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BusinessCyprus Business News
Preparing your finances for emergencies
By October 10, 2020 October 10, 2020 01181
Europeans rarely make special preparation for financial emergencies. Some Europeans are savers – although Cypriots are not – and they save money in both good times and bad, and then rely on those savings for any emergencies that may arise.
But the pandemic, and the tremendous uncertainty that it threatens, might be a good time for Cypriots to start thinking about what might happen if you lose your job, can't pay the mortgage, can't meet expenses etc. If you have your own business, you're probably struggling with boosting revenue; if you invest your funds, you should be thinking about market volatility.
Don't forget about stuff like your car breaking down, or some medical expenses not covered by insurance.
So, you think that's boring and obvious? Talking about this is rather like the boring lawyers who are always telling you to make a will – it only matters if you die and then your family money is tied up in court for a few years.
We live in "interesting times," as the Chinese say, and that's why preparing for trouble is prudent.
Just as we have experts on everything today, we have experts on preparing for financial emergencies. They propose systematic preparation for when times get tough.
Shang Saavedra is a Harvard graduate who achieved financial independence (starting from scratch) at 31. She proposes that we all create an emergency fund to help us in times 0f need.
"Do whatever it takes to get started!" Saavedra insists.
Most of us have trouble saving anything at all. But, in times like these, we have to make a special effort to put together this fund which could mean a lot if things go bad.
"A 'do whatever it takes' approach has proven to be a successful attitude for both myself and my clients," she points out.
This means considering actions that you've probably never even thought about before. Saavedra suggests that those looking to boost their savings should consider:
Selling everything you're not currently using
Take some jobs on the side that earn money quickly, like pet-sitting or helping a relative with accounts
Pause all non-essential spending – and by 'non-essential,' she means just what you need to get by each day is all that comes out of your purse
Put any extra money that comes in straight into the emergency fund – gifts, bonuses etc
In general, Saavedra recommends that savers set aside three to six months of expenses in an emergency fund. However, this may vary depending on each person's individual situation.
For example, Saavedra says that it probably makes more sense for those with relatively stable jobs and no dependents to have a cushion of about three months' expenses. Whereas those with children under the age of 18 will likely want to save six months' worth of expenses to give them more peace of mind.
These funds should be placed in a bank account or other instrument which allows us ready access – we should separate this fund from our other savings which we should be placing at the best interest rate possible.
What about spending the emergency fund? "It's best to have clear-cut rules about when you will dip into it," warns another emergency-fund expert, Anna Sergunina, CEO of MainStreet Financial Planning.
Once you build up the fund, there is always the terrible temptation to spend it on those golf clubs you've always wanted to buy, or for a blender that's on sale.
This is why Sergunina says that you agree with your family on rules for the kinds of emergency that the funds are to be spent on (this should not include "when I need a new pair of shoes," but focus on really serious family needs).
So we should all go over our living expenses, pare them down to the bare minimum for a while, and build up this emergency fund. It may be boring, but it will get interesting if you need the money badly.
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Q: Is there any R function or process to separate words from a phrase into individual columns? I have a data matrix extracted from a forum. I have two special columns: (1) Commentary ID and (2) Comments.
I need to separate each individual word of the comments in individual columns.
The result I would like to have would be a first column with the ID and as many columns as words in the comment.
Is there any method or function to achieve this?
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
J.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Some weeds are not only edible, they have also nutritious and tasty. Making weeds such as nettles, dandelions, chickweed and fat hen part of your diet can be good for your health and will help you make the most of all resources at your disposal to grow your own food. Many of the weeds that we are used to seeing in the UK are edible – some delicious! Other weeds may be useful in other specific ways, such as in herbal relief for common ailments, or for dyes, for example.
Most random weeds that pop up in your polytunnel can simply be chopped and dropped (before they go to seed) in place so that they simply lay on the ground and return their nutrients into the system. Some deep rooted weeds will help in this way to draw nutrients from deep down under your polytunnel, where other plants' roots are not able to reach. Some weeds could be deliberately left to grow as a cover crop that can later be chopped and dropped to add fertility to the top soil layer. Chopped and dropped weeds will also be a good mulch material and will help to retain moisture in the soil in your polytunnel.
Problematic weeds (such as those that will regrow from small root sections) can be a problem if they creep into your polytunnel. But there are ways to keep the incursion minimal and to make the best of it by seeing these problem weeds too as a valuable natural resource. All weeds can be chopped into water and allowed to decompose to create liquid feeds for leafy plants and other crops. This too is a way of returning nutrients to your healthy polytunnel ecosystem.


