the Nazi Schutzstaffel, better known as the SS. His rank at the time of his visit was Standartenführer, the highest field officer rank.
Nazi SS member Georg Herbert Mehlhorn visited Seattle in 1938.
He'd played a large role in expanding the Nazis' internal takeover of German life. He was one of the founders of the SS's intelligence service, the feared Sicherheitsdienst (or SD). An early and ardent Nazi, he'd worked for the SD since the early 1930s and rose with the fledgling organization to become administrator of its headquarters in Berlin by the mid-1930s. He mentored Walter Schellenberg, who later ran Germany's foreign intelligence service. Their boss was the notorious SD leader Reinhard Heydrich, and according to Schellenberg's memoirs it was Mehlhorn's administrative skills that "built up for Heydrich the machinery with which he could secretly survey every sphere of German life." Creating the Nazi police state was just the first phase of his career.
In 1937, Mehlhorn was sent to America by Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and architect of the Final Solution, and eventually the most powerful man in Nazi Germany next to Hitler. Mehlhorn's assignment was to gather intelligence on subjects such as "the Jewish problem in the United States," "the Negro problem," the unemployment situation and the state of Bolshevism, the capitalist "desertification" of the soil, and whether ethnic Germans in the U.S. would like to be repatriated to Germany. On entry papers Mehlhorn listed his race as "German" and listed his reason for travel as "pleasure." It was, however, a work trip.
Mehlhorn's original reports and correspondence from this mission survived World War II and were recovered by the Soviets. They include a brief summary of his Seattle visit. Copies of these files can be found in the archives of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. They run to hundreds of pages and have not been translated from German. Curious to know what he was looking for here and what his impressions were, I asked a local professional translator to translate the section related to Seattle for Crosscut.
Here's what Mehlhorn said about the people he met in Seattle:
"We established quite good relations with the Germans. In the process, we mainly met only decent people with very clear vision and quite a bit of influence. Of course, as always, the conversations essentially revolved around politics. In line with our previous tactics, we would always just nudge them and then listen carefully to what they said."
What was Mehlhorn learning? He was taking the temperature of attitudes toward Germany and its treatment of its Jewish population. He reported:
"Now we are in a region where human life is much more pioneering, and therefore the comments are much more open than otherwise in the States. The country is still quite young in its development, and perhaps that is why political involvements are easier to recognize. In any case, communism is strong, and there is an even stronger defense against it here.
"The views of reasonable people here coincide almost completely with what I wrote to you from New York about my view of America's future. One is almost even more pessimistic. In particular, I'm always reminded of the sentiment against Germany."
There was strong anti-German sentiment in America during World War I, inflamed by propaganda and anti-immigrant feelings. In some places, speaking German was banned.
"It has been explained to me many times, and without any prodding from me, that the agitation and the actual mood against us are far worse than at the outbreak of the war [WWI]. The Jews and the English are considered responsible. With regard to the former, I am reminded that a possible defense, enabled by the secret anti-Semitism of every American, has been made more and more difficult, especially in recent times, by the fact that even well-meaning Americans no longer believe the assurances about the actual conditions in Germany because individual events in Germany are repeatedly cited as a counter-argument. Especially with the latest Kurfürstendamm history."
This reference to the Kurfürstendamm appears to refer to Stormtrooper riots along Berlin's premier shopping avenue in July 1935, which have been described as the most brutal public anti-Jewish attacks since Hitler's rise to power. The attacks spurred some of the American Jewish community to renew calls for economic boycotts against Germany, and they outraged many outside of Germany, including Americans.
About the Kurfürstendamm incidents, Moshe Gottlieb, in an article entitled "The Berlin Riots of 1935 and Their Repercussions in America" in the American Jewish Historical Quarterly, wrote: "The Berlin Riots mark the turning point in the final annihilation of German Jewry; for these attacks led directly to the promulgation of the Nuremberg Laws, the Kristallnacht episodes of 1938, and the 'final solution' of the 1940's."
According to Mehlhorn's correspondence, Seattle Germans apparently recommended to him that the Nazis soft-pedal — proceed in a "cool and inconspicuous manner" — when it came to oppressing Germany's Jews.
A page from the Jewish Transcript, a Seattle newspaper, dated October 21, 1938, leads with an image of local protesters calling for a boycott on trade with Germany.
"I have, of course, expressed my opinion on this," he wrote, "and left no doubt that we will by no means be guided in our measures by the blathering of the world. However, it is difficult to fight the argument that we in Germany do have order and that we should be content with the Jewish laws that we ourselves have enacted or else to officially change them."
Mehlhorn seems to worry that even anti-Semitic Americans were beginning to doubt Nazi intentions. He appears to conclude that this was a public-relations problem perpetrated by Jewish and British propaganda.
Another bit of intelligence, gathered from local German Americans and even some unnamed local "wealthy and influential Chinese" and duly reported to SD colleagues, regarded the timetable for "peace-loving Germany" to prepare for war. Mehlhorn wrote:
"As for the other point regarding the English, the people here are probably right. Those bastards are seriously going to jump down our throats as soon as they get a chance. The general view is that Germany must be ready with its evolution before 1940, and not only in purely military terms, since the decision is expected here for that year." He was apparently told that the British would move to protect their $2 billion investments in China, which at the time was an ally of Germany. Mehlhorn concluded events were moving quickly and wrote, "We have no time to lose, also not in our internal reorganization of all things!"
Mehlhorn's takeaway seems to be to make haste for war preparation and speed the reorganization of Nazi Germany. One example of that reorganization was having all police, Gestapo and intelligence services united under SS command.
Mehlhorn's return to Germany in 1938 plunged him into the thick of German war preparations. He was promoted to the SS rank of Oberführer, roughly equivalent to a senior colonel, and in 1939 was asked to organize the false-flag so-called Gleiwitz incident, in which Hitler faked a Polish attack on a German broadcast station to justify the invasion of Poland. Mehlhorn avoided running the whole operation, believing that his boss Heydrich was planning to eliminate him during the false attack, by claiming he was too ill. He fell out of favor with Heydrich and left the SD.
