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Progress Reports: Michigan State University: PCB Effects on Uterine Muscle
PCB Effects on Uterine Muscle
Project Leader: Rita Loch-Caruso (University of Michigan)
Funding Period: 1995 - 2006
Learn More About the Grantee
Year: 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1997 1996 1995
Regulation of uterine contractility is vital to successful reproduction. During pregnancy, the uterus remains relatively inactive from conception until just prior to the initiation of labor. As the time of delivery approaches, the uterus becomes more active with muscular contractions that increase in frequency, intensity and coordination, eventually forcing the fetus through the birth canal. Fine-tuned control of uterine contractions is important not only for an effective labor at the end of pregnancy, but also for preventing premature labor. Previous research by this laboratory demonstrated that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of widespread, persistent environmental contaminants, stimulate or inhibit contractions in isolated segments of uterus in a congener-specific manner. This project is investigating mechanisms by which PCBs may disrupt the natural termination of pregnancy by altering uterine contractions. In a series of experiments, the researchers discovered that the once common commercial PCB mixture Aroclor 1242 stimulates uterine contraction frequency and alters cellular signal transduction pathways known to be involved in the regulation of contractions in uterine muscle cells. In one set of studies, Aroclor 1242 was shown to increase release of the cellular messenger arachidonic acid in cultured uterine muscle cells. Because Aroclor 1242 inhibits arachidonic acid metabolism to eicosanoids (such as prostaglandins) while increasing release of arachidonic acid, arachidonic acid per se may be critical to the stimulation of uterine contraction. Enzyme inhibition experiments revealed that this activity is likely mediated by the enzyme phospholipase A2. Other experiments showed that Aroclor 1242 activates voltage-operated calcium channels and increases intracellular calcium concentration in uterine muscle cells, a potentially significant finding because calcium is an essential stimulus for initiating uterine muscular contractions. These experiments suggest that Aroclor 1242 may stimulate uterine contraction frequency by a phospholipase A2-dependent, arachidonic acid-mediated activation of voltage-sensitive calcium channels and the subsequent increase of intracellular calcium concentration. PCBs have been associated with shortened gestation length in women in some studies. In laboratory studies with relatively high concentrations, PCBs decreased gestation length and induced spontaneous abortions. The mechanistic understanding acquired in these studies is providing insight into potential reproductive risks that may arise from PCB exposures.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Euroislam är en analytisk beskrivning av en form av islam i Europa.

Termen euroislam myntades vid en konferens i Birmingham i Storbritannien  1988. Ledare för och initiativtagare till konferensen var universitetslektorn vid Umeå universitet, tillika avdelningsdirektören vid Universitets- och högskoleämbetet, Carl E. Olivestam.

En av de som var med och myntade begreppet Euroislam,  vid universitetet i Göttingen, sade 20 år senare att Euroislam hade misslyckats och att slöj-islam (tyska: Kopftuch-Islam) istället blivit dominerande i Europa i en intervju med Der Westen år 2016.

Konferensen handlade om religioner i ett mångkulturellt samhälle. Här framträdde tydligt att muslimer och muslimska organisationer i staden Birmingham på många sätt skilde sig från muslimer och organisationer i deras respektive kärnländer. Dessa var muslimer på brittiska villkor, de var muslimer vars hemland var Storbritannien och inget annat land.

Den islam som på så sätt formades i England, Tyskland och Frankrike, för att ta några exempel på europeiska länder med större islamisk befolkning, kunde benämnas euroislam. Termen framkastades av Carl E. Olivestam och mötte omedelbart starkt gehör i konferensen. Termen publicerades första gången i handboken Kyrkor och alternativa rörelser.

Egenskaper
Enligt Bassam Tibi kännetecknas en europeisk islam av bejakandet av sekulär demokrati. Detta åstadkoms genom åtskiljande mellan politik och religion, erkännandet av individuella mänskliga rättigheter och nämns speciellt religionsfrihet och erkännandet av en mångfald av religioner. I de flesta strömingar av islam erkänns inte andra religioner som likvärdiga.

