text:
November 19, 2021 November 19, 2021 by SGAdminFCR
Three Ways Startups Can Identify the Moments that Matter
The crucial periods within the customer journey when consumers want to hear from brands are known as moments that matter. Being able to identify those moments is an essential undertaking for the success of any startup. Brands that anticipate and recognize when those moments occur and plan how to respond stand to benefit the most in terms of customer loyalty, referrals, and bottom-line success.
Even among established companies, a constant focus is essential to identify moments that matter. Different moments matter to each customer, and they may vary and change throughout a customer's relationship with a brand. Data, technology, and the human touch are fundamental components of a continuing effort to provide the best possible customer experiences.
For startups, which are newly established businesses, and hypergrowth companies, which are established businesses growing at an unusual pace, experts say it is crucial to identify those moments that matter from the beginning. New and hypergrowth companies have many priorities to juggle. To some businesses, focusing on moments that matter may just seem like another task to add to their ever-expanding "to do" list. But they are learning how to identify and take advantage of these critical moments that can set younger companies up for long-term success.
1. Get to the root of the matter
The underlying element in identifying—and taking advantage of—moments that matter, experts say, is understanding and viewing them from the prism of the consumer. Gathering customer feedback should be a priority, says Tim Parkin, president of Orlando, Fla.-based Parkin Consulting. He says this activity should be done through data and analytics, but also the old-fashioned way: by surveying customers for what they think.
"Consumers love to tell you what matters to them, all you have to do is ask," says Parkin, an advisor to national brands and fast-growing startups on customer acquisition and retention. "I'm constantly surprised at the volume and depth of the insights we receive from consumer surveys and customer interviews. If you're not running surveys or interviews at least twice a year, then you're missing out on crucial insights to identify and capitalize on what matters most to your audience."
He says that asking open-ended questions can result in information that is difficult to understand, so the best insights typically come from real-time interviews with an opportunity to ask follow-up questions. This allows you to dig deeper and gain clarity on consumer responses.
Gathering feedback in real-time has been a critical part of the business strategy at oMelhorTrato.com, a hypergrowth company based in Argentina that has grown to more than 21 million users in nine years since it was founded and continues to expand. The business has an online tool that allows users to compare various financial products, from credit cards to investment funds and even car insurance. The company was founded in 2010 and has since grown to 134 employees. It now has users in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia.
According to Cristian Rennella, Vice President of Customer Experience, a driving force of its success has been holding in-person meetings with site users. The company hosts a dinner for three of its customers once a week. Attendees are invited and chosen from the 20 percent of customers who use the site the most.
"In this unique meeting space, we share with them how our company was born, why we do what we do, and what the long-term mission is," he says. "Then each client tells their experience with our tool and, finally, their recommendations. It is impossible to achieve this level of detail and depth with a survey by email or telephone. That is why this personal meeting is so important for a hypergrowth startup. It generates a space and time for the client to reflect and share their needs."
The brainstorming that occurs at the dinners benefits the company, Rennella says. Ideas born out of these meetings, including ways to make the product more user-friendly, lay the foundations for the following months of work at the company. Since hosting the dinners, the feedback has spurred oMelhorTrato.com to develop improvements that helped it grow 41 percent.
"We tried six different ways to manage customer feedback, but only one generated excellent results: creating a unique meeting space," Rennella says.
2. Be (customer) data-savvy
Arranging in-person meetings with customers may not be feasible for many brands. But data—when used wisely—can give companies clear indications about moments that matter in their customers' journeys. "Data is everything, and if you accrue enough information to determine exactly when customers will be most in need, you can capitalize on that opportune moment," says Kashif Naqshbandi, Chief Marketing Officer at Frank Recruitment Group, a global niche technology recruiting company based in the U.K.
Repeat business offers an excellent window into the consumer mindset, Naqshbandi says. Data from repeat customers and the rest of a customer base can show how long the average buying cycle is and at what points consumers will be most receptive to brands' sales and marketing efforts, he adds. "Identify buying signals and record all relevant interactions and sentiments that can help build a comprehensive profile of a customer," he says, noting many modern customer relationship management tools are designed to process data from all customer channels—phone calls, emails, social media, and more. "You can even utilize marketing automation to track virtually every activity across your website and marketing output."
It is a win-win for both consumers and brands alike to understand the consumer's habits and motivations. Studies also show that consumers are willing to share their data with businesses to provide a better customer experience.
According to the 2018 Personalization Pulse Check, a study surveyed 8,000 consumers worldwide, 83 percent of consumers will share their data with brands if they feel it will give them a more personalized experience. Additionally, 91 percent said they are more likely to shop with brands that recognize them, remember them, and provide relevant offers and recommendations.
"Building strong customer profiles ensures you waste no time and effort on marketing to a cold lead. It also makes for a better customer experience, as they'll only be approached at a suitable and relevant time for them, which reduces unnecessary pain points," says Naqshbandi. "Focus on using customer insights and data to streamline your marketing activity; quality over quantity. Invest more energy into identifying the opportune time to strike, rather than throwing a lot of shots and seeing if any of them land."
When gathering insights from habits and patterns, it's essential to take a comprehensive look at the customers—from prospective ones to those highly engaged with a brand—according to Adam Tishman, CEO and co-founder of Helix, a direct-to-consumer startup that sells mattresses, pillows, and bedding.
"Understanding the purchase funnel for your product is paramount to continuing to fuel-efficient growth for any startup, and specifically identifying the key moments when customers are primed to engage with your brand," he says.
His startup keeps a close eye on various subsets of its customer base to see what moments matter and to whom, he says.
"On the prospective customer side, it's all about tracking and understanding key life moments that predicate mattress purchases, such as moving. We do this through look-alike modeling in our paid social channels as well as direct mail," Tishman says. "On the lead customer side, we can get a lot more granular by tracking on-site behavior, which lets us understand the difference between leads that are just browsing versus leads that are ready to pull the trigger."
3. Embrace social listening
Parkin says that brands trying to get a complete picture of how consumers think and feel should not overlook the importance of social media. Social media listening tools that allow companies to take in every comment, post, and video about their brand—and their competitors—can be precious.
"If you really want to know what drives behavior, listen to what consumers in your industry are saying on social media," Parkin says. "These communications are filled with insights and stories that explain how consumers think and what drives them to action. Collecting and analyzing this information will reveal the key segments of consumers, as well as their mindsets and behavioral triggers."
Penetrating the "inner circles" where a brands' ideal customers congregate, such as Facebook groups or forums, allows companies to understand better their customers' perceptions, values, and desires. And while technology can provide great insights into consumer behavior, brands should also tap into their human resources, specifically their customer support workforce.
"Customer support representatives are a goldmine of information about what triggers positive and negative responses from customers," he says.
Companies should examine cases of customers who have experienced a change in their relationship with a brand to find out exactly what happened and why. "These are prime case studies for the moments that matter most in the customer experience. In addition, many customers share unsolicited positive feedback and praise, which can also provide signposts to the key moments in the customer journey," Parkin says.
Parkin suggests that customer experience employees should meet with customer support workers on at least a quarterly basis to probe and understand. Parkin also recommended a way to get first-hand customer insights is for company employees to shop their brand or employ mystery shoppers.
"Shop your competitors first to create a baseline of expectations and compare with your experience [shopping with your brand]," Parkin says. "This is the fastest and easiest way to put yourself in the shoes of potential customers and get a real sense of their true experience as well as the lackluster moments in your customer journey."
This article originally appeared in TTEC's Customer Strategist Journal.
Click here to learn more and to subscribe
CX Insights For Startups, By Startups
Online Furniture Business Focused on CX Creates Industry Change