After leaving the security service, he maintained good relations with Himmler and was appointed to a key administrative post in the occupation of western Poland, which was annexed to Germany and called the Reichsgau Wartheland, or Warthegau. The goal was to Germanize this region through the resettlement of ethnic Germans, in essence to fully absorb western Poland into Germany and replace the majority of Poles with Germans. It was an exercise in ethnic cleansing.
The leader of the effort was the Nazi Arthur Greiser, the Reich Governor of the annexed territory. He appointed Mehlhorn as a deputy in charge of general, domestic and financial matters, and charged him responsible for "all Jewish questions" in the region. Catherine Epstein, history professor and dean at Amherst College, has written that Mehlhorn "exemplified the well-educated, technocratic and fanatically Nazi sort of police official" Himmler liked.
As such, Mehlhorn helped organize the mass murder of Jews, which included the apparatus for rounding up Jews into ghettos. The major one in his administrative area was Lodz, renamed Litzmannstadt by the Germans. The ghetto, second in size to Warsaw's, became a major source of forced labor, and most of the 200,000 people held there were sent to death camps. Warthegau, Epstein has written, "served as a model for developing the genocide of Jews."
Early experiments with gas vans — trucks designed to be mobile gas chambers by feeding van fumes into a hermetically sealed compartment — were used in Warthegau in 1941 to kill the disabled, the elderly, women, and children under 14 who were deemed not capable of working. Use of the gas vans broadened to kill Jews, Roma, Sinti, Polish resisters, and some Soviet POWs. A site was created at a vacant estate in Chelmno, where people from surrounding villages and ghettos were transported, stripped, herded into vans, gassed and taken to an area surrounded by forest for secret burial. All of this was done under Mehlhorn's responsibility for the region's "Jewish questions."
While mobile Nazi death squads had been mass-murdering Jews and others in Russia, Ukraine and Poland, Chelmno — called Kulmhof by the Germans — was the first stationary facility to which Jews were transported for the sole purpose of mass killing by gas. The gassing began more than a month before the infamous Wannsee conference where top Nazis planned the implementation of the Holocaust.
The first official extermination occurred on Dec. 8, 1941 — the day after Pearl Harbor. In the first year, according to SS figures, 145,000 died there. Some estimates double that number by 1944. Patrick Montague, in his history of Chelmno, describes it as "a literal death factory" and "the first death camp established by the Third Reich during the Second World War."
While Mehlhorn was administering genocide, he is known to have one notorious direct connection with Chelmno. Adolf Eichmann was ordered by the head of the Gestapo to visit Chelmno. He watched the extermination process — the screaming of gassed victims in the trucks, the looting and dumping of bodies. He later said "it was the most horrible sight I had seen in all my life."
Mehlhorn called in forester Heinz May, whose job included the reforestation of the region's steppe land, and ordered him, under threat of death, to plant trees on the mass graves to further camouflage the operation and mitigate a horrendous stench that threatened the camp's secrecy. Mehlhorn said if the plantings didn't work and the graves were discovered, they would insist they were the bodies of dead German nationals. The planting program was unsuccessful, so the dead were disinterred, cremated, and their remains crushed mechanically into dust. This too became part of a template copied at other death camps.
At least one witness reported seeing Mehlhorn at Chelmno in his SS uniform, but others ran the death camp. However, his influence was generally known, if overshadowed by other war criminals. William Shirer, in his book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, wrote that Mehlhorn was a "notable instigator of Gestapo terror in Poland." Units of the SS, Gestapo and police carried out the death policies administered by Mehlhorn. His work was also noted by Hitler: In 1944, Mehlhorn received Germany's War Merit Cross, a medal created by Hitler himself, which was often awarded to war criminals, including Eichmann, Gestapo chief Heinrich Müller and Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, among others.
The Mehlhorn who visited Seattle in 1938 was a dedicated Nazi, part of a class of SS officers who later felt perfectly comfortable implementing the Final Solution. One wonders if the Seattleites who entertained Mehlhorn in 1938 ever knew of his later role in the Holocaust, or if they ever had second thoughts about the time they spent with him. His real identity wasn't always a secret, however. Dr. Carl Leede, who took Mehlhorn and Heydenreuter to visit Mount Rainier, revealed in 1943 that he visited Mehlhorn in Berlin at "Gestapo headquarters" in 1939, where they had "a pleasant chat."
Mehlhorn's intelligence reports on Seattle shed light on Nazi views of the prevalence of American anti-Semitism and how easy it was to tease out political advice and find quiet support for Germany's actions against its Jewish population, as well as to spread the idea that Germany's greater intentions were peaceful.
Mehlhorn survived the war. Contrary to rumor, he was not executed by the Poles, but returned to Germany and resumed legal work. He was reportedly a consultant for Mauser, the arms manufacturer. He died in 1968. A fuller picture of his career and influence is warranted.
Some of the history of pre-WWII Seattle is hidden. Some pro-Hitler local Germans were incarcerated and tried, others changed their views, and after the war, there seemed to be little appetite for an accounting of prewar Nazi advocacy. In recent years, neo-Nazis in the Northwest and the U.S. have become a major topic as the ideologies of the Third Reich are echoed in our country and our region, not only in rural enclaves but pushing their way into our mainstream politics.
The visit of Herbert Mehlhorn, however, was largely forgotten, and his later role in the Holocaust devolved into mentions of a paragraph or two in many books on the Nazi intelligence apparatus and more recent books on Chelmno and its key role as a precursor in what was to come. But the reminders of the ideology he represented are all around us today.
The three-episode U.S. and the Holocaust will premiere on KCTS9 on September 18, followed on the 20th and 21st by episodes 2 and 3. Translations of Mehlhorn's report by American Translators Association certified German-to-English translator Melody Winkle.
'Ask for Jane:' Who were the pre-Roe underground abortionists?
Half a century ago, Northwest activist Judith Arcana was one of more than 100 women known as 'Jane' who aided and abetted illegal abortions.
Megan Burbank
/ January 25
A Seattle photographer's firsthand account of the Jan. 6 chaos
Nate Gowdy discusses the Capitol attack and his new photo book 'Insurrection.'
Margo Vansynghel
/ January 6
Knute "Mossback" Berger is Crosscut's Editor-at-Large.