Se även
 Liberal islam

Referenser

Islam i Europa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Learning Curve Book – Santiago Iniguez
Download Chapter 1 (PDF)
Presentation of Chinese version of Dean Santiago Iniguez' book at Renmin B-School, Beijing. Oct 8.
Presentation of #Chinese version of my book at Renmin B-School, Beijing yesterday @IEbusiness http://t.co/DhEPLJg7s1 pic.twitter.com/EGFEkiefRY
— Santiago Iniguez (@SantiagoIniguez) October 9, 2014
Book Review: "The Learning Curve – how Business Schools are Re-Inventing Educations" by Santiago Iniguez
Book Review: "The Learning Curve – how Business Schools are Re-Inventing Education"
MBA Channel Barbara Bierach, 24 July, 2012
by Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011
How do you create world-class educational institutions that are academically rigorous and vocationally relevant? How do you combine the best of traditional academia with the modern market to meet the need of both? Are business schools the blueprint for institutions of the future, or an educational experiment gone wrong? How can we develop good managers and entrepreneurs in business schools? Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, president of Spain's IE University, dean of IE business school and a member of the awarding body of accreditation agency EQUIS, tackles all these questions in his book "The Learning Curve".
Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño
To report on all of the author's answers to these questions would mean to re-create the whole book. Let's therefore concentrate on what he has to say about business schools as institutions and the question if they are up to the task to develop good managers and entrepreneurs.
First of all the author states that "management can still be one of the noblest vocations in the world" since he regards good management as one of the best antidotes to most of the world's ills. Therefore business schools have to produce managers, and not MBAs. That's not the same thing, he acknowledges, referring to the critics who claim that business schools attract the wrong people, teach them in the wrong way and produce graduates who are arrogant and overconfident.
Iñiguez de Onzoño ponders the criticism, but he still believes that good management and righteous behaviour can be taught, if education is a "personal transformation process". "Business schools can provide a valuable platform for cultivating a series of virtues such as hard work, endurance, self-organisation, modesty and common sense." Good managers, though, are forged over the course of their career, based on the repeated practice of the basic skills. The book is called "The Learning Curve" after all and the analogy is valid: in the end good management is the result of continued learning over a period of time.
Business school can only be a stepping stone, though, but an important one nevertheless. As a result, Iñiguez de Onzoño believes that business schools should provide a more "integrated and rounded education". Too much specialization has undesirable consequences, he feels: the "silo syndrome" and a narrowed perspective. IE Business School already introduced a number of humanities' courses as core part of the curriculum. The author also supports the idea of INSEAD's former dean Frank Brown who suggested "refresher" courses to be given every five years after graduation from an MBA. Wharton and Harvard already provide free top-up training to MBA alumni after seven years."Other business schools will follow suit," expects the author.
Iñiguez de Onzoño's book is no surprise. He spends his life teaching management at a business school and must believe that good managers can be taught and that business schools are the place to do that. Nevertheless, the book is a worthwhile read. Firstly, he sums up all the challenges for business schools and then, secondly, gives an honest account what he feels must be done to keep schools abreast of the learning curve.
If you expect a hands-on report on how to get into a prestigious school and to thrive in it, you will be disappointed. Iñiguez de Onzoño's book digs far deeper, challenging the future of business education as such, if many universities continue to bow to the commercial interests of the companies that finance their research, if they continue to treat students as "customers" and not as students and if their business schools do not manage to deal with the notion that they foster greed and arrogance.
Globetrotting with Santiago Iñiguez, Dean of IE Business School and President of IE University
YouTube July 16, 2012 by IEBusinessSchool
The other side of IE Professors: Santiago Iñiguez, Dean of IE Business School and President of IE University
Santiago takes us from Beijing, China to Segovia Spain and tells us why it is important to travel and see the world.
The Learning Curve: How Business Schools Are Re-inventing Education
Series with Palgrave Macmillan
Business schools were the educational success story of the twentieth century. From humble beginnings in the US, they have spread to every corner of the world – and business studies is now the most popular subject among those seeking higher education. But, for all their success, business schools have also attracted critics and have been vilified for their part in educating the business leaders involved in the financial crisis. So are business schools the blueprint for the higher education institutions of the future? Or are they simply an educational experiment that went wrong? Illustrated with fascinating examples drawn from interviews with some of the most influential figures in business education around the world, this book offers a compelling road-map for educational leaders in the twenty-first century.
What the world needs now, more than ever before, are good managers and more entrepreneurs, not only in Business but also in Politics, Education and in all spheres of social life. Good Management and Entrepreneurship are the best antidote to many of the world's illnesses, especially in times of crisis. The Learning Curve analyses how business schools can become effective educational hubs for the development of managers and entrepreneurs. Starting with the main trends in management education today and the criticisms targeted at business schools as a consequence of the crisis that started in 2008, the author proposes fundamental initiatives that business schools may implement to fulfill their key mission of developing good managers and entrepreneurs:
Fostering a new model of Faculty, denominated "Kangaroo" by the author. Differently from Gurus -intellectuals who focus mostly on generating bright ideas- Academic Kangaroos are able to jump from Research to Teaching and from there to Interacting with the actual world of business, performing in all the three facets with similar levels of excellence.
Bridging the Academia and the Agora, the university and the world of business. The way knowledge is generated and distributed today, along with the impact of new information and communication technologies, demands a revised role of universities in the value chain of knowledge.
Including Humanities in the Business Curriculum and constantly renewing the contents of business education, given the clinical and changing nature of management, the object of its study. The Author contends that managers can receive a much better rounded education if traditional business disciplines are complemented with courses from Humanities and Social Sciences. Management is not about techniques, but rather about leading people in complex organizations in a widely diverse world.
Further integrating Technology and Pedagogy, given the many advantages that technologies bring to a personalized learning process. In addition to the new educational platforms that extend the learning momentum asynchronously and ubiquitously, the blend of face-to-face with on-line methodologies provide a much richer, effective and personalized approach to education.
Identifying and developing the different forms of intelligence of students. Traditionally, analytical intelligence has been the main personal asset measured and rewarded at most educational institutions. However, other forms of intelligence, such as emotional, political and artistic can be as important as the analytical for personal and professional success. Business Schools may actively identify these alternative forms of intelligence in their selection and learning processes to better nurture innovation and creativity in their students.
Reinforcing the social commitment of managers. Entrepreneurs and managers can be depicted as the Architects of Social Structures when they perform their work with competence and honesty. The author also proposes that business schools devote particular attention to the learning and development of "managerial virtues" in their students.
The book also includes an analysis of the features of business education in countries such as China or India, which have become international education superpowers in recent years. It also contains a description of the increasing global convergence of business education and proposes alternative strategies for business schools to succeed in an increasingly competitive and multi-polar world. The author also proposes a definition of what could be consider a good manager. He explains that there is neither a magic formula nor other short cuts for turning somebody into a consummate manager. Good managers are made over time, based on the systematic exercise of good habits and routines, and as a result of accumulated experience of their sector and their relationships. To reach the heights of management excellence requires discipline and hard work, and is not simply achieved through the passage of time. The learning curve is steep and requires the combination of three basic conditions: (i) the systematic practice of what might be called the 'virtues of management'; (ii) the importance of lifelong learning; and (iii) combining the study of the different management disciplines with the Humanities and other Social Sciences. In the words of Paul Danos, Dean of Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and author of the book's Foreword, "this book is a must read for those who want a succinct analysis of what created the vast current world of management education and who want views and opinions from a key global participant in that world who does not match to the conventional drummer".
Santiago Iñiguez presents The Learning Curve
Video opens in a new window
Reviews by Management Education stakeholders
Download press release from Palgrave Macmillan
"This book is a must read for those who want a succinct analysis of what created the vast current world of management education and who want views and opinions from a key global participant in that world who does not match to the conventional drummer." – Paul Danos, Dean of Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and author of the book's Foreword
"In this far-ranging assessment, Santiago Iñiguez, returns to the core question of how business schools can accelerate the development of spirited leaders, those who learn, fight, and proceed with passion and virtue." – Ted Snyder, Dean, Yale School of Management
"Few Institutions are likely to make as many changes over the next few years than business schools – and this book brilliantly addresses this, i.e. what fundamental changes we can expect and why. Making good executive
development even better is what this book is all about!" – Peter Lorange, President, Lorange Institute of Business, Zurich (previous President of IMD)
"Santiago has actively debated his ideas on business education through a series of blogs and digital media posts over the last five or six years. Using this material as a base, he provides here a synthesis of his evolving views about the nature of business education. He also develops some comprehensive projections about the future of business schools. It is, in essence, a thorough and insightful treatment of Santiago's passage and 'learning curve' from MBA student to Dean to President of a leading European business school. It is a welcome addition to the field." – Howard Thomas, Dean and LKCSB Chair in Strategic Management, Lee Kong Chian School of Business
"Today, says Santiago Iñiguez, is a critical time for higher education generally.
It faces novel challenges in the form of new technologies, globalization, and 'Generation Y'. The Learning Curve is based on the concept that business schools (relatively new arrivals on the higher education scene) are useful models of how to respond. This timely, comprehensive, and constructive book examines the key issues now facing all educators through the prism of the past, present, and future of the world's leading business schools." – Eric Cornuel, Director General and CEO, EFMD
"The Learning Curve is a must-read for anyone who believes, like I do, that quality management education is essential to a productive, healthy, and sustainable society. Professor Iñiguez draws comfortably from art, history and philosophy, as well as business strategy, to discuss the issues facing business schools as they enter an exciting, but still undefined, new era. The result is a book of crystal clear explanations, creative models, and inspired solutions." – Dan Le Clair, Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer, AACSB International
Some of the quotes used in Chapter 1 – Why management matters
"So whether you are managing a software company, a hospital, a bank or a Boy Scout organization, the differences apply to only about 10 per cent of your work. This 10 per cent is determined by the organization's specific mission, its specific culture, its specific history and its specific vocabulary. The rest is pretty much interchangeable", Peter Drucker.
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other", John F. Kennedy.
"Corporations and managers suffer from a profound social ambivalence" (leading theorists) Sumantra Ghoshal, Christopher Bartlett and Peter Moran.
Quotes used in Chapter 2 – Out of the crisis
"With the economy in disarray and so many financial firms in free fall, analysts, and even educators themselves, are wondering if the way business students are taught may have contributed to the most serious economic crisis in decades", The New York Times.
"It's like trying to teach psychology to a person that has never known anybody", Henry Mintzberg.
"Today's troubles have been driven not just by greed, but by a lack of confidence. I think the average employee, maybe a business school graduate, lacks the confidence to ask the tough questions", Frank Brown (Dean Emeritus of INSEAD).
"To give style to one's character — a great and rare art! He practices it who surveys all that his nature presents in strength and weakness and then moulds it to an artistic plan until everything appears as art and reason, and even the weakness delights the eye", Nietzsche.
From The Learning Curve:
Older Entries →


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Rory Cowan reveals that he won't watch Mrs Brown's Boys after leaving the show
Amy Mulvaney
He may have worked on the show for 26 years, but Rory Cowan has no plans to watch Mrs Brown's Boys since leaving the comedy programme in a shock move last year.
Speaking to EVOKE.ie, the actor said he won't be watching the new series of All Round to Mrs Brown's, which will feature his replacement Damien McKiernan.
'I've left and when I leave something, I leave it behind me,' he said.
'I'm very proud of my time with Mrs Brown, but I don't want to be looking back. I know I won't [watch it].'
Pic: BBC
The 58-year-old publicly spoke about how he 'hadn't been happy' working on the show for his final few years, and that being unable to travel home from the show's Australia tour when he was told his mother only had days to live was a major turning-point for him.
While the Dublin man previously said that he wouldn't go into the jungle for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, his long-term colleague Brendan O'Carroll told him that presenters Ant and Dec would be interested in having him on the reality show.
'Brendan O'Carroll said to me just a few months before I left, at the end of 2016, he had just done Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway as Mrs Brown,' he said.
Rory Cowan. Pic: Brian McEvoy
'I was sitting in with him having a cup of tea and he asked if I'd do the jungle. I said not really because if I'm going to Australia, I'm with Mrs Brown's Boys and we stay in a five star hotel.
'To go over there to sit in a hammock, eat kangaroo testicles and shower under a waterfall wouldn't be for me.
'But he said that Ant and Dec told him they'd love me on it, so I don't know,' he added.
Announcing his decision to leave the award-winning show in July last year, Cowan said: 'I hadn't been happy working for the Mrs Brown's Boys company for the last 18 months to two years.
'I feel that 26 years is enough so I decided it was time to go.
'I'm not going into details about why I was unhappy.'
He did his last show at London's 02 Arena last summer, and went on to replace Al Porter in the Olympia Theatre's Christmas panto.
Former Mrs Brown's Boys star 'sues Brendan O'Carroll and the BBC'
Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas special will be dedicated to an Irish legend
Brendan O'Carroll criticised over star's 'far from amicable' departure from Mrs Brown's Boys
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OK, so I found this soup recipe on someone else's blog a few months back, and I can't for the life of me remember where I found it. I've Googled different word combinations and keep coming up blank, so I'm really sorry to the person whose recipe this is, that I can't give you due credit.
Check it out - just three ingredients!
1. Heat the salsa and chicken stock in a medium saucepan on a medium high heat.
2. Add the cream cheese and stir it through until it melts into the soup. You can either blend the soup to get a really smooth and creamy consistency, or you can leave it a little bit chunky. Both ways are good!
If three ingredients just doesn't seem like enough to you, feel free to add in more. Sometimes I throw in leftover shredded roast chicken, or a bit of chopped carrot or zucchini. It just means you need to cook the soup for a bit longer, to give the vegetables time to soften.
Linked to Sunday Night Soup Night on Easy Natural Food.
What an interesting combo - I admit I would have trouble with only 3 ingredients - I put way too much in every dish I concoct but I bet this is good.
It's really good. But then salsa makes anything taste good. Actually, so does cream cheese. You really can't go wrong with this recipe.
Hi Emma, I had to stop and think about this one, but then I reazlized that it would probably taste a bit like a creamy tomato soup, which would be really tasty! Thanks for sharing this with Sunday Night Soup Night, look forward to seeing you again soon!
Yeah, I probably should have named it something relating to what it tastes like. Maybe cream of salsa soup, or something like that. It really is yummy.


Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:00am available by request for groups of 20 or more.
Join the Popcorn Hat Players in this silly, spooky take on the classic American story! Ichabod Crane has moved to the little town of Sleepy Hollow, and is charmed by the fair Katrina Van Tassel. However, he didn't count on Brom Bones making trouble! Will Ichabod and Brom ever get along? Will Katrina live happily ever after with Ichabod? Is there such a thing as a Headless Horseman? Get all these answers and more when you come along on this Halloween adventure!


NO ONE could have predicted the extent of the devastation that typhoon Haiyan visited upon the Philippines' central Visayas region. Warnings were issued. Most people heeded them as best they could. We are a nation accustomed to typhoons. We "know the drill" and we thought we were ready. We were not.
The reactions of victims, rescuers, volunteers, reporters, and those watching the news were the same – disbelief. I watch the news and the words in my mind are the very words I hear everywhere. "We are used to typhoons but never have we ever seen anything like this." With fresh news stories, the disbelief deepened. No family, it seems was left intact. Every survivor had a family member who perished or went missing. Images of people walking around aimlessly, mobs looting in desperation, and half naked stragglers scavenging for food among rubble of debris and dead bodies are incredibly hard to comprehend. They are happening right now right here in the same country as we watch the news in our own homes.
The disbelief is difficult enough. If you entertain survivor's guilt, it could paralyze you. I know because I have felt it. Safe and dry with family at home, I felt some sense of gladness and relief for being spared. But there was also the heavy awareness that others were not. I hesitated over normal weekend activities – watching the musical I have reserved tickets months ago for or ordering a meal in a restaurant. It felt inappropriate – at odds with the parallel lives of extreme misery happening simultaneously only a few hundred kilometers away.
Action is a two-prong solution – gathering old clothes and blankets to bring to the community parish donation drive, coordinating and helping in different ways, and urging others to donate. I find comfort in this. The process of acting and helping is predictable. It also feels familiar and appropriate. I am doing this to help others, that's true, but I am also doing this to cope, psychologically.
The rescuers, volunteers, and reporters who are there feel this paralyzing disbelief, first hand and several times magnified. My heart goes out to them too. They are overwhelmed but they do their jobs as best they can, eyes tearing up, voices breaking, helplessness and impatience rising. They show up and they do their job. That's where I get my realization and my cue.
The simple act of "showing up" helps victims. It also helps second hand witnesses cope. As we continue to look for ways to assist, we can also go about our routines, go to work, sit down at the computer and write, go to the bank, pay bills, go grocery shopping, pick the children up from school. Yes, even watch the musical you have bought tickets for. They too donated part of their proceeds.
Precisely at the time when large parts of the country are devastated and many are suffering, we must do our part by "showing up" in our own spaces and keeping the wheels of life moving.
We especially need to be easy on each other and understand that no one is purposely slowing down aid and rescue. Everyone is doing his/her best while trying to cope.
A lot of grueling work awaits ahead – the search for answers and real solutions. But for now, let our collective message be: Yes we have been dealt a truly heavy blow, but we will not be overwhelmed. We will not let the tragedy rob us of the ability to keep going. We will show up every day no matter how many every-days it takes until the time comes when we can ALL begin to recover and smile again. This, we can each do right here and now. Whether you are a victim, rescuer, volunteer, donor, or second hand witness, you can decide. That choice is available to everyone.
superb writing luwee! like ko so much that it made me reply for the first time!
I value your hard-earned appreciation and am happy it moved you to reply.
Thank you. It's good to know that many feel the same way, that people perhaps have more similarities than differences; therefore, less reason to disagree.
Thank you, Rem and Beth (now wading into the online ocean). This piece was mostly cathartic but agreement from two skilled writers with a high level of spirituality brings validation. We are on course for Applied Spirituality and Life Management Practice or 'ASAL' MaP.
I second the motion…great writing ,Luwee!
There, I've made my first reply in a blog site(LOL)!


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TEL: 0207 5357595 LOGIN
Seminars, conferences and online resources on psychotherapy and human relationships
Confer Speakers
The late Jeremy Saffran (1952-2018)
The last Dr. Jeremy Safran (1952-2018) received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada in 1982, and completed his psychoanalytic training at the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. He was Director of the Cognitive Therapy Unit in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, from 1986-1990. Dr. Safran moved to New York City in 1990, to take a position on faculty at The Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University. In 1993 he moved to the New School for Social Research in NYC to take a position as Director of Clinical Training & Professor of Psychology.
Currently Dr. Safran was Professor of Psychology at the New School for Research, and on faculty at both the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, and The Stephen A. Mitchell Center for Relational Studies.
He was also Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Medical Center, and co-chair (along with Lewis Aron & Adrienne Harris) of the Sandor Ferenczi Center at the New School for Social Research. Dr. Safran published over 150 articles & chapters, and several books including: 1) Emotion in Psychotherapy; 2) Emotion , Psychotherapy and Change; 3) Interpersonal Process in Cognitive Therapy; 4) Negotiating the Therapeutic Alliance; 5) The Therapeutic Alliance in Short Term Psychotherapy; 6) Psychoanalysis & Buddhism: An Unfolding Dialogue, and 7) Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Therapies (APA Publications, 2012), available at Amazon.com and APA . He has released two psychotherapy training DVDs for The American Psychological Association: 1) Relational Psychotherapy, and 2) Psychoanalytic Therapy Over Time.
Dr. Safran was also an active psychotherapy researcher, and was internationally recognized for his research program on therapeutic impasses and alliance ruptures. For more information about Dr. Safran's research program, please click on www.safranlab.net.
Past and present Confer events
Advances in Relational Psychotherapy
Online module
Brett Kahr's Top Ten Psychotherapy Books - 2018
Professor Brett Kahr certainly knows something about the art of authoring books. Over the years he has written or edited twelve volumes, and has served as series editor of some fifty further titles. Earlier this year, he published New Horizons in Forensic Psychotherapy: Exploring the Work of Estela V. Welldon (Karnac Books, 2018)... More >>
Helen Fisher: The brain in love
Why do we crave love so much, even to the point that we would die for it? To learn more about our very real, very physical need for romantic love, Helen Fisher and her research team took MRIs of people in love — and people who had just been dumped... view...
The Latest Neuroimaging Findings in Borderline Personality Disorder
Altered function in neurotransmitter systems including the serotonin, glutamate, and GABA systems was observed in patients with BPD... read more...
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Go long or short on global indices, covering the US, Asia, Europe and more.
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text:
Il Colli Bolognesi Barbera riserva Terre di Montebudello è un vino DOC la cui produzione è consentita nella città metropolitana di Bologna.

