text:
The Vega Ancestral House is one of the 1st Transition Bahay na Bato inspired houses that has remained standing and has witnessed the different colonial periods of the Philippines through its estimated 200 years of existence. Sculpted wooden Atlases are perhaps the most interesting feature of this house that is located in Poblacion, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. Sculpted wooden atlases, known as "Oti-ot" in the Visayan language, provide support to the second floor protrusion of the house. This house is one important structure in the locality that tourists usually come to visit. Notable personalities like Emilio Aguinaldo and Sergio Osmeña had visited this house.

History
In the 1800s, a young merchant from San Nicolas in Cebu by the name of Ignacio Juan Vega settled in Northern Mindanao at a small town now called Balingasag, then named Galas. It was through Vega that the Cebuano devotion to the Sto. Nino was introduced to the townsfolk of Balingasag. Aside from this cultural practice that he imparted, he also left behind a heritage house that is considered these days as one of the most important landmarks that can be found in Misamis Oriental.

The house also witnessed the political endeavor of its owners. The first town executive came from the Vega Clan in the person of Faustino Vega. He was known in that time as presidente local under the short-lived First Philippine Republic (1898-1903). Melquiades Vega, the son of Faustino Vega, served as the first presidente local under the American Regime (1903-1928).

Though there are no existing documents that would trace back to a specific year when this house was constructed, several attempts by heritage advocates to document this house and as well as bloggers and the local townsfolk say that this house was built in the 1800s.

House features

It is noteworthy to mention that the house is designed with sculpted wooden men that act as support structures to the protruding second floor of the house. Unlike what other feature writers would say, there are only three wooden men that exist. There is one corner where no wooden men structure can be seen. In other words, each corner of the house is not represented by an atlas as what several travel bloggers would state in their blogs and articles.

There are also misconceptions regarding the three sculpted wooden structures of men. Others say that this is a paradigm of slavery while others would say that this is inspired by the atlas icon that symbolizes the man carrying the world. The true account on this, according to Dr. Antonio J. Montalvan II and with reference to the genealogy of the Vega Clan, is that the three sculptures represent the three sons of Ignacio Juan Vega, namely Santos (married to Valentina Roa, Juana Valmores), Pedro (married to Benita Salvacion), and Gregorio.

The house uses "molave" tree and "balayong" as the primary building material. It can also be observed that the house has large beams or pillars that act as support to the overall stability of the house structure. Each pillar is placed alongside the corners, in between the corners and along the center of the house. Its walls are designed like woven abaca, called "Uway" (English: rattan) in visayan as that is colored in yellow.  The house still uses the traditional "Banggera" (English:Sink) which is used as window shelf for kitchen wares and utensils and tub for washing at present.

Another notable feature of the house is its uppermost portion which still uses the classical cogon for the roof. It further classifies the house under the 1st Transition of Bahay na bato aside from its emerging stone works at the bottom part of the house.

Another feature of the house can also be observed in its support beams that are decorated with the chambered nautilus motif.

One can conclude that the owner of the house used the best quality of materials during its construction as is evidenced by the house which has withstood the tests of time through centuries. Consequently, this heritage structure is one of the primary attractions to tourists and outsiders who come to visit the rich historical center (Poblacion) of Balingasag.

Tourism

The coffee table books and glossy calendars (the latest one being the 2006 Shell calendar ["Homes of our Heritage"] help in the provision of a constant stream of onlookers and curio watchers which improve the local tourism statistics of the municipality.

According to Ms. Nanette Vega, the local tourism authority wishes to acquire the house through legal processes so as to maintain and preserve the house and open it as a tourism hotspot. Ms. Nanette and the Vega clan decline the proposal for sentimental reasons. While they admit that they find it hard to maintain the house -- especially the cost incurred for the maintenance -- they prefer to take care of the house than lose ownership to the local tourism authority. However, the house is still open for walk-in tourists, and those who wish to have a visit of the house may do so by appointment basis.

One highlight of this house that adds to its fame is its association with the late Maria Clara Vega Jimenez - mother of the famous television personality Inday Badiday and Philippine Daily Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez Magsanoc. However, it is wrong to refer to it as the "Jimenez House" because the Jimenez was just one branch of the Vega Clan. It is locally known by its correct name, "Vega House".

Common misconception also regarding this house is its connection with the late and famous bygone child star Julie Vega because of her "Vega" stage surname which is in reality is Julie Pearl Apostol Postigo. This widespread rumor among those who are not familiar enough with the house is still erroneously passed up to these present times.

Present Times

As of the present days, the first floor of the house is being utilized as a restaurant/carinderia. The store opens as early as 6:00 in the morning and closes at 7:00 in the evening. Part of the income from the store is used for the maintenance of the house.

Neighboring Heritage Houses

See also
Ancestral houses of the Philippines

References

External links
"Weekend Getaway: The Vega House, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental", travel blog with photos
"The Vega Ancestral House in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental", travel blog with photos
"The Vega House: An Ancestral House in Balingasag", travel blog with photos
"I love balingasag" photo

Heritage Houses in the Philippines
Buildings and structures in Misamis Oriental

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Attendees will receive a 20% on their purchases that evening.


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text:
District of Columbia National HIV Behavioral Surveillance
Award Number: NU62PS924759
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER FOR PREVENTION SERVICES
An estimated 1.7% (n=12,161) of the resident population in the District of Columbia is living with HIV based on case report and laboratory data collected as part of routine disease surveillance activities. In 2020, 217 individuals were newly diagnosed with HIV in the District, marking an 83% decrease from the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases documented in 2007 (n=1,374). Unfortunately, such declines have not been consistent across all populations, contributing to persistent demographic disparities in the risk and burden of HIV infection within the District. While a 46% decline in the number of newly diagnosed cases was observed within the Black population over the past five years, only a 37% decline was observed within the Latino population compared to a 41.5% decline within the White population over the same time period. Overall, Black men who have sex with men (MSM)/Black MSM who also engaged in injection drug use (IDU) and Black heterosexual women accounted for 34% and 15.5%, respectively, of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the District from 2016 through 2020 (n=1,586), followed by Black heterosexual men (9%), and White (9%) and Latino (8%) MSM/IDU. While likely underestimated due to the limitations of surveillance data, approximately 3% of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the District from 2016 through 2020 occurred within the transgender community. Slightly over 50% of all individuals living in the District diagnosed with HIV are 50 years of age or older; however, newly diagnosed HIV cases tend to occur within younger age cohorts. From 2016 through 2020, approximately 34% of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the District occurred among those aged 20 to 29, with individuals aged 30 to 39 accounting for the second largest proportion (28%) of newly diagnosed HIV cases. Geographically, the highest HIV burden and rates of new infection are observed in the southeast region of the District, comprised of Wards 5,6, 7, and 8. The HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, & TB Administration (HAHSTA) within the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) recently initiated the DC Ends HIV Plan outlining HIV prevention and treatment strategies targeted towards ensuring that 95% of HIV positive District residents are aware of their status; 95% of District residents diagnosed with HIV are in treatment; 95% of District residents living with HIV who are in treatment are virally suppressed; and over 13,000 District residents at high-risk for HIV infection are engaged in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) utilization. By the end of 2030, the District has a target of fewer than 130 new HIV diagnoses per year. The National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system has been an integral tool for identifying HIV-related risk behaviors among specific populations. Since 2006, the DC Health HAHSTA has successfully conducted NHBS through its Public Health-Academic Partnership with The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GW). This progress report describes the implementation of PWID2022, MSM2023, PWID2024, HET2025, and MSM2026, as specified in the funding announcement. Implementation and data use will be based on past successful practices, as well as adding new capacity within the Partnership. Funding of this proposal will enable HAHSTA to collect data for the development, monitoring and evaluation of innovative prevention strategies in DC.
2023 2023 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF 899 NORTH CAPITOL ST NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 00 2 12/6/2022 NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION $565,617
2023 2022 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF Address Line 1 Not Available Washington DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 04 1 10/19/2022 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENT ( + OR - ) (DISCRETIONARY OR BLOCK AWARDS) $0
2023 2022 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF 899 NORTH CAPITOL ST NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 00 2 12/6/2022 NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION $0
2022 2022 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF 899 North Capitol St Ne Washington DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 01 1 1/31/2022 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENT ( + OR - ) (DISCRETIONARY OR BLOCK AWARDS) $0
2022 2022 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF 899 NORTH CAPITOL ST NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 03 1 5/18/2022 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENT ( + OR - ) (DISCRETIONARY OR BLOCK AWARDS) $98,630
2022 2022 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GOVERNMENT OF 899 North Capitol St Ne Washington DC 20002 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance 00 1 12/16/2021 NEW $479,410