Section 5 of the EELQMS requires companies intending to market, develop or manufacture engine lubricants for which compliance with ACEA Oil Sequences will be claimed, to keep records that enable independent assessment of their relevant processes by internal and/or external auditors. The auditors should report their findings to the relevant company management.
Lubricant marketers: details of final performance data sets that demonstrate that the relevant requirements of the claimed ACEA Sequences have been met in full.
Lubricant manufacturers: full details of manufactured batches including formulation composition, components batches and control analysis results that demonstrate that the manufactured lubricant formulation matches that finalised by the lubricant developer.
Compliance with EELQMS requires that records be made available for periodic internal/external audit.
Internal audits should be independent of the entity being audited and should be thorough, including, for example, a complete "vertical" audit through a lubricant development project from design to final performance data set, or a complete "horizontal" audit, through development, marketing claims, and manufacturing procedures.
In addition to internal audit, management may commission an external audit by an independent company or entity with sufficient expertise in either the lubricants industry or in quality assurance systems.
Management should review the results of all internal and external audits and, where non-conformity is identified, determine the corrective action required.
The EELQMS, and any procedures from entities participating in the system, may be updated when required in order to continue to meet the requirements of the ACEA Sequences in the most effective manner. Lubricant companies should ensure they are always following the latest version of the EELQMS guidelines which will always be available on the EELQMS website.