Individual Chocolate Swirl Meringues, perfect for an Easy Dessert!
This post has been sponsored by Bacofoil® – all opinions and words are my own.
So when I am thinking about making a dessert, I always want something chocolate themed. I won't lie, I probably do eat too much Chocolate, but that's me. Is it actually possible to eat too much chocolate?! Who knows… but I realise not everyone actually likes chocolate (my Dad). I know… the shock and the horror… but they don't. Which is completely fair enough.
However, when I am then trying to create a dessert to satisfy all cravings, it can get really very difficult! I love making a dessert for when my Fiancé (lol yes I'm now engaged WOOO) and myself go round my parents for dinner as my Mum usually makes a DELICIOUS Dinner, and making dessert is the least I can do. As my Dad, however, is the one to not be the biggest fan of chocolate, I do struggle.
So, as I wanted to have something chocolate themed, but make sure my dad would accept it, I thought something with a hint of it would be best. How about one teaspoon of chocolate per dessert?! Yes, I think so. These beauties were born. The BEST thing about making Meringue is it is such a crowd pleaser, and it's easy to serve them up how you prefer.
Add on some whipped cream, some fruit, some freeze dried fruits, etc etc. There are so many combinations of delicious toppings you can put onto a meringue its delightful. This idea partly came from going to a wedding fair recently at the venue my Fiancé and I have booked, where they had a 'Create your own Pavlova' station and I LOVED it. It was amazing.
Some people are a little scared of making meringue, but it is honestly a lot easier if you have a super clean bowl, a clean whisk, and egg whites with absolutely no egg yolk in. This sounds a bit much already, but make sure you wipe your bowl clean (sometimes I rub a bit of lemon around to clean it, and then wipe down), make sure whatever whisk you use is super clean, and carefully separate your egg whites into a different bowl so that if you make a mistake, you can easily rectify the situation.
Another thing that helps is if you have a good surface to bake the Meringues on to. There have been so many times when I have baked a perfect meringue, but it has stuck to the tray or baking paper. This is where the wonderful sponsorship of this post comes in – The Bacofoil® Non-Stick Baking Paper. Quite often something like Meringue can get a little bit stuck after baking, but using this delightful Bacofoil® paper is insane, as it has a unique textured surface to purposely help prevent any sticking issues.
The Bacofoil® Non-Stick Baking Paper has a dimpled surface, which looks like lots of little tiny bumps, and it makes it a lot easier to use compared to your standard non-stick baking parchment.
You can see from the images the little dimples on the surface of the paper, and how easy it is to use. After a really easy bake and very little washing up, you can enjoy your dessert. The delightful thing about using this recipe is even though yes it does have chocolate in, you only use 1tsp per Chocolate Swirl Meringue, so it was enough to satisfy my cravings, but not enough for my Dad to be put off.
You can check out more information on the amazing Bacofoil® Non-Stick Baking Paper at www.bacofoil.co.uk!
Preheat your oven to 120C/100C Fan, and line 2 Large Trays with your Bacofoil® Non-Stick Baking Paper and leave to the side.
Make sure your bowl, and Whisk are nice and squeaky clean. I used my Stand Mixer with the Whisk Attachment.
Add in your Egg Whites, making sure there is no egg yolk.
Whip the Egg Whites up to stiff peaks, and start adding in the sugar 1tsp at a time. It may take a good few minutes to get all the sugar in, but its worth it. Don't pour it all in at once.
Once all of the Sugar has been whisked in, add in the White Wine Vinegar and whisk again for about 2-3 more minutes.
Whilst it's whisking for the 2-3 more minutes, melt your Dark Chocolate carefully till smooth.
Dollop onto the Trays your Meringues. I used a heaped tablespoon each to make 10 Meringues, and then split any leftover between the 10.
Add on 1 Teaspoon of melted chocolate per Meringue, and swirl it in slightly whilst shaping the Meringues into a good shape.
Once baked, leave the Meringues to cool in the oven with the door shut for 30 minutes, and then remove from the oven and leave to cool fully.
Serve your Meringues with whipped cream, fruit, or anything you wish! Enjoy!
These Meringues will last in an airtight container for 1 month on their own at room temperature.
I usually eat them within 2-3 days however.
You can use Milk Chocolate if you prefer, but I love the Dark Chocolate.
The Freeze Dried Raspberries are optional.
This post was sponsored by Bacofoil® - all views and words are my own.
Older Next post: Toffee Apple Cake!
Newer Previous post: Halloween Cookie Bars!


Volunteer Zambia | Active, Health and Better Living for All | International Children's Peace Prize Nominee and Perfect Day Foundation reporter, Stewart Luunga, interviews World Champion swimmer, Adam Peaty!
Recent international Children's Peace Prize Nominee and Perfect Day Foundation reporter, Stewart Luunga, had a chat with Adam on the fourth day of the 50/50 challenge at Munali School.
It is incredible what Sport can do. It is the foundation block of anything good, the rivalry you can create between countries and people. Without Sport I wouldn't have known any of you and the people I have met. So it is just an amazing thing to do. So the more children involved, probably the more they can learn how to work hard and follow their dreams because if you want to get anywhere in this world especially in this year-2017. It is getting harder and harder so children need to know that it just takes hard work to get where you want to go.
What would you have been if you weren't a swimmer?