Caratteristiche organolettiche
colore: rosso carico tendente al violaceo
odore: vinoso, caratteristico
sapore: armonico, maturo

Storia

Abbinamenti consigliati

Produzione
Provincia, stagione, volume in ettolitri
 nessun dato disponibile

Collegamenti esterni

Vini DOC della città metropolitana di Bologna
Vini DOC e DOCG prodotti con uva Barbera


The most obvious benefit of hybrid water heaters is their efficiency. Water heaters can be extremely energy inefficient, in part because their energy usage wasn't regulated until 2008 [source: Green]. This is particularly concerning because they often use the most energy in a home -- almost one-fifth of your entire energy use!
Because these models are more energy efficient, the consumer will save money. But what are the specific benefits of all these models?
Eternal Hybrid boasts an 98 percent efficiency rate [source: Eternal Water Heater]. A.O. Smith has a hybrid model, the Vertex Power-Vent Gas Water heater, which operates at 90 percent efficiency [source: A.O. Smith]. GE's model, meanwhile, should be 50 percent more efficient than its current models [source: GE].
GE's savings should amount to about $250 per year for an average family. Hybrid WaterHeater Inc. boasts that its potential energy savings would be up to $2,160 per year [source: Hybrid WaterHeater Inc]. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until 2011 to test that one out.
If you're looking for easy installation, GE's and A.O. Smith's models will match the standard tank designs that fill most homes. Or, if you're looking to save space, the Eternal Water Heater is about half the size.
Whether your water heater needs to be replaced or if you just want to be greener -- both in your house and in your wallet -- consider replacing your water heater with a hybrid water heater. Don't worry about running out today and getting one, though, as few are currently on the market. Wait a few years and you should have a multitude of options.


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Computer program solves mysteries of fossilized leaves
Driving green since 2004
Megan Treacy mtreacy
© Shengping Zhang / Penn State University
The classification of leaves has been done for hundreds of years. Since the 1800s, scientists have described leaves based on certain criteria like leaf teeth, margins, lobes, the patterns of the veins and more. While this has allowed us to classify living species of plants, it hasn't been good enough to crack the "leaf code," or the tree of life for plants that includes species that are extinct and have only left behind fossils and no corresponding seeds, fruits or flowers which are the most important characteristics for classifying.
A paleobotanist and professor of geosciences at Penn State University, Peter Wilf, became determined to crack that code and he knew it would have to involve computers. Wilf read about a study where a computer vision program could determine if there was an animal in a photo or not and he immediately realized it was that type of software that could work.
"A bell rang in my head," said Wilf. "Instead of an animal, tell me if the image is of an oak leaf or not, or pick among several categories."
He got in touch with the lead author of that study Thomas Serre, professor of psychological science at Brown University, and they began applying the program to leaves and after nine years of experiments and building algorithms, they've published their own paper about just how well it worked in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Paleobotanists have collected many millions of fossil leaves and placed them in the world's museums," said Wilf. "They represent one of the most underused resources for understanding plant evolution. Variation in leaf shape and venation, whether living or fossil, is far too complex for conventional botanical terminology to capture. Computers, on the other hand, have no such limitation."
The Penn State research team created a database of 7500 images of cleared leaves, which is the type housed in museums that have been chemically bleached, stained and mounted on slides to reveal the vein patterns, most of which came from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.
The team built a computer vision program where the computer actually learns from examples what distinguishes one plant species from another in their leaves. The researchers had already identified half of the photos so that the computer could create a dictionary of special features like vein intersections, bumps and asymmetries important for classifying the leaves while also learning to ignore imperfections like insect bites and slide mounting defects.
The researchers gave the computer a random selection of training and test photos 10 different times and the results were the same with only a one percent difference in the runs.
"The success of our computer vision approach suggests that this may be one of those tasks that are comparatively easier for computers because of computers' ability to process and analyze large numbers of specimens, to discover novel visual features that may have phylogenetic significance," said Serre.
The computer generates a heat map on top of the leaf image where it targets and rates areas important to identifying the species. This reveals a lot more information than the human eye could discern and it's also much faster. A trained person may take hours to describe a single leaf following the traditional protocol while the computer is thousands of times faster and produces a map of diagnostic characteristics.
So far, the researchers have achieved a 72 percent accuracy rate among 19 leaf families, which is the first target for paleobotanists trying to classify fossils -- putting them into families.
The computer program was even able pick up characteristics of well-known species that scientists hadn't noticed before, like finding unknown features of the tips of rose leaves and easily differentiating between leaves in the coffee family which are usually very hard to identify without their twigs attached.
The researchers believe this computer vision program will generate a vast amount of new botanical knowledge and perhaps finally give them the map to the tree of life for plants.
The new program can learn and classify leaves so well that it could reveal the "tree of life" of ancient plants.
Scientists uncover mystery behind catastrophic 'freak waves'
Looking at trees can reduce problematic cravings
Why we need certified 'Quiet Parks'
These caterpillars build their own mobile homes