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class AddBackgroundToSpreeTaxons < ActiveRecord::Migration
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    add_column :spree_taxons, :background_file_name, :string
    add_column :spree_taxons, :background_content_type, :string
    add_column :spree_taxons, :background_file_size, :integer
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Blend all of the ingredients, except the Angostura, cream and nutmeg, with some ice until smooth. Place the Angostura at the bottom of a tall glass and pour in the drink. Top with coconut cream and grate fresh nutmeg over the top.


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Anzeige 521 Unterzeichner aus New Zealand
<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
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Cody howard Unterzeichnet: 09:51, 19/09/2013
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James Murray Unterzeichnet: 22:52, 16/05/2013
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TD Bank N.V. ("TD Bank") is a Netherlands based subsidiary of The Toronto Dominion Bank, which together with its subsidiaries is known as the Toronto Dominion Bank Group ("TD") and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Bank has been registered and authorised to act as a credit institution by De Nederlandsche Bank N.V. ("DNB") since 1992.
In the Netherlands, TD Bank undertakes investment banking and retail banking activities. It offers saving products to over 6,000 customers through internet banking and by mobile app.
In delivering our strategy in the Netherlands, we remain consistent with the overall strategy of TD Bank and its core components – a focus on customers, a unique and inclusive employee culture, a well understood risk culture and appetite and a strong focus on the community. We ensure we have an effective business and risk management environment that meets both the high standard of TD and those of our stakeholders, including our customers and regulators. Supporting this, TD Bank has a Two-Tier Board structure. Formal Board Charters identify and formalize the role, tasks and responsibilities of the Supervisory Board and TD Bank's Management Board.
Refer to the 2017 Annual Report for an overview of TD Bank's financial report and financial statements.
Our parent, TD, is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches, serving more than 25 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail and Wholesale Banking. With more than 85,000 employees in offices around the world, The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (TD). TD had CDN$1.3 trillion in assets on 31 January 2018. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 12 million active online and mobile customers. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol "TD".
For information on TD policies, commitments and other reference material related to corporate responsibility at TD, please see https://www.td.com/corporate-responsibility/report-centre/policies.jsp.


On the January 24, 2019 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor in chief Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film writers Hoai-Tran Bui and Chris Evangelista to talk about the latest film and tv news and in the spoiler room, we'll be telling you about Serenity, the most insane movie of 2019.
Opening Banter: Chris has one foot out the door, and everyone is listening to this new Weezer album.
Chris: Could Disney Finally Cancel 'The Simpsons', and Make More Money In the Process?


text:
"The New Lieutenant's Rap" is a short story by Stephen King. It was originally published as a limited run chapbook by Philtrum Press in 1999 and was later reworked into "Why We're in Vietnam", a short story appearing in King's 1999 book Hearts in Atlantis.

Plot summary
The story, set in summer 1999, opens with two American veterans of the Vietnam War, Dieffenbaker and John Sullivan, conversing after the funeral of Dick Pagano, another veteran whom they had served with. Sullivan recalls an incident in Đông Hà when Dieffenbaker, his commanding officer, had ordered him to kill another soldier, Clemson, to prevent him from massacring Vietnamese civilians. After Sullivan asks Dieffenbaker "Why were we in Vietnam to begin with?", Dieffenbaker - who has grown immensely cynical and bitter following his experiences in Vietnam - opines that their generation "had achieved little of value" and postulates that the two men are still in Vietnam - with their memories of events that have happened since the product of "a pot-bubble" - and that Vietnam is the preferable of the two competing realities. The story ends with Sullivan agreeing, thinking "We stay because it's better."

Publication
"The New Lieutenant's Rap" was originally published by Philtrum Press (King's own imprint) in chapbook format, with 500 numbered copies being printed. The text of the chapbooks was in King' handwriting. The chapbooks, which were autographed by King, were gifted to attendees at a party held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the publishing of King's debut novel Carrie that was held at Tavern on the Green in New York City.

A "substantially revised" version of "The New Lieutenant's Rap", retitled "Why We're in Vietnam", was published in King's book Hearts in Atlantis later that year.

Reception
Rocky King states, "It is as great a pleasure to read a story in King's handwriting as it is to listen to his audio recordings."

See also
 Stephen King short fiction bibliography

References

External links
 "The New Lieutenant's Rap" at StephenKing.com

1999 short stories
Chapbooks
Philtrum Press books
Short stories by Stephen King
Vietnam War fiction


text:
Leeds United fans will love what Gary Neville has said about Patrick Bamford
Patrick Bamford has scored six Premier League goals this season and Gary Neville believes an England cap could follow just like the success Kalvin Phillips has had with the national team
Gary Neville believes Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford is knocking on the door for an England call-up. (Image: (Photo by NICK POTTS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images))
Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has backed Patrick Bamford to follow Kalvin Phillips into the England squad.
Bamford netted a hat-trick against Aston Villa on Friday night to take his Premier League return to six goals in as many matches, behind only Tottenham's Son Heung-min and Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the scoring charts.
Phillips, meanwhile, has secured spots in the last two of Gareth Southgate's England squads and has made his mark on the international stage after excelling with the Whites.
He could soon have a club colleague in the international set-up, according to Neville, as he believes Bamford isn't far off being selected.
"I think he'd come up with the reputation of not being the best finisher, best goalscorer – and that was well-founded," he told Sky Sports.
"But when you look at that goal (first against Villa) that's a poacher's goal, but these two are really, really special.
"I still can't really work out the technique (behind the second goal). He doesn't bend it, he doesn't hit it with his laces, it's almost like one of those Ronaldo-type free-kicks when he cuts across it. You very rarely see them in open play, it's an absolutely brilliant finish.
Sign up to our exclusive LUFC newsletter for reaction to Brighton defeat
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"His work ethic, the way in which he leads the line, pressurises his out of possession work is unbelievable. It's very early, but you're not far away from being an England player.
"If you work hard, six foot two, you lead the line, run in behind, cause nightmares for defenders and score goals like that, you're knocking on the door."
Patrick Bamford