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
BASIC RESEARCH ON MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL BIOLOGY
RELEASE DATE:  March 6, 2002
RFA:  HL-02-018
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
(http://www.nia.nih.gov)
LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE: May 15, 2002
APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: June 20, 2002
THIS RFA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
o Purpose of this RFA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism of Support
o Funds Available
o Eligible Institutions
o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Special Requirements
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Letter of Intent
o Submitting an Application
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Receipt and Review Schedule
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations:
PURPOSE OF THIS RFA
Preclinical studies suggest mesenchymal stem cells facilitate hematopoietic
stem cell transplantation while decreasing immune rejection of allogeneic
transplants.  In addition, mesenchymal stem cells have been demonstrated to
differentiate into a variety of non-hematopoietic tissues including bone,
cartilage, tendon, fat, skeletal and cardiac muscle, and early progenitors of
neural cells.  The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and National
Institute on Aging invite applications on basic research on mesenchymal stem
cell biology that will provide the basis for clinical application to
hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Mesenchymal stem cells are pluripotent progenitor cells located in bone
marrow that can differentiate into a variety of non-hematopoietic tissues
including bone, cartilage, tendon, fat, muscle, and early progenitors of
neural cells.  However, mesenchymal stem cells have not been shown to produce
blood cells.  Preclinical and early clinical safety studies are paving the
way for further applications of these cells in the field of transplantation
with respect to hematopoietic support, immunoregulation, graft facilitation,
and potentially gene therapy.   Preclinical studies suggest mesenchymal stem
cells may enhance the ability of the bone marrow microenviornment to support
hematopoiesis after stem cell transplantation.  Moreover, an important role
in immunoregulation is suggested by reports that these cells can suppress T
cell activation without inducing allogeneic anergy.  These findings may have
important applications for stem cell transplantation, organ transplantation,
and other regenerative and reparative therapies.
The therapeutic implication of these studies for hematopoietic and non-
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is tremendous.  However, the ability
to identify the most appropriate population and assay methods that
characterize the clinical potential of candidate human mesenchymal stem cells
are currently lacking.  Isolation and characterization standards would permit
the comparison of results and this would significantly enhance multi-
disciplinary, collaborative approaches to these important problems.  Studies
in this area will help ensure that future clinical protocols will be based on
a solid foundation of basic science.  The scope of this RFA also includes
applications that address the undefined lineage relationship of hematopoietic
and mesenchymal stem cells.  In addition, comparative studies of mesenchymal
stem cells and postnatal stem cells are also encouraged.  However, the scope
of the RFA is not limited to the areas defined above and research
applications addressing other important areas of mesenchymal cell biology are
encouraged.
Examples of research areas of interest:
o Basic mesenchymal stem cell biology.
o Studies defining the lineage relationship between mesenchymal stem cells
and other stem cells.
o Novel markers for mesenchymal stem cell identification to enhance isolation
and purification and to facilitate ex vivo stem cell expansion systems.
o Refinement of cellular culture systems and elucidation of the molecular
events that permit ex vivo expansion of mesenchymal stem cells.
o Identification and characterization of functional, molecular regulators of
mesenchymal stem cell self-renewal and commitment.
o In vivo and in vitro assay systems for human mesenchymal stem cells.
o Role of growth factors, cytokines, receptors, transmembrane signaling,
marrow microenvironment, and adhesive proteins in mesenchymal stem cell
interactions and hematopoiesis.
o Identification and characterization of mechanisms by which mesenchymal stem
cells increase stem cell engraftment.
o Histocompatibility and allo-interactions, mechanism of induction of
transplant tolerance, minimizing the graft vs. host effect and graft
rejection for organ and cellular transplants of heart, lung, or blood
tissues.
o Studies on the biology of mesenchymal stem cells in aging including changes
in potential, population dynamics, mobilization, and interaction with the
aging environment.
o Basic research studies to develop future mesenchymal stem cell therapies to
correct genetic diseases or for repair or regeneration of tissue or organ
damage.
o Basic research studies to develop future gene therapy approaches using
mesenchymal stem cells as targets for gene insertion and long-term expression
of normal genes using viral and non-viral approaches to gene transduction.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
This RFA will use NIH R01 award mechanism.  As an applicant you will be
solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed
project.  This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Future unsolicited,
competing-continuation applications based on this project will compete with
all investigator-initiated applications and will be reviewed according to the
customary peer review procedures. The anticipated award date is April 1,
This RFA uses just-in-time concepts.  It also uses the modular budgeting
format. (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).
The two participating Institutes intends to commit approximately $ 2,400,000
to fund 5 to 6 new competitive grants in response to this RFA. An applicant
may request a project period of up to four years and a budget for direct
costs of up to $ 250,000 per year. Because the nature and scope of the
proposed research will vary from application to application, it is
anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although
the financial plans of the sponsoring Institutes provide support for this
program, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of
funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. At
this time, it is not known if this RFA will be reissued.
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS
You may submit (an) application(s) if your institution has any of the
following characteristics:
o For-profit or non-profit organizations
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals,
and laboratories
o Units of State and local governments
o Eligible agencies of the Federal government
o Domestic or foreign
INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry
out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution to
develop an application for support.  Individuals from underrepresented racial
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always
encouraged to apply for NIH programs.
ANNUAL INVESTIGATOR MEETINGS:  Upon initiation of the program, the NHLBI and
NIA will sponsor joint annual meetings to encourage the exchange of
information among investigators who participate in this program, perhaps in
conjunction with other Institute sponsored stem cell programs.  In the
preparation of the budget for the grant application, applicants should
Include travel funds for the one meeting each year to be held in Bethesda,
Maryland.  Applicants should also include a statement in the applications
indicating their willingness to participate in such meetings.
WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES
We encourage inquiries concerning this RFA and welcome the opportunity to
answer questions from potential applicants.  Inquiries may fall into two
areas:  scientific/research and financial or grants management issues:
o Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:
Dr. John W. Thomas
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
Two Rockledge Centre, Room 10154
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD  20892-7950
Telephone:  (301) 435-0050
FAX:  (301) 451-5453
Email:  ThomasJ@nhlbi.nih.gov
Dr. Jill L. Carrington
Biology of Aging Program
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 2C231
Bethesda, MD   20892
Email:  CarringtonJ@nia.nih.gov
o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:
6701 Rockledge Drive / Room 7154 / Mail Stop 7926
Email:  WhiteSA@nhlbi.nih.gov
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes
the following information:
o Descriptive title of the proposed research
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator
o Names of other key personnel
o Participating institutions
o Number and title of this RFA
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not
enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it
contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan
the review.
The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed at the beginning of
this document.  The letter of intent should be sent to:
Anne P. Clark, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Affairs
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7178 (MSC 7924)
Bethesda, MD  20892-7924 (20817 for Courier)
Email:  ClarkA@nhlbi.nih.gov
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001).  The PHS 398 is available at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive
format.  For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267,
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODULAR GRANT APPLICATIONS: Applications requesting
up to $250,000 per year in direct costs must be submitted in a modular grant
format.  The modular grant format simplifies the preparation of the budget in
these applications by limiting the level of budgetary detail.  Applicants
request direct costs in $25,000 modules.  Section C of the research grant
application instructions for the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html includes step-by-step
guidance for preparing modular grants.  Additional information on modular
grants is available at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001)
application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the
application.  Type the RFA number on the label.  Failure to use this label
could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not
reach the review committee in time for review.  In addition, the RFA title
and number must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form