I am unable to find the "supps" link on the MA web site mentioned in the info for "racers" document. Hep!
To get to it from their site, go to Rules from the main menu bar and then select 2018 Regional CCR.
So, does someone know if the flashing feature can be turned off on these or whether we're just ignoring the "no flashing" rule, or we simply gave those as examples and there are others that don't flash we should look for?
Afterburner has a steady burn mode and a flashing mode. Depends on which wire you use to power it.
Edit: For those that are thick like me, I believe the way to meet the rules in the supplementals is to wire the Afterburner "brake light" (which doesn't flash) as steady on, i.e. constant 12v power and NOT wired to the vehicle's brake light switch. Then don't wire power to the "rain light" at all. So, my interpretation would be to wire the Afterburner "brake light" into the vehicle's tail light circuit.
Edit: Ok, so we should wire only the "brake light" (which won't flash) and it should be on all the time, i.e. not connected via the car's brake light switch AND we should use the OEM tail/brake lights?
Switch to brake light wire.


Roca Negra is a 20-room structure built primarily from local timber and black volcanic rock and is surrounded by native forests. It's also directly in front of El Nevado glacier and close-by to the Nevados de Chillan ski resort. Roca Negra has become the premier ski and snowboard lodge in South America, by offering experiences of exceptional quality. Although there are lots of places to enjoy a vacation, our guests have found that our traditional Chilean character, our personalized care and our attention to individuality, enhances the trip and lodging experience in Chile. In the last few years we have hosted guests from all over the world and many of them return year after year. We hope you will join us.
Roca Negra simply means 'Black Rock' in Spanish. The Lodge is located amongst the remains of an extensive lava flow, which eventually turned into volcanic rock and gave us our name, Roca Negra. The hotel is 1000 meters squared and was built of native wood and volcanic black rock. The interior's rustic, casual and elegant design includes the unique art of Mapuche Loomers, giving our hotel an identity that reflects the Andes Mountains.
Skiing and snowboarding at Roca Negra is done at Termas de Chillan Ski resort. The resort has terrain that is suitable for all levels. The advanced terrain is world class, with open bowls, chutes, tree runs and groomers. There are also terrain parks on the mountain.
We also have snowmobile access into the backcountry as well as helicopter access. You can book these options before your trip or reserve when you arrive.
THE SPA – Our Spa offers two hot tubs located outside among native trees with stunning views of Las Piedras Hills, providing a romantic and picturesque setting.
SAUNA – The Sauna is steps away and offers strong purifying and cleansing properties enhanced by the beautiful and peaceful environment.
MASSAGE – Situated on the third floor of the lodge, the massage and relaxation room is available for our guests to enjoy a variety of professional services such as "Massage Andino", while enjoying a magnificent view.
WIFI – There is WIFI access in the main area of the lodge.
ENTERTAINMENT – We have a huge flat screen TV, pool table, a skateboard mini ramp, loads of couches and a fireplace to kick back and relax.
BOOT STORAGE – We offer boot storage on site to keep your gear warm and dry.
Included in your stay at Roca Negra is transportation to and from the mountain daily.
We can also arrange pickups from the airports in Santiago, Chillan or Concepcion.
At Roca Negra, we serve a cuisine comprised of a mix of Chilean delicacies, combined with world influences. Our lodge attracts culinary experts from the best restaurants in Chile. For breakfast we typically serve a traditional breakfast of cereals, fruits, yogurts, eggs and toast. For dinner, our menu is different every night. Our favourite meals are traditional Chilean barbecues, Chilean sea bass, various pasta dishes and soups. Our chefs cook up a few options every night and dinner is served at a time that's convenient for you.
We have a fully stocked wine cellar in our basement. The cellar features wines from across Chile. Our wait staff is bilingual and in some cases trilingual.
We have a low key atmosphere at the Lodge that is meant for relaxation after being out on the hill. If you want to party, there are bars and small clubs in the Termas where you can dance and drink in a true ski town atmosphere.
Our lodge is available for private groups, family vacations, special events and team photo shoots. Check out some of the photos below and Nick Visconti's tour of the inside.


Fletton parkway in Peterborough has re-opened after what police described as a serious incident.
The A1139 had been closed both directions between Orton Southgate and Hampton junctions in the early hours of this morning, Friday June 9.
No further details are available at this stage, updates will appear here when we have them.


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Ґрунтовка, або ґрунтівка, — суміш, що наноситься першим шаром на підготовлену до фарбування або обробки поверхню для створення надійного зчеплення верхніх (покривних) шарів покриття з оброблюваної поверхнею і вирівнювання її всмоктувальної здатності. Від фарбувальних складів ґрунтовки відрізняються меншим вмістом пігментів, а також наявністю спеціального компонента — основи. Ґрунтовкою називають також ґрунтування — процес нанесення цього складу.

Крім того, ґрунтовки можуть виконувати й інші функції: захищати метал від корозії, «виявляти» текстуру дерева, перекривати пори та інші дефекти поверхні що фарбується, а також забезпечувати адгезійне зчеплення в системах антикорозійного захисту металу, дерева та бетону (див. наливна підлога).

Ґрунтовки готують на основі природних або синтетичних, рідких або твердих плівкотвірних речовин — оліф, алкідних смол, сечовин-формальдегідних смол, епоксидних смол та ін.; тверді плівкотвірні матеріали застосовують у вигляді концентрованих розчинів або дисперсій в органічних розчинниках або у воді. Багато ґрунтовок містять у своєму складі пігменти (залізний або свинцевий сурик, цинковий крон), а іноді і наповнювачі (тальк, слюда, крейда). На поверхню ґрунтовку наносять шпателем,  пензлем, розпиленням і іншими способами.

Товщина плівки складу ґрунтовки 10-100 мкм (0,01-0,1 мм). Висушену заґрунтовану поверхню покривають фарбою або лаком, наносять тиньк, шпаклівку, приклеюють шпалери, кахель, заливають стяжкою.

Розрізняють різні види за призначенням, наприклад:
 Бетоноконтакт — адгезійний ґрунт з акриловою зв'язкою. Містить як наповнювач кварцовий пісок, цемент та інші наповнювачі і розрахований для поліпшення зчеплення тиньку, шпаклівок, кахлю (клею) з гладкою малопоглинальною поверхнею (бетон, стара фарба, кахель);
 Проникливі ґрунтовки — призначені для закріплення основи (пухкий тиньк), зниження вологопоглинання основи (цегла, штукатурка, бетон), підвищення адгезії наступних шарів оздоблювальних будівельних матеріалів до основи (тиньк, шпаклівки, шпалерного клею, фарби).

Див. також
 Ґрунт (малярство)

Примітки

Будівельні матеріали


The Finance Management profession has undergone a massive transformation in recent times. The job of the Financial Manager has changed from mere accounting. The present responsibilities include the mandate to manage all finances of the Corporate so well and minimizing both cost and debt. Distance education courses that can add some value to a person's knowledge in the profession or change track to newer and better roles. This article is an attempt in presenting some details of such courses.
There are three main routes to success in Financial Management.
These three courses are so vital for success. Hence anyone interested in a career in Financial Management has to study any one of these three courses.
These three courses are the Chartered Accountants Course, offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The second is the course in Cost and Works Accounting offered by the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India. The third course is the Company Secretaryship course offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
Each of these courses can be taken after the plus two examinations. Details can easily be obtained from the respective websites. It is possible to get specialized coaching for passing these examinations from the Study centres of these major institutes situated in the metros and major cities.
It is wise to enrol in any of the three aforesaid courses after the plus two examinations and then enrol for the B.Com degree course through correspondence from a good University like the University of Madras or the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
It should be noted that that the CA or the ICWA or the ACS course is very tough. Each of the subjects requires a detailed study for at least seven hours per day. For example, there are specifications to pass each subject with a minimum pass mark. If the mark is lower than what is prescribed in even one subject, the student has to appear for the three specific papers once again.
The distance education courses, as such, can help the candidate to improve his or her knowledge and also change track only if he or she wants to. These courses by themselves can, to some extent provide the baseline to change careers and go into different jobs. For example, after a course in Financial Analysis, one can go to Mumbai or Pune and seek a job in a good Mutual fund. A further experience of working with a good Mutual Fund can help him or her to go far ahead in life, in the area of Capital Markets and or investment advisory services or investment management.
Here are some details of specialized courses in Financial Management, through distance education.
This University has been in existence since 1984. The main campus is in Hyderabad. This educational institution, called the ICFAI University, has been at the forefront of education in Financial Management and Research and ran the Certified Financial Analysts (CFA) program for some years. However, this ran into legal troubles and this course was withdrawn. However, ICFAI University has made giant strides over the years. Its full-time PGDM course and the MBA courses are recognized as one of the best in India (within the best thirty in India).
Be that as it may, this University has through its ICFAI Tripura University offers some courses through Distance Education in the online mode.
The degrees or diplomas have the UGC and AICTE approval as well as the