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SCV elementary districts' state test scores decline
Jose Herrera
First grader Natalia Ramirez, right, plays go-fish with classmates during an intervention group held at Newhall Elementary School in Newhall on Wednesday, 111021. Dan Watson/The Signal
The state Department of Education released its state assessment data, and overall test scores indicate a decline in English and mathematics at all grade levels including for elementary students in the Santa Clarita Valley.
According to the 2021-22 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, also known as CAASPP, some of the elementary school districts saw a smaller decline in test scores and some even saw an increase in its students English or math scores.
"It was a tough transition and, unfortunately, it's going to be something that's with us for a long time," said Fred Malcomb, member of the Castaic Union School District's board of trustees, who represents Trustee Area C.
"The two years that we were out due to COVID, and then transitioning back, it hasn't been easy for a lot of kids," he added. "We've put a lot of support in place for the kids. But we have some outstanding teachers, and administrators and our staff who are amazing and working with the kids."
From the 2018-19 school year to these recent results, student test scores dropped in English language arts by approximately 2% and rose by approximately 1% in the Saugus Union School District. In the Newhall School District, student test scores rose by 4% in ELA and dropped by approximately 6% in mathematics.
"The nation has been preparing for the data that would quantify learning loss experienced by students during the pandemic," read a statement from Saugus Union School District officials, which was released back in late September regarding preliminary testing data.
In the Castaic Union School District, student test scores dropped by approximately 3% and 4% in ELA and mathematics, respectively, and in the Sulphur Springs Union School District, student test scores declined by approximately 10% and 11% in ELA and mathematics.
Malcomb said the decline in student test scores, while something to be celebrated given the circumstances regarding the widespread learning loss, is still a significant number of students who need additional support.
Malcomb, who also works as a counselor for Palmdale Aerospace Academy, said the academic challenges brought on by the pandemic are being exacerbated by mental, emotional and behavioral issues seen in students.
He described different scenarios where some students may be fine, others needing to learn or relearn the dynamics of being in a classroom, or some students not knowing how to interact with other students.
District officials shared the sentiment that their great staff, teachers and administrators can make a difference in students' life. Though the pandemic will have lasting effects, there is hope that soon they will see the learning achievement gap shrink.
SCV elementary districts' state testing results
The CAASPP includes the Smarter Balanced assessment system, the California Science Test, the California Alternate Assessments for special education students and the optional California Spanish Assessment.
Districts administer the state tests starting in grades 3-8 and 11, as a way for the state and districts to monitor student progress. The science test is assigned for grades 5, 8 and once in high school, usually in grade 11, according to the Department of Education.
CAASPP data showed that in the Castaic district, about 59% of students met or exceeded state standards in ELA. Approximately 43% of students met or exceeded state standards in mathematics.
In the Newhall district, about 66% of students met or exceeded state standards in ELA. Approximately 62% of students met or exceeded state standards in mathematics.
"I do feel we're very proud that we're still maintaining high academic achievement," said Newhall district Superintendent Leticia Hernandez. "We're also very proud that the board has approved our money to be used in a very strategic manner, so that it can help our students come back from COVID and with really targeted instruction."
According to Hernandez, there are still areas that need work, not just academically. District staff and administrators need to help students with their social and emotional challenges, and address chronic absenteeism, for example, she added.
Substitute teacher Beverly Graham, center, works with first-graders during an intervention group held at Newhall Elementary School in Newhall on Wednesday, 111021. Dan Watson/The Signal
In the Saugus district, about 65% of students met or exceeded state standards in ELA. Approximately 58% of students met or exceeded state standards in mathematics.
Students in the Sulphur Springs district had the largest decline in test scores for both ELA and mathematics at about 10% from test results in 2018-19.
In the Sulphur Springs district, about 50% of students met or exceeded state standards. In mathematics, approximately 39% of students met or exceeded state standards.
On the subject of why students struggled in understanding math more than ELA, Hernandez said that's a question she's been trying to examine and analyze, though it's a bit difficult for her as she began in her role just a few months ago.
"Overall, during COVID, math is so layered that if there were concepts missed, a lot of teachers had to a lot of reteaching," Hernandez said. "Math is just one of those subjects where if there any gaps, you're going to have to work even harder to fill in those gaps."
Anticipating learning loss, and the efforts to mitigate them
The decline in state test scores in the SCV reflected a national trend that many educators anticipated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Education in the last two years has been impacted by several challenges including transitioning to distance learning back in-person, an increase need in addressing the mental and emotional health of students, and more.
"With a prediction of losses in CAASPP test scores of 5% to 15% across the state, (SUSD) is seeing that its efforts with short-term independent study, intervention teachers and strong curriculum alignment have helped its students to have a different experience," Saugus Union Superintendent Colleen Hawkins wrote in an email in late September regarding their preliminary testing data.
Hawkins' statement hits upon a general consensus among educators. Many anticipated student learning would suffer as a result of the pandemic, but the question educators poised was to what extent could they mitigate the impact.
In previous conversations with The Signal, district officials discussed several actions taken to assist students to acquire skills and accelerate their learning, which include, but not limited to, identifying the needs of their students, hiring new staff to address students' academic, mental and emotional needs, and adjusting or creating new curriculum.
According to John Richard, president of the Castaic district's board of trustees, the test scores are one piece of the puzzle, and there are so many factors that determine student success. But a main goal is to ensure that students are able to move on to the next level and eventually graduate from high school with their diploma.
"I know that our administrators and our teachers, they're trying provide all the tools necessary for the students so that they can go from one level to the next," Richard said. "So, that they know how to process information, and they get all the building blocks in each and every grade level, then we'll be ready to launch them when they graduate."
Richard also noted that most educators are breathing that sigh of relief as the 2022-23 school year marked the first full year of in-person instruction and the return of programs.
"So just by the pure fact that we're in class, and we're with people, I am optimistic that all education will improve," he added.
Some district officials were unreachable for comment as of publication of this article as winter break continues. Some district staff are slated to return the first week of January, and the spring semester begins in the second week of January.
Jose Herrera loves stories in all shapes and forms. New to the Santa Clarita Valley, he's ready to write stories about SCV's community. Have a story to share? Contact Jose at [email protected]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Rama is scared. She's six months pregnant and increasingly worried about the health of her unborn child. The 22-year-old casual laborer earns her living by picking tea leaves in India's north-eastern Assam state. She does not take a break from the hard labor even if she is in pain. "Sometimes I feel good, sometimes not so good," she said. "I am new to this, so, I don't know what to expect." Her hut in a village near Tezpur in Assam's Sonitpur district is one of dozens for workers within a fenced compound on the tea plantation that stretches for miles, surrounded by swathes of lush green fields making it beautiful, but extremely remote. "We are totally dependent on the tea garden," she told CNN from her village.