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text:
Hugh H. Sisson Oral History
This interview was conducted as part of the College of William and Mary Oral History Project. Mr. Sisson was bursar of the College of William and Mary from 1952 to 1960 and comptroller of the College from 1960 to 1962. As chief financial officer he was very close to policy decisions during the administration of A.D. Chandler. He offered insights into that ear in this interview.
College of William and Mary--History--20th century
University Archives Oral History Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
The original manuscript transcript of this interview is available in University Archives Oral History Collection in the Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
HughHSissonOHC.pdf 2.939Mb PDF
The University Archives Oral History Collection consists of transcripts and recordings of oral history interviews conducted with College of William and Mary faculty, staff, alumni, and others connected to the university.


Copyright © 2014 Masatsugu Tsukamoto et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
To reduce the incidence of implant-associated infection, we previously developed a novel coating technology using hydroxyapatite (HA) containing silver (Ag). This study examined in vivo acute and subacute toxicity associated with the Ag-HA coating in rat tibiae. Ten-week-old rats received implantation of HA-, 2% Ag-HA-, or 50% Ag-HA-coated titanium rods. Concentrations of silver in serum, brain, liver, kidneys, and spleen were measured in the acute phase (2–4 days after treatment) and subacute phase (4–12 weeks after treatment). Biochemical and histological examinations of those organs were also performed. Mean serum silver concentration peaked in the acute phase and then gradually decreased. Mean silver concentrations in all examined organs from the 2% Ag-HA coating groups showed no significant differences compared with the HA coating group. No significant differences in mean levels of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, or blood urea nitrogen were seen between the three groups and controls. Histological examinations of all organs revealed no abnormal pathologic findings. No acute or subacute toxicity was seen in vivo for 2% Ag-HA coating or HA coating. Ag-HA coatings on implants may represent biologically safe antibacterial biomaterials and may be of value for reducing surgical-site infections related to implantation.
Orthopedic implants are widely used in many countries to provide pain relief and improve range of motion and quality of life for patients with arthritic disorder. However, one of the serious postoperative complications associated with these procedures is bacterial infection, including surgical-site infection (SSI). The rate of primary infection for joint replacement is between 0.86% and 2.52% according to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System . Infections that occur following implantation may require long-term treatment, including replacement of the infected artificial joint, resection arthroplasty, or amputation, depending on the severity of symptoms.
One way to reduce the incidence of implant-related infection is to use implants possessing innate antibacterial properties. Various antibacterial coatings, such as vancomycin , gentamicin , carbonated hydroxyapatite (HA) , nitric oxide-releasing xerogel , and iodine [6, 7], have been developed for use on implant surfaces. We previously developed a novel coating technology composed of HA containing silver (Ag) to reduce the incidence of implant-associated infections and have reported that this coating has the properties of HA, induces the release of silver ions , and shows high antibacterial activity with inhibition of bacterial adhesion and low cytotoxicity in vitro . In addition, using rat subcutaneous  and tibial implantations , we demonstrated that the Ag-HA coating possesses antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vivo. Furthermore, the 3% Ag-HA coating has been shown to provide good osteoconductivity and has been comparable with an HA coating and a 50% Ag-HA coating in the inhibition of bone formation because silver toxicity depended on the dose . Therefore, the appropriate silver concentrations of Ag-HA are around 2-3%. However, data on local and systemic toxicity of the Ag-HA coating remain scarce. Before Ag-HA-coated implants can be applied clinically, evaluation of the risk of silver toxicity in vivo is required.
The aim of this study was to clarify local and systemic adverse effects of Ag-HA-coated implants in rat tibiae.
The implants used were Ti wire 20 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter (HOMS, Nagano, Japan). Ag2O powder (Kanto Chemical, Tokyo, Japan) was mixed with HA powder (KYOCERA Medical Materials, Osaka, Japan) in concentrations of 2% and 50% and then shaken for 5 min in a plastic bag. The mix was then sprayed onto the surface of the Ti wire using the Frame Sprayed System (Sulzer Metco Japan, Tokyo, Japan), which uses an acetylene torch. Temperature of the flame was about 2700°C. This procedure was performed under normal atmosphere. The properties of this coating have been reported by Akiyama et al. . In brief, a μm thick layer of Ag-HA was uniformly coated on the substrate. Amorphous structure of the Ag-HA coating was confirmed for concentrations ≤50% Ag. Qualitative analysis revealed that HA and Ag-HA coatings contained similar levels of Ca and P, although Ag was not identified. According to quantitative elementary analysis, the Ca/P ratio of the Ag-HA coating (1.74) was almost the same as that of the HA coating (1.67).
We prepared three types of implant as follows: (i) HA coating on Ti; (ii) 2% Ag-HA coating on Ti; and (iii) 50% Ag-HA coating on Ti. Implants were packaged singly and sterilized using a JS-8500 gamma sterilizer (MDS Nordion, Ontario, Canada). The implants were obtained from KYOCERA Medical Materials Corporation (Osaka, Japan).
We used 10-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (Kyudo, Saga, Japan) with a mean weight of g. Rats were acclimatized for 5 days prior to use, in a room in which a suitable environment was maintained. All animal procedures were conducted with the approval of the Animal Research Ethics Committee at Saga University (approval number: 23-009-1). According to their recommendation that the number of experimental animals be kept as low as possible, the sample was limited to three or six rats per group, as the minimum number needed to calculate the mean and standard deviation.
