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Where did the rosary come from and who decided the mysteries?
by Fr. Jason Signalness
The rosary is a prayer Catholics use to meditate upon key events in the life of Christ. We also offer up our time praying the rosary for various prayer intentions. Our Lady has asked us repeatedly, especially at Fatima, to pray the rosary often.
There are few things more "Catholic" than the praying of the rosary. And, like all things Catholic, the rosary has a long history.
The rosary consists mostly of "Hail Marys" and "Our Fathers." It also involves using beads to count prayers. It has sets of mysteries that we meditate upon as we pray in "decades," sets of 10 beads. Here, I will briefly walk through how all this came together.
The "Hail Mary" is made up of the words of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary ("Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you") and the words of Elizabeth to Mary ("Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"). These two were combined to form a single prayer sometime around the 6th Century. By the 11th Century the petition, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death," was added, thus completing the "Hail Mary" we know.
The "Our Father," of course, came to us directly from Jesus who instructed us to "Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven …."
Pebbles and beads were used by Christians to track how many prayers had been said as far back as the 3rd Century. An Egyptian hermit, for example, offered 300 penitential prayers a day and tracked his progress using pebbles. Before long, however, beads came into use. It's easier to use beads on a string than a big bucket of rocks! St. Jerome, by the 4th to 5th Centuries, used prayer beads to count. These beads were soon known as paternoster beads, as they were used to pray the "Pater Noster," the Our Father, repeatedly.
Praying the 150 Psalms in community has long been an important part of life for religious men and women. But to do this, they needed to know Latin. Many did not, and some were permitted (around the 9th Century) to substitute 150 Our Fathers for the Psalms. These religious used beads to count their prayers. But, carrying around a string of 150 beads was cumbersome. Instead, they used strings of 50 beads, which they would pray three times. This is getting closer to the rosary, which has the 50 "Hail Mary" beads.
The Hail Mary began to be prayed on these sets of beads in the 10th and 11th Centuries. Soon, they added an Our Father after every ten Hail Marys, to break up the monotony. The Cistercians and Carthusians around this time created a "Marian Psalter" that consisted of reciting the Hail Mary 150 times, but there were no mysteries attached to them.
Here we see the rosary taking shape: 150 Hail Marys divided into "decades," groups of ten, separated by the Our Father.
Then, St. Dominic arrived on the scene. In 1208, he went into a forest to pray for guidance in his fight against the Albigensian heresy. Mary appeared and spoke to him. She said "Wonder not that until now you [St. Dominic] have obtained so little fruit by your labors; … When God willed to renew the face of the earth, He began by sending down on it the fertilizing rain of the Angelic Salutation. Therefore, preach my Psalter."
St. Dominic was familiar with the Marian Psalter, of using beads to pray 150 Hail Marys. But, Mary told him to "preach" with it. To that point, the Marian Psalter had no meditations on the life of Christ attached to it. It wasn't much of a teaching tool. Mary then revealed to Dominic the specific mysteries, events from the life of Christ, that should be "preached" for each of the 15 decades of the "Marian Psalter." The mysteries Mary provided were the answer to Dominic's prayers. Focusing on the Incarnation, Passion, and triumph of Jesus, the mysteries were perfect for combatting the heresy St. Dominic was working to oppose.
St. Dominic then went into towns where this heresy was widespread and preached about each mystery, followed by the praying of 10 Hail Marys. His teaching became much more effective with the help of Our Lady.
In the 13th and 14th Centuries, some came to think of offering a "Hail Mary" to Our Lady as handing her a rose. Eventually, this Dominican "Marian Psalter," with its 15 mysteries, came to be called the "rosary," a word indicating a wreath or bouquet of flowers.
We can see, then, how the rosary took shape over centuries and how Mary herself, through St. Dominic, gave us the first three sets of mysteries. Pope St. John Paul II then added the fourth set, the luminous mysteries, in the year 2002.
For more information about this topic, I recommend the book Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon, by Donald H. Calloway, MIC.
Fr. Signalness is pastor of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Stanley and St. Ann in Berthhold. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to info@bismarckdiocese.com with the "Question Afraid to Ask" in the subject line.


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Putin's Speech to the UN: Transcript of Key Points
We all know that after the end of the Cold War the world was left with one center of dominance, and those who found themselves at the top of the pyramid were tempted to think that, since they are so powerful and exceptional, they know best what needs to be done and thus they don't need to reckon with the UN, which, instead of rubber-stamping the decisions they need, often stands in their way.
We should all remember the lessons of the past. For example, we remember examples from our Soviet past, when the Soviet Union exported social experiments, pushing for changes in other countries for ideological reasons, and this often led to tragic consequences and caused degradation instead of progress.
It seems, however, that instead of learning from other people's mistakes, some prefer to repeat them and continue to export revolutions, only now these are "democratic" revolutions. Just look at the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa already mentioned by the previous speaker. Of course, political and social problems have been piling up for a long time in this region, and people there wanted change. But what was the actual outcome? Instead of bringing about reforms, aggressive intervention rashly destroyed government institutions and the local way of life. Instead of democracy and progress, there is now violence, poverty, social disasters and total disregard for human rights, including even the right to life.
I'm urged to ask those who created this situation: do you at least realize now what you've done? But I'm afraid that this question will remain unanswered, because they have never abandoned their policy, which is based on arrogance, exceptionalism and impunity.
Power vacuum in some countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa obviously resulted in the emergence of areas of anarchy, which were quickly filled with extremists and terrorists. The so-called Islamic State has tens of thousands of militants fighting for it, including former Iraqi soldiers who were left on the street after the 2003 invasion. Many recruits come from Libya whose statehood was destroyed as a result of a gross violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973. And now radical groups are joined by members of the so-called "moderate" Syrian opposition backed by the West. They get weapons and training, and then they defect and join the so-called Islamic State.
In fact, the Islamic State itself did not come out of nowhere. It was initially developed as a weapon against undesirable secular regimes. Having established control over parts of Syria and Iraq, Islamic State now aggressively expands into other regions. It seeks dominance in the Muslim world and beyond. Their plans go further.
The situation is extremely dangerous. In these circumstances, it is hypocritical and irresponsible to make declarations about the threat of terrorism and at the same time turn a blind eye to the channels used to finance and support terrorists, including revenues from drug trafficking, the illegal oil trade and the arms trade.
It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later you'll find a way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them.
We consider that any attempts to flirt with terrorists, let alone arm them, are short-sighted and extremely dangerous. This may make the global terrorist threat much worse, spreading it to new regions around the globe, especially since there are fighters from many different countries, including European ones, gaining combat experience with Islamic State. Unfortunately, Russia is no exception.
Labels: Do you realise what you've done?, Putin, UN speech
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Макрофа́ги ( — «великий», phagein — «їсти») (моноцити крові та гістіоцити тканин) — клітини в межах тканин, які походять від специфічних білих кров'яних тілець, моноцитів. Діаметр макрофагів людини становить близько 21 мкм.

Розподіл в організмі
Макрофаги відрізняються від лімфоцитів, але також відіграють важливу роль в імунній відповіді — і як антиген-обробляючі клітини при виникненні відповіді, й як фагоцити у вигляді виконавчої ланки. Якщо це клітини, що знаходяться в крові, то їх називають моноцитами; в тканинах — гістіоцитами або тканинними макрофагами. Дослідження гемопоезу в кістковому мозку тварин і людини встановило, що всі макрофаги виникають з попередників моноцитів у кістковому мозку. Макрофаги знайдені в усіх тканинах організму (гістіоцити), а також у лімфатичних вузлах, де вони розташовуються як дифузно, так і фіксовано в субкапсулярному просторі та синусах мозкового шару. Тканинні макрофаги також виявляють у синусах червоної пульпи селезінки. У печінці макрофаги відомі як клітини Купфера, в легенях — як альвеолярні макрофаги, а в мозковій тканині — як мікроглія. У периферичній крові і кістковому мозкові — це моноцити та їхні попередники. Дендритичні ретикулярні клітини у фолікулах лімфатичних вузлів та інтердигітуючі ретикулярні клітини в паракортикальній зоні — спеціалізовані клітини «обробки» антигенів для B- і T-лімфоцитів відповідно. Хоча їхнє походження не встановлене, припускають, що вони відносяться до макрофагів. У давнішій літературі для позначення цих типів клітин використовували термін «ретикуло—ендотеліальна система», а тепер — система мононуклеарних фагоцитів.