Viewing biodiversity planning through an adaptation lens suggests that adaptation planning may look very different when compared with traditional approaches to planning of assets, managing or eliminating threats, or even managing resilience of systems as they are today.
Assessment will need to incorporate assessment of potential change in biodiversity and the nature of the changes, including the consequences for community and stakeholder values and aspirations.
Strategic Planning will need to consider that different types of changes in biodiversity may need different strategic approaches to manage, and that some current values and objectives may be impossible or impractical to maintain.
Implementation Planning will need to consider a broad range of approaches, including new innovative actions which will need to be matched to the degree and nature of biodiversity change and may need to be adjusted over time.
This module provides tools to assist with assessment and an indication that different types of change may need different approaches in strategic planning.
Helping Biodiversity Adapt will provide guidance on strategic planning given the nature of biodiversity, and a toolkit for considering implementation options.
To explore ways in which the information presented in this Module might be used in regional planning, click on the topics below.
During the Assessment phase of planning, Australia's regional NRM groups often undertake some form of spatial vulnerability or risk analysis – trying to identify parts of their regions that may be particularly under threat. Such assessments usually aim to integrate information on a range of different threats and vulnerabilities for a range of different assets or systems. Climate change is only one part of that bigger picture.
Our models of the potential degree of ecological change can be thought of as layers that integrate exposure and sensitivity to climate change, in the absence of other threats. Thus, they are not complete vulnerability assessments by themselves, but can be combined with other information in integrated assessments to give a more complete picture of differences in vulnerability across a region.
The general structure of vulnerability analyses, showing that models of potential degree of ecological change can be used as the 'potential impact' layer – a synthesis of climate exposure and sensitivity. Other threats may be incorporated as reductions to adaptive capacity.
For example, consultants Spatial Vision Innovations, in partnership with Natural Decisions, delivered an Impacts and Vulnerability Assessment for seven Victorian CMAs in July 2014. It represents a significant and very useful synthesis of existing information. However, due to limitations in terms of time and available data, they were only able to include exposure based on two climate variables, and the assessment of sensitivity was restricted to a categorical rating using expert opinion (very common when considering sensitivity separately from exposure).
When the assessment is next updated, the models of potential degree of ecological change for vascular plants presented here could substitute for the exposure and sensitivity variables for native vegetation, providing greater depth and rigour to the assessment of potential impact. This is because our models considered a broad range of climate variables and sensitivity was fully modelled based on the suite of environmental variables, including climate, that determine species compositions. Our models of fauna groups could also be added as additional assets in the analysis if desired.
The wheatbelt of Western Australia is an area that our vascular plant model suggests will experience a higher potential degree of change, with around 50% of species affected by 2050 even under the milder of our climate scenarios. Local, species-specific knowledge can be used to help confirm these model results. The eastern-most population of Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), at Jilakin Rock in the wheatbelt of Western Australia (Shire of Kulin), may be one of the first examples of vegetation change associated with climate stress. This isolated population declined from 74 live (and 55 dead) trees in 1981 to 14 live trees remaining in 2012 (Whitford et al. 2008; Whitford 2012; Peter White, Department of Parks and Wildlife WA, pers. comm.). It has not been possible to attribute the deaths to anything other than prevailing dry conditions (both declining rainfall and a shift in the seasonal distribution of rainfall). Thus, this population may be an early signal of the high potential degree of change in vascular plant species compositions in this region.
However, local knowledge may also supplement model results. Although our models incorporate topographic information at relatively high spatial resolutions (approx 250m grids), they do not include finer-scale microclimatic effects. Local knowledge and experimental evidence suggest that granite rock environments provide moisture buffering, enabling the persistence of some species in places normally considered too dry. In this case, expert knowledge about local fine-scale variation may need to be incorporated into vulnerability assessments, or factored in during more detailed implementation planning.
The eastern-most population of Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), at Jilakin Rock in the wheatbelt of Western Australia showing tree deaths, but also pockets of survival in certain microclimates. Image: Suzanne Prober.
Whitford K, White P, McCaw L, Durell G, Whitford E (2008). Deaths of jarrah in 2008 at Jilakin Rock: an outlying population of jarrah: a report of initial observations. Unpublished report, Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, WA.
Maps of disappearing environments may provide an ideal way to engage key stakeholders, including community members, in discussions of whether current assets or 'special places' of a region will still be viewed as valuable in the future. Focusing on what the community values has become a common foundation of regional NRM planning in Australia, but is currently done in a way that tends to assume that assets like vegetation communities will remain where they currently are. Maps of disappearing environments can highlight where existing special places may be at risk of disappearing, at least in terms of their current species composition. This realisation can be used to explore more deeply why those places are currently highly valued by the community and thus whether their disappearing nature requires special attention in planning. Engaging the community in this process can also help build their capacity to adapt to the future, a core challenge of climate adaptation planning as highlighted in The NRM Adaptation Checklist.
For example, the model of disappearing environments for vascular plants in northern Queensland under the high emissions' mild MIROC5 climate scenario shows that areas around Port Douglas and areas west and south of Atherton, extending toward the coast around and south of Mission Beach, are all at reasonably high risk of disappearing by 2050. This means that not only is the vegetation composition in these areas likely to be quite different than it is today, but what we currently see in these areas may no longer exist in its current form anywhere in Australia.
These areas are currently all important ecotourism destinations. Will their tourist value decrease as plant composition changes, potentially reducing their ability to support iconic fauna such as cassowaries and tree kangaroos? Or is the experience of nature in general more what tourists are seeking? Distinguishing between these different values associated with the biodiversity of these regions may help determine whether these areas will remain as 'special places' in the future or whether the planning focus might be shifted elsewhere.
Gradients in the degree to which ecological environments are tending to disappear for vascular plants under the high emissions' mild MIROC5 climate scenario by 2050, within regions broadly associated with the Wet Tropics. Darker colours signify greater tendency to disappear.
As highlighted in The NRM Adaptation Checklist, one of the core challenges of NRM planning under climate change involves planning for multiple futures. As we can't know precisely what future climates will arise, decisions made now that may have long-term consequences need to be ones that are likely to be effective under a range of possible future climates. That is why two contrasting climate futures have been modelled for all the measures presented in this module.
