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Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden
Psychology, Medicine, Science, Politics, Oppression, Integrity, Philosophy, Jews -- For those who like their news and truths frank and sharp
What chances will racists in the new Israeli government still get?
We must watch them like hawks during any Iran strike and aftershocks
Two days ago, I blogged about how the wings of the bigots in the new government will be clipped by Israel's democracy and opposition.
A great role is reserved for the Israeli High Court. Not that I pity them. They are, more than anyone, responsible more than anyone for allowing these anti-democrats to stand in national elections. They should be suspected of having allowed this scandal just to give themselves a prominent role to play to come out the heroes. The alternative of plain stupidity or bigotry is no option for me.
In any case, certainly, they must be stopped actively. We know that when antisemites say we'll hurt the Jews, that's exactly what they'll try. So, Bibi saying it won't happen is no reassurance. He said too he won't be convicted, and look how much legal trouble he's got for years already. He also said to oppose Disengagement from Gaza, but only left his minitrial post 'in protest' when the withdrawal already was secured.
Expert opinion has it that soon, the US and Israel must bomb Iran's military nuclear ambition to smithereens. This will be the time our old enemies in Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon will attack more Israeli civil targets since war crime charges mean nothing to them—like to Putin. It will be like war here. And under fire, we tend to unite.
I'd prefer a public uprising in Iran that topples the tyrants. Let's hope/pray for the best but prepare for the worst.
When Iran and its proxies attack Israel (They will scream 'genocide' as if they're the innocent victim), that's the moment to watch these bigots in our government.
A second ploy may go as follows.
Some ministers might distract us with a lot of anti-democratic, high-profile noise to rile up almost everyone, like against Muslims, LGBTQ, the non-Orthodox Jewish streams, for reforms of the IDF, police, and justice system, and changes in the West Bank status, the Law of Return, etc.
Yet meanwhile, while everybody is upset by these nightmares and resistance emerges, the squad might push through reforms while we don't pay attention, like turning back the clock on less dramatic things like liberating the cellular phone market, breaking the Rabbinate's monopoly on Kashrut, monopolizing the Western Wall, ramping up dog taxes, sowing widespread discord and disunity, etc.
Another trick is what Chamas often tried: shooting so many rockets at the same time in the hope that at least some will hit targets.
War and other distractions could create their opportunity to mess up our Israel democracy and equality for years to come.
It's like crossing the street. It is not dangerous on condition that you pay enough attention.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, an almost daily blog contributor to the Times of Israel, and previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. He doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit about what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and education contribute to his visions. * If you don't know the Dutch, get an American peek behind the scenes here: https://youtu.be/QMPp6h6r72M * To find less-recent posts on subject XXX among his over 1600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. Yet, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people who don't deserve that. He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust, and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * His most influential teachers (chronologically) are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. * One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. He loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, anti-elitism, anti-bigotry and supremacy, for Zionism, Intersectionality, and non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, empowering therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids non-violently. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's being a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. He lives with his library in Jerusalem. Feel free to contact him. * His writing has been made possible by a (second-generation) Holocaust survivors' allowance from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
Democracy in Israel
Elections and judicial reform: Voting for a policy or the party?
Power Corrupts and Religious Power Faithfully Corrupts – Part 1


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Saving lives in remote areas
Created: Thursday, 05 January 2012 15:42
The first mobile safety laboratory to operate under Biosafety Level 3 has been in use in South Africa since May 2011
A development of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering in St. Ingbert, this special truck is used for testing and advising patients with AIDS and tuberculosis. The mobile laboratory can save patients' lives in remote areas because it cuts the waiting time between diagnosis and the start of treatment to just one day.
Three decades ago, in June 1981, two doctors, Michael Gottlieb and Wayne Sandera of the University of California in Los Angeles, US, described the very first AIDS cases – and yet they had no idea that this newly described disease was caused by a virus and how this virus would spread and the impact it would have. According to estimates by UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), at the end of 2010, 34mn people in the world were living with HIV; some 5.6mn of these live in South Africa, making it the country with the fastest rate of spreading.
Given this fact, a mobile lab may seem like a drop in the ocean, but in fact it is closing a wide gap in patient care. In Africa, the distances are often very far and arduous and the poverty so severe that people quite simply cannot afford to miss two days' of work to take an HIV test. Up until now, ordinarily a patient would have a blood sample taken at the nearest hospital. From there, the sample would be transported to a central laboratory. To obtain the results - some 14 days later – the patient would then have to return to the hospital.
"For many people, this is nearly impossible to accomplish organisationally," said Professor Hagen von Briesen, research director for the Mobile-Lab project. "It also costs people valuable time during which treatment could have begun. An increasing viral load means that the need for action is acute."
The team at IBMT spent five years developing the AIDS truck. Working with a company for special vehicle design, the approval was obtained for this safety laboratory on wheels, which was finally brought to South Africa's West Cape region.
The samples are tested in the rear section of the mobile lab, so the vehicle had to satisfy the requirements for Biosafety Level S3. Anyone wishing to access the testing area must first pass through an isolation sluice. Here, air intake and exhaust passes through filters to protect staff, patients and the environment.
The team has also provided a way to grow cell cultures if need be – a process that can take up to three weeks. The vessels filled with fluid are placed in a device attached to the ceiling of the mobile lab. This keeps the vessels in a horizontal position even when the lab is cornering and climbing, braking or moving off. The lab has even been fitted with an autoclave that can sterilise objects using a self-contained water-circulation system.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


1996 chevy blazer wiring diagram Court records show sery got a quotborderline do hirequot recommendation on his psychological test and worked for the 125 member billings department from november 1996 to mid january each drew diagrams On a chevy 350 number 1 is on the left or drivers side in the usa furthest forward cylinder. And you dont put the plug wire anywhere on the cap. You must bring number 1 cylinder up to top dead.
It's possible to get or download caterpillar-wiring diagram from several websites. If you take a close look at the diagram you will observe the circuit includes the battery, relay, temperature sensor, wire, and a control, normally the engine control module. With an extensive collection of electronic symbols and components, it's been used among the most completed, easy and useful wiring diagram drawing program. 1996 Chevy Blazer Wiring Diagram. The wiring diagram on the opposite hand is particularly beneficial to an outside electrician. Sometimes wiring diagram may also refer to the architectural wiring program. The simplest approach to read a home wiring diagram is to begin at the source, or the major power supply. Basically, the home wiring diagram is simply utilized to reveal the DIYer where the wires are.
In a parallel circuit, each unit is directly linked to the power supply, so each system gets the exact voltage. There are 3 basic sorts of standard light switches. The circuit needs to be checked with a volt tester whatsoever points. 1996 Chevy Blazer Wiring Diagram. Each circuit displays a distinctive voltage condition. You are able to easily step up the voltage to the necessary level utilizing an inexpensive buck-boost transformer and steer clear of such issues. The voltage is the sum of electrical power produced by the battery. Be sure that the new fuse isn't blown, and carries the very same amperage.
The control box may have over three terminals. After you have the correct size box and have fed the cable to it, you're almost prepared to permit the wiring begin. Then there's also a fuse box that's for the body controls that is situated under the dash. 1996 Chevy Blazer Wiring Diagram. You will find that every circuit has to have a load and every load has to have a power side and a ground side. Make certain that the transformer nameplate power is enough to supply the load that you're connecting.
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Blacus soror är en stekelart som beskrevs av Van Achterberg 1988. Blacus soror ingår i släktet Blacus och familjen bracksteklar. Inga underarter finns listade.

Källor

Bracksteklar
soror

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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President of Uganda starts six-day trek through the jungle
Today, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has embarked on a six-day trek through the jungle. The 75-year-old president follows the route he traveled more than 30 years ago with his guerrilla movement, which enabled him to seize power.
The guerrilla movement of Museveni put an end to the bloody regime of President Milton Obote and his predecessor Idi Amin in 1986. Since then, Museveni has continuously held power in Uganda.
With its 195-kilometer march, Museveni wants to evoke memories of the action that the guerrillas took. He travels from Galamba, north of the capital Kampala, to western Birembo. A decisive battle against the army of Obote was fought in the latter city at the time.
The spokesperson of the president is, therefore, talking about "a journey into the past, to appreciate the present".
However, Ugandan politician and musician Bobi Wine, who wants to take on Museveni in the 2021 presidential election, dismisses the action as an election stunt.
"Instead of spending taxpayers' money on trips like this, Museveni should realize that it's time to leave power," he says. "The farmers and everyone in Uganda want change."
Valumbe: the reverse side of the myth
Cakes containing drugs sold to students in Uganda
Western media criticize Idi Amin as "worst dictator in history" but is he really a dictator?
10 black women who married royalty
12 interesting facts about world population change
Rwanda-Uganda relations warming: will this time be the right one?
The tombs of Buganda kings in Uganda
Murchison falls facts
How the ancient Romans searched for the source of the Nile and how their expedition ended
The real Mowgli: kids living in the wilds with animals
Interesting facts about Uganda
From the fall of Obote to today's problems in Uganda


In order to evaluate peripheral endothelial function in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA), we measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery in patients with VSA and compared it with FMD in patients without VSA. Endothelial dysfunction is considered one of the mechanisms underlying VSA. However, its exact role remains to be clarified. The study included 30 patients with positive spasm-provocational test results without evidence of significant coronary stenosis (VSA group) and 30 patients with negative spasm-provocational test results without evidence of significant coronary stenosis (control group). In each patient, brachial artery diameter responses to hyperemic flow and glyceryl trinitrate spray were measured using high-resolution ultrasound. The carotid intima-media thickness was also measured as a marker of systemic atherosclerosis. FMD was lower in the VSA group (4.8±0.5%) compared with the control group (9.4±0.7%, P < 0.0001). In the VSA group, FMD was not affected by coronary risk factors or the presence of atherosclerotic changes on coronary angiography. Glyceryl trinitrate-induced dilation did not differ between the two groups. The intima-media thickness was comparable between the VSA (0.85±0.04mm) and control groups (0.81±0.05mm). These findings indicated that peripheral endothelial function is impaired only in the VSA group, whereas the atherosclerotic changes were similar in the two groups. We conclude that endothelial dysfunction may be an independent factor responsible for the development of VSA.


You are here: Home / How to Choose a Mover?
Knowing how to choose a mover is important; it's simple too, when you know what to look out for. The first step should be to list all the questions that you may have for the company. While you may have some specific questions to ask, there are some standard questions that will give you much of the information that you require. The most important thing is not the price, but instead it is whether the mover is insured or not and whether he will do the job properly. You want your belongings to arrive intact and on time. Hiring the cheapest mover possible could mean having to compromise on these two incredibly important aspects of moving.
You will want to satisfy yourself that the mover is legitimate. Warning signs could be when movers request large upfront deposits or when they don't provide adequate contact details on their websites or answering the phones. Sad as it is, there are fly-by-nights who are out to make a quick buck. Rather spend the extra by hiring a reliable mover. Ask them how long they are in the business and who their high profile customers are.
Pricing is certainly an important factor and you should be clear about this including terms and conditions. Always request for a detailed, after onsite survey, quote that includes moving all your goods and any other related services that you might require. Some companies may work on an estimate. Try, if possible to get a fixed figure so that there are no nasty surprises at the end of the move. Be clear about any hidden moving charges such as storage, preparing certain appliances, dismantling beds and furniture, insurance, packing materials, packing fees and the like. Get the consultant to itemise all of these charges and to add the after GST price too. Some companies charge for traveling time to and from your premises as well. These costs can become quite extensive when added up, so be sure that you get the full breakdown.
Many companies will cater to your specific needs and charge you for this. You need to determine precisely what moving services you want and then get the quote for this. The key is to make the move as quick and painless as possible by gleaning as much information as you can about the services on offer.
You are the customer, so take charge of the conversation. If the consultant is unwilling to give this information, hang up and phone another company. There are many reliable companies just waiting for your business. Book your mover at least a month or two before the move is to take place. This will give you time to pack all your belongings without any undue pressure.
Some movers will collect the items from inside your home, while others will request that you have everything placed outside ready to be loaded onto the vehicle. If they want the items packed and outside, you might need to get some help with this.
Finally, it is best to work with companies with properly trained staff because casual workers are less likely to care about your goods and belongings.


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Published by UntamedS on January 13, 2021
Although in the minds of most people on the planet, the Southern Star was almost the same as the Ministry of War. But in fact, the planet also had many other highly organized institutions that were responsible for handling the peripheral affairs of the military and related organizations.
For example, there was a special agency on Southern Star that kept track of current events, especially those related to the military.
As a "sensitive person" being monitored, Duan Hengxing's participation in this program was followed up by a special staff on Southern Star. Although it was already speculated that Duan Hengxing would in all probability cause a little trouble in the show. But after Qin'er heard him say to the media cameras, "Duan Hengye and Meng Jinhuai's relationship is actually not good", the staff couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
This time Duan Hengxing's matter involved Marshal Meng Jinhuai, so in just a few seconds, the Lord Marshal's light computer received a video clip sent by a special staff. Under normal circumstances, the repudiation of rumors could be left to the discretion of the staff, who made specific arrangements. But today's "rumor" was Meng Jinhuai related, the staff struggled for a while, but still sent this very embarrassing news to Meng Jinhuai.
The staff didn't expect that the marshal side didn't take long to contact them, and the specific person responsible for this matter was …… Duan Hengye's personal assistant?
Duan Hengye himself didn't know, when he was meeting with the head of the Institute of Mental Energy at An Luo University, his own assistant was also busy on the starship.
Whether it was the original owner or Duan Hengye, they were both used to being on their own. This assistant was sent by the Southern Star after Duan Hengye married Meng Jinhuai. The actual fact was, he didn't know anything about mechas.
In the early days, an assistant's job was to observe and monitor the undercover agent from close range, and now …… he was mainly responsible for handling daily affairs for Duan Hengye, as well as communicating with the military.
In any case, before suddenly receiving news from the marshal today, Mr. Assistant had never tried taking care of rumors before.
Duan Hengye had asked his assistant not to follow him at all times, so in that banquet, the assistant didn't always stay by Duan Hengye's side, but observed the scene around him from afar ……
A few months ago….
A black-clad assistant stood in the corner of the banquet hall, holding his glass of wine and keeping a dutiful eye on Duan Hengye.
There were many people associated with the royal family coming to the banquet that day, and in order to monitor Duan Hengye's movements at all times, Duan Hengye's assistant carried a super miniature camera – which was supposed to be a forbidden item for the military banquet. But as the staff member responsible for monitoring the undercover agent, he was given special permission to bring the item in.
A moment later, Duan Hengxing appeared beside Duan Hengye. Although he had always known that Duan Hengye and Duan Hengxing didn't have a good relationship, the two were still blood brothers anyways. So when he appeared, Duan Hengye's assistant tensed up, and then he slowly took the super miniature camera out of his sleeve and gently threw it forward into the air.
This miniature camera was only the size of dust, because the size was too small, the general public and the media couldn't freely buy it.
The levitator floated into the air, and Duan Hengye's assistant also put down his glass, and he began to control the angle of the shooter by adjusting his cuff.
All in all,…… a few months ago, the assistant recording Duan Hengye and Duan Hengxing get along never thought he would have received such a special assignment sent specifically by the Lord Marshal.
As one of the few people who knew about Duan Hengye's identity, Mr. Assistant transformed himself into the sole executor of this disinformation campaign.
As a normally strict and serious core staff member of the military ministry, Duan Hengye's assistant felt that he had never completed such a humiliating task. While informing him of the disinformation campaign, Meng Jinhuai deliberately explained to him that he should pay attention to the reception.
Although the assistant usually didn't have extra time to hang out on Starnet, but as a native born and bred citizen of the interstellar era, he at least knew better than Duan Hengye what kind of a picture Starnet netizens really had.
While Professor Duan was meeting at the Institute, the assistant also opened his light computer. He uploaded the video taken for surveillance a few months ago, followed by a serious post written on the light computer.
But …… this copy although written quickly, looking at the content of his writing, Mr. Assistant couldn't help but feel it was unsatisfactory. Because he was used to writing reports, his style of writing was very serious, it didn't seem to match the star network.
In the starship's lounge, Duan Hengye's personal assistant showed a rare uncertain expression. After thinking carefully for a while, he finally stretched out his hand to the virtual keyboard, then with a serious face, he added the following characters at the end of each sentence.
"Oh" as well as "la".
Writing this, a sense of shame suddenly came …… Mr. Assistant didn't want to look at his own words again. Next, he quickly edited the end and attached the video, after which he used the permission of the military department to set the automatic deletion time, and then decisively turned off the light computer.
This video disinformation was indeed very effective, if just now there were still people confused by Duan Hengxing and the Lai Sheng Union news, then now the netizens began to unify the picture and condemned Duan Hengxing.
After all, the discerning eye could see that Duan Hengxing facing his brother was very impatient. The reason for all this was simply because Duan Hengye didn't fulfill his wishes.
Duan Hengye's prestige in the interstellar was already very high, especially now that he had created a new generation of mechas with his own hands. So when people saw Duan Hengxing treat his brother like this on the star network, his reputation, which was already close to zero, dropped directly to negative infinity.
At the same time, after returning home for a while, Duan Hengye also gradually reacted: no matter who the filmmaker of this video was, its final issuance was absolutely unrelated to the Southern Star.
The special mission of Duan Hengye to An Luo University was to discuss the mecha test flight with the Institute of Mental Energy, in addition to the routine classwork.
But fortunately, he had already compiled a new basic textbook a while ago, so the work could continue to be completed according to the original schedule for the time being.
Also because of the new mechas that had just been released, the mecha department in An Luo had been very excited lately.
Duan Hengye walked to the classroom at the scheduled time, but before he could come out of the lounge, he heard the noise of the students coming from not far away. As a rule, the students of An Luo met Duan Hengye every other day. For a period of time, everyone had already had the "experience" beyond this age group.
But today, until the official start of class, all of them still gathered together, chattering about the new mecha-related topics.
As a long-established interstellar university, there were many teachers in An Luo who were very concerned about the state of their students before class. However, Duan Hengye didn't have any preoccupation with this, and when the time came, Duan Hengye walked to the center of the classroom like he always did.
The moment Professor Duan appeared in the classroom with a normal heart, a burst of applause suddenly broke out inside the classroom. By the way, the applause was also mixed with some screams …… There were thousands of people sitting in this circular classroom belonging to the Mecha Department, and when these students screamed at the same time, the sound pressure was far louder than Duan Hoengye had imagined.
As soon as he entered the classroom and heard such a sound, Duan Hengye couldn't help but take a step backward slightly …… The huge circular classroom plus the cheering and applause, Duan Hengye suddenly felt like he was in a concert.
Some time ago, during the brief war with Lai Sheng, Duan Hengye had made a special speech in the classroom, since that day, the distance between him and the students shortened.
If it was before, the students would definitely hold back their excitement and finish the class with fake calmness when they encountered such a thing. But after that incident, Duan Hengye was no longer simply an "idol" and "professor" in their hearts, but had a vague feeling of "big brother".
Therefore, after seeing the basic information of the new mecha, the students of the mecha department were no longer reserved but began to clap ……
Duan Hengye's face wasn't very thick, when the students began to clap, his expression showed a bit of helplessness. But then Professor Duan reached out his hand and made a "quiet" gesture towards everyone.
The atmosphere inside the classroom was too lively, and it took a long time before they finally quieted down. After the excitement had passed, everyone looked at the center of the classroom with a nervous face – just now, with so much commotion, Professor Duan wouldn't be angry, right?
As they quieted down, Duan Hengye, who was standing in the center of the classroom, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. No matter how well he mastered the knowledge of mecha, Duan Hengye was still a novice when it came to being a teacher. If the students hadn't stopped just now, he really wouldn't have known how to do a good job.
Duan Hengye knew that as a student of mecha, everyone sitting in this classroom was eager to learn about the mecha that had just been registered. One more glance at the bright eyes of the students sitting below ……
Duan Hengye saw everyone's expressions, then he went to the side of his light computer
After seeing Duan Hengyei's action, the people inside the classroom all held their breath. Then, under the eyes of thousands of people, Professor Duan opened the model on the registration website, a few seconds later, a silver mech appeared in the center of the classroom.
After seeing it, suppressed exclamations rang out instantly.
The ceiling of this circular classroom was very high, and after the mecha model appeared, there was still a large piece of spare space above the head. At this time, Duan Hengye couldn't help but look up at it – to say the least, this was the first time Professor Duan himself had seen a mecha of this size.
After the exclamations stopped the students held their breath as they began to seriously observe the mecha in front of them. After seeing everyone's seriousness, Duan Hengye did not want to disturb them for the time being, he thought about it and said, "I believe that everyone has already read the basic information of this mecha on the Internet, now if you have any questions about the basic information of the mecha, you can ask me directly."
As soon as Duan Hengye's voice fell, the message alert light on the light computer instantly lit up. Seeing this, Duan Hengye turned sideways and glanced over, then Professor Duan, who had only wanted to simply pick a few answers, saw that …… almost the entire classroom was lit up with questioning lights.
In fact, when clicking on the question, the students had already noticed the actions of the students around them. So after seeing Duan Hengye look at the light computer, as well as his slightly surprised expression, the classroom was once again buzzing with activity. Seeing this, Duan Hengye no longer looked carefully, he directly pointed to a student closer to him and began to answer her questions.
This group of young people who were studying in college had a rich imagination, and the questions they asked were all kinds of questions. They were both highly specialized and needed to do simulation experiments on the light screen. There were also some slightly gossipy attributes, for example, today the most asked question was actually – what is the name of the mecha.
To be honest, Duan Hengye hadn't really thought about this question. But after seeing everyone's expectant gaze, a familiar name suddenly popped up in Duan Hengye's head.
"It's called …… Nan Zhu." Duan Hengye finally replied.
[tn: Nan Zhu is Southern Star]
In fact, the reason why Duan Hengye thought of this name was just because he often heard it. But what he didn't expect was that right after he answered this question, everyone showed a meaningful expression.
…… What's going on here?
In between the questions and answers, the class had already passed halfway through. And just when everyone was in the most relaxed mood, the accident suddenly happened.
Duan Hengye started answering the questions of the students in the right-hand row, so he unconsciously moved his position to the right a little. At this time, Duan Hengye's line of sight stopped at the higher position of the classroom, and the rows below his eyes became his visual blind spot.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, ten meters away from Duan Hengye, suddenly a student wearing a black sweater flipped over the first row of lab tables, and then ran in the direction of Duan Hengye. After seeing his action, the students sitting around couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.
Duan Hengye, who incidentally sensed the abnormality, also immediately cast his eyes over.
That student had come prepared!
Just as he was running towards Duan Hengye, a dark green light suddenly flashed in his hand. Then the light suddenly became longer, the student didn't raise his hand, because of the angle, the dark green beam of light stayed towards the silver floor, and immediately burned a long mark on the ground.
This was a laser weapon! Duan Hengye immediately reacted to the fact that a student had brought a prohibited weapon to An Luo.
The instinct of practicing ancient martial arts for years made Duan Hengye dodge to the side immediately, at the same time, several more people with laser weapons suddenly appeared in the classroom.
Seeing this, the dodging Duan Hengye could not help but curse in his heart. He didn't expect that he, the "big undercover spy", would encounter such a group of "small undercover spies" in An Luo.
In "Dumping Interstellar", it was mentioned that there were people from other countries who created false identities and then infiltrated the Imperial military department. Although that chapter wasn't important and didn't have much impact on the interstellar situation, if this incident was mentioned, it wasn't unusual for similar things to happen in the An Luo Mecha Department.
The new mecha model had been registered, but it hadn't been put into physical production yet, and only one person in the entire interstellar world could open its detailed data. It was conceivable that if the new mecha was put into mass production, then the Ye Tian Empire would have an overwhelming advantage in the next war.
Choosing to kill him before the mass production of the mechas was indeed a good method. Even though the military ministry had strengthened the security around Duan Hengye after the Tize Star incident, those soldiers would not appear in the classroom during class. When he thought about it, this was indeed the best time to attack him ……
Duan Hengye pursed his lips, for the first time he felt chagrin for his carelessness.
The current Duan Hengye knew very well that from the day he designed the new mecha successfully, his life no longer belonged to just himself, but the entire empire.
The students' skills were very ordinary compared to Duan Hengye's, but they were better because there were many of them and they had no worries.
Although Duan Hengye was still unclear whether they were in this class from the beginning, or when they were mixed in. But from the actions of these people, they didn't care about the students around them. Just as several people turned up the attack range of their laser weapons and began to surround Duan Hengye in a net-like structure, many students in the front row of the classroom were also mistakenly injured.
The sudden situation in the classroom was instantly transmitted to the outside, and after noticing the abnormality, Duan Hengye's assistant and several military staff guarding the entrance looked at each other quickly, and then together they forced open the classroom door from the outside and rushed in.
At the same time, the students in the back row also opened the emergency exit and ran out. The two groups went in opposite directions, and the speed of the military staff entering the door was much slower as a result.
In the midst of this chaos, the assistant quickly opened his light computer, then instructed them: "Contact the Southern Star's Marshal Office, emergency! Turn on the emergency communication mode!"
Although Duan Hengye was unarmed, it wasn't difficult for him to deal with these spies with his hands, or find a chance to open the passage in the middle of the classroom to go back to the lounge. But those few students seemed to have figured out Duan Hengye's personality, and just as a few people continued to wrangle with him, blocking the lounge passage in the process. Someone else used a laser weapon to stop the students in the front row who hadn't escaped.
Duan Hengye didn't consider himself a "holy father", but as an ordinary person with a conscience, he couldn't make the choice of asking his students to sacrifice themselves..
"Professor Duan!" One of the people who stopped the students shouted loudly at Duan Hengye, and then he said to Duan Hengye while breathing heavily, "Professor Duan, we don't want to make things difficult for you."
After hearing his words, several people in the center of the classroom stopped moving at the same time, and they formed a circle around Duan Hengye.
Duan Hengye came to class today wearing a long gray trench coat, and at this moment, the hem of the ankle-length trench coat was also cut into a few pieces because it had been cut by the laser weapon. If this outfit were worn by someone else, it would definitely create the illusion of having just returned from a refugee. But who asked the person wearing it at this time to be Duan Hengye, the clothes didn't make him look wretched, but also produced a messy beauty.
There were more than twenty students held hostage by the laser weapons, and at this point several of them started crying.
"What is your purpose?" Duan Hengye asked coldly.
"Professor Duan we know that if we accidentally hurt you, then there will definitely be big trouble arising. So please rest assured that what we want to target today is not you personally." That person said.
Absolutely …… Duan Hengye couldn't help but inwardly curse him, they acted to this point, yet actually still made it look like they respected him.
"What do you want?" Duan Hengye still hit the nail on the head.
Seeing that Duan Hengye wasn't going to partake in the false pleasantries, the student simply didn't say more, he looked at the "hostages", and then said to Duan Hengye: "Destroy the mecha data." Then he added, "I know you have a backup, just follow the steps I said to delete it, and it'll be fine."
Upon hearing this, Duan Hengye reached out and smoothened his collar, then suddenly smiled coldly towards him, "Just fine? Should I thank you by the way?" The students of An Luo had never seen Duan Hengye smile before, let alone such a cold smile.
In their eyes, at this moment, Professor Duan was like a demon coming out of hell, with a dangerous aura all over.
Just as the classroom confrontation was heating up, the Southern Star officers also ran towards the classroom. After seeing them, those holding laser weapons immediately tensed up, while at the same time Duan Hengye slowly stretched out his hand, signaling them to stand still and not move.
"…… I'm going to delete the data." Duan Hengye said indifferently.
After hearing Duan Hengye's words, the military staff not far away immediately showed a look of extreme surprise. They had interacted with Duan Hengye for a period of time, and considered themselves to have some understanding of Professor Duan. In the impression of these people, Duan Hengye usually did nothing but work, and with such work condensed into the mecha data, how could he so easily say that he'd delete it?
Upon hearing this, the person who just spoke with Duan Hengye glanced at one of his accomplices, then that person pointed his laser weapon on his chest and slowly walked towards Duan Hengye.
"Duan Hengye, don't play tricks." After saying that, he then took out a special metal handcuff, that handcuff was used on the elbows.
Duan Hengye's body was extremely good, this matter was known to the whole interstellar people. In order to avoid Duan Hengye's "tricks", they deliberately found a pair of such handcuffs. After wearing it, Duan Hengye's hand could move, but it was almost limited to inputting information on the light computer.
Unlike the students who were tensely looking at Duan Hengye's arms, Duan Hengye himself had a very calm expression, just like a bystander at an event.
"Is it done?" He glanced at his arm, then asked coldly.
"Good …… it's done." Obviously he was the one who was holding the weapon, but after being looked at by Duan Hengye like this, he felt stunned. He took Duan Hengye to the side of the light computer, and then the person who had been talking began to direct Duan Hengye to delete the data.
The person in front of him was after all a high achiever in the An Luo mecha department, and he knew a lot about how to cleanly delete data. Duan Hengye found that if he really followed the other party's instructions step by step, his own backups would indeed be deleted as he said.
Sure enough, he came prepared ……
"Professor Duan!" The assistant who had been standing at a distance finally couldn't help but call out to him, but Duan Hengye didn't pay any attention to the other party.
The light computer activated, the silver-white light emitted by the data constantly refreshed and illuminated half of Duan Hengye's body. At this time, no matter the students holding hostages, or the staff of the military department, they were all nervous to the extreme. But strangely enough, Duan Hengye, who was surrounded by many laser weapons at the same time, remained calm, as if it did not concern him.
His hands were bound near the virtual keyboard, and at the moment when Duan Hengye's fingers were about to enter the first character ……
The hostage who was close to Duan Hengye suddenly saw that the person in front of him "fly" in an instant. Duan Hengye kicked the light computer away, and the light computer that he kicked away coincidentally hit a laser weapon that was hanging next to the hostage.
They didn't know who let out a scream, the sound instantly penetrated the eardrums of everyone at the scene, and reverberated in the classroom.
Duan Hengye wasn't affected by the scream, he stepped on the shoulders of the people in front of him and continued to kick forward. Although Duan Hengye's hands had been firmly bound, his body's balance wasn't reduced at all.
"Flying" in mid-air, Duan Hengye actually hooked a laser weapon with his legs, then his body in mid-air deftly turned and accurately hit the spies.
Duan Hengye's movements were very sharp, the way he rose up in the air was a kind of defiance of the laws of physics. Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but recall the Tize Star incident once again, and then came to a common conclusion – perhaps Duan Hengye still hid some of his strength that day ……
After a few seconds, Duan Hengye's eyes moved to the side. The military personnel standing not far away finally recovered from their shock and pulled out their weapons and ran over.
At the same time …… Duan Hengye's assistant picked up his light computer again, and he murmured softly, "Well …… the trouble has been solved."
And it was solved by Professor Duan himself …… Mr. Assistant silently added in his heart.
After putting down the light computer, the assistant stood at a distance and stared blankly at the figure of Duan Hengye. Only after a while did he finally mutter to himself, "…… completely."
Categories:	Marshal's Cannon Fodder Spouse
Killgore	· January 13, 2021 at 12:49 am
Of course it is solved! Lmao
Sad the Marshal couldn't play hero Rescues the beauty
kayrahiss	· January 13, 2021 at 1:49 am
I think after the incident the witnesses will set up a new religious cult directly worshipping Duan Hengye as a deity 🙂
Thank you for the chapter <3
Blood	· January 13, 2021 at 2:48 am
Thanks for the chapter! ^^)❤
Marshal's Cannon Fodder Spouse
TN: Hiya, this novel finallly has a release schedule, which is Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Happy New Year 🎇🎆🎇✨🎉🎊🎊 Despite being a playboy who had been hovering outside the core power circle of the royal family, but as Read more…
Although it said "mecha basic data", but the star network still listed several screens of characters. As the mecha researcher, Duan Hengye's name was buried in the last line of the basic information column. Immediately Read more…
TN: Thanks for the kofi and message lesbien 💛 Ever since Duan Hengye put the information of the mech into the super light computer of the research institute, the light computer was overloaded with Read more…
← C54


Anglo/American, leading salad packing company relies on Maverick Automation twin tray denester to drive one of their packing lines. Following the purchase for their salad packing plant, three months later our customer is now dependant on this machine to drive constant pace to the production line. "As with all our labour saving equipment; the key to good design is always simplicity." Steve Holden MD. as we recognise that technically skilled people are in a minority in many production facilities, the equipment installed needs to be reliable, of solid construction and simple to operate and adjust. Maverick Automation machinery is all of these, wherever practical the human element of set up and adjusting is replaced with automated setting; sometimes automatic as with our acetate denesting equipment. Depending on the point of view, whether you are an Accountant or an Engineer; I am the latter. The secondary factor of a machine is the price. Even though our machines are individually designed to suit the requirement, utilising our preferred suppliers such as Omron, SMC, SEW etc. The price is still very competitive. As an overview to the above piece of machinery. Standing at the end of a conveyor placing trays into each empty pitch all day would drive me crazy, surely after 20 minutes your mind would start to wander and the stifled yawns would take effect. The tray denester will happily do this all day long, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The cost still equates to payback on investment in a year, if running dual shifts in six months. If you are interested by these figures please get in touch, we can run a trial on your trays free of charge and you are welcome to come and see for yourself the quality of our work. If not, we can send a video of your trays running on our test machine.


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text:
#include <aws/iam/model/DeleteVirtualMFADeviceRequest.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/StringUtils.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/memory/stl/AWSStringStream.h>

using namespace Aws::IAM::Model;
using namespace Aws::Utils;

DeleteVirtualMFADeviceRequest::DeleteVirtualMFADeviceRequest() :
    m_serialNumberHasBeenSet(false)
{
}

Aws::String DeleteVirtualMFADeviceRequest::SerializePayload() const
{
  Aws::StringStream ss;
  ss << "Action=DeleteVirtualMFADevice&";
  if(m_serialNumberHasBeenSet)
  {
    ss << "SerialNumber=" << StringUtils::URLEncode(m_serialNumber.c_str()) << "&";
  }

  ss << "Version=2010-05-08";
  return ss.str();
}

void  DeleteVirtualMFADeviceRequest::DumpBodyToUrl(Aws::Http::URI& uri ) const
{
  uri.SetQueryString(SerializePayload());
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


You have received the office from me myself to administer it.
The right to teach. Holy office.
A holy office is given to you – to teach men in my place, who willingly listen to you. This office has to be taken seriously, and because of that you cannot be reproached, so you seek to supply my teaching, which comes from above as purest truth, to fellowmen and you face them certainly as opponents, but not in a hostile sense, but as my representatives you seek to bring peace to them, the pure teaching of Christ, which must be heard by those men, if they want to be happy. You therefore just carry out my will, so you seek to spread truth, even so it brings hostility to you, even so you are rejected and my teaching is mocked. First you are to fulfil my will, before the will of men is taken into account, particularly so the will of men is opposed to mine. When men are now in the position of hostility, you can accomplish little. Nevertheless every attempt is blessed by me, as it stimulates the opponent to think and can lead to a success after a certain time. This office is given to you, and I know about every possibility of success for you. I lead you ways, which indeed might appear unsuccessful to you, nevertheless you are to let yourselves be directed without reluctance, because often only one individual soul sees a light flash through you, which breaks through its state of darkness, and this soul is thankful for it for ever. You have received the office from me myself to administer it, and because of that, you are first entitled to the right, to teach as my representatives on earth. But who has acquired a teaching office for himself, without being appointed by me, he is not allowed to dispute your right, because he possesses not a part of that knowledge, which is imparted to you from above, and because of that he is also not really suitable for the teaching office; he will be able to give nothing, because he possesses nothing himself. And with the degree of knowledge you can check the ability of every individual for the teaching office and already from this it follows that, who wants to teach, must be taught by me myself. It follows from this that such an office cannot be awarded by men, but that I alone decide, who is suitable for such an office. Because of that do not be deterred, so you are attacked and your spiritual activity is to be stopped. I protect my servants and help them, and on whose side my help is, he will also feel this and be neither timid nor disheartened. He will feel it, that it finds my approval, so he takes action against the ignorant and error spreading teachers of men. No reply will make him incapable for his office, because he knows that those are not only his opponents, but also my opponents, and so he also knows, that I stand on the side of those, who support me and my teaching, who I instruct myself from above and who I train for an office, which I myself have given to them, because I recognized their will from eternity. Amen. B.D. NR. 4855.


Daniel Perry is an Israeli sound designer, music composer and audio implementer with a focus on sound and music for Virtual Reality projects. Currently the Audio Director and Emperor of Soundwaves at Owlchemy Labs, he's worked on several multi-platform VR titles including the award-winning "Job Simulator" , Emmy Award-nominated "Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality", and the upcoming "Vacation Simulator". Previously, Daniel has produced numerous artists and multimedia projects in Boston and LA, and was a member of the Berklee faculty, where he taught electronic production, theory, and ensembles.


text:
All of UOBREPCommunitiesTitleAuthorsIssue DateSubmit DateSubjectsPublisherJournalDepartment
University of Bedfordshire Repository: Recent submissions
Autistic adults' experiences of camouflaging and its perceived impact on mental health
Bradley, Louise; Shaw, Rebecca; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Cassidy, Sarah (Mary Ann Liebert Inc., 2021-06-03)
Many autistic adults report that they need to camouflage their autistic behaviors to help them "fit in"and cope in social situations with non-autistic people. This is because society is not as aware and accepting of autistic people as it needs to be. We also know that for most autistic adults camouflaging is exhausting and damaging for their mental health. This study is important, because researchers have not studied camouflaging enough to know what it is like for autistic adults to camouflage in their everyday lives and to understand the impact that camouflaging has on their mental health. We wanted to ask autistic adults about their positive and negative experiences of camouflaging. This is important because it will help professionals better understand why autistic adults camouflage, and better support the mental health needs of autistic adults. This increased understanding may also help society become more aware and accepting of autism. If this happens, autistic adults will not need to camouflage as much. Not having to camouflage as much could also help prevent and reduce mental health problems in autistic adults. We asked autistic adults with a clinical diagnosis and those who self-identify as autistic to complete an online survey. The survey asked questions about mental health, self-injury, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behaviors. One part of the survey asked questions about camouflaging. If research participants said they camouflaged or masked their autistic characteristics to cope with social situations, they would then be asked about when and why they camouflage, and about the positive and negative consequences of camouflaging. We found that autistic people confirmed that they camouflage because of a lack of awareness and acceptance of autism in society. We also found that both autistic males and females camouflage. Although some autistic adults said that "everyone"camouflages, they thought that autistic people spent much more time than non-autistic people camouflaging in their everyday lives. Spending lots of time camouflaging was what was most damaging for autistic adults' mental health. Although most autistic adults thought that camouflaging was damaging to their mental health, some thought that it helped them too. Our results suggest that it is important to reduce pressure to camouflage. This could help prevent high rates of mental health problems in autistic people. Our results suggest that this can be achieved if wider society becomes more aware and accepting of autistic people. Our results also suggest that reducing pressure to camouflage could benefit everyone in society.
StaResGRU-CNN with CMedLMs: a stacked residual GRU-CNN with pre-trained biomedical language models for predictive intelligence
Ni, Pin; Li, Gangmin; Hung, Patrick C.K.; Chang, Victor; University College London; University of Bedfordshire; Ontario Tech University; Teesside University (Elsevier Ltd, 2021-10-13)
As a task requiring strong professional experience as supports, predictive biomedical intelligence cannot be separated from the support of a large amount of external domain knowledge. By using transfer learning to obtain sufficient prior experience from massive biomedical text data, it is essential to promote the performance of specific downstream predictive and decision-making task models. This is an efficient and convenient method, but it has not been fully developed for Chinese Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the biomedical field. This study proposes a Stacked Residual Gated Recurrent Unit-Convolutional Neural Networks (StaResGRU-CNN) combined with the pre-trained language models (PLMs) for biomedical text-based predictive tasks. Exploring related paradigms in biomedical NLP based on transfer learning of external expert knowledge and comparing some Chinese and English language models. We have identified some key issues that have not been developed or those present difficulties of application in the field of Chinese biomedicine. Therefore, we also propose a series of Chinese bioMedical Language Models (CMedLMs) with detailed evaluations of downstream tasks. By using transfer learning, language models are introduced with prior knowledge to improve the performance of downstream tasks and solve specific predictive NLP tasks related to the Chinese biomedical field to serve the predictive medical system better. Additionally, a free-form text Electronic Medical Record (EMR)-based Disease Diagnosis Prediction task is proposed, which is used in the evaluation of the analyzed language models together with Clinical Named Entity Recognition, Biomedical Text Classification tasks. Our experiments prove that the introduction of biomedical knowledge in the analyzed models significantly improves their performance in the predictive biomedical NLP tasks with different granularity. And our proposed model also achieved competitive performance in these predictive intelligence tasks.
Understanding the experience of service users in an integrated care programme for obesity and mental health: a qualitative investigation of Total Wellbeing Luton
Liapi, Fani; Chater, Angel M.; Pescheny, Julia Vera; Randhawa, Gurch; Pappas, Yannis; University of Bedfordshire (MDPI, 2022-01-12)
Obesity is a complex public health issue with multiple contributing factors. The emphasis on joined care has led to the development and implementation of a number of integrated care interventions targeting obesity and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine user experience in an integrated care programme for obesity and mental health in Luton, UK. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of service users (N = 14). Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Analysis of the interviews identified six main themes for understanding service users' experiences of integrated care: (1) 'A user-centered system', (2) 'Supports behaviour change', (3) 'Valued social support', (4) 'Communication is key', (5) 'Flexible referral process', and (6) 'Positive impact on life'. These themes describe how the service is operated, evidence perceived value service users place on social support in behavior change intervention, and address which service areas work well and which require improvement. The findings of these interviews have offered a significant contribution to understanding what service users value the most in an integrated healthcare setting. Service users value ongoing support and being listened to by healthcare professionals, as well as the camaraderie and knowledge acquisition to support their own behaviour change and promote self-regulation following their participation in the programme.
Vaccination against COVID-19: factors that influence vaccine hesitancy among an ethnically diverse community in the UK
Cook, Erica Jane; Elliott, Elizabeth; Gaitan, Alfredo; Nduka, Ifunanya; Cartwright, Sally; Egbutah, Chimeme; Randhawa, Gurch; Waqar, Muhammad; Ali, Nasreen; University of Bedfordshire; et al. (MDPI, 2022-01-11)
The UK's minority ethnic population, despite being at higher risk of COVID-19 and experiencing poorer health outcomes, continue to have lower uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine compared with their white British counterparts. Given the importance of the vaccination programme in improving health outcomes, this research sought to examine the influential factors that impact the decision to accept the COVID-19 vaccination among an ethnically diverse community. A total of 1058 residents from Luton, UK, a large town with an ethnically diverse population, completed a community survey. Questions centred around uptake or individuals' intentions to accept the offer of COVID-19 vaccination alongside demographics, knowledge, and views on the vaccine. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the most significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy, while respondents' reasons for not getting vaccinated were identified using qualitative content analysis. Findings revealed that age and ethnicity were the only sociodemographic factors to predict vaccine hesitancy. Knowledge of symptoms and transmission routes, alongside ensuring information about COVID-19 was objectively sourced, were all identified as protective factors against vaccine hesitancy. Qualitative analysis revealed that 'lack of trust in government/authori-ties' and 'concern of the speed of vaccine development' were the most common reasons for non-uptake. This research reinforces the importance of age, ethnicity, and knowledge as influential factors in predicting vaccine hesitancy. Further, this study uncovers some of the barriers of uptake that can be utilised in developing promotional campaigns to reduce vaccine hesitancy in certain sections of the diverse UK population.
The influence of a blend of probiotic lactobacillus and prebiotic inulin on the duration and severity of symptoms among individuals with COVID-19
Thomas, Robert; Aldous, Jeffrey William Frederick; Forsyth, Rachel; Chater, Angel M.; Williams, Madeleine; ; Bedford & Addenbrooke's Cambridge University NHS Trusts; University of Bedfordshire; Cambridge University; Bedford Hospital (Gavin Publishers, 2021-11-16)
Background: Gut microfloral dysbiosis is known to affect the majority individuals suffering with a Covid-19 infection. This study evaluated whether a specific lactobacillus and inulin blend, which aimed to improve gut health, could reduce the severity of early and chronic Covid-19 symptoms. Methods: From May 2020 to May 2021, we evaluated 126 participants with Covid-19, with an average duration of symptoms of 108 days, who were given 30 days of this pre and probiotic capsule within the ongoing UK national Phyto-v study. Symptoms were recorded using the validated Cough Symptom Score, the Subjective Well-Being questionnaire and the Chandler fatigue questionnaire. The group was analysed as a whole and then subdivided into 40 (32%) in an early phase of infection (average symptoms 10 days before baseline) and the 86 (68%) in a chronic phase (average symptoms 120 days before trial baseline). Results: Cough, fatigue and subjective well-being scores significantly improved over the 30 days in both the early and chronic phase cohorts. Participants who were more likely to have gut dysbiosis at trial entry, such as sedentary, hospitalised, older males with GI symptoms, had a statistically significantly better response to the probiotics. Gut symptoms improved in 25 of 31 (82%) who reported them at baseline. Two (1.5%) patients reported mild increased bloating and diarrhoea. Discussion: Following this nutritional intervention, participants had a significant improvement in GI and non-GI symptoms resulting in a meaningful improvement in overall well-being. Although some participants with early disease would have improved spontaneously, such a rapid improvement in the majority who had been experiencing symptoms for over 6 months, was clinically relevant and welcomed, especially among those more likely to have pre-existing gut dysbiosis. Going forward, our research group are now evaluating whether intake of this blend now known as yourgutplus+, could also enhance antibody titres levels post Covid vaccination.
Relational learning and teaching with BME students in social work education
Dillon, Jean; Pritchard, Diana J.; University of Bedfordshire (Cambridge University Press, 2021-10-07)
Given the imperative to redress the education inequalities between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and White students, this contribution explores advances and challenges from within Social Work education (SWE) in relation to the experiences of Black social work students. Drawing on critical race theories and the concept of racial battle fatigue, it explores the impacts of race and racism on students' academic experience and wellbeing. It proposes the significance of relational wellbeing which has been a constant strand within Social Work education and comprises a valuable approach to the decolonisation process within higher education (HE). Linking this to critical pedagogy, it highlights the role of staff to build safety, confidence and trust to support students to overcome prior education experiences of under-attainment, disadvantage and social marginalisation. Despite the pervasiveness of managerialism within HE, which compromises the teacher-student relationship and emphasises measured changes in student 'outcomes', Social Work educators are invited to nurture safe and transformational learning environments.
Optimized degradation and inhibition of α-glucosidase activity by gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide and its production in vitro
Long, Xiaoshan; Hu, Xiao; Zhou, Shaobo; Xiang, Huan; Chen, Shengjun; Li, Laihao; Liu, Shucheng; Yang, Xianqing; Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences; Jiangsu Ocean University; et al. (MDPI, 2021-12-22)
Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GLP) exhibits good physiological activities, and it is more beneficial as it is degraded. After its degradation by hydrogen peroxide combined with vitamin C (H2 O2-Vc) and optimized by Box–Behnken Design (BBD), a new product of GLP-HV will be generated. While using GLP as control, two products of GLP-H (H2 O2-treated) and GLP-V (Vc-treated) were also produced. These products chemical characteristics (total sugar content, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, UV spectrum, morphological structure, and hypolipidemic activity in vitro) were assessed. The results showed that the optimal conditions for H2 O2-Vc degradation were as follows: H2 O2-Vc concentration was 18.7 mM, reaction time was 0.5 h, and reaction temperature was 56◦ C. The total sugar content of GLP and its degradation products (GLP-HV, GLP-H and GLP-V) were more than 97%, and their monosaccharides are mainly glucose and galactose. The SEM analysis demonstrated that H2 O2-Vc made the structure loose and broken. Moreover, GLP, GLP-HV, GLP-H, and GLP-V had significantly inhibition effect on α-glucosidase, and their IC50 value were 3.957, 0.265, 1.651, and 1.923 mg/mL, respectively. GLP-HV had the best inhibition effect on α-glucosidase in a dose-dependent manner, which was the mixed type of competitive and non-competitive. It had a certain quenching effect on fluorescence of α-glucosidase, which may be dynamic quenching.
Content-based technical solution for cyberstalking detection
Asante, Audrey; Feng, Xiaohua; Catholic University College of Ghana; University of Bedfordshire (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2021-07-27)
The continued usage of technology has led to the rise of cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is seen as traditional method of stalking that has been altered by technology. This crime has now been modernized using technological tools and techniques. The continued increase in cyberstalking in the world today has drawn attention to the need to address this problem. Though studies on this crime have been conducted in the fields of criminology, legal, public health, sociology, and psychology, it still remains a challenge to detect, prevent, and investigate this crime. Traditional stalking methods have been used to combat it, despite the fact that this crime is committed online. Unfortunately, these methods have provided few solutions for detecting and preventing it. The prevalence of this crime, combined with technological advancement, has necessitated the development of technical strategies to mitigate it, protect victims, and assist law enforcement agencies. In this study, a content-based detection framework for cyberstalking is proposed. The framework consists of message identification, filtering, detection (content detection and profiling offender) and evidence modules. It is designed as a forensic readiness framework that can automatically detect cyberstalking, gather evidence and profile potential offenders. The framework employs machine learning, data mining techniques, digital forensics, and profiling to analyze text, image, and media contents, collect evidence, and profile offenders. This framework would not only detect cyberstalking automatically, but it would also be useful as an investigative tool for law enforcement.
AU-rich element RNA binding proteins: at the crossroads of post-transcriptional regulation and genome integrity
Sidali, Ahmed; Teotia, Varsha; Solaiman, Nadeen Shaikh; Bashir, Nahida; Kanagaraj, Radhakrishnan; Murphy, John J.; Surendranath, Kalpana; University of Westminster; University of Bedfordshire (MDPI, 2021-12-22)
Genome integrity must be tightly preserved to ensure cellular survival and to deter the genesis of disease. Endogenous and exogenous stressors that impose threats to genomic stability through DNA damage are counteracted by a tightly regulated DNA damage response (DDR). RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are emerging as regulators and mediators of diverse biological processes. Specifically, RBPs that bind to adenine uridine (AU)-rich elements (AREs) in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs (AU-RBPs) have emerged as key players in regulating the DDR and preserving genome integrity. Here we review eight established AU-RBPs (AUF1, HuR, KHSRP, TIA-1, TIAR, ZFP36, ZFP36L1, ZFP36L2) and their ability to maintain genome integrity through various interactions. We have reviewed canonical roles of AU-RBPs in regulating the fate of mRNA transcripts encoding DDR genes at multiple post-transcriptional levels. We have also attempted to shed light on non-canonical roles of AU-RBPs exploring their post-translational modifications (PTMs) and sub-cellular localization in response to genotoxic stresses by various factors involved in DDR and genome maintenance. Dysfunctional AU-RBPs have been increasingly found to be associated with many human cancers. Further understanding of the roles of AU-RBPS in maintaining genomic integrity may uncover novel therapeutic strategies for cancer. View Full-Text
Single enrichment systems possibly underestimate both exposures and biological effects of organic pollutants from drinking water
Yang, Lan; Zhou, Ying; Chen, Li; Chen, Hanyi; Liu, Wenhao; Zheng, Weiwei; Andersen, Melvin E.; Zhang, Yubing; Hu, Yi; Crabbe, M. James C.; et al. (Elsevier, 2022-01-03)
Comprehensive enrichment of contaminants in drinking water is an essential step for accurately determining exposure levels of contaminants and testing their biological effects. Traditional methods using a single absorbent for enriching contaminants in water might not be adequate for complicated matrices with different physical-chemical profiles . To examine this hypothesis, we used an integrated enrichment system that had three sequential stages-XAD-2 resin, poly (styrene–divinylbenzene) and activated charcoal to capture organic pollutants and disinfection by-products (DBPs) from drinking water in Shanghai. Un-adsorbed Organic Compounds in Eluates (UOCEs) named UOCEs-A, -B, and-C following each adsorption stage were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectromet ry to evaluate adsorption efficiency of the enrichment system . Meanwhile, biological effects such as cytotoxicity, effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and glutathione (GSH) depletion were determined in human LO2 cells to identify potential adverse effects on exposure to low dose contaminants. We found that poly-styrene–divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) and activated charcoal (AC) could still partly collect UOCEs-A and-B that the upper adsorption column incompletely captured, and that potential carcinogens like 2- naphthamine were present in all eluates. UOCEs-A at (1-4000), UOCEs-B at (1000-4000), and UOCEs-C at (2400-4000) folds of the actual concentrations had significant cytotoxicity to LO2 cells. Additionally, ROS and GSH change in cells treated with UOCEs indicated the potential for long-term effects of exposure to some mixtures of contaminants such as DBPs at low doses . These results suggested that an enriching system with a single adsorbent would underestimate the exposure level of pollutants and the biological effects of organic pollutants from drinking water. Effective methods for pollutants' enrichment and capture of drinking water should be given priority in future studies on accurate evaluation of biological effects exposed to mixed pollutants via drinking water.
Reviews: (Re)constructing the life and loves of Elizabeth Bowen: The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters and Elizabeth Bowen by Julia Parry (Duckworth, 2021) and The Last Day at Bowen's Court: A Novel by Eibhear Walshe (Bantry: Somerville Press, 2020).
Darwood, Nicola; University of Bedfordshire (Elizabeth Bowen Society, 2021-11-01)
Review of two books: (Re)constructing the life and loves of Elizabeth Bowen: The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters and Elizabeth Bowen by Julia Parry (Duckworth, 2021) and The Last Day at Bowen's Court: A Novel by Eibhear Walshe (Bantry: Somerville Press, 2020)
Darwood, Nicola; Turner, Nick; University of Bedfordshire; Open University (Elizabeth Bowen Society, 2021-11-01)
Introduction to volume 4
To survive and thrive
Crabbe, M. James C.; Yue, Xiao-Guang (2021-12-30)
'They are kids, let them eat': a qualitative investigation into the parental beliefs and practices of providing a healthy diet for young children among a culturally diverse and deprived population in the UK
Cook, Erica Jane; Powell, Faye; Ali, Nasreen; Penn-Jones, Catrin Pedder; Ochieng, Bertha; Constantinou, Georgina; Randhawa, Gurch; ; University of Bedfordshire; University of Cambridge; et al. (MDPI, 2021-12-11)
In the UK, ethnic minority children are at greater risk of obesity and weight-related ill health compared to the wider national population. The factors that influence the provision of a healthy diet among these populations remain less understood. An interpretive qualitative study with a phenomenological perspective comprised of 24 single sex semi-structured focus groups was conducted with 110 parents (63 mothers and 47 fathers) of young children (aged 0–5 years). The participants were recruited from deprived and ethnically diverse wards in Luton, UK and self-identified as being white British, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black African–Caribbean or Polish. The findings highlighted a wide range of inter-relating psychological and sociocultural factors that underpin parental beliefs and practices in providing children with a healthy diet. Parents, whilst aware of the importance of providing children with a healthy diet, faced challenges such as lack of time and balancing competing responsibilities, which were clear barriers to providing children with a healthy diet. Access to and affordability of healthy food and the overexposure of cheap, convenient, and unhealthy processed foods made it increasingly difficult for parents to provide a healthy diet for their growing families. Household food practices were also found to be situated within the wider context of sociocultural and religious norms around cooking and eating, along with cultural identity and upbringing.
Solubility study of acetylsalicylic acid in ethanol + water mixtures: measurement, mathematical modeling, and stability discussion
Nokhodchi, Ali; Ghafourian, Taravat; Nashed, Nour; Asare-Addo, Kofi; Behboudi, Elmira; Sefid-Sefidehkhan, Yasaman; Zarghampour, Aynaz; Rahimpour, Elaheh; Jouyban, Abolghasem; (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021-12-28)
Solubility determination of poorly water-soluble drugs is pivotal for formulation scientists when they want to develop a liquid formulation. Performing such a test with different ratios of cosolvents with water is time-consuming and costly. The scarcity of solubility data for poorly water-soluble drugs increases the importance of developing correlation and prediction equations for these mixtures. Therefore, the aim of the current research is to determine the solubility of acetylsalicylic acid in binary mixtures of ethanol+water at 25 and 37°C. Acetylsalicylic acid is non-stable in aqueous solutions and readily hydrolyze to salicylic acid. So, the solubility of acetylsalicylic acid is measured in ethanolic mixtures by HPLC to follow the concentration of produced salicylic acid as well. Moreover, the solubility of acetylsalicylic acid is modeled using different cosolvency equations. The measured solubility data were also predicted using PC-SAFT EOS model. DSC results ruled out any changes in the polymorphic form of acetylsalicylic acid after the solubility test, whereas XRPD results showed some changes in crystallinity of the precipitated acetylsalicylic acid after the solubility test. Fitting the solubility data to the different cosolvency models showed that the mean relative deviation percentage for the Jouyban-Acree model was less than 10.0% showing that this equation is able to obtain accurate solubility data for acetylsalicylic acid in mixtures of ethanol and water. Also, the predicted data with an average mean relative deviation percentage (MRD%) of less than 29.65% show the capability of the PC-SAFT model for predicting solubility data. A brief comparison of the solubilities of structurally related solutes to acetylsalicylic acid was also provided.
Youth crime and youth justice
Bateman, Tim (Sage, 2021-12-20)
The genotoxic potential of mixed nitrosamines in drinking water involves oxidative stress and Nrf2 activation
Dong, Lei; Jiang, Zhiqiang; Yang, Lili; Hu, Fen; Zheng, Weiwei; Xue, Peng; Jiang, Songhui; Andersen, Melvin E.; Crabbe, M. James C.; Qu, Weidong; et al. (Elsevier, 2021-12-07)
Nitrosamine by-products in drinking water are designated as probable human carcinogens by the IARC, but the health effects of simultaneous exposure to multiple nitrosamines in drinking water remain unknown. Genotoxicity assays were used to assess the effects of both individual and mixed nitrosamines in finished drinking water produced by a large water treatment plant in Shanghai, China. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were measured at 1, 10-, 100- and 1000-fold actual concentrations by the Ames test, Comet assay, γ-H2AX assay, and the cytokinesisblock micronuclei assay; oxidative stress and the Nrf2 pathway were also assessed. Nitrosamines detected in drinking water included NDMA (36.45 ng/L), NDPA (44.68 ng/L), and NEMA (37.27 ng/L). Treatment with a mixture of the three nitrosamines at 1000-fold actual drinking-water concentration induced a doubling of revertants in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100, DNA and chromosome damage in HepG2 cells, while 1–1000-fold concentrations of compounds applied singly lacked these effects. Treatment with 100- and 1000-fold concentrations increased ROS, GSH, and MDA and decreased SOD activity. Thus, nitrosamine mixtures showed greater genotoxic potential than that of the individual compounds. N-Acetylcysteine protected against the nitrosamine-induced chromosome damage, and Nrf2 pathway activation suggested that oxidative stress played pivotal roles in the genotoxic property of the nitrosamine mixtures.
Does the use of a web-based collaborative platform reduce cognitive load and influence project-based student engagement?
Oluwajana, Dokun; Adeshola, Ibrahim; Clement, Seyefar (Springer, 2021-08-06)
The web-based supported collaborative learning is increasingly used to support student social activities in higher institutions. However, little is known about the factors of collaborative learning in a web-based supported learning environment. Therefore, this study examines the use of a web-based supported collaborative platform to enhance project-based student engagement. This research aims to determine the factors that determine collaborative learning and subsequent student satisfaction. Moreover, this research determines students' cognitive load understanding, social influence, and learner's motivation towards collaborative learning and the resultant impact of the web-based supported collaborative platform on student satisfaction. The data was collected from university post-graduate students who used the TRELLO platform. A total of 115 post-graduate students participated in this study, and the resulting data were analyzed based on partial least squares structural equation modelling statistical approach. The study results suggest that students' social influence and motivation positively influence collaborative learning; directly and indirectly, students are satisfied using a web-based supported collaborative learning platform to support project-based student engagement.
A systematic review of parenting interventions used by social workers to support vulnerable children
Vseteckova, Jitka; Boyle, Sally; Higgins, Martyn; Open University; University of Bedfordshire; London South Bank University (SAGE, 2021-11-09)
This paper reports on the findings from a systematic review of parenting interventions used by social workers to support vulnerable children in the United Kingdom. The study focused on children from birth to 11 years and 11 months based on Munro's rationale for early intervention. From the 423 papers initially identified, twelve met the inclusion criteria for this review. Four common themes were identified: developing relationships, the effectiveness of parenting interventions, societal impact on families and health and psychological concerns. The importance of effective relationships between parents and social workers was identified as key to effective parental interventions but there was limited evidence of improved outcomes for children despite this. A common factor in the studies was the level of parental deprivation which in many cases was associated with a range of mental health issues frequently seen in association with drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence. The review identified a number of successful outcomes across a range of parenting interventions. However, what was surprising was the limited input from the children themselves within this review. Applying our findings to practice, the authors recommend a number of ways to contribute to the development of parenting interventions.
An inter-disciplinary perspective on evaluation of innovation to support care leavers' transition
Lynch, Amy; Alderson, Hayley; Kerridge, Gary; Johnson, Rebecca; McGovern, Ruth; Newlands, Fiona; Smart, Deborah; Harrop, Carrie; Currie, Graeme; University of Bedfordshire; et al. (Emerald, 2021-09-14)
Purpose Young people who are looked after by the state face challenges as they make the transition from care to adulthood, with variation in support available. In the past decade, funding has been directed towards organisations to pilot innovations to support transition, with accompanying evaluations often conducted with a single disciplinary focus, in a context of short timescales and small budgets. Recognising the value and weight of the challenge involved in evaluation of innovations that aim to support the transitions of young people leaving care, this paper aims to provide a review of evaluation approaches and suggestions regarding how these might be developed. Design/methodology/approach As part of a wider research programme to improve understanding of the innovation process for young people leaving care, the authors conducted a scoping review of grey literature (publications which are not peer reviewed) focusing on evaluation of innovations in the UK over the past 10 years. The authors critiqued the evaluation approaches in each of the 22 reports they identified with an inter-disciplinary perspective, representing social care, public health and organisation science. Findings The authors identified challenges and opportunities for the development of evaluation approaches in three areas. Firstly, informed by social care, the authors suggest increased priority should be granted to participatory approaches to evaluation, within which involvement of young people leaving care should be central. Secondly, drawing on public health, there is potential for developing a common outcomes' framework, including methods of data collection, analysis and reporting, which aid comparative analysis. Thirdly, application of theoretical frameworks from organisation science regarding the process of innovation can drive transferable lessons from local innovations to aid its spread. Originality/value By adopting the unique perspective of their multiple positions, the authors' goal is to contribute to the development of evaluation approaches. Further, the authors hope to help identify innovations that work, enhance their spread, leverage resources and influence policy to support care leavers in their transitions to adulthood.


Question: Not too long ago I was playing craps at an almost full table and most of us were betting the pass line along with the shooter. But there was this one guy who was betting wrong and hoping that the shooter would lose.
The worst part of it was he was really loud and annoying about it. On every roll he yelled, "Come on seven!" and when seven hit, he screamed, celebrated, and even taunted the rest of us who had just lost our bets. I wanted to hit him! What can be done about guys like this?
For many people, the appeal of craps is the social aspect of the game. Nearly everyone plays together on the pass line/come line, so when the shooter hit a taxpoint and wins, everyone at the table wins and celebrates together. In craps parlance, this is called betting "right".
However, not everyone is there for the fun and it's hard to blame someone when they choose to bet against the shooter and play the don't pass/don't come; after all, it does have a slightly lower casino edge. While these people may not exactly be the most fun in the world, betting "wrong" like this is perfectly legal and he has the same right as you do to get excited when he wins.
That being said, your wrong bettor could have been more polite. Most wrong bettors just want to win, not spoil the other players' good time, so they quietly play their game and give a little silent cheer when they win, but nothing more. Your guy could learn from them.
Question: I thought I understood the tax reporting rules at casinos, but after what happened last week I'm completely lost. I was playing blackjack while my friend was on the Caribbean Stud table. We both had great nights, I finished almost $1,500 up, while my buddy hit a straight flush and won about $1,000. What confused me is that my friend had to sign a tax reporting form for his win, while I cashed out without anyone saying anything? Why?
The IRS requires casinos to report wins for taxation purposes only in the event of one-time jackpot wins, not on all winning players in the casino. Of course, it is important to remember that the IRS requires you to pay taxes on all net casino winnings, no matter whether the casino reports the win or not.
For table games that carry high-odds payouts or jackpots like Caribbean Stud, casinos are required to report any win where the odds are higher than 300-1 and the winning amount is more than $600, which is why your friend had to sign the tax form. But since blackjack is generally an even-money game, you could win as much as possible and it wouldn't be reported.
Slot machines carry a slighter higher minimum threshold for reporting, $1,200. And remember, that is only if you win that amount on a single spin; if you win more than that through a series of small wins then you can walk away without having to sign everything. The only exception is if you are playing a slot tournament, then any win over $600 is reported.
"Casinos never make rule changes that benefit the player; if you see a new rule, it's bad for you. For example, some casinos are starting to pay 6:5 for blackjacks instead of the better 3:2."
"Roulette wheels are designed so that consecutive numbers are opposite each other, one opposite two, etc. The wheel also alternates between red and black while the green numbers, 0 and 00 are opposite."
"Every slot machine is controlled by a computer chip containing the Random Number Generator. Whether the machine is being played or not, the RNG generates thousands of numbers per second."