text:
Majles
Arabic term for "assembly"; used in Iran to describe the parliament.
Guardian Council
A committee created in the Iranian constitution to oversee the Majles (the parliament).
Persian word for the Persian language. Fars is a province in Central Iran.
Shi'ism
A branch of Islam. It literally means the followers or partisans of Ali. The other branch is known as Sunni, or the followers of tradition.
The Muslim Bible.
Shari'a
Islamic law derived mostly from the Qur'an and the examples set by the Prophet Muhammad.
A forceful, extra-constitutional action resulting in the removal of an existing government.
An urban marketplace where shops, workshops, small businesses, and export-importers are located.
A term recently popularized to describe radical religious movements throughout the world.
Jurist's Guardianship
Shia term, velayat-e-faqih. Khomeini's concept that the Iranian clergy should rule on the grounds that they are the divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people. He developed this concept in the 1970s.
Hezbollahis
Literally "partisans of God." In Iran, the term is used to describe religious vigilantes. In Lebanon, it is used to describe the Shi'i militia.
Hojjat Al-Islam
Literally, the "proof of Islam." In Iran, it means a medium-ranking cleric.
The doctrine that government should not interfere with commerce. Relative to other advanced democracies, the US has traditionally taken a more laissez faire attitude toward economic regulation, although regulation increased in the twentieth century.
Literally "struggle." Although often used to mean armed struggle against unbelievers, it can also mean spiritual struggle for more self-improvement.
Rentier State
A country that obtains much of its revenue from the export of oil or other natural resources.
Dual Society
A society and economy that are sharply divided into a traditional, usually poorer, and a modern, usually richer, sector.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Founded in 1960 by Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia, it now includes most oil-exporting states with the notable exceptions of Mexico and former members of the Soviet Union. It tries to regulate prices by regulating production.
Expediency Council
A committee set up in Iran to resolve differences between the Majles and the Guardian Council.
Imam Jum'ehs
Prayer leaders in Iran's main urban mosques. Appointed by the Supreme Leader, they have considerable authority in the provinces.
Assembly of Experts
Nominates the and can replace him. The assembly is elected by the general electorate but almost all its members are clerics.
Maslahat
Arabic term of "expediency," "prudence," or "advisability." It is now used in Iran to refer to reasons of state or what is best for the Islamic Republic.
Belief that religion and government should be separated.
System of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster.
A branch of Islam. Means followers of tradition.
Pahlavi Foundation
Tax-exempt, patronage system that controlled large companies that fed the pocketbooks of the shah and his supporters.
Constitution of 1979
MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. Legitimizes the state, amendments of 1989. Written during the last months of Ayatollah's life. Complex mixture of theocracy and democracy, preamble reflects importance of religion, etc.
City south of Tehran. Conflicts among the clerics in the seminaries there.
Safavid Empire
Modern Iran. Began in the 16th century. 90% to Shi'ism. Tolerated Sunnis, as well as Jews, etc., Shared regard for People of the Book. Respected other religions. Serious ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS. Trade routes on Silk Road had broken up. Little contact with Atlantic. Affected ability to rule, had to rely on local rulers. Separated from society and lost power in 1722.
Qajars
Turkish group. Moved the capital to Tehran. Returned Shiism as state religion. DIDN'T CLAIM TIES TO TWELVE IMAMS. Separation between government and religion widened. Power suffered due to imperialism, etc., lost oil, etc.
Modeled after western ones with direct elections, separation of powers, law made by elected legislature, popular sovereignty, and Bill of Rights. Created Guardian Council. Only Shiites could hold cabinet positions.
Tudeh Party
Party that challenged the shah. Gained most support from working class trade unions.
Muhammad Mosaddeq
Iran's prime minister. His two goals were to establish constitutional government in Iran and to free Iran from foreign interference. He trued to limit the power of the shah and to strengthen the Majles.
Import Substitution Industrialization
Encouraged domestic industries to provide products that the population needed.
White Revolution
Meant to counter communist or "red" influences. Focused on land reform, the government buying land form large absentee owners and selling it to small farmers at affordable prices. Encouraged farmers to become entrepreneurs with canals. Secularized Iran by extending voting rights to women, etc.
Resurgence Party
Declared by Muhammad Reza Shah that Iran is to be a one-party state in 1975.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Personified the union of political and religious interests from ancient days. Protector of the "true faith." Charisma. Defended fundamentalism, articulated resentments toward elite and the Us. Us was "Great Satan," Jurist's guardianship.
Khomeini's successor. Does not have same personality or academic credentials.
Muhammad Khatami
President from 1997-2005. Reformist who aimed to end freeze in relations between Iran and the West. Believed in a "dialogue among civilizations" that fostered positive relationships with other countries.
Became president in 2005. Government has newspapers, banned and censored books, and websites, not longer tolerates peaceful demonstrations.
Mir Hossein Mousavi
Opposition to Ahmadinejad in election of 2009. Received 34% of the votes.
"Equality with Difference"
Policy toward women. Meaning divorce and custody laws follow Islamic standards that favor males. Women must wear scarves and long coats in public, cannot leave country without consent of male relatives, stoning fro adultery, allowed education, and entrance to occupations.
Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran
Alliance of conservative parties. ABADGARAN. Sponsored Ahmadinejad. Officially won presidential election of 2009. Alliance was founded in 2003. Leaders live in Tehran.
Etemad-e Melli Party
Formed just after election by Karroui, finished in 3rd, serves as head of party. "Pragmatic Reformist."
Factionalism
Represented by the party system. The splintering of the political elites based not just on points of view but on personalities. Tend to coalesce before elections and then break apart.
Akbar Hasemi Rafsanjani
Second president of Iran after the 1979 Revolution. Tried in vain to gain a third Presidential term in 2005. Centrist, pragmatic conservative, free market; credited with much of Iran's reconstruction after the Iran-Iraq war.
Workers' House
Important interest group for factory workers. Operates with the help of affiliated newspaper. Has political party Islamic Labor Party. Few interest groups have formed for business since businesses have been crowded out since 1979.
Faqih
Leading Islamic jurist to interpret the meaning of religious documents and sharia.
Khordad Front
Reformists filled seats through a coalition of reformist parties. Won 80% of vote in campaign that drew 70% of electorate.
Qanun
Has no sacred basis. Instead is a body of statues made by legislative bodies, passed by Males. Have no sacred meaning. Law made by People's Representatives. Cannot contradict sharia.
Revolutionary Guards
Established by Ayatollah Khomeini. An elite military force whose commanders are appointed by the supreme leader. Shah had built the regular army, navy, and air forces. Created as a parallel force with own budgets. Supreme leader is commander-in-chief. Protects the Republic.
Basij
A loosely-organized military that is formally part of the Revolutionary Guards, and it gained international attention in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election of 2009.
Uphold the principles of the regime as set up in 1979, with its basis in strict sharia law with a minimum of modern modifications. Wary of influence from western countries and warn that modernization may threaten the tenets of Shi'ism that provide the moral basis for society, politics, and the economy. Support the right and responsibility of clerics to run the political system. Believe that political and religious decisions should be one and the same.
Believe that the political system needs significant reform, although they disagree on exactly what the reforms should be. Less wary of western influence, and tend to advocate some degree of international involvement with countries of the West. Support Shi'ism and believe it to be an important basis of Iranian society, but they often support the idea that political leaders do not necessarily have to be clerics.
"Economics is for Donkeys"
Stated by Ayatollah Khomeini, disdaining the importance of economics for policymakers and affirming the superiority of religious, rather than secular leaders.
Revolution of Rising Expectations
Revolutions are most likely to occur when people are doing better than they once were, but some type of setback happens.
Bonyads
Quasi-private foundations and religious endowments that are charged with aiding the poor by managing many state-owned enterprises.
MCAT Behavioral Sciences | Kaplan Guide
KaplanTestPrep
AP Comparative Government Iran
AP Comparative Government - Iran
barilladm
Thomas_Tang38
English IV Vocab Unit 1 - Book H
jayysong
AP Psychology Chapter 17
AP Comparative Government Mexico
AP Comparative Government- Iran
taechigo
AP Comparative: China
emmariley2
AP Comparative Government Chapter 8: Nigeria
matthewpic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


SHIPPING SPEED orders are sent out twice a week on business days. Upon shipment, you will receive an email with your order information. All orders are always shipped with tracking, please send an email if you'd like your tracking number.
We ship worldwide – US is $6, Canada and Mexico is $10, and all other countries is $14. UK, Australia and New Zealand is $20, please see store options below for faster and cheaper shipping options.
International Orders may be subject to import taxes, customs duties and fees levied by your country's customs department. When ordering from iamsin.com you will be responsible for any of these import fees, as well as complying with all laws and regulations of the destination country. Customs policies vary widely from country to country, so please contact your local customs office for more information.
Your package may also be held up with customs, please bear in mind this is beyond our control.
Save on shipping costs by visiting the following shops and online stores.
We accept credit card payments via Paypal. You do not need a PayPal account to complete your purchase, just select "checkout as a guest" when you are directed to PayPal.
A confirmation email will be sent to you after you place your order. All orders are shipped with tracking, please send an email if you'd like tracking info.
Once you receive an order confirmation by email, it means your order is in process and cannot be changed or modified.
We want you to be totally satisfied with your order; however if a product doesn't work out we want to make the return as painless as possible. Naturally, we cannot take returns on used products or products purchased outside of the 30-day return window. Also, please note that we are not able to accept exchanges of products at this time. Sale items are final sale and cannot be returned for a refund.
Shipping costs associated with the return will not be reimbursed. You will receive a refund for only the item(s) returned. Also, original shipping costs are not refunded on returned items. Please include a copy of the original order confirmation in the package. Your refund will be issued to the original form of payment within 5-7 business days of the notification email sent to you, acknowledging your return has been processed.
Only items purchased on IAmSin.com will be accepted. If your items were purchased at an authorized retailer, please contact that retailer directly to arrange for a return. Items purchased on IAmSin.com cannot be returned or exchanged at retailers that sell I Am Sin Cosmetics.


text:
The Bionic Connection
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2002 ISSUE
Are we already a lot closer to a mind-machine interface than we ever guessed?
By Jocelyn Selim, Pete Drinkell|Friday, November 01, 2002
RELATED TAGS: MACHINE-BRAIN CONNECTIONS
Kevin Warwick is about to become telepathic, luck and technology permitting. His lips are parted expectantly as he sits blindfolded and perched on a lab stool at Reading University in England. One inch below his left wrist, a pincushion array of 100 silicon electrodes, all of them together about one-sixteenth the size of a dime, has been surgically inserted into his median nerve. From the electrodes, 22 wires run eight inches under the skin and exit one inch below his elbow. There they are soldered to a connector board where a 2-inch-by-2-inch maze of circuitry amplifies, filters, and converts the electrochemical impulses coming down his median nerve into digital signals.
His wife, Irena, sits across the lab, looking considerably more nervous. Three wires exit through needle-hole-size incisions just above her wrist. Irena's setup is less spectacular, jerry-rigged to last only the afternoon, not the three months Warwick has carried his wiring around, but it seems to work just fine. Whenever Irena wiggles a finger or clenches a fist, the electrode picks up the impulses from her nerve and feeds them into a computer. There algorithms decode them into a series of digital signals that are sent via Internet to another computer that radios them to an antenna connected to Warwick's dangling circuitry. The signal is fed directly into Warwick's nerve, causing a "tingling sensation, like a mild electric shock," he says.
The first direct trans-nervous-system signals are barely more than cyborg baby talk—just basic motor output to sensory input. But for Warwick, they are a milestone in the journey to a day when we will all walk around with chips in our brains that allow us to wirelessly and silently convey our thoughts as automatically and thoughtlessly as we use telephones today.
Before that happens, Warwick says, neural-machine interfaces like the one in his arm will control robotic body parts, enabling the paralyzed to walk and the blind to see. Smart chips implanted directly into the brain, he says, will control Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and even depression by monitoring and regulating errant nerve signals. Meanwhile, he says, embedded chips will replace keyboards (we'll think, and the computer will type it out), remote controls will become as antiquated as rotary phones, and learning a foreign language will mean little more than buying the right chip.
In the world Warwick envisions in his new book, I, Cyborg, the boundary between our nervous systems and computers will disappear, and self-improvement will become synonymous with upgrade. But not surprisingly, he has met with skepticism from some of his colleagues. "I'd call him a charlatan, but since he seems to believe his ridiculous predictions, he's more of a buffoon," says Inman Harvey of nearby Sussex University's cognitive and computing sciences department.
Despite the wires hanging out of his forearm, Warwick seems both fit and sane, if not a bit too normal. His dress code tends toward khakis and collars, his 6-foot-2 frame runs marathons, and his brown hair is just beginning to show signs of gray at 48. He is easily excited and quick to laugh. He lives on a tree-lined street a half hour from his work at the university, in a tasteful bi-level with spectacular views of the rolling Thames River Valley. His home is decorated with pictures of his son, James, 18, and daughter, Maddi, 20. And if he weren't a cyborg, Warwick might be mistaken for a Luddite. There is not a computer in his house, nor dishwasher, clothes dryer, or microwave oven. He shrugs: "Sometimes you have to go offline."
Cyborg is short for "cybernetic organism," a phrase coined in the 1960s by NASA scientists dreaming up different ways to keep people alive in space. Because space suits were clunky, troublesome, and subject to catastrophic failure, NASA engineers decided that perhaps astronauts' bodies should be altered. Those engineers were not dreamers; they were simply peering ahead at what looked like a normal trajectory of technology: Primitive heart-lung machines had been around since the 1930s, and artificial kidneys and pacemakers were already workable realities.
In the intervening decades, scientists and engineers have developed joint replacements, heart valves, plastic blood vessels, insulin pumps, synthetic skin, artificial blood, even polymer-metal muscles. And the brain and nervous system have been fair game, too, with measured beats from small electrodes steadying the tremors of Parkinson's patients and the chaotic seizures of epileptics. Wires that stimulate optic and auditory nerves have bypassed damaged inner ears and retinas, bringing back sound to many deaf people and at least offering hope of a sighted future to the blind. But brain implants linking humans to computers, to artificial limbs, and especially to each other have been, in the public mind, confined to science fiction.
"I don't think people realize just how far along this has already come," says Warwick. In fact, almost everything Warwick is using in his experiments is off-the-shelf technology. And he points out that in the past three years, researchers from Duke University, Brown University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have placed brain implants in monkeys, allowing them to move cursors on a computer screen, play video games, and move robotic limbs using thought alone.
Earlier this year, John Chapin, a neuroscientist at the State University of New York's Downstate Medical Center, made headlines with implants that jacked directly into the dopamine-reward pathways of rat brains, allowing him to manipulate the rats' movements from his laptop as if they were remote-control cars. "The scary part isn't that the technology is coming, it's that the major scientific breakthroughs have already been done," says Chapin. "Now it's really just a question of engineering."
Armed with his wrist implant, Warwick can send nerve signals via a computer to a robotic arm.
Photograph from iCube Solutions.
One critical breakthrough came about 20 years ago. "There was a revolution in the way we thought about the brain," says Andrew Schwartz, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The old way of thinking was that for any movement, say, moving your arm to the right, you had to find the rightward movement area, and only then could you start looking into ways to record and manipulate it. But it turns out that every time you move your arm to the right, all the neurons change their activity in a very specific way."
Soon afterward, researchers found that by using fairly simple extraction algorithms and a computer, they could nail down the pattern of electrical signals associated with any one movement by looking at the activity of groups of neurons numbering in the hundreds. "When we realized we could get that kind of information, we knew that applications like neural prosthetics were definitely possible," says Schwartz.
It has taken two decades for researchers to engineer biocompatible microelectrodes, refine surgical techniques to implant them, and formulate algorithms to decode the information coming out in real time. But it has also been easier than anyone imagined. "When this research got off the ground, we thought we would have to record, at minimum, 700 neurons to get a decent resolution," says Schwartz. "You can get it from a dozen. And the electrodes will work from almost anywhere in the region."
The work has been so promising that Schwartz hopes to put brain implants in humans within two years. A research group led by John Donoghue, a neuroscientist at Brown, may beat him to it. Under the banner of Cyberkinetics Inc., Donoghue's team is designing and manufacturing electrodes, algorithms, and interfaces, as well as training neurosurgeons to implant arrays. A company called Bionic Technologies, founded by scientists at the University of Utah, has similar goals. And Philip Kennedy, CEO and chief scientist at Neural Signals in Atlanta, has implanted rudimentary electrodes in the brains of five patients, including a 53-year-old stroke patient. Before he died in May, the patient had learned to control a cursor mentally.
"When I started in this field, it was basically me, a computer, and a soldering iron," Chapin says. "We used to ride around in cars together at conferences. Not anymore. There's a race going on to see who can get this stuff out there first."
At the age of 32, Kevin Warwick was hired to lead Reading University's cybernetics department. "When I got here, they didn't even have a robot," he says. Today the department is one of the best in the United Kingdom. Warwick has more than 350 academic papers to his name and has received awards from a host of societies. Following in the footsteps of giants like Michael Faraday and Carl Sagan, he has presented Britain's Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures.
Kennedy, the only researcher so far to use neural-interface technology on a human brain, says Warwick's work should be taken seriously: "You can say that other people are doing more for technological advancement, and you can certainly say that he opens himself for attention, but you simply cannot say that what he is doing is groundless. This is a field so new that any observation is important, especially on a human."
Warwick considers showman antics less self-promotional than service to a new field that deserves attention. "I was at a conference eight months ago, and there was a well-known geneticist speaking. Nothing new had happened, but everybody was gathered around salivating. I'm not saying that genetics isn't important, but this stuff has just as much potential to change the world."
The Economist agrees. It recently ran a commentary lamenting that the attention paid to the moral status of embryos is dwarfing the more immediate threat of neurotechnology, which "is largely ignored by regulators and the public, who seem unduly obsessed by gruesome fantasies of genetic dystopias."
"Maybe what the field needs is a Dolly the Sheep, something that will really capture people's curiosities and imaginations," says Warwick. Telepathic communication would certainly get the public's attention, but even pioneers in the field are skeptical that it can be done. "We are going to start seeing this stuff being used regularly in 'locked-in,' or completely paralyzed, patients very soon, and bionic limbs with feedback are going to follow soon after. And I can't even begin to imagine what will come next," says Chapin. "But in terms of the thought-to-thought communication that Warwick talks about—I think it's effectively impossible. While simple movements are localized in the motor cortex, higher cognitive functions like abstract thought and emotion are spread throughout the brain."
"It might be extremely difficult," Warwick responds. "But it blows my mind that anybody could even posit that it's impossible." He points out that researchers already know that stimulating certain areas of the brain can produce very specific, albeit basic, emotional responses such as fear and anger. "From there it's not much of a stretch to imagine recording the signals and playing them back. I'm not entirely certain that it will work that way, but I certainly don't think it's impossible. One of the few things we're certain of is that the brain is remarkably plastic and seems to have an unlimited potential to adjust to new information coming in."
Warwick reminds his critics that 20 years ago, few predicted a future for the Internet. "For that matter," he says, "who could have predicted that we would all sit around staring for hours at a flickering box in the corner of the room?"
I, Cyborg (Century), Kevin Warwick's account of his cyber-experiences, was published in August 2002 in the U.K. and just released in the U.S. Also check out his laboratory's page: (www.madlab.rdg.ac.uk).
To learn about John Chapin's work, see www.rybak-et-al.net/chapin.html. For more about Philip Kennedy, see www.emory.edu/COLLEGE/scienceandsociety/scienceinyourlife/capturing.htm. For more on John Donoghue, see donoghue.neuro.brown.edu/neuroprosth.php, and for more about Andrew Schwartz, see "Direct Cortical Control of 3-D Neuroprosthetic Devices." Science 296 (June 7, 2002): 1829-1832.
Skipping the Problem Is a Jump Towards Curing Paralysis
How Infinite In Faculty
Nerve Cells Reach Out and Touch Someone: Electronic Components
How to Sleep 4 Hours per Night
Are Smart Drugs the Answer to Bad Moods—and a Bad Economy?
The Pentagon's Beetle Borgs
Jaron's World: Virtual Horizon
What Makes You Uniquely "You"?
Human Think, Robot Do