Rats were anesthetized using a 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital sodium solution prior to the surgical procedure. Both hind legs were shaved, cleaned with povidone-iodine, and dried. One transverse 10 mm incision was made on both knees. To access the medullary cavity, a hole was drilled with an 18-gauge needle through tibial tuberosity, and the same implants were inserted into the medullary cavity of both tibiae in each rat. Rats were divided into three groups according to the implant inserted. They were housed individually with ad libitum access to food and water. Clinical parameters and general condition were documented weekly. Body weight was measured after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. Three rats from each group were euthanized at 2, 3, and 4 days after treatment. Six rats from each group were euthanized at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment. The acute phase was defined as 2–4 days after treatment, and the subacute phase was defined as 4–12 weeks after treatment.
The abdomen was then opened under general anesthesia and 10 mL of blood was collected from the right common iliac vein. The liver, kidneys, spleen, and brain were obtained after euthanasia. Postmortem examinations included macroscopic inspection of the skin after shaving. The inspection focused on the presence of ash-colored skin, which can occur in argyria (systemic silver intoxication).
Histological examinations used nine rats from each group, with three rats each euthanized at 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Histological samples were obtained from the brain, liver, kidneys, and spleen. These organs were fixed in 10% phosphate-buffered formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin wax. Sections of ~5 μm were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Stained sections from each test sample were then examined under light microscopy for analysis of tissue inflammatory reaction, fibrosis, and the presence of silver sedimentation.
The concentration of silver in serum was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric analysis (ICP-MS) (Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA). In addition, the following parameters were determined: glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT); glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT); lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); blood urea nitrogen (BUN); and creatinine. Since no standard values were available for GOT, GPT, LDH, BUN, and creatinine for 10-, 14-, 18-, and 22-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats, these values were determined preoperatively in 20 healthy rats. Standard values were assumed if they ranged between 2.5% and 97.5% percentiles.
Organ analysis involved the measurement of concentrations of silver in the brain, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Three rats from each group were euthanized for organ analysis at 2, 3, and 4 days and 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. These organs were obtained from rats and washed using ultrapure water provided by a Milli-Q water purification system (Millipore, Bedford, MA). Concentrations of silver in the brain, liver, kidneys, and spleen were measured using an Agilent 7500c inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA).
This was performed using Excel and SPSS version 19 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL). One-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate body weight, blood serum analysis, and organ analysis. Where this was significant, Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) was applied as a post hoc test. Values of were considered significant.
Mean body weights preoperatively in the HA, 2% Ag-HA coating, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were g, g, and g, respectively (Figure 1). Mean body weights at 12 weeks in the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were g, g, and g, respectively. No significant differences in mean body weight were found between the three groups at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks.
Figure 1: Mean body weight at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. No significant differences were evident between the three groups for all experimental periods.
No animals in any of the three groups died during the measurement period. No animals showed any signs of SSI. No animals displayed any signs of local or systemic argyrosis (data not shown).
The HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups showed mean serum silver concentrations of ppb, ppb, and ppb at 2 days, respectively, and ppb, ppb, and ppb at 3 days, respectively (Figure 2). The silver concentration of serum decreased gradually over the experimental period. Mean concentration of silver in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from that in the other two groups at acute and subacute phase ( for all comparisons at all periods, Tukey's HSD test). Mean concentration of silver in the 2% Ag-HA coating group showed no significant difference compared with the HA coating group in any experimental periods.
Figure 2: Mean serum silver concentration at 2, 3, 4, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. *Significant difference between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups for all experimental periods ().
Liver function was assessed by determination of GOT, GPT, and LDH levels. Kidney function was assessed by measurement of creatinine and BUN levels.
Mean GOT, GPT, LDH, creatinine, and BUN of the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were not significantly higher than in controls at 2, 3, and 4 days (Table 1).
Table 1: Laboratory parameters in the acute phase (2–4 days postoperatively).
At 4 weeks, mean GOT differed significantly between the control and HA coating groups, but mean GPT and LDH in the HA coating group were not significantly different from that in the control group (Table 2). No significant difference between the control, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups was noted for any laboratory parameters. At 8 weeks, mean GOT and LDH differed significantly between the control and HA coating groups. No significant differences were found between mean GPT in the control and HA coating groups. No significant differences were seen between the control, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups for any laboratory parameters. At 12 weeks, no significant differences were seen between the control, HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups for any laboratory parameters.