and the YES box must be marked. The RFA label is also available at:
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf.
SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of
the application, including the Checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in
one package to:
Center For Scientific Review
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application as well
as all five collated sets of Appendix material must be sent to:
APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received by the application
receipt date listed in the heading of this RFA.  If an application is
received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in
response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending
initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.  The
CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one
already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must
include an Introduction addressing the previous critique.
Principal investigators should not sent supplementary material without first
contacting the Scientific Review Administrator (SRA).  The SRA will be
identified in the letter sent to you indicating that your application has
been received.  If you have not received such a letter within three weeks
after submitting the application, contact Dr. Anne Clark at the address
listed under Submitting an Application.
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and
responsiveness by the NHLBI and NIA. Incomplete and/or non-responsive
applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.
Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated
for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group
convened by the NHLBI in accordance with the review criteria stated below.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:
o Receive a written critique
o Undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications under
review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score
o Receive a second level review by the Heart, Lung and Blood National
Advisory Council or the National Advisory Council on Aging.
The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  In
the written comments, reviewers will be asked to discuss the following
aspects of your application in order to judge the likelihood that the
proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these
o Significance
o Approach
o Innovation
o Investigator
o Environment
The scientific review group will address and consider each of these criteria
in assigning your application's overall score, weighting them as appropriate
for each application.  Your application does not need to be strong in all
categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus
deserve a high priority score.  For example, you may propose to carry out
important work that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move
a field forward.
(1) SIGNIFICANCE:  Does your study address an important problem? If the aims
of your application are achieved, how do they advance scientific knowledge?
What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that
drive this field?
(2) APPROACH:  Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the
project?  Do you acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative
tactics?
(3) INNOVATION:  Does your project employ novel concepts, approaches or
methods? Are the aims original and innovative?  Does your project challenge
existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
(4) INVESTIGATOR: Are you appropriately trained and well suited to carry out
this work?  Is the work proposed appropriate to your experience level as the
principal investigator and to that of other researchers (if any)?
(5) ENVIRONMENT:  Does the scientific environment in which your work will be
done contribute to the probability of success?  Do the proposed experiments
take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ
useful collaborative arrangements?  Is there evidence of institutional
support?
ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA: In addition to the above criteria, your
application will also be reviewed with respect to the following:
o PROTECTIONS:  The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals,
or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the
project proposed in the application.
o INCLUSION:  The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders,
all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for
the scientific goals of the research.  Plans for the recruitment and
retention of subjects will also be evaluated.
o BUDGET:  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period
of support in relation to the proposed research.
RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE
Application Receipt Date:  June 20, 2002
Peer Review Date: October/November 2002
Council Review: February 6-7, 2003
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: April 1, 2003
Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:
o Scientific merit (as determined by peer review)
o Availability of funds
o Programmatic priorities.
REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS
MONITORING PLAN AND DATA SAFETY AND MONITORING BOARD:  Research components
involving Phase I and II clinical trials must include provisions for
assessment of patient eligibility and status, rigorous data management,
quality assurance, and auditing procedures.  In addition, it is NIH policy
that all clinical trials require data and safety monitoring, with the method
and degree of monitoring being commensurate with the risks (NIH Policy for
Data Safety and Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, June 12,
1998: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH:  It is the policy of
the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations
must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research projects unless a
clear and compelling justification is provided indicating that inclusion is
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the
research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section
492B of Public Law 103-43).
All investigators proposing clinical research should read the AMENDMENT "NIH
Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical
Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts on October 9, 2001
(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at
<https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm>.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of
clinical research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with
the new OMB standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase
III clinical trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles
and responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community.  The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a)
all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of
plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by
sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable;
and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group
differences.
INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of
21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported
by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include
them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for
receipt dates after October 1, 1998.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion of children as participants in
research involving human subjects that is available at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm.
REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants
for all investigators submitting NIH proposals for research involving human
subjects.  You will find this policy announcement in the NIH Guide for Grants
and Contracts Announcement, dated June 5, 2000, at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS (hESC):  Criteria for federal funding of research
on hESCs can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/stem_cells.htm and at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.  Only
research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem
Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (see http://escr.nih.gov).
It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the official NIH
identifier(s)for the hESC line(s)to be used in the proposed research.
Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without
PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: The
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to
provide public access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) under some circumstances.  Data that are (1) first produced in a
project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) cited
publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action that has
the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed through FOIA.
It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope of this
amendment.  NIH has provided guidance at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this PA in a public
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the
distribution for an indefinite period of time.  If so, the application should
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include
information about this in the budget justification section of the
application. In addition, applicants should think about how to structure
informed consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the
potential for wider use of data collected under this award.
URLs IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES: All applications and proposals
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations.
Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs)
should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because
reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites.   Furthermore,
we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they
directly access an Internet site.
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010: The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving
the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People
2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This RFA is
related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain
a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS: This program is described in the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.839 and 93.866, and is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review.  Awards are made under authorization of Sections 301
and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and
administered under NIH grants policies described at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm and under Federal Regulations
42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free
workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.  In addition,
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in
certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children.  This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-015.html.
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Research (OER) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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text:
Time for Laughs
by Taru Anniina Liikanen 17 days ago in happiness
In 2022, I'm making time to create for creativity's sake, not money.
Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash
Right at the end of 2019, I decided I wanted to become a stand-up.
Timing, obviously, has never been my strong suit.
I can't say it had been a lifelong dream, but I was always a comedy fan. Growing up in Finland, I learned English from American sitcoms and watched Conan O'Brien every night of my adolescence. When I saw Saturday Night Live and learned who Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell were, it felt magical, like I was witnessing something truly amazing.
In later years, I started watching stand-up, learning about it, seeing every Netflix special, reading books, listening to every podcast. Not because I wanted to become a comedian, but because I love comedy as an art form.
Not a Speaker, but a Performer for Sure
To be clear, I am not a public speaker. I still have a hard time speaking up in meetings at work. Every presentation in school made me sweat and made my face turn red, with one notable exception: the one time in high school I needed to make a speech.
I listened to my classmates giving their prepared performances about the economy, the environment and other Smart and Important Issues. I watched the most popular guy in the school crash and burn while trying to do a comedic speech. But I had an idea, so I jotted down a couple of notes and stepped on the stage to do mine.
The topic? Little dogs and why they shouldn't exist.
To be clear, I love dogs, even the small ones, but I knew I had a couple of good jokes.
As soon as I got in front of the class and started talking, I was in a different world. I wasn't my insecure self, I was in someone else's skin. I was comfortable.
Zero preparation, all the laughs. I even got a good grade.
It felt amazing, but that was it. My country barely had a comedy scene in those days, and my small town had absolutely zero to offer in that sense. I could have created my own space, of course, but it just wasn't something you'd even think about back then. There was no Youtube or Instagram. So I went about my life as a comedy fan, never an aspiring comedian.
Considering I later studied and worked in politics, I think I may have even overcorrected a little bit, trying to become a Serious Professional and a Real Writer.
But not everybody is serious. Some of us are goofy. We have voices and characters and stupid puns in our heads, even when we're writing a speech for a politician. As for me, I also have an unintentionally funny face. I make weird expressions without trying to, and people laugh at me even when I'm serious. It's just what it is.
In the past several years, I've noticed I perform jokes and characters for other people. I don't mean to do it, but I automatically put on a comedian costume and instinctively perform when I'm in public. Dates, friends, the supermarket. Wherever. My brain just starts pointing out the fun in everything.
Do not take me to an art museum. You will be embarrassed.
Trying It On
And then, in 2019, I figured I'd try it.
There was really no real goal of becoming a comedian. I was just going through some hard times with work and relationships, and the only way I knew of treating them was getting back to creating, expressing myself in any way that felt good. So I started writing, and singing, and took a stand-up class.
I loved going to class. Hanging out with funny people and laughing for a couple of hours is an amazing way to spend time. So is making music, by the way. It feels like opulence in today's world, to just sit around with other people with no other purpose than having fun and creating something new.
It's a luxury to take the time to laugh.
The three-month course finished with a showcase in December for friends and family, and we all prepared our seven-minute set for it.
I was so nervous before jumping on the stage I thought I might faint. What if they didn't laugh? What if I rushed through the thing and didn't let the jokes breathe? What if they didn't understand my accent? I'm also not necessarily likable, and that might mean nobody will laugh.
On top, I was the closer, so they would remember me. For better or worse.
In horror, I watched some of my buddies from the class crash and burn. And this was no open mic with only other comics watching. These people in the audience were friends and family, weren't they required to laugh? What if the same thing happened to me?
But as soon as I got on that stage, it was the tiny dog situation all over again. I wasn't uncomfortable or nervous, and I didn't speed through and ruin the jokes. I took my time, let them breathe and allowed the punch lines to grow.
I was at home on that stage.
And people laughed. I got the biggest laughs in the show, and all my jokes worked.
That laughter felt exactly like I'd heard some of my favorite comedians describe it: a drug. I wanted to do it again, and again, and again. I wanted to sign up for every open mic and start building an audience, writing more jokes. Not to make money, but to do it just for the sake of doing it.
But there was no time before Christmas, so I told myself I'd pick it up again after the Buenos Aires summer vacations, in March 2020.
Solid plan.
Pandemic Buzzkill
I spent the year locked up at home, like most people.
In January 2020, I started working as a freelance writer for a content agency.
To say I was exploited by them is an understatement. And it was all for pennies, which meant I also needed to find other jobs, and had no time for myself.
There are two things I learned about freelance writing then.
If it doesn't pay, it's not a job. Repeat this with me, and then go get paid.
If you don't take some time to do what you love, you'll burn out.
I didn't take time. To rest, to work out, to enjoy anything. I just worked, but it was getting harder and harder to do because I was getting emotionally drained. There was nothing to nurture me aside from work.
During the long quarantines, the only people I had regular contact with were the people in the supermarket, and I gave them my entire comedy routine every week. I prepared actual jokes to tell them, because there was nobody else to perform for. I was also the one person to call all my friends regularly to make them laugh. It felt amazing to lift their spirits during those tough times, but there was a personal need in it, as well.
I needed laughter to rest my brain. I needed to perform to be able to keep working.
By January 2021, I was burned out and suffering from crippling anxiety with every article I wrote for clients.
It still took me several months and a Covid infection to get to a stage where the only thing I could do was stare at the wall. But I got there, and spent weeks without being able to write a single word.
I knew I couldn't go back to working in that same way. Something needed to change. I couldn't allow work to be my life.
What got me through it all was laughter. My favorites, from Amy Poehler to Whitney Cummings, Ali Wong and Marc Maron, were the people keeping me company when my brain needed rest. Watching movies and stand-up specials, listening to podcasts, remembering what it felt like to create.
Two months after my Covid infection, I sat behind the computer again and started writing. For me.
I finished 2021 in a good place. Broke, but mentally in charge. Now I'm on Vocal, expressing anything and everything I want.
But something is still missing. I need the stage.
There's a Vonnegut quote I love from A Man Without a Country that's going to be my guide for 2022.
"The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."
This is what I need in 2022. While writing is my job, I need to make time to create something that's for pure enjoyment. Creativity to feel good, not just to make money.
That's what comedy can give me: some rest from work, from the constant need to create something for the algorithm, for platforms, for clients. Comedy is a moment of respite for my brain.
But has it been too long? Is it possible to get back when I barely even got started? How do I do it?
I forgot that life has a funny way of solving things for you when you need it.
Last week, my teacher, the comedy club owner, sent me a DM on Instagram.
"I'm organizing a show in January for former students. Do you want to join?"
I didn't hesitate for a second. I'm getting back on that stage and I'm enjoying every second of it. I'm going to start building a space for myself in the local comedy scene, but I'm not doing it for the money.
In 2022, I'm making time for the laughs.
Taru Anniina Liikanen
Finnish by birth, porteña at heart. Recovering political ghostwriter. Fiction, relationships, politics, bad puns, popular and unpopular opinions.
Read next: Negative emotions and how to deal with them
Going on Gut Instinct
Joseph Hartshorn
There's a much-used trope in science fiction that every decision we make creates multiple timelines or alternate realities. Usually, the alternate realities presented in these stories are wild and fantastic (there wouldn't be much of a story otherwise), but here and now, in this reality, our choices are generally quite mundane.
Chasing a forever fleeting high
Joseph Lam
If you asked me if I loved my job, I wouldn't know what to tell you. But if you asked if I wanted to do anything else, I'd happily tell you no.
What is the difference between love and being in a relationship?
Ashif Rar
Love is unconditional, being in a relationship is not! The luck of noticing the difference, deep down, somehow (!) explains my very positive, moving experience with my ex-partners and their new lives and indeed new wives…
A Possible Tip From New Husband
Leiann Lynn Rose Spontaneo
Do you know of someone that people think is lazy because they do not have a job? I know of a lady with a talent that nobody believed in but when in her early elementary school days the teachers knew. She was even placed in a creative writing class then. Her teachers saw the talent. Her talent stayed with her up to this day.
The 2 Billion Dollar Challenge
Wesley M
What would you do if I gave you two billion dollars? The conditions are that you cannot save it, and you cannot invest it. For the purposes of making the question simpler, we'll also consider that the money is not affected by taxes, and that you live to be around 100 years old.
Is Self-Care Important?
"Self-care" was such an unknown term to me and then self-care was the new fad in social media, then my interest grew.


Simon Faithfull created a sculpture in the form of a limited edition book, entitled Lost, a simple but extensive inventory of objects lost over a period of 39 years. Lost catalogues the objects and strange stories of their individual departures. It could be found around Whitstable during the Biennale – on benches, in pubs, by the shore and on public transport. Rather then being sold, the book was disseminated in the same manner in which the objects took their leave.


Bandwidth and data throughput inside the data centre has become crucial for customers to gain competitive advantage in the market. Kao Data Campus can deliver any fibre or copper connection to a customer's space via our dedicated central patch rooms. This can be redundantly or single routed from a customer's chosen carriers and telco operators, or between customers across the data centre or campus. We are continuously expanding the carrier list to offer the widest choice of capabilities.
Our cabling is installed by qualified installers and rigorously tested to ensure each run and patch is optimised to the customer's requirements. Our cabling manufacturers have regular quality control audits on site to ensure the products are installed and operating to the specified performance, allowing us to guarantee the products and installation. This is key for Kao Data Campus to be able to offer an SLA on installation and operation of the installed data cables.


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Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior. B. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God. C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life. D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors / elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Adapted from "The Baptist Faith and Message".


German pianist (1889-1984), who later became known as a song accompanist to many famous singers, including Frida Leider, Erna Berger, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Karl Erb, Helge Rosvaenge, Heinrich Schlusnus, and others.
Signed photo postcard, shown at the piano, stamped in the front, lower right corner, by photographer Schöner, Munich. Size is 4 x 6 inches, in excellent condition.


text:
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/** @file SgCmdLineOpt.cpp
    See SgCmdLineOpt.h */
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include "SgSystem.h"
#include "SgCmdLineOpt.h"

#include <algorithm>
#include <sstream>
#include "SgDebug.h"
#include "SgException.h"

using namespace std;

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SgCmdLineOpt::SgCmdLineOpt()
{
}

bool SgCmdLineOpt::Contains(const char* option) const
{
    return (m_map.find(option) != m_map.end());
}

const vector<string>& SgCmdLineOpt::GetArguments() const
{
    return m_args;
}

double SgCmdLineOpt::GetDouble(const char* option) const
{
    return GetDouble(option, 0.0);
}

double SgCmdLineOpt::GetDouble(const char* option, double defaultValue) const
{
    map<string, string>::const_iterator it = m_map.find(option);
    if (it == m_map.end())
        return defaultValue;
    string s = it->second;
    istringstream in(s);
    double value;
    in >> value;
    if (! in)
        throw SgException(string("Option ") + option + " needs float value");
    return value;
}

int SgCmdLineOpt::GetInteger(const char* option) const
{
    return GetInteger(option, 0);
}

int SgCmdLineOpt::GetInteger(const char* option, int defaultValue) const
{
    map<string, string>::const_iterator it = m_map.find(option);
    if (it == m_map.end())
        return defaultValue;
    string s = it->second;
    istringstream in(s);
    int value;
    in >> value;
    if (! in)
        throw SgException(string("Option ") + option
                          + " needs integer value");
    return value;
}

string SgCmdLineOpt::GetString(const char* option) const
{
    return GetString(option, "");
}

string SgCmdLineOpt::GetString(const char* option,
                               const string& defaultValue) const
{
    map<string, string>::const_iterator it = m_map.find(option);
    if (it == m_map.end())
        return defaultValue;
    return it->second;
}

void SgCmdLineOpt::Parse(int argc, char* argv[],
                         const vector<std::string>& specs)
{
    m_args.clear();
    m_map.clear();
    int n = 1;
    bool endOfOptions = false;
    while (n < argc)
    {
        string s = argv[n];
        ++n;
        if (! endOfOptions && s.size() > 0 && s[0] == '-')
        {
            if (s == "--")
            {
                endOfOptions = true;
                continue;
            }
            s = s.substr(1);
            bool needsArg = false;
            vector<string>::const_iterator spec;
            spec = find(specs.begin(), specs.end(), s);
            if (spec == specs.end())
            {
                spec = find(specs.begin(), specs.end(), s + ":");
                if (spec == specs.end())
                    throw SgException("Unknown option -" + s);
                needsArg = true;
            }
            string value;
            if (needsArg)
            {
                if (n >= argc)
                    throw SgException("Option -" + s + " needs value");
                value = argv[n];
                ++n;
                if (value.size() > 0 && value[0] == '-')
                    throw SgException("Option -" + s + " needs value");
            }
            m_map.insert(pair<string, string>(s, value));
        }
        else
            m_args.push_back(s);
    }
}

void SgCmdLineOpt::Parse(int argc, const char* argv[],
                         const vector<std::string>& specs)
{
    Parse(argc, const_cast<char**>(argv), specs);
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


On January 24 2019 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) admitted it would have to cease patent operations in the second week of February should the partial shutdown of the U.S government continue.
President Donald Trump's standoff with Democrats over funding for his proposed border wall resulted in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. More than a quarter of the federal government was unfunded for 35 days and the political gridlock impacted criminal, counter-terrorism and intelligence work. While the USPTO largely operated as usual – four weeks after the shutdown began the intellectual property office revealed its reserve funding was running low and a partial closure could be imminent.
Just a day later, President Donald Trump signed a measure to reopen the government – for now. With funding only promised until February 15, what lessons can be learned from the USPTO coming perilously close to ceasing patent operations?
Part of the Commerce Department, the USPTO is funded entirely by user fees and does not receive tax dollars. However, the office does require an appropriation from U.S. Congress to spend the money it collects. In 2018, it had a budget of $3.3 billion and requested $3.5 billion for 2019. The patent office sets aside authorised funds for "temporary changes in cash flow", a stopgap that proved critical for keeping the office afloat during the shutdown.
A month later and the USPTO faced the reality of ceasing patent operations. An average of 3500 patents are published by the USPTO every week, but with no financial support and reduced staff, there was a threat of significant delays in reviewing those filed since the shutdown began. With just "small staff" expected to stay in the event of a partial-shutdown, it became increasingly unclear how long it would take for new filings and payments to be received, and how well the information technology infrastructure could be maintained.
The U.S. government re-opened on January 25th and the USPTO declared it was "back to normal operating status". However, the government could shut down again as early as mid-February when the stopgap funding bill is set to expire.
It is important to remember, the USPTO's electronic filing systems will always remain up and running. Parties will be able to continue business with the USPTO even if the office closes. Deadlines can still be met to keep applications, patents, and other registrations moving forward. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service has its own revenue stream and will therefore remain open in any shutdown. If necessary, IP correspondence can be carried out by mail.
However, innovators and companies looking to file patent applications should remain proactive and resilient. If they have any critical applications - they should consider moving them to the top of their to-do list.


This was the first book on poetry writing that I ever read. I borrowed it from my parents' bookshelf when I was a teenager and it's still on long term loan. I read it in bed at night, thoughts whirring round my head, pen and paper ready on my bedside table, enjoying the thrill of getting advice from Ted Hughes himself. This was where I first came across 'The Thought-Fox', and it's still probably my favourite poem of all time.
I ordered this through a magazine, and it helped me to begin experimenting with different forms and techniques, from the haiku to the pantoum. It also contains some interesting advice about "developing your poetic sensitivity", prompts for writing and editing techniques.
This book is a kind of miniature degree in English Literature, contained within less than 300 pages. It is a great way to familiarise yourself with our most famous bards, well-written and concise, moving chronologically from Chaucer and Shakespeare to the 20th Century.
The first of these was given to me as a Christmas present, and I loved it so much I asked for the others as well. They contain a vast array of poems collected around themes such as 'Body and soul', 'Roads and journeys' or (my favourite section) 'The art of poetry'. They will introduce you to poets you've not yet discovered and provide an endless source of inspiration.


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Department for Child Protection, East Perth, WA.
ADManager Plus benefits our organization in several ways. We use it for reporting on user access returning a very granular report. The processes it streamlines makes my time with ADManager Plus more efficient. The dashboard view helps me keep compliant with my AD details "at a glance". After 1 hour with the demo version of ADManager Plus, I put in the request to purchase. I realized that quickly that I NEEDED this product, and I hated that I had to wait.
Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo, Colorado.
I first discovered ADManager Plus after coming across a situation where I needed to change Home directories for multiple users in Active Directory, I had about 120 users to apply these changes to. It was a problem that was really slowing down productivity in the sense that I was spending too much time going to each user account and specifying the new home directory which was on a different server than the current home directory, I then had to make sure the directory was created and users were able to login and be pointed to their respective directories.
I came across the Manageengine website and found to my surprise a product which would allow me to not only accomplish this task, but one that allowed me to generate reports on the fly for almost any imaginable scenario in Active Directory. Reports on users, groups, active and inactive computers, expired passwords and so much more. I downloaded the trial and completed my tasks with ease and reliability. I had successfully completed in about 1 hour what would have taken me many many hours.
The support from ADManager Plus team was top notch, I was able to reach their support department within minutes and was assisted with any problems and was even able to provide input into what modifications I thought would be nice to see in future releases. I was also impressed with the idea of not having to install the software directly on the server, ADManager Plus allows you to install the software on any machine and get all the information you need by logging into a Domain Controller as you normally would.
The bottleneck I was facing in changing the user home directories was resolved quicker than I thought it would and with very little administrative effort. My favourite feature of ADManager Plus is the reporting, I could not believe how easy and how much detail was returned. We have used these reports on numerous occasions, from notifying users of expired passwords to finding out which computers were no longer being used or which computers had been renamed but Active Directory still had the old computer name stored, it has helped us clean up Active Directory with ease.
I am very impressed by this product and would highly recommend it to any organization of any size. This is a product you can't go wrong with. I look forward to new products by ZOHO Corp. This is truly a company with the administrator in mind!
Help Desk Coordinator, Bruce Edmeades Co.
Manager of Infrastructure (ITS), Interfaith Medical Center.
ADManager has been an amazing piece to our litigation support puzzle. Individual and bulk user creation, along with a great range of built- in reporing have been a tremendous boon for our team.
ADManager makes things quick and easy while reporting on your AD infrastructure, and is quite helpful in project management.
We have just installed SP2 for ADManager and have greatly appreciated the including of Exchange 2007 support. We now have a one stop shop for user management and can do away with having to use multiple applications to accomplish the same task. This has already had a great effect on the time and money spent on user accounts.
Desktop Services Manager, AUSTAR Entertainment Pty Ltd.
It is good to have such a product to cut down the administrative work of creating accounts. Not only the product is good and also good priced. I do not have any hesitation in recommending this product to anyone.
Senior Systems Officer, Information Technology, Northeast Health Wangaratta.
I'm taking my time to write about ADManager Plus because it is worth every minute of it. I spent a few weeks searching and testing some reporting tools for Active Directory. After I found ADManager Plus, I knew I had found the tool I was looking for... and more. It is a very user-friendly and intuitive Web application. It has solved our reporting issues, because every report we could possibly think of, we could generate with ADManager Plus. We can implement changes in a large number of objects with just a few clicks. We can control, manage and prevent errors, also we can control very thoruoghly our user accounts. We can do many things that are simply not possible through the AD GUI and we can do things that we didn´t think were possible and that saves us and enormous amount of time and effort. I highly recommend it.
ADManager's reporting has helped me out the most. With its useful reports, we can take some of the edge off SOX compliance. With ADManager, I can run reports to make sure that we are staying within the compliance guidelines between audits. Since the purchase of ADManager, we have received good SOX reviews.
"I use the ADManager Plus during Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) audits to generate reports for internal and external auditors to give a full description about our corporate AD environment.
I needed to create bulk Active Directory user accounts. We are rolling out about 100 netbooks each year for the incoming 7th graders, and are adding student accounts about 100 at a time each year. In 4 more years, all students (grades 7-12) will have accounts within the domain. AD Manager+ seemed like a cost-effective way of creating accounts, rather than learn how to create scripts and do it all myself.
ADManager Plus became our final choice because of its price, ease of use, ease of implementation and much needed feature set. ADManager Plus allowed us to have more consolidated and centralized reporting across our diverse operating environment in regards to AD administration. The tool also allows us to delegate certain AD administration tasks more effectively and easily.
ADManager Plus was easier for management to give field technician access to reset passwords and create accounts easily.
We are a municipality in Northern Norway. Our challenge in school was that we'd need to be able to manage multiple accounts in a faster manner. ADManager Plus made our job much easier and saves us lots of time. The product is cost effective and we are able to execute our work much faster now.
We are a bank with about 200 employees. Reporting around AD was an issue after getting ADManager Plus we have a much better reporting from AD.
Laurus Technical Institute is a multi-campus, post-secondary educational institution in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Our AD tasks were growing exponentially and maintenance was a real task. The ability to setup and maintain GAL information was critical to the selection of ADManager After installing ADManager Plus our IT Support department saw an immediate and ongoing increase in productivity and decrease in time spent performing AD maintenance tasks.
ADManager Plus helps us to perform fundamental Active Directory tasks without the intervention of IT department. I would recommend this product to anyone .Support, Price and additional Software offerings. Your team of engineers were sublime in getting us running and working. Some of the best customer support I have ever received and this continues after we had signed proving it was not just a sales ploy. Impressive?
Price and functionality drew us towards ADManager Plus. Our Student OU had grown to close to 10,000 user accounts b/c maintenance wasn't being done. The tool has helped removed about 3,000 of those accounts, mailboxes and home folders. The tool efficiently helped in cleaning up and management of Active Directory.
We undergo a yearly SAS70/SSAE 16 audit which requires being able to quickly pull information out of Active Directory about the rights users have or when they last logged on. ADManager Plus makes it much easier to get the information that the auditors request.
The Robo-requestor in ADManager Plus grants us more flexibility in automating our User creation process and thus helping alleviate manual process slowdown. Our HR personnel now has to just fill-in appropriate information of new users in a database which is transformed into a csv file with the correct syntax to be used by ADManager Plus. Not just user creation we were able to automate enabling, disabling and moving of windows accounts.
The robo-requestor-approver process works without manual interaction and we are now sure that Windows Accounts are now correctly and continuously created, modified or moved without the need for us to manually check them daily. ADManager has now become part of our organization.
With this product we are able to get the key reports from AD server & we will be able to manage AD very efficiently. It has more features compared to other software & is an easy as well as user friendly application. One most important factor for ADManger Plus being our final choice is that Manageengine is the only organization whose technical support team gave us prompt support pre & post evaluation of product.
IT staff in small organizations do not have the time nor the in-house resources/expertise to be familiar with all the sys admin requirements that are expected of them to timely, securely and efficiently manage AD and all its intricacies. AD manager saves time, requires a minimal learning curve and is a very intuitive product. Best of all it is a one stop shop for all my AD management needs. AD manager is a time-saver application that provides a variety of informative and well formatted reports.
ADManager Plus allows us to meet compliance need quickly that previously took hours. Easy to use and quick learning curve.
ADManager Plus is head and shoulders above the other products that we have used or evaluated. ADManager Plus allows us to keep up with the changes in AD , keep it clean and up to date with minimal effort. ADManger Plus is a tremendous time saver for our support engineers.
My primary influence was account aging and software verification. We move user account to the disabled users folder. We age them for 6 months. I do not need to label them with a date. I can run an inactivity report, review the results, and delete old user accounts older than 180 days. I also run the report for recent AD changes. I compare added users to my software licensing spreadsheets to verify I have bought a license for newly created users. I also like to run a report for OS type to see how far we have migrated to the latest OS. This may also influence scripted installs such as including both 32 and 64 bit deployments.
ADManager Plus was very simple to deploy and it does save time and has always been a pleasure to work with. With ADManager Plus I have seen a cleaner Active Directory database. We can age items more effectively. We can also use reporting for security checks such as what account(s) have dial-in access, password never expires, etc… The subscription option and the price made ADManager Plus to become our final choice among others. AD Manager Plus not only helped to have seen cleaner Active Directory database, age items more effectively and also helps for reporting.
Otter Valley Union High School.
Very simple and easy to use and the support staff is on top of things . Very easy to work with them .After having ADManager Plus we have Cleaner AD which leads to a cleaner more efficient network.
To be honest we selected the product which is fairly new as much on promise as with features. We have the Self Service portal and know the programming is solid.Primarily folder permissions are easy to get out of hand and this is what we need more than anything else. Reputation, Experience with your product's Current features and the promise made me get AD Manager Plus.
I use ADManager Plus to answer our annual auditors questions, such as last real login, AD group membership, and a whole host of other questions. ADManager Plus saves me a lot of time during our annual audit and the small outlay for being able to quickly get the data I need .
With an ever expanding and more complex system to manage with finite resources, ADManager Plus has enabled us to streamline the management of our Active Directory resources. It simplified the process of creating and managing our users and provided an effective reporting system to help us manage people leaving the organization. It offered the features we needed at a price we could afford and the support provided left us with the confidence that we would be looked after if we needed help.
We upgraded to Exchange 2010, so new AD accounts were being created manually and there was a need to go to several systems to get the whole job done. We have a significant turnover of users, including short-term med students, locum doctors etc, so the number of AD accounts needed to be created were very large. In a nutshell we needed an easy way of creating users.After we deployed AD Manager Plus, We are using it as the way to create individual users, and out of the box, within 30 minutes, we had saved many minutes per new user The actual installation, license management etc was easy and well documented. very impressed both with the speed of the response and the quality of the information provided the technical support provided us.
I needed a way to allow my staff to make changes to our Active Directory without having the complexities behind managing it with the windows GUI. ADManager Plus was a cost-effective solution for that .The setup was simple. It ran correctly right out of the box.
Principal Network Architect, AbilTo Inc.
We had issues giving our Service Desk staff access to change AD directly on servers and found after a few months that containers were being moved, user permissions were set incorrectly and a lot of garbage left behind in AD. With ADManager Plus we have taken the Service Desk staff away from the servers and by using the templates we have created a more streamlined process for AD Management. ADManager Plus is an easy management of user accounts without compromising security.
AD Manager Plus has been able to resolve all the issues that we had, regarding tracking systems that are joined or removed from the domain that create bottleneck in our inventory management. After getting ADManager Plus we have an easy management of active directory, inventory and delegation of duties.
I need to integrate the process of creating and disabling AD users, now after getting ADManager Plus I have created a process allowing the HR to do that in a simple manner.
We tried a lot of tools but ADManager Plus is the best among all.ADManager plus helped us a lot in Bulk and mass updates, modifying and updating attributes of objects, Adding/removing group memberships of objects and generating reports of objects as per our requirement.
ADManager Plus helped us in making mass updates to correct or change items. It is very cost effective and we were able to install it within an hour.
None hit the best right off. ADManager Plus saves a bunch of time creating large numbers of AD accounts. The installation couldn't be simpler; it automatically connects to AD.
AD Manager Plus has quick and easy to use reporting on the AD (without scripting) and helped us a lot in quick mass creation or mass updates.We gain time in mass creation.It has a very simple installation feature.
Maintenance and security were our primary concerns and ADManage plus has helped us identify and act when needed. After getting ADManager Plus we have a Faster and more accurate results managing AD objects.
AD Manager Plus is a great product this is the most cost effective solution. AD manager Plus helped in standardising account creation and IT compliance certification.
For the past month I have been using a new tool to manage our Active Directory environment called ADManager Plus. We used the full-blown 30-day trial for about three weeks and decided last week to go ahead and make the purchase. This was a very easy to use product that is installed on a local server and managed via web browser inside your domain.
The feature set is second-to-none and provides many tools that will allow for time saved to dedicate to other tasks. Our AD environment consists of about 5,500 users and about 2300 devices. Ease of management of users alone was the main reason we looked at this product but the ability to manage devices was such a bonus that I was sold on this product.
ADManager Plus standardizes the provisioning and de-provisioning of objects. In a native environment, full account creation takes place across multiple management windows because most users will need a mailbox, permissions, Lync settings, etc. With ADManager Plus, all of these settings can be created within a single screen.
When using the ready-made reports, you might find that you can eliminate a few logon scripts. The most striking report for me was the real last logon time report. This report is built by querying each domain controller and presenting the latest logon time. This provides an accurate report for sites with multiple domain controllers.
AD Management: This is the workhorse of the product - provides AD management. We can also work with GPOs in this section!
AD Reports: An extensive reporting module - currently has 150+ built-in reports for querying nearly anything needed.
WorkFlow: A change control feature that allows you to monitor and approve certain AD activities.
Automation: A Task Scheduler for AD!
AD Delegation: Allows you to easily delegate roles and specifics actions to Groups.
"I could have not able to perform my role as Microsoft Sharepoint Portal server administrator if don't get to know about ADManager Plus by Adventnet Inc. tool to manage Windows server Active Directory.


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A (38) B (44) C (35) D (64) E (53) F (14) G (42) H (79) I (3) J (22) K (29) L (47) M (29) N (18) O (4) P (89) Q (1) R (37) S (40) T (16) U (1) V (8) W (63) Y (1) Z (1)
Crowe, Michael
Revolutions never occur in mathematics.
Historia Mathematica. 1975.
Crick, Francis Harry Compton (1916 - )
In my experience most mathematicians are intellectually lazy and especially dislike reading experimental papers. He (Rene Thom) seemed to have very strong biological intuitions but unfortunately of negative sign.
What Mad Pursuit. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1988.
Copernicus, Nicholaus (1473-1543)
Mathematics is written for mathematicians.
De Revolutionibus.
Coolidge, Julian Lowell (1873 - 1954)
[Upon proving that the best betting strategy for "Gambler's Ruin" was to bet all on the first trial.]
It is true that a man who does this is a fool. I have only proved that a man who does anything else is an even bigger fool.
In H. Eves Return to Mathematical Circles, Boston: Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, 1988.
Don't talk to me of your Archimedes' lever. He was an absentminded person with a mathematical imagination. Mathematics commands all my respect, but I have no use for engines. Give me the right word and the right accent and I will move the world.
Preface to A Personal Record.
Comte, Auguste (1798-1857)
C'este donc par l'etude des mathematiques, et seulement par elle, que l'on peut se faire une idee juste et approfondie de ce que c'est qu'une science.
[It is through the study of mathematics, and only through it, that one can form a fair and comprehensive idea of what science is.]
Quoted by T. H. Huxley in Fortnightly Review, Vol. II, N.S. 5.
Cocteau
The composer opens the cage door for arithmetic, the draftsman gives geometry its freedom.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834)
...from the time of Kepler to that of Newton, and from Newton to Hartley, not only all things in external nature, but the subtlest mysteries of life and organization, and even of the intellect and moral being, were conjured within the magic circle of mathematical formulae.
The Theory of Life.
Churchman, C. W.
The measure of our intellectual capacity is the capacity to feel less and less satisfied with our answers to better and better problems.
In J.E. Littlewood A Mathematician's Miscellany. Methuen and Co., Ltd. 1953.
Churchill, Sir Winston Spencer (1874-1965)
I had a feeling once about Mathematics - that I saw it all. Depth beyond depth was revealed to me - the Byss and Abyss. I saw - as one might see the transit of Venus or even the Lord Mayor's Show - a quantity passing through infinity and changing its sign from plus to minus. I saw exactly why it happened and why the tergiversation was inevitable but it was after dinner and I let it go.
MAA American Mathematics Competitions Recognizes Top High School Math Teachers
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text:
La transilluminazione sclerale è una tecnica diagnostica impiegata in oculistica per studiare la trasparenza delle tonache che costituiscono il bulbo oculare. Si utilizza una sorgente molto luminosa, previo raffreddamento, e si proietta sulla congiuntiva sclerale nei quattro quadranti (due nasali e due temporali).

In condizioni fisiologiche si crea un riflesso rosso nel campo pupillare; viceversa se ci sono masse che alterano la permeabilità di queste strutture, il riflesso rosso sarà assente o affievolito.

Diagnostica medica
Oftalmologia


You cannot deny the poetry of Bath stone in a soft sunset, with the canal and the river yielding mirrored Georgian realities on a pleasantly warm and breeze-less evening. At least until you get home and look at your images to finally yield to the notion "What the hell was I thinking?". Last minute change of venue with the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta closing roads around the intended destination of Leigh Woods, and a fine suggestion from Vice Chair Myk Garton saw us decamp the dozen miles or so to the World Heritage City of Bath. Two topics left over from last week to discuss this: back button focusing and exposure lock, both of which were useful tools on the night.
There are two buttons on the back of most DSLR/CSC's from the hobbyist models upwards that are rarely if ever troubled by the majority of hobbyist photographers. One is the "Back Button" AF and the other the AEL (which may be represented on your camera by a star or asterisk). Both are incredibly useful and are really worth cultivating as default, in the case of the back button AF, and useful tool in the case of AEL, that can help increase your number of keepers. A little bit of background is useful in understanding both.
Back Button Focusing (refer to your manual for the native translation in your Camera's Brand-Speak) does exactly what it says on the incredibly expensive magnesium alloy tin, or plastic camera body as befits your pockets/needs/delusions of grandeur. It is a button on the back of your camera body that activates the camera's focusing system in isolation from the shutter release. When you operate via the shutter release a half pressure triggers the autofocusing system (assuming you are not mounting a manual lens) and a full depress activates the shutter release. Usually the shutter will not fire until the camera processor detects all the algorithms are in place to produce a point of focus and an acceptable circle of confusion (i.e. something is in focus as we discussed last week). The button itself is usually marked AF or a version thereof and is normally accessible with the right thumb (I've never seen one on the left but then I haven't conducted a survey in any depth). And it's on the back of the camera.
So far so blindingly obvious. Also, so what? Well, my skeptical friend, for that we shall have to take a brief incursion into the Trinity of Focus you played with once, got annoyed with then left on single shot. That, incidentally, is a perfectly acceptable solution because it's your picture, your way. You want to do it the hard way, then suffer on for your art. It will not take better pictures, only you can do that, but it will help you be prepared for those better pictures, if only by speeding the whole process up and in more than one way. It is a little like buying a fully spec'd DSLR and leaving it permanently on auto or programme. In one way an expensive choice, but if you know what it does in those modes and you know how to override it in the situations where you think you need to push something to get the effect you want, then, pilgrim, it's not such an expensive choice. It's one that is made with a purpose rather than one made unthinkingly.
There are in our CSC/DSLR and some bridge cameras usually three flavours of autofocus. They may have slightly different sets of initials and names but they will be essentially the same. They will be in the menu system and may be programmable, at least the menu access may be programmable, to a button on the camera body. RTM (Refer To Manual). The auto focus programmes in your camera were designed because your subject is doing one of three things. It is either static or it is moving. Or you are. Or you both are. The important dynamic is that between the subject and the sensor. What the back button does for us is allow us to switch between modes as required without having to resort to the menu system.
So, lets take the modes in alphabetical order, starting with AF-A. -A is where the camera decides, as is the case with all auto and programme modes, and it chooses between the other two modes depending upon what is closest to the idea set by its algorithms, i.e. is the subject static or moving relative to the sensor. On modern cameras it is pretty good but it only responds to what is, it won't anticipate your next move, so it will always be playing catch up. -C is continuous. When the subject is moving the focus moves. -S is for when the subject is still, like a portrait. What the back button does is take a step out of the process of firing the shutter, the focus (at half way down) is done by the back button and so the shutter button becomes just that. Without disabling the focus step the lens will attempt to refocus that which is in focus (which you have already framed as part of your composition). Doing things twice, slows things down. You are effectively switching between –A and –C at a press of a button. There is always manual focus of course, but this tends to be easier with manual lenses which have a longer throw (the barrel twists further because they are geared lower to make them easier to focus by hand) and no where near as rapid. In the words of Professor Fate, "Push the button, Max".
We've talked about exposure before and its relation to colour saturation, detail contrast and so on so I won't go over that in this blog. I want to concentrate on an option rather than an effect, though the two are linked, of course. The exposure lock button found on most DSLR/CSC cameras and some bridge cameras. Sometimes the exposure you need is not the one your camera is showing you. This can be down to the metering mode you are using and the fact that it is metering an average from the area you have selected to measure from in terms of both the subject and the percentage of the sensor coverage involved. There will be a wide, centre weighted and a spot option. Wide is usually factory default. Spot takes a very small area in the middle.
Essentially, in tricky lighting situations, probably but not exclusively covering a wide variation, you meter from the most important part of the scene to your image, keep the AEL AFL or * button depressed then recompose and take your image. The overall exposure will be governed by that part you selected. You don't have to use spot to do this, just influence that part of the scene you want to feature to your satisfaction (this is far, far easier on a CSC/DSLT where what you see is what you get or in your live view if it allows composition other than pure review). It is very effective and can be used with ISO compensation for fine control. On our Bath perambulation it was very useful when we were presented with a glorious sun set and allowed for much of the foreground to be silhouetted whilst retaining the exposure for the sky. Yes this could have been done in manual, but it was done far quicker using Aperture Priority and AEL. Try it, it is surprising useful.
Next week a change in programme where Nick Hartley has negotiated access to the Tannery where he works. Details on Facebook and the club Flickr page as numbers are limited. If your name's not on the list your not coming in. Who'd a thought leather had a door policy?