text:
Clause 24
Finance Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:15 pm on 15th May 2007.
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Landfill tax: bodies concerned with the environment
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Hansard source (Citation: Finance Bill Deb, 15 May 2007, c145)
Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.
Paul Goodman Shadow Minister (Childcare), Treasury
Members of the Committee will see from the explanatory notes that the clause gives powers to Entrust—it is not actually named in the notes, but it is the regulatory body that oversees environmental bodies that make use of the landfill communities fund—and to HMRC, which oversees Entrust. The scheme, which allows a portion of the landfill tax to be given to local community social and environmental schemes, was reformed in 2003 following fears that it was being abused to some degree. The HMRC website lists further changes that the clause will bring about. How many environmental bodies had their approvals by Entrust revoked in 2004-05 and during subsequent years, and what is the cost of administering the scheme?
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John Healey The Financial Secretary to the Treasury
The clause should improve the operation of the landfill communities fund, which was known until last year as the landfill tax credit scheme. Every member of the Committee will have a significant number of projects or schemes in their constituency that have been supported in recent years by the landfill communities fund—valuable projects, such as improving, building and repairing village halls, churches or historic buildings, or providing sports facilities, cycle trails and wildlife sanctuaries. Since the fund was set up, it has received £875 million towards such ends, providing projects and schemes that benefit a spectrum of our communities.
HMRC approves a regulatory body to oversee the fund. Currently, that body is Entrust. We have not specified Entrust in the legislation, because, as the hon. Gentleman will recognise, there might be circumstances—although we do not have this planned—in which the regulator body would change. It does not seem sensible, therefore, to specify Entrust in the legislation.
Entrust oversees a fund that we increased in the Budget by a further £5 million, so that it will be worth £65 million in this coming year. It already works to conditions agreed by HMRC that are contained in its terms of approval, which is a document agreed between HMRC and Entrust each year. The statutory instrument provided for by the clause will enable the commissioners to impose enforceable conditions. In the event of a failure to observe those conditions, they may take steps in extremis to revoke the approval of the regulatory body.
The statutory instrument will give a binding effect to any targets or performance measures that the commissioners might wish to see from Entrust. It will also allow Entrust to add or remove conditions on environmental bodies in line with best practice and the principles of better regulation. Under the conditions of its approval, Entrust will now have to provide the commissioners with advance notice and obtain their agreement to any general conditions it intends to impose on environmental bodies.
The first condition that is being added will require environmental bodies to provide project details in advance of spending. That is already established as best practice and is followed in the vast majority of cases. However, at present when it is not followed and when there is resistance from the environmental body, Entrust is not in a situation in which it can require that the environmental body follows those best practices. Indeed, as things stand, an environmental body that was determined not to follow the best practices as set out by the regulator could challenge Entrust's ability to insist on them. The clause and the regulation that stems from it will remove that uncertainty and reinforce Entrust's hand, quite rightly, in ensuring that environmental bodies follow the best practice that it sets. There is negligible cost to the Exchequer from the changes.
The hon. Gentleman simply asked how many environmental bodies had had their approvals revoked in 2004-05. A very small number have had them compulsorily revoked. My estimate, from dealing with this territory in the past few years, is fewer than five, but, if he will accept this way of dealing with things, I shall write to him if I recover further information from HMRC.
The statutory instrument goes wider than the clause, but it came into effect on 1 April, in line with, and in time for, Entrust's new financial year, and the business plan that applies to it.
Clause 24 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Managed Service Companies
Theresa Villiers Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I beg to move amendment No. 38, in schedule 3, page 90, line 16, after 'payments', insert 'for a year of assessment'.
Roger Gale Conservative, North Thanet
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following amendments: No. 39, in schedule 3, page 90, line 19, after 'services', insert 'for that year of assessment'.
No. 40, in schedule 3, page 90, line 21, leave out from 'person' to 'the' in line 22 and insert
'whose sole or main business is the provision and facilitation of'.
No. 41, in schedule 3, page 90, line 23, leave out 'involved with the company' and insert
'regularly involved with all or most aspects of running the company on an ongoing basis'.
No. 42, in schedule 3, page 90, line 24, at end insert—
'(1A) In considering whether a company is a managed service company within the meaning of subsection (1), no regard shall be had to any other companies with which the MSC provider is involved'.
No. 43, in schedule 3, page 90, line 35, leave out 'subsection' and insert 'subsections'.
No. 44, in schedule 3, page 90, line 35, after '(1)(d)', insert 'or (2)'.
No. 45, in schedule 3, page 90, line 36, leave out from 'providing' to end of line and insert
'services of a nature provided by advisers in a professional capacity, including legal, accounting and company secretarial advice.'.
'(3A) For the purposes of subsection 3, accounting advice includes, but is not limited to, advice and assistance concerning:
(a) preparation or provision of records, returns, financial statements, reports or financial information concerning accounting;
(b) auditing, insolvency or taxation matters;
(c) communication and representations made on behalf of a client to third parties in matters concerning accounting, auditing, insolvency or taxation.
(3B) The Treasury may by order provide for a non-exhaustive list of professional services which fall within the meaning of subsection (3) and (3A) above.
(3C) The Treasury may not make an order under subsection (3B) unless a draft of it has been laid before and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.'.
Government amendment No. 97
No. 47, in schedule 3, page 91, line 2, at end insert—
'(3A) An MSC provider may be a partner in a partnership (other than the individual referred to in section 61B(1)(a)) and may, for the purposes of section 61B(1)(d), carry on, through the partnership, the business of promoting or facilitating the partnership to provide the services of individuals.'.
No. 48, in schedule 3, page 92, line 2, leave out 'mentioned in section 61D(1)(b)' and insert
'which satisfies both section 61D(1)(b) and section 61D(1)(c).'.
It is a pleasure to address the Committee in the pre-lunch graveyard slot. Schedule 3 provides for the insertion of new section 61B into the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, which contains conditions setting out the definition of what is known as a managed service company; that is the focus of this measure. Where the relevant conditions are satisfied in relation to a particular company it will be obliged to account for PAYE and national insurance on payments that it has made in connection with the services of the workers whose services it provides.
If the company does not make those payments, schedule 3's proposed new section 688A of ITEPA allows HMRC to pursue certain third parties for the tax liability. The provisions represent the Treasury's latest attempt to police the borderline between those operating and providing services of a freelance and contracting nature through companies, and those who are employed. They are a successor to chapter 8 ofpart 2 of ITEPA, the controversial measure commonly referred to as IR35.
Stephen Hesford PPS (Rt Hon Baroness Amos, President of the Council), Privy Council Office
The hon. Lady will recall our debates in the House on clause 25. She and I discussed IR35, which she has now conveniently mentioned. I said to her that Opposition Members had overplayed its problems, and were overplaying the problems with the schedule, and that no one had ever approached me in my constituency subsequent to the previous so-called row.
After I said that, one of the so-called organisations that she seeks to represent put on its website a message encouraging people in Wirral, West to contact me if they had had problems with IR35, because I had said that there had not been any. No one contacted me, except one person who turned out not to be my constituent. What she is about to say is overplaying the problems with the schedule.
I do not accept that we are overplaying concern about schedule 3, and I shall refer to some of the contractors who have been in touch with me about the fact that their work is in jeopardy and they are suffering problems because of the schedule and the uncertainty associated with it. I understand that IR35 has cost an incredible amount of money and time in compliance checking. It is regrettable that the Government have always refused to publish any information on the revenue that they have collected through IR35, given the significant compliance burden that it has placed on every contractor; every time contractors enter into a contract with an end client they must check. That costs money. I am not convinced that the revenue raised as a result has justified that compliance cost.
The Opposition are happy to support properly targeted attempts to crack down on abusive behaviour in that area. However, we are concerned that legitimate freelance workers who are genuinely in business on their own account will be hit by schedule 3 where they choose to outsource functions relating to the service company with which they are connected. Similar concerns have been expressed by a range of bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the Law Society, the Professional Contractors Group, the London Society of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Directors and the Association of Technology Staffing Companies.
The goal of the amendments that we have tabled is to prevent the new framework from biting on genuine freelance workers who are not in a disguised employment relationship. We also seek to ensure that those professionals who advise freelancers and small service companies are not unwittingly or unfairly caught up in the legislation and made liable for the tax debts of their clients. Lastly, we seek to prevent the serious damage that could be caused to the flexibility of the UK labour market if staffing companies and the end clients who engage contractors find themselves at risk as a result of schedule 3.
Above all, we will be seeking clarity and certainty from the Minister about what his legislation means. That is an incredibly important task for the Committee—even more important, dare I say it, than in our previous debate on how many zero-carbon homes there might or might not be. The confusion surrounding schedule 3 is causing enormous anxiety and it is already costing people their jobs. To illustrate that, as I told the hon. Member for Wirral, West, who intervened earlier, I will refer to just three of many representations that I have received from people worried about the proposals.
Ian Preece, director of Greybeard Consulting Ltd, told me:
"the biggest issue I have with the proposed legislation is the fact that it is impossible to understand if you will be 'caught' or not. Therefore trying to understand if I will be affected or not is akin to gazing into a crystal ball."
Andrew Frith of AFMS, an IT consultancy based in the north-west, told me:
"We seem to have fallen victim to the new MSC regulations even though the legislation is not yet on the statute books and in any case would not seem to directly affect our company at all. The problem is that due to the transfer of debt provisions...recruitment agencies are not prepared to deal with us 'just in case' we come within the provisions. Our supply of new work for our consultants has dried up...we are now making a significant loss and have already had to take action by giving notice to our newest recruit."
Chris Cumber, who runs a small contracting business, said:
"My concern is that my accountant appears unable to answer my question 'Does his involvement make my company an MSC?'. I seem to be spending more and more time worrying about uncertain taxation and less time actually producing income for my company. The latest attempt is badly worded...and designed...to have us contractors running around like ants".
He concluded on this pessimistic note:
"It will all end in tears with some case-law, which is totally counter-productive for the Chancellor's coffers and for us contractors".
Having introduced the general issues, I will deal with amendments Nos. 40, 41, 45 and 46, which go to the heart of the concerns that I have set out. Subsection (1)(d) and subsection (3) of proposed new section 61B, which these amendments seek to amend, play a central role in determining the scope of the provisions under discussion. Paragraph (d) states that a company becomes an MSC if it is involved with "an MSC provider", which is defined as someone who
"carries on a business of promoting or facilitating the use of companies to provide the services of individuals".
Subsection (3) provides a limited carve-out from paragraph (d) for certain professional advisers.
Amendments Nos. 40 and 41 would restrict the scope of paragraph (d) so that it bites only where someone
"whose sole or main business is the provision and facilitation of" the use of companies to provide the services of individuals, is
"regularly involved with all or most aspects of running the company on an ongoing basis".
Amendments Nos. 45 and 46 would clarify the ambit of the protection afforded to professionals under subsection (3).
Those four amendments seek to address the concern that the definition of MSC provider is very wide, and would catch anyone involved in setting up companies as part of their business—for example, lawyers, accountants and company secretaries. The amendments tackle an important flaw in the legislation, in that it could hit genuine freelancers who choose to outsource aspects of the management of the companies through which they work. Without clarification, paragraph (d) could also impose significant risks on those who regularly advise freelance workers and it would leave them potentially liable for the tax debts of their clients, as well as leaving them at risk of being sued by other people who might be drawn into the MSC net or the third-party debt rules as a result of the professional adviser's activities.
The danger is that that will drive up the cost of professional advice for small companies, as advisers withdraw from the market or charge higher fees in order to compensate for the increased risk that they are undertaking. The intention behind the four amendments is to ensure that the legislation does not impose unreasonable restrictions on contractors who want to outsource administrative functions in relation to their service companies and that ordinary professionals on a day-to-day basis are not included in the definition of MSC providers.
The key question that the Committee needs to address is how do we ensure that a sensible line is drawn between those professionals operating on an ordinary, day-to-day basis and the dubious operators whom HMRC wants to shut down. The Institute of Chartered Accountants has highlighted, naturally, some of the problems that its profession faces. It points out that many accountants will recommend a corporate structure to a client, provide them with an off-the-shelf company for that purpose and then go on to carry out the necessary company secretarial services.
Without clarification of the legislation, it would appear that a professional accountant who advises her client to incorporate in that way is "promoting" the use of companies under paragraph (d). If she provides an off-the-shelf company for that purpose, she is "facilitating" the use of companies under that paragraph. However, as the Institute of Chartered Accountants points out, those activities are an incidental part of a professional accountant's business of providing an all-round service to the client.
Considerable concern has been expressed about the wide scope of the concept of "promoting" in paragraph (d). If accountants provide services relating to company structures, will advertising those services automatically bring them within the scope of paragraph (d)? Arguably, promoting services relating to setting up companies is promoting the use of those service companies, which could pull them into the scope of the MSC provisions. Any clarification the Minister can give on what "promotion" means and how it will operate in practice would be very welcome.
Subsection (2) of proposed new section 61B introduces a second concept: influencing. The problems in this area are compounded by newsection 61B(2), with its broad concept of involvement with a company. It is focused around the concept of "influence", yet any professional adviser could be expected to influence their client. People do not go to professional advisers and pay them large fees unless they are considering acting on their advice. Advice and influence are inextricably linked. In particular, many advisers will give clients advice on the best way to make payments. That could bring them within new subsection (2)(c). Surely it is not worth engaging an accountant unless they have at least some influence over the company's finances or activities. That seems to bring them within the scope of new subsection (2)(d).
The solicitors Blake Lapthorn Tarlow Lyons, advising members of the Association of Technology Staffing Companies, commented on the influence tests:
"Note that it is enough for any one of these (still rather sweeping and hard to interpret) tests to be satisfied.
They do not all have to be satisfied.
Clearly this captures many so called Personal Service Companies who thought that they would be outside the new legislation...The test can be satisfied by the fact of the MSC provider receiving ongoing payments linked to the contractor's ongoing services, or 'influence' over how payments are made or activities carried out.
Therefore it is intended that the only types of PSC who are outside the new regime are ones who genuinely do not use third party assistance to setup or operate or manage their PSC."
There is at least a risk that the concept of influence could be so broad as to cover insurance companies. By way of illustration, selling insurance to small service companies, for example to cover professional risk, certainly facilitates the use of such companies, which could pass the test set out in paragraph (d) of proposed new section 61B. However, an insurance company that sells such policies to contractors may lay down particular rules and working practices to mitigate risk. Does that mean that the insurance company is "influencing" within the meaning of subsection (2)(b)? There is therefore a danger that it could become liable for the tax debts of the companies it insures. As an insurance company, there is no way it could get the protection of subsection (3), because it cannot be described as offering services relating to accounting or legal services.
Similar problems occur for company formation agents. A core part of their business is setting up companies. Again, their services facilitate the use of companies that provide the services of individuals. It seems that the legislation is not intended to bite in that way. It is not intended to hit ordinary accountants, insurers or company formation agents who just happen to be providing services to small service companies as part of their business.
HMRC seems to have indicated that the target of the legislation is those who set up companies to provide the services of individuals as a discernable and core part, not an incidental or occasional part, of their business. Amendment No. 40 translates that informal indication into the wording of the legislation. Proposed new section 61B(1)(d) would catch only those whose sole or main business is providing or facilitating the use of companies through which to provide the services of individuals. It is these specialists that HMRC seems to be concerned about. The Opposition believe that amendments Nos. 40 and 41 would greatly assist in targeting those providers, while leaving other advisers outside the scope of the legislation.
HMRC has also indicated that the average accountant, company secretary, or formation agent would not be caught by the legislation, because they are not sufficiently involved with the company, even if they have set it up and run its books and statutory returns. It seems to want to focus on someone who takes over all the activities of the company, so that its ostensible proprietor has no meaningful involvement. Why not make this clearer in the legislation? The situation the Government seem to want to get at is where the company is essentially the creature of the scheme provider. In seeking to draw a distinction between what they describe as "personal service companies" and "managed service companies", they seem to be concerned about a situation where the worker does not really have any involvement with the company at all and the company is the emanation of the scheme provider and not a genuine going concern.
Amendment No. 41 would give real substance to that interpretation by stating that companies would be caught in the definition of an MSC provider only if they are regularly involved in almost all aspects of the way the company works. Situations where the company is a genuine going concern and the worker has merely decided to outsource an aspect of running it, are less likely to be hit if the Committee were prepared to accept amendment No. 41.
It is not enough for HMRC to issue guidelines which seek to remove and mitigate some of the risks, which I have just outlined, for both contractors and their professional advisers. Guidance does not give enough certainty. Firms under risk of falling within the MSC provisions are under significant financial and legal risk to the last penny of their personal wealth. They are likely to have to make significant provision for litigation risk, and there are indications that the risk may be uninsurable. Guidance cannot be litigated in court, so there will be no clarification through legal proceedings. As the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales has pointed out:
"There is no substitute for having a legal definition."
Clarification of what this provision means is needed now and not in two or three years' time, when a case may have made its way through the courts.
I turn now to the closely linked issue of the safe harbour for professional advisers in subsection (3), because the Minister will no doubt tell me that that sorts out all the problems. If amendments Nos. 40 and 41 were adopted to rein in the scope of paragraph (d), most of the problems in relation to professional advisers would fall away and the scope of the safe harbour in subsection (3) would become much less important. However, amendments Nos. 45 and 46 seek further clarification on the safe harbour for professionals and the meaning of
"providing legal or accountancy services in a professional capacity."
Amendment No. 45 would broaden the range of professionals who could use the safe harbour, while retaining the focus on services provided in a professional capacity, such as through a practice. Amendment No. 46 would set out some of the services that will not trigger problems with the MSC legislation. Given that the real difficulty in finding a general formulation that covers the wrongdoers but leaves the innocent adviser outside the framework, setting out a non-exhaustive list of services could be one of the simplest and most effective ways to give the clarity and certainty that we so badly need here. It would give critically important assurance and guidance to those who want to comply with the legislation.
Proposed new subsection (3)(b) would also give the Treasury power to set out in secondary legislation further examples of services that professionals could safely provide without incurring any risk of the MSC legislation. Parliament would also have the chance to keep a close eye on how the legislation is working in practice when the secondary legislation came to it for scrutiny.
The simple question for the Committee to consider is what types of services can accountants, lawyers and other professionals continue to offer to small service companies without losing the protection of the safe harbour set out in subsection (3). There seem to be at least three possible approaches. First, a narrow one, which says that a safe harbour covers only basic, traditional accounting services and legal services, such as bookkeeping. Secondly, there is a wider definition that could cover any services ordinarily provided by accountants. The third approach would cover accountancy services ordinarily provided in the course of an accountancy business.
We need much greater clarification on services, such as invoicing and routine tax advice, company secretarial services and IR35 compliance checking, and on which side of the divide they fall. Accountants frequently perform many of those services, so a wide interpretation would not cause a problem. However, if a more restrictive interpretation is correct, setting up companies and company secretarial services might fall outside the safe harbour and leave the accountant at risk of liability.
Stewart Hosie Shadow Spokesperson (Women), Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs), Shadow Spokesperson (Treasury) 12:45 pm, 15th May 2007
The hon. Lady is making a good case, but she seems to be narrowly focusing on accountancy in general and not on secretarial services. In the case of many contractors, the agents whom they instruct may well advise them on specialist training courses before, for example, taking an offshore North sea job. They could be advised on accommodation, if they were going to take a job in engineering or a contract job in the middle east. Those are perfectly legitimate things to do in the early stages of acquiring a contract, so should we not agree that the scope of the exemptions must be as wide as possible rather than using the narrow definition for accountancy?
If I understand it correctly, the hon. Gentleman is concerned about the position of employment agencies and staffing companies, which I shall come to in due course. He is absolutely right to say that it is not only accountants and lawyers under consideration here. We must ensure that we get clarity from all the relevant parties, or contractors are going to find life very difficult—their costs will increase and the flexibility of the UK labour market will be damaged as a result.
I have a series of questions for the Minister about what is meant by "in a professional capacity" in subsection (3). First, is it the nature of the services provided that determines whether someone is an MSC provider, or is the question determined by the qualification of the professional status of the person providing the service? If someone is providing services "in a professional capacity", do they fall outside the MSC provider definition, regardless of what services that they perform? Is it possible for anyone who is not part of a regulated profession to use the subsection (3) safe harbour? Do people need a current practice certificate in that profession to use the safe harbour? Does one need to be part of a traditional professional practice? What about accountants and other tax professionals, who are not registered but who are instead employed in-house? And to what extent can service providers outside the remit of the traditional professional set-up use the safe harbour?
That brings me to a series of questions about accounting service companies, which have emerged in recent years to offer companies cheap, commoditised services, which were previously offered only by accountants. Does the Minister envisage that any accounting service companies would be able under any circumstances to use the carve-out in subsection (3)? Some of them seem to think that they can carry on almost as normal, if they have an accountant on their books. Does an accounting service company have to be owned by qualified professionals with current practising certificates to use the safe harbour?
Clearly there are players in the accounting services sector that the Government want to shut down. HMRC has some justified concerns in this area, but my concern is that there is no evidence that all accounting services are somehow dodgy. Do the Government envisage that any of those companies will be able to survive under the new framework? Do they want to shut them all down? If so, a slightly unfortunate side effect of the legislation seems to be that freelancers would be completely barred from using specialist providers to manage their company affairs and would be restricted only to using the more traditional accountants, who have a more broadly based area of work. I would be interested to hear whether there will still be room for cheaper and more commoditised, factory-style services.
As partly adverted to in the intervention by the hon. Member for Dundee, East, in focusing in people who hold legal or accounting qualifications, subsection (3) misses some of the important problems caused by schedule 3—solving a problem for lawyers and accountants does not solve the problem with schedule 3. For instance, the subsection (3) safe harbour does not seem to take into account how many professionals hold qualifications other than accountancy and legal qualifications. Company formation agents have been mentioned, and other examples include those holding qualifications relating to company secretarial services or to tax, such as those from the Association of Taxation Technicians or the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Adam Afriyie Conservative, Windsor
Should mention also be made of software manufacturers, which write software that performs such functions without the intervention of an adviser?
My hon. Friend makes a good point. Many different sectors are affected by the changes, but my concern is particularly about the impact on the IT sector, where contractors and freelancers perform such a valuable role. The nature of the IT sector is that, very often, specific people are wanted to build a specific project. Keeping permanent employees on an ongoing basis is very difficult if the project only lasts a few months. Critical in scrutinising schedule 3 is for the Committee to assess the impact on the IT sector, including the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor.
I understand that a number of professional bodies, such as the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, is seriously worried that their members may fall into the definition of MSC providers automatically—after all, their business is to set up and run companies. By amending proposed new subsection (3) as I propose in amendment No. 45, those professionals can gain the same protection as accountants and lawyers.
The status of other professionals is also uncertain under the current wording of subsection (3). Other professionals whose activities might conceivably bring them within the scope of "promoting" or "facilitating", yet seemingly without the protection of the safe harbour, could be management consultants, franchisers who help franchisees run their business, factoring and invoice discounting houses which help follow up unpaid invoices, payroll companies and business advisers. I would be very interested to hear from the Minister how he sees their status under proposed new section 61B.
It being One o'clock,The Chairmanadjourned the Committee without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned till this day at half-past Four o'clock.


To switch B1 Mode, go to ADVANCED menu (the last one) and then in the submenu FPGA Select: select B1 and confirm. Once this is done, turn off the box, then back on. Now is the time to activate the scanlines: return to ADVANCED, then go to H.SCANLINES: With the arrows you can adjust the intensity of the latter. The value 191 corresponds to 25% of scanlines, 127 to 50% of scanlines, 63 to 75% of scanlines, and 7 to 97% of scanlines. I recommend you to use the maximum level (index 7, 97%) which is what imitates best what we were accustomed to see on CRT screens. The more scanlines you have, the darker the image is, then it's up to you to make the appropriate settings according to your screen. By combining the settings of the TV + XRGB-3, I doubt that you won't get the contrast, brightness and color you're looking for.
Here your picture is set correctly, now let's refine this a little! And we will start with the Options and Screen + menus evoked a little higher. We start with the SCREEN+ menu. Two important settings are in this one, don't miss these. Firstly, set NTSC DC and NTSC AFC to Manual, to access the setting. Then move on AFC ideally 5 or 6 depending on the strength of your signal: it is about adjusting the intensity of it; to help you, look for the top of the image to be ok. Position yourself on the setting that provides a picture as straight as possible. Then with the NTSC DC Manual setting, you can refine, but beware: the default value is 3639, it is possible to change value on two units maximum (3637-3641) to refine the image for it to be perfectly straight. If the top of the picture is a little crooked, you can cheat by increasing the vertical size to hide this little defect. This being said, the AFC and DC settings should suffice to get a perfect picture.
Then move to the OPTIONS menu. In it, you can adjust the RGB-21 TERM who can also have a role about the signal strength: 75 Ohms makes a brighter image and a stronger signal, so that attenuates 220 Ohms - forcing you to play again with the Gamma, Brightness and Contrast settings. Equipped with LM1881, 75 Ohms setting should work without problems. In the same menu you can activate V-SYNC LOCK, which locks the vertical sync.
Still on the OPTIONS page, let's now validate High for 1080P timing. Then proceed to the choice of resolution. For my part, I'm set on 1600x1200, but this might depend on your TV. If your image is already approaching perfection, do not touch anything! For help, see the XRGB-3 Wiki Guide tables for different screen resolutions tested.
Once these few parameters validated, you can make even finer adjustments: start stretch or shrink the image to take good full height of the screen. Make sure that the proportions Width/Height are met, otherwise you might be entitled to some distortion. Use the options available in the SCREEN menu. Once the image is ok, adjust the settings in PICTURE, starting with BLACK LEVEL, then GAMMA, and finally BRIGHTNESS. Other settings affect the color distribution, and theoretically it's not necessary to touch this. If at any time you made a mistake or there's no more picture, you can reset the XRGB-3: Simply turn it off. Then hold the MENU and OK buttons on the front of the devide, and while you hold, press the POWER button. Keep the button pressed for 3 seconds until the LED flashes. The XRGB is reset.
Some screens also offer many settings. Once set the best settings done for the upscaler, refine and perfect your settings on the TV. A special menu for the very complete VGA is usually available when using this port. Here we are! I think we're done with the XRGB-3 install, and you now have all the cards in hands to make the transition for your console on a HD screen. If however you are stuck in your installation, do not hesitate to come and ask for help on the forum ... we may be able to help you out in case of difficulty.


Have you ever thought, I shouldn't feel this way because others have it worse than I do? Most of us have reasoned with ourselves in that way at some point. While it's empathetic toward others and is a coping mechanism, it has a huge downside: self-invalidation.
The fact is, everyone has struggles. However, trying to compare our adversities to those of others is impossible – because we are us and others are …well …others. Your struggles are as valid as anyone else's because struggling isn't based on a definable scale; rather, it's relative to each of our experiences.
I know what it's like to live with severe cerebral palsy, and I'm fairly emotionally adept at doing so. I'm struck when others express to me that they are inspired by me because as they face their adversities, they know individuals like me "have it much worse." I understand the good intentions of such sentiments, but I also don't want others discounting the totally valid emotions around their individual situations, as they very well could be struggling more than I am relative to our own circumstances. I have no idea what another is dealing with, and I never want anyone diminishing his or hers own adversities based on my visible ones.
All of this ties back into realizing that there's validity in all adversity, in all struggles, for each individual. Just as we are kind enough to give credence to the struggles of others, we must extend it to ourselves, where we don't compare and create a scenario of self-invalidation, but one of common experience. Adversity is not a measurement or a competition, and there's certainly no hierarchy. We each have our struggles and no one can say one is easier to cope with than another. It's all relative and individual.
Now, I'm not saying to wallow in self-pity – that's at the other end of the scale and can devastate your life. What I am saying is, we shouldn't dismiss our struggles because others have struggles. Everyone's struggles should be embraced – including our own.
Ultimately, the truth of adversity is this: There are no struggles more or less significant than others…. Simply different.
i like the way you think. about life, yourself, others. i've stumbled once on your blog before, sent you an e-mail, but i guess you never got it. I'm blind and i understand what you say. i wasn't always blind, and during the 3 years i was expiriencing vision loss, i was in a dark place, even if i laughed and talked to others and looked like i was still living my life despite my illness. inside, it felt like i was slowly losing myself. but that was a few years back, and i'm thankful i'm out of that pit. i learned to cope, to take care of myself, my kids, i got myself a job once, but now i've decided i want to write a book. i'm almost ready to publish… but that's not why i'm here. i'm writing to tell you i understand alot about what you talk about, having met alot of people who are still down in that dark place. i wish i could help them, but ever since i left my job i lost contact with them…. i'm glad though that sometimes people reach that dark place and are able to get up and start climbing again.
My brother always said as he battled cancer.he said everyone has their own struggles big or small. Great article Mark.


We offer many of the same Fall, Winter and Spring weekly classes during the summer! The class schedule is slightly different to accomodate our weekly summer camps. All experience levels are welcome and our curriculum is designed to allow students to start anytime within the semester.
Summer semester runs from May 29 -August 25, 2018.
To enroll in classes, please fill out our registration form before or after signing up below. Ask about our sibling, multiple week, early bird and referral discounts! Please call or email the studio to use a discount. Looking for summer camps? Click here for more information!
All supplies are included in this two hour painting workshop. With guidance from an experienced artist and art eacher, guest have fun while learning basic coor theory, blending, drawing and painting techniques and take home an origianal painting. BYO beverages and snacks.


text:
Q: Where do I add a main method so that I can run this program properly? I don't know where to add the main method so I can run this class. Help! I'm not sure about where to put the main method either.
This class manages a hair salon. Global variables are used to keep track of dailyRevues (total $ coming in), dailyTax (total tax amount) and the number of hair cuts, permanents and colorings. Also, the number of customers who have been serviced is to be kept track of A daily report is to be printed which gives the total number of customers, the total number of hair cuts, permanents and colorings. Also, the total amount of revenue (money taken in) and tax needs to be printed in the daily report. Finally, the average amount of money spent by each customer should be calculated and printed in the report. If the store brings in $650 or more, then the store manager receives 5% of the daily total revenue as a bonus. You should include the store manager bonus in your report and subtract it from the total revenue to give the net revenue for the day. Feel free to add additional variables and methods as you deem necessary

Here is My Code

 import java.util.Scanner;

public class Salon {

See example report*/
//Globals
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

int hairCuts = 0;
int permanents = 0;
int colorings = 0;
int customers = 0;

double dailyRev = 0;
double total = 0;
double dailyTax = 0;
double bonus; //money due the manager if certain conditions are met

final double COSTHC = 20;  //Cost of HairCut
final double COSTPERM = 50;  //Cost of Permanent
final double COSTCOLORING = 60;  //Cost of Coloring
final double COSTHC_PERM = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Permanent
final double COSTCOL_PERM = (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Perm and Coloring
final double COSTHC_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Coloring
final double COSTHC_PERM_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Cut, Perm and Color

public void menu() {
    //preconditions:  none
    //postconditions: the correct method is called depending on the user's
    //input, totalValues are updated appropriately
    int choice;
    do {
        System.out.println("---------MENU---------");
        System.out.println("1 =  Reset Daily Totals");
        System.out.println("2 =  Haircut Only");
        System.out.println("3 =  Permanent Only");
        System.out.println("4 =  Coloring Only");
        System.out.println("5 =  Haircut and Coloring");
        System.out.println("6 =  Haircut and Permanent");
        System.out.println("7 =  Permanent and Coloring");
        System.out.println("8 =  Haircut, Permanent and Coloring");
        System.out.println("9 =  Print Daily Report");
        System.out.println("10 = Exit");

        choice = input.nextInt();
        if (choice == 10) {
            System.exit(0);
        }

        if (choice == 1) {
            resetTotals();

        }
        if (choice == 2) {
            hairCuts++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Haircut only: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 3) {
            permanents++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTPERM;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Permanent only: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 4) {
            colorings++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOLORING;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Coloring only: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 5) {
            hairCuts++;
            colorings++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_COL;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Haircut and Coloring: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 6) {
            hairCuts++;
            permanents++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Haircut and Permanent: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 7) {
            permanents++;
            colorings++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOL_PERM;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("Coloring and Permanent: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 8) {
            hairCuts++;
            colorings++;
            permanents++;
            customers++;
            dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM_COL;
            dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
            total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
            System.out.println("haircut, Coloring, and Permanent: $");
            System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
            System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
            System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

        }
        if (choice == 9) {
            printReport();
        }
    } while (true);
}

public void resetTotals() {
    hairCuts = 0;
    permanents = 0;
    colorings = 0;
    customers = 0;
    dailyRev = 0;
    dailyTax = 0;
}

public void printReport() {
    if (customers == 0) {
        return;
    }
    System.out.println("Daily Report for Salon");
    System.out.println("Number of Customers: $" + customers);
    System.out.println("Number of Hair Cuts: $" + hairCuts);
    System.out.println("Number of Permanents: $" + permanents);
    System.out.println("Number of Colorings: $" + colorings);

    System.out.println("Average amount spent per customer(Not including Tax): $" + (total / customers));
    System.out.println("Total Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
    System.out.println("Total Tax: $" + dailyTax);
    if (dailyRev >= 650) {
        System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $" + (dailyRev * 0.05));
        System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + 1.05 * dailyRev);
    } else {
        System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $0");
        System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
    }
}

 }

A: In Java, everything is a class. Main methods are written inside the class as such:
public class Main
{
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello World");
    }
}

In your case that'd be:
import java.util.Scanner;

public class Salon {
    /* See example report */
    //Globals
    Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

    int hairCuts = 0;
    int permanents = 0;
    int colorings = 0;
    int customers = 0;

    double dailyRev = 0;
    double total = 0;
    double dailyTax = 0;
    double bonus; //money due the manager if certain conditions are met

    final double COSTHC = 20;  //Cost of HairCut
    final double COSTPERM = 50;  //Cost of Permanent
    final double COSTCOLORING = 60;  //Cost of Coloring
    final double COSTHC_PERM = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Permanent
    final double COSTCOL_PERM = (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Perm and Coloring
    final double COSTHC_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Coloring
    final double COSTHC_PERM_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Cut, Perm and Color

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Salon s = new Salon();
        s.menu();
        // add your code here
    }

    public void menu() {
        //preconditions:  none
        //postconditions: the correct method is called depending on the user's
        //input, totalValues are updated appropriately
        int choice;
        do {
            System.out.println("---------MENU---------");
            System.out.println("1 =  Reset Daily Totals");
            System.out.println("2 =  Haircut Only");
            System.out.println("3 =  Permanent Only");
            System.out.println("4 =  Coloring Only");
            System.out.println("5 =  Haircut and Coloring");
            System.out.println("6 =  Haircut and Permanent");
            System.out.println("7 =  Permanent and Coloring");
            System.out.println("8 =  Haircut, Permanent and Coloring");
            System.out.println("9 =  Print Daily Report");
            System.out.println("10 = Exit");

            choice = input.nextInt();
            if (choice == 10) {
                System.exit(0);
            }

            if (choice == 1) {
                resetTotals();

            }
            if (choice == 2) {
                hairCuts++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 3) {
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTPERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Permanent only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 4) {
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOLORING;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Coloring only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 5) {
                hairCuts++;
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_COL;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut and Coloring: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 6) {
                hairCuts++;
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 7) {
                permanents++;
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOL_PERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Coloring and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 8) {
                hairCuts++;
                colorings++;
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM_COL;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("haircut, Coloring, and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 9) {
                printReport();
            }
        } while (true);
    }

    public void resetTotals() {
        hairCuts = 0;
        permanents = 0;
        colorings = 0;
        customers = 0;
        dailyRev = 0;
        dailyTax = 0;
    }

    public void printReport() {
        if (customers == 0) {
            return;
        }
        System.out.println("Daily Report for Salon");
        System.out.println("Number of Customers: $" + customers);
        System.out.println("Number of Hair Cuts: $" + hairCuts);
        System.out.println("Number of Permanents: $" + permanents);
        System.out.println("Number of Colorings: $" + colorings);

        System.out.println("Average amount spent per customer(Not including Tax): $" + (total / customers));
        System.out.println("Total Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
        System.out.println("Total Tax: $" + dailyTax);
        if (dailyRev >= 650) {
            System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $" + (dailyRev * 0.05));
            System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + 1.05 * dailyRev);
        } else {
            System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $0");
            System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
        }
    }
}

A: Add below snippet to your Salon class.
public static void main(String[] args){
   Salon salon=new Salon();
   salon.menu();
}

A: you can create another main class below this class
also remove public from Salon Class
and rename class Salon to Saloon
public class Saloon()
{
     public static void main(String args[]){

      //Now create an object of class above
      Saloon s1 = new Saloon();

     // Now call the method you want
     s1.menu();

     }

}

A: import java.util.Scanner;

class Saloon {
    /* See example report */
    //Globals
    Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

    int hairCuts = 0;
    int permanents = 0;
    int colorings = 0;
    int customers = 0;

    double dailyRev = 0;
    double total = 0;
    double dailyTax = 0;
    double bonus; //money due the manager if certain conditions are met

    final double COSTHC = 20;  //Cost of HairCut
    final double COSTPERM = 50;  //Cost of Permanent
    final double COSTCOLORING = 60;  //Cost of Coloring
    final double COSTHC_PERM = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Permanent
    final double COSTCOL_PERM = (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Perm and Coloring
    final double COSTHC_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Haircut and Coloring
    final double COSTHC_PERM_COL = (COSTHC * 0.85) + (COSTPERM * 0.85) + (COSTCOLORING * 0.85);  //Cost of Cut, Perm and Color

    public void menu() {
        //preconditions:  none
        //postconditions: the correct method is called depending on the user's
        //input, totalValues are updated appropriately

        do {
            System.out.println("---------MENU---------");
            System.out.println("1 =  Reset Daily Totals");
            System.out.println("2 =  Haircut Only");
            System.out.println("3 =  Permanent Only");
            System.out.println("4 =  Coloring Only");
            System.out.println("5 =  Haircut and Coloring");
            System.out.println("6 =  Haircut and Permanent");
            System.out.println("7 =  Permanent and Coloring");
            System.out.println("8 =  Haircut, Permanent and Coloring");
            System.out.println("9 =  Print Daily Report");
            System.out.println("10 = Exit");

            int choice;
            choice = input.nextInt();

            // if (choice == 10) {
            //     System.exit(0);
            // }

            if (choice == 1) {
                resetTotals();

            }
            if (choice == 2) {
                hairCuts++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 3) {
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTPERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Permanent only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 4) {
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOLORING;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Coloring only: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 5) {
                hairCuts++;
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_COL;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut and Coloring: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 6) {
                hairCuts++;
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Haircut and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 7) {
                permanents++;
                colorings++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTCOL_PERM;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("Coloring and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 8) {
                hairCuts++;
                colorings++;
                permanents++;
                customers++;
                dailyRev = dailyRev + COSTHC_PERM_COL;
                dailyTax = 0.07 * dailyRev;
                total = dailyRev + dailyTax;
                System.out.println("haircut, Coloring, and Permanent: $");
                System.out.println("Charge: $" + dailyRev);
                System.out.println("Tax: $" + dailyTax);
                System.out.println("Total: $" + total);

            }
            if (choice == 9) {
                printReport();
            }
        } while (true);
    }

    public void resetTotals() {
        hairCuts = 0;
        permanents = 0;
        colorings = 0;
        customers = 0;
        dailyRev = 0;
        dailyTax = 0;
    }

    public void printReport() {
        if (customers == 0) {
            return;
        }
        System.out.println("Daily Report for Salon");
        System.out.println("Number of Customers: $" + customers);
        System.out.println("Number of Hair Cuts: $" + hairCuts);
        System.out.println("Number of Permanents: $" + permanents);
        System.out.println("Number of Colorings: $" + colorings);

        System.out.println("Average amount spent per customer(Not including Tax): $" + (total / customers));
        System.out.println("Total Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
        System.out.println("Total Tax: $" + dailyTax);
        if (dailyRev >= 650) {
            System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $" + (dailyRev * 0.05));
            System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + 1.05 * dailyRev);
        } else {
            System.out.println("Manager Bonus: $0");
            System.out.println("Total Net Revenues: $" + dailyRev);
        }
    }
}

public class Salon{

     public static void main(String []args){

       Saloon s = new Saloon();
      s.menu();
     }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
LEUKEMIAS - BIOLOGY, CYTOGENETICS AND MOLECULAR MARKERS IN DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS: ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA II| November 20, 2009
High Expression of Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 (LEF1) Is a Novel, Favorable Prognostic Marker in Cytogenetically Normal AML and Is Associated with Upregulation of T-Lymphoid Lineage Markers in AML Blasts.
Klaus H. Metzeler
Klaus H. Metzeler *
Dept. of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany,
Bernhard Heilmeier
Bernhard Heilmeier *
Konstantin Petropoulos
Konstantin Petropoulos *
Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany,
Maria C. Sauerland
Maria C. Sauerland *
Dept. of Medical Informatics and Biomathematics, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany,
Achim Heinecke
Achim Heinecke *
Wolfgang E Berdel
Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany,
Thomas Buechner
Thomas Buechner *
Jan Braess
Jan Braess *
Karsten Spiekermann
Karsten Spiekermann *
Helmholtz Zentrum München, CCG Leukemia and Dept. of Internal Medicine III, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
Michaela Feuring-Buske
Michaela Feuring-Buske *
Wolfgang Hiddemann
Wolfgang Hiddemann *
Stefan K Bohlander
Stefan K Bohlander *
Christian Buske
Christian Buske *
Blood (2009) 114 (22): 398.
https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V114.22.398.398
Klaus H. Metzeler, Bernhard Heilmeier, Konstantin Petropoulos, Maria C. Sauerland, Achim Heinecke, Wolfgang E Berdel, Thomas Buechner, Jan Braess, Karsten Spiekermann, Michaela Feuring-Buske, Wolfgang Hiddemann, Stefan K Bohlander, Christian Buske; High Expression of Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 (LEF1) Is a Novel, Favorable Prognostic Marker in Cytogenetically Normal AML and Is Associated with Upregulation of T-Lymphoid Lineage Markers in AML Blasts.. Blood 2009; 114 (22): 398. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V114.22.398.398
In recent years, the classification of cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) has seen a turnaround from morphological characterisation towards the identification of novel molecular prognostic factors. Besides the well-recognized prognostic influence of mutations in NPM1, CEPBA, FLT3 and other genes, high transcript levels of ERG, MN1 or BAALC recently have been associated with inferior outcome. However, our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie the prognostic relevance of these markers is limited. The canonical WNT signalling pathway not only plays an important role in embryonic development but is also implicated in almost one third of all human cancers including many subtypes of leukemias. Expression of β-catenin, a key player in the WNT pathway, in AML blasts has been associated with enhanced clonogenic potential and inferior patient survival. Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) is a transcription factor that directly interacts with β-catenin during WNT signalling. Recently, we showed that Lef-1 is an important regulatory factor in early hematopoiesis and that its constitutive expression in murine hematopoetic cells causes both myeloid and lymphoid acute leukemias, which originate from a leukemic stem cell with lymphoid characteristics (Petropoulos et al., J Exp Med 2008). In the present study, we analysed the association of LEF1 expression with clinical outcomes in a cohort of 210 adult patients (median age, 59 years) with CN-AML. All patients were treated in two consecutive multicenter studies of the German AML Cooperative Group (AMLCG), and the median follow-up for surviving patients was 46 months. LEF1 expression levels were extracted from gene expression profiles (obtained using Affymetrix HG-U133A or HG-U133plus2 oligonucleotide microarrays). Patients were classified as LEF1high or LEF1low according to the median of all samples. We found that LEF1 expression was inversely correlated with the leukocyte count at diagnosis, and the frequency of FLT3 ITD mutations was significantly lower among patients with high LEF1 transcript levels than among those with low LEF1 expression (59% vs. 24%, respectively; P<0.001). LEF1high patients, as compared with LEF1low patients, showed a significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) (median, 36 vs. 8.6 months, P<0.001) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (median, 27 vs. 6.7 months, P<0.001). The correlation of LEF1 transcript levels with OS could not solely be explained by its inverse association with FLT3 ITD status, since in multivariate analyses, high LEF1 expression remained an independent predictor of prolonged OS (hazard ratio for death, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.40 – 0.88; P=0.01) after adjustment for age, FLT3 status, and ERG expression levels. Moreover, there was no statistically significant interaction between the effects of LEF1 expression levels and FLT3 ITD status or treatment group assignment on OS. High LEF1 levels also were predictive of longer RFS (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.31 - 0.79; P=0.003) after adjustment for age and the NPM1mutant/FLT3 ITDnegative genotype. We then tried to identify genes that are differentially regulated in LEF1high versus LEF1low low patients. Among the genes that showed the most prominent transcriptional upregulation in LEF1high samples, there were several markers of T-lymphoid differentiation (e.g., CD2, CD3, CD5, and the interleukin 2 receptor beta chain). Statistically significant upregulation of the T-lymphoid markers CD2, cyCD3 and CD7 in LEF1high AML was confirmed by immunophenotyping of the leukemic cells. In contrast, there was no correlation between immunologically detected B-lymphoid markers (e.g. CD19, cyCD22, cyCD79a) and the LEF1 expression level. In summary, our data indicate that high LEF1 expression is an independent favorable prognostic marker in CN-AML, and that it is associated with a distinct gene expression profile and immunophenotype, characterized by upregulation of lymphoid cell antigens.
blast cells, lef1 gene, prognostic marker, up-regulation (physiology), ms-like tyrosine kinase 3, impedance threshold device, gene expression profiling, immunophenotyping, antigens, cancer
This icon denotes an abstract that is clinically relevant.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Lisa D. Wade believes that to breathe is to create. Wade is a self-taught artist and photographer who has lived in Southeast Queens for most of her life. Her work centers on a desire to express synchronistic moments experienced between her lens, and her subjects.
Grace was the subject captured on Downtown, Jamaica Avenue. As the subject walked along the street, Wade captures the beauty of this woman and her expression of sheer contentment and certainty in that moment.


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Hand bag in genuine leather. Lined in fabric. Inside, there are pockets for small items. Any imperfections or uneven colour are not to be considered as a defect but as a natural characteristic of leather. The item is sold with original dust bag.


The 2019 instalment of Virtual Reality Working Out Loud Week kicks off next month. For a couple of previous VR WOL Weeks I've collated lists of the examples that the participants unearthed – see 20 real-world examples of Virtual Reality and 25 more real-world examples of Virtual Reality.
This time however I've decided to do something different. I've decided to focus my attention on Augmented Reality.
As with VR, there's plenty of talk out there about how wonderful AR is and the incredible potential it offers us. There's also a lot of talk about how much better it is than VR, which I find comically absolutist. Surely it's circumstantial?
In any case, I'm interested in what people in the real world are currently doing with this emerging technology, so I've collated the following examples.
In the post-Pokémon Go era, an increasing number of AR games pepper the market. While one game replaces Pikachu with robots, another goes a step further by leveraging the background environment as you ward off alien invaders.
For its part, Niantic is continuing to evolve Pokémon Go with occlusion, by which the augmentation integrates with the background environment. (For example, a monster pops its head up from behind your couch.) Word on the street is this kind of next level immersion will feature in their upcoming Harry Potter spinoff.
The trail being blazed by the entertainment industry is being quickly followed by workplace educators. For example, Japan Airlines uses AR to train its engine technicians, while Deakin University uses it to teach its healthcare students. In terms of performance support, doctors use AR to perform target guided surgery, while the Royal Navy uses it to aid the officer of the watch.
Some companies are also using AR to educate their customers. In my previous blog post Educate everyone I praised Hyundai's virtual guide which helps Sonata owners maintain their vehicle. Another car maker, MINI, has glasses that not only provide its drivers with navigational prompts, but also lets them see through the car.
In the world of retail furniture, Ikea lets you see how their products look in your home and another app walks you through assembling them.
Customer education blurs with marketing, and prime examples of the latter are ModiFace's hair colour and nail polish previewers. In a similar vein, Kinect lets you try on clothes, Lacoste lets you try on shoes, Shop 4 Rings lets you try on jewellery, while Speqs completes your look with glasses.
In regard to the point-and-play type of AR, one of the most impressive I've seen is that of winemaker 19 Crimes who brings the convicts on their labels to life. The eerie black-and-white treatment reminds me of Koko tormenting a cat in The Clown's Little Brother – which was released back in 1920!
My coverage of augmented reality here is by no means exhaustive; it simply represents the instances I've stumbled upon recently. If you are aware of another real-world example, please share it via a comment below.
For more virtual reality, follow the #VRwolweek hashtag on Twitter and I encourage you to participate yourself.
In the meantime, who fancies running an #ARwolweek…?
A couple of years ago I started up Virtual Reality Working Out Loud Week to promote real-world applications of virtual reality.
The inaugural #VRwolweek unearthed 20 real-world examples of the emerging technology, and the enduring popularity of that blog post tells me that we are hungry for more.
Loath to disappoint, I hereby present 25 more real-world examples of virtual reality, drawn from this year's and last year's events. I thank everyone who contributed to the following list.
Kicking off with the Colonel, it would be remiss of me to omit KFC's virtual escape room The Hard Way. Widely criticised for its evil genius paradigm, I urge us to appreciate the game's otherwise authenticity. If used as a primer for training in real life, then it's an engaging example of setting up an employee for success.
Anchor Construction uses virtual reality to train its construction workers, while UPS uses it to train its truck drivers.
South Wales Fire and Rescue uses interactive 360° video to train its new recruits on extricating a casualty from a road traffic incident.
The Dutch Fire Department uses 360° video to teach the public how to react in case of an emergency, while on the other side of the flames in Australia FLAIM Trainer combines VR with haptics and heat-generating clothing to immerse firefighters in realistic situations.
In Africa, Meet the Soldier aims to increase empathy among warring cattle farmers, while Cisco and Dimension Data are helping save the rhino.
A group of middle school students has used 360° photos to create a virtual tour of Fort Vancouver, while the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust uses 360° video to take you on a tour of their Age of Sail galleries.
This Australian agency creates virtual tours and visualisations for the mining, architecture and tourism industries.
Have you ever wondered how a self-driving car senses the world around it? Wonder no more with the Waymo 360° experience.
Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Storytelling, Pearl is a beautiful 360° animation that heralds the future of narrative.
Virtual reality isn't new to gamers, but now it's social. Check out Evasion and Poker VR.
I'm continually amazed at what can be achieved with CoSpaces Edu, such as the Virtual Reality Learning Lab's uber cool reboot of Frogger. And while we're going retro, have a laugh at Mario in real life.
Topshop allows their customers to ride a virtual waterslide over the black cabs and double-deckers of central London.
SeaWorld hybridises the real world with the virtual. Patrons of The Kraken Unleashed ride a rollercoaster while wearing VR headsets that plunge them into the abyss.
It reminds me of Batman Adventure at Australia's Movie World back in 1992, when we all sat on moveable seats in front of a big screen simulating the batplane screaming through Gotham City.
A rollercoaster ramps the immersion up a few notches, to say the least, and I can see why it's the perfect vehicle for a pre-recorded experience because the timing is precise.
In Norway, Audi lets you test-drive their new Q5 in a giant virtual sandbox. It took me a while to work out the prospective customer would dig the racetrack in a real sandbox, which was then scanned and transformed into virtual reality. It's a modern-day twist on Daytona USA presumably intended to attract the Amazon generation in-store to be worked over by the sales reps.
Incidentally, I see the clever Scandi's have now moved on to Augmented Reality with the Quattro Coaster app, which lets you build a road and drive a mini car on it in your living room.
VR needn't have an Audi-sized budget to be effective for marketing. A product manager in the medical industry created a WebVR experience to promote the hi-tech material in her range of surgical gowns. Given her name you may deduce I know this person, so I can tell you this impressive project was done on a shoestring.
Finally, these other examples of virtual reality in healthcare – for autism, disability and pain management – must surely turn the most ardent of sceptics.
Oh how far we've come since Hugo Gernsback strapped on his teleyeglasses back in 1968. Long may this wonderful technology continue to evolve!
Something struck me during this year's Virtual Reality Working Out Loud Week.
Billed as an event for "anyone who is working with or experimenting with virtual reality, whether that be at home, at school or at work", this was the second time I had run it. Again I was keen for our peers in L&D and other industries to share what they are doing with this emerging technology.
At the time of writing this blog post, the #vrwolweek hashtag achieved 612,836 impressions on Twitter with an estimated reach of 350,292 accounts. Impressive indeed. Less impressive, however, is the fact that barely a dozen people shared an experience.
And this is what struck me… There is a gulf between those who talk about VR and those using it, and it appears this gulf is widening.
As last year's 20 real-world examples of virtual reality attests, the technology is being applied by pioneers in various industries. This year unearthed additional examples in healthcare, transport, firefighting, education, special needs, gaming and tourism.
This year also highlighted folks such as Robert Ibisch, Flemming Funch, Lorraine Minister, M. Lovecraft, Simon Dueckert and Arun Pradhan who are actively experimenting with VR.
So that leaves approximately 350,000 people who have nothing to share. Is that because they can't or because they won't…? In any case, they didn't.
As with so many other examples of technology, there is a division between the haves and the have nots. Yet among those who own a smartphone and can afford $20 for an entry-level headset, VR polarises the doers and the do nots.
The inaugural Virtual Reality Working Out Loud Week launched earlier this month. It's something I started up almost on a whim to promote real-world applications of virtual reality.
There's plenty of talk out there about how wonderful VR is and the incredible potential it offers us, but how about now? What are our peers currently doing with this emerging technology?
The online networking festival was open to anyone working with or experimenting with virtual reality. Whether you have been playing with Google Cardboard or developing high-end immersive experiences, we wanted to hear about it. Participants were invited to use the #VRwolweek hashtag on social media to share their successes, failures, questions, answers, work-arounds, or anything else we fellow geeks would find useful.
And I'm pleased to report it was a success! Over 60 posts on social media mentioning #VRwolweek is a good start in my book, and is a testament to the enthusiasm with which the digigeek community took up the challenge.
On the other side of the coin, some may say that 60-odd posts aren't nearly enough. I acknowledge this perspective, and I put it down to two factors: (1) Lack of awareness of the event, as this is the first ever #wolweek dedicated to VR; and (2) Lack of hands-on experience. The technology is still very much in its infancy, and many of us are yet to make the leap from reading and talking about it to experimenting with it and applying it. Indeed, most of the tweets were about what others are doing with VR.
In any case, I learned a great deal about virtual reality via the event, and I'm glad to have raised my awareness of the following real-world applications across multiple industries, including sports, entertainment, healthcare, education, workplace training, and non-profit.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who participated in VR Working Out Loud Week, including Simon Terry who helped me lift it off the ground in the first place. I'm already looking forward to launching it again next year.
By the way, it's never too late to keep the conversation going. Feel free to continue using the #VRwolweek hashtag all year to share with us what you're doing in the virtual reality space.


It takes a special kind of educator to work with Teach For Canada and our northern partners.
What does a successful northern educator look like? They overcome challenges with flexibility and bring the community into their classroom. Outside of school, they get involved in the community, lead extracurricular activities, and explore the natural environment. But above all, they come humbly to learn as much as they teach. Read teacher stories here.
Why should new or experienced teachers teach in the North?
Engages in and learns from community life.
Overcomes challenges during a 2+ year commitment.
Understands personal strengths and weaknesses.
Approaches life with humour and an easygoing attitude.
Supports all students to reach their goals.
Pushes personal limits, especially outdoors.
Drives for results and differentiates instruction.


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This is one of the most memorable songs of Basu Bhattacharya's National Award Winning film Teesri Kasam. The song talks about how we don't need to say or do wrong things, as this is a small life after which we all have to just go as we came, taking nothing from here.
(leaving everything here, and be answerable to Him too).
we have to go there on foot only..
This head has to be eventually bowed..
everything has to be paid within this world only..


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At UN debate, Kiribati's President urges increased efforts to mitigate impact of rising seas
UN Photo/J Carrier
President Anote Tong of Kiribati addresses General Assembly.
The President of Kiribati, a mainly low-lying Pacific archipelago that is one of the states most threatened by rising seas, today appealed to the United Nations to step up efforts to curb global greenhouse emissions and help in mitigation measures, including possible migration.
"We are grateful that the General Assembly agrees that climate change is a matter warranting the attention of the Security Council," Kiribati's President Anote Tong told the UN General Assembly on the second day of its annual General Debate, at UN Headquarters in New York.
"I applaud the commitment of our Secretary-General to this particular security threat, but he needs the support of all nations to take the necessary action to address it. We must step up our collective efforts to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions," he said.
The Kiribati leader called on development partners to provide resources and technology to enable his country to deal with the current impacts of climate change and prepare for an uncertain future.
"While we are taking adaptation measures to ensure that Kiribati remains habitable for as long as possible, we are also preparing for a future where our islands may no longer be able top sustain our population," President Tong stated in his speech.
"We are looking to improve the skills of our people to a level where they are able to compete for jobs in the international labour market. We want our people to have the option to migrate with dignity should the time come that migration is unavoidable. And all the science is telling us that it is just a matter of time," he said.
He added, "I frequently find myself watching my grandchildren and wondering what sort of a future we are leaving them."
President Tong is one of scores of world leaders and other high-level officials presenting their views and comments on issues of individual national and international relevance at the Assembly's General Debate, which ends on 1 October.
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At UN session, Indonesian President urges 'new strategic mindset' for global peace
At General Assembly, Pakistan President stresses importance of democracy, UN reform
At UN debate, Afghan President highlights country as testament to multi-lateral cooperation
News Tracker: Past Stories on This Issue
Pacific island states call for UN measures to help countries fight climate change
The leaders of three Pacific Island countries called on the United Nations today to take a series of measures to help them and other small island nations combat the effects of climate change.


It used to be wars began and ended, but now we have the War against Terrorism, which is essentially a war without end because terrorists will never go away so long as there are people in the world who think they are being wronged.
President Reagan first used the term "war against terrorism" back in 1984, but it didn't take on its "unending" aspect until September 11, 2001 when Osama bin Laden's terrorists flew planes into the twin towers in New York City. To retaliate, we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, subjugating both countries, killing their leaders, and eventually killing bin Laden himself.
We've also waged a war against homegrown terrorists and terrorist sympathizers with legislation like the PATRIOT Act, which, in a nutshell, is legislation that drastically curtails our personal freedoms so that our government can better protect us against the terrorists they say want to kill us.
I'm an "eye for an eye" type of guy so I'm glad we killed bin Laden and dismantled his al-Qaeda network, but the main result I see after more than a decade of this war without end is that America's citizens have had their freedoms stripped away. Now that we've clearly won the war, I don't see many politicians calling for an end of the War against Terrorism. I think most of them want to keep it going, keep inventing more terrorists, and keep passing more laws that curtail our personal freedoms. The War against Terrorism has simply morphed into an everlasting excuse for government to control us.
Part of the solution is to end the War against Terrorism, close some of the 600 plus military bases we have in 120 countries, and repeal the PATRIOT Act.
The War on Drugs is essentially a war against our youth. It is a full employment scheme to keep our giant drug bureaucracy and our prison system in business. Surveys show the majority of Americans think it has failed and that some drugs, in particular marijuana, should be decriminalized or outright legalized.
A number of states have done so but they are butting heads with the federal government, which does not want to give up its power over the states and, ultimately, over us. The War on Drugs is part of what I increasingly see as a generational war waged by the older generations against our youth. Not only have we stolen their futures by forcing them to pay for Ponzi schemes like Social Security and Medicare, programs that will go bankrupt long before they can benefit from them, but we also imprison them wholesale for smoking a joint while we adults drink our booze with relative impunity. Some day our younger generations will wake up and realize what we old farts have been doing to them all these years. I don't think they will treat kindly those of us who are still slurping from the public trough.
Probably the most pressing problem is the current economic meltdown that appears to be engulfing Western Civilization. The European Union is already on the precipice, with Greece leading the way and Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland mere footsteps behind. Let's hope the disintegration doesn't lead to wars as the bankrupt nations descend into economic turmoil with high unemployment and a decline in standards of living. Add in some high inflation and you'll have the conditions that allowed the fascists to rise to power and launch World War II.
America is close behind Europe. Our debt, too, is unsustainable. But instead of returning to the free enterprise system that has kept America solvent for most of its history, we're heading down the same socialist road that first bankrupted the Soviet Union and now consumes Europe.
It may be too late for Europe, but the solution for America is to return to our free enterprise roots. Stop the overspending, cut government regulation so businesses can once again flourish and create jobs, and abandon this march into socialism.


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Climate Action, Climate Science
Climate clippings 174
June 9, 2016 Brian	4 Comments
1. Climate change makes our food poisonous
Extreme weather is increasing the levels of toxins in our food, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Crops affected include barley, maize or millet, cassava and sorghum.
Poisons include nitrates, "prussic acid" or hydrogen cyanide, and fungai.
Effects include cancer, stunting fetal and infant growth, suppression of the immune system and even neurological collapse. Apparently its already an issue in parts of the world where there are inadequate detection and monitoring systems.
2. Australia simmers though the hottest autumn on record
According to a Bureau of Meteorology report autumn 2016 was the hottest on record, beating the previous record, set in 2005, by 0.22℃.
More than 53% of the country experienced highest on record mean temperatures. All States and Territories recorded very-much-above-average mean temperatures during autumn, with Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory all reporting their warmest autumn on record. In addition, the autumn national mean temperature anomaly was the largest such departure from average for any calendar season since national temperature records began in 1910.
Here's the map:
Yes El Niño was an issue, but record breaking is roughly 20 times more likely because of human influence.
3. Past, present, future: how human evolution and climate are linked
Andrew Glikson, earth and paleo-climate scientist at ANU looks at the broad sweep of geological and human history. He says:
Over the past year, carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere have risen faster than any period in the past 55 million years.
This is alarming:
CO₂ levels above 400ppm have not been observed in the Earth's climate record since the Pliocene, 5.3-2.6 million years ago, when sea level was about 25 metres higher than at present.
I think you'll find that 25 metres would inundate large swathes of our coastline, carving large chunks out of our coastal capitals. You can check on flood maps here.
Glikson reckons two essential factors have made humans so effective at causing environmental change.
First, we invented fire at least a million years ago, or our progenitors did, so we are masters of combustion.
Secondly, the last 7000 years have been unusually stable, allowing the invention of agriculture, and modern society as we know it.
4. Can weather events be attributed to climate change?
Carbon Brief reports on the growing area of attribution science within climate science.
Attribution depends on the quality of climate models. This was the part that interested me:
attribution studies tend to be, at least for the time being, reliable for some types of event, but not others. Heatwaves and, to some extent, extreme rainfall events, are well-understood because they relate directly to how much extra heat the atmosphere has accumulated.
Things get more complicated for types of extreme weather that involve the chaotic and complex dynamics of the atmosphere or oceans. This includes hurricanes (also called cyclones or typhoons, depending on which part of the world you're in), floods and often droughts.
And this from Prof Gabriel Vecchi, head of the climate variations and predictability group at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
"It's true – and will always be true – that the world is now fundamentally different because of global warming, so everything we see is impacted by global warming…[But that] has very limited utility in meaning. It doesn't help predict anything…We need to be much more specific and much more quantitative."
Seems they have a way to go.
5. Adelaide heads for carbon neutrality
Adelaide aims to be the first carbon neutral city in the world, and it aims to get there by 2025.
The Adelaide City Council says it has received a big response to its incentive scheme for rooftop solar installations, batteries storage, energy efficient lighting and electric vehicle charging controllers as it aims to be the first capital city to be "carbon neutral".
The city council said that 1MW of solar PV had been installed since it expanded its Sustainable City Incentive Scheme in July 2015, more than 800 halogen downlights had been replaced with LEDs, and 90 kilowatt hours of energy storage had also been installed.
The Scheme provides incentives for residents and businesses to install energy generation, storage, electric vehicle charging stations and energy efficiency devices (see details below). The Scheme is jointly funded by Council and the State Government.
6. Wind energy shines
Wind energy had a record month in May, overtaking hydro to provide 8.5 per cent of electricity demand in the country's main grid.
A study has also found that the effect was to exert downward pressure in prices in May, contra to some of the critics.
7. Scary graph
If you want to see a scary graph on temperature rise, have a look at this one.
To be honest, the gathering momentum of temperature change is boosted by the outward circular spiral. As you go each degree occupies more space on the page.
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4 thoughts on "Climate clippings 174"
The graph is scary. It should be even more scary for someone like my grandchildren who may still be alive when the temperature reaches 5 deg above pre-industrial by about 2100.
BilB says:
Yes indeed it is scary, JohnD. By far scarier is the fact that it is not just about temperature. For every bit of temperature increase there is an ever increasing change in storm intensity, rainfall deluge, drought intensity, ocean storm (shipping disruption) intensity, algal blooms, fires, floods, wars, etc. And the global population continues to increase.
We are seeing Europe constructions that have protected against weather for hundreds of years failing and collapsing.
Meanwhile, the denialists continue their sick obstructive game.
Scary indeed.
Bilb: One thing that really scares me is that long term weather patterns could change leaving some countries more exposed to food shortages.
Really scary are the Himalaya weather patterns. Weather patterns that feed 3 nuclear powers with very very large populations.
Thanks, BilB. I must say the one about food becoming poisonous was new to me, but UNEP are a fair dinkum mob, so we have to deal with it.


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qodeo set to launch its cloud based service
11:07 AM 2013
by Marc Castro 
One of the foremost independent providers of financial data, network connections and market insight, qodeo, has set aside time to launch its cloud based beta service. The goal of the new service is to provide greater business productivity across the global venture industry.
The service qodeo provides include an integrated productivity toolkit that provides savings for users in terms of significant time and transaction costs, providing assistance in effectively sourcing funds and deals as well as provide access to relevant global connections together with global community news and insight.
The company's unique data gathering methodology working alongside eighteen leading global business schools such as Cambridge, Insead and UCLA through captured interviews with venture capital or private equity firms is the core of qodeo's data. This is participatory 'user driven' data on all user groups providing a more accurate, real time interactive experience to support investment decision making for better performance at a speedier time to market. As of today, there have been 500 leading VC/PEs have been interviewed globally, which represent about 20% of the industry.
According to qodeo CEO Simon Glass, "The global venture community wastes considerable time and money in identifying best-fit partners to drive optimal performance. We believe that qodeo has built the only platform that uses participatory 'user-driven' data, to drive value for several groups across the value chain, including entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, private equity firms, limited partners and corporate advisors."
The service is supported by evidence gathered with top Business School Insead showing that the venture community currently spends wasted time and money in the search for a suitable venture partner. A later study by a Cambridge University Judge Business School team had found that there are eleven million entrepreneurs seeking venture type funding alongside 2,500 VC/PE firms. 2,500 sovereign funds and pension funds and 44,000 corporate advisor firms. All these lack a unified venture community platform to work together for mutual benefit.
qodeo, cloud based service, consulting, vc/pe, school, service, platform


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Q: Web Reference with dynamic URL in .dll (class project) I have a website that uses a class project, and the website has a Web Reference, which has a dynamic URL based on the web.config file - so in develoment, it's http://localhost:2880/service.asmx and on live it's http://www.example.com/service.asmx
I've added a console application that needs to share functionality from the website, so I've moved the Web Reference into the class project, and put the web.config (appsettings) line into the app.config. All works fine on localhost, but it doesn't override the web service Url on live.
If I create the Web Reference in the console application, it also works fine - dynamic Url and all. So it seems in a class project / .dll, since there is no "native" config file, it can't use the appropriate config file, and so you can't have the dynamic Url.
Can anyone confirm this or provide a solution?

A: Silly me. Adding the web reference to the DLL project created an App.config file in that project, with the Url in there, so it was obviously using that config file and not looking in the website/other projects config file.