I've said before that I don't think much of the Roanoke food scene–I love our farmers and farmers markets and the creative energy that flows through the folks there, but as for restaurants? I'm always a little underwhelmed. G has been working on convincing me otherwise though.
What started out in the afternoon as a plan to go to Red Hen in Lexington (their EC, Tucker Yoder, is leaving the establishment after service on Saturday night, & I've been wanting to go since I moved here over a year ago, but could never find anyone to go with–anyway, we both wanted to go and try Yoder's creations before he switched to The Clifton Inn in Charlottesville) turned into disappointment when I learned that every evening was booked through the week. So, moving onto plan B, we decided to go to Metro!, an American/Asian fusion place that just put a fabulous charcuterie board on their menu in celebration of Oktoberfest. Well, it wasn't our night because they didn't have it on the menu (because they want to keep the meats fresh, which I respect, of course), but that left neither of us jazzed about the regular menu. So, plan C, we walked across the square to Table 50 in search of martinis and gnocchi.
No luck on the gnocchi. For some reason, Table 50 hasn't switched from its summer menu to fall/winter (it is the middle of October already, right?), and while the menu looked good, it didn't capture my heart (though I'm dying to go back and try their fried chicken–is good fried chicken possible in Roanoke??) until the server mentioned the dinner specials. And she said the magic words: apple cider braised rabbit. I wasn't able to process the other accouterments to the rabbit, but I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I wanted the rabbit. Cute and delicious? Who could ask for anything more? So G & I debated the wine list (several good bottles under $26–impressive) and what else we wanted to order (we always split everything), and then toasted our California Cabernet Sauv to 2 months since we headed north on I-81 for Canada.
For the first course we ordered the "Prince Edward Island mussels in a white wine saffron broth," and we weren't disappointed with them. I mean, I'm not sure how a restaurant could really screw up mussels (I'm sure there's a way), but these were delicate with a waft of the ocean layered in the nice, mellow acidity of the white wine. The saffron could have been punched up a little more–it was hard to detect–but the lack of it didn't detract from the dish. And the baguette served before the meal? Perfect when dredged in the broth. One complaint: a few were gritty. But that happens everywhere. And I seem to have a knack for picking a gritty one to be the first one to pop in my mouth–it's happened at every restaurant I've ordered them at–so, again, not a huge detraction from the dish as a whole.
Second course was the "Herb baked goat cheese salad with spiced pecans, pear, and cherries." At this point I should mention that Table 50 gets major points for splitting up our plates. I'm positive we were given far more food than if each course were served on one plate with us nibbling off it ourselves. I actually like the communal aspect of sharing food, but, given the way it was done last night, we were stuffed by the end of the evening, and unable to fathom how anyone could have eaten that much food by themselves. Three cheers for sharing food!
But back to the salad. While the salad wasn't all that creative–I make a version of this salad every day at work–it was perfect. The goat cheese was warm with a nice crunch to the crust (not too salty either), the greens fresh and not wilted, the julienned pears mixed with the dried cherries gave a nice crisp and tart contrast, and the spicing on the pecans was nice, very autumnal, which is why I suggested we order the dish. Given the lightness of the summer menu, I wanted something that fit the chillier evening better–this salad definitely did that.
For the final and third course, we ordered, as if you didn't already know, the rabbit. I know I really lose my vegan readers at this point (the few of you that are still out there), but you have to bear with me–it was delicious. Just smelling the plate made me happy. The rabbit & the bacon & the sweet potatoes & the apple cider jus were incredibly fragrant–and tasted all that much better together. In fact, I have to particularly note the excellent quality of the sauteed napa cabbage. Sure, the bacon in it was great (isn't bacon always great?), but the crisp freshness of the cabbage blew me away. As a former vegan, I applaud the chef–I could have eaten an entire bowl of it. The only flaw was that I couldn't detect any horseradish in the sweet potato pavé. I'm going to blame the Roanoke culture and the fact that people here can't handle a lot of wham to their dish, but if there had been that horseradish kick, it would have been 100% perfect. And in case you were wondering, yes, the rabbit was perfectly cooked–tender and full of flavor.
All in all, a wonderful meal to end an evening that started out so confusing and so disappointing. On the bright side of it, I was able (somehow) to score a reservation for tonight at 8:30 at Red Hen so G & I will get to experience the amazingness that is Chef Yoder's food. We were also told that starting Friday, we'll be able to order the charcuterie board at Metro!, so that will be featured on here in the near future. And as for Table 50? It's convinced me that good food can be found in restaurants in Roanoke–sure, the menu isn't all that adventurous, but the execution was spot-on and the vegetables were fresh and tasted like vegetables (one of the ways I always judge a restaurant). And the rabbit, dear lord, must I swoon over the rabbit again? Kudos to chef Caudill for a delicious evening–and keep featuring that rabbit; it's phenomenal.
I've never even heard of this place, but I'm WAY out of the loop when it comes to Roanoke dining since I'm an hour away.
Woah! This restaurant looks incredible!
Thank you for the words of encouragement She has been downing my cooking much more than usual, so I can't say the pills are all that bad.
Hope to see you at Manic soon!


But I should have checked my supplies first. One of the reasons I said it's important to rough in your aisles is to get an idea of the footprint of your benchwork, which - in turn - will give you an idea of how much benchwork material you need.
Well, suffice it to say that I must've used a lot more material for the staging area than I thought. What appeared to be "more than enough" material sitting on the floor (and awaiting a flood that, fortunately, never came), ended up being just enough to make up the L-girders and a couple of supporting legs - and even then, I had to splice a few shorter 1x2s together to complete the flanges.
Here's the start of the first L-girders. What you see on the floor there to the right is all I have for the remainder of the benchwork from Old Saybrook to East Haddam(!) The rest of the wood is 1x1s and a few scrap 2x4s.
There are actually 3 marks on the doorframe: 1) top mark is the top of the benchwork/joists (50"), 2) mid-mark is the bottom of the joist (aka where the top of the L-girder will be), and 3) bottom of the L-girder (aka where the top of the L-girder support will be).
There's a more technically-correct term for this, but I just refer to it as my "L-girder end support." It's what one end of the Essex/Deep River peninsula L-girders will rest on, instead of legs. I do whatever I can to to reduce the number of legs under my benchwork. They just get in the way.
As you can see, not only must the top of this support be at the correct height, it should be level. And it's screwed directly into the wall studs. It ain't goin' anywhere.
Next, I installed the back L-girder which will support the joists under the turnback curve between East Haddam and Deep River. Again, it's screwed directly into the studs - and that shelf bracket on the floor will support the right end of the front L-girder to elminate the need for a leg there.
And here's where I ended up by the end of the evening: you see the peninsula L-girders coming toward you, and a joist across showing the layout height. They're supported on the far end by the 2x4, and on the near end by a temporary leg (itself temporarily anchored to the wall with a 1x1 clamped to it).
This is as far as I could get before having to make another trip to the lumber yard for more 1x2s (leg braces) and 1x3s (joists), but it's really cool to start seeing the peninsula taking shape.


The machines are designed for the treatment of standard bottles of glass and can also be adapted for the treatment of bottles with special shapes. The twenty years of technical expertise, the high technology and the quality of the raw materials used by Comac, ensure the plant reliability and the optimum yields.
The systems are implemented to simplify and speed up the change-over procedures.
Bottle lines are designed to provide a complete service from the beginning to the end of the packaging process. Each machine can fulfill the rinsing cycle, the filling cycle and the capping one in a non-stop stream that is completely automated. Production parameters can be controlled on a display panel provided with every machine.
Comac bottling plants are especially renowned in the beer bottling sector, to which most of our customers belong. Our machines can be easily adapted to the existing brewing plants, integrated in the operating stream where they can contribute with the rinsing, filling and capping of bottles.


St Louis Hills brick beauty! Gorgeous hardwood floors throughout. Beautiful mill work and all the lovely architectural features you want in a 1930s South City charmer. Fabulous location on the highly desirable, picture perfect Nottingham thoroughfare. This home has been partially renovated and is just waiting for the special finishing touches of its next owner! Open, airy main floor with lots of big windows makes for an ideal living space. Huge eat-in kitchen has been largely remodeled - granite countertops, great center island, new tile flooring, new cabinetry, and more. Fantastic bonus room in the back off the kitchen: use it as an office, sunroom, whatever you can dream up! Level backyard is perfect for warm weather entertaining and fun family lifestyle. This home has huge bang for the buck. Get in to the best part of St Louis Hills on a budget and with serious quick equity potential!


Yoga Chicago columnist Kali Om will celebrate the release of her new book Beyond the Mat: Don't Just Do Yoga – Live It! with a workshop and book release party at Yoga Now on Saturday, September 15, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. This healing, all-levels workshop will include asana, pranayama, philosophy, chanting, and Yoga Nidra in the tradition of Sri Dharma Mittra, plus a vegan treat. Copies of Kali's book will be available for purchase.
Kali's new book of Yoga Chicago columns shows how yoga's timeless and universal philosophy can be applied to life off the mat and help us cultivate contentment in an increasingly chaotic world. It also includes practical yoga remedies for overcoming anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, constipation, and more.
As Yogi Cameron says, "In Beyond the Mat, Kali Om beautifully brings our awareness to how true yoga starts once our morning practice has finished and our interactions with the world begin."More info at yogikaliom.com.


text:
NGS - The Big Data Addiction
Complete the form below and we will email you a PDF version of "NGS - The Big Data Addiction "
Genomics has an obsession, and it's called Big Data. However, unlike other obsessions, this one will probably not ruin anyone's life—maybe only a few late nights or weekend plans for the researcher on a tight deadline.
This preoccupation was born out of necessity. It began as an innate need to understand how our genetic makeup controls every facet of human life, from our greatest mental and physical achievements to the debilitating illnesses that render us helpless to our own body systems.
This was the first time scientists were introduced to truly large sets of genomic data that required quantitative analysis and training. Assigning values to tiny fluorescent grids on glass slides and then sifting through piles of information about which genes were upregulated or downregulated became a fixation for many research groups. At the time scientific presentations were riddled with heat map displays and descriptions of dye vs probe ratios, clustering, and normalization values. Yet, this was to be just the beginning of the field of genomics' fascination with mass quantities of data.
The completion of the human genome project in 2003 not only had scientists feverishly searching for cheaper, more expedient ways to sequence genetic information, it further whetted their appetites for analyzing large datasets. In short order burgeoning next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms started producing exponentially more data, faster and less expensive than most thought possible. Now, scientists have become inundated with sequencing information at speeds faster than they can analyze, leading to an information log jam that has researchers scrambling for solutions.
"Since 2005, the cost of sequencing has fallen by four orders of magnitude, and new technologies are allowing us to produce more data than ever at much higher rates," says Daniel Meyer, COO at GenoSpace. "As data generation approaches commoditization, the greatest challenge has shifted to effective analysis and interpretation."
In any discussion about NGS data management it's important to have some understanding of the steps leading to the analysis phase. Even a cursory overview should impress upon the uninitiated the overwhelming amount of information generated from each sequencing run.
The human genome has over three billion base pairs (bp), with chromosomes containing between 50 million and 250 million nucleic acid residues. To obtain usable information form these large expanses of DNA it must be first broken into much smaller overlapping stretches (known as reads). These pieces are typically in a highly disordered state and sampled randomly during a sequencing run. To ascertain with sufficient probability that the entire read is covered, sequencing assays rely on heavy oversampling, i.e., sequencing the overlapping stretches multiple times.
Historically, read lengths were between 500 to 1,000 bp, which meant that even for the shortest of chromosomes, a sequencing project would need to generate close to 800,000 reads to be statistically accurate. Furthermore, prior to the advent of NGS technology, sequencers could only average about 50 reads in parallel. Using some quick math it's not difficult to understand why the Human Genome Project (HGP) took as long as it did, especially in the early days.
When NGS exploded onto the scene about 10 years ago, it revolutionized the field by radically increasing overall speeds and driving costs down. However, NGS technology didn't solve any issues associated with data acquisition size; to the contrary it contributed to swelling the total file size dramatically. NGS uses much shorter reads, currently averaging around 50 to 100 bp for whole genome sequencing (WGS), but compensating with exponentially more total reads and achieving staggering numbers (millions) in parallel over traditional Sanger sequencing methods, which drove the HGP for the majority of its tenure.
To further underscore the enormity of NGS data generation, we need only look at some of the more recent undertakings of various international consortia.
For example, in 2008 the 1000 Genome Project looked to sequence large genomic regions from 1,000 individuals among various populations groups around the globe. In 2012 the project team published their findings from 1,092 individuals amid 14 distinct population groups. By way of reference, using mainly Sanger sequencing it took the HGP 13 years to sequence one genome. Additionally, by the time they are complete the UK10K project and International Cancer Genome Consortium will have sequenced 10,000 and 50,000 genomes respectively—generating petabytes (1 petabyte = 1000 terabytes) of raw sequencing data.
Life sciences' big data obsession is only a small portion of a larger issue that has been bubbling beneath the surface ever since NGS made its debut. In many respects it's a problem of infrastructure. Most investigators have little to no capacity for analyzing datasets from modern NGS platforms that are useful and reproducible by others in the field.
For example, the raw data from a whole exome sequencing (WES) run that has a 100 bp average read length and 50X coverage is roughly 1–1.5 terabytes and with multiple replicates for improved statistics, one individual's exome could average between 3–5 terabytes of storage space. While the price for computer memory is always falling, having enough hard drive space to store data from multiple runs and multiple exomes could get expensive very quickly.
Once the raw sequence data is obtained from the sequencer the heavy lifting for computational devices begins with the read mapping phase. The computer attempts to align the short reads either back to a reference sequence or uses overlapping sequences at the end of each read to generate a de novo sequence. "Our ability to measure outweighs our ability to interpret and apply," says Mike Lelivelt, Ph.D., senior director of bioinformatic products at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "What is truly rate limiting is clinical interpretation of a genetic marker."
While data acquisition and management is a concern for many institutions, not everyone agrees that it is the all-encompassing stumbling block that is preventing NGS from becoming an integral part of precision medicine. "I actually think the thing that's holding back NGS from the clinic is reimbursement, not data analysis," says Shawn Baker, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer at AllSeq. "It is true that trying to analyze all the variants from a whole genome analysis is quite challenging, but if no one is paying, it doesn't matter how simple and straight forward the data analysis process is."
Sean Scott, VP of Clinical Genomics at Qiagen, has a similar stance stating that the "demonstration of actionability and clinical utility of NGS tests is still a growing issue for clinical labs, needing payer reimbursement for the economics to become favorable for the lab and the greater community."
What can be agreed upon is that there are plenty of areas of NGS that require standardization for it to live up to its potential as an extremely powerful tool for use in clinical medicine. "I believe we are going to need the standardization and validation of algorithms on real world data to advance the use of NGS in the clinic and hopefully lead to a more phenotypic rather than disease term approach to treatment," says Mark Hughes, Ph.D., Senior Product Manager for Thomson Reuters' MetaCore™.
It's often said that the only cure for an obsession is to get a new one. At the moment it would seem that is easier said than done for the field of genomics, but as scientists are always looking for easier, faster, and more efficient analysis methods, it will come as little shock when researchers move on to the next ground breaking application. For now however, the future of NGS and Big Data should provide investigators with improved methods that will simplify the data output stream and the management of that information for use with various bioinformatics analysis programs.
"I believe that Cloud computing, and the ability to co-locate big data with highly scalable computing resources, is already making a positive impact on streamlining data analysis— and that this trend will continue as more data and a wider variety of analysis applications moves into the cloud," says Scott Kahn, Ph.D., VP of Commercial Enterprise Informatics at Illumina.
Dr. Lelivelt is in agreement adding that, "while data security must be the first priority, the benefit of centralized data storage and scalable computing resources will drive the clinical analysis into the Cloud."
Additionally, advances on the sequencing side could indirectly aid the data analysis stream, allowing for more accurate read alignments and opening up opportunities for new investigational methodology.
"The most interesting thing that's on the visible horizon is long reads," explains Dr. Baker. "Getting truly long reads (>10kb) will dramatically improve the alignment process and allow for new analyses like haplotyping that just aren't possible with short reads. Long read technology is available, but it's still an order of magnitude or two more expensive than the best short read platforms."
Lastly, another interesting technology waiting for its time in the spotlight, is third-generation sequencing technology. This method skips the DNA amplification technique, avoiding PCR bias, and allows for genetic material to be sequenced directly at the single-molecule level through the use of engineered polymerases that can tolerate longer average read lengths. Currently, only a few companies provide platforms for this sequencing method and it comes at a premium cost.
Regardless of the analysis method, scientists will always try to improve ways to pour over mountains of data for that small nugget of info that may lead them to that career defining discovery.
Lab of the Future: Connecting the Scientific Ecosystem
Biosciences in 2022: Bioscience Reaps Benefits From the Cloud
Understanding Single Cell Sequencing, How It Works and Its Applications


Called by many different names, simply put, our clean iron oxide is great for use in arts and crafts, fish tanks, decorative displays or magnetic experiments of any kind. price listed include usps priority shipping and anywhere in the Continental US, Hawaii and Alaska.
This is the newest gold mining tool coming soon "spin It Off" is made in the USA by Columbia River Mining Supplies. Inventor of "Spin It Off" magnetic Separator is David Urick. "SPIN IT OFF has a U.S. Patent Pending.


Turning off the lights at night and you can't see anything.
What are you made out of? Boyfriend material?
"When I finish my lovely set, I will be satisfied."
"I'm this close to losing my mind!"
Let's re-eneact the infamous scene from "Ghost".
Babe I stole your weave!
"My name has been following me for months. It wont go away. Help."
Zoinks scoob! This girl is like really diggin me!
"It's super dark here... wait, where am I? Anybody? Hello?"
"Sally, where'd you put my phone?"
"...I hate this. Actually, not just this."
*record scratch* "Yup, that's me. I'm guessing you want to know how I landed myself in here. Well, tough. That's not important. What is important is what I did inside..."
"Where am I? Who am I? Why is a name in front of me?"
When you try to fix something, but end up making it worse.


text:
Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world
Meidad Kissinger, William E. Rees, Vanessa Timmer
Department of Geography & Environmental Development
This paper develops a theoretical interregional approach to sustainability in an interconnected world. We make the case that achieving sustainability - living equitably within the limits of living systems - requires the recognition of our ecological interdependence and interconnectedness across regions and the resultant need for supra-regional policy to shape local resilience and global sustainability. Approaching sustainability conscious of interregional connections reveals that: (1) virtually every significant human population or country lives, in part, on energy/material flows to and from distant places elsewhere around the world, (2) production, consumption and policy decisions in any given locale have the potential to create unseen unsustainable burdens on connected productive ecosystems in distant locales, (3) ecological change in one region has the potential to jeopardize the sustainability of other regions, and (4) society in almost any region has interests in sustaining the vitality of ecosystems in other regions. We highlight a range of supra-regional ecological linkages and discuss the types of interregional feedback and policy responses needed. We highlight how such an quasi-global focus not only provides further insight into the social and ecological challenges global society is facing, but also reveals places for positive human intervention and leadership in the name of sustainability and resilience.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
Socio-ecological systems
10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
Dive into the research topics of 'Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
sustainability Earth & Environmental Sciences 100%
governance Social Sciences 86%
policy Earth & Environmental Sciences 81%
world Earth & Environmental Sciences 76%
resilience Social Sciences 38%
society Earth & Environmental Sciences 34%
regional policy Earth & Environmental Sciences 29%
material flow Earth & Environmental Sciences 26%
Kissinger, M., Rees, W. E., & Timmer, V. (2011). Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world. Environmental Science and Policy, 14(8), 965-976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
Kissinger, Meidad ; Rees, William E. ; Timmer, Vanessa. / Interregional sustainability : Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world. In: Environmental Science and Policy. 2011 ; Vol. 14, No. 8. pp. 965-976.
@article{a9c66dddc6d94f5fbe36625e13b98638,
title = "Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world",
abstract = "This paper develops a theoretical interregional approach to sustainability in an interconnected world. We make the case that achieving sustainability - living equitably within the limits of living systems - requires the recognition of our ecological interdependence and interconnectedness across regions and the resultant need for supra-regional policy to shape local resilience and global sustainability. Approaching sustainability conscious of interregional connections reveals that: (1) virtually every significant human population or country lives, in part, on energy/material flows to and from distant places elsewhere around the world, (2) production, consumption and policy decisions in any given locale have the potential to create unseen unsustainable burdens on connected productive ecosystems in distant locales, (3) ecological change in one region has the potential to jeopardize the sustainability of other regions, and (4) society in almost any region has interests in sustaining the vitality of ecosystems in other regions. We highlight a range of supra-regional ecological linkages and discuss the types of interregional feedback and policy responses needed. We highlight how such an quasi-global focus not only provides further insight into the social and ecological challenges global society is facing, but also reveals places for positive human intervention and leadership in the name of sustainability and resilience.",
keywords = "Complexity, Cross-scale, Ecology, Globalization, Policy, Regional, Resilience, Socio-ecological systems, Sustainability",
author = "Meidad Kissinger and Rees, {William E.} and Vanessa Timmer",
note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for supporting this research through grant to William Rees and Meidad Kissinger. ",
doi = "10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007",
journal = "Environmental Science and Policy",
Kissinger, M, Rees, WE & Timmer, V 2011, 'Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world', Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. 965-976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
Interregional sustainability : Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world. / Kissinger, Meidad; Rees, William E.; Timmer, Vanessa.
In: Environmental Science and Policy, Vol. 14, No. 8, 01.12.2011, p. 965-976.
T1 - Interregional sustainability
T2 - Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world
AU - Kissinger, Meidad
AU - Rees, William E.
AU - Timmer, Vanessa
N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for supporting this research through grant to William Rees and Meidad Kissinger.
N2 - This paper develops a theoretical interregional approach to sustainability in an interconnected world. We make the case that achieving sustainability - living equitably within the limits of living systems - requires the recognition of our ecological interdependence and interconnectedness across regions and the resultant need for supra-regional policy to shape local resilience and global sustainability. Approaching sustainability conscious of interregional connections reveals that: (1) virtually every significant human population or country lives, in part, on energy/material flows to and from distant places elsewhere around the world, (2) production, consumption and policy decisions in any given locale have the potential to create unseen unsustainable burdens on connected productive ecosystems in distant locales, (3) ecological change in one region has the potential to jeopardize the sustainability of other regions, and (4) society in almost any region has interests in sustaining the vitality of ecosystems in other regions. We highlight a range of supra-regional ecological linkages and discuss the types of interregional feedback and policy responses needed. We highlight how such an quasi-global focus not only provides further insight into the social and ecological challenges global society is facing, but also reveals places for positive human intervention and leadership in the name of sustainability and resilience.
AB - This paper develops a theoretical interregional approach to sustainability in an interconnected world. We make the case that achieving sustainability - living equitably within the limits of living systems - requires the recognition of our ecological interdependence and interconnectedness across regions and the resultant need for supra-regional policy to shape local resilience and global sustainability. Approaching sustainability conscious of interregional connections reveals that: (1) virtually every significant human population or country lives, in part, on energy/material flows to and from distant places elsewhere around the world, (2) production, consumption and policy decisions in any given locale have the potential to create unseen unsustainable burdens on connected productive ecosystems in distant locales, (3) ecological change in one region has the potential to jeopardize the sustainability of other regions, and (4) society in almost any region has interests in sustaining the vitality of ecosystems in other regions. We highlight a range of supra-regional ecological linkages and discuss the types of interregional feedback and policy responses needed. We highlight how such an quasi-global focus not only provides further insight into the social and ecological challenges global society is facing, but also reveals places for positive human intervention and leadership in the name of sustainability and resilience.
KW - Complexity
KW - Cross-scale
KW - Ecology
KW - Globalization
KW - Policy
KW - Regional
KW - Socio-ecological systems
KW - Sustainability
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
Kissinger M, Rees WE, Timmer V. Interregional sustainability: Governance and policy in an ecologically interdependent world. Environmental Science and Policy. 2011 Dec 1;14(8):965-976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.007


Laboratory Testing results on a standalone basis do not ensure the marketability of products. Providing consumer with the best level of information, legally compliant labelling is of the utmost importance. This forms the basis for a safe use of products and helps the consumer to make an informed choice when shopping.
Tentamus Labelling offers a complete support regarding the labelling of your products in on food, food supplement, pet food and cosmetic products.
As part of the Tentamus network of laboratories, we provide in-house label checks for you throughout Europe, UK, US and China in accordance with the appropriate legal and language requirements.
Likewise, we offer online "label" reviews for online marketplace.
Further information can be found in our FLYER.


text:
Take the "dull" out of winter doldrums with New Jersey's unique attractions.
Haters of winter, stop hibernating and get going. You can find plenty of inside (read "warm and dry") activities in New Jersey to love. Ready to make the short days of winter long on drama, history, romance and inspiration? Take a look at our seasonal guide to New Jersey's historic and arts & culture attractions.
We get it. You yawned through history class in high school. But the past comes alive in New Jersey's unique history museums. The state honors everything from major Revolutionary War battles to minor footnotes in history. Walk through the one and only fluorescent Rainbow Tunnel at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, see a station on the Underground Railroad, view a poet's memorabilia at the Walt Whitman House or spark your own "light bulb" moment in the laboratory of Thomas Edison. And here's a factoid for trivia fans: America's most prolific inventor also developed the motion picture camera, making New Jersey the birthplace of film.
Can you say Drumthwacket?
With its proximity to Manhattan, New Jersey has served as a playground for the wealthy. Step back into a more refined era and see what life was like before central heat and modern appliances. Among the state's iconic homes are Princeton's Greek Revival Drumthwacket, the official residence of New Jersey's governors; Lambert Castle, the mansion of a Paterson silk magnate; Union's Liberty Hall, a 23-acre National Historic site built by New Jersey's first governor; and Ringwood Manor, a graceful country home for a succession of ironmasters.
The play's the thing (and so is the concert and comedy show).
From classics to contemporary works on their way to becoming masterpieces, the performing arts in New Jersey run the gamut of form and genre. Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick and McCarter Theatre Center for the Performing Arts in Princeton prove that you don't have to go to Manhattan to see a world premiere or experience Tony Award–winning theater.
Whatever your taste in entertainment (tribute band, ukulele orchestra, Broadway musical or sing-along Muppet Movie), you'll find plenty to pique your interest in New Jersey. The eclectic event calendars of these popular New Jersey venues offer everything from crooners to comedy legends: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, the State Theatre in New Brunswick, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Or check out the South Orange Performing Arts Center, which moves fans from folk music to jazz.
Inspired to create your own winter survival plan? Get some extra help. Order or download a free NJ travel guide or sign up for e-news from New Jersey Travel and Tourism.
Six Flags Wild Safari - Lion Kingdom
Thrilling Roller Coaster Rides in New Jersey
Get your heart pounding on these exciting roller coasters throughout the state.
Discover New Jersey's Capital City
Girls Getaway and Guys Weekend
From bachelor or bachelorette parties to a low-key weekend with friends, these...


Every Thursday, families receive an email from the Front Office reminding you to view the Thursday Packet. Additionally, you are able to view and download the Thursday Pacekts on this page. This communication tool is used to provide our families with information regarding general school announcements, events, activities, important dates, and other information about happenings on campus.


text:
Which Is the Best Electric Car That You Can Buy 2021
It is a known fact that electric vehicles are the future. As a responsible human being, you must also contribute to the planet's well-being by shifting to electric vehicles. Many countries have announced that internal combustion engines won't be sold in their country after 2030. This means that they need to shift to electric vehicles within this decade.
This announcement by some countries motivated automobile manufacturers to come up with unique electric vehicles. From hatchbacks to sedans and SUVs, all the automobile manufacturers are busy launching their electric vehicles. With new electric vehicles launching every other month, people wonder whether it is safe to buy a used electric car for sale. This article will mention the best electric cars that you can buy in 2021 and, if you get a chance, why you should opt for a Japan used electric car for sale.
1- Mazda MX-30
You get exactly what you're promised from this electric car from Mazda. The drivers get a front-wheel-drive SUV packed with a 35.5 kWh battery that promises a 124 miles range for your car. The car's overall look is very appealing, and driving this car will help you improve your carbon footprint.
2- Polestar 2
When you are promised an electric vehicle from a company such as Volvo, you can be assured that what you're about to receive is nothing less than a perfect electric car. However, it is not entirely Volvo's production; instead, it is the result of a partnership between Volvo and the Chinese giant Geely. The car produces 400 horsepower that is split into the front and rear equally. The all-new Polestar 2 delivers a promised 292 miles range without the performance pack box.
3- Mini Electric
If you're buying the Mini Electric in Britain, you will get the car under Mini Electric. However, if you're buying this car elsewhere, you get it under the name of Mini Cooper SE. However, you're not compromised on the performance of the car. The only thing that is changed is the name. The car may seem small, but it packs a powerful engine of 182 horsepower. The car does not compromise on the range as you get to drive the car up to 1445 miles on a full charge. The battery is fully charged from zero in under 40 minutes which is an impressive feat.
4- Tesla Model S
When it comes to electric cars, how can we leave behind the great Tesla electric cars? Elon Musk did change the way electric cars were viewed in the past. With the first model launched way back in 2012, the car has come a long way in setting up the standards of electric vehicles. The thing about the tesla cars is that they can easily beat any other cars in their range as their costly P100D model can reach 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds, while their cheap model 75D can go from 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds. On a single charge, the 75D can run for 200 miles smoothly, and the car can be changed easily within a matter of minutes.
5- Mercedes Benz EQC
This electric car from the famous German automobile manufacturer Mercedes is a car that helps redefine the way people look at electric SUVs. The car redefines the way people drive electric cars with its great technological advancements that help enhance the driver's experience. The SUV is an all-wheel-drive car that produces 402 horsepower on an 80-kWh lithium-ion battery. The car promises a 250 miles range on a single charge, and the best thing is that the car takes around 40 minutes to charge 80% of the battery.
Why You Should Opt for A Japan Used Electric Car for Sale
Everybody knows that the cars made in Japan are very strong and reliable, making it the first choice of drivers anywhere globally. Because of the strict automobile rules and regulations, you can be assured that the car is in good condition as the Japanese people tend to change their cars more frequently. Therefore, you can buy a used car for sale without any doubt.


text:
'Stena Europa' gets an upgrade
The ropax 'Stena Europe', which operates on the Fishguard/Rosslare ferry service is currently undergoing a three-month refit at Gemak Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.
The vessel is scheduled to return to service in late June, 2019 and during the refit a number of upgrade projects will be completed.
One of the most significant work undertaken includes modifications to the deckhead levels on the main vehicle deck to allow for the carriage of full-height trailers across the whole of the main vehicle deck.
Prior to arrival at Tuzla, 'Stena Europe' was restricted to carrying full-height trailers on its port side only.
Other work includes the renewal of the majority of the ship's windows, engine and hull overhauls including blasting of the whole hull to remove all the existing paint work to improve fuel efficiency and the ships appearance.
Internally, the passenger stairwells will be revamped, a redesign of the Barista Coffee outlet, as well as upgrades to the passenger Information Desk and other decor improvements will be undertaken.
During the refit period, the ropax has been replaced by the 'Stena Nordica' on the service.
Ian Davies, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea South), said: "Our ongoing ship refit programme is an important part of our business operation ensuring that our fleet operates to its maximum efficiently and is further evidence of Stena Line's rolling investment programme for the region.
"The 'Stena Europe' is an important part of our Irish Sea South fleet and we look forward to welcoming a revamped vessel back to our Rosslare/Fishguard service in the summer with the capacity to accommodate even more full-height trailers while still carrying up to 1, 400 passengers.
"This is an important year for Stena Line on the Irish Sea as preparations are made to receive the first of its new generation 'E-Flexer' series vessels, the 'Stena Estrid', which is scheduled to enter service on the Dublin/Holyhead route in early 2020, the first of three new 'E-Flexer' vessels bound for the Irish Sea region," he said.


text:
The Journey to Understanding One's Identity. > CULTURS — lifestyle media for cross-cultural identity
Mohamedhussein Raza's childhood curiosity led him to carefully examine his cultural DNA to uncover the ideal mix of influences that shape his modern identity.
Mohamedhussein was born and bred in Tanzania as a third-generation Indian immigrant, his struggle with consolidating his native and national identities is all too familiar to many in the age of globalization. His approach to solving this question has been to trace back to his ancestors and learn from how they, as immigrants from India, first settled into Tanganyika almost 100 years ago up. Leading up to now where he tells his journey of adaptation and cultural fluidity
In a 2021 TedTalk, Mohamedhussein discusses the early ancestry that ultimately led him to expand upon his curiosities and constantly seek new challenges. At the tender age of 13, Jaffer Ali, Mohamedhussein's great grandfather ran away from his home In India to get a job and help support his mom, dad, and many siblings. The job he managed to keep up for several years included selling day-to-day items to local villages; commuting by foot or via bicycle.
Not only did he work hard and proved his work ethic but, Jaffer brought 3 of his brothers from India to his work location in Tanganyika, Africa. Jaffer traveled throughout several locations in Africa, embracing the culture and life around him while he grew up and worked endlessly. Together Jaffer and his brothers started a business and families.
"This is the story I think of every time someone asks me: how is it that you say you are African?"
Cultural Fluid Mindset
Flash forward to today and Jaffer and his family have produced a family of over 1,000 people. All these people are connected back to his passionate journey of what 'home' is having such strong roots in Tanganyika (modern day Tanzania).
Furthermore, what many people fail to understand is how Jaffer grew up immersed in African culture and life. Jaffer and his decendants embraced the culture and learned the Swahili language. Mohamedhussein widens people's perspectives when he explains how deep third and fourth generation Indian immigrants have roots in Africa. Mohamedhussein is confident in his cultural identity and he is proud to say that he comes from Tanzania. Tanzania is home.
"I do not stop and think twice when somebody asks me where I am from…but I do think twice when somebody asks me about my culture."
-Mohamedhussein Raza's TedTalk
In response to this careful cultural examination, Mohamedhussein confidently believes in cultural fluidity and how we must adopt this mindset to preserve our cultures for the generations to come Born and raised in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Mohamedhussein Raza has always asked the question "why not?"; this simple practice has led him to expand upon his curiosities and constantly seek new challenges.
Eventually, obtaining a Bachelors in Business Management, he went on to join the family business and simultaneously co-founded an accessories brand called SHONA Tanzania.
SHONA Tanzia via instagram
Inspired by the vibrant culture of Africa and the unique skillsets of its people, Mohamedhussein and SHONA aim to celebrate the continent's creativity by creating meaningful accessories that give a sense of identity to those who use them.
In addition to his personal experiences, Mohamedhussein challenges his audience to answer the question of how one can discover the ideal 'cake mix' of their cultural identity.
(function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk/xfbml.customerchat.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
Previous articleGrowing Up in the Army: Parenthood
Next articleThe Famous TCK President > CULTURS — lifestyle media for cross-cultural identity
Leon Bridges and Cultural Mobility > CULTURS — lifestyle media for cross-cultural identity
Culture admin - January 21, 2022
TCK Musicians in the Spotlight > CULTURS — lifestyle media for cross-cultural identity
Why 'Black-ish' is the Show To Watch From a Cross-Cultural and Hidden Diversity Perspective > CULTURS — lifestyle media for cross-cultural identity


thanks for sharing. its helpful articles.
Mautic began with a single focus. Equality. The Mautic community believes in giving every person the power to understand, manage, and grow their business or organization. Mautic is focused on helping this belief become a reality by getting powerful marketing automation software into the hands of every person.
© 2019, Mautic. All Rights Reserved.


Oh Wonder + Irene Maggi live @ Circolo Magnolia, Milan.
In a quite freezing November night, NightGuide send me to photograph Oh Wonder playing at Circolo Magnolia in Milan with Miss. Irene Maggi as opening act.


These dreamy soft creations are perfect for garden or destination weddings. Light weight and yet so elegant, these designs are timeless and effortlessly comfortable yet exude elegance and celebrate a bride's curves. Designer Loft loves this new emerging designer.


text:
Riley-Smith Syndrome
Riley-Smith Syndrome. In: Bissonnette B, Luginbuehl I, Engelhardt T. Bissonnette B, & Luginbuehl I, & Engelhardt T(Eds.),Eds. Bruno Bissonnette, et al.eds. Syndromes: Rapid Recognition and Perioperative Implications, 2e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed January 18, 2021. https://accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2674&sectionid=220543397
Riley-smith syndrome. Bissonnette B, Luginbuehl I, Engelhardt T. Bissonnette B, & Luginbuehl I, & Engelhardt T(Eds.),Eds. Bruno Bissonnette, et al. (2019). Syndromes: Rapid Recognition and Perioperative Implications, 2e. McGraw-Hill. https://accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2674&sectionid=220543397
"Riley-Smith Syndrome." Syndromes: Rapid Recognition and Perioperative Implications, 2e Bissonnette B, Luginbuehl I, Engelhardt T. Bissonnette B, & Luginbuehl I, & Engelhardt T(Eds.),Eds. Bruno Bissonnette, et al. McGraw-Hill, 2019, https://accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2674&sectionid=220543397.
A rare malformation syndrome characterized by Macrocephaly, Autosomal dominant, Thyroid disease, Cancer, Hamartomata, Skin abnormalities (MATCHS) and due to mutations of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene (an acronym that stands for Phosphatase and TENsin homolog deleted on chromosome TEN). Multiple hemangiomata and lipomas. Subcutaneous hemangioma may be present at birth or appear later in childhood.
Macrocephaly Multiple Lipomas and Hemangiomata Syndrome; Macrocephaly, Pseudopapilledema and Multiple Hemangiomata Syndrome; Rovsing Syndrome; Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba Syndrome; Bannayan-Zonana Syndrome.
First described in 1986 as a different disease. It has been proposed that the three medical conditions: Bannayan-Zonana Syndrome, the Riley-Smith Syndrome, and the Ruvalcaba-Myhre-Smith Syndrome are similar entities and should be most appropriately represented as the Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba Syndrome.
Autosomal dominant.
Not known. Male predominance. However, females can be affected, although in a milder form which explains why it remains mostly undiagnosed.
Results from mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) gene. Gene map location is 10q23.3. The homologies displayed by the structure of PTEN suggested to the investigators that it may suppress tumor cell growth by antagonizing protein tyrosine kinases and that it may regulate tumor cell invasion and metastasis through interactions at focal adhesions.
Clinical. It is based on the association of macrocephaly, multiple lipomas, intestinal hamartomatous polyps, vascular malformations, and abnormal pigmentation of the penis. The definite diagnosis is determined genetically.
Multiple signs can be observed with relative frequencies: head anomalies (macrocephaly, scaphocephaly, down-slanting palpebral fissures, strabismus, amblyopia, prominent Schwalbe lines, hypertelorism, exotropia, pseudopapilledema tongue, polyps, high-arched palate), chest anomalies (pectus excavatum, supernumerary nipples), genital anomalies (enlarged penis, enlarged testis), abdominal anomalies (ileal hamartomatous polyps, colonic hamartomatous polyps, intussusceptions, rectal bleeding), neurological anomalies (hypotonia, seizures, thick corpus callosum, intracranial hemangioma), orthopedic anomalies (scoliosis, joint hyperextensibility, macrodactyly), and dermatological lesions (tan macules on the glans and the shaft of the penis, acanthosis nigricans, angiokeratoma, café-au-lait spots, lipomas, hemangiomas, cutis marmorata). The lipomas spontaneously regress with age. Motor and speech development are delayed, mild mental retardation, and incoordination are lifelong features. A myopathy caused by abnormal lipid storage can occur with proved muscle carnitine deficiency. Patients may have an increased risk of intracranial tumors. An increased incidence of Hashimoto thyroiditis has been suggested.
The presence of brain edema and raised intracranial pressure must be assumed until proven otherwise. Proper evaluation of the neurological functions, including CT scan must be obtained before anesthesia. It is essential to check the hemoglobin level and coagulation profile because of the risk of bleeding from the hemangioma. The association with arteriovenous malformations may impact ...


As the self-assessment tax deadline looms, you need to be aware of the tax implications on any gains from investing in cryptocurrencies.
Some investors benefit from the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) 'annual exemption' which means investors can make gains of up to £11,300 in the 2017/2018 tax year before any CGT is due.
Where capital gains exceeded £11,300 in the 2017/2018 tax year, there is a charge of 10% or 20% depending on whether the investor is a basic or higher rate tax payer.
HM Revenue & Customs guidance is that a tax liability could be due to anyone with is selling crypto-assets for money, exchanging crypto-assets for a different type, using crypto-assets to pay for goods or services, or giving away crypto-assets to another person.
This guidance may come as a surprise to cryptocurrency investors and it is therefore importance to obtain specialist professional advice.