Ідентифікація
Макрофаги містять численні цитоплазматичні ферменти і можуть бути ідентифіковані в тканинах гістохімічними методами, які виявляють ці ферменти. Деякі ферменти, типу мурамідази (лізоциму) і хімотрипсину, можна виявити методом мічених антитіл (імуногістохімія), при якому використовують антитіла проти білків ферменту. Такі моноклональні антитіла проти різних CD антигенів широко використовують для ідентифікації макрофагів.

Функція
Моноцити і макрофаги — фагоцити, що забезпечують як неспецифічний захист (або вроджений імунітет), так і специфічний захист (або набутий імунітет) хребетних тварин.

Роль
Їх роль полягає у фагоцитозі (охопленні та травленні) уламків клітин і патогенів, як стаціонарних, так і рухомих клітин, також як і стимуляції лімфоцитів та інших імунних клітин відповісти на проникнення патогена.

Примітки

Посилання
 Макрофаг

Лейкоцити

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Welcome to ASEAN Today
ASEAN TODAY Business & Travel News informs you about the economic development in the ten ASEAN countries Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – including its attraction as a region for tourism (Leisure & MICE). ASEAN TODAY also reports about the developments in the neighboring region.
ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a political and economic organization, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.
ASEAN covers a land area of 4.46 million km², which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world's population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. In 2012, its combined nominal GDP had grown to more than US$ 2.3 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth largest economy in the world.


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The brother of the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year is now embroiled in some controversy of his own. Robert Zimmerman recently sent a series of tweets that many found controversial or even racist.
Zimmerman posted side-by-side images of Martin and De'Marquise Elkins, one of the teens arrested in the shooting of a baby in Florida, giving the middle finger, with the caption, "A picture speaks a thousand words: Any questions?"
George Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara joins Starting Point this morning to discuss the outrage over his client's brothers tweets.
"I'm not sure where his heart was but I've always said that we have to have a conversation about race and the Zimmerman case has brought it to the forefront, particularly the way young black males are treated in the system," O'Mara says. "These types of tweets, these types of comments were insensitive to that and quite honestly were the opposite of what I hope the conversation would be to try to figure out what's wrong with the system and a good way to fix it."
When asked whether or not he's concerned about Robert Zimmerman's comments affecting his case, O'Mara responds "absolutely."
"Quite honestly, I worry about everything and how it may affect the case. Everything that happens in this case is, if not overblown, hyper focused upon so that everything George says or does is important. Certainly, when a family member for my client says something that comes across as wholly insensitive if not much, much worse then it's going to have an effect and we're going to have to deal with it" O'Mara explains.
I hope he's tweets his brother to a long stretch in Prison!
That young man is just tweeting how he truly feels. No sense in trying to clean it up. I am sure there are many racist that support his statement.


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25th Annual Financial Markets Conference - Fostering a Resilient Economy and Financial System: The Role of Central Banks - Session Videos and Presentations - May 17–18, 2021
Speaker biographies
Session Videos and Presentations
Opening keynote speech
Sovereign Markets, Global Factors
Richard Clarida, Vice Chair, Board of Governors
Policy Session 1: Is the Monetary Policy Toolkit Adequate to Meet Future Challenges?
The limited scope for reducing policy rates over the last decade has induced central banks to place increased reliance on balance sheet policy, which raises a variety of underexplored topics. What is the optimal balance sheet strategy for central banks? Is balance sheet policy sufficient for central banks to be able to meet their mandate(s)—especially if the economy is hit by another adverse shock? Does balance sheet policy come with costs that also need to be taken into consideration, such as increased risks to central bank independence or to financial stability?
Moderator: Julia Coronado, President and Founder, MacroPolicy Perspectives
Panelist: Willem Buiter, Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Panelist: Joseph Gagnon, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Panelist: Simon Potter, Vice Chairman, Fixed Income, Millennium Management
Armchair discussion
Dave Altig and Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University
Policy Session 2: Is the Financial System's Backbone, the U.S. Dollar, Also a Transmitter of Stress?
The central role of the U.S. dollar in the international financial system was highlighted by the global scramble for dollars in March 2020. This reliance on the dollar provides some significant efficiencies during normal times, but it also means that stresses in U.S. dollar markets can have a global impact. This session examines the central role of the U.S. dollar, its implications for global financial markets, and the potential for changes in the role of the U.S. dollar.
Moderator: Robert Kaplan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Presenter: Arvind Krishnamurthy, John S. Osterweis Professor of Finance, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research [Presentation ]
Discussant: Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board, Zurich, Swiss National Bank
Discussant: Michael Howell, Founder and Managing Director, CrossBorder Capital [Presentation ]


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Early access release date news
Post news RSS Early access release date
I would like to say a huge thank you once again to the people that have supported Aries on IndieGoGo. I am finally in a position to announce the date Aries will be released into early access along with providing more information on what will be in it and where Aries will go through the course of early access.
Posted by Wirlwith on Sep 7th, 2020
So the most important part first, Aires will be available to play from the 17th of October 2020! I will also be sending out emails over the coming weeks to all the backers that have rewards to include names in the game. For backers who have mailed rewards such as posters, these will be sent out a little after early access starts but I will be in contact about these.
What will be there at launch:
At launch, there will be the three factions that you are all aware of and there will be posts going into depth about the Mech Cult, and the Planetary Guards. There are currently 4 different ground battle maps which each support different battle types, and each of the factions has 5 different ground units and currently share a pool of 5 space ships.
What is the roadmap to launch:
During the first phase of early access, I am going to be working on improving the core systems and polishing the content that is in the game. It may be that a few new maps get added in at this point but the focus will be to improve the AI and general gameplay base on the feedback people have.
In phase 2 I am going to be focused on adding more content to the game, I have plans to add more battle modes to provide more strategic depth to the conquest of planets along with adding more maps and units to increase how you go about winning each battle.
RTS, Diplomacy, grand strategy, Sci-Fi
Aries Grand Strategy
Related Engines
Unity Commercial Released 2005
© 2010 - 2023 DBolical Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. We indies.


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The idea of "Lightsguide" came into our mind while having an argue about the best bubble machines. So, I thought that there might be a lot of people out there seeking the same information and confused about what exactly they have to go for.
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The Children and Social Work Bill presents a rare opportunity to guarantee a child rights based approach across Government. The Commission supported amendments to this Bill in the House of Lords, which sought to introduce a duty on public authorities in England to have due regard to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) when carrying out their functions in relation to children. The amendments, including one put forward by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, gained significant cross party support. We will continue to press for this change as the Bill makes its way through the House of Commons.


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Q: how can I access an attribute by name, rather than by integer? I must be missing something, but I can't seem to figure out how to get an Attribute by Name/String, only by an Integer, which is likely to change  (the Attribute Name is not).
Could you explain how I get Attributes by name/string? The string "active" attempt produces this error:
Error   82  The best overloaded method match for 'System.Collections.Generic.List<Amazon.SimpleDB.Model.Attribute>.this[int]' has some invalid argumens

Thank you!
Hairgami
using (sdb = AWSClientFactory.CreateAmazonSimpleDBClient(accessKeyID, secretAccessKeyID))
        {
                String selectExpression = string.Format("select * from apps where appid = '{0}'", appID);
                SelectRequest selectRequestAction = new SelectRequest().WithSelectExpression(selectExpression);
                SelectResponse selectResponse = sdb.Select(selectRequestAction);

                if (selectResponse.IsSetSelectResult())
                {
                    SelectResult selectResult = selectResponse.SelectResult;
                    foreach (Item item in selectResult.Item)
                    {
                        //Works fine
                        Amazon.SimpleDB.Model.Attribute id = item.Attribute[1];

                        //How can I do this:
                        Amazon.SimpleDB.Model.Attribute id = item.Attribute["active"];

                    }
                }
                else
                {

                }
            }

A: You're trying to access a System.Collections.Generic.List<T> like it's an associative array, which it's not. The Enumerable.FirstOrDefault method could be used to achieve something similar:
Amazon.SimpleDB.Model.Attribute id =
   item.Attribute.FirstOrDefault(attr => attr.Name == "active");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Why do the residuals have to be uncorrelated with the predictor variable? In linear regression, the residuals have to be uncorrelated with the predictor variable. Is it true, and if it, why is that?

A: The true error term has to be uncorrelated with the regressors, in order for the estimator to have certain desirable properties.
The residuals in OLS estimation are by design orthogonal to the regressors, $\mathbf X'\mathbf {\hat u} = 0$, and since, also by design, they have zero mean, they are also, by design, uncorrelated with the regressors.


New tiers for new hires don't move the dial enough on trillion-dollar deficits.
Just as several states start curbing the powers of public labor unions to negotiate retirement benefits, two major nonpartisan state-level reports released recently have caused additional shudders in governmental labor circles. Both came from states with powerful public employee unions. Both recommend that state leaders move the employees' cheese — or face a financial meltdown in slow-motion over the coming decade.
"Pension costs will crush government."
"The system lacks oversight and accountability."
These are the words of a bipartisan, standing legislative commission — not a bunch of union-hating, anti-government pension gadflies. The formal public response of the major public pension administrators was perhaps predictable but a bit disappointing. The rhetorical theme of the state's pension leaders had less to do with the guts of the report and more to do with acting like a mother hen protecting her royal chicks. They missed the point that the status quo is clearly unsustainable and it's time to fix these plans by making ends meet. They cling to hopes that an economic recovery will salvage their investment portfolios and fuel new tax revenues — even while public employers cut services to pay pension bills. It seems to me their mission is delivering retirement benefits that are affordable, reasonable, sustainable, sufficient and market-competitive — not just delivering an uncontrollable income replacement plan regardless of cost and fiscal capacity. They seem to be treading water, rather than acting like lifeguards to save the desperate swimmer.
The second epiphany was a report by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). Its leaders stated quite bluntly that "the simple fact is the pension systems for school teachers, public employees and state lawmakers are not sustainable in their current forms considering the fiscal challenges the state now faces." One of its prominent legislative members went on to say that in the 1980s, the state Supreme Court "misinterpreted the constitution when it initially stated the [incumbent employees'] benefits couldn't be adjusted." He was referring to whether public employees' vested rights are irreversible benefits formulas during their entire lifetimes.
Now, it's my lifelong experience that when CPAs tell you it's time to smell the coffee, you need to wake up and start looking for solutions. If this were the private sector, there would be Sarbanes-Oxley overtones to the PICPA report, with class-action lawsuits following shortly.
Reform for current employees is unavoidable and necessary. Authors and analysts for both the California and Pennsylvania reports have come to the conclusion long held in my columns: The stock market alone cannot save today's pension funds from the $800 billion in underfunding problems that they have accumulated from overly generous benefits increases, a decade of stock-market underperformance, and employer underfunding. To make matters worse, nearly $2 trillion of liabilities of retiree medical benefits program are almost completely unfunded with assets invested to offset 5 or maybe 10 percent of the total bill for benefits already vested and earned. So the savings from pension reforms applied only to new employees cannot possibly save enough dough in the coming years to bail out these pension funds and the public employers whose tax revenues are growing too slowly to wallpaper over the long-term structural problems.
This leaves lawmakers with a dilemma in many states where the courts have determined through case law that public employees become vested in a benefit formula their first day on the job. That seems to be the case in California and Pennsylvania (according to the labor advocates) even though there is no explicit constitutional provision to that effect as there is in a few states. Employers will face court challenges any time they try to do what private companies do in similar situations: freeze the benefits of workers for service they have already performed and start a new, lower benefit level prospectively for future service. As I have written before, the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) provides clear guidance that, for private-sector workers, past vested accruals are sacrosanct but future benefits accruals can be modified. What the California and Pennsylvania reports both suggest is that a similar standard should be invoked for public employees as well, even if that requires new legislation or even constitutional amendments that must then withstand judicial scrutiny.
Federal court cases. Legislators seeking to enact retirement reforms along these lines face a gauntlet of state and federal legal issues. Right now, there are several cases pending in federal courts which address the issue of whether public employers can abridge or impair a contract with their workers and retirees giving them lifetime rights to benefits earned and to be earned. The key tests that keep coming up are (1) whether the retirement plan must be modified in order to survive and provide as many benefits as possible to vested participants, (2) whether the changes invoked are necessary to achieve that purpose, (3) whether the changes invoked are the minimum amount or level of changes necessary [thus doing the least harm to beneficiaries] and (4) whether the resulting benefit is a reasonable benefit. Clearly a pension reform plan that affects only prospective benefit accumulations will pass muster under these criteria as opposed to a law that also changes benefits retroactively. If a state enacts laws that protect the legal, vested rights of employees to benefits they have already earned, then the focus shifts to the level of contractual rights conferred to employees and whether there is a less harmful way to reform the plan.
Thus, it appears that a key test for courts to consider is whether the retirement system and its employer(s) are facing such distressed conditions that changes in benefits and plan design are now unavoidable in order to save the system. In that regard, the findings of a legislative body will likely weigh heavily in a court's thinking and should form a solid foundation for how the benefit reductions are structured. Likewise, a citizen's ballot proposal seeking to roll back benefits would be wise to include a rational and valid basis for determining when an "emergency" exists that would compel modifications of a contract. For example, a ballot initiative could declare that retirement plans must be adjusted if their funding ratio falls below a level of 79 percent on a market value basis and the employer's rising actuarial contributions require it to reduce the workforce or employees' cash compensation.
State law issues. At the state level, the first challenge facing some legislatures is constitutional. A few states have hard-wired their benefit promises into the state constitution and others have adopted language that suggests certain retirement benefits are a contractual right. If a constitution is involved, either by express language or by state supreme court decisions, then the only viable way to change the rules for incumbent employees would appear to be a constitutional amendment, which must then of course still clear the federal courts on a test of contract law. If the issues are essentially statutory, then the legislature would be free to change the ground rules with the caveat that federal contract law could still be an issue if there is a basis for claiming that employees were told they had a right to the continuation of a current benefits formula and that promise was authorized formally by the governing body in a statute, ordinance or resolution expressing clear legislative intent.
Against this backdrop of legal considerations, here are five areas where the laws will be tested or amended in coming years. These are the pressure points where employers and legislatures most need to mitigate retirement benefits costs of incumbent employees along the lines of the California and Pennsylvania reports.
Employee contributions. Employee contributions are the easiest plan feature to change in many cases. They are an essential topic to address before reducing benefits. Remember that one of the tests in some of the federal courts is whether the change proposed is the minimum necessary. If a retirement plan can be "saved" by simply raising employee contributions, and without reducing benefits, it would seem likely that this would be the most suitable and least invasive solution.
One would think that raising employee contributions is a no-brainer, but one large statewide pension fund has reportedly been advised that its participants may have a constitutional protection of their contribution rates. I know that sounds laughable to most of us, but policymakers must realistically anticipate such lawsuits.
Now, if employers also require current employees to contribute for the amortization of unfunded benefits they have been awarded, then matters become murkier. Such costs are not evenly distributed over the workforce, as older workers have higher associated costs. A solid case can still be made that current employees should share in part of that cost as well, if they were awarded benefit increases retroactively. I would expect, though, that a higher standard of proof and equity must be achieved. For example, it would not be fair to force new hires to pay for the amortization of retroactive pension benefits given to senior workers — that would shift costs to an innocent younger generation to pay for their elders' benefits. A reasonable test would be that no service cohort should pay more than half of the actuarial cost associated with any benefits awarded retroactively (e.g., employees with five years of service should not bear more than their share of such costs).
Pension multipliers. The next plan feature that could be adjusted prospectively is the pension multiplier. For example, there is no justification anywhere for a 3 percent pension multiplier when 2.3 percent is sufficient for public employees outside of Social Security and 1.7 percent is adequate for civilians receiving Social Security. A multiplier of 2.5 percent can be justified for public safety workers who retire outside the Social Security system at age 57. These multipliers will provide an 85 percent income replacement ratio commonly used by financial planners for retirement planning purposes, even for new employees. Even-lower multipliers could be justified for incumbents who have already accumulated higher-octane benefits, but there is no need to be punitive here. In all cases, these multipliers should be combined with realistic longevity-adjusted retirement ages.
Retirement ages and service requirements. Here it gets trickier for incumbent employees. Almost everybody agrees that retirement ages must be raised to reflect increased longevity, as well as to bring the benefits in line with sustainable financing levels. One way to accomplish that is by extending the accumulation period and shortening the distribution period. However, it is not fair to raise retirement ages dramatically for older public workers who have already toiled for 20 years and are just a few years away from retirement. That does not mean they should skate through without working a little longer. As I have previously suggested, an adjustment for civilian employees' normal retirement age should not exceed more than 2 months for every year now remaining before a worker's expected retirement age. So a 55-year-old librarian now eligible to retire at 60 should not be required to work beyond 61 under a new age requirement.
In an era when older, tax-paying employees in the private sector must keep working another five years to restore their still-shrunken 401(k) accounts before they can afford to retire, this normalizing of retirement ages for public employees doesn't seem like too much to ask.
For public safety workers, the math is more complicated. They have shorter career spans and unsustainably early retirement ages under current plans that typically allow retirement before age 57. A requirement for those with less than 15 years of service to work an additional five years (if the current plan threshold is less than 25) would be reasonable, but it would not be fair to impose a five-year extension on those beyond age 50 with 20 years of service.
One standard that legislatures can adopt is a birth-year bracketed framework for required-age changes (e.g., no more than five added years for employees born before 1975, no more than two added years for those born before 1960). That framework should be coupled with an explicit individual employee's protection that any change in the retirement age cannot be so large that the actuarial accrued value of previously earned benefits would be less than the worker's full-career benefits under a higher-age requirement that would shorten the payout period.
This provision to preserve accrued actuarial values at the individual level would empower public employers to seek plan changes more aggressively. They don't have to over-compensate nine employees just to be sure that one grandfathered worker with an atypical service history is protected. Plan changes can be more rational as a result, rather than "gerrymandered" all around to accommodate a small group of atypical employees. And of course the actuaries will love it because it increases the demand for their services, which would still be a fraction of the costs of over-compensating everybody else in order to grandfather the outliers.
Retirement age changes must be considered for retiree medical benefits plans (OPEB) as well. As costs escalate beyond budgetary capacity, many public employers will find it necessary to sharply limit their medical benefits payable to retirees before they attain age 65 and become eligible for Medicare. The problem is that many of these early retirees now become eligible to collect such more expensive benefits simply by reaching retirement age under the pension plan. Therefore, statewide laws that would compel a higher, sustainable age for collecting retiree medical benefits may be the preferable solution in some states — especially when the vesting and contractual rights of public employees for retiree medical benefits are less clear under local laws.
Along with age requirements, service requirements can also be increased. Incumbent civilians (general employees) can reasonably be required to work for 30 years before earning full retirement benefits, and receive actuarially reduced pension and OPEB benefits if they leave earlier. For public safety, a 25 year minimum seems reasonable, again with transition and actuarial make-whole rules such as those proposed above for retirement ages.
OPEB formulas and CPI ceilings. Two general reforms that state legislatures must consider for OPEB plans are a requirement that taxpayer-funded medical benefits for retirees that are awarded before age 65 may not exceed a reasonable limit, such as the $15 per month per year of public service (which I have suggested in a prior column), and a CPI inflation-adjustment limit on the benefit to help control public employers' exposure to medical inflation. Such statutory constraints will still leave public employers plenty of latitude in formulating their benefits plans. Employers can offer richer benefits after Medicare age, and they can always use a defined contribution plan to supplement these benefits if they want to enrich the plan. But this will put a much needed limit on future taxpayers' exposure to runaway retiree medical costs.
Limit total compensation to market-competitive levels. A final feature of reform for incumbent employees should be a requirement to limit total compensation for salaries and benefits to the levels paid in the private sector for comparable positions. The formula should include the full actuarial cost of retirement benefits including retiree medical and pension costs using generally accepted accounting principles. If pension and retirement benefits are out of line, this provision will compel adjustments to assure that nobody collects excessive benefits at taxpayer expense. If unfunded liabilities of retirement plans push total compensation above private market levels, this circuit-breaker would force cash compensation lower or employee contributions higher, to restore equilibrium.
Current employees' cheese will move: It's just a question of when. Obviously there are enormous legal challenges facing retirement reformers, public employers and legislators seeking to close the multi-trillion dollar retirement funding gap during the lifetimes of today's public employees. As the bulge of the Baby Boom generation crosses age 60, many senior public employees will soon attain retirement ages under current schedules and skip away into retirement without bearing the burdens that younger workers and future taxpayers will inevitably face. Although we should not overgeneralize because many public employers nationwide have properly funded, frugal plans with reasonable and affordable benefits, more denial and delay by the derelicts will only worsen those sacrifices and heighten the intergenerational inequity of today's unsustainable systems. That's what the Little Hoover and PICPA reports are telling us: It's time to move the cheese.


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UN mission provides security as 1992 Côte d'Ivoire currency is exchanged for new
The exchange of 12-year-old Côte d'Ivoire currency for new began today in the rebel-held north of the West African country under the watchful eye of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, which was asked to help provide security for the three-day operation.
Joint UN-Côte d'Ivoire patrols start today in Abidjan to improve security
Joint United Nations and Côte d'Ivoire forces today started patrolling the West African country's major city, Abidjan, to provide security of person and property, the UN mission said today.
In Côte d'Ivoire standoff, opposition-ruled north needs humanitarian aid, UN says
With drought hitting northern farmers in divided Côte d'Ivoire and international appeals for aid funding largely ignored, United Nations programmes have received a slew of requests for food aid, safe water and medicines, while children under opposition rule there may not be allowed to take vital school examinations.
UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire funds three quick-impact social projects
A centre for former child soldiers, a project to compensate the victims of an anti-demonstration crackdown in March and a local radio station for a mayoralty were the beneficiaries of funding from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire today.
Security Council threatens Côte d'Ivoire further over ignored peace pledges
The United Nations Security Council today said it was looking for ways to toughen the arms embargo against Côte d'Ivoire and deplored the failure of all parties to fulfill their pledges under peace agreements by yesterday, a deadline set to herald expanded and automatic sanctions for a year.
Annan calls for long-term peacekeeping strategies for troubled Côte d'Ivoire
Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on the Security Council and West African regional leaders to propose new long-term strategies for Côte d'Ivoire, saying that last month's crisis highlighted the limitations of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there.
Annan welcomes renewed peace pact between opponents in Côte d'Ivoire
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the agreement by Côte d'Ivoire's opposing parties to seize the opportunity presented by South African President Thabo Mbeki's mediation and to renew their commitment to previously agreed peace accords.
Annan's Special Representative in troubled Côte d'Ivoire resigns
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in strife-torn Côte d'Ivoire has resigned, the UN spokesman said today.
UN welcomes return of Côte d'Ivoire newspapers for first time since latest unrest
In a further sign of improvement in Côte d'Ivoire, newspapers have returned to the stands for the first time since they were forced off a month ago when new violence erupted after Government forces bombed rebel positions in breach of a nearly two-year-old ceasefire, the United Nations mission reported today.
Côte d'Ivoire rebels pledge no repeat of hostile acts against UN relief flights
A senior United Nations official has obtained assurances from the rebels in Côte d'Ivoire that there will be no repetition of the kind of incident that forced the world body's emergency feeding agency to suspend flights last week after one of its planes was met with shots fired in the air, threats and hostile slogans.


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Winning Cover Letter Format
Our cover letter format shows you how to get and keep the attention of recruiters.
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Is This a Good Cover Letter Format? Let's Check
The Most Important Cover Letter Format Takeaways
You've heard the time-tested advice that selling yourself as a job candidate begins with your cover letter. It's not exactly rocket science, but you do need to write your piece of communication to be both persuasive in content and professional in tone and appearance. Skew your words too much towards formality, and you don't give recruiters a clear picture of who you are. If you sound too casual or "salesy," your letter and resume may end up in "File 13."
Striking such a balance takes effort, but it is possible. Use our cover letter format to create a compelling text that both shows your professionalism and hooks the hiring manager into reading it. We've included indispensable tips on structure and formatting along with a few pointers on content.
Below, you'll read a cover letter written by Jeff Stanhope. Jeff is a visual artist with over 20 years' experience in consulting, leadership and creative positions. As part of his efforts to move from Athens, Georgia, to live closer to his grandchildren in Ohio, he's searching for a job that matches his professional capabilities.
While Jeff is a veteran in his field, he understands the need to write an engaging cover letter as he applies for an assistant directorship position with an artists' residency program in Columbus.
Dear Dr. Washington,
How many people do you know who have curated an art exhibit with Michael Stipe?
As Assistant Director of the Reverend Howard Finster Museum, in 2016 I worked with the former lead singer of R.E.M. to create a special exhibit in tribute to our organization's namesake. Drawing from resources from Reverend Finster's estate and consulting with local Athens artists and professionals who worked closely with him during his lifetime, we crafted a three-month event that showcased his creative output.
My specific work in artwork selection, marketing, and programming:
• Generated 6,000 new annual museum memberships
• Earned $1 million in additional revenue for the museum
• Made headlines in The New York Times and the Huffington Post
I bring a blend of leadership, business management, and public relations skills, with hands-on creative experience gained from a multi-decade freelance career and my current artist's residency with the Wadsworth Jarrell Cultural Center. Your Rust Belt Residency relies heavily on the local arts culture and innovative approaches to promotions and marketing. Can we schedule a time to chat about how I can build stronger community ties and increase the Rust Belt Arts Center's revenue?
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Jeff M. Stanhope
1. Did the letter start with a professional greeting?
Of course! Our jobseeker took the time to find the appropriate person to whom he'd address his letter. Usually, a little bit of research online or a phone call to the company will uncover the right individual if the hiring manager's name is not included in the job advertisement. You'll note that he also used her proper title in his greeting.
2. Does this letter include an attention-grabbing introduction?
Absolutely! As you can see in the cover letter format example, our writer used a one-liner that would make any recruiter sit up and take notice. He presented a unique fact about his career experience—in this case, his work with someone who is a major celebrity in both the music industry and contemporary art. Employing that single sentence as a hook, he pulled the reader into a description of a project that earned his organization additional revenue, members, and notoriety.
3. Is it evident that the jobseeker told a story in his letter?
Undoubtedly. Following his catchy opening sentence, he transitioned into a narrative with specific examples of how his distinctive skills and expertise will benefit an employer. He also used it as a chance to mention special achievements he's accomplished, illustrated with bullet points listing quantifiable metrics.
4. Did the candidate show how he'd fit in the organization's culture?
Our jobseeker definitely did. Before penning his communication, he would have performed some basic research about the arts center and its residency program. He called attention to its focus on the local arts culture, which he likely may have seen in its mission statement on its website or by evaluating its social media presence. Additionally, he matched that up with his own background working with local artists and community members in his previous position.
5. Did he close his letter by asking the hiring manager to contact him?
Yes, he did! "Ending with an ask" is somewhat similar to the concept of a "call to action," used in marketing to convince readers to respond. When writing a cover letter, you need to be just as bold in encouraging the recruiter to read your resume and contact you for an interview. You see that our jobseeker balances enthusiasm with professionalism, convincing the reader to make the next move without seeming as if he's begging.
As you've now seen in this cover letter format example, there are several guidelines you'll need to follow to ensure your letter gets noticed by hiring managers for the right reasons. Beginning with a professional greeting is essential, and follow up with a killer line or dynamic opening paragraph to keep your audience reading.
Telling a story is also a vital part of your strategy, as is making sure you draw attention to a few key career accomplishments in a bullet-point list. Finally, don't forget to end your letter with an "ask." Once you've polished your communication and proofread it for grammar and spelling issues, it's ready to send. Observing these best practices results in a letter that both starts selling you as a worthy candidate and convinces the reader to look at your resume.
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By Admin / 11 Jun 2014 / No Comments
Talking to Felipe is always an enjoyable experience because he's always upbeat and laughing a lot – even when answering serious questions. (Why can't we all be like that?) Despite working long shifts, he's taken the time to participate in an interview with us. Thanks Felipe, we're as happy as you are now!
Based in Sydney, Australia, Felipe has a very positive attitude. Is it this the effect of sunshine and beaches? Or was he born this way?
Music is my nature
"My music is just the nature of the beast. It might lose its relevancy tomorrow, but we will always keep on making new music," said Felipe about his uniqueness.
He's into all sorts of art: sketching, photography and short films. Yet his all-time favourite is music as it "comes the most natural" to him when constructing moods or messages.
"I can't always get it right, but that's the challenge I love about it. Especially when it's an obscure subject and difficult to express," he said. Felipe started playing the guitar at the age of 15. He described music production as "just like breathing air."
Music is group work
One song is a combination of many different kinds of sounds that beautifully blend together. Felipe loves to explore the world of sounds and discover various mixtures. He and his partner, Uriel, make up the band Duofox.
"Uriel and I have known each other since 2005. We were friends before music partners. We started to muck about with sounds and tracks in the studio back then," he said about their relationship. "There was a long while when we both were separated because of the different responsibilities we held, but we got back together to make music again a year ago."
On making music, Felipe said is it a very much an instinctual process. "There's never really a plan on choosing what kind of sounds to put in a song except letting the environment propel my artistic constructions."
It can often be difficult to be involved in a creative process with someone else, but Felipe is happy to make music with a partner.
"When you write alone, you only have your inner critique and no one tells you when something is wrong! It takes a while to refine a part by working alone and doing well. With company, you have to be open to other ideas and vibe on the same feeling," he said.
Music is my favourite…but not marketing
When Felipe first started working with music in the late 90s, he only played guitar in a few rock bands. He then took up more roles such as singing, writing, managing different kinds of administrative work and promoting. In two years, he had written over 200 songs and 60 of them had gotten published. Now, he has his music label, LYFEIK.
LYFEIK means "music and lifestyle rolled into one, said Felipe. "It was all just a natural progression to start a music label. I credited Uriel for the name and awarded him with a cup of tea and shisha pipe."
Felipe thinks that musicians should have an open character without compromising to the moral obligations of being a human. He also thinks they should keep true to themselves and never cater to the mass industry.
Although he is aware that this is his own view, reality works in the other direction. "I love making music and totally dislike the marketing side. But I can't be too unrealistic in the world of commodities and profiteering. I try to make them both fun in my own way," he said.
Music is my inspiration
Living in Sydney may be one of the important advantages of producing music. "There are some massively talented people in the music scene of Sydney," said Felipe. "It might be at a smaller scale compared to the United States, Europe or Asia, but overall the place is a rich environment for art."
Felipe gets his inspiration from visual memory, events of his life, a distinct sound in the distance or even his dreams. He said it is a common thing with musicians to dream up a song or melody.
"My favourite bands are my friends' because I can get to understand their true emotional value behind their composition. All the little details and different emotions can be learned from their songs," he said.
"Always be careful of the music you listen to as it can set character traits within you."
Music is my future
Felipe's future is filled to the brim with plans and hope.
"I am planning to initiate some new sound projects with my good friend Nico, who has a band called Kamera Lucida," he said.
"Hopefully, I can do some shows in the United States at the end of this year," he added. Apart from the local scene in Sydney, he also has collaborations with musicians abroad.
"Oh! And of course I hope to train myself to worry less and just have fun HAHA!"
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Though this song is quite personal, the lyrics are molded to the story of the Hunger Games. If you read that book before the movie and memes, you'd probably write a song about it, too. Great story in my opinion.


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#ifndef Fennel_LogicalRecoveryLog_Included
#define Fennel_LogicalRecoveryLog_Included

#include "fennel/txn/LogicalTxnStoredStructs.h"
#include "fennel/common/PseudoUuid.h"

#include <boost/utility.hpp>
#include <hash_map>

FENNEL_BEGIN_NAMESPACE

class LogicalTxnParticipant;
class LogicalTxnParticipantFactory;

/**
 * LogicalRecoveryLog is the recovery-time counterpart to the online
 * LogicalTxnLog.
 */
class FENNEL_TXN_EXPORT LogicalRecoveryLog
    : public boost::noncopyable
{
    typedef std::hash_map<TxnId, LogicalTxnEventMemento> TxnMap;
    typedef TxnMap::iterator TxnMapIter;

    TxnMap checkpointTxnMap;

    LogicalTxnParticipantFactory &participantFactory;

    SharedSegmentFactory pSegmentFactory;

    SegmentAccessor logSegmentAccessor;

    SharedSegInputStream pInputStream;

    explicit LogicalRecoveryLog(
        LogicalTxnParticipantFactory &participantFactory,
        SegmentAccessor const &logSegmentAccessor,
        PseudoUuid const &onlineUuid,
        SharedSegmentFactory pSegmentFactory);

    void redoTxn(
        LogicalTxnEventMemento const &commitMemento,
        LogicalTxnEventMemento const *pCheckpointMemento,
        SharedSegInputStream pTxnInputStream);

    void undoTxn(
        LogicalTxnEventMemento const &checkpointMemento,
        SharedSegInputStream pTxnInputStream);

    SharedSegInputStream openLongLogStream(TxnId txnId);

public:
    /**
     * Opens a LogicalRecoveryLog stored in the given
     * segment.
     *
     * @param participantFactory factory for reloading instances of
     * LogicalTxnParticipant
     *
     * @param logSegmentAccessor accessor for segment containing log data
     *
     * @param onlineUuid UUID associated with log instance while it was online
     *
     * @param pSegmentFactory SegmentFactory to use for accessing long log
     * segments
     *
     * @return shared_ptr to new LogicalRecoveryLog
     */
    static SharedLogicalRecoveryLog newLogicalRecoveryLog(
        LogicalTxnParticipantFactory &participantFactory,
        SegmentAccessor const &logSegmentAccessor,
        PseudoUuid const &onlineUuid,
        SharedSegmentFactory pSegmentFactory);

    virtual ~LogicalRecoveryLog();
    void recover(LogicalTxnLogCheckpointMemento const &memento);

    /**
     * Gets the relative filename for a long transaction log.  This is
     * deterministic based on the TxnId.
     *
     * @param txnId the TxnId of the transaction
     */
    static std::string getLongLogFileName(TxnId txnId);
};

FENNEL_END_NAMESPACE

#endif

// End LogicalRecoveryLog.h


iPhone 8 – Why does it exist?
As we saw over the past week, the iPhone 8's sales have been terrible due to the iPhone X, which most iOS fans are probably holding out for. In return, since Apple announced its new iPhones, we have been continuously hearing this question a lot, whether online or from friends, "Why did Apple make the iPhone 8?". Well, it is really simple.
I have to point out, those inclined to buy an iPhone 8 are actually buying a 3-year-old looking phone when compared to most of its competitors, and so iPhone X is always going to be the better option. Because of that, you're probably better off buying the iPhone 7, and saving some money.
So, with all that said, what's good about the iPhone 8? While the new portrait photo features might be fun (and good), I don't believe they are the type of features users will be continuously using. Or perhaps it's just me.
I can't be excited about the wireless charging either, as we have had it for a long time now. Well, yes I am… as this probably means that we will see the feature being adopted everywhere now. In Lebanon, probably not, but here's to hoping… But as a "new" feature in a new phone, no… not that exciting.
The only thing that truly impressed me over anything that this phone offers, or any other phone for that matter, is its A11 Bionic chip. The chip is super fast when compared with others in the market right now. Below you can find a photo taken from SuperSaf's recent "iPhone 8 Plus vs. Note 8 speed test" video, which clearly shows the huge difference in benchmark numbers. But again, if you ask me, this speed difference doesn't really matter. As long as you have a 2017 flagship phone, you're probably not going to notice, or care for a 2 second faster loading phone. The only way such speed will really be noticeable is when you put these phones up against each other and run 5+ apps, one after the other. Otherwise, the video actually shows that in most cases the iPhone 8 Plus is faster by a couple of seconds only, which doesn't really give the iPhone an edge over other flagships. Whether it does in the long run, remains debatable.
Previous postGalaxy S8 and Note 8 users can now disable the Bixby button.
Glad you like it. Thank you for commenting!


In contrast to our work with individuals, we wanted to tackle the problem of meaningful work from the supply side. Making Good @ Work was a year-long research project aimed at uncovering the challenges and tangible strategies companies could implement to offer their employees more meaningful jobs. The project was funded in part by the Ontario Labour Market Partnership and involved a meta-literature survey and interviews with over two dozen companies and consultancies dealing with the challenges of making workplaces 21st century friendly.
How are millennials shaping the 21st century workplace?


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International National Politics social World
RERA Act's intent – Home buyers should be aware: RERA Chairman Mr. Disa
RERA President Anthony Disa has said that RERA Act has been made keeping in mind the interests of home buyers. He said that the intention of the Act cannot be fulfilled without making the home buyer aware. Mr. Disa said that this is a social responsibility that fulfills the dreams of the needy. Important role and participation of legal experts is necessary in this work. Mr. Disa was addressing a workshop on 'Real Estate Regulation and Development Act' here today.
this is a social responsibility that fulfills the dreams of the needy.
Mr. Disa said that it is necessary for the real estate sector to follow RERA rules. He said that the RERA Act is the key to the success of the residential sector. The Act is citizen centered but not against builders. With the coming of RERA Act in the state, the real estate sector has changed radically. He said that the changes that will bring about this will increase the demand in the market with more buyers from the builders. On time, buyers will be able to get preferred accommodation from their hard earned money. The RERA president said that real state is an important component contributing to the Indian economy. With this social needs are fulfilled and the economy gets a boost.
The second session speaker Prateek Jain, Apoorva Taran Jain Law Associate, discussed the basic nature of RERA, the state of marketization. He made the home buyers aware of the protective aspects of RERA and the powers of the Act by clarifying the exact condition of the overall effect of RERA Act.
radicallyreal estaterera
Youth is the responsibility of the youth in the country: OP Singh
Why Vikram crashed, the address-landing program mess broke all expectations
Two day state level corn festival starts in Chhindwara
Publisher December 16, 2019 December 16, 2019
Injury photo of actor Eli Avram getting viral in Bollywood
Actor Suniel Shetty for a picture during the store launch of 'GM-Occhio'
Publisher February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020


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H2020 program
TRANSNATIONAL R&D
Benjamin Costas Refojos
Leader Institution
CIIMAR-UP
Animal Health and Aquaculture
INFLAMMAA: Unraveling neuro-endocrine/immune modulatory roles of tryptophan during inflammation
The concept of maintaining animal health through the best possible nutrition is well-accepted in modern animal farming. The new concept of functional amino acids (AA) is arising in the nutritional immunology field, and are defined as those AA that participate in and regulate key metabolic pathways to improve, for instance, health and survival in organisms. Tryptophan in particular have known roles in the improvement of the immune response to infection and recent evidence indicate that several immune mechanisms are influenced by its availability. Still, the role of tryptophan on brain activation and cell-mediated immune mechanisms involved in the response and resolution of inflammation still needs further attention in fish. This is particularly true for the aquaculture industry, where few therapeutic possibilities are available against infectious episodes. The main goal of the present project is to provide a better understanding of the underpinning neuro-endocrine and immune machinery of fish fed tryptophan supplements and to deliver a deeper understanding of the basic mechanisms involved during inflammation using the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) as a model. The INFLAMAA project also aims to gather information on the transcriptome of fish undergoing acute and chronic inflammatory events and to propose biomarkers for applications in fish health management. The INFLAMAA team will use an innovative multidisciplinary approach that aims to explore the links between tryptophan nutrition, immune function and endocrine-immune plasticity. Underlying mechanisms will be addressed by localising key elements of the opioid system, autophagy-lysosomal signalling pathway and inflammation in the headkidney and leucocytes, and expression of genes controlling aspects of neuro-endocrine and immune systems in the brain, head-kidney and peripheral cells and tissues. Additionally, peripheral metabolic changes in European seabass submitted to acute and chronic inflammatory insults will be studied in the liver. An innovative approach will assess tryptophan digestibility and utilisation during the onset of inflammation while high-throughput sequencing will assess the European seabass transcriptome during acute and chronic inflammation. The INFLAMAA project assembled an innovative research strategy to include tryptophan supplements in functional feeds in order to improve welfare and survival in farmed European seabass. Through a practical point of view, the outcome of this project is to design dietary therapeutic interventions in order to increase disease resistance in fish. The expected impact of the INFLAMAA project is to deepen our knowledge on the interactions of tryptophan nutrition and inflammation. Nowadays, few studies have demonstrated clear links between AA nutrition and endocine/immune functioning or other key welfare aspects in fish. Ultimately, transcriptome analyses will be suited for the identification of new biomarkers for fish health assessment.
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4450-208 Matosinhos
secretariado@ciimar.up.pt
© CIIMAR 2022


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Grand Opening Celebrates 73 Affordable Rental Apartments for Seniors who Experienced Homelessness with Chronic Health Issues
SDHC's homelessness action plan, HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, supported the development of Trinity Place
SAN DIEGO, CA — After intermittent homelessness in the past, including two years at a women's shelter program in San Diego, Melanie moved into a permanent affordable home of her own this month at Trinity Place, developed in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) to provide furnished affordable studios with supportive services for seniors who experienced homelessness with chronic health issues.
"It's amazing. When they said I got matched with housing, they never told me how nice it was going to be," Melanie said. "It's very important to have these opportunities. The housing is just over the top, being able to have your own home, not worrying about where you're going to be the next day, what you're going to do."
Developed by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation in collaboration with SDHC and additional organizations, Trinity Place celebrated its grand opening today. It is located at 6240 Mission Gorge Road in the Grantville neighborhood in City Council District 7.
"If we ever forget that what we're doing is helping individuals who've been looking for help for a long time, we've really lost our way. And I'm so glad that all of the funders, all the partners, and, of course, Wakeland, have recognized that we are helping human beings in this process," said San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents Council District 7. "The beauty of this building right here, where we really need it in Grantville, the curb appeal that makes people want to drive through and support the small businesses, this is important for every aspect of our economy, for our social fabric, and I am honored to support it."
SDHC supported the Trinity Place development through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC's homelessness action plan. The 73 permanent supportive housing units at Trinity Place are among 9,800 housing solutions HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO has created in less than seven years for San Diegans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, with another 500 housing units approved and pending completion.
"These particular apartments are a source of hope for San Diego. Who will be living here are many seniors who have come in here with health issues from living on the streets for years, and this kind of property is exactly what they need to make their lives whole," SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said. "Trinity Place will now provide a home they can afford along with services that they need."
SDHC awarded 73 federal rental housing vouchers to help the residents of Trinity Place pay their rent. These vouchers are tied to the units so that when a tenant moves, the voucher remains to help another senior experiencing homelessness.
SDHC also awarded a $700,000 development loan that consists of federal and local funds SDHC administers for the City of San Diego:
$500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME Investment Partnership Program; and
$200,000 from the City of San Diego's Affordable Housing Fund.
Trinity Place will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors age 55 and older with extremely low income (up to 30 percent of San Diego's Area Median Income). The development also includes a manager's unit with no affordability restrictions.
The County of San Diego invested a loan of $2.7 million toward the development from the Special Needs Housing Program funded by the State of California Mental Health Services Act.
"We are really committed to being at the forefront, being really great partners, and committing our resources, our policy attention and our energy to figuring how we can bring transformative, lasting solutions to this sector," said Jeffrey Yeun, Senior Advisor for County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. "I think this is just a great, it's a testament to all of the hard work everyone's done here to be able to actually get homes built, and I think that's something we're very excited about and want to see a lot more of."
The apartments at Trinity Place include adaptable accommodations, such as bathroom grab bars, large door handles, and easy-to-open cabinets. They also include features for residents with hearing and vision impairments. A designated curbside pickup area next to the main lobby will help residents easily access service provider transportation. Additional service provider van parking spaces and pickup areas are available in the garage.
"Wakeland is all about the success of our residents," Wakeland Housing CEO Ken Sauder said. "And likewise, here at Trinity Place, we have built a facility that will help the residents succeed, and we're also providing the services that will also help them to succeed."
Residents are offered supportive services that promote health, housing stability and individual well-being. Service providers are: People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), St. Paul's Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Community Research Foundation (CRF) Senior Impact; and Alpha Project Home Finders.
"We're a proud provider of supportive services here at Trinity Place. This collaborative model provides senior residents with the social, emotional, and medical assistance they need that is life-changing," PATH Senior Regional Director Jonathan Castillo said.
"If you are living under the bridge or living in the park, you cannot be worried about your diabetes or your heart disease. But moving into a beautiful place like this, with support from the agencies that are here to support and to serve, these people can turn their lives around, get their health under control, get their medical conditions taken care of, and that's what we are here to do at St. Paul's PACE," said Cheryl Wilson, CEO of St. Paul's Senior Services.
Additional amenities at Trinity Place include parcel lockers in the lobby, a landscaped courtyard with seating areas, a nursing office, an exercise room and a community room for resident gatherings and workshops.
Representatives from the offices of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, California State Assemblymember Akilah Weber, and County Supervisor Joel Anderson also attended today's grand opening.
The total development cost for the development was $34.2 million. Additional financing partners included the California Housing Finance Agency, Civic San Diego, Wells Fargo and the California Community Reinvestment Corporation.
For more information, visit www.sdhc.org
Scott Marshall
San Diego Housing Commission
Let's get you there…
COVID-19 Housing Stability Assistance Program Help with my rent An affordable rental home Help finding employment Help moving with my voucher Rental assistance waiting list Homeless housing assistance Business opportunities with SDHC Landlord incentives Development funding First-time homebuyer assistance Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) SDHC meeting dates and times Careers at SDHC Public records Forms and Documents Contact SDHC


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Asia offers huge payoff for Canadian LNG producers
By Mark Milke on April 28, 2021 No Comment
Anti-gas advocates who claim otherwise are daft
By Mark Milke
and Ven Venkatachalam
Canadian Energy Centre
If you've heard that Canada should skip plans to export natural gas to Asia, including from a few anti-oil-and-gas academics, you'll notice one theme pops up: how Canadian firms really shouldn't waste their time because there's no money in it.
This reasoning is daft. If there were no profit potential, energy firms would figure it out or go broke trying. The attempt to warn off Canadian energy companies is a transparent attempt by anti-oil-and-gas advocates to find yet another reason to bash one of Canada's biggest employers and providers of tax revenues to all levels of government.
Mark Milke
Natural gas prices vary considerably between what Canadian producers garner at home versus what it sells for in Asia. That premium has long been known by energy firms in countries such as Qatar and Australia, which is why they have long sold their gas into Asia.
To see this, let's first compare natural gas prices in Canada with the American market. The U.S. is Canada's only natural gas export market due to a lack of liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants on Canadian coasts.
In Canada, 18 LNG projects have been proposed. However, only one is under construction due to delays caused by regulatory and financial barriers over the years, along with anti-natural-gas activism. Australia has 16 LNG terminals, Qatar has 12, and the U.S. has seven.
Between 1990 and 2019, American (Henry Hub) and Canadian (AECO-C) natural gas spot trading prices closely tracked each other.
The tightest price gap was in 2008 when U.S. natural gas sold for US$8.85 per million British thermal unit (BTU), just 11 per cent higher than the US$7.99 Canadian natural gas fetched that year.
The largest percentage gap between the two countries was in 2018, when U.S. natural gas sold for US$3.13 per million BTU, 179 per cent higher than the US$1.12 average fire-sale price in Canada that year. But even then, the difference in pricing between Canada and the U.S. was just $2.
Ven Venkatachalam
Between 2000 and 2019, average natural gas prices in Asia have been significantly higher than in Canada most years. The exceptions were in 2003 when Asian spot prices were just three per cent higher, and in 2005, when they were three per cent lower than in Canada.
In every other year, natural gas sold for a premium in Asia compared to Canada.
Using AECO-C natural gas prices for Canada and the LNG Asia average, in 2012 natural gas sold for US$2.27 per million BTU in Canada and US$18.15 in Asia. Asia's price was $15.88 more, fully 699 per cent higher.
In 2018, when Canada's natural gas prices were rock-bottom, the largest percentage gap between Canada and Asia was evident. Natural gas sold for just US$1.12 per million BTU in Canada and for US$9.80 in Asia. That was an $8.68 difference or 775 per cent higher.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Attempts to discredit LNG miss the mark by Brad Hayes
This large price gap between Canada and Asia has been obvious for over a decade and is reflected in specific markets.
Since 1990 in Japan, prices for LNG were higher than Canada's gas prices in all but 2003 and 2005. In every other year, natural gas prices in Japan were higher – from three per cent in 2004 to 797 per cent in 2018. The highest dollar gap year for prices was 2012 when natural gas sold for US$2.27 per million BTU in Canada and US$16.75 in Japan, a $14.48 or 638 per cent difference.
In South Korea, where data are available only since 2009, prices for natural gas have always been above Canada's. The range was between US$1.90 and US$13.63 more per million BTU (in 2009 and 2013, respectively). As a percentage, natural gas prices in South Korea have ranged from 56 per cent more in 2009 to 771 per cent higher in 2018.
Western Canada has several cost advantages over other LNG-exporting countries such as the U.S., Qatar and Australia.
Shipping costs to Japan from Canada are estimated at 99 cents to $1.09 per million BTU. That compares to $1.50 to $1.54 per million BTU from Qatar and $2.40 to $2.45 per million BTU from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
This is explained in part by distances: Qatar is 11,773 km from the Japanese port of Himeji and 12,056 km from Sodegaura. Canada's westernmost port, Kitimat, B.C., is 7,698 km from Himeji and 7,322 km from Sodegaura.
All of these are distinct Canadian advantages. So if you hear an anti-gas advocate claim Canadian energy companies should avoid Asian markets, know this: they haven't run honest numbers.
Mark Milke and Ven Venkatachalam are with the Canadian Energy Centre, an Alberta government corporation funded in part by carbon taxes. They are authors of Canada's LNG Opportunity in the Asia-Pacific Natural Gas Market.
Mark and Ven are among our Thought Leaders. For interview requests, click here.
Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.
LNG, Natural Gas, Trade
Asia offers huge payoff for Canadian LNG producers added by Mark Milke on April 28, 2021
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Kasey Croshaw
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Kasey is a legal assistant by profession and a writer by calling. He is a graduate of the University of Utah. Kasey has been publishing gay romance novels and short stories for several years.
Writing is a personal and, sometimes, frustrating endeavor. Nevertheless, he works to craft ideas and real-life experiences into compelling story lines that deliver an intended impact. His writing spans the gamut of emotions from humor to love to tears and, especially, romance and sexual gratification. His books are meant to entertain and titillate.
Kasey and his husband have been together for over 40 years and were legally married in June 2014, in Vancouver, Washington. Kasey and his husband are part of an extensive Italian-American family.
© Kasey Croshaw 2019.


The first thing that must be acknowledged about Rattner's keynote is that it represents a symbolic endorsement of the singularity from a major player in the technology industry. Believers in the singularity are sometimes seen as crazy or over optimistic, but with Rattner's keynote it is clear that the idea of a singularity occurring in this century is gaining serious momentum.
In this segment Rattner discusses with Dr. Garner how the industry will be able to continue the doubling of computing capacity every year as it has done for the last 40 years. With current technology at the 32 nanometer scale, we are fast approaching limits on how small we can get with current semiconductor technology. Dr. Garner suggests a number of technologies and ideas for overcoming this hurdle (trigate transistors, quantum computing, carbon nanotubes, etc.), but in our opinion none of these ideas are new and no new light is shed on how and when any of these technologies will become a reality.
Brian discusses a collaboration between Intel and UCSB to combine the speed and bandwidth offered by light (photonics) with the versatility and mass production capabilities of silicon. This marriage between silicon and photonics could offer a host of new capabilities and advantages in the future including huge bandwidth, decreased cost, and decreased energy consumption. Intel has a pretty good website dedicated to this entire technology here.
Dr. Rabaey predicts that we will have 1000 radios per person in 10 years! This was the most interesting idea offered during Dr. Rabaey's presentation and is definitely an exciting vision of what the future may hold. Dr. Rabaey stated that the three major problems with a massively wireless world are limited radio spectrum, limited energy for radio devices, and too many standards. Dr. Rabaey offers intresting ideas for overcoming these problems, but from our view this is simply a focus on improving the efficiency and the intelligence of how radios communicate. What we fail to see in this presentation is any revolutionary technology or capability for the future.
Wireless power transmission technology debuted about a year or so ago, but nonetheless it is a stunning concept and the demo was great to see. Alanson was able to send 60W of energy wirelessly across a distance of two feet to power up a light bulb. Approximately 25% of the energy is lost during transmission, which is pretty good (Alanson claims this is more efficient than many wall warts)! From the standpoint of the singularity one of the more interesting applications of this technology would be the ability to recharge or power up devices that have been implanted into the human body. Jordan Robertson from the Associated Press in a recent article gives us more in depth information about the technology, and reveals that 90% efficiency of power transmission has actually been achieved at a distance of 3 feet.
David and Sidd demonstrate a robot named Herb that can enter an environment and autonomously find, navigate to, and then pickup any coffee cups in the vicinity. Many people underestimate the difficulty in such a task, but in truth it is actually quite difficult for robots to replicate the human ability to navigate a new and unknown environment that is also changing as people and other objects within it move. Herb did a commendable job of performing his task, but overall this demonstration is similar to many other projects occurring all over the world, most notably the DARPA Urban Challenge which is referenced during the presentation.
Our Take: Now This is Revolutionary!
Josh presents to us something completely novel, a sixth sense called pretouch in which a robot uses electric fields to sense its environment. The inspiration for this technology comes from certain species of fish that have this same capability. In the demonstration a robotic hand was able to use pretouch to create a 3 dimensional spatial model of an apple that it was presented with. The robotic hand was then able to grab the apple based upon this dynamically generated model. The entire task was performed without the aid of cameras (for vision) or any other conventional senses. MIT Technology Review wrote an article about pretouch nearly a year ago and it is a good place to start if you want to learn more. Pretouch gives us a glimpse of a future in which humans and robots will have capabilities that are completely different and novel from those that we have today.
Emotiv demonstrates one of the most practical and well developed noninvasive neural interface applications we have seen. In the demonstration a human plays a game in which he is able to scare creatures away, change colors of the game, and even move objects (though with noticeable difficulty) simply by thinking alone. The gamer is wearing a helmet that detects electric field fluctuations emanating from his skull and these fluctuations are translated into actions within the game. Emotiv shows us a really cool possibility for enhancing gaming interfaces and a compelling pathway to many other novel applications. Despite this, we are only marginally excited about this technology because noninvasive neural interfacing is a poor substitute for the capabilities offered by truly invasive, direct neural interfacing. Noninvasive neural interfacing is error prone and limited in its ability to extract human intention. Lets go straight to the source and focus on direct neural interfaces into the brain…that is where the true link to human intention will be revealed.
Jason Campbell presents an Intel initiative to build shape shifting materials composed of building blocks called catoms. Intel's latest catom prototypes are currently 1/10 of millimeter in diameter nanobots with their own microprocessors and actuators that are capable of changing their color and other properties. Jason presents us with the vision of a matchbox sized cell phone composed of thousands or even millions of catoms that can morph on demand into a nearly full sized keyboard. Catom based shape shifting technology is still in the very early research phase and there does not seem to be any real world example of this technology to date. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to see real progress being made in a technology that has captured the imagination of science fiction writers for decades.


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Il Blockhaus, chiamato anche Neustädter Wache, è un edificio situato a Dresda in Germania.

L'edificio si trova a Neustädter Markt a pochi metri dal Cavaliere dorato.

Progettato dall'architetto Zacharias Longuelune, la costruzione iniziò il 3 agosto 1732 e fu completato nel 1737.

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

 Sito ufficiale

Architetture di Dresda