Table 2: Laboratory parameters in the subacute phase (4–12 weeks postoperatively).
Mean silver concentrations in the brain for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 2 days were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively (Figure 3). At 3 days, mean silver concentrations in the brain for HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. At 4 days, mean silver concentrations in the brain for HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. The value in the 50% Ag-HA coating group was significantly different from that in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 2, 3, and 4 days ( for all comparisons at all periods, Tukey's HSD test). No significant difference was apparent between HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 2, 3, and 4 days.
Figure 3: Mean silver concentration in the brain at 2, 3, 4, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. *Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 2, 3, and 4 days (). **Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 28 and 56 days ().
Furthermore, mean silver concentrations in the brain for HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 4 weeks were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. At 8 weeks, mean silver concentrations in the brain for HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. The values in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from those in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 4 and 8 weeks ( for all comparisons at all periods, Tukey's HSD test). No significant differences were found between the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 4 and 8 weeks. At 12 weeks, mean silver concentrations in the brain for HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. No significant differences were found between the three groups.
Mean silver concentrations in the liver for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 2 days were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively (Figure 4). At 3 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. At 4 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. No significant differences were found between the three groups at 2, 3, or 4 days.
Figure 4: Mean silver concentration in the liver at 2, 3, 4, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. *Significant difference between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 28 days (). **Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 56 days ().
Mean silver concentrations in the liver for the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g at 4 and 8 weeks. Mean silver concentrations in the liver for the 50% Ag-HA coating group at 4 and 8 weeks were μg/g and μg/g, respectively. The value in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from those in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups ( for all comparisons at 4 weeks; for all comparisons at 8 weeks, Tukey's HSD test). No significant differences between the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups were seen at 4 and 8 weeks. At 12 weeks, mean silver concentrations in the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. No significant differences were found between the three groups.
Mean silver concentrations in the kidneys for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 2 days were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively (Figure 5). At 3 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. At 4 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. No significant differences were found between the 2% Ag-HA and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 2, 3, and 4 days.
Figure 5: Mean silver concentration in the kidney at 2, 3, 4, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. *Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 28 and 56 days ().
The highest silver concentrations were found in the kidneys of the 50% Ag-HA coating group at 4 weeks, with a mean concentration of μg/g. The concentration of Ag decreased gradually over the experimental period. Mean silver concentrations of the 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 8 and 12 weeks were μg/g and μg/g, respectively. Silver concentrations in HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The value in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from that in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 4 and 8 weeks ( for all comparisons at 4 and 8 weeks, Tukey's HSD test). No significant differences were found between the three groups at 12 weeks.
Mean silver concentrations in the spleen for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at 2 days were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively (Figure 6). At 3 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. At 4 days, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. The value in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from that in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 2 and 4 days ( for all comparisons at 2 days and for all comparisons at 4 days, Tukey's HSD test). No significant differences were found between the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 2, 3, or 4 days.
Figure 6: Mean silver concentration in the liver at 2, 3, 4, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment in the hydroxyapatite (HA), 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups. *Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 2 and 56 days (). **Significant differences between the 50% Ag-HA coating group and the other two groups at 4 and 28 days ().
The highest silver concentrations were found in the spleen for the 50% Ag-HA coating group at 4 weeks, with a mean concentration of μg/g. The concentration of Ag decreased gradually over the experimental period. Mean silver concentration for the 50% Ag-HA coating group at 8 weeks was μg/g. Silver concentration for the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups was μg/g at 4 and 8 weeks. At 12 weeks, mean silver concentrations for the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups were μg/g, μg/g, and μg/g, respectively. The value in the 50% Ag-HA coating group differed significantly from those in the HA and 2% Ag-HA coating groups at 4 and 8 weeks ( for all comparisons at 4 weeks and for all comparisons at 8 weeks, Tukey's HSD test). No significant differences were found between the three groups at 12 weeks.