While maps based on different climate scenarios may seem strikingly different, robust decisions can still be made by focusing on where differences between climate scenarios primarily occur in the magnitude of impact, but spatial variation in impacts appears similar across scenarios. For example, the images below show regional variation in disappearing environments for mammals in the eastern rangelands under two climate futures. While there is greater risk that environments supporting mammals may disappear under the hot CanESM2 scenario compared to the mild MIROC5 scenario, the patterns of regional variation are similar under both. In general, the southern Lake Eyre Basin region and associated deserts (including the Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Kalamurina Sanctuary) are less likely to contain mammal environments that will disappear compared to the northern Basin and western Queensland more broadly (including the Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Bowra Sanctuary). Thus, both climate scenarios suggest that efforts to maintain and restore historical rangeland mammal populations (a key aim of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy) may be more readily achievable in the southern Lake Eyre Basin than in the northern Basin, where different strategic goals and management approaches may be required.
The Degree to which ecological environments are tending to disappear in the eastern Rangelands for mammals by 2050, under the high emissions' mild MIROC5 climate scenario (top) and the hot CanESM2 climate scenario (bottom). Darker colours signify greater tendency to disappear.
Information on where novel environments are likely to arise could highlight where cross-border collaboration might be most useful in planning – a key aspect of climate-adapted planning as highlighted in The NRM Adaptation Checklist. The regional focus example below suggests that the amphibian community of the ephemeral lakes and creeks of western Victoria may be under pressure to change such that the future community won't be much like any amphibian community known today in Australia.
For a novel community to assemble, species that don't currently live there may need to move into the region. As most amphibians are dependent on hydrological connectivity to move through the landscape, ephemeral flows through the mallee region may be critical to ensuring a new amphibian community can arise and amphibians won't be lost from the region. Planning for such flows could require collaboration among Mallee, Wimmera, and North Central CMAs, and they may benefit from presenting this cross-border perspective when interacting with existing collaborative water resource planning efforts.
Similarly, the AdaptNRM Module on Weeds and Climate Change highlighted that where novel environments arise, there may be greater risk that the new communities will be composed of or dominated by invasive plant species. Thus, Mallee, Wimmera, and North Central CMAs could also collaborate on a simple monitoring program to try to detect new amphibians coming into the region and assess whether they are acting invasively. Such collaborative monitoring could be particularly cost-effective.
Gradients in the degree to which ecological environments are becoming novel for Australian amphibians under the high emissions' hot CanESM2 climate scenario by 2050, within regions broadly associated with the lower Murray Basin.
In planning for biodiversity at most scales, there is considerable reliance on vegetation as an umbrella for other species. For example, a great deal of planning is based on vegetation types (e.g. improving the extent of communities like Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands) with an assumption that associated fauna species will also benefit. While that assumption has been questioned in the past, our community-level models of broad shifts in different species groups particularly highlight that vegetation is not necessarily a good indicator of the likely response of other groups under climate change.
For example, the figure below shows the tendency for novel environments to arise in the north west of Australia under the high emissions' hot CanESM2 climate scenario for all four biological groups. There is a tendency for vascular plant environments to become most novel around Kakadu National Park. Yet mammal environments will be most novel throughout the Kimberley, amphibian environments will be most novel southeast of Derby, and reptile environments will be relatively similar to those seen today. Collectively, these maps suggest that different species groups will experience changing climates differently. Thus, fauna groups (and not just threatened fauna species) may need to be included much more comprehensively in assessment and planning. The community-level models provided with this Module present an opportunity to begin doing just that, at least for mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
The degree to which ecological environments are becoming novel by 2050 in parts of northern Australia for all four species groups under the high emissions' hot CanESM2 climate scenario. Darker colours signify greater tendency to become novel.
Climate impacts are commonly viewed as one more threat to biodiversity persistence on top of many others in the landscape. But it is often unclear the degree to which climate change will interact with existing threats and exacerbate the rate of biodiversity decline, or whether management of existing threats is simply more important than managing climate impacts. While other threats are usually added into a vulnerability or risk analysis as reductions to adaptive capacity (see above – Using the potential degree of ecological change in vulnerability analyses), the change in effective area of similar environments allows planners to incorporate interactions as well.
For example, darker colours in Figure C below show areas that currently support vascular plant environments that will lose (and have already lost) substantial amounts of effective area due to both past land clearing and the effects of climate change. This interaction is somewhat different than the effects of climate change only (Figure A) or just past land clearing (Figure B). Figure C could be used in a vulnerability analysis to incorporate interactions between climate change and land clearing, with other existing threats added as further reductions in regional adaptive capacity for plants.
Finally, drilling into more regional detail in these maps can reveal sub-regions where the consequences of climate change are actually greater than those of past land clearing (darker colours in Figure A than in Figure B). This is the case for much of the rangelands but also for sub-regions northeast of Nyngan, the Pilliga, as well as the northwest slopes of New South Wales. These areas highlight that for some parts of a region, a special focus on adaptation planning aside from just managing current threats may be warranted.
The change in effective area of similar ecological environments for vascular plants by 2050 in north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland under the high emissions' mild MIROC5 climate scenario. Darker colours signify areas greater loss of effective area. A) loss of effective area due to climate change, B) effective area already lost to date due to past land clearing, C) the combined effects of past land clearing and climate change.
The different types of vulnerability shown in the composite areas of ecological change maps for vascular plants could lead to quite different overall strategic goals. Green areas, for example, where less change is expected to occur could be supported by protecting and managing existing vegetation to retain its resilience. Novel environments, disappearing environments, and areas that are both novel and disappearing (red, blue and purple areas) may need strategic goals that are reframed to be less focused on the species and communities they currently support and more focused on facilitating the change to new environments.
For example, where novel environments may arise such as throughout the central Hunter Valley (bluish areas between Singleton and Muswellbrook), restoration to rebuild general resilience and connectivity along with monitoring of invasive plants could be most effective. Where environments are disappearing, no amount of strategic planning may be able to arrest that decline. If key species in these environments are deemed valuable, they could be targeted for more intensive conservation measures like ex-situ conservation. These consequences for strategic planning and implementation will be elaborated in the follow-on guide, Helping Biodiversity Adapt.
Interestingly, the area identified as likely to experience the most dynamic change in the Hunter Valley is also the area in which significant new mining developments are expected (between Singleton and Muswellbrook). It is the biodiversity assessment area of the Upper Hunter Strategic Assessment, which is designed to consider cumulative impacts of mining on biodiversity in order to plan to avoid, mitigate, and offset those impacts. The Composite areas of ecological change map for the Hunter Valley suggests that if the assessment is based on current vegetation types, there is a risk that it may not account for the amount of dynamic change in biodiversity expected in the region over the next few decades.
Composite ecological change identified for vascular plants under the high emissions' mild MIROC5 climate scenario for the greater Hunter Valley region in New South Wales.


