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Call today on 0455 040 003 or email info@surfaceprotectionperth.com.au
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Case study confirms the high efficacy of an antimicrobial coating on adhesive films
Home » Uncategorised » Case study confirms the high efficacy of an antimicrobial coating on adhesive films
"The results of the study show that antimicrobial-treated surfaces can make a valuable contribution to preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens in hospitals. Even daily surface disinfection cannot prevent recontamination in a matter of hours: antimicrobial surfaces can fill this gap. "
In a clinical study that lasted several months, the effectiveness of antimicrobial treated surfaces against hospital pathogens was examined under real conditions at the University Hospital basel in Switzerland. The research team, led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Widmer and Dr. R. Frei, confirmed that the adhesive film PURE ZONE® from HEXIS S.A.S. treated Sanitized® jointly developed has 98% efficacy against microbes.
The results were first published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. The study was supported by Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency.
A case study at the University Hospital Basel led by Professor Andreas Widmer and Dr. R. Frei addressed the question of whether and how effectively the antimicrobial adhesive film PURE ZONE® from HEXIS S.A.S. acts against the cause of what are commonly known as nosocomial infections (HAIs).
In this study, the adhesive film PURZON060B, commercially available from HEXIS S.A.S., was tested; a flexible and transparent product with an active ingredient based on silver ions provided by SANITIZED.
Study framework: frequently touched surfaces, with and without antimicrobial coating
A real situation was created by focusing the study on frequently touched surfaces in six patient rooms, three in the surgical department and three in the medical department. Specifically, bed tables, bedside tables, patient chair armrests, dining tables, toilet seats, and flush handles were included. The SANitized® treated PURZON060B film was applied to half of the surface, while the other half remained in its original state and served as a control surface.
During the study, which lasted several months, the patients' rooms were cleaned normally once a day and the bathrooms were disinfected once a day. Samples of treated and untreated surfaces were taken twice a week on an area of 25 cm2 and subjected to an analysis of microorganisms. The number of microbes was determined by spreading on culture media, and isolates were examined for clinically relevant pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA).
Long-term effect: A net and significant reduction in pathogens
A total of 403 samples were analysed. HEXIS S.A.S. SANITIZED®'s PURZON060B film led to a reduction in the total number of viable germs of 98.4% on the six different surface types. The largest reduction was measured on toilet seats and flush handles (99%). In addition, scientists have confirmed a very significant reduction in pathogens, especially enterococci. Their multidrug-resistant strains can survive on dry surfaces for up to four years and they were responsible for a nationwide outbreak in Swiss hospitals in 2017, which could only be contained after two years.
The long-term effect of the Sanitized® TREATED adhesive film PURZON060B from HEXIS S.A.S was confirmed by repeating the measurement after six months.
"A sustainable antimicrobial surface supports hygiene management in hospitals and healthcare facilities," says Michael Lüthi, CEO of SANITIZED AG.
"The results of the study show that antimicrobial-treated surfaces can make a valuable contribution to preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens in hospitals. Even daily surface disinfection cannot prevent recontamination in a matter of hours: antimicrobial surfaces can fill this gap. " explains Prof. Dr. Andreas Widmer.
"For our antimicrobial adhesive film PURE ZONE®, we cooperated with SANITIZED AG. Hospitals, residences for the elderly and care facilities benefit from decades of experience and the highest quality," explains Clément Mateu, CEO of HEXIS S.A.S.
Tel: 0455 040 003 or Email: info@surfaceprotectionperth.com.au

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Reading: 3 Strategies Employed by the Leading Enterprise Cybersecurity Platforms
SmartData Collective > IT > Security > 3 Strategies Employed by the Leading Enterprise Cybersecurity Platforms
3 Strategies Employed by the Leading Enterprise Cybersecurity Platforms
Cybersecurity strategies need to be based off of sound data analytics principles.
Photo 165746594 / Data © Ratz Attila | Dreamstime.com
Much has changed since the time when organizations only knew of antiviruses and simple firewalls as the tools, they need to protect their computers. To address newer challenges, security providers have developed new technologies and strategies to combat evolving threats.
Breach and attack simulationContinuous automated red teamingAdvanced purple teamingNew but proven strategies
Stephanie Benoit-Kurtz, Lead Area Faculty Chair for the University of Phoenix's Cybersecurity Programs, offers a good summary of the changes security organizations should anticipate, especially in the time of the pandemic. "The threat landscape over the past 18 months has significantly changed in complexity and frequency of attacks. Long gone are the days when a lone wolf attacker was manually knocking at the door."
To get acquainted with the ways security firms are handling the new breed of threats in cyberspace, here's a rundown of the notable strategies the leading cybersecurity platforms and security firms are offering.
One of the headline features of modern cybersecurity platforms is breach and attack simulation or BAS. Designed to test the efficacy of existing security controls and improve them, BAS spots vulnerabilities in security environments by mimicking the possible attack paths and methods that will be employed by hackers and other bad actors. Gartner says that "breach and attack simulation tools help make security postures more consistent and automated."
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BAS is one of the top features in security posture management platforms for enterprises. It is not only able to check whether or not security controls are working the way they should; it also maximizes the ROI on these controls. Many organizations may not pay that much attention to this, but they are getting the return on their cybersecurity investment every time they elude disruptions and other forms of damage from cyber-attacks. BAS is easily one of the highly effective new ways of examining and improving cybersecurity efficacy.
Breach and attack simulation is designed to catch the most recent attack techniques employed by advanced persistent threats. Together with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, it achieves what some security firms describe as "threat-informed defense" by taking advantage of the latest threat intelligence and the knowledge of the tactics and techniques cybercriminals use. It effectively simulates the way malicious software and cyber-attacks impact endpoints, commit data exfiltration, and move around a network laterally.
Continuous automated red teaming
Red teaming is the strategy of using a group of ethical hackers to simulate a cyberattack on an organization. It is a form of security testing that relies on white hats or security professionals who will attempt to break through cyber defenses in whatever way they can think of.
Red teaming is a labor-intensive endeavor. To adequately cover all of the security controls and related aspects of an organization in a timely manner, several team members will have to work together. The problem is that this kind of approach is no longer compatible with the current cyber threat landscape, given how aggressive, frequent, and sophisticated the attacks are nowadays.
To keep up with the rapidly evolving threats, organizations need a continuous approach in security testing. Security vulnerabilities can emerge anytime, and defects in the protective measures put up by an organization will not wait for when the next red team evaluation would take place. There should be no gap in the integrity of an organization's cybersecurity to ably deal with new attacks.
For these, the elements of continuity and automation are necessary, continuous automated red teaming or CART is an appropriate solution. Serial cybersecurity entrepreneur Bikash Barai, who has spoken at the RSA Conference and TEDx, calls CART the future of security testing.
While BAS tools usually require both hardware or software agents within an organization to simulate the way real cyber-attacks work to penetrate an internal system, CART takes on a different approach. It does not supplant BAS, but something that complements it. "CART on the other hand works using an outside-in approach and conducts real attacks without the need for any hardware, software, or integration," Barai explains.
CART has a pronounced edge over traditional red teaming because of its consciousness. Because it is automated, it can replace people and reduce the cost of conducting red teaming while making sure that the security testing is not only periodic. Continuous automated red teaming is even designed to discover risks and attack surfaces on its own, not necessitating any human-initiated launching and inputs to undertake multi-stage attack simulations that evaluate networks, apps, policies, and even human behavior.
Advanced purple teaming
Another notable new approach used by leading cybersecurity platforms is advanced purple teaming. For those who have some background with red (attack) and blue (defense) teaming, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing about this strategy is that it is a combination of the red and blue teams.
This preconception is not completely wrong, but it is also not exactly right. Yes, it combines the elements of the attack and defense cybersecurity teams, but it does not result in the creation of a new team with red and blue members. Rather, it is the adoption of a new mindset in conducting security evaluations.
Instead of keeping the two teams totally separate and independent, purple teaming enables some degree of collaboration to enhance each other's abilities in achieving their respective goals. The blue team gets to see things in the perspective of the attack simulators for them to develop threat-aware defenses that anticipate lateral attacks and tweaks they would otherwise miss if they only focus on their defensive mentality. Similarly, the red team benefits from the collaboration by obtaining insights on how the blue team would likely plug vulnerabilities and respond to new attack tactics.
Purple teaming removes the problem of siloing that holds back the optimization of cyber defenses. It maximizes the scale of adversarial expertise, which leads to the crafting of new ways to scrutinize and bolster security controls that suit the unique cybersecurity environment of an organization.
As veteran international management expert who specializes in cybersecurity strategies and communication Tanya Candia explains, "Purple teaming is a proven way to provide stronger, deeper assurance — with more certainty — that the agency is being protected." Through this approach in security testing, cybersecurity teams with opposing perspectives operate under unified overall goals. "The functions of both red and blue teams are taken on simultaneously, with members working together to enhance information sharing," Candia adds.
Advanced purple teaming is a significantly improved way of undertaking purple teaming that employs automation. It is designed to make it possible to simulate attack scenarios that are automatically correlated to security control finding in examining breach detection functions as well as the capabilities of an organization to respond to security incidents promptly and effectively.
New but proven strategies
Many of the world's top cybersecurity platforms and security solution providers have already embraced breach and attack simulation, continuous automated red teaming, and advanced purple teaming. These strategies in securing organizations may be relatively new, but cybersecurity professionals can vouch for their effectiveness in view of the new kinds of problems presented by cunning malicious actors in cyberspace.
They are not perfect silver bullet solutions that guarantee foolproof protection against attacks. However, they represent the advancement the cybersecurity industry has to offer to better handle the evolution of threats in the digital online world.
TAGGED: Cybersecurity Tools, enterprise cybersecurity
Matt James November 12, 2021
By Matt James
Matt James is a veteran marketer & tech geek that has helped many large brands increase their online footprint. He specializes in influencer outreach and business growth.
Big DataITSecurity


Frameless Doors has been set up as a specialist arm of Moore and Moore Doors as a result of the increased demand for designer overheight doors. The Italian word 'Filomuro' translated simply means 'flush' doors. These doors are also known as 'secret' doors, and their minimalist features offer the solution of doors that simply disappear into the interior design of your project.They can be supplied ready to paint to match your walls or even have a plastered or wall panelling finishes applied. Alternatively you can select from the wide range of wood finishes either as horizontal or vertical grains or sleek lacquer finishes in satin or shiny (glossy) finishes. But why stop there, we can offer the addition of aluminium strips, mirrored finishes and frameless glass doors.
Frameless doors were initially designed to provide hidden service doors for storage. Continuing with this idea they are ideal for closing off storage areas including understair areas, meter cupboards, bathrooms and feature soft touch opening. For further inspiration please see the video section of ideas and solutions.
The 'Frameless' Door Set system is an easy installation system. We are able to offer standard panel sizes or made to measure. The frames are supplied within 2-3 weeks of ordering for plastering into your structural door opening, thus giving the appearance of no frame. These frames are accurately and rigidly templated with the door panels being supplied at the end of the project to prevent damage during the rest of the build period. The door sets come complete with hinges hidden within the frame as well as locks and magnetic latches. If your project requires fire rated doors, then again no problem. The door sets can be fire rated and come fully certificated to the European Standards which for your complete peace of mind provides for third party certification and tested as sets together with the regulatory CE marking.
The partnership of Moore and Moore Doors with the leading innovative design and manufacture of Garofoli with full certification and guarantees, offers you the unique opportunity of adding the 'F Garofoli' signature sign off on every door supplied representing quality, design and peace of mind. Our doors won't be the cheapest but we are confident that they will provide you with probably the best quality on the market as well as knowledgeable support from a team who have actually installed these doors.


The AURIX™ MCU family is developed for automotive applications. An AURIX™ MCU consists of multiple TC cores, which are multi-purpose cores, combining functionality of RISC, MCU, and DSP processors. To enhance functionality of MCSmartOS and broaden its application scope, this work aims to port the operating system to run on the TC cores of a AURIX™ development board. As MCSmartOS' kernel is designed to be easily portable, all on-chip peripherals of the SoC must be supported as well.


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(-) Remove Research & Development filter Research & Development
Polygynous Households and Intrahousehold Decision-Making: Evidence and Policy Implications from Mali and Tanzania
A large and growing body of scholarship now suggests that many household outcomes, including children's education and nutrition, are associated with a wife's bargaining power and control over household decision-making. In turn, bargaining power in a household is theorized to be driven by a wife's financial and human capital assets – in particular the degree to which these assets contribute to household productivity and/or to the wife's exit options. This paper draws on the detailed Farmer First dataset in Tanzania and Mali to examine husband and wife reports of a wife's share of decision-making authority in polygynous households, where multiple wives jointly contribute to household productivity, and where exit options for any single wife may be less credible. We find that both husbands and wives assign less authority to the wife in polygynous households relative to monogamous households. We also find that a wife's assets are not as strongly associated with decision-making authority in polygynous versus monogamous contexts. Finally, we find that responses to questions on spousal authority vary significantly by spouse in both polygynous and monogamous households, suggesting interventions based on the response of a single spouse may incorrectly inform policies and programs.
Preliminary Technical Brief, Presentation Slides
Review of LSMS-ISA Research
Household survey data are a key source of information for policy-makers at all levels. In developing countries, household data are commonly used to target interventions and evaluate progress towards development goals. The World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) are a particularly rich source of nationally-representative panel data for six Sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. To help understand how these data are used, EPAR reviewed the existing literature referencing the LSMS-ISA and identified 415 publications, working papers, reports, and presentations with primary research based on LSMS-ISA data. We find that use of the LSMS-ISA has been increasing each year since the first survey waves were made available in 2009, with several universities, multilateral organizations, government offices, and research groups across the globe using the data to answer questions on agricultural productivity, farm management, poverty and welfare, nutrition, and several other topics.
Presentation Slides, Results Coding
Realized Yield Gains From Quality Seed and Improved Varieties
This brief reviews the evidence of realized yield gains by smallholder farmers attributable to the use of high-quality seed and/or improved seed varieties. Our analysis suggests that in most cases, use of improved varieties and/or quality seed is associated with modest yield increases. In the sample of 395 trials reviewed, positive yield changes accompanied the use of improved variety or quality seed, on average, in 10 out of 12 crops, with rice and cassava as the two exceptions.
Research Brief, Results Coding Spreadsheet
China Agricultural Machinery
This desk study reports on the small-scale machinery sector in China and a selection of SSA countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. The report is organized into three sections. Section 1 discusses the current state of small-scale agricultural machinery in SSA for crop and livestock production in each of the SSA countries identified. It also seeks to identify major areas of need in terms of agricultural mechanization and major constraints to agricultural machinery adoption, dissemination and maintenance. Section 2 focuses on the agricultural machinery sector in China and Chinese Africa relationships in agricultural development. It also identifies the major government players in the Chinese agricultural machinery sector. Section 3 is a "directory" of small-scale agricultural machinery manufactured in China with potential relevance for SSA smallholder farmers. We divide machines by function (e.g. threshing) although many Chinese machines are multi-function and can serve multiple purposes. We also note applicable crops, if listed by the manufacturers, and technical specifications as available.
Agricultural Risks Management in Africa
This brief presents selected material from the Fourth African Agricultural Markets Program (AAMP) policy symposium, Agricultural Risks Management in Africa: Taking Stock of What Has and Hasn't Worked, organized by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa that took place in Lilongwe, Malawi, September 6-10, 2010. We draw almost exclusively from Rashid and Jayne's summary, "Risk Management in African Agriculture: A review of experiences." This article summarizes across the background papers, with major findings grouped into three broad categories: cross cutting, government-led policies, and modern instruments.
EPAR Technical Report #94
Impact of Export-Driven Cash Crops on Smallholder Households
Market-oriented agricultural production can be a mechanism to increase smallholder farmer welfare, rural market performance, and contribute to overall economic growth. Cash crop production can allow households to increase their income by producing output with higher returns to land and labor and using the income generated from sales to purchase goods for consumption. However, in the face of missing and underperforming markets, African smallholder households are often unable to produce efficiently or obtain staple foods reliably and cheaply. This literature review summarizes the available literature on the impact of smallholder participation in cash crop and export markets on household welfare and rural markets. The review focuses exclusively on evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa regarding top and emerging export crops, with the addition of tobacco and horticulture due to the volume of research relevant to smallholder welfare gains from the production of these crops. It includes theoretical frameworks, case studies, empirical evidence, and historical analysis from 42 primary empirical studies and 112 resources overall.
Smallholder Contract Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
In recent years, product supply chains for agricultural goods have become increasingly globalized. As a result, greater numbers of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) participate in global supply chains, many of them through contract farming (CF). CF is an arrangement between a farmer and a processing or marketing firm for the production and supply of agricultural products, often at predetermined prices. This literature review finds empirical evidence that demonstrates that the economic and social benefits of CF for smallholder farmers are mixed. A number of studies suggest that CF may improve farmer productivity, reduce production risk and transaction costs, and increase farmer incomes. However, critics caution that CF may undermine farmers' relative bargaining power and increase health, environmental, and financial risk through exposure to monopsonistic markets, weak contract environments, and unfamiliar agricultural technologies. There is consensus across the literature that CF has the best outcomes for farmers when farmers have more bargaining power to negotiate the terms of the contract. In reviewing the literature on CF, we find a number of challenges to comparing studies and evaluating outcomes across contracts. This literature review summarizes empirical findings and analyses regarding contract models and best practices to increase farmers' bargaining power and decrease contract default.
Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Executive Summary
Introducing technology that is designed to be physically appropriate and valuable to women farmers can increase yields and raise income. But gender issues for agricultural technology projects in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are extremely complex. The EPAR series on Gender and Cropping in SSA offers examples of how these issues can affect crop production and adoption of agricultural technologies at each point in the crop cycle for eight crops (cassava, cotton, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, wheat, and yam). This executive summary highlights innovative opportunities for interventions that consider these dimensions of gender. We encourage readers to consult the crop specific briefs for more details. We find that involving both men and women in the development, testing, and dissemination of agricultural technology has been shown to be successful in helping both benefit. Nevertheless, a consistent finding throughout the Gender and Cropping in SSA series is that maximum benefits from technological innovations cannot be realized when upstream factors like education, power, and land tenure heavily influence outcomes. Addressing these more basic upstream causes of gender inequality may be even more important in helping households increase productivity and maximize the benefits of technological interventions.
Agricultural Research and Development Hours by Crop
This research brief reports on full time equivalent (fte) positions devoted to research and development of major food and cash crops in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data on fte by country and crop were collected from individual Agricultural Science and Technology Indicator (ASTI) country briefs. ASTI data are obtained from unpublished surveys conducted by CGIAR centers. Our report includes 23 countries in SSA.


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Go Play
Two found dead in Smiley Court
A homicide investigation is underway.
Two found dead in Smiley Court A homicide investigation is underway. Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/crime/2018/05/28/two-found-dead-smiley-court/649472002/
Andrew J. Yawn, Montgomery Advertiser Published 11:20 a.m. CT May 28, 2018 | Updated 4:32 p.m. CT May 28, 2018
Flowers grow in front of the Smiley Court sign on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala.(Photo: Albert Cesare / Advertiser)Buy Photo
Montgomery Police Department has initiated a homicide investigation after two were found dead at a Smiley Court residence Monday morning.
A man and woman were found dead at the 4100 block of Williams Street having sustained fatal gunshot wounds, according to Sgt. Jarrett Williams.
MPD located the two at about 6 a.m. Monday.
— Reporter Andrew Yawn
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Read or Share this story: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/crime/2018/05/28/two-found-dead-smiley-court/649472002/
After state audit, former Goodwyn bookkeeper, athletic director ordered to pay back thousands
Surgeon Brian Gary keeps his hometown on the cutting edge
DSW employee charged after $13,500 of merchandise taken
Woman robbed downtown Montgomery bank from the drive-thru, police say
Former MPD officer Stevie Rodgers found guilty of enticing child
Potential jurors in Prattville barbershop capital murder case to get questionnaire
Legacy of Lynchings
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A pair of white giraffes, a mother and calf, have been filmed by conservationists for the first time.
The white giraffes have leucism, a condition that inhibits pigmentation in skin cells.
Rumours had been circulated of a white giraffe with her calf in the Ishaqbini conservation area, Garissa County, for a few weeks. However, rangers were not able to confirm the sightings until June, this year, following a tip-off from local villagers.
The area is managed by the Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP), an NGO dedicated to preserving the critically endangered hirola antelope, one of the rarest in the world.
They were so close and extremely calm and seemed not disturbed by our presence.
The mother kept pacing back and forth a few yards in front of us while signalling the baby giraffe to hide behind the bushes—a characteristic of most wildlife mothers in the wild to prevent the predation of their young.
According to the HCP, this most recent footage is only the third known sighting of a white giraffe.


The Definition Clinic is delighted to announce we have moved our Clinic to Lanarkshire Aesthetics in Bellshill. We have a beautiful treatment room and our patients can benefit from a vast variety of treatments in the one location.
Coolsculpting is based on the science of Cryolipolysis which is fundamentally different from other non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures. Other methods of fat removal damage fat with heat, laser or chemical injections, which can result in necrotic cell death and surrounding tissue damage. Coolsculpting targets only the fat cells which are then crystallised, gradually die and are naturally eliminated from your body. In the weeks and months following treatment, the remaining fat cells condense, reducing the fat layer.
The good news is that one treatment may be enough for you to achieve the desired body image you are looking for, if however, that isn't the case, you can return for additional treatments to achieve further reduction. Recently treated celebrities such as Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Kris Jenner, Gretchen Rossi, and Molly Sims it is a proving a fantastic alternative to Liposuction where you need to recover and potentially take time off work. Genuine Zeltiq Coolsculpting has been certified as safe and effective in the reduction of fat, there are no needles, scalpels, anaesthetic, scars, or a requirement to wear compression garments or change your lifestyle.
The procedure itself is FDA Approved, however this is only with a Zeltiq Machine and an Accredited Coolsculpting Practice. If the practice is not on the Zeltiq website, it is potentially dangerous for your skin and health to proceed with a cheaper option with another practitioner offering a ridiculously low priced deal. Some articles can be found online where patients have opted for a cheap option, thinking its Coolsculpting, maybe not asking the direct question and they find out afterwards it's an imported machine as it has burnt their skin.