Although data are not shown, growth of fibrous tissue, chronic inflammatory infiltrates, foreign body granulomas, and fatty degeneration was not detected in the brain, liver, kidneys, or spleen of the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups at any time during the experimental period. Histological examination of organs revealed no abnormal pathological findings.
Silver has a broad antibacterial spectrum, strong antibacterial activity, and low toxicity. Devices such as heart valves , central venous catheters , aortic grafts , urethral catheters , burn wound dressings , and megaprostheses  have been coated with silver or silver compounds. Silver metal-coated megaprostheses have already been used in European countries and good clinical results have been reported [19, 20]. However, such silver metal coatings have not been applied to the surface of the stem, in the region of bone contact, because of potential toxicity. To resolve this problem, we used HA as a support material for silver ions, because it offers good biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. We previously reported that no cytotoxicity resulted from silver in the Ag-HA coating according to both extraction and direct methods in vitro . However, no reports have described the in vivo toxicity of Ag-HA. Our results shown here suggest that no acute or subacute toxicity occurs in vivo with 2% Ag-HA coating as well as HA coating. This is the first report about the in vivo toxicity of Ag-HA.
Wan et al. reported that silver levels below 200 ppb in blood could be considered normal, because humans incorporate orally each day small amounts of silver . Only small amounts ofsilver will be resorbed by the intestine and transported as a complex with plasma proteins. Most silver is then excreted by the liver. The rest of the silver is stored and accumulated intracellularly in organs and tissues without any use. Gaul and Staud estimated that an average 50-year-old man would store 0.2–1 g of silver . Argyria, a gray-blue discoloration of a tissue, is most commonly observed in humans exposed to silver. This pathological finding was seen more commonly in the 19th century in association with occupational exposure in silversmiths, miners, and photographs [23, 24]. Argyria can also appear from the use of silver-containing medications. We showed in this study that no animals had any signs of local or systemic argyrosis. In the literature, no consistent data have been reported concerning the dose of silver necessary to cause argyria. Gaul and Staud revealed that a minimum amount of 1.8 g of silver is necessary to cause argyria . The amount of silver in the 2% Ag-HA coating implant used in this study is about 15 μg/cm2. The total amount of silver necessary for the 2% Ag-HA coating on femoral replacements in humans (prosthesis surface area of coating, 76 cm2) is, therefore, about 1.14 mg. The small amount of silver used here would not cause argyria.
A concentration of silver in the blood of more than 300 ppb has been reported to cause argyria, argyrosis, and liver and kidney damage . Drake and Hazelwood found that acute symptoms of overexposure to silver nitrate include a decrease in blood pressure, diarrhea, irritation of the stomach, and decreased respiration . Chronic symptoms resulting from intake of a low dose of silver salts are fatty degeneration in the liver and kidneys . Long-term inhalation or ingestion of soluble silver compounds or colloidal silver may cause argyria and/or argyrosis. In our study, the highest concentrations of serum silver resulting from the 2% Ag-HA and 50% Ag-HA coatings were ppb at 2 days and ppb at 3 days, respectively. These levels were low enough to avoid harmful effects. Histological examination also revealed that fatty degeneration was not detected in the liver or kidneys of the HA, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups in the subacute phase. Mean values of GOT, GPT, LDH, creatinine, and BUN showed no significant differences between control, 2% Ag-HA, and 50% Ag-HA coating groups in any experimental periods. Although mean GOT and LDH levels showed significant differences between the control and HA coating groups at 4 and 8 weeks, this would be due to hemolysis, because the GPT level in the HA coating group was not elevated compared to the control group.
In this study, mean silver concentrations in all analyzed organs of the 2% Ag-HA coating group showed no significant differences compared with those in the HA coating group at all experimental periods. The silver concentration of 50% Ag-HA was significantly elevated in all analyzed organs. The highest silver concentrations were found in the brain, liver, kidneys, and spleen of the 50% Ag-HA coating group at 4 weeks, with mean concentrations of 0.05 μg/g, 0.05 μg/g, 0.04 μg/g, and 0.21 μg/g, respectively. The concentration of silver decreased gradually over the experimental period, and no significant differences were found between the three groups at 12 weeks, with neither pathological changes in laboratory parameters nor histological changes in tissues. We reported in a previous study that silver toxicity depends on the dose . Although the silver concentration in the blood was the highest in the acute phase and silver concentrations of organs peaked in the subacute phase in this study, no silver toxicity was encountered during either period. Although no data were obtained regarding chronic symptoms resulting from the implantation of the Ag-HA coating after 12 weeks, most silver would be gradually excreted. Silver toxicity such as systemic argyrosis, damage, and fatty degeneration of the liver and kidneys may thus be unlikely. In the future, it will be necessary to implant Ag-HA-coated megaprostheses in humans to assess possible toxicity and to determine infection rates with joint replacement.
We have shown that the use of 2% and 50% Ag-HA-coated implants is associated with neither acute nor subacute toxicity in the rat tibia. However, data about chronic toxicity are still missing. Since the 50% Ag-HA coating inhibits bone formation , silver concentrations of Ag2O powder mixed with HA powder of around 2-3% appear appropriate. Ag-HA coating on an implant may offer a biologically safe antibacterial biomaterial and may be of value in reducing SSI related to implantation.
The authors report no external source of funding for this investigation. None of the authors has received or will receive benefits for personal or professional use from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this work.


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