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In this issue of Videofashion Collections, Parisian fashion power houses wrap up the collections for Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. While Karl Lagerfeld might have staged a feminine protest in the streets of Paris for his latest CHANEL show, his clients certainly won't be protesting the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, full of color, texture and fabulous flat shoes! Valentino charms with their exquisite craftsmanship and theatrical elements. Plus, designer Raf Simmons presents the modern woman with functional glamour in his Spring/Summer 2015 collection for Christian Dior.


text:
Home>Press Release>Extension of deadline for receipt of the report of the Review Group on the National Paediatric Hospital
Extension of deadline for receipt of the report of the Review Group on the National Paediatric Hospital
The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has today (16th May 2012) agreed to an extension of the deadline for the receipt of the report of the Review Group on the National Paediatric Hospital.
The move follows a request from the Chairman of the group, Dr Frank Dolphin, seeking a 14 day extension. The group, which was established by the Government to review the decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for the hospital on the Mater Hospital site, had been due to report next week.
Please find attached the letter from Dr Dolphin requesting the extension of time. As the Minister has agreed to the request it is considered appropriate to publish the letter which seeks that extra time. You will note that the letter refers to a list of groups that have already been seen by the Review Group. It also confirms that the Group has not yet completed its schedule of meetings with stakeholders and interested parties.
As the work of the Review Group is not yet complete it is considered appropriate to wait 'til the end of the process to provide the list of entities and groups that will have made submissions.
A redacted copy of Dr. Dolphin's correspondence is attached below:
Dr. Dolphin's correspondence