Consolidating positions data is a particular challenge to all Investment Managers. A common perception is that positions are reflected in the back office record keeping system that promotes a start of business feed to support the daily activity in the front office.
A dry subject to some, but there are many disparate customers of positions data that make this a key building block of an Investment Manager's operation.
The need to transition to electronic trading and the drive for STP has seen many Asset Management companies implement integrated Order Management and Trading systems. These systems often support a variety of front office functions within an organisation: decision support, order management, compliance and the trading interface. To function efficiently OMS applications require accurate and timely position data at the security level.
With the acceptance in recent years that prevention is better than cure, there has been a much greater emphasis on pre-trade compliance. Despite this, most firms still engage in levels of post-trade compliance for certain types of limit checking. Many firms are using a comprehensive OMS system such as Charles River or Latent Zero that incorporate compliance functionality. These OMS systems are often implemented for a single asset class (e.g. FI only) or for one or two of their offices (e.g. used in London but not in Asia). These OMS systems can only evaluate accounts/positions that reside in the system therefore organisations typically use the OMS for specific compliance checks and then consolidate all holdings into a single repository to analyse concentrations across all holdings.
Reporting the total market value of investments managed has proved to be a difficult task for a number of organisations. The creation of a consolidated view of positions, avoiding any double counting typically thrown up by pooled investments is regarded as a necessary first step that supports the calculation of AUM (Assets Under Management) which is essentially a reporting function. AUM reporting has received widespread attention in recent years partially due to the creation of ethical standards to which asset management companies should comply. Due to the practice employed by some asset managers to charge management fees based on a percentage of AUM, it is understandable that this reporting requires both accuracy and transparency.
Performance Measurement requires the sourcing of appropriate position data and is a common challenge. If performance data is used by other functions with an asset manager it is important that a common source of position data is used. An example is client reporting (i.e. the performance figures must be calculated on the same position values that will show on the client report).
Risk Management is closely aligned to performance. In some Asset Managers they are handled by the same group while other organisations have performance and risk as separate groups. Calculation of risk characteristics is now a common process within Asset management companies (e.g. Value At Risk). For this there may also be a requirement to source and store data explaining the historic relationship between stocks, sectors, industries and asset classes (i.e. covariance data).
Cash Management throws up two main drivers for consolidated positions data. The first, cash inflows and outflows need to be passed to the front office to ensure the required investment/disinvestments occurs in a timely fashion. This process supports management of subscriptions and redemptions of unitised funds, dividend and coupon income and any transitioning to/from the manager of client moneys. This can be a complex process with information potentially coming from different sources (e.g. outsourced back office, Internal Transitions Team, Fund Administrator) and at different times of the day.
The second area is the management of discrete cash funds which will typically seek to outperform a given index (e.g. Stg 3-month Libor). These funds will typically invest in cash or near cash instruments (CD's, CP) with a tenor of up to 1 year. They may well look to arbitrage between cash and derivatives markets in order to boost returns (e.g. FRA/futures arbitrage).
Baskets of assets are committed as collateral to back derivative positions. These maybe individual securities or cash balances or groups of assets. These positions need to be maintained individually, but also as consolidated positions where a basket of assets is used as collateral. This information is used in the front office and is typically fed into back office systems and relevant third parties. One aspect of collateral management is to ensure that held/pledged collateral is (or is not) included in fund valuations and is marked as unavailable for trading dependent upon any rehypothercation agreements entered into. Consolidated reporting is also required to support operational tasks and reconciliation v counterparties.
Fee Billing is an area that is particularly important where the Asset Manager has large volumes of discrete clients, either institutional or private client. The process of updating and managing client data (names, addresses, contact points) along with details of the billing calculations themselves (fee rates on unitised products held, fee scales dependent upon fund size - either AUM or number of holdings- and periodicity of billing) has come in for scrutiny in the last few years. Many large fund managers have implemented specialised billing systems to automate the process. It is not unheard during these implementations for fund managers to discover clients which had been under-billed or not billed at all. Having all this billing data within one system or easily extracted and combined with other data into a data hub can provide accurate and timely management information and can be used to model the impact of shifts in variables impacting cashflows (e.g. fee rates, market index levels).
Client reporting is seen by some Asset Managers as a significant differentiating factor to their competition. Asset Managers have various types of clients and often have different approaches to reporting to them. Highly graphically printed client reports are still the predominant model used within European Asset Management. The process of producing client reports tends to have many steps and review points (i.e. a series of processes linked into a workflow, culminating in a reporting pack being produced).
Collation of position data from around an Asset Management organisation is one of the first and fundamental steps in the whole process. Unlike many of the processes within Asset Management, Client Reporting is focused on a significant point in time rather than the latest set of information. The typical points in time are month, quarter and year end. Accurate and complete information is priority to Client reporting.
Asset Managers obtain the majority of their institutional, pension or insurance clients by responding to RFP's. An RFP typically needs to include analysis of the Asset Managers existing funds. Although each RFP is unique, the majority of the information required is common across all of them. The challenge for asset managers is to be able to 'slice and dice' information in a variety of ways to suit the demands of the RFP. Without a consolidated view of all of the investment management companies assets this is at best 'a challenge' for those involved in this sales process. In some instances, where information is not available at a sufficiently granular level, questions cannot be answered accurately.
To provide meaningful responses to RFP's 3 main data groups are required; Accounts and associated account structures, position values and performance returns at the security level and security attributes necessary to 'slice and dice' the information.
The depth and diversity of the customer base for positions data has to dictate that achieving accurate, consistent and accessible consolidated positions data must produce significant economies of scale for any asset manager, large or small.