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Radiation Exposure and Risk
Ionizing radiation damages living things and contaminates the environment, sometimes permanently. Studies have shown increases in cancer around nuclear facilities and uranium mines. Radiation mutates genes which can cause genetic damage across generations.
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"Oops": Manipulated childhood cancer data hides radiation impact, harms public health protection
This article relies heavily on postings at Fukushima Voice version 2e. Revelations and analysis below would be impossible without the painstaking translations and thoughtful discussion Fukushima Voice provides.
As the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe unfolded in March 2011, experts began applying lessons (some poorly learned or incomplete) from other nuclear disasters, primarily Chernobyl. After Chernobyl, it took nearly a decade for official experts to admit what data were revealing: exposure to radioiodine, one of the nuclides released from nuclear power disasters, increases thyroid cancer. Those who were children at the time of their exposure were particularly vulnerable. As radioactive clouds blanketed the areas surrounding the melting Fukushima reactors, officials were conflicted about the application of stable potassium iodide (KI) to keep radioiodine from penetrating the thyroids of members of the public.
Shunichi Yamashita, a doctor who had studied thyroid cancers in the Chernobyl-contaminated areas, expected no impact from radioiodine exposure. Reports differ, however, with some saying that Yamashita was publicly claiming no danger, while secretly telling experts he had serious concern about child thyroid cancer. He encouraged those who may have been exposed to protect themselves against radiation by being in a good mood and laughing. FMU had taken the precautionary measure of distributing KI to its staff members and their children. FMU claimed this was to cajole nervous hospital staff into staying during the initial disaster, rather than to protect their health. The staff, however, was sworn to secrecy regarding this decision. Fukushima Prefecture failed to tell FMU to administer KI to the public. FMU waited for Yamashita to inform the issue and he said taking KI was unnecessary, so many in the public were left unprotected. "Yamashita admitted that he had given incorrect information shortly after the disaster when he advised FMU not to dispense potassium iodide tablets to children." After he had made his decision, he reportedly looked at the fallout maps and said "Oops".
In the wake of continuing contamination threat and public concern, the Fukushima Prefectural government tasked FMU with overseeing the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) of which thyroid ultrasound examinations (TUEs) were to be a part. Oversight committees were formed to issue reports on data collected through the FHMS. Yamashita was put in charge of the FHMS, making those who had claimed there was no danger from radioiodine exposure the ones in charge of researching the results of their mistake. In fact, Yamashita has "commented that the main aim of the Health Survey is to reassure people."
Later, when Dr. Yamashita stepped down as head of the FHMS, some claimed he was leaving not because he ran the study poorly, but because he failed to communicate properly. (Yamashita is still involved with the study – his name appearing on much of the published research ostensibly based on FMU data.) Yet from the outset, FMU has provided incomplete and misleading thyroid data from the FHMS to the oversight committees, resulting in reports that are confusing, with conclusions that even by the committee's reckoning are unreliable. Outside researchers have also noticed this poor quality. Despite obvious shortcomings, Fukushima thyroid data are being wielded to alter the way we study radiation's impact on thyroid, and to downplay the world-wide increases current research is revealing.
Missing and misused data
FMU is keeping some primary clinical and demographic data hidden, even from the oversight committees, despite the committees' repeated requests that these data be shared. FMU shares analytical results that are derived from this data but these results are often manipulated – such as with comparisons to data from Chernobyl data that have been misrepresented. At the most recent press conference, June 3, 2019, committee members were asked to grade the conclusions of their report based on the information provided by FMU. They graded the report reliability at under 60%, citing lack of dose information and missing cases.
FMU has failed to report all the thyroid surgeries conducted either by it or other facilities. Since childhood thyroid cancers are rare under normal circumstances, missing even one case can skew data results. Further, FMU has changed data presentation so that it is not comparable to previously collected data. This will probably curtail current, independent, ongoing research into any connection between thyroid cancers and radiation exposure.
FMU often uses methodologies for data analysis that are unclear, illogical, and therefore unable to be explained (Makino, in publication) much less replicated. Attempts to correct some of these shortcomings have not fully succeeded. Much of the data uncertainty is only discernible to those with Japanese language skills. The datasets have never been published in their entirety in Japanese and the fact that data are missing has never been officially disclosed in English.
For any health study, the most reliable data come from comparing disease outcomes among those who were exposed to the pollutant in question (in this case radioiodine), to those who were unexposed. Having an unexposed population is especially important when it is hard to know what level people were exposed to. The amount of disease in the unexposed population is considered a baseline, or the amount that would occur in a population naturally. If the amount of a disease, such as thyroid cancer, is increased in the exposed population compared to the unexposed, the pollutant in question may be responsible.
However, FMU is insisting that they can establish thyroid cancer baseline with data collected beginning in late 2011 using exposed populations. At first, researchers said that the number of thyroid cancers discovered between late 2011 through 2013 – dubbed the first round examinations, would determine baseline cases. Researchers are now claiming that true baseline may include cases that were discovered through 2016 when the second round examination was scheduled for completion. This shifting baseline imperils reliability of thyroid data and further calls into question the methodologies of the researchers tasked with assessing health impacts of radiation.
The minimum latency for thyroid cancer, according to the World Trade Center Health Program, is 1 year (in persons under 20 years old) to 2.5 years. These latencies are based, in part, on the National Academy of Sciences findings on low-dose radiation exposure. But FMU researchers are claiming that if any thyroid cancers were discovered between 2011 and 2013 (or now 2016) these cases would not be attributed to radiation. In fact, these cases could have developed or grown faster because of Fukushima radiation exposure according to accepted latency, but FMU would consider them "normal" or "baseline", in effect hiding the true impacts of exposure.
FMU claims that the increased cases of thyroid cancer found through TUE are probably due to overdiagnosis, implying that these cancers were "quiet" and would have remained clinically hidden had monitoring not occurred. But enough of these cancers had metastasized to other areas of the body that surgical removal was indicated (slide 12) for the vast majority of them. In the absence of screening, these cancers would have been caught later, probably requiring more aggressive treatment, leading to a decreased quality of life.
Thyroid cancer data from pre-Fukushima Japan indicates some differences with the post-Fukushima thyroid cancers in the FHMS. For instance, tumor size at removal was smaller for FHMS cases, yet invasion to other tissues was higher, indicating not only that surgical removal was necessary, but that these post-Fukushima smaller tumors could be more aggressive. The pre-Fukushima data from Japan is a very small sample size, so further research should be done. It should be noted that tumor size and invasiveness from FMU cases most closely resemble not those of pre-Fukushima Japan, but those of Belarus post Chernobyl.
Despite misused and missing data, the committee made comparisons of these data to dose estimates from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), which are based on deposition of radiocesium. But the deposition pattern of radiocesium does not necessarily mimic where radioiodine travelled, so doses using this method are full of "significant uncertainties" and should probably not be used. The irony is radioidine is a known exposure concern during the initial phase of a nuclear power catastrophe, so direct radioiodine measurements could and should have been taken. If they were taken, they should be used. This does not appear to be the case with radioiodine from Fukushima.
Mishandling of data misleads future research and jeopardizes public health
One FHMS committee member, Toru Takano, makes the highly controversial claim that thyroid cancer in children will eventually become "self-limiting" therefore, current screenings are leading to overdiagnosis and unnecessary surgery because these cancers will stop growing and not cause death. There is no scientific proof that childhood thyroid cancers will "self-limit" even after they start invading other organs. Nor is there scientific support for a subclinical pool of thyroid cancer in children, another claim made by FMU researchers. Following on the overdiagnosis trope, some are now questioning whether screening should also be curtailed because it is too psychologically damaging.
It is no surprise then, that the FHMS thyroid committees continue to debate the usefulness of screening, despite clinical indications that screenings have led to necessary surgical removal of invasive thyroid cancers. Yet international bodies like International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are starting to recommend against systematic thyroid screening after a catastrophe like Fukushima, for fear of overdiagnosis and psychological impact. Additionally, IARC's report, based on input from Fukushima researchers, recommends screening not begin at doses under 100-500 mGy. This despite studies showing increases of thyroid cancer as low as 25mGy for those exposed as children.
In short, Fukushima thyroid data collected and partially hidden from international researchers is being used to alter internationally accepted radiation exposure recommendations. This is all the more ridiculous since the baseline for thyroid cancer after Fukushima uses people who were exposed to Fukushima radioiodine, rather than using unexposed children, even in the face of unknowable doses.
A revelation that pediatric thyroid cancer increased "in the US 4.43% annually from 1998 to 2013" exposes the need to screen people in the wake of nuclear catastrophes, not backpedal on that responsibility. Researchers concluded that this was a "true increase" (not due to increased surveillance –a claim made by researchers using the Fukushima data as evidence). Such data necessitate recognition that we have been exposed to nuclear pollutants from bomb and power fallout since the 1940's. Failing to research the impact radiation has already had on our current disease environment makes it impossible to fully understand the compounding damage caused by additional radiological catastrophes like Fukushima.
In truth, we are no longer starting from zero man-made radiation exposure, so the concept of "overdiagnosis" is skirting irrelevance since a portion of our current disease burden already comes from exposure to anthropogenic radiation exposure. Given independent data and research (which we currently lack), one could tease out what part of thyroid cancers Fukushima radioiodine is responsible for. Teasing out the role older radioiodine exposures play in background thyroid cancer levels throughout the decades is more difficult. Commenting on the pediatric thyroid study, Dr. David Goldenberg, an ENT-otolaryngologist, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine advocates for investigating "whether changes in environmental factors or lifestyle changes are driving part of this increase". He continues: "it is our role as physicians to protect our patients from complacency and undertreatment. Explaining away thyroid cancers as being subclinical or clinically insignificant is reminiscent of days past when we told our patients: 'don't worry, it's good cancer.'"
Manipulation and concealment of Fukushima thyroid data masks the true impact of radioidine exposure. But it is also beginning to influence the way we study thyroid disease overall, having implications beyond study of Fukushima or Chernobyl. Steps to curb screenings and monitoring are pernicious because they enshrine the withholding of life-enhancing or life-saving treatment for victims of radiation exposure. Further, withholding data from independent researchers will disallow any effort to replicate study conclusions made by FMU and the thyroid committees. This is politics masquerading as authoritative and independent decision-making based on science; in reality, it has no true scientific support and is an attempt to bury the story of radiation's impact on survivors of Fukushima.
Anime characters warn of radiation at 2020 Olympics: SIGN PETITION
April 10th is Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network's annual Becquerel Awareness Day. It's an opportunity to focus on the dangers of man-made radiation's effects on our health and environment. FFAN believes that, by understanding the consequences of nuclear, we can expedite the transition to safe alternative energy. Becquerel Awareness Day is a collective push to do just that.
This year FFAN's very own heroic anime characters Geiger Girl and Becquerel Boy will share their unique messages online from April 10-14th but they need your help. Here's what you can do:
Please "like" and invite your friends to the Becquerel Awareness Day Facebook page.
Also, join the Fukushima Fallout Awareness Facebook group where you can request be added to the Becquerel Awareness Day event.
Sign and share the petition No Olympics or Paralympics in Radioactive Fukushima.
And last but definitely not least, follow on Twitter @FFAN4u.
Tokyo 2020 officials have enlisted many of Japan's most beloved anime characters to promote the radioactive Olympics. Let's give Geiger Girl and Becquerel Boy a fighting chance! Thank you for helping FFAN spread the word April 10-14th. More detail.
April 10, 2019 | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article
What took so long? Scientists consider long-term health monitoring after radiation exposure
It's been 40 years since the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island (TMI) Unit 2 reactor in 1979 and more decades still since the first above ground atomic bomb explosions. Our atomic history is littered with assorted spills, releases, leaks, some secret, some not. Any of these national or local exposure events should have spurred our federal agencies to establish proper health registries. Such registries should have assessed health impacts not just in the short term, but also over lifetimes. Yet establishing functional and accessible registries for monitoring health of civilian individuals following radiation releases has been challenging. A meeting, attended by Beyond Nuclear and requested by the Centers for Disease Control, and hosted by the National Academy of Sciences, examined what needs to be considered when establishing a registry.
Better late than never? Yes and no. Gaping holes still exist between the science the experts prefer to study and the science we need them to study. The intractable conflict persists between valuing theoretical representations or assumptions of exposure, over the lived reality of those exposed.
Three Mile Island mystifying silence
"No one really thought about bringing public health to the table until about two years ago" – Andrew Pickett, Pennsylvania Department of Public Health
The most glaring omission in a meeting on long-term health monitoring after radiation exposures in the U.S. was the near silence on Three Mile Island – the U.S.'s only admitted civilian reactor meltdown. At the very least, the meeting should have examined what went so very wrong for the residents around the facility when federal agencies incorrectly denied the population was exposed to high radiation levels; and then denied their responsibility for health investigations in the area. Was there a registry created? If not, why not? If so, what did it show and did it fall short? These questions were not addressed at this meeting. Instead, Andrew Picket, Pennsylvania Department of Public Health, contended that "[n]o one really thought about bringing public health to the table until about two years ago." The communities around the ruined reactor thought about it. They asked for proper health investigations. Repeatedly. Loudly. They were continually patronized, belittled and rebuffed.
Instead of the health registry they deserved, the under-resourced public around TMI was left to the mercy of the courts to decide the question of harm. The court hamstrung health research so that even well-designed epidemiological studies couldn't associate health impacts with radiation exposure. It was, in part, this misuse of health data that left those around TMI unrecognized and uncompensated; and the rest of the world deceived about what really happened. Increases of lung cancer and leukemia were associated with radiation exposure through blood evidence. Current research has found that thyroid cancers in the TMI community carry a biological mark specific to radiation exposure[1], are more aggressive and appear earlier[2], than thyroid cancers outside of the TMI community, indicating that the long-term impacts of TMI are still with us. Without understanding the myriad of missteps surrounding the TMI health investigations, we are being set up to repeat them.
Theory versus life: Gaping holes remain
Science has shown that all radiation doses carry risk. Individuals who were exposed to low doses should be included in any registry, despite the concerns over cost that were voiced at the meeting. Women, children and pregnancy are at highest risk, so their exposure circumstances, particularly for any pregnant or potentially pregnant person and offspring, should be meticulously recorded. Although some at the meeting contended that the type of contamination event should matter for inclusion in the registry, it should be dose level that matters. Dose levels for inclusion should remain the same across all such events.
A registry needs to not only focus on the initial exposure's impact over the long term, but also must account for continuing new exposures that often follow. This accounting is especially important since people are often forced to live in radiologically contaminated environments and eat contaminated food. While this meeting refreshingly moved past the "no immediate danger" trope into a desire to examine long-term impacts, it did not specifically consider impact of lower, chronic doses that societies have been asked to endure for the "benefit" of nuclear technology.
Ongoing exposures occur directly, but some of the damage they cause can be carried across generations. While a dose (internal or external) may be considered low to each generation, calculating only the dose to each individual generation may result in underestimating the total damage future generations will have to endure. This is another reason why even individuals exposed to so-called "low" doses should not be excluded from any registry. The concept of compounding generational dose was not present at this meeting, yet needs to be a consideration when building a health registry.
Radiological emergencies come in many forms. While the meeting focused on civilian meltdowns and atomic bomb explosions, many live with radiological contamination not just from single events, but from small releases over the long-term like those that have contaminated uranium mining and milling sites. For this reason, health registries should focus on the exposed, not only single events.
Any health registry should focus on radiation's impact on the human body, not just theoretical re-creation of doses that may or may not represent actual health damage. To its credit, this meeting featured two presenters who research the marks radiation leaves in exposed humans. These marks or "bioindicators" can play a large role in reliably reconstructing dose even years after exposure has occurred. Some bioindicator tests have been around since the mid-20th century, but have rarely been used to reconstruct radiation exposures to the public. While the meeting highlighted these techniques, concluding remarks were vague on future application.
Although a summary is forthcoming, recommendations will not be given
The meeting offered some positive steps forward for establishing radiation health registries, like the desire to include low doses and the highlight of bioindicators. However, major issues still need to be addressed to establish a robust registry that will serve the public: the willful ignoring of public concerns at TMI and the ensuing setbacks, the struggle to account for enhanced susceptibility, the impacts of low-dose radiation across generations. The NAS expects to release a summary report of the meeting in Fall 2019, but by design, no recommendations will be forthcoming. To see the meeting in its entirety, visit the NAS webcast archive site.
[1]Goldenberg, D. Altered molecular profile in thyroid cancers from patients affected by the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. Laryngoscope. 2017 Jul;127 Suppl 3:S1-S9.
[2] Presentation of Renu Joshi, M.D. Nuclear Hotseat Podcast: This Week's RETURN TO TMI at 39 – SPECIAL.
March 21, 2019 | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article
Fukushima at 8: Accusations of scientific misconduct concern city in Japan
Date City produces peaches and dried persimmonsEight years after the Fukushima nuclear reactors exploded on Japan's Northern coast, spewing radioactive particles into the air, across the land, and into the Pacific Ocean, the country continues to struggle with decontamination and relocation efforts. Determining the health impacts resulting from the nuclear disaster has been particularly fraught. For Date City, about 60 km from the ruined Fukushima reactors, and still blanketed by radioactive contamination from the ongoing catastrophe, the struggle for protection of health continues amid accusations of scientific misconduct and betrayal.
After the nuclear catastrophe began, Date City residents received glass badges that measured radioactivity. About four and a half years of measurements collected from these glass badges were used by Ryugo Hayano, Professor emeritus from the University of Tokyo and Makoto Miyazaki from Fukushima Medical University (FMU) to initially publish two studies in the Journal of Radiological Protection (JRP). Radiation policy makers in Japan often reference the second of these two studies, indicating they trust the data and conclusions it offers. However, earlier this year, Shin-ichi Kurokawa (Professor Emeritus of The High Energy Accelerator Research Organization) and Akemi Shima (resident of Date City) contended that this research and the studies using it, are compromised by serious ethical violations and scientific misconduct.
Date City officials requested the studies subsequent to their adoption of a 5 mSv annual radiation exposure limit, which represents a huge increase of radiation exposure to residents. Date City has also limited decontamination efforts in certain areas, and the former mayor Shoji Nishida, requested that the International Atomic Energy Agency proclaim 5 mSv per year safe, instead of the current 1mSv. More detailed information is coming to light as a new mayor of Date City has been elected.
Kurokawa first raised concerns about the second study in a peer-reviewed August 2018 letter sent to JRP. The JRP, a U.K. journal, has yet to publish Kurokawa's critique, so he published it on a Cornell University website in December 2018. Kurokawa also published a timeline and further critique of Hayano's response to the letter in Harbor Business Online in February 2019, original article in Japanese. This research has also been reported on Retraction Watch, a website that tracks published troubled papers, although there are more serious concerns than those RW highlights.
Hayano has admitted (English translation here) to a miscalculation that underestimated doses to Date City residents by three times. Hayano also admits to destruction of the data on which the studies were based, claiming this "deletion" was in accordance with research protocol of the study. But Kurokawa disputes that, pointing out that data destruction is a violation of Japan's ethical guidelines on handling human data – guidelines that instruct researchers to keep the data as long as possible. This destruction of data, and failure to publish a promised third study, appear to conceal evidence that found very high internal doses of radioactivity in some residents of Date City.
The Date City glass badge experiment
The research used glass badge data from approximately 59,000 Date City residents. These badges, paid for and distributed by Date City, supposedly measured the external radioactivity that each individual was exposed to beginning about August 2011, approximately 5 months after the nuclear catastrophe began, until the summer of 2015. The mayor's office of Date City provided both the glass badge data and data on internal exposures for individual residents.
According to research protocols agreed to with FMU, Miyazaki and Hayano planned to publish three studies based on these data. The first, comparing individual external doses to survey results of airborne radiation from the Government of Japan, was published in 2016. The second, a prediction of lifetime dose and an evaluation of the effect of decontamination on doses to individuals, was published in 2017. The third study, examining the relationship between external doses and internal doses, will not be published. Instead it has been replaced by a study on a different topic.
Where things went wrong
Bad glass badge data
Perhaps the experiment was doomed from the start as the Miyazaki-Hayano studies admit some residents of Date City may not have worn the glass badges on their bodies or actually lived at the address registered for the badge. Such improper badge use would immediately compromise any conclusions reached concerning individual doses, but the researchers used the data anyway.
Mishandling and destruction of data
In addition to questionable glass badge measurements, Kurokawa contends the Miyazaki-Hayano research suffers from mishandling and destruction of data that violates ethical guidelines:
Residents (research subjects) of Date City were not informed of the content of the research prior to the research commencing, and were not given opportunity to refuse use of their data. Miyazaki, being a municipal advisor on radiation to Date City as well as a study author, should have known how to handle this properly, yet he did not.
Miyazaki and Hayano failed to note that some residents had not consented to use of their data, a fact obvious in the data supplied to them by Date City. They further failed to obtain consent from those residents prior to use of their data.
Hayano presented data before the research protocol was submitted to, and approved by, an FMU Ethics review committee.
Residents were not told of the papers once they were published, nor were they told that the Mayor's office of Date City had requested the papers be published. This presented a conflict of interest since the Date City Mayor's office had an agenda (see slides 21 & 26) of encouraging residents to increase "resilience" while living in a contaminated environment. For residents, this means consuming contaminated food and restricting decontamination efforts per Date City's new 5 mSv annual exposure limit. A few months after Date Mayor Shoji Nishida announced this "resiliency" policy, Miyazaki was hired as radiation advisor to the city.
Miyazaki and Hayano violated research protocol by replacing the third study originally agreed to, with a study that said nothing about internal versus external doses.
At the conclusion of the research, all of the data were destroyed. According to records obtained by an information request filed by Shima, Kurokawa's co-author of the Kagaku article, Hayano created an integrated database at the request of Date City, but did not share this database with the city. Therefore, when the database was destroyed, Miyazaki and Hayano knew that Date City could not replicate it or the data it contained.
Kurokawa points out that research conducted in Japan must follow the ethical guidelines based on the Declaration of Helsinki for proper protocols in handling medical and health research involving human subjects, such as valuing welfare of the research subjects over that of scientific results. FMU approved the Miyazaki-Hayano research papers under these protocols – protocols this research seriously violated by not allowing people to control use of their own data and by destroying the data after publication so that neither researchers nor the research subjects, can access it or replicate the studies.
Underestimation of dose
In addition to the mishandling of data, Kurokawa has discovered discrepancies in the values of cumulative doses in paper 2, which appear to underestimate actual doses. Hayano has, by his own admission, underestimated individual doses by three times. Professor Hayano says that he will issue a correction (corrigendum) for this dose underestimation, but has failed to completely answer the additional serious discrepancies, and the ethical violations of mishandling and destruction of data Kurokawa notes.
Why the "phantom" third study matters
The missing third study was supposed to investigate correlation between external and internal individual doses – a correlation Miyazaki and Hayano had already hypothesized would not exist. However, upon reviewing other data in Date City reports, the opposite was found: "[there was very] clear correlation between the external and internal doses…some cases with very high levels of internal exposure measurements." Kurokawa offers his own hypothesis as to why Miyazaki and Hayano never published a paper on this third research question:
The true reason for not publishing Paper 3 could be the discovery of a clear correlation between the external and internal doses with some residents showing internal exposure measurements of several thousand Bq even since 2015. Not publishing inconvenient results despite receiving the internal exposure dose data from Date City would have to be considered a violation of the Ethical Guidelines. (emphasis added)
This correlation also reveals that Date City's "resiliency" plan is not protecting its residents. Miyazaki and Hayano's unwillingness to address internal dose evidence in the Date City data also calls into question Hayano's other research on internal doses issues such as monitoring of food and whole body scans of children, the last publication of which appears to be in 2015.
Mistaken assumptions based on faulty studies
Japan's Radiation Council (JRC) on setting standards for protecting people from radiation often references this ethically and scientifically compromised research in discussions, particularly the second paper, which was the focus of Kurokawa's critical letter. Hayano's work is often mentioned by other scientists and press as indication that doses from Fukushima radiation are low, that decontamination efforts paid for by Date City funds, might not have been necessary, and that living in an environment contaminated by "low" levels of man-made radiation is acceptable.
Where was the peer-review?
For its part JRP has now determined at this time that a correction for the dose underestimation is all that is needed, while an investigation into the consent issue is conducted. JRP claims to adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki for proper protocols in handling medical and health research involving human subjects. However, data misuse and destruction should require retraction of the papers, not correction.
Kurokawa contends that underestimating 70-year lifetime doses by three times is a severe enough miscalculation that a mere correction will not suffice, implying the conclusions of the papers are now in jeopardy. Hayano is claiming, falsely, that JRP wants a rewrite of the paper. Even if JRP did want a rewrite, it is unclear how Hayano intends to accomplish this since the Date City data on which the original papers were based have been destroyed. Kurokawa states:
There is no way to rewrite a paper when the research has already completed and all the data have been destroyed. Even if Date City were to re-supply the data to FMU, it would be considered new research and a new research proposal would have to be submitted to the Ethics Review Committee at FMU. A resulting paper would no longer be a revised version, but an entirely different paper based on new research. A scientist should never conceal such information, let alone pretend as if what was requested by JRP was a rewritten paper when it was a corrigendum that was actually requested. (emphasis in original English translation)
To date, neither Miyazaki nor Hayano have responded in the customary fashion, which would be to answer Kurokawa's original letter criticizing their published research point-by-point. Kurokawa has published an analysis of Miyazaki-Hayano paper 1 in the March issue of Kagaku in Japanese, and will be publishing detailed analysis of paper 2 in April 2019.
Thanks to Yuri Hiranuma for input and review of this article and for the translations used to write it. See Yuri's blog.
March 7, 2019 | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article
Ann Arbor moves to harmonize radiation emergency planning with international best practices
The emergency planning zones for three U.S. atomic power plants (Michigan's Fermi 2 and Ohio's Davis-Besse and Perry) span an international border between the United States and Canada. Following Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, radiation protection actions were upgraded by Canadian authorities ---particularly for young children, infants and pregnant women---and unchanged by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As a result, Canadians living in potential radiation emergency zones from U.S. reactors are now better prepared than the U.S. population. That doesn't make sense.
The City of Ann Arbor, Michigan's Environmental Commission wants to harmonize radiation protection for its citizens with what Canadians are now getting for the Fermi atomic power plant. The Commission unanimously approved a resolution co-authored by Beyond Nuclear asking that the Mayor and City Council request the Washtenaw County Public Health Department, the State of Michigan and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to strategically stockpile potassium iodide tablets (KI) for the population within the city, the county and the 50-mile emergency planning zone around the Fermi-2 nuclear power station located in Monroe, MI. City officials want the public health department and nuclear regulatory authority to harmonize the protective actions for their citizens with international best practices for the same reactor site.
There is now a consensus of the professional medical community that the pre-distribution of KI is prudent. If ingested shortly after a nuclear accident, it is a safe, effective and affordable prophylactic treatment that blocks absorption of cancer-causing radioactive iodine into the thyroid gland. According to a July 2017 scientific statement published by American Thyroid Association (ATA) and its conclusion affirmed in November 2018 policy paper of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the pre-distribution of KI tablets to the population within a 50-mile radius of every nuclear power station with special attention to the youngest at greatest risk is an "essential adjunct to evacuation, sheltering and avoiding contaminated food, milk and water."
In December 2017, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Ontario Provincial Government upgraded their 2014 post-Fukushima radiological preparedness plan for populations around Canadian reactors to additionally mandate that KI be pre-distributed to Canadians within the 10-mile radius and to stockpile and make KI available upon request to Canadians residing within the overlapping 50-mile radii of three U.S. nuclear power stations (Fermi-2 in Michigan, Davis-Besse and Perry in Ohio). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission similarly reviewed the distribution of KI tablets beyond the 10-mile emergency planning zone and concluded no regulatory changes were needed.
KI is now being distributed to the Ontario city of Amherstburg and the counties of Windsor, Essex and southern Chatham for the three U.S.-based power reactors.
The city of Ann Arbor is seeking equal radiological emergency preparedness for the US-side of the Fermi 2 emergency planning zone.
The video of the December 6, 2018 Environmental Commission meeting can be viewed at > http://a2gov.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx < as a special presentation and commission discussion. The KI agenda item begins with public comments (@1:57 min. through 4:37 min. marker) and a special presentation by Beyond Nuclear, thecommission discussion and approval (@5:50 min. through 40:40 min. marker).
The City resolution will now go before the Mayor and City Council for review and the vote.
December 12, 2018 | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article
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Pharmacodynamics – the actions of drugs within the body.
Drugs enter and act within the body by binding with cell receptors, specialized fragments of proteins that instruct the cell to take or not take specific actions.
This binding process, called selectivity, limits and directs the effects of drugs. Proteins are the basic components of the body's biochemical messengers, hormones and neurotransmitters.
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Through different mechanisms hypothyroidism slows and hyperthyroidism accelerates cellular metabolism, also affecting receptor binding. Pharmacodynamics gives doctors and pharmacists the ability to assess how individuals may react to specific drugs, depending on their unique health profiles.
See also ALCOHOL INTERACTIONS WITH MEDICATIONS; BIOAVAILABILITY; CYTOCHROME P450 (CYP450) ENZYMES; HORMONE; NEURON; NEUROTRANSMITTER; PHARMACOKINETICS.


It is not a hidden fact that law companies are storming the world in terms of popularity of their services. People would love to see justice being delivered rightly and that is why law companies are popular because they do just that, Lawyers like Dan Zinman RKO are employed to do what their companies instruct them to do and that is to serve justice just the way it should be. You should know that legal services is not restricted to any class or race because everyone is entitle to their rights. You need to understand that in the market today, there are dozens of established law firms that you could get a hold of. You need to understand that when it comes to law companies, you have to find the most respected one because a lot might be of good reputation but there will always be that one company that will have nothing but the finest and most elite professionals waiting to serve.
When it comes to picking your law firm, you have to make sure that you get the most efficient one there is; efficiency makes the work better with faster results. If you want no worries with your legal matters it would be best if you take into consideration hiring the best law firm there is. Its vital for you to find the best law firm to help you with all the legal procedures that should take place in a legal battle. High quality services is what you need and that is what you will get if you hire the best law firm. You need to find a good law firm with a clear view of what is right.
It is imperative that you pick the right law firm because integrity is hard to come by these days and most of the time you don't get that from lower tier law firms. You should know that most of the people looking for law firms depend on the law firm entirely to get them a certified lawyer. Before you put all your money on a law firm make sure you check if the law firm is indeed legal because that is the only way you are going to get a certified lawyer. It is imperative that you ensure that the guidelines that you are following are indeed coming from a certified lawyer like Dan Zinman RKO. If you want to battle with legal matters you better bring an honest lawyer because it is your life that is going to be on the line and anything your lawyer does is going to reflect you directly.
If you want to pin point the best law firm then you better do a lot of research first, never go with the very first law firm you come across with because that is how you lose your case. Learn more about laws at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law.


The University of Sheffield is pleased to announce Post Graduate scholarships to UK and EU students, Applicants can apply University of Sheffield Postgraduate Scholarships 2019 before deadline at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk…..
The University of Sheffield Postgraduate scholarships is open to Post Graduation courses, Applicants from UK and EU who are pursuing courses at University of Sheffield can check all the eligibility conditions and application process given in the scholarship criteria, the University of Sheffield is pleased to offer for home students starting a taught postgraduate course in 2019.
Applicant should be Domiciled in the UK or European Union (EU) and not charged international rate fees, Applicant should meet all the eligibility conditions to apply for the scholarship, Candidate should be Studying a taught postgraduate course full-time or part-time for a maximum of four years and candidates who are not already qualified at masters level, or higher and must be self funding courses fully funded by the NHS or the Initial Teacher Training bursary, or courses that are eligible for undergraduate funding such as integrated masters are not eligible. Candidates are eligible to apply for the academic merit element of the scholarship if you achieve a first in your undergraduate degree. You may be awarded a scholarship, but this is provisional on you achieving a first, we will require an academic transcript as evidence.
All the eligible applicants can apply for scholarship through postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/apply/applying. The form has comprehensive instructions about how to complete it and pop-up help is available on each page. 2 parts will be there to complete scholarship application process, Kept all the supporting documents while applying for the scholarships.


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Operational risk management (ORM) is defined as a continual recurring process that includes risk assessment, risk decision making, and the implementation of risk controls, resulting in the acceptance, mitigation, or avoidance of risk.

ORM is the oversight of operational risk, including the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes and systems; human factors; or external events. Unlike other type of risks (market risk, credit risk, etc.) operational risk had rarely been considered strategically significant by senior management.

Four principles
The U.S. Department of Defense summarizes the principles of ORM as follows:
 Accept risk when benefits outweigh the cost.
 Accept no unnecessary risk.
 Anticipate and manage risk by planning.
 Make risk decisions in the right time at the right level.

Three levels
 In Depth In depth risk management is used before a project is implemented, when there is plenty of time to plan and prepare. Examples of in depth methods include training, drafting instructions and requirements, and acquiring personal protective equipment.
 Deliberate Deliberate risk management is used at routine periods through the implementation of a project or process. Examples include quality assurance, on-the-job training, safety briefs, performance reviews, and safety checks.
 Time Critical Time critical risk management is used during operational exercises or execution of tasks. It is defined as the effective use of all available resources by individuals, crews, and teams to safely and effectively accomplish the mission or task using risk management concepts when time and resources are limited. Examples of tools used includes execution check-lists and change management. This requires a high degree of situational awareness.

Process

The International Organization for Standardization defines the risk management process in a four-step model:
 Establish context
 Risk assessment
 Risk identification
 Risk analysis
 Risk evaluation
 Risk treatment
 Monitor and review
This process is cyclic as any changes to the situation (such as operating environment or needs of the unit) requires re-evaluation per step one.

Deliberate

The U.S. Department of Defense summarizes the deliberate level of ORM process in a five-step model:
 Identify hazards
 Assess hazards
 Make risk decisions
 Implement controls
 Supervise (and watch for changes)

Time critical
The U.S. Navy summarizes the time-critical risk management process in a four-step model:

 1. Assess the situation.
The three conditions of the Assess step are task loading, additive conditions, and human factors.
 Task loading refers to the negative effect of increased tasking on performance of the tasks.
 Additive factors refers to having a situational awareness of the cumulative effect of variables (conditions, etc.).
 Human factors refers to the limitations of the ability of the human body and mind to adapt to the work environment (e.g. stress, fatigue, impairment, lapses of attention, confusion, and willful violations of regulations).
 2. Balance your resources.
This refers to balancing resources in three different ways:
 Balancing resources and options available. This means evaluating and leveraging all the informational, labor, equipment, and material resources available.
 Balancing Resources versus hazards. This means estimating how well prepared you are to safely accomplish a task and making a judgement call.
 Balancing individual versus team effort. This means observing individual risk warning signs. It also means observing how well the team is communicating, knows the roles that each member is supposed to play, and the stress level and participation level of each team member.
 3. Communicate risks and intentions.
 Communicate hazards and intentions.
 Communicate to the right people.
 Use the right communication style. Asking questions is a technique to opening the lines of communication. A direct and forceful style of communication gets a specific result from a specific situation.
 4. Do and debrief. (Take action and monitor for change.)
This is accomplished in three different phases:
 Mission Completion is a point where the exercise can be evaluated and reviewed in full.
 Execute and Gauge Risk involves managing change and risk while an exercise is in progress.
 Future Performance Improvements refers to preparing a "lessons learned" for the next team that plans or executes a task.

Benefits
 Reduction of operational loss.
 Lower compliance/auditing costs.
 Early detection of unlawful activities.
 Reduced exposure to future risks.

Chief Operational Risk Officer
The role of the Chief Operational Risk Officer (CORO) continues to evolve and gain importance. In addition to being responsible for setting up a robust Operational Risk Management function at companies, the role also plays an important part in increasing awareness of the benefits of sound operational risk management.

Most complex financial institutions have a Chief Operational Risk Officer. The position is also required for Banks that fall into the Basel II Advanced Measurement Approach "mandatory" category.

Software
The impact of the Enron failure and the implementation of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act has caused several software development companies to create enterprise-wide software packages to manage risk. These software systems allow the financial audit to be executed at lower cost.

Forrester Research has identified 115 Governance, Risk and Compliance vendors that cover operational risk management projects. Active Agenda is an open source project dedicated to operational risk management.

See also
 Basel II
 Benefit risk
 Cost risk
 Data governance
 Fuel price risk management
 Key risk indicator (KRI)
 Operational risk
 Optimism bias
 Risk
 Risk management
 Risk management tools
 Solvency II
 Tactical Risk Management
 Three lines of defence

References

General
 OPNAVINST 3500.39C OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM)
 MARINE CORPS ORDER 3500.27B OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM)

Cited

External links
 The Institute of Operational Risk The institute provides professional recognition and enables members to maintain competency in the discipline of operational risk.
 Operational Risk Institute An association of operational risk training professionals that renders key training on Op Risk related subjects including Business Continuity.
 Operational Risk Management Software 5 Essential features must incorporate in ORM Software to avoid risks.
 Operational Risk Management of U.S. Insurers How well do you understand operational Risk Management.

Operational risk
Risk management in business

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Senior Living in BOX ELDER County, UT
BOX ELDER County Assisted Living
Assisted Living Facilities in BOX ELDER County, UT
Here are the best assisted senior living communities in BOX ELDER County, Utah. These residential care communities include all types of senior care, including BOX ELDER County assisted living, senior living and assisted elderly housing. Browse through a list of all BOX ELDER County senior living facilities and communities below:
Pioneer Care Center
While trying to find assisted living residences in Brigham City, Utah, you may want to keep in mind Pioneer Care Center, located at 815 South 200 West in the 84302 zip code in Box Elder County. Pioneer Care Center is the perfect senior living community for seniors who would like to have upscale amenities at a reasonable price. Some of the amenities and services offered by Pioneer Care Center include everyday exercise programs, facility-wide wifi and staff dietitian. Pioneer Care Center is able to house a total of 72 seniors who reside in Box Elder County.
Willow Glen Health And Rehab
Willow Glen Health And Rehab is an assisted senior living community in Box Elder County, Utah that is perfect for retired adults who require help with their everyday lives. Willow Glen Health And Rehab is located at 775 North 200 East in Brigham City, Utah and offers help with showering and taking a bath, dressing, walking, personal hygiene and using the bathroom. This assisted senior living facility provides features that include medication coordination, walking grounds, moving help and more.
Mission At Bear River Rehabilitation Center
Mission At Bear River Rehabilitation Center is a pet-friendly senior assisted living home in Tremonton, Utah inside Box Elder County. It has a total of 38 assisted living apartments for senior citizens who live in Tremonton and nearby areas. Mission At Bear River Rehabilitation Center is located at 460 West 600 North, inside the 84337 zip code and makes a wonderful senior care community for senior citizens who are trying to find amenities such as help with prescription management, walking paths and bingo. Mission At Bear River Rehabilitation Center offers a total of 38 senior living residences.
Maple Springs
Located at 1040 South Medical Drive, in the 84302 zip code area of Box Elder county, Maple Springs provides senior assisted living in Brigham City, UT to elderly adults who are trying to find an affordable senior living community that takes Medicare and Medicaid. Maple Springs includes amenities like grooming and hair services, movies nights, incontinence care and more. Maple Springs can accommodate up to 36 elderly adults who live in the Box Elder county area.
Country Lane Acquisition Ii
Country Lane Acquisition Ii is a senior assisted living home in Brigham City, Utah, located at 985 South 800 West, 84302 zip code area. A total of 15 senior citizens who want a senior living community in Box Elder County can live in Country Lane Acquisition Ii. It includes features like laundry, routine health assessments, as well as assistance relocating. Country Lane Acquisition Ii offers several levels of senior living that include independent living, assisted living section and dementia and memory care.
Country Lane Acquisition I
Country Lane Acquisition I offers seniors senior assisted living residences in Box Elder county, Utah. With a capacity of 12 1 bedroom and studio suites, Country Lane Acquisition I will be one of your top choices when it comes to senior living in Brigham City. This senior living residence, located at 971 South 800 West in the 84302 zip code area of Brigham City, Utah offers amenities like tasty meals, therapy sections and experienced staff.
Gables Of Brigham City
When retired adults are searching for assisted senior living in Brigham City, Utah that offer chaplain services, they should consider Gables Of Brigham City located in Box Elder county in the 84302 zip code area. Gables Of Brigham City excels at providing full range of senior living and includes amenities like housekeeping services, birthday celebrations and toileting. Its total capacity is 30 assisted and independent living suites.
Beehive Homes Of Perry
Beehive Homes Of Perry is a senior assisted living home in Perry, Utah that allows seniors to stay with pets. Beehive Homes Of Perry is located at 126 West 1550 South in 84302 zip code and allows elderly adults who are looking for senior living apartments in Box Elder county to receive services and amenities like maintenance of apartments, health center and incontinence care. Beehive Homes Of Perry provides a total of 20 assisted living units.
Our House Of Tremonton
Our House Of Tremonton is a upscale assisted living residence in Box Elder, Utah. Situated at 429 North 400 West in Tremonton, Utah, it enables older adults who are looking for retirement living to receive amenities like everyday exercise programs, area for therapy and emergency call systems. Our House Of Tremonton can provide senior care and living to up to 18 older adults living in Box Elder.
Additional assisted living options in Utah
Assisted Living in SALT LAKE County, UT
Assisted Living in UTAH County, UT
Assisted Living in DAVIS County, UT
Assisted Living in WASHINGTON County, UT
Assisted Living in WEBER County, UT
Assisted Living in CACHE County, UT
Assisted Living in IRON County, UT
Assisted Living in SEVIER County, UT
Assisted Living in UINTAH County, UT
Assisted Living in CARBON County, UT
Additional senior living options in Box Elder County, UT:
Sometimes, a secured environment may be the best option for Box Elder County seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's. In this case, memory care facilities in Box Elder County, UT will the best care option.
Get costs and availability for all senior living facilities and communities in Box Elder County
Best Senior Living Facilities in BOX ELDER County, UT. Full list of all senior assisted living communities in BOX ELDER County, UT for 2022.

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Home » How a La. manufacturer cut workplace injuries by nearly 80 percent
How a La. manufacturer cut workplace injuries by nearly 80 percent
KEYWORDS injury prevention / manufacturing safety / occupational injuries / workplace hazards / workplace safety
A manufacturer of storage tanks and pressure vessels for the petrochemical, paper, and energy industries sharply reduced its recordable injury rate after reaching out to OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program to help it identify and reduce workplace hazards.
James Machine Works, LLC (JMW), which has been family owned for three generations, has grown from three to 160 employees since it was founded in 1927. Services offered by the company include design, procurement, fabrication, transportation, and erection/installation and repair of the tanks and vessels it makes. It has a 120,000 sq. ft. fabrication plant in Monroe, Louisiana, in-house quality control department and safety department, in-house engineering and design, mobile cranes and equipment, and 10 field crews.
A high hazard industry
Working in this high hazard industry, a JMW worker's typical tasks involves cutting, forming, and joining heavy gauge metal to manufacture tanks.
"As a company, we realized that we needed to improve our safety culture, gear it toward a personal safety responsibility culture, and improve training," said Robert (Butch) Mason, JMW Safety Director. "We also wanted to get an outside view of our safety program and improve. Improving the company's workplace safety and health posture would enable us to be more competitive in bidding projects."
In 2014, JMW management contacted the Louisiana OSHA Consultation Program, a unit of the Office of Workers' Compensation Administration of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which helps businesses meet the Federal OSHA health and safety regulations.
Hazards noted during the consultant's walk-around included insufficient or missing machine guarding and problems with electrical systems, such as an unlabeled switch in an electric panel and a missing electrical box cover.
Beyond abatement
The company corrected all of the hazards that the consultant found and continued to work with the Louisiana consultants to improve its workplace safety processes and polices. To get JMW employees more involved in their own safety, an Employee Safety Council was established. This council includes people from all levels of the organization. The full-time Safety Department developed a comprehensive safety program that includes intensive employee training, open communication, and individual accountability. Worker safety and health needs at all levels of the organization were evaluated and addressed, ranging from getting worker buy in, to developing or updating policies and procedures, training and education, preventive maintenance, and to housekeeping/safety audits. Today, corrective action/preventive action processes, near accident reporting mechanisms, job hazard analyses, and refresher training are just some of the tools that routinely contribute to the company's safety culture.
JMW says the workplace safety efforts resulted in increased employee involvement, better training, and improved safety culture and that both workers and managers have learned to recognize hazards and implement cost-effective abatements.
"It has allowed us to build a valuable working relationship, and we are able to ask questions and receive suggestions from the Louisiana consultants," explained Mason.
Over the course of four years, JMW's rate of recordable injuries dropped by nearly 80 percent – seven times lower than the average injury rate for this high-hazard industry. Because of these efforts, JMS has been designated a Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program participant.
"Each day, we live the JMW safety motto: Safety Begins with Me!," said Mason.
December 31, 2014, JMW was initially designated a Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program(SHARP) participant by OSHA. The company's renewal application to continue participating in this program was approved January 6, 2016. SHARP recognizes small business employers who have used OSHA On-Site Consultation Program services and operate an exemplary injury and illness prevention program. Acceptance of worksites into SHARP from OSHA is an achievement of status that distinguishes a company amongst its business peers as a model for workplace safety and health.
About OSHA programs
To be accepted into SHARP, a company's injuries and illnesses rates must be below the national average for their industry. The following table compares JMW's Total Recordable Case (TRC) and Days Away from Work, Job Transfer and Restriction (DART) rates with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported industry averages for NACIS Code 33242 from 2012 through 2016:
OSHA's completely voluntary On-Site Consultation Program services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. This program offers free, confidential safety and health advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country and several territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs.
How one company cut work-related accidents by 60 percent in two years
Gloves lower the odds of a hand injury by 60-70 percent


Some time ago a generous Australian donor gave me $5000 AUD to help build another classroom block at the main primary school in my village. Whilst waiting for more funds to come in so that the work could commence, another donor from Australia gave me the full amount estimated to finish the work, $13500 AUD. A couple of months before, I'd obtained a quote from the local building materials merchant to supply everything and he gave me a figure of $9500. I also had a quote from a builder of $3500 for the construction. I approached the building materials merchant two months later to sign a contract, when I had enough money, but he'd changed his mind. He wanted to engage his own builder, and wanted $20000 to supply materials and construct. This was much more than I was prepared to pay, and having just finished some extensions on my own house, I knew he was taking advantage of me. So Sreyda and I decided do the buying ourselves and she'd do all the organising. She is quite good at it, she managed the building of our house and the extensions. The original $5000 AUD I was given has now been used to commence work on another two classrooms at the Jesus School, Phnom Penh.
The school was finished and handed over in February 2014. It ended up costing around the same as the building materials merchant estimated but I know it was built stronger than he would have done it. There was probably too much cement and steel went into it but it will last a long time.


ber'-i-tus, be-ri'-tus (Berutos; Arabic: modern Beirut, Beyrout, Beyrouth): An ancient Phoenician city situated on the North side of a promontory jutting out from the base of Lebanon to the West into the Mediterranean and forming a bay on the North connected with the fable of George and the Dragon, and hence called George's Bay. The city is about 25 miles North of Sidon and about 12 South of the famous Lycus or Dog River, at the mouth of which are found the sculptured rocks bearing the monuments of the ancient kings of Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria.
The city has been thought by some to be the Berothai of 2 Sam 8:8 or the Berothah of Ezek 47:16, but the connection in which these cities are mentioned seems to preclude the identification. The town is, however, an ancient one, for it occurs in Tell el-Amarna Letters as Beruti where it is closely connected with Gebal of which it may have been a dependency.
Though not mentioned in Old Testament or New Testament it appears in the history of Herod the Great as an important town where was assembled a court of 150 judges, presided over by Saturninus, a former Roman consul, to try the case which Herod brought against his two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, who were condemned there by the Roman court (Ant., XVI, xi, 2). Beirut was a Roman colony at this time where many veterans settled and it afterward became the seat of a great Roman law school which was attended, in the days of Justinian, by thousands of students. It was utterly destroyed by an earthquake in 551 AD, and for a time was abandoned. Many remains of temples and public buildings of the Roman period remain. It rose to some importance during the Crusades and is at present the chief seaport of Syria, and has the only harbor on the coast. It is a town of about 125,000 inhabitants.
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Definition for 'BERYTUS'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". bible-history.com - ISBE; 1915.


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« Charles the Bard | Main | Another few months of "harsh" scrutiny, and the nomination is Trump's »
For damn sure, "A Time To Pray"
From the NYT's "You Can't Make This Shit Up" section:
Pray for Ted Cruz.
That appears to be among the chief tasks to be undertaken by the Cruz campaign's "national prayer team," a group announced on Thursday and scheduled to begin its work next month.
Mr. Cruz, who has aggressively courted the support of evangelicals, said the creation of the team would "establish a direct line of communication between our campaign and the thousands of Americans who are lifting us up before the Lord."
Group members will receive emails containing prayer requests and a short devotional every week, the campaign said. They will also be invited to take part in a 20-minute "prayer conference call" each Tuesday.
I joined. I signed up under the name of Cornelius Drake, which I have always thought had a certain pious, swashbuckling tone to it. Within seconds I heard from Ted himself, via email: My "great commitment to this campaign and our great nation means the world to Heidi and me." I was touched, greatly.
You too can join — and then be touched — right here.


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Author: Tiggy Grillo/Monday, 26 October 2009/Categories: Zoonoses, emerging diseases, human/public health, General
Evolution of a transdisciplinary "One Medicine-One Health" approach to global health education at the University of California, Davis Conrad, P.A., et al., (2009) Evolution of a transdisciplinary "One Medicine-One Health" approach to global health education at the University of California, Davis [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract: "In today's world health events in one nation or geographic area often have repercussions for the health and well-being of populations beyond that region; sometimes even globally. In recent years many factors, most notably concern about emerging infectious diseases, have contributed to an increasing appreciation of the interdependency of human, animal and ecosystem health worldwide. Integrated global approaches to improve the health of humans, animals and their shared environments are proving to be in the best interest of many countries. ……………………This paper discusses the evolution of the "One Medicine" concept into a global "One Health" approach to research, tra
Number of views (2497)/Comments (0)


"Even with oil and gas prices two years into a downturn, there is a growing number of young and ambitious professionals in San Antonio who are positioning themselves to advance in the industry when the market returns.
And an organization geared toward that crowd is stepping up its game to help lead them there.
The San Antonio chapter of Young Professionals in Energy — once a group whose members merely met for happy hour — is now looking to have a bigger impact on the development of the industry's rising leaders.


The amazing bond between a severely disabled six-year-old boy and his Thai rescue dog was recognised last Sundy at the world's most famous dog show, Crufts. "Miracle", rescued from Thailand's illegal dog meat trade and adopted by the Leask family in Strathglass, Scotland, beat nearly 200 other dogs to win the prestigious Crufts Eukanuba Friends for Life award.
Yet just two years ago, things looked very different for the Thai crossbreed. Miracle was snatched from the streets of northeast Thailand, and loaded onto a truck with hundreds and hundreds of other stolen dogs, all destined for the dog meat restaurants of Hanoi.
Luckily for Miracle, the truck carrying him to what would have been a slow and agonisingly painful death was intercepted by agents working for the Phuket-based Thai animal welfare charity Soi Dog Foundation, who've been fighting the illegal trade for the past four years. The dogs were taken to a purpose-built shelter in northeast Thailand, and adopters were sought.
Amanda Leask spotted Miracle's photo shortly after he'd been rescued on a Soi Dog Facebook post. Devastated by his plight and the hopelessness of his situation, she enquired about adopting him. Already an owner of three rescue dogs from Soi Dog, Amanda very soon had her fourth.
Amanda's son Kyle, 6, was born with cerebral palsy, and later diagnosed with autism. It is incredibly difficult for him to communicate with his family. Leask decided to adopt some small dogs to be company for him, having heard that autistic people can develop extremely close relationships with dogs. Miracle is the latest of them, but it's Kyle and Miracle who have developed a remarkably close bond, where there appears to be a complete unspoken mutual understanding.
"They've both faced so much hardship in their lives, it's like there's an unspoken language between them. When Kyle gets upset because he can't convey what he wants to, Miracle will go and lay at his side for Kyle to touch and stroke. Miracle seems to automatically know when Kyle needs him", Leask said.
"If Kyle simply wants some attention, Miracle will go over and shower him with kisses. And it works the other way too. Kids can build up confidence in dogs where they seek solace, and Miracle gets this in abundance from Kyle".
The unique bond between man and dog is still yet to be explained fully. But Leask knows how much it has helped Kyle. "He seems so much happier in the presence of Miracle. It's like they're soul mates."
Miracle won 1,500 pounds (Bt72,000) for his Crufts award, and Amanda will share the money between Soi Dog Foundation and the Autistic Society.
geir, Changone and jackal like this.


Smal ceramic vase, Oxyrhynchus, El Minya, Upper Egypt, Africa.
In 1827, the same year the Australian Museum (then Colonial Museum) was established, two pioneers of Egyptology, Jean-François Champollion (1790-1832) and Ippolito Rosellini (1800-1843), planned in Paris their expedition to Egypt. The Italian Rosellini is now not widely known but Champollion had decoded, five years earlier, ancient hieroglyphs - a milestone in studies of ancient Egypt.
It was not long after, in 1833, that the obelisk from Luxor - Cleopatra's needle - was transported to France and erected in the centre of the Place de la Concorde, a testimony to growing fascination with ancient Egypt. Sydney's own Egyptian-style obelisk (not from Egypt) was erected in 1857, as a street decorum - a sewer vent (!) in Elizabeth Street on the edge of Hyde Park.
This fascination with ancient Egypt sparked a desire of Australian cultural institutions - museums, galleries, universities - and private collectors to acquire works of art and artefacts from the revered ancestor. From the1880s a number of museums in Australia subscribed to the Egypt Exploration Fund - the 'White Australia' sentiment did not prevent us from admiring black and coloured African kings and queens.
BC (or BCE) - means Before Common Era, and indicates the years counted back from the first year of the Western Calendar. For example, in 30 BC Rome conquered Egypt and Cleopatra took her own life.


Located on the prime corner of Queen and Chestnut Streets in Lancaster City, The Imperial is steeped in a rich historical past. Since 1812, ordinary people and even several US presidents have graced this very corner, a platform for discussions and change. Today, the restaurant founders and staff take pride in bringing you the history of this storied location infused with the fantastic modern food and flavors. Join them for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner in the newly remodeled, locally branded and inspired 6,000 square foot restaurant or call ahead for take out. Their skilled chefs create colorful, culinary masterpieces that are delightful for the eyes as well as the palate.


AMRG & AssociatesNSE 0.83 % Partner Rajat Mohan said tax officers have started using the pile of GSTN data retrieved through return filings and e-way bill mechanics to carve out a summary reconciliation statement of estimated tax liability, compelling businesses to justify the outward tax liabilities in a comprehensive manner.
Also, businesses whose GSTR-1 did not match with GSTR-2A, which is a purchase return auto-generated by system from the seller's return, have been flagged by GSTN systems.
Based on this, last year tax officers sent scrutiny notices to taxpayers seeking explanation for the reason for the discrepancies .


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100-plus people arrested in Capitol riot, AP count finds
by: The Associated Press, Nexstar Media Wire
Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The number of people arrested on criminal charges related to last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol has exceeded 100.
The count by The Associated Press resulted from a nationwide review of court records and announcements of arrests issued by law enforcement agencies.
The charges range from misdemeanor curfew violations in the District of Columbia to federal felonies related to the assault of law enforcement officers, theft of government property and possessing firearms and explosives.
Man who wore 'Camp Auschwitz' sweatshirt at Capitol riot arrested
Federal prosecutors and the FBI said this week they are pursuing dozens more suspects who have been identified through photos and videos from the Jan. 6 melee and tips from the public.
Those newly arrested Wednesday include 56-year-old Robert Keith Packer, of Newport News, Virginia.
His mugshot appears to match the bearded man photographed at the Capitol wearing a hoodie emblazoned with "Camp Auschwitz" and the phrase "Work Brings Freedom," a translation of the German phrase from the gates of the Nazi concentration camp where more than 1.1 million Jews and others were murdered during World War II.
More Chaos at the Capitol Stories
by Nexstar, Jaclyn Ramkissoon, Anna Wiernicki / Jan 16, 2021
WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — In just a few days Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Heightened security measures have been put into place after the deadly riot last week.
Thousands of armed National Guard troops are already posted up, lining the streets around the Capitol. Army General Daniel Hokanson says more are on the way.


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Rechtbank, een gerechtelijke instantie;
 Gerecht (bestuursvorm), een historische bestuursvorm;
 Gerecht (voedsel), een maaltijd of onderdeel daarvan;
 Gerecht (Leiden), een pleintje in Leiden;
 Gerecht (Europese Unie), rechtbank die deel uitmaakt van het Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie.


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from . import infos, parts, util
from .velocityprofile import VelocityProfile

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Women's empowerment is a crucial part of healthy societies. Many Fellows are working to support and protect vulnerable women through projects to combat gender-based violence, enhance maternal health, and provide educational and employment opportunties.
Shantel Marekera is launching Little Dreamers Foundation in Harare, Zimbabwe to open a subsidized pre-school in Glen View 8 for low-income young girls whose guardians cannot afford to send them to local pre-schools. This gives young girls access to education despite their parents' economic status and helps them discover their potential at a tender age.


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La chiesa di San Martino vescovo è un luogo di culto cattolico dalle forme barocche e neoclassiche situato a San Martino, frazione di Valmozzola in provincia di Parma e diocesi di Piacenza-Bobbio.

Storia
Il luogo di culto originario fu edificato in epoca medievale; la più antica testimonianza della sua esistenza, quale cappella dipendente dalla pieve di Gusaliggio, risale al 1352.

Nel XVII secolo fu edificato il campanile, sopraelevato nel corso del secolo successivo.

Nel 1852 la facciata fu interessata da alcuni lavori, che riguardarono il portale e forse l'intero prospetto neoclassico.

Descrizione

La chiesa si sviluppa su una pianta a navata unica affiancata da tre cappelle per lato, con ingresso a est e presbiterio absidato a ovest.

La simmetrica facciata a capanna, interamente intonacata, è scandita verticalmente in tre parti da quattro lesene d'ordine gigante; al centro è collocato l'ampio portale d'ingresso, delimitato da una cornice in pietra; più in alto si apre un rosone strombato; in sommità si staglia il frontone triangolare di coronamento.

Dal fianco destro aggetta il più basso volume in pietra della sala parrocchiale, mentre sul lato opposto si erge il campanile, accessibile attraverso un portale coronato da una finestra fortemente strombata; la cella campanaria si affaccia sulle quattro fronti attraverso ampie monofore ad arco a tutto sesto, delimitate da lesene.

Sul retro l'abside in pietra, illuminata da due alte e sottili monofore laterali e da un oculo centrale, si sviluppa su una pianta poligonale.

All'interno la navata, coperta da tre volte a crociera decorate con affreschi a motivi floreali, è scandita da una serie di lesene coronate da capitelli dorici, a sostegno del cornicione perimetrale modanato; sui fianchi si aprono attraverso ampie arcate a tutto sesto le cappelle laterali, chiuse superiormente da volte a botte dipinte.

Il presbiterio, lievemente sopraelevato, è preceduto dall'arco trionfale a tutto sesto, retto da pilastri; l'ambiente, coperto da una volta a botte lunettata dipinta, ospita l'altare maggiore a mensa in marmo bianco, retto da colonnine in marmo rosso di Verona; sul fondo l'abside a pianta poligonale è chiusa superiormente dal catino con spicchi a vela lunettati, decorati con affreschi rappresentanti varie figure di angeli e i Quattro evangelisti.

Note

Voci correlate
 Valmozzola
 Diocesi di Piacenza-Bobbio
 Parrocchie della diocesi di Piacenza-Bobbio

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Martino
Architetture barocche della provincia di Parma
Architetture neoclassiche della provincia di Parma
Valmozzola
Martino


text:
Grand National Night is a 1953 British thriller film brought to the screen by George Minter, produced by Phil C. Samuel, and based on a play of the same title written by Campbell and Dorothy Christie. It was directed by Bob McNaught and starred Nigel Patrick, Moira Lister and Beatrice Campbell (Patrick's wife) with support from Michael Hordern, Noel Purcell and a cameo role from Colin Gordon.

The film was shot at Walton Studios near London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Frederick Pusey. Cinematography was by Jack Asher.

Previous to this film version Grand National Night had been presented as a BBC Radio serial as well as the original stage play, which was produced in 1945 and 1946. The cast of the original play was headed by Leslie Banks as Gerald Coates.

Plot
Racehorse trainer Gerald Coates argues with his alcoholic wife Babs on the evening after his horse has won the Grand National. She attacks him with a knife and there is a struggle with the knife. As a result she becomes fatally wounded. He drives her to Liverpool to try and get her medical attention, but he discovers that she had died and leaves her in the car which belongs to a friend of hers. He takes a train home and waits for a police investigation.

Cast
Nigel Patrick as Gerald Coates
Moira Lister as Babs Coates
Beatrice Campbell as Joyce Penrose
Betty Ann Davies as Pinkie Collins
Michael Hordern as Inspector Ayling
Noel Purcell as Philip Balfour
Leslie Mitchell as Jack Donovan
Barry MacKay as Sergeant Gibson
Colin Gordon as Buns Darling
Gibb McLaughlin as Morton
Richard Grayden as Chandler
May Hallatt as Hoskyns
George Sequira as George
Ernest Jay as railway official
Russell Waters as plainclothes detective
George Rose as plainclothes detective
Arthur Howard as Hotel Manager
Edward Evans as garage attendant

Reception
David Parkinson of Radio Times gave the film 3 stars out of 5.

Notes

External links

1950s thriller films
British thriller films
British films based on plays
Films shot at Nettlefold Studios
Allied Artists films
Films set in England
British horse racing films
1950s English-language films
1950s British films