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Using special calculation software you can calculate by yourself necessary lightings quantity in order to light the set area.


text:
Table::Table( const sf::VideoMode& video_mode,	const std::string& table_file,
	const std::string& ball_file, const std::string& cue_file )
{
	// general initialization
	position = sf::Vector2f( video_mode.width / 2, video_mode.height * 11 / 20 );
	dimensions.x = video_mode.width * .8f;
	dimensions.y = video_mode.height * .8f;

	// determining the scale factor
	texture.loadFromFile( table_file );
	sf::Vector2f texture_size( texture.getSize() );
	sf::Vector2f scale( dimensions.x / texture_size.x, dimensions.y / texture_size.y );

	// borders setup
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(79, 50));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(442, 50));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(500, 50));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(862, 50));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(896, 79));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(896, 428));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(862, 455));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(500, 455));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(442, 455));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(79, 455));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(45, 428));
	borders.push_back(sf::Vector2f(45, 79));
	//scaling to the window
	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < borders.size(); i++)
	{
		borders[i].x *= scale.x;
		borders[i].y *= scale.y;
		borders[i] += position - sf::Vector2f( dimensions.x / 2, dimensions.y / 2 );
	}

	// pockets setup
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(36, 41));		//left top
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(471, 30));		//middle top
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(906, 41));		//right top
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(906, 463));		//right bottom
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(471, 480));		//middle bottom
	pockets.push_back(sf::Vector2f(36, 463));		//left bottom
	//scaling to the window
	for (int i = 0; i < pockets.size(); i++)
	{
		pockets[i].x *= scale.x;
		pockets[i].y *= scale.y;
		pockets[i] += position - sf::Vector2f( dimensions.x / 2, dimensions.y / 2 );
	}
	corner_radius = 95 * dimensions.y / 1775 * scale.y;
	middle_radius = 80 * dimensions.y / 1775 * scale.y;

	// balls initialization
	float ball_radius = BALL_RADIUS * dimensions.y * scale.y / 1775;
	sf::Vector2f null_velocity( 0, 0 );
	std::vector<sf::Vector2f> ball_positions( BALL_COUNT ); // relatively to the table's center
	ball_positions[0] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 2 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius * 2 );
	ball_positions[1] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 4 * sqrt(3), ball_radius * 2 );
	ball_positions[2] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 3 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius );
	ball_positions[3] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 4 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius * 2 );
	ball_positions[4] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 4 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius * 4 );
	ball_positions[5] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 3 * sqrt(3), ball_radius * 3 );
	ball_positions[6] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 1 * sqrt(3), ball_radius );
	ball_positions[7] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 2 * sqrt(3), 0 );
	ball_positions[8] = sf::Vector2f( 0, 0 );
	ball_positions[9] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 3 * sqrt(3), ball_radius );
	ball_positions[10] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 4 * sqrt(3), ball_radius * 4 );
	ball_positions[11] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 1 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius );
	ball_positions[12] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 4 * sqrt(3), 0 );
	ball_positions[13] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 3 * sqrt(3), -ball_radius * 3 );
	ball_positions[14] = sf::Vector2f( ball_radius * 2 * sqrt(3), ball_radius * 2 );
	ball_positions[15] = sf::Vector2f( dimensions.x * (-.5), 0 );
	for (int i = 0; i < BALL_COUNT; ++i)
		balls.push_back( Ball( sf::Vector2f( ball_positions[i].x * scale.x / SCALE_X, ball_positions[i].y * scale.y
			/ SCALE_Y )	+ position + sf::Vector2f( dimensions.x / 4 * scale.x / SCALE_X, 0 ), ball_radius, ball_file, i ) );

	// graphical initialization
	sprite.setTexture( texture );
	sprite.setScale( scale );
	sprite.setPosition( position - sf::Vector2f( dimensions.x / 2, dimensions.y / 2 ) );