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Movies I Love: The Devil's Advocate
One of the really clever aspects of The Devil's Advocate is that the title and trailers convey that Al Pacino is, y'know, the devil, even though it's not point-blank addressed until the very end of Taylor Hackford's horror-suspense film. The reveal isn't some colossal, surprising twist; in fact, the experience hinges on that half-awareness of the truth behind John Milton. Without saying a word about it, the tone of the bleak, fiery title cards generates a supernatural atmosphere around what's to come: the skill of a near-invincible rural lawyer, the offer that comes his way, and the lasting gaze John Milton darts at his new acquisition as he walks the streets of the "Babylon" that is New York. The idea sounds like an archaic joke -- the universe's supreme evil pulling the strings of a metropolitan law firm, manipulating innocent fledgling lawyers -- but Hackford's viewpoint keeps this sharp, moody plunge into dark motives and manipulation convincingly straight-faced, and more stimulating under the surface than one might expect.
Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is that fledgling lawyer, a slick Florida defense attorney with an impressive win-loss record and a wavering conscience. After muscling through a complicated child molestation case, he's offered the opportunity -- along with hefty compensation and expenses paid for his wife, Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) -- to select a jury for a prestigious law firm in New York City, headed by John Milton (Pacino). His success lands him a permanent position at Milton, Chadwick, & Waters, along with all the perks becoming of a major player at the firm, such as a massive apartment and invitations to elegant high-priority parties. Once he integrates into the New York atmosphere, however, the seams holding his life together, and his relationship with Mary Ann, start to unravel in the face of temptation: long work hours to ensure case victories; the allure of socializing with Milton; and the fiery glances from a disarming red-haired colleague (Connie Nielsen). Everything plays out like a convenient stage of events, unnaturally so.
Disquieting, subtle gothic atmosphere blankets Kevin's tribulations from the beginning of The Devil's Advocate, observing where he crosses the threshold into a maze of corporeal and metaphysical manipulation as Milton's willing thrall. Sunny Floridian courthouses, churches, and peaceful roads give way to grave, angled municipal rooms and an a lavish yet eerie New York apartment set aside for the Lomax clan, flinty and dim around every corner through Andrzej Bartkowiak's nimble dutch angles and discomforting perspectives. Faces become weatherworn and shadowy outside of Kevin's line of sight, while rich passionate blasts of red slowly emerge, wrapped around the body of a tempestuous woman and lighting the balmy space of a Latin bar. The mood engulfing Kevin's transformation is designed to unnerve, both the Lomaxes and the audience, but elements also entice and playfully taunt those observing -- as if Hackford wants to provoke the senses in ways experienced by Kevin and Mary Ann.
Adapted from Andrew Neiderman's book of the same name, the story built around Kevin Lomax's moral testing ground is an intentionally scattered voyage through law procedure, deliberately touching on the ethical integrity of high-profile defense without getting very deep into the details. The Devil's Advocate isn't really concerned with our observation of the cases Kevin handles, outside of the clients' likely guilt, but with how he endures -- and exploits -- the tainted morality of each one; the further he's willing to compromise principles in cut-and-dry health code incidents (hey, there's Delroy Lindo!) and cumbersome murder trials (hey, there's Craig T. Nelson!), the more he embraces the doctrine that'll make him a key fixture in Milton's practice. The writing from Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy reaches into the characters and contorts their viewpoints as the cases intensify, teasing us with double-entendres in Milton's language that ensure we're witnessing the devil's work -- to which Keanu Reeves' rigidness and neutral glances create a buyable-enough vessel for malleable virtues.
Fusing serious-minded takes on elements from something like The Devil and Daniel Webster with the machinations of a John Grisham novel, that side of The Devil's Advocate speaks little to the horror genre. And it shouldn't; the world around Kevin appears ordinary, as if he's playing his own cards. There's a supernatural undercurrent though, and a ghastly, visceral side emerges around Mary Ann's mental state. Hackford doesn't turn away from nightmarish images, either, creating this grotesque surreal flipside of Kevin's awareness in troubling surreal images of demons squirming in bodies and dangling raw flesh in unexpected venues. Watching Mary Ann (and a fraught performance from Charlize Theron) spiral out of control -- and seeing these shifts in reality spill into Kevin's viewpoint -- strengthens the eerie grand design of Milton's motives, visualized in a chilling quasi-Poltergeist manner. It's impressive how fiendishly the psychology and rapport between Kevin and Mary Ann dismantles, playing on the things vital to each of them.
Al Pacino delivers, well, precisely what's expected of him as John Milton, harnessing that absorbing gravitas of his late-'90s scenery-chewing as the omniscient head of the law firm. And, really, I love every minute of it. He's raucous in his persistent speeches, giving Milton's vulgar yet heavily-rationalized rhetoric the bite it needs to appear convincing in Kevin's eyes, while the script uses his unassuming stature as an asset while building his villainy. Milton's impishness does come alive in quieter points of The Devil's Advocate, allowing his wide grin and lively eyes to bolster that expected sinister charisma. Yet, it's those billowing speeches, where he gnarls on the demands of pressure, skewers morality, and blathers on about the over-privileged, that muster the beast inside the character -- and Pacino's embellished stage presence gives John Milton the fiery vigor he requires. A subtler version of "the devil" might've been interesting, but there's something undeniably magnetic about Milton's archaic, rumbling theatricality.
The Devil's Advocate isn't really one for subtlety, though. Gut-churning temptation, violent deaths, and heavy mental distress move the fable feverishly towards its climax -- one that, accompanied by eerie moving statues and Sinatra tunes playing in the background, stops time to reveal the extent of Milton's grand design in a hauntingly mythical display. Hackford juggles theological outlooks and the magnitude of free-will in his thematically extravagant finale, hinged on fatalistic exposition and bleak implications through big, gristly speeches. While the story bloats its pop-philosophical contemplations beyond what it can handle, it's hard to deny the gratification that the outcome generates: a lavish footnote about self-determination and redemption that, somehow, manages to stay neutral on religion as a whole. The battle turns into a brooding, outlandish fantasy of persuasion and integrity, but it's easy to get wrapped up in the scheming of this mythical manipulator without buying into any particular fire-'n-brimstone.
For the full Blu-ray review, head over to DVDTalk.com: [Click Here]
Posted by Thomas Spurlin on 9/24/2012
Freya said...
Allegorically, one who takes an opposite position for testing a contention, or just to be perverse.
The term 'Devil's advocate' was brought into English in the eighteenth century from the medieval Latin expression 'advocatus diaboli'. To describe someone as a Devil's advocate now is to suggest that they are mischievous and opposing, being opposite for it. In medieval Europe, Devil's advocate wasn't seen so contrarily; it was, similar to "chamberlain" or 'cordwainer', a vocation title.
There are various mentions in Vatican records dating from the mid 1500s of a casual part called 'Diaboli Advocatus'. In 1587, the administration of Pope Sixtus V (disappointingly, there hasn't yet been a Sixtus the Sixth) established the formal post of Promoter of the Confidence, referred to informally as the 'Advocatus Diaboli', which surely must have been the same part as 'Diaboli Advocatus'. The set of working responsibilities wasn't especially onerous, until the point when someone was assigned for either beatification and canonization, and soon thereafter the 'Devil's Advocate' was required to draw up a list of arguments against the chosen one getting to be plainly blessed or consecrated.
The first occasion when that the present type of the expression was used in print appears to be in the 1760 humorous content Impostors Identified:
By rising up and having the genuine impact of the Devil's advocate.
Thoughts? Love to hear 'em -- if they're kept clean and civil.
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It Started in a Parking Lot: TOPGUN's History Revealed
Jan. 26, 2022 | By Katie Lange , DOD News |
The Navy's Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Course – better known as TOPGUN – has a reputation for producing the best fighter pilots in the world. The school has been around since 1969 and was made famous by the classic 1986 film of the same name.
Its reputation now precedes it, but TOPGUN's origin was much more humble. Initially based out of a trailer in the parking lot of what was then Naval Air Station Miramar, California, the school became necessary to better train Navy fighter pilots during Vietnam.
"During the Vietnam War, Navy fighter pilots and aircrew were dying at an alarming rate," explained Navy Cmdr. Dustin Peverill, a 20-year Navy veteran and two-time TOPGUN instructor. "The Navy was losing a lot of airplanes and, more importantly, a lot of aircrew."
Captain Frank W. Ault
Navy Captain Frank W. Ault led an investigation into unacceptable combat losses during the Vietnam War. The resulting report, known as the Ault Report, highlighted many performance deficiencies and their root causes, including the need for an advanced course to teach fighter tactics. The result was the Navy Fighter Weapons School, dubbed TOPGUN, which was established in 1969.
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Photo By: Navy
VIRIN: 670318-N-D0439-012
Despite having the technological edge, the Navy was experiencing unacceptable combat losses in Vietnam. In response, the service commissioned an investigation and tasked Navy Capt. Frank Ault to lead the effort. The resulting report, known as the Ault Report, highlighted many performance deficiencies and their root causes, including the need for an advanced course to teach fighter tactics. The result was the Navy Fighter Weapons School, established at Miramar in 1969.
Nicknamed TOPGUN, the school's mission was — and still is — to train aircrew in all aspects of aerial combat to be carried out with the utmost professionalism. In its early days, its students were trained over the course of four weeks on F-4 Phantom II aircraft to get better at one-on-one aerial combat, also known as dogfighting.
"When TOPGUN graduates began to go back to the fleet in the early 1970s and the air war started back up, the Navy's kill ratio jumped. TOPGUN worked," Peverill said. "It validated that the training, the subject-matter expertise and, most importantly, the professionalism that it produced worked in combat and it produced results."
TOPGUN Patch
A TOPGUN adversary instructor patch adorns the flight suit of Navy Lt. Joe Anderson of the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program at Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon, Nev., May 11, 2021.
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Photo By: EJ Hersom, DOD
VIRIN: 210511-D-DB155-003
Training the Trainers
TOPGUN produces graduate-level fighter pilots, as well as adversary instructors and air-intercept controllers. After students pass the class, most go back to the fleet's weapons schools. Some are invited back to become the elite instructors who carry on the school's tradition of excellence.
"We can't be everywhere at once, so the idea is that we teach the students here, and they move on and teach what we've taught them to the rest of the fleet," explained Navy Lt. Joe Anderson, a TOPGUN instructor.
"Their job is to make sure that, top to bottom — CO all the way down to the brand new aircrew — are trained in the latest tactics developed by TOPGUN," Peverill said. "The payback that the fleet gets from a TOPGUN graduate isn't just an individual investment, it's a community investment – a Navy investment."
TOPGUN Flight Line
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jimmy Gibbons and Navy Lt. Joe Anderson of the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, also known as TOPGUN, walk the flight line during a video shoot at Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon, Nev., May 11, 2021.
TOPGUN was one of the first centers for excellence in the Defense Department. Its longstanding reputation for producing results has made it a model for other military units, even within the Navy.
"Every community in naval aviation has its own weapons school, and they're based on the same principles as TOPGUN," Peverill said. "They haven't been around for 52 years, but they're still working toward that same level of excellence that TOPGUN demands."
When TOPGUN moved to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, in 1996, the Navy integrated it into the newly created Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. Now known as the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, the command includes TOPGUN, as well as the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School and the Navy Rotary Wing Weapons School.
Experience: TOPGUN — Edge of Aviation Experience: TOPGUN — Edge of Aviation: https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Top-Gun-The-Edge-of-Aviation/
topgun Navy


BEEBURG INNOVATIVE'S. was founded in January 2009.
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All kind of hoteling essential's manufacturing and global marketing of BEEBURG INNOVATIVE'S worldwide.
including its BEEBURG INNOVATIVE'S Vision line of hotel & Resturant products.
requirements and expectations of our customers.
We provide a friendly, professional and proactive service committed to making you satisfied and confident in your dealings with us. Our focus is to provide consistent high levels of customer service and product quality with in a flexible packing operation.
Our dedicated, friendly staff care about providing the best possible service and will always put your needs first. We believe a successful businesscan only be achieved by having satisfied customers.
Being a friendly, caring company.
As a multinational company of Pakistan origin, competing in global markets, our established tradition of innovation and renewal benefits our customers. Constant innovation in everything we do is essential for our long term financial success. We are leaders in continuous improvement and our culture rewards creativity and initiative by all our employees.
As a family company we are devoted to our employees´ well-being and personal development. We reject all forms of discrimination and harassment and show understanding and respect in our dealings with each other. We are committed to provide a multi-cultural environment where employees work together in worldwide teams to enrich our corporate culture and capability. We believe in the value of enduring personal relationships with customers, suppliers and industrial partners.
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for the food manufacturers to cater their packaging needs for filling water, dairy and juice products.
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My beloved grandmother, Elva, inspires my writing.
I will always remember the afternoon she waited on her front porch for my return to her home—after a twenty-year absence—wearing a white lace blouse and prim black skirt, and the morning, seventeen years later, when I sat by her side, as she took her last breath.
Grandma did more than heal me.
To this day she remains the most unique woman I have ever met.
A devoted church goer, every Sunday morning she would pull her silver hair into a neat bun, dab some color on her lips, and slip on her 'ear bobbles.' After Sunday dinner, of which she enjoyed every bite, she'd change into crumpled shorts, a tatty t-shirt and head barefoot to her back yard. Transformed into the mythical crone, she'd lose herself in the dirt of her garden. I followed behind her, enchanted by the magic her gnarled fingers and tiny body imparted upon the tangled life that thrived in her yard. By the time she was finished planting, pruning, weeding, watering, and visiting the neighbors, her hair would be a Medusa-like mess, and if there was any watermelon to be had, she'd relish a thick slice with a bit of salt.
Gracious and harsh, thoughtful and opinionated, she shared her intelligent humor with those who took the time to get to know her.
Although I was twenty-four when Grandma and I were reunited, I had been deeply affected by the loss of my mother through divorce as a child, and then her suicide when I was twenty-three. Psychologically and emotionally I remained a girl. Grandma opened a secret door. One I could walk through to become the woman that I am.
Grandma was the only one in my family strong enough to hold my hand as I stared into the abyss that had been my mother's life. Her firm grip was the only thing that kept me from diving in headfirst, to follow the beautiful, irreverent, spirited woman, I remembered my mother, grandma's daughter, to be.
How could I not cherish every moment with this incredible woman who pulled me into spaces, conversations, and ways of being that I couldn't have imagined without her?
When Grandma died, it was the first time I realized what I had deprived myself of. Because I had decided not to have children, I had no one to give what she had given me. Although we both had our melancholy side, whenever we were together, Grandma and I shined. When she was gone, I stood alone. Who could I give the triumph, the hope, the love, and the mystery of everything she had shared with me?
I needed to share it with someone.
My hope is that when you read my work, you will feel something of what I felt when I sat by Grandma's side, and, that you will want to mine the mystical beauty of your own experience, here, on this good planet, Earth.
She sounds like an amazing person. May we all find beautiful souls to inspire us!
Memories of her still make me light up! Yes, we all need someone!


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Mary Bontrager
DSM Fellowship Developing Next Generation of DSM USA Leaders
Ranked as the #5 Best Place for Business and Careers by Forbes, Greater Des Moines (DSM) is fast building a reputation as the go-to place for careers nationally. DSM is the fastest growing major metro in the Midwest, according to U.S. Census data, and the fastest growing demographic is 25- to 34-year-olds. Part of DSM's lure for skilled talent is not only the low cost of living but also the high standard of living the region offers. Now there is one more element to attract some of the nation's top young talent — the DSM Fellowship program.
Key to DSM's continued development is the ability to continue to attract skilled workers to the region. From cradle through career, the region already offers world-class educational opportunities. Building upon that reputation, the Greater Des Moines Partnership has launched the DSM Fellowship Program — a preeminent professional development initiative that attracts, develops and retains a diverse community of top-tier graduates.
What is the DSM Fellowship?
The DSM Fellowship is a two-year enhanced experience for college graduates or employees new to their careers at host companies. It's an opportunity to nurture the future leadership of DSM with an intentional focus on recruiting diversity to the program. The first cohort has just been accepted as part of a pilot program offering Fellows with vast opportunities to grow their life and career in DSM while businesses will be able to shape organizational success through the Fellows.
Throughout the program, Fellows will complete a customized advanced professional development curriculum, receive mentoring from executives in their company and across the region, have access to community engagement opportunities, work on a capstone project and form lasting bonds with Fellows from other companies. The Program centers on a four-pronged approach, designed to capitalize on beneficial areas for both parties: career development, community engagement, curriculum and social connection.
Once the program is fine-tuned during the pilot, the plan is to build a talent pool that partnering companies can select candidates from to not only hire but also place within the Fellowship program.
As we welcome our 2018 pilot Fellowship cohort, we look forward to learning together and refining the program ahead of a 2020 launch.
The DSM Fellowship program is the preeminent professional development initiative attracting, developing and retaining a diverse community of top-tier graduates to Greater Des Moines (DSM).
Education , Networking , Talent Development


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What is the Tech RRT?
Areas of Technical Expertise
Deployment Package
Past Deployments
Tools & Reports
Request Advisor
First Deployment: Assessment
Reason for request:
The violence that erupted in South Sudan mid-December 2013 has led to a humanitarian crisis involving a massive displacement of over 1.5 million people nationwide. The conflict, and associated displacement, has had a significant impact on food security and, consequentially, the prevalence of malnutrition. While famine was averted in South Sudan in 2014, the July 2014 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) correctly projected that food security would deteriorate for displaced populations and host communities in 2015.
The SET team led by ACF but representing the Nutrition Cluster and Nutrition Information Working Group has a mandate to conduct emergency nutrition SMART surveys in the most vulnerable areas identified by the NIWG. In the current project, three surveys are to be conducted by July 2016 and will likely take place in Unity State, security permitting. There was a significant need to help provide assistance to the SET team with finalizing the data analysis, report writing etc. of the December 2015 Panyijar SMART survey, writing the survey protocol and planning the Leer County SMART survey, as well as to increase validation technical capacity within the NIWG pertaining to survey validation. As a result, a request was made to the Tech-RRT Consortium for assistance. On Jan 3rd, Scott Logue, Tech-RRT Nutrition Assessment Advisor (NAA) was deployed to Juba, South Sudan.
Outcome:
Provided feedback and contributed to the validating process of multiple surveys while attending Nutrition Information Working Group (NIWG) meetings.
Created a preliminary report template and final report template modeled after SMART templates but tailored to South Sudan context to be used by NIWG organizations.
At an NIWG meeting presented validation of data process using ENA for SMART software with sample data sets.
Developed Leer survey protocol with Survey Manager and presented to NIWG
Worked with Survey Manager to analyze Panjjar SMART data, write preliminary report and present to NIWG for validation, followed by final report submission to NIWG
Second Deployment: Assessment
While famine was averted in South Sudan in 2014, the December, 2015 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), forecast that for the period of January to March, 2016 Guit County will be under Emergency classification. Moreover, the same IPC projection states that 40.000 individual would be under Catastrophe classification in Unity state (Guit included) for March, 2016 (IPC, 2015).
The 2015 conflict in Unity state, and associated displacement, had also impacted Guit county, having a significant effect on food security and, consequentially, the prevalence of malnutrition. At the moment, INGO's do not have bases in Guit county, though an Inter-Sector Rapid Need Assessment/Response (IRNA/R) Mission was conducted from February 20th to 24th by UNICEF, World relief, Nonviolent Peace Force, Norwegian People Aid and Concern World Wide. During the response associated to the assessment, interventions in WASH, FSL and health were carried out.
However, no SMART survey had been conducted in all of Guit County (access permitting) since 2013.
Therefore, given the background situation which set Emergency IPC levels of GAM for Guit County for the period January to March, 2016, there was a need to provide the NIWG with an up to date estimate of under nutrition prevalence for programming purposes.
Attended the IPC Meetings which were held in Juba between April 19-24 and worked with nutrition colleagues to identify priority counties and completed IPC specific worksheets that are used throughout the IPC classification process
Presented to the NIWG the importance of translating questionnaires (English to Nuer) and provided the NIWG the 4 translated questionnaires (Anthropometry and health, Mortality, FSL, WASH) created for the Bentiu POC survey that can be adapted for other surveys.
Provided support to both SET Survey Managers for the Guit County and Bentiu POC surveys. Support was provided remotely from Juba as well as one field visit for each survey.
Worked with Survey Managers to analyze the Guit survey data, write preliminary report (included final data set), and presented to NIWG (validated).
Worked with Survey Manager to write and present Bentiu POC protocol, analyze data, write preliminary report and present to NIWG for validation, followed by final report submission to NIW
Third Deployment: IYCF
Name of Sector IYCF-E
Date of Deployment: February 17 to March 12, 2018
The current population of South Sudan stands at 11, 261, 51. More than 3.9 million South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes, and 1.9 million internally displaced persons and over 2 million refugees have been hosted by the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Sudan and Uganda.
Between 1990 and 2010, there has been success in curbing maternal and child mortality. Maternal mortality decreased from 1,730 to 789 (/100,000 live births) during this period. A similar trend has been recorded for child mortality, in which under five mortality rates decreased from 253 to 99 (/1000 livebirths), infant and neonatal mortality decreased from 150 to 64 and 65 to 39 respectively (/1000 livebirths).[1] The same survey shows that less than 20% of pregnant women were able to have at least one Antenatal Care Visits (ANC) by a skilled attendant and just around 11% delivered in health facilities. At the same time, Mother to child transmission of HIV reached worrisome levels and lacked appropriate interventions to support the nutritional status of the mother and the child. No data on anaemia and other micronutrient deficiencies is available, posing some limitations in the effectiveness of the programming.
Both acute and chronic malnutrition were serious with stunting above 30% and wasting above 20%.1 Poor Infant and Young Child Feeding practices are one of the key causes of child malnutrition.
Needs are substantial and it is apparent that there is an absence of even the most basic services in many parts of the country. The protracted conflict further exacerbated the rates of acute malnutrition due to the reduced ability of children under five, chronically ill persons, and pregnant and lactating women to meet their nutritional needs because of displacement and increased morbidity caused by disease outbreaks, lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities and basic health services[2]. The estimated number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition rose from a pre-crisis estimate of 108,000 to 229,000 in 2015 to 362,000 in 2016 and 276,000 in 2017 due to deteriorating food insecurity, displacement and the destruction of health, water and sanitation facilities along with underlying causes of suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices.
In line with the above considerations and the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Health with the support of the Nutrition Cluster to improve both CMAM and the Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition situation in the country, the Tech RRT specialized assistance was requested to:
Roll out the implementation of key interventions as indicated in the MIYCN strategy in selected areas
Provide inputs for the finalization of the MIYCN training package based on the learning from the two (2) trainings
Document inputs and agreements with the MIYCN TWG on key actions that will need to be sustained and supported based on the initial experience of the roll out activities
Participate in the MIYCN TWG and provide feedback on a) the trainings conducted b) the results and findings of the follow up, and c) facilitate agreements on supporting the roll out of the training and coaching activities
Key Outputs: Bullet point the main outcome of the deployment
Finalized MIYCN Training Packages (Master, ToT, Health Workers, Community Health Workers and Lead mothers), updated and revised based on the inputs and feedback from three MIYCN ToT trainings (Eastern Equatoria State (EES), Central Equatoria State (CES) and Jonglei State). The Adviser supported two of the three (3) listed MIYCN ToT, specifically in CES and Jonglei.
Updated and finalized MIYCN recording and reporting tools
Finalized with the consensus of the MIYCN TWG the MIYCN indicators to be included in the Nutrition Information System of the Nutrition Cluster
Handover Note from the MIYCN ToT Follow Up of the Unity State, conducted in November 2017
Key agreements with the MIYCN TWG on how to support and sustain the remaining roll out of the MIYCN Trainings
Training of Trainers was also conducted by the MIYCN team (the adviser was the course director) from Feb 20 to 24 in CES and from Feb 27 to March 3 in Bor, Jonglei. A total of 19 participants from 8 partner agencies plus state level ministry of health attended in CES and a total of 19 participants from 9 partner agencies and state and county ministry of health attended in Jonglei. The Adviser prepared and coached the facilitator's team prior to the departure.
[1] Ministry of Health, South Sudan. Household and Health Survey, 2010
[2] UNICE/WFP 2015 scale up report
Fourth Deployment: Integration
Sector: Integration
Dates: November 19-23, 2018
The ICNWG identified limited capacities of humanitarian partners and clusters for multi-sectoral nutrition sensitive programming among the main barriers to effectively achieve nutrition outcomes in humanitarian settings.
To address this barrier a three-days training package "Integrated Inter-Cluster Training Package for Nutrition Outcomes" was developed to support in-country cluster coordinators and partners in applying integrated nutrition-sensitive approaches to achieve a better nutrition outcome across sectors, with specific focus on: nutrition, food security, health, WASH, education, and protection.
A three day Integrated Inter-Cluster Workshop for nutrition outcomes in South Sudan was conducted. This workshop was supported by the Global Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group (ICNWG), a joint working group of the Global Food Security Cluster (gFSC), co-led by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP); and the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC), led by UNICEF.
This three-day workshop conducted for partners in Juba aimed to build on the integration work already carried out in South Sudan
The specific objectives of the workshop were as follows
To build capacity for integrated programming for improved collective outcomes
To develop proposed action points for better integrated programming for improved nutrition outcomes in South Sudan.
A total of 27 participants attended the workshop. Participants were made up of a combination of coordination and operational programme staff, from education, FSL, health, nutrition, protection & WASH clusters.
The workshop was facilitated by Darana Souza (FAO), Michele Goergen (Technical Rapid Response Team) and Vivienne Forsythe (FAO Consultant).
Content of training
Day one was an introduction to integrated planning for better nutrition outcomes. Three main sessions were facilitated i) an introduction to basic nutrition concepts, ii) an overview of integrated planning for better collective outcomes, and what informs the selection of integrated planning; and iii) an introduction to nutrition sensitive interventions. These sessions were conducted in an interactive fashion, with buzz questions and plenary discussion of points through each of the presentations.
Day two focussed on technical aspects of integration for better nutrition outcomes. Sessions were held on Integration of nutrition with food security and livelihoods, with health, WASH, protection; and with education and early childhood development. During each session definitions and conceptual issues were presented, and participants then explored the experience of integration in South Sudan, as well as opportunities for greater integration; through plenary discussion and group work.
Through the participant engagement in days one and two, it was apparent that there is quite a lot of operational experience of varying levels of integrated programming in South Sudan, within and between agencies, and across clusters.
Day three focussed on developing proposed priority actions to move the integration agenda forward in South Sudan, through group work, presentation and plenary discussion.
At the end of the training:
Each sector outlined some proposed points of action identified by the workshop participants to improve integration. This included, national, state and county level priority actions to facilitate integrated programming for better nutrition outcomes were put forward.
The education, food security, health, nutrition, protection and WASH clusters each identified proposed actions, for their respective clusters, that could be undertaken at operational level to improve integration
Fifth Deployment
Sector: IYCF-E
Dates: 25th May to 20th July 2019
Many aspects of infant and young child feeding are far from optimal, mainly Initiation of breastfeeding, continued breast feeding at one and two years as well as introduction of semi solid foods. Inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices are among the most serious obstacles to maintain adequate nutritional status and contribute to high levels of malnutrition in South Sudan. Majority of deaths during the first year of life are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices. To address this, and also support optimal mental development, UNICEF and MoH have developed MIYCN Strategy and Guideline documents to focus comprehensively on the preventative lessons and key areas of concerns including the components of essential nutrition services with the rollout of infant and young child feeding program to improve the feeding practices for children across all former 10 states of the country.
South Sudan MIYCN Strategy & Guideline is endorsed in 2017;
A set of strategic actions and interventions for government and partners to roll out in all states;
Annual investment of $11 million per year is planned to prevent undernutrition related deaths and illness of mothers and children in South Sudan;
Cluster required further guidance on how to implement recommended actions within humanitarian response;
Tech RRT fill the technical gap and provide practical and realistic plans for prioritised MIYCN actions.
The deployment achieved the following 8 outcomes:
The MIYCN-E response and gap analysis tool- now incorporated in nutrition (including CMAM) response dashboard
A MIYCN-E program budget/costing tool developed- partners now able to incorporate MIYCN-E activities into proposals and master budget
An advocacy brief- reinforcing the importance of MIYCN interventions in South Sudan and call for action
The MIYCN-E integration action plan for South Sudan- focusing priority sectors like FSL, WASH, Health
BFHI guidance- the existing draft reviewed, shared feedbacks with WHO and agreed on steps for revision of the draft and finalization
10-steps action plan, with standards of implementation- shared with WHO for considering adoption
'the Code' implementation action plan- MIYCN TWG in South Sudan now able to take agreed steps to implement 'the Code'
Facilitated the training sessions based on the deployment outputs, with nutrition and non-nutrition partners
1. South Sudan MIYCN Gap analysis matrix draft 2.0
2. South Sudan MIYCN budgeting tool draft 2.0
3. South Sudan Advocacy brief- draft 2.0 Cleaned
4. South Sudan CODE implementation plan- draft 3.0
5. South Sudan BFHI 10-steps action plan for successful breastfeeding- draft 2.1
6. South Sudan MIYCN integration plan of action- draft 3.0
7a. South Sudan MIYCN assessment tools review matrix
7b. South Sudan MIYCN indicators for NIS DHIS
8. South Sudan MIYCN training- Session plan review with Emergency LOs
9. Workshop report draft- July Juba South Sudan
Mission Reports
© 2020 Tech RRT. All rights reserved.


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Ворота » Uncategorized » Russia Recalls Ambassador Following Biden Comments
Russia Recalls Ambassador Following Biden Comments
Officials in Washington are reacting calmly to Moscow summoning home its ambassador to the United States for consultations about the deteriorated bilateral relationship.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, in explaining Anatoly Antonov's temporary return home, stated: "The most important thing for us is to identify ways of rectifying Russia-U.S. relations, which have been going through hard times as Washington has, as a matter of fact, brought them to a blind alley. We are interested in preventing an irreversible deterioration in relations, if the Americans become aware of the risks associated with this."
The announcement from Moscow came shortly after a taped ABC television interview aired Wednesday morning in which U.S. President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin "will pay a price" for his malevolent actions.
Biden also recounted in the interview that he had told Putin, "I don't think you have a soul." He said Russian leader replied, "We understand each other."
Asked by the ABC interviewer if he believes Putin is a killer, Biden replied, "I do."FILE – U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, March 11, 2021.According to a RAND Corporation adjunct senior fellow, William Courtney, "It is rare for a U.S. president to refer to the leader of a major adversarial power as a killer."
Courtney, who was a negotiator in U.S. defense talks with the Soviet Union, told VOA that "sometimes ambassadors are withdrawn after insults."
"And, of course, the Biden administration is talking about more sanctions with regard to the SolarWinds cyberattack. So, both of those could be factors" in the move by Moscow, he said.
At Wednesday's press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to specify whether the president believes the Russian president, literally or metaphorically, is a killer.
"He's not going to hold back in his direction communications [with Russia]. He's not going to hold back publicly," Psaki said.
When asked about Moscow recalling its ambassador, the press secretary said Biden's administration "is going to take a different approach in our relationship to Russia than the prior administration. …We are going to be straightforward and we are going to be direct in areas where we have concerns."FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with government members via a video conference call at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Feb. 10, 2021.State Department Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter told reporters "even as we work to work with Russia to advance U.S. interests, we'll be able to hold Russia accountable for any of their malign actions."
The Biden administration has expressed interest in working with Moscow on areas of mutual concern, such as a new nuclear arms pact and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Biden earlier ordered the release of a declassified version of an intelligence assessment that "Russian state media, trolls, and online proxies, including those directed by Russian intelligence, published disparaging content about President Biden, his family, and the Democratic Party, and heavily amplified related content circulating in U.S. media, including stories centered on his son."
Russia, as well as Iran, according to the report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, engaged in broader efforts to undermine U.S. public confidence in the election.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday the U.S. intelligence report was "wrong and has absolutely no foundation and evidence."
The U.S. government on Wednesday also announced additional sanctions on Russia for using chemical weapons against dissidents.
The Commerce Department said it is blocking export of items controlled for national security reasons that are destined for Russia. It is also suspending licenses that granted specific exceptions for exports to Russia, targeting replacement parts and equipment, technology and software and "additional permissive re-exports."Putin enjoyed a more amicable relationship during the past four years with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. During his presidency, Trump frequently praised Putin and rejected intelligence community conclusions that Moscow meddled in the 2016 presidential election in which the property investor with no political experience defeated former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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US-Russia Tension Rising as Biden Calls Putin 'Killer' →


Every month, lawmakers in states mulling over sports betting legislation get an increasingly strong reminder that without full-fledged online wagering, they might as well not pass a bill.
That reminder comes from New Jersey, which in January set a new record with betting handle of $385.3 mm, eclipsing November's former high-water mark by an impressive $54.6 million, and last month's tally by more than $66 million.
Of that total, 79.2% was generated online, continuing a trend where online encompasses a larger percentage of industry handle with each passing month.
Total online handle for January clocked in at over $300 mm for the first time in the industry's eight-month history ($305.0 mm to be exact), shattering last month's then record of $241.0 mm, for month-over-month growth of 26.6%. By contrast, the land-based industry has been marked by stagnancy, with handle coming in at $80.3 mm, up just $2.2 mm over last month, and down nearly $12 mm from November.
Did the frigid January cold play a factor in the tepid performance of land-based betting? Sure. And while we do expect land-based sports wagering to find better footing in the spring months, it's hard to envision it comprising more than 20% of NJ's sports wagering industry ever again — online wagering just has that much momentum, especially now that new online and mobile books from Churchill Downs, Resorts, and Hard Rock have entered the scene.
For the month, sports betting revenue came in at $18.8 mm, representing a slight downturn from December, when revenue was $20.8 mm. Revenue and hold percentage are expected to dip even further in February, as bettors beat the books for a healthy $5 million on the Super Bowl, much of it due to FanDuel Sportsbook offering new players 53-1 moneyline odds on both sides, and with a disproportionate amount of money going in on the New England Patriots.
On the online side, it was once again Resorts Digital, comprised of DraftKings Sportsbook, BetStars NJ, and now Resorts Sportsbook, that led the charge, generating $6.89 million in revenue. Of this total, it's presumed that DraftKings Sportsbook accounted for the overwhelming lion's share, as it has in previous months. And it must be noted that the DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship, a weekend-long high roller event from Jan. 11-13, inflated the DK handle in this particular month by nearly $4.65 mm.
Don't forget @DKSportsbook had a weekend where they let me and other sharps bet as much as we wanted during DKSBNC.
Well not quite as much as we wanted, right @RufusPeabody?
The New Meadowlands Racetrack license, made up of FanDuel Sportsbook and relative newcomer PointsBet, wasn't all that far behind, bringing in $5.85 million. FanDuel also beat out DraftKings on the land-based front, with its book at the Meadowlands generating $1.17 mm compared to the DraftKings-branded book at Resorts AC doing a paltry $242.6k in business. Yes, it's that much better to be located in the main population center of northeastern New Jersey compared to Atlantic City, especially in the winter.
That being said, Resorts looks to have benefited from DraftKings in more ways than one, as its online casino revenue was up sharply from $3.76 mm in December to $5.78 mm. We hardly find it a coincidence that the surge coincided with the launch of online casino games on the DraftKings Sportsbook platform. DraftKings has recently expanded its offering to include Live Dealer games, and will likely add more games with regularity going forward.
The only other online license to bring in anything resembling significant revenue was the state's only thoroughbred track, Monmouth Park, which saw $1.17 mm in revenue. The license is occupied by both William Hill and Play SugarHouse in New Jersey. The land-based book at Monmouth racked up the second most revenue of any retail venue, generating $830.8k. Of the land-based venues in Atlantic City, Borgata was tops at $635.6k, although its online arm (playMGM) had yet another horribly disappointing month, with just $41.9k in revenue.
The recent release of the playMGM app on desktop may help its situation a bit, or it could just be too little, too late, in what has quickly become a highly competitive and saturated sports betting landscape.
With the NFL playoffs in full swing, it came as little surprise that football wagers generated a healthy $82.1 mm in handle. However, with so few games on the schedule, it was basketball that ended up stealing the show, with handle coming in at $135.6 mm. Bettors did well at picking b-ball winners last month, as hold only came in at 1.3%.
Parlays accounted for $66.5 mm in handle and "Other" sports a rather impressive $92.7 mm. In February, the Oscars will be included in that "Other" category, so it will be interesting to see what kind of attention the first non-sports betting vehicle in the New Jersey market attracts.
See below for a snapshot of the industry's performance in January, and for deeper insight, the full NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement press release can be found here.


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