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Top PDF Older Adults with Dementia Are Sedentary for Most of the Day.
Older Adults with Dementia Are Sedentary for Most of the Day.
dementia sample showed that physical factors as global motor function and gait speed were found to be positively associated with PA, but not lower global cognition [35]. Nevertheless, even after adjustment for age, global cognitive function (MMSE) and walking aid use, institu- tionalized vs. community-dwelling dementia patients had significantly lower total daily PA lev- els. So, other factors will also play a role here such as differences in physical environment and (absence of) PA policies in care institutions. Future research will have to characterize more comprehensively the influence of the physical environment and PA policies since these factors are understudied [35]. Active PA policies and the support of caregivers within care institutions may facilitate the PA behavior of institutionalized patients. However, the (absence of) PA poli- cies in institutions are not inventoried in this study. 'Activating care' is a recent development and not fully implemented yet. Our results suggest that a lot of work needs to be done here. The main PA peak in the early morning of institutionalized dementia patients seems to be related to their basic activities of daily living instead of organized activities. Future research on the effectiveness of PA policies in care institutions is warranted.
Sedentary behavior as a predictor of functional disability in older adults
Participants' mean age was 71.08 ± 7.77 years, ranging from 60 to 96 years, 65.1% women. Participants were predominantly married or lived with a partner (52.7%) or were residents of senior homes (54.8%). In relation to socioeconomic and employment statuses, 81.5% of the participants were retired or pensioners, and 51.4% and 33.2% belonged to the lowest socioeconomic strata C and D, respectively. The prevalence of functional di- sability in the study sample was 29.4%. The mean total time spent sitting was 576.51 ± 5.14 min/day. Distri- bution of age, years of education and variables related to physical activity and SB are shown in Table 1. When examining differences in the mean and frequency of the study variables between men and women, the only significant differences were found for variables related to physical activity level. Women presented lower time spent (min/day) in physical activity at work, transpor- tation and leisure activities. On the other hand, women spent significantly more time in physical activity per- taining to the domestic domain (Table 1).
Operationalized definition of older adults with high cognitive performance
Global cognition must also be evaluated in order to successfully select individuals with excellent memory performance. A low score on this type of test may indi- cate a subclinical pathologic process that does not affect the memory system. On the other hand, above average scores suggest that these individuals have an optimal performance when associated with unusually high memory scores. It is important to note that the cogni- tive evaluation typically performed in a neurological or psychiatric routine is essentially not a measure of global cognition. Some tools for dementia screening are excel- lent for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia staging but should be avoided as classi- fiers for "cognitively normal", such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) or the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). 62 A comprehensive and validated
Depression and quality of life in older adults: Mediation effect of steep quality
Depression was assessed by the Portuguese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). This scale is comprised by 21 items, divided into three scales (depres- sion, anxiety, and stress) with seven items each, and graded from 0 (It did not apply anything to me) to 3 (Applied to me most of the time). Participants evaluate the degree to which they experienced each symptom during the previous week. The results of the depression scale are determined by the sum of results of the seven items, where the mini- mum is 0 and the maximum 21. The highest scores on the depression scale correspond to negative emotional states (Pais-Ribeiro, Honrado, & Leal, 2004). The internal consis- tency for the present study, estimated by Cronbach's alpha, was .89.
Are older adults well sexually? Sexual well-being among a cross-national sample of older adults
(Lindau et al., 2007). A number of reasons have been discussed for this decline in activity. According to Lindau et al. (2007), older individuals who identify as showing fair or poor health were more likely to report sexual problems and were less likely to be sexually active than individuals showing good health. Furthermore, physical problems that come with age may contribute to low self-esteem, poor self-image, and diminished sexual responsiveness and sexual desire (Bachmann & Lieblum, 2004). Additionally, there are differences between sexes. The most noticeable changes in women are related to declining functioning of the ovaries. Women may experience vaginal dryness and atrophy, due to the gradual decline in levels of oestrogen in the body (DeLamater, 2012). Men commonly experience a slow decline in testosterone production. The refractory period is especially affected, that is, they need a longer time to regroup after orgasm before they can achieve another orgasm. Additionally, the most prominent change in male sexual function with age is erectile dysfunction (Kenny, 2013). The link between SWB and aging has been a neglected area of research, for a long time (Trudel et al., 2010). SWB from birth to the end of the fertile period is a well-researched subject in the social sciences. SWB and sexual development in old age, however, has received much less attention (DeLamater, 2012; Schwartz, Diefendorf & McGlynn-Wright, 2014); this is due to the widely held belief that older adults are asexual (Kenny, 2013). Moreover, late life sexuality has been often regarded as a medical and specialist research topic (Gott & Hinchliff, 2003). Indeed, treatment for common sexual medical conditions that occur in late life, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and risky sexual behaviour among older adults, are the most broached areas when considering older adults' SWB (Kenny, 2013; Lindau & Gavrilova, 2010).
Clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with referral of hospitalized elderly to palliative care
Along with cancer, advanced dementia is a major trigger of referral to exclusive palliative care; delirium, pressure ulcers and hypoalbuminemia are important predictors of death. Although few patients were under palliative care upon admission, many had been referred to palliative care by the end of hospital stay. Given hospitalized older adults may not have been screened for palliative care eligibility prior to admission, clinicians must be aware of factors indicative of poor prognosis, and take quick action to provide the best possible care for patients and respective caregivers and/or family members.
Neighborhood environmental characteristics and sedentary behavior in later life: the EpiFloripa Study
Favorable neighborhood environmental characteristics were associated to less time spent in sedentary behavior in older adults. The findings highlighted gender diffe- rences, with men reporting more neighborhood cha- racteristics associated to time spent in SB compared to women. Overall, our findings showed that access to shops, bus stop, leisure spaces, clubs and open air and indoor gyms was associated to spending less time in SB (i.e. a reduction between 25 and 49 minutes per day). For men, having access to various types of businesses and bus stops in the neighborhood was associated with reductions in time spent in SB greater than an hour (i.e. -66 and -78 minutes per day, respectively). Among women, a reduction between 25 and 32 minutes per day spent in SB was associated to the presence of gyms and leisure clubs both indoor or outdoor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Brazil to investigate the role of neighborhood environmental characteristi- cs as risk factors to reduce sedentary behavior in later life using an objective measure i.e. accelerometry. Older adults are more likely to be sedentary and this behavior has been measured by TV watching time 9,22,23 . Howe-
P ATTERNS OF SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR:I NSIGHTS FROM OBSERVATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
Evenson et al., 2012; Healy et al., 2011) and the least amount of time in MVPA. They are also the age group that has the highest prevalence of abdominal obesity, which is positively associated with multiple comorbidities (Sardinha et al., 2012). In older adults, positive associations have been found for overall sedentary time with increased BMI (Bell, Kivimaki, Batty, & Hamer, 2014; Nicklas et al., 2014; Stamatakis, Hirani, & Rennie, 2009), body fat mass (Chastin, Ferriolli, Stephens, Fearon, & Greig, 2012; Larsen et al., 2013; Swartz, Tarima, et al., 2011), and waist circumference (Stamatakis et al., 2009; Swartz, Tarima, et al., 2011), but only one study has examined how the pattern in which total sedentary time is accumulated may partially attenuate the negative effects of sedentary time (Chastin et al., 2012). This study using an objective method for assessing sedentary time (ActivPAL) found sedentary time fragmentation (calculated as the ratio of the number of sedentary bouts divided by the total sedentary time), to be inversely associated with the percentage of body fat. The different durations of uninterrupted bouts of sedentary time could be related with adiposity but was not investigated. Therefore, little is known about the thresholds for prolonged time spent in sedentary behavior or how long sedentary time must be interrupted before it exacerbates abdominal obesity odds. This knowledge may provide an insight into the patterns through which sedentary time influences this cardiovascular disease risk phenotype. In addition, this information may also have potential implications for novel strategies designed to decrease this behavior. Therefore, we sought to characterize the associations between physical activity dimensions and if different durations of continuous sedentary bouts were associated with the odds for abdominal obesity, in older adults.
How do formal caregivers experience the sexuality of older adults? Beliefs and attitudes towards older adults' sexuality
Firstly, for 'beliefs about the interest in sexuality', 'health limitations despite the desire' was the most reported category (83.3%). Previous studies have already shown that physical health, cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes and arthritis may influence the expression of sexuality (Helmes & Chapman, 2012; Lindau et al., 2007). Moreover, the functional level of residents in a nursing home may predict the attitudes towards sexuality in older adults, as showed by Bouman, Arcelus, and Benbow (2007) in a study using ASKAS (Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale). It appears that half of the participants consider older adults to be 'interested in sexuality' (50.0%), to have the 'need of expressing sexually' (33.3%) and believe that 'older adults have more sexual experience' (16.6%), which indicates some positive beliefs regarding sexuality in older people. This may be due to the fact that 66.7% of the participants had geriatric qualifications and worked for more than 5 years in the institution (50.0%). However, 33.3% reported that older adults are 'no interested in sexuality' and that older adults do 'not the same ability of expressing sexually' (33.3%), thus demonstrating some negative beliefs towards older adults' sexuality. Despite the shift in societal attitudes and the distancing from stereotypical perceptions of asexual old age, the social taboo associated with sexuality in older age prevails (Holmes, Reingold, & Teresi, 1997; Roach, 2004), and seems deeply rooted even in health care services. These results could be explained due to FCs likely considering most patients to be too sick to be interested in their sexuality as showed by Saunamäki, Andersson, and Engström (2010) in a study using the Sexual and Beliefs Survey in Sweden. The fact that this study's sample came from a nursing home, in which most residents were bedridden or had a severe cognitive impairment may explain these negative beliefs.
Cognitive decline is associated with risk aversion and temporal discounting in older adults without dementia.
Risk aversion and temporal discounting are preferences that are strongly linked to sub- optimal financial and health decision making ability. Prior studies have shown they differ by age and cognitive ability, but it remains unclear whether differences are due to age-related cognitive decline or lower cognitive abilities over the life span. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive decline is associated with higher risk aversion and temporal discounting in 455 older persons without dementia from the Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal co- hort study of aging in Chicago. All underwent repeated annual cognitive evaluations using a detailed battery including 19 tests. Risk aversion was measured using standard behavioral economics questions: participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary pay- ment versus a gamble in which they could gain more or nothing; potential gamble gains var- ied across questions. Temporal discounting: participants were asked to choose between an immediate, smaller payment and a delayed, larger one; two sets of questions addressed small and large stakes based on payment amount. Regression analyses were used to ex- amine whether prior rate of cognitive decline predicted level of risk aversion and temporal discounting, controlling for age, sex, and education. Over an average of 5.5 (SD=2.9) years, cognition declined at an average of 0.016 units per year (SD=0.03). More rapid cognitive de- cline predicted higher levels of risk aversion (p=0.002) and temporal discounting (small stakes: p=0.01, high stakes: p=0.006). Further, associations between cognitive decline and risk aversion (p=0.015) and large stakes temporal discounting (p=0.026) persisted in analy- ses restricted to persons without any cognitive impairment (i.e., no dementia or mild cogni- tive impairment); the association of cognitive decline and small stakes temporal discounting was no longer statistically significant (p=0.078). These findings are consistent with the hy- pothesis that subtle age-related changes in cognition can detrimentally affect individual preferences that are critical for maintaining health and well being.
Performance of the Pentagon Drawing test for the screening of older adults with Alzheimer's dementia
A total of 390 individuals were evaluated. Mean age was 77.78 ± 7.96 years and 71% were women. Regarding education, 57.4% had 2-4 years, 18.5% 5-8 years, and 24.1% had >8 years (Table 1). The AD group corre- sponded to 68.2% of the sample. This group was older, had a higher proportion of women, and was less educated than the control group (Table 1). The NC group consisted of 124 individuals. Only gender did not show a statistical difference (p = 0.146) (Table 1). The neuropsychological assessment using PDT scores for the MMSE and the Bourke et al. scale are summarized in Table 1. There was no difference between the groups according to scores on the PDT from the MMSE (p = 0.839). However, a significant difference was observed between the groups for the PDT scored by the Bourke et al. scale (p <0.001), and the NC group had a higher correct drawing percentage (85.5%) when compared with the AD group (66.9% incorrect drawing). Addi- tionally, PDT scores differed significantly between AD and NC groups across all educational levels (p <0.001) (Table 2).
Association of sedentary behavior with overweight and abdominal obesity in older adults
The present study shows some points that might be considered worthy of attention. Firstly, we highlight the inclusion of a high number of older adults, which con- sisted of a representative sample of the population ex- amined. In addition, all participants were first screened with the Mini-Mental State Examination according to schooling, minimizing the interference of education lev- el on the quality of self-reported information obtained with the questionnaire. As limitations, it is important to cite the use of a self-report instrument to assess sed- entary behavior. Self-report measures are dependent on participants memory and recall ability, which are more frequently compromised in older adults. In addition, self-report measures of sedentary behavior usually lead to underestimation of results. However, these types of in- struments are still commonly used in large-scale studies. In a systematic review of longitudinal studies conducted from 1996 and 2011, 46 of the 48 articles that met inclu- sion criteria used self-reported measures, which include total time watching television as well as other screen behaviors 30 . Thus, we believe that more studies using
Field Cancerisation of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract: Screening for Second Primary Cancers of the Oesophagus in Cancer Survivors
Tobacco, alcohol, and betel quid are the main causes of squamous cell cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract. These substances can cause multifocal carcinogenesis leading to multiple synchronous or metachronous cancers of the oesophagus, head and neck region, and lungs ('ield cancerisation'). Globally there are several million people who have survived either head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) or lung cancer (LC). HNSCC and LC survivors are at increased risk of developing second primary malignancies, including second primary cancers of the oesophagus. The risk of second primary oesophageal squamous cell cancer (OSCC) ranges from 8-30% in HNSCC patients. LC and HNSCC survivors should be ofered endoscopic surveillance of the oesophagus. Lugol chromoendoscopy is the traditional and best evaluated screening method to detect early squamous cell neoplasias of the oesophagus. More recently, narrow band imaging combined with magnifying endoscopy has been established as an alternative screening method in Asia. Low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) is the best evidence- based screening technique to detect (second primary) LC and to reduce LC-related mortality. Low-dose chest CT screening is therefore recommended in OSCC, HNSCC, and LC survivors. In addition, OSCC survivors should undergo periodic pharyngolaryngoscopy for early detection of second primary HNSCC. Secondary prevention aims at quitting smoking, betel quid chewing, and alcohol consumption. As ield cancerisation involves the oesophagus, the bronchi, and the head and neck region, the patients at risk are best surveilled and managed by an interdisciplinary team.
Cardiovascular control in experimental diabetes
of fluid balance, both by modulating the activity of the sympathetic nervous system on the cardiovascular system, and by acting on the kidney (48-50). Intravenous infusion of chemical substances like serotonin or stim- ulation of cardiopulmonary receptors pro- moting bradycardia and hypotension are methods used to evaluate the cardiopulmo- nary receptors (Bezold-Jarisch reflex). The renal response is a reduction of vascular resistance and efferent sympathetic activity (50). The reflex response obtained in our laboratory after the stimulation of cardiopul- monary receptors by injecting serotonin was similar for diabetic and control rats (48), suggesting that the cardiovascular response to stimulation of chemosensitive cardiac re- ceptors is preserved in the STZ-diabetic model. However, the reflex response induced by a similar plasma volume expansion and associated changes in left ventricle end dia- stolic pressure produced lower bradycardia and hypotension in diabetic than in control rats. Furthermore, the modulation of renal sympathetic activity was abolished in STZ animals. The physiological role of this al- tered response in diabetes could be associ- ated with renal dysfunction in the balance between sodium and water intake and up- take, changing the natriuretic and diuretic responses in this condition. The reduction in renal sodium excretion associated with a decrease in renal sympathetic activation was also described by Patel and Zhang (49). Indeed, the examination of the various com- ponents of the volume reflex in different models of diabetic rats indicated an altered neural component associated with a humoral component of the effector limb probably related to atrial natriuretic factor (50).
Dement. neuropsychol. vol.8 número4
General characteristics of the sample. Sociodemographic characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Mean age at baseline was 75.1 (SD 7.0) years; 25.4% of the sample was aged 80 years or older, 64.9% were female and 8.9% were living alone. Levels of education were relatively high, with only 2.5% illiteracy and 16.9% having at- tained tertiary education. here was a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and of chronic non-com- municable disease; more than 40% of participants were current smokers, 73.9% of participants had been told that they were hypertensive, 18.5% had received a diag- nosis of diabetes, and 7.8% reported a stroke diagnosed by a clinician.
' SILENT' LARYNGEAL FOREIGN BODY
ABSTRACT: Laryngeal foreign bodies in adults are rare. The foreign bodies accidentally entering the larynx are symptomatic in the form of choking, stridor or even death. We are presenting a rare case of foreign body in the larynx in a 42 year old male who was symptom free except for dysphonia. The foreign body was removed successfully under local anesthesia.
Rev. Saúde Pública vol.50 suppl.2 rsp s2 S01518
Among older adults who reported at least one of the eight chronic diseases, 583 speciic medicines were reported to treat those diseases, which, in diferent dosage forms (including ixed-dose combinations), totaled 17,634 reports. he 40 most frequently cited medicines accounted for 73% of reports. In 63% of cases these were medicines for high blood pressure or heart diseases and cholesterol control; 13% for diabetes; and 13% were psychoactive. Table 4 features the 10 most reported medicines by older adults, accounting for 49% of reports. he single most reported drug, considering only the number of reports within each disease separately, and not including ixed-dose combinations, was hydrochlorothiazide (9%), followed by losartan (8%), both reported for high blood pressure, heart diseases or stroke. Simvastatin, indicated for blood cholesterol control, was the third most reported drug (6%), followed by metformin for diabetes control (5%). he list was completed with enalapril (4%), captopril (9%), atenolol (6%), glibenclamide (4%), propranolol (2%), and furosemide (2, 0%), all reported for treating high blood pressure, with the exception of glibenclamide, used to treat diabetes.
Rev. Gaúcha Enferm. vol.34 número1
Therefore, in order to learn the degree of (in)dependence of the elderly, it is necessary to assess their functional ability, which is expressed through the performance of activities of daily living. The assessment of the functional ability is relevant and directly associated with indicators of quality of life of the elderly. The execution of activities of daily living is considered an accepted and legitimate parameter to establish this evaluation, which is used by professionals in health care to evaluate degrees of dependence in their patients. In this setting, it is possible to understand functional assessment, within a specific function, as the assessment of the ability to perform self-care and fulfill basic daily needs; that is, the execution of activities of daily living (4) .
Rev. Bras. Psiquiatr. vol.28 número3
but by comparing different degrees of religious involvement (from a non-religious to a deeply religious person). Church attendance, i.e. how often someone attends religious meetings, is one of the most widely used questions to investigate the level of religious involvement. Other questions are non-organizational religiosity (time spent in private religious activities such as prayer, meditation, and reading religious texts) and subjective religiosity (the importance of the religion in someone's life). However, caution is necessary in interpreting the relationship between private religious practices and health in cross-sectional studies. People may pray more while they are sick or under stressful situations. Turning to religion when sick may result in a spurious positive a s s o c i a t i o n b e t w e e n r e l i g i o u s n e s s a n d p o o r h e a l t h . Conversely, a poor health status could decrease the capacity to attend a religious meeting, in that way creating another bias on the association between religiousness and health. Finally, a very important dimension of religiosity is religious commitment, which reflects the influence that religious beliefs have on a person's decisions and lifestyle. According to the Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport 30 a persons'
The Economics of Sub-optimal Policies for Traffic Congestion
In order to try to alleviate its traffic congestion problem, Sao Paulo adopted in 1997 a circulation restriction known as "rodízio" (or "rotation"). The restriction consisted of cars with license plates terminated by 0 and 1 being prohibited to circulate around downtown on Mondays, cars with license plates terminated by 2 and 3 cannot circulate on Tuesdays, and so on. Even though this policy is in place for more than a decade, congestion is much higher now than in 1997. Mexico City adopts a similar policy, called "Hoy no Circula". Bogota has its version of the same policy called "Pico & Placa", among many other examples. Besides such command and control measures, cities also invest massive amounts of resources in infrastructure to try to reduce congestion.
Show all 10000 documents...
Top PDF Risk Factors for Aspiration Pneumonia in Older Adults. (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Peripheral interleukin-2 level is associated with negative symptoms and cognitive performance in schizophrenia (+10000 docs)
Top PDF The Association of Serum Leptin with Mortality in Older Adults. (+10000 docs)
Top PDF In fluence of schooling and age on cognitive performance in healthy older adults (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Operationalized definition of older adults with high cognitive performance (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Association of sedentary behavior with overweight and abdominal obesity in older adults (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Sedentary behavior as a predictor of functional disability in older adults (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Cognitive function and its associations in older adults from Amazonas, Brazil (+10000 docs)
Top PDF Cognitive decline is associated with risk aversion and temporal discounting in older adults without dementia. (+100 docs)
Top PDF Temporal Discounting Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Mortality among Community-Based Older Persons without Dementia. (+100 docs)
Cerebellar volume in patients with dementia
Most Caenorhabditis elegans microRNAs are individually not essential for development or viability.
When are we most vulnerable to temperature variations in a day?
Are the most plastic species the most abundant ones? An assessment using a fish assemblage.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tag Archives: Ivy League
BusinessWeek.com revises 2005 article on blogs because of 'longtail' traffic
BusinessWeek.com has looked to data from its web traffic to update a story originally published in 2005 (pointed out by The Bivings Report).
After seeing that their article 'Blogs Will Change Your Business' was continuing to attract significant traffic, authors Stephen Baker and Heather Green decided the demand for the information meant an updated version was necessary.
"Type in 'blogs business' on the search engine, and our story comes up first among the results, as of this writing. Hundreds of thousands of people are still searching 'blogs business' because they're eager to learn the latest news about an industry that's changing at warp speed. Their attention maintains our outdated relic at the top of the list. It's self-perpetuating: They want new, we give them old," wrote Baker and Green.
The article has not only been given the new headline 'Social Media Will Change Your Business', but now features annotations and updates from experts.
An editor's note at the top of the revised piece openly explains this strategy (emphasis is mine):
"When we published 'Blogs Will Change Your Business' in May, 2005, Twittering was an activity dominated by small birds. Truth is, we didn't see MySpace coming. Facebook was still an Ivy League sensation. Despite the onrush of technology, however, thousands of visitors are still downloading the original cover story.
"So we decided to update it. Over the past month, we've been calling many of the original sources and asking the Blogspotting community to help revise the 2005 report. We've placed fixes and updates into more than 20 notes; to view them, click on the blue icons. If you see more details to fix, please leave comments. The role of blogs in business is clearly an ongoing story.
"First, the headline. Blogs were the heart of the story in 2005. But they're just one of the tools millions can use today to lift their voices in electronic communities and create their own media. Social networks like Facebook and MySpace, video sites like YouTube, mini blog engines like Twitter-they've all emerged in the last three years, and all are nourished by users. Social Media: It's clunkier language than blogs, but we're not putting it on the cover anyway. We're just fixing it."
The original version still exists on the site, but directs readers to the updated piece. The writers have also been using their blog on the site to gain feedback from readers on what should be changed.
So that's re-optimising the article for search engines, meeting the demands of readers and promoting the site as an up-to-the minute information source, all rolled into one.
This entry was posted in Search, Traffic and tagged blogging, Business, editor, Facebook, Heather Green, Ivy League, Myspace, search engine, search engines, social media, social networks, Stephen Baker, Twitter, USA, web traffic, YouTube on May 28, 2008 by Laura Oliver.


text: Q: woocommerce update meta when refunded I am trying to update the post_meta of woocommerce order when ever a refund initiated manually in woocommerce admin. For this I tried woocommerce_order_processing_status_refunded as the order will be in wc-processing state before I initiate refunds. But the post_meta is not getting updated whereas, the same code worked perfectly when hooked to woocommerce_order_status_refunded. Any idea on how to use the refunds event only when the previous status is `wc-processing?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It was Darwin's position that, as the years passed, the new discoveries of science would make God and His Bible irrelevant. It's been over 150 years since Darwin's pronouncement, but the deeper we look, the more sophisticated and gloriously obvious the thumbprint of God becomes. In an interview with a Lynchburg newspaper reporter, the Genome Project scientists, upon grounds of anonymity, said what they have discovered is genius upon genius; far beyond evolution's hypothesis of time and chance. Today's most cutting edge science was recorded in God's book thousands of years ago.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of Glory. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. Jesus Christ is the only name by which man can be saved. Jesus Christ created the universe by the Word of the Father. He is the champion of Golgotha. Jesus Christ returns triumphantly at the great battle of Armageddon and sets up rule upon the earth for a thousand years. Jesus Christ is the center of our molecular structure and a myriad of other marvelous things. Would you like to personally know this saviour? Have you yet to become born-again - born a second time, this time of the Spirit? Imagine a brand new life free of guilt and shame. Imagine a life filled with eternal purpose and joy. Imagine participating in something so much bigger than yourself and so much bigger than the universe. Let today be your day of salvation. Click onto "Further with Jesus," for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God. NOW FOR TODAY'S SUBJECT.
MAN SAID: The Bible was written by mere men, not authored by the supposed God of that book. If there is a supreme being, He would be all religious thought, and any road would get you there.
Not only do the scriptures declare we are made out of words, but our very DNA does its work with a four-letter alphabet: It is structured in words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters and books, and onboard is a proofreading and editing system far beyond anything man has ever imagined. Our DNA is estimated to fill one thousand 500-page books. Science calls it "the book of life." How did the Bible know?
This is GodSaidManSaid feature article #568. These features, archived here in text and streaming audio, use a four-step proof text that certifies, by third party sources, the full inerrant veracity of God's Word, The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible. Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one. Thank you for coming. May the grace of our God shine upon you with light and truth.
The glorious beauty and unimpeachable supernatural truth of the scriptures will once again be demonstrated in this feature.
The believer, as he embraces the Word of God, inherits light. Jesus Christ is called, in Revelation, "The Word of God." God's Word is a "lamp unto our feet." Putting on the mind of Christ is growing in the Word—the light and the glory.
The most astonishing experiment performed by Garjajev's group is the reprogramming of the DNA codon sequences using modulated laser light. From their discovered grammatical syntax of the DNA language, they were able to modulate coherent laser light and even radio waves and add semantics (meaning) to the carrier wave. In this way they were able to reprogram in vivo DNA in living organisms by using the correct resonant frequencies of DNA. The most impressive discovery made so far is that spoken language can be modulated to the carrier wave with the same reprogramming effect. Now this is a baffling and stunning scientific discovery! Our own DNA can simply be reprogrammed by human speech, supposing that the words are modulated on the correct carrier frequencies!
Thousands of years before modern academia begins to arrive at an understanding, God's Word is already there declaring the end from the beginning and certifying the supernatural truth of Holy Writ. God's Word is true and righteous altogether, a place to build a life that lasts forever. Next week, God willing, we will pursue the amazing application of the knowledge of the oneness of words and light.


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The grand celebrations of the Independence Day take place at the Red Fort every year. The President of India delivers the "speech of nation" and the Prime Minister of India hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort. All this takes place on 15th August every year.
It's time to celebrate the United Cuisines of India in the Capital. The first edition of the Culture Ministry's flagship programme "Bharat Parv" is making waves across the city. Over the next few evenings, there will be a mega showcase of the culture and cuisines of India at various venues in the Capital, and the event culminates on August 15, Independence Day. "State-centric food stalls will be set up to give people an opportunity to experience cuisine from different parts of the country. Artistes from all over India have been invited to perform folk dance forms such as birha gayan, badhai, ghoomar, phag dance and bhaangda," said an official from the Culture Ministry, which has collaborated with Delhi Tourism and NDMC for the event. A highlight of the event will be the phase at at the Garden of Five Senses where popular street vendors from 13 states have been invited to put up their stalls.
Sources in the Culture Ministry says that the government is hosting Bharat Parv with an aim to "revive the cultural milieu in urban India" and the proposal is learnt to have been approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. Bharat Parv, which was inaugurated by Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma at Dilli Haat INA on Monday evening, comes in the backdrop of the government's 'Festivals of India' which are held overseas to build Brand India by showcasing the country's culture and heritage of the country. These events are a mix of dance performances, musical shows, literary meets and other theme-based cultural events and art exhibitions. "With Bharat Parv, the aim is to replicate such events in India as well. We will start with the metros first, and then assess if such events can be scaled up to smaller cities as well," said the official.
← Rebel military-type training conducted in the highlands of Ra has been uncovered….


text:
Letter to the PRT (Combatiente)
Ernest Mandel et al. Print
From International Internal Discussion Bulletin, Vol.10 No.7, June 1972, pp.22-26.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for the Marxists' Internet Archive.
Dear Comrades:
The balance sheet on Latin America is one of the central tasks in preparing for the approaching Tenth World Congress. The IEC plenum will be the first opportunity to make a tentative evaluation and to make more precise the points of view of the International leadership and the sections most directly involved, in the first place the Argentine and Bolivian sections. We hope you will be able to overcome all the technical difficulties and assure the active participation of a representative delegation from your party.
We think it necessary, however, to raise a few questions before the plenum takes place. It seems to us that this should facilitate the necessary clarification.
In the first place, we want to point out that whatever differences of judgment we may arrive at, the struggle the PRT and ERP have carried forward since the Fifth Congress represents an unquestionable gain for the Trotskyist and revolutionary movement. The party has profoundly changed the spirit and style of work of its members; it has launched an armed struggle that rapidly acquired considerable dimensions; it has won the status of being the largest organization fighting in this field; it has won great sympathy from proletarian and popular layers, making itself a real factor in the political battle in the country. The party has experimented with advanced forms of struggle, laying a basis for solving the decisive problem of the relationship between armed struggle and the mass movement.
It is absolutely lamentable that this lesson has not been learned by a minority of the International and that Trotskyist organizations have publicly dissociated themselves from PRT-ERP actions at precisely the moment when they should have shown the most complete solidarity with, the Argentine comrades, the target of furious attacks from the world bourgeoisie. Moreover, it is inadmissible that the La Verdad group launched attacks on the Argentine section. This group nevertheless obtained – with the agreement of the PRT delegate – the status of sympathizing organization. This group, which provoked the party split in 1968, has lost sight of its most elementary obligations, devoting itself to factional maneuvers, attacking Latin American sections in its press, as well as the International leadership, and completely disregarding the decisions of the Ninth Congress. It has confirmed its profoundly opportunist and tail-endist orientation and methodology by hurrying to give a "left" cover to tricky maneuvers of the dictatorship and carrying out an unprincipled fusion with a socialist party lacking any revolutionary tradition and without the slightest real influence among the masses.
Having said all this, what are the questions facing the party, questions that have prompted us to send this letter?
At the beginning of a discussion that will necessarily be very full, we limit ourselves to indicating them as succinctly as possible.
We repeat: the actions developed by the party and the ERP since the Fifth Congress have had an indisputable impact, they have helped to counteract the dictatorship's maneuvers, they have gotten a considerable response among the popular strata, they have mobilized a sizable vanguard in struggle. But has the political line developed up to now really been able to establish a solid relationship between armed struggle and the concrete dynamic of the mass movement?
This question is all the more pertinent inasmuch as the armed struggle was not initiated during a defensive or stagnant stage but during a period of impetuous advance by the masses and, more particularly, by the most advanced proletarian sectors in the epicenters of social confrontation in the country. In such a context a linkup between the guerrillas and the mass struggle was objectively possible. In fact this was beginning to take place during the high point of the Córdoba mobilization, in the early months of 1971. The intervention in FIAT, the active participation of the ERP in the Viborazo [second Córdoba uprising], and even the action against Sylvester went precisely in this direction.
But these possibilities have not been exploited adequately and the actions during the last year have marked a regression from the standpoint of political content. This is the conclusion we draw based on the information at our disposal (above all, the party's communiqués, bulletins, and public press).
Perhaps this is owing to conjunctural factors and has only a purely tactical meaning? This is a question that deserves to be cleared up.
In our opinion there have been errors of estimate in judging the level attained by the armed struggle. The party has not made a clear distinction between an embryonic stage of civil war in which urban guerrilla actions are developing and a situation of revolutionary war in the strict sense. Thus there is a tendency to project and carry out actions suited to the second kind of situation but which involve very grave material and political dangers in the first kind of situation. This can be verified concretely from one angle that cannot be considered secondary. The enemy has to a large degree perfected his technique of repression, making a qualitative leap in this regard. The armed organizations have not been able to respond on the same level. As a result, while certain types of action have not ceased, they have become much less frequent. For others the price paid has been high (sacrifice or capture of many members and leaders, etc.). The action against Sallustro has clearly shown how objectives not commensurate with the relationship of forces can only lead into an impasse.
In general, the strategy of armed struggle has not been defined in a rounded way, and it is in this area, above all, that a discussion is necessary. At its Fourth Congress, the PRT correctly considered that the class struggle in Argentina had reached a stage where armed struggle was on the agenda. At its Fifth Congress it created the instrument to begin this struggle, the ERP. But its orientation underwent oscillations and rectifications. The Fourth Congress had given priority to rural guerrilla war based not only on "technical," but also social and political considerations. Taking into account the new situation created by the upsurge of 1969, the Fifth Congress proposed, although in insufficiently clear terms, combining rural guerrilla warfare and urban guerrilla warfare. In practice there is no doubt that the actions actually carried out were of an urban guerrilla type. But these rectifications were made in a fundamentally empirical way without undertaking a new overall definition. And, what is worse, we repeat, the urban guerrilla actions marked a regression from the standpoint of political content, despite an objective situation marked by repeated mass mobilizations.
Let's avoid any misunderstandings. We are not unaware of the fact that the PRT-ERP has never stopped initiating actions and that at times these actions have had very great impact in Argentina and elsewhere, proving to all that it had in no way been paralyzed by the repression. But in most cases these actions have been dictated much more by the need to defend or rescue cadres and activists and by logistic needs, than by a determined political end, by a long-range plan.
We have already mentioned the question of a strategic orientation for the armed struggle. But what is decisive in the end is the relationship between armed struggle and the dynamic of the mass movement. The objective conditions in the country (a profound crisis of the system, a high level of combativity on the part of the masses, the maturing of a broad social vanguard on different levels) make possible a direct linkup between the mass struggle and the armed struggle of the specialized detachments. This task remains unaccomplished.
We know that the PRT is not unaware of the problem. The attempt to create rank-and-file committees was aimed precisely at providing the party with the instruments for establishing a presence – legal or illegal – among themass-es. But up to now mass struggle and armed struggle have simply been juxtaposed. The lack of a clear, overall strategic line, and the choice of armed actions of a certain type – a choice which in turn has largely followed from a certain estimation of the situation – has prevented the PRT, despite the prestige it has won, from winning any real political or organizational influence among the masses, in the trade unions, etc., as well as from building a real network of rank-and-file committees that would be able to go beyond sporadic actions.
Inasmuch as various articles and statements in the PRT publications have put forward some rough generalizations aimed at clarifying perspectives, we believe we see two essential ideas. The first idea – linked to the perspective of rural guerrilla war – is derived from the experience of China and Vietnam; this is the perspective of creating red zones, that is, zones which can escape control by the central power and represent the base of the people's army. Although we do not exclude this varient for Latin American countries, including Argentina, it would, nevertheless, be a mistake to fail to recognize that the conditions of the revolutionary dynamic in China, namely (1) the socio-economic composition of the country, i.e., highly agricultural; (2) the existence of a party – prior to the launching of the peasant war – that had a very broad mass influence and was linked to the world Communist movement and through this to the tradition of the October Revolution; (3) the paralysis of the native ruling classes because of domestic as well as international reasons. Similar considerations hold for Vietnam, with qualification that since the conflict took on international scope Vietnam could count on the indispensable logistic support of the workers states. In all of this there is no analogy with the current situation in Argentina.
The second idea, which is more relevant to the perspective of urban guerrilla war and which corresponds more closely to the country's structure, involves a conception of areas of a certain measure of dual power in the poor neighborhoods – like the Algerian Casbah before the great roundups – a sea in which the combatants would be able to swim like fish. Leaving aside their propaganda value, the food distribution actions in the last analysis fit into this perspective. But it is one thing to carry out actions that take the enemy by surprise and win sympathy from a certain milieu and another to be able to really consolidate red bases in the urban areas. This could only come about if there were a very advanced crisis of the central power and the party already had a broad and solid base. These conditions clearly do not obtain, and it is impossible to see how they could be created in the immediate future.
Furthermore, all these questions should be raised in the context of a continually updated analysis of the situation in the country. Let us start from the analysis developed in one of the most recent issues of Combatiente that we have received (July 30, 1972). The article speaks of "three forms that the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie could theoretically take in the coming months ... A Brazilian type dictatorship, a populist coup of the Peruvian type, an acuerdist [from Gran Acuerdo Nacional – Great National Accord] coup or changes in the present government favoring acuerdismo," and it adds that the third variant is the most likely.
In its general lines this analysis seems to 'us to be well founded. But if the third variant is really the most probable, what conclusion follows from this? It follows that the government will have to maneuver with the mass movement, seek to gain time through economic as well as political concessions, let the masses enjoy a relative freedom of action.
Such a situation can be exploited for the benefit of the revolutionary movement on condition of avoiding any confusion in the area of analysis and perspectives. It will be necessary, above all, to combat any tendency to interpret the period of partial "democratization" ahead, if our hypothesis proves correct, as implying a perspective of "democratization" for an entire stage permitting full development of the mass movement, of the unions, and of the working-class organizations, with steadily widening gains. It must never be forgotten that there are no objective possibilities for the installation of a populist democratic regime in Argentina and that an experience like that of Peronism in 1945 can never be repeated. In the last analysis, the regime cannot achieve a stage of even relative stabilization, of economic growth, without super-exploiting the working class and breaking its strength on the trade-union as well as the political level. That is why, aside from a "democratic" interlude, the bourgeoisie cannot aim at any alternative save the Brazilian type. For this reason, from the working-class point of view, it is necessary to reject emphatically any orientation that involves disarming the armed-struggle organizations as well as any concession to spontaneist insurrectionalist views that lead in practice to allowing large-scale clashes to occur between an all-powerful repressive apparatus and empty-handed masses.
On the other hand, an opposite danger would be to fail to grasp all the potentialities of the stage looming up, to believe that the action of small armed groups could block such a variant from taking place (which means relying on the logic that the worse things are the better the chances for revolution, which revolutionists concerned about the interests and feelings of the masses cannot do), and failing to make the indispensable tactical adjustments. Such an attitude would lead to adventurism and would rapidly have very negative results.
Let us make it clearer. Above all, what has to be understood is that over and above the "acuerdist" bloc's proposals, and all the diversionist maneuvers, the "democratic" interlude will in any case be marked by great mass struggles, by a deepgoing process of clarification and de-mystification. (The Peronist movement will be the first to find itself facing agonizing choices.) A very rapid maturation of a very broad social vanguard will take place. In the framework of this perspective, developing direct ties with the masses in the union and political area assumes an absolute and immediate priority and all initiatives in the armed struggle must be subordinated to this task. The PRT and ERP should be prepared to assign their best cadres to the mass movement, cadres equipped with a rounded political education. And at the same time the defense of the mass mobilizations and actions from the attacks of the enemy should be assured. Only to the degree that they effectively exploit the possible "democratic" interval will the revolutionists be able to go over from an armed struggle, which consists essentially of urban guerrilla warfare carried on by specialized detachments, to an armed struggle in which sectors of the masses will be directly involved and where cadres coming directly from the working class and the most exploited layers of the population will play a role of primary importance.
It is necessary to prepare for this perspective with the greatest energy.
The Uruguayan example shows the difficulties and dangers that the PRT must confront. In spite of their strength and popularity – which were unquestionably greater than those of the ERP – the Tupamaros, far from exploiting the electoral interlude for their own benefit, have been placed in a very difficult situation.
There are, essentially, two reasons for this. In the first place, the Tupamaros did not succeed in building instruments that could maintain close links between the armed struggle and the masses. As a result, the traditional left organizations, mainly the CP and the CNT [Confederacion Nacional de Trabajadores], retained substantial dominance over the working-class and petty-bourgeois layers, and were thus able to lead and canalize the great mass mobilizations. In the second place, the Tupamaros endorsed the Broad Front in which workers parties allied themselves with bourgeois currents in backing a bourgeois personality for president. Such an operation did nothing but obscure the perspective for a revolutionary struggle which would not have an abstract anti-imperialist and democratic content, but a concrete anticapitalist dynamic, excluding any alliances with the bourgeoisie, or even sections of it. Support to the Broad Front could only promote all kinds of petty-bourgeois deformations, even among the combatants themselves.
Clarity on these key questions is absolutely necessary in Argentina also. We have already pointed out that the inability of the PRT until now to translate the prestige gained by its actions and the heroic sacrifice of its members into concrete gams in the working class, the unions, etc., represents a serious negative entry in the ledger. Judging from some resolutions and bulletins, we must say that this situation has been made worse by a very dangerous kind of political confusion. It is significant, moreover, that the PRT has not felt the need to express a criticism of the Tupamaros' attitude toward the Broad Front.
Obviously there may also be bourgeois sectors that oppose a fascist and military dictatorship and the revolutionary party should, naturally, exploit the contradictions of its adversary. But this does not in any way justify a political line of a united front with the bourgeoisie or with any part of it. It never justifies using formulations like those introduced in one Executive Committee resolution, which characterized the ENA, petty-bourgeois formation, and even bourgeois sectors, as "strategic allies." (See Bulletin 23.)
Above all, an alliance – which is necessary – with social layers cannot be confused with an alliance with political formations that have influence at certain periods in these layers (the Bolsheviks struggled hard against the Social Revolutionaries precisely to take away their peasant base). Furthermore, when you talk about a strategic alliance with the ENA, you are either using the term "strategic" incorrectly or falling into a centrist, opportunist amalgam. In reality our strategic perspective can have absolutely nothing to do with that of the ENA or any other petty-bourgeois formation: it is diametrically opposed. Their objective is to build a democratic regime, to bring about a bourgeois-democratic stage, as distinct from the socialist stage, which they relegate to the distant future. Our objective is to stimulate a dynamic of permanent revolution.
The PRT must explain without any ambiguity that taking advantage of legal or semilegal opportunities, exploiting a possible "democratic" interlude, in no way implies the slightest compromise, the slightest alliance with the bourgeoisie or with petty-bourgeois formations in its tow. The party must explain that while it might make tactical agreements with the Argentine CP, and even participate in a campaign around a common candidate of the workers organizations that call for socialism, it will not make the slightest concession to the CP's strategy and general methodology or those of other similar formations.
Any lack of clarity in this regard would be catastrophic for accomplishing the key political task, demystifying Peronism, which continued to be the main obstacle blocking the Argentine working class from achieving its political independence as a class. The Peronist movement is condemned to be more and more violently shaken by its contradictions. But these contradictions can only be taken advantage of to advance the consciousness of the proletariat and to build a mass revolutionary party if the vanguard expresses an absolutely clear conception and orientation.
Clarity, even terminological clarity, is very necessary, since confused and openly mistaken orientations have been shown by even the sector of the international workers movement that has contributed the most in the past fifteen years to advancing the revolution in Latin America. Since the comrades of the PRT themselves have asked us questions in this respect, we will therefore make clear our opinion of the current political line of the Cuban leaders.
The Fourth International is the communist organization that has most energetically and enthusiastically defended the Cuban revolutionaries, whom the supporters of Moscow as well as Peking have frequently characterized in the past as ultraleftists or petty-bourgeois adventurers. We have stated that there is a qualitative difference between Cuba and the other workers states in that Cuba has not undergone bureaucratic degeneration. We have never indulged in facile criticisms and denunciations raising the cry of "betrayal" as have, however, some "friends" of Cuba, including even some armed-struggle organizations of Castroist origin.
This does not keep us from saying that bureaucratic tendencies have developed and that, to the degree that Cuba remains isolated and severely restricted by its need for aid from the Soviet bureaucracy, these will inevitably increase. Proletarian democracy based on organs of a soviet type, councils elected by the workers and peasants with members subject to immediate recall and structured in such a way as to form the real backbone of the workers state, do not exist in Cuba. This fundamental lack cannot be compensated for by the existence of other organs that play only a partial role, nor by the prestige of Fidel and the direct ties he and other leaders strive to maintain with the masses. Neither can it be claimed that the party bases itself in practice on democratic centralism as Lenin conceived it. It is enough to record that not a single congress has been held up until now – thirteen years after the fall of Batista and more than ten years after the official proclamation of the new Communist Party – and that the differences expressed in the leadership bodies are kept from the masses.
But it is some of the Cuban leaders' attitudes on the international level that we find most alarming. We by no means minimize the serious difficulties Cuba has to overcome. We understand the full meaning of what Fidel said last July 26:
"When the hour of revolution comes for Latin America we have to integrate ourselves with the workers, with the workers and peasants, with the revolutionists. But this is being delayed. We cannot plan on an event that may be postponed for ten, fifteen, twenty or twenty-five years – as the most pessimistic say. Meanwhile, what shall we do? A small country, surrounded by capitalists, blockaded by Yankee imperialists. We will integrate ourselves economically into the socialist camp!"
We do not in any way question the right – and the duty – of the Cuban leaders to establish economic and military agreements with the Soviet Union. But the problem is whether or not this involves subordination to the conceptions of the bureaucracy, whether or not the interests of the revolutionary struggle are sacrificed to the interests of a certain international policy. When, on his return from Moscow, Fidel praised the USSR unqualifiedly as a country where Marxism-Leninism reigned in the spirit of the October Revolution; when he unreservedly eulogized bureaucrats like Brezhnev and company; he sacrificed the needs of the fundamental struggle of the worker and peasant masses against this bureaucracy, which he himself has criticized in the past, to the needs of diplomacy. Likewise, he certainly doesn't help the struggle of the revolutionists when he goes even further than the leaders of many Communist parties in exalting the super-bureaucratic Husak regime that organized trials in the purest Stalinist tradition against revolutionists and Communist Party and union members, whose crime was to oppose a bureaucratic regime that is no more than a blood-stained caricature of socialism.
But this has more direct consequences. The Cuban leaders have put a damper on the criticisms they made in the past of the Latin American CPs – criticisms that were correct and indispensable – thus refusing to carry forward the struggle against opportunist and centrist deviations and, objectively, helping to maintain illusions about these parties. And, still worse, they have taken completely wrong positions toward certain bourgeois regimes in Latin America. We repeat once again that we are not trying to put in question the right of a workers state to take advantage of the room for maneuver offered by interbourgeois struggles. But when the Cubans characterize the Peruvian army and the Velasco Alvarado regime as revolutionary, when they keep quiet about the repression against the Peruvian workers and revolutionists, they are adopting an opportunist attitude that we must criticize for the important reason that it involves confusion about the role to be played by bourgeois sectors in the Latin American revolution.
Precisely because the Cuban leaders are not bureaucrats, what we have just pointed out indicates the degree to which the Soviet bureaucracy still exercises its international influence, including in Latin America. Behind the Communist parties and their strategy, which remains profoundly opportunistic, behind the conceptions of revolution by stages and alliances with the "national bourgeoisie" – alliances that are more or less realized – lies the strategy and pressure of the Moscow bureaucracy. On the other hand, the events in Ceylon and Pakistan, the triumphant receptions of people like the queen of Iran in Peking confirm that the Chinese leaders play an analogous role. The inescapable conclusion is that Stalinism is not dead, is not a phantom, but a powerful reality, the reality of those bureaucratized parties and regimes. For this reason a struggle against Stalinism continues to be an elementary need, including in Argentina, whatever positions may be adopted conjuncturally by other revolutionary currents and in the first place, the current represented by the Cuban leaders who have to their credit the historic achievement of having established the first workers state on the American continent.
We consider that a discussion is necessary around all these questions and that it can develop positively in the coming months within the framework of preparation for the Tenth World Congress. The entire International looks forward to your contribution with the greatest interest.
Ernest, Livio, Pierre, Sandor, Tariq, Delphin [1]
1. Ernest is Ernest Mandel, Livio is Livio Maitan, Pierre is Pierre Frank, Sandor is Hubert Krivine, Tariq is Tariq Ali and Delphin is Alain Krivine.


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After a year in which the pace of change in the world of exchange-traded derivatives moved at warp speed, it is hard to imagine that 1999 could promise more of the same. But that is exactly what most observers are now predicting.
The birth of a single currency, the continued switch to electronic trading, and the further blurring of boundaries between the over-the-counter and exchange-traded markets should all ensure that the revolution proceeds apace.


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Dan Enos to face Central Michigan program he 'put (his) heart and soul into'
As Miami (Fla.) get set to play Central Michigan on Saturday, the game will have sentimental value for Miami offensive coordinator Dan Enos.
Dan Enos to face Central Michigan program he 'put (his) heart and soul into' As Miami (Fla.) get set to play Central Michigan on Saturday, the game will have sentimental value for Miami offensive coordinator Dan Enos. Check out this story on detroitnews.com: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2019/09/16/miami-hurricanes-dan-enos-put-his-heart-and-soul-into-central-michigan/2347197001/
Dan Furones, Sun Sentinel Published 6:30 p.m. ET Sept. 16, 2019
Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator and former Michigan State quarterback Dan Enos will face his former program when the Hurricanes take on Central Michigan on Saturday. (Photo: Daniel A. Varela, Associated Press)
Coral Gables, Fla. — As the Miami Hurricanes get set to play Central Michigan on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, the game will have sentimental value for Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator Dan Enos.
Enos was head coach of the Chippewas from 2010-2014 before leaving to be offensive coordinator at Arkansas for three seasons. After a brief stint as offensive assistant at Michigan during the 2018 offseason, he joined Nick Saban at Alabama as the team's quarterbacks coach last season before arriving in Coral Gables.
"I was putting my heart and soul into the program, and (the president and administration) were not putting their heart and soul into Dan Enos," said the former Michigan State quarterback, who was 26-36 at Central Michigan. "When you put your heart and soul in something, you want people giving you that same type of backup in return, and I just felt like, after five years, we just weren't getting that.
"Our best move for my family at that time in my career was to take the opportunity that (Arkansas coach Bret) Bielema gave me."
Despite his unceremonious departure from Central Michigan, Enos spoke positively about his stint in Mount Pleasant.
"My time there, with the people that I was able to work with, from a day-to-day standpoint – the staff, the operations, the trainers, the strength staff, everything – was A-plus," Enos said. "Loved the players and everything, but at that time, it was just time to move on."
Enos said eventually he would like to be a head coach again.
"Absolutely, if the opportunity presents itself," Enos said. "I'm a different person than I was in 2009 when I got that job. I'm in a different place. I think sometimes when you're young in your career, you're consumed with being a head coach. That's just the ultimate goal, but then as you move through life, you realize that sometimes better opportunities – 'I don't have to be a head coach,' is what I'm trying to say.
"I love being a coordinator. I love coaching offense, calling plays, coaching quarterbacks, and when you're head coach, some of that stuff, you can't do."
But before anyone comes calling for Enos to lead their program, Enos' immediate concern is on preparing his offense for the Chippewas, who are 2-1 with wins over Albany and Akron. They also suffered a 61-0 loss at Wisconsin.
Miami coach Manny Diaz noted Monday that Central Michigan will bring a well-designed offense under coach Jim McElwain, who previously coached the Florida Gators.
Enos said Monday he was pleased with the play of quarterback Jarren Williams, who was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his three-touchdown performance in Saturday's 63-0 win over Bethune-Cookman.
"I thought he did a real good job responding to a little adversity," Enos said. "Every game is not just 'Oh, here we go – completion, completion, completion.' There's adversity, there's ups and downs. It's handling success and handling adversity at that position."
Williams appeared to build chemistry on deep throws to sophomore receiver Mark Pope, who had career highs with three receptions and 92 yards.
"For the first time in a game except a couple of flashes in practice, he looked like the explosive, fast receiver that I heard a lot about when I first got here," Enos said. "He is starting to feel more comfortable. We're seeing an example of Mark understanding what he's supposed to do and then we're seeing his athleticism take over."
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Mr. Samuel Leslie Underwood, Green Co., KY (1931-2017)
He led a life of distinguished service, church and civic involvement, and in his professional life as a Certified Cancer Registrar. He was a graduate of Campbellsville College (now University), and an outstanding farmer.He loved his "Edge O Green Farm" of green fields and registered Angus Cattle. He subscribed to best-farm practices and left it a better farm. His wife of 61 years, Helen Sandidge Underwood, survives
Mr. Samuel Leslie Underwood, 86, of Green County, Kentucky, departed this life on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at Bluegrass Way in Campbellsville, KY. .
A memorial service for Mr. Samuel Leslie Underwood will be conducted at 11amCT, Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the Greensburg Presbyterian Church, 119 N Main Street, Greensburg, KY, with Rev. Charlie Taylor officiating. Diana Goff, Brenda Patterson, and Lesa Bradshaw Register Attendants. Visitation is requested after 8amCT, Wednesday at the Greensburg Presbyterian Church until time of the memorial service. Cowherd and Parrott Funeral Home, 206 S Main Street, Greensburg, KY, in charge of the service arrangements. Mr. Underwood bequeathed his body to the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Mr. Samuel Leslie Underwood of Green County, Kentucky, son of the late Jefferson Leslie Underwood and Jennings Adeline Wilson Underwood, was born on January 24, 1931 and departed this life on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at Bluegrass Way in Campbellsville. He was 86 years and 23 days of age.
He had made a profession of faith in Christ and was a member of the Greensburg Presbyterian Church serving as Elder, Trustee, member of the choir and served one term as member of the Finance Committee of Louisville Presbytery (now Mid-Kentucky Presbytery).
He was retired from University of Louisville Hospital as a Certified Cancer Registrar with 38 years of service. He continued to work part-time as a Certified Cancer Registrar in the Cancer Program at Taylor Regional Hospital for another 14 years. He was a member of the National Cancer Registrars Association, The Louisville Cancer Registrars Association (serving one term as President), and affiliated with the Kentucky Cancer Program.
Sam was a Veteran of the Korean War having served in the United States Air Force serving with the 39th Fighter Interception. He was assigned to the Strategic Air Command and stationed at March Field in California upon return to the States and served temporarily in England.
He is a 50 year member of the Lions Club, 38 year member of Shepherdsville Lions Club serving as Secretary, President, Zone Chairman, Region Chairman and District Governor in District 43N in 1972, Trustee of Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and member of Holloran Trust Committee providing housing for students attending Kentucky School for the Blind. He was recipient of Melvin Jones Fellow and Finis Davis Fellow. He transferred his membership to Campbellsville Lions Club in 2002 and has continue to serve in Lionism for 50 years plus.
Sam was a graduate of Campbellsville College (presently Campbellsville University) with a major in English. He loved his "Edge O Green Farm" of green fields and registered Angus Cattle. He subscribed to best-farm practices and left it a better farm.
Mr. Underwood is survived by his wife of 57 years, Helen Sandidge Underwood of Green County, KY. Other survivors include:
Step-sister: Bettye Jane Underwood Rafferty and her husband, Carroll of Campbellsville, KY
A step-brother: Robert Wilson Underwood and his wife, Teressa of Alabama
and step-nieces and step-nephews.
Besides his parents, Mr. Underwood was preceded in death by his step-father and step-mother: Robert Frank Underwood and Hallie Ingram Underwood; step-sisters: Mary Susan Underwood Dobson and Shirley Ann Underwood Thompson.
The family has asked that expressions of sympathy take the form of memorial donations to the following: Greensburg Presbyterian Church, Greensburg Cemetery, or the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation which can be made at the funeral home or the church.
Send condolences to the family of Mr. Samuel Leslie Underwood
2017-02-17 - 206 S Main Street, Greensburg, KY - Photo Cowherd & Parrott Funeral Home.
Elizabeth Sue King, 71, Campbellsville, KY (1945-2017)
Judy M. Johnson, 72, Adair Co., KY (1944-2017)
Kenneth Vibbert, 66, Cumberland Co., KY (1950-2017)
Rita Pearl Cooksie, 87, Cumberland Co. native/formerly of Adair (1929-2017)
Mr. Raymond Lewis Jones, 60, Green Co., KY (1956-2017)
Mr. Larry David (Tub) Stalcup, Burkesville, KY (1947-2017)
Johnny Ray Rucker, Jr, Casey Co., KY (1964-2017)
Harold Atwood, Casey County, KY (1939-2017)
Dimple Marie Shaw Smith, 90, Summer Shade, KY (1926-2017)
Sad word of the passing of Mr. Larry (Tub) Stalcup, 69, Burkesville, KY


The IT Support Analyst is required to prioritise and respond to email and phone requests, as well as manage their progress and escalations through the ITIL framework.
The person will report to the ICT Technical Project Manager.
Our team is quite small so we need someone that can work in that environment and support others.


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'Don't never mention 'Ye name. I birthed you': Kanye West, Drake respond to Kid Cudi's Twitter rant
Kid Cudi, who has previously collaborated with both artists, seemingly out of the blue unleashed a Kanye-esque Twitter rant, suggesting both rappers use ghost writers
Don't mess with Kanye.
Sadaf Ahsan
It doesn't do well to sleep in the hip-hop world, where if you close your eyes for a minute, you may just wake up with a whole new rivalry on your hands, which is exactly what happened between Kid Cudi, Kanye West and Drake on Wednesday.
Kid Cudi, who has previously collaborated with Kanye, unleashed a Twitter rant worthy of his mentor, suggesting both rappers use ghost writers and take advantage of their respective teams — including, one might assume, himself.
Declaring the pair "don't give a f—k about me," Cudi may be referring to Drake and Kanye's recently announced joint mixtape. Having previously worked on Kanye's 808s and Heartbreaks, Cudi was signed to G.O.O.D. Music at the time, also featuring on Yeezus, while Kanye appeared on Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of the Day and its follow-up.
Cudi left G.O.O.D. Music in 2013, making it clear that the Yeezus track "Guilt Trip" was made and published without his permission. Since then, Kanye has always insisted the pair have been on good terms, with Cudi returning to work with Kanye on two tracks for The Life of Pablo.
Nonetheless, it seems Cudi has reached his limit.
https://twitter.com/KidCudi/status/776091689211400192
All my youngins out here reppin, Asap Rocky and the whole ASAP family, Travis Scott, SuperDuper Kyle, Audio Push, Hit Boy, etc, I see yall
— The Chosen One (@KidCudi) September 14, 2016
Of course, one does not simply poke the likes of Kanye in Kanye-style and not expect a clap back. In fact, after hearing about Cudi's tweets, Kanye erupted on stage during a Florida stop on his Saint Pablo tour, with the following words: "Don't never mention 'Ye name, I birthed you!"
"We all dealing with that evil s–t all the time," he continued. "Don't ever mention 'Ye name. Don't try to say who I can do songs with. You mad 'cause I'm doing songs with Drake? Ain't nobody tellin' 'Ye who to do songs with. Respect the God."
He added that he felt hurt and disrespected: "Kid Cudi, we're two black men in a racist world. I wore skinny jeans first. I got called names before you, bruh. Why y'all gotta be coming at me? This ain't the end of the Malcolm X movie. I'm out here fighting for y'all: creatives, artists, independent thinkers. Don't never mention my name in a bad manner."
Drake also responded, though with much less fire and a lot more cheese, as Drake does.
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Starbuck's Strategy
Schultz's original strategic vision for Starbucks included; Potential of enlarging the Starbucks enterprise outside Seattle and offering people all over America and Canada the Starbucks coffee, 329. To teach other employees customer friendly sales skills.
He also planned to create brochures that would enhance the ability of customers to learn about the magnificent coffees offered at their stores. To diversify products offered like serving freshly brewed coffee, expressos and cappuccino in their stores. This was additional to coffee and beans equipment, and to make a version that suited America but related to the Italian coffee bar culture. He wanted to ensure that a visit to Starbucks be an experience for the customers, a special treat, a venue to meet loved ones and visit, 339. After his visit to Italy, he concluded that establishing the authentic coffee bar culture of Italy in the United States could be their stronghold.
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Schultz wanted to ensure that Starbucks became an international firm that had guided principles and values that its employees could be proud of. He also wanted to include the employees in decision making process. He acknowledged the fact that it was necessary to share the fruits of success with those who contributed to that success, 332-333. He also wanted Starbucks to become the most respected coffee brand name and for the company to be respected for its corporate responsibility. He further projected opening 125 stores in the next 5 years and to increasing revenue to $60 million in 1992. He achieved high above this by opening 161 stores, 334.
He planned to attract a management team well beyond their expansion needs; to build a world class roasting facility and a computer information system with the capacity to keep a record of all the company's sales. This was to increase the company's profitability. Finally, he wanted to open company owned stores. This was to help keep the company in full control of its produts quality, character and location of its stores. In 2010, Schultz's main agenda is to strengthen the core, elevate the experience and to invest and grow.
Some of the practices included; slowing the pace of opening new stores locally and opening more internationally. He also planned to close underperforming local stores. He aimed to raise the projected return on capital requirements for the proposed new store locations. He restructured the company's store operations in Australia and came up with other designs for future company stores. He further introduced a program that would allow the company's best practices to be shared across all stores worldwide.
His strategic vision for 2010 is slightly different from the one in the 1980's. This is because; in 2010, he puts measures to correct the previous chief executive's mistakes. This includes closing down some stores while in the 1980's; the biggest vision was to open as many stores as possible, 355.The company's strategic vision changed twice from the initial vision created in 1990 to the revised one created in 2008. The strategic vision in 1990 conveyed a strong sense of organizational purpose to articulate the company's fundamental beliefs and principles. The revised strategic vision in 2008 was made to include the contributions of both employees and management from all the company's stores.
This entailed sale of high quality coffee, equality of partners, customer satisfaction, social responsibility and shareholder profit maximization, 350. Starbuck's strategy has largely evolved in many spheres of its operation. The marketing strategy changed from basic word of mouth and relying on customer loyalty, to vigorous advertising. This was to help counter competition from other companies like Mcdonalds in 2008, 345. There were significant product expansions and diversification and entering a new market segments through partnerships, 340.
All these are to increase the company's profitability and customer satisfaction. Starbuck's strategy to expand and enter a new market segments is the approach that is being majorly employed. This is evident from the diversification to offer new products and both domestic and international expansion that is being pursued. The company identifies appropriate retailing sites for its new stores. This is by use of a reliable real estate team and also established excellent relationships with local real estate representatives.
This is in areas where it wants to open multiple store locations, 339-340. The policies, practices and procedures that have been put in place by Howard Schultz and Starbuck's management include proper expansion and diversification strategy both domestically and internationally. This is through company owned and operated stores and also licensed stores, 340. Use of aggressive marketing strategy and advertising by use of Starbuck's consumer products group, 345. They also improved employees' welfare to motivate them at the work place, 346.
Enhanced corporate social responsibility like ethically sourcing all the company's products, community involvement, environmental stewardship and giving coffee farmers loans.Starbuck's values include excellent customer service by paying attention to customer needs. Production of high quality coffee by buying the best beans and roasting them to perfection. There was also proper treatment and recognition of employees' welfare. Finally, corporate social responsibility for the environment and communities where they have outlets and maximizing shareholder's profits, 340. It is clear from the operations of Starbucks that every activity it undertakes is consistent with the company's values.
This ranges from 'say yes to customer' policy to worldwide expansion to maximize on profitability.
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Daniel turned 2 on Tuesday! I can hardly believe it. I still think of him as my baby, even though we have another baby now. Anyway, we had his 2 year well visit on Wednesday and here are his stats: he's 33 3/4 inches tall (45%) and weighs 23 lbs 9 oz (10%). So he's kind of a tall skinny guy, although I don't think of him as tall since he doesn't walk. Daniel does several signs these days including: milk, more, eat, all done, out, bath, book, water, mama, and banana. They aren't always super clear, but he does them! He signs bath after every meal, which I love. (He definitely doesn't get a bath after every meal although I'm sure he'd like one.) He is SO CLOSE to walking. In fact, he took a step yesterday! It was just a "let go of the ottoman, step/lunge for the couch" but still. It's the first time he's ever done that. His physical therapist said she's never seen a kid be SO ready to walk and just not walking yet. He still doesn't say any words, although he does say "ba" or "ba ba" when he signs milk (meaning bottle) and he also says "ba" when signing bath. He's working on it, but he's a long way from talking still.
He's stopped biting so much (thank goodness) but he still does it sometimes when he's really mad. Or if you try to get something out of his mouth. He continues to throw whatever food we put on his tray which is obnoxious. He used to only throw food when he was done eating, but these days he throws everything you put on there and then cries because he's hungry. We mostly deal with this by feeding him instead of letting him feed himself. It's probably not the best solution, but I'm not sure what else to do at the moment. He's into everything (as most 2 year olds are) and can finally pull himself up onto the couch which is good- yay milestones, and bad- because he can reach a lot more stuff. He loves Sesame Street, a relatively new development since he used to not care about TV at all. He's an especially big fan of Elmo. He also loves playing with Kalena and Will and gets very sad if they leave him alone. At bedtime he and Will chat at each other and play until they fall asleep. Neither of them likes to go to bed alone. Daniel loves to be read to and will bring books over and sign "book" aggressively until I read to him. We've mostly quit bottles, but he still gets one at bedtime and he insists that I give it to him. (He won't take one from anyone else, but he'll WAIL away in his crib if you try to put him to bed without one.) He's quite curious about the baby, and wants to touch her (smack her in the face) whenever she's in reach. He watches anyone who's carrying her around, but he doesn't seem jealous.
He continues to be adorable, and he very much enjoyed his birthday cake.
He did get his requested bath after this.
Well, on Tuesday Daniel turned 2 years old, and on Wednesday Lydia turned 2 weeks old! She had a quick weight check at the doctor and she's up to 7 lbs 3 oz, which is just above her birthweight. Yay! Nursing is going well, (the best it's ever gone for me) but she's still getting a bottle (1-2 oz) most days. She likes her swing, hates her car seat, will take a pacifier, and is not a fan of having her diaper changed. She is very alert when she's awake- reminds me of Kalena. Most nights she has a fussy couple hours where she only wants to sleep on me. Usually this means I don't get to sleep as early as I'd like, but so far once she's down for the night she's down and middle of the night feedings are brief. (Obviously I'll say this now and then she'll be up for hours in the middle of the night tonight.) I've been taking advantage of having help (my MIL was here right after she was born and my mom is here now) by sleeping in until 8 or 9 every morning. I'm going to be very sad when I have to actually get up in the mornings again. And deal with kids. And make breakfast. Sad, sad day.
Anyway, she also continues to be adorable, if a little skeptical of me and all my picture taking.
And now I'm posting without proofreading because the baby is crying! Sorry!
Awww happy birthday big brother!!!
Oh, Daniel, and your happy face. I love it.
A belated happy birthday to Daniel! Love the pictures and reading about how he's doing.


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Home > People > Akira FUJII, Ph.D.
Akira FUJII, Ph.D.
Partner, Patent Attorney
Akira Fujii's academic career includes studies in theoretical physics and numerical computation physics as a researcher.
After receiving his PhD from the University of Tokyo, Dr. Fujii performed his post-doctoral research at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (Japan), and worked as a researcher at the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne, Germany. Dr. Fujii also developed system software for information systems.
Dr. Fujii's expertise covers a vast area of physics, including quantum mechanics, plasma physics, electromagnetics, and information processing technologies. Dr. Fujii joined the firm in 2010.
Physics, Electromagnetism, Fluid Mechanics, Information Processing, Design, Trademark
PhD, Physics The University of Tokyo
Japanese (native)
Affiliations/Certifications
Japanese Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA)
"An Overview of the Japanese Intellectual Property Environment", Seminar for Businesses to Expand Overseas (hosted by the State Intellectual Property Office), 18 November 2015, Beijing (invited speaker)
"An Overview of the Japanese Intellectual Property Environment", IP Salon, 17 November 2015, Beijing (invited speaker)
"Effective IP Protection in Japan", IP in ASIA Forum (hosted by Managing Intellectual Property), 11 June 2015, Munich
Shin AKAGI Yoshinori KOBAYASHI


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Home Religion Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps Job, Testament of
Job, Testament of
JOB, TESTAMENT OF (Gr. Διαθήκη τοῦ Ιωβ), Greek pseudepigraphon purporting to reveal the secrets and last wishes of *Job. In its present form the Testament of Job is closely linked with the Greco-Jewish historian *Aristeas, who flourished about 100 b.c.e., and with the Greek version of Job. It is likely, however, that a Hebrew or Aramaic model was known to the author(s) of the Testament of Job. This explains the Palestinian background of certain terms as well as the kinship with such works as the Testaments of the Twelve *Patriarchs and *Jubilees.
The author(s) of the Testament of Job aimed to present a Job who would conform to the stringent ideals of the pietistic sects more than the canonical figure. Omitting the lengthy discourses, they are a richer narrative than found in Scripture. By making Job the narrator and by introducing hymns and a chorus, the work frequently resembles a Greek tragedy. The integrity of the work, however, has been compromised by later additions. The double self-identifications, first as Job and afterward as Jobab (Gen. 36:33), and the allusions to missing sections suggest that parts of the book are abridgments of a larger pseudepigraphon. The view that a Christian retouched this book is to be rejected since no Christian would have invented a Jesus-like Job. More likely is the link of the original version of the Testament of Job with the Qumran sect, and the present Greek text with the *Therapeutae of Alexandria. The Palestinian version was probably the source of the talmudic traditions about Job.
Despite the unsatisfactory state of the text, the Testament of Job tells a moving story. Jobab (Job) the son of Esau, the king of Edom, reveals his secrets to his seven sons and three daughters by his second wife Dinah, Jacob's daughter. It is God who instigates the antagonism between Job and Satan. An archangel tells Job that the Lord wishes him to destroy the popular shrine where the people worshiped Satan's image. Job is forewarned that Satan will avenge the wrong done to him, but he is also promised that, if he endures Satan's trials, his final exaltation is assured. Job now assumes an even higher role than that ascribed to Abraham. He becomes a protagonist in God's struggle against evil. Describing his own remarkable deeds of charity and hospitality, Job relates how Satan disguised himself as a beggar to gain entrance into his home. Failing in his purpose, Satan succeeds in persuading the king of Persia to besiege Job's city. Job's fellow citizens pillage his palace, killing his ten children by his first wife, Sitis. Again with God's permission, Satan, appearing in the form of a whirlwind, smites Job with a plague, ulcers, and worms (cf. Genesis Apocryphon, 20:16ff.). The hero's patience is exemplified by his putting back on his body every single worm that crawled off. Suffering from hunger, Sitis (etymologically related perhaps to Satan or sotah, "unfaithful wife") unknowingly barters her hair to Satan for three loaves of bread, whereupon she addresses Job: "The feebleness of my heart has crushed my bones, rise then and take these loaves of bread and enjoy them, and speak some word against the Lord and die" (Job 2:9). Job realizes that it is Satan who is speaking through Sitis' mouth. After selling herself into slavery, Sitis reappears momentarily as Jobab's royal friends come to visit him. She begs them to dig up her ten sons from the ruins, but Job refuses permission, saying that they are now in the presence of God. When Sitis dies in her master's stable, Satan speaks through Elihu, who unjustifiably upbraids Job for his overbearing pride and boasting. The evil Elihu is thereupon damned in a long hymn led by Eliphaz. In the last part of the book (which may be an addition by another hand), the angels come to take Job's soul. He divides his possessions among his sons, but to his daughters he offers miraculous belts which would enable them to bless the approaching angels. Although it was quoted in James 5:11, Pope Gelasius i (492–496) removed the Testament of Job from the apocrypha, as a result of which it was lost, and recovered only in the 19th century. Its novel characterization of the antagonists, its lively use of dialogue, and deep understanding of human feeling make the Testament of Job a classic among the perennial attempts to reinterpret the meaning of the most tragic of biblical figures.
M.R. James, Apocrypha Anecdota, Series 2 (1897), lxxii–cii, 104–37; R.H. Pfeiffer, History of New Testament Times (1949), 70–72; M. Philonenko, in: Semitica, 8 (1958), 41–53; em, 5 (1968), 1119.
[Ben Zion Wacholder]
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