	//Cue setup
	cue.push_back( Cue( balls.back().position, cue_file ) );
}

Table::Table( const Table& table )
{
	this->position = table.position;
	this->dimensions = table.dimensions;
	this->corner_radius = table.corner_radius;
	this->middle_radius = table.middle_radius;
	this->pockets = table.pockets;
	this->borders = table.borders;
	this->balls = table.balls;
	this->cue = table.cue;
	this->texture = table.texture;
	this->sprite = table.sprite;
}

Table::~Table()	{}

int Table::BallsStopped() const
{
	int stop_flag = 1;
	sf::Vector2f null_vector( 0, 0 );
	for (int i = 0; i < balls.size(); ++i)
		if ( balls[i].velocity != null_vector )
			stop_flag = 0;

	return stop_flag;
}

void Table::SetCueBall( sf::RenderWindow& window, Score& score, int player_number )
{
	sf::Vector2f possible_position;
	float left_border = this->borders[11].x + balls.back().radius;
	float right_border = this->borders[4].x - balls.back().radius;
	float upper_border = this->borders[0].y + balls.back().radius;
	float lower_border = this->borders[9].y - balls.back().radius;

	while ( 1 )
	{
		while ( 1 )
    	{
	        // check all the window's events that were triggered since the last iteration of the loop
	        sf::Event event;
	        while ( window.pollEvent( event ) )
	        {
	            // close the window if closure was triggered
	            if ( event.type == sf::Event::Closed )
	            {
	                window.close();
		            return;
	            }
	        }
	        if ( !window.isOpen() )
    			return;

    		possible_position = sf::Vector2f( sf::Mouse::getPosition( window ) );

    		// check for out of table displacement
    		if ( possible_position.x < left_border )
    			possible_position.x = left_border;
    		if ( possible_position.x > right_border )
    			possible_position.x = right_border;
    		if ( possible_position.y < upper_border )
    			possible_position.y = upper_border;
    		if ( possible_position.y > lower_border )
    			possible_position.y = lower_border;

    		// check for in-pocket placement
    		for (int i = 0; i < pockets.size(); ++i)
    			if ( ( i != 1 ) && ( i != 4 ) && ( getInterval( possible_position,
    				pockets[i] ) < corner_radius * IN_POCKET ) )
   				possible_position = pockets[i] + ( possible_position - pockets[i] ) * IN_POCKET;

    		// check for other balls on the same place
    		for (int i = 0; i < balls.size() - 1; ++i)
    			if ( getInterval( possible_position, balls[i].position ) < balls.back().radius * 2.0f )
    				possible_position = sf::Vector2f( -1, -1 ) * balls.back().radius;
    		balls.back().position = possible_position;

    		// table display
	        window.clear( sf::Color( 0, 100, 0, 0 ) );
	        this->Draw( window );
	        score.Draw( window, player_number );
	        window.display();

			if ( sf::Mouse::isButtonPressed( sf::Mouse::Left ) )
    			break;
    	}

    	if ( balls.back().position == sf::Vector2f( -1 , -1 ) * balls.back().radius )
    	{
    		while ( 1 )
	    	{
	    		sf::Event event;
		        while ( window.pollEvent( event ) )
		        {
		            // close the window if closure was triggered
		            if ( event.type == sf::Event::Closed )
		            {
		                window.close();
			            return;
		            }
		        }
	    		if ( !sf::Mouse::isButtonPressed( sf::Mouse::Left ) )
	    			break;
	    		if ( !window.isOpen() )
	    			return;
	    	}
	    }

	    if ( sf::Mouse::isButtonPressed( sf::Mouse::Left ) )
    			break;
    		if ( !window.isOpen() )
    			return;
	}
}

void Table::SetHit( sf::RenderWindow& window, Score& score, int player_number )
{
    sf::Vector2f hit_velocity( 0, 0 );

    if ( balls.back().position == sf::Vector2f( -1, -1 ) * balls.back().radius )
		this->SetCueBall( window, score, player_number );

    // hit setup
    while ( 1 )
    {
		sf::Event event;
        while ( window.pollEvent( event ) )
        {
            // close the window if closure was triggered
            if ( event.type == sf::Event::Closed )
            {
                window.close();
	            return;
            }
        }
        if ( !window.isOpen() )
			return;
		if ( sf::Mouse::isButtonPressed( sf::Mouse::Left ) )
			break;
		// table display
        window.clear( sf::Color( 0, 100, 0, 0 ) );
        this->Draw( window );
        score.Draw( window, player_number );
        window.display();
    }
    cue[0].position = balls.back().position;
    hit_velocity = cue[0].SetHit( window, *this, score, player_number );
    balls.back().velocity = hit_velocity;
}

void Table::Draw( sf::RenderWindow& window )
{
	sprite.setTexture( texture );
    window.draw( sprite );
    for (int i = 0; i < balls.size(); ++i)
		balls[i].Draw( window );
	cue[0].Draw( window, balls.back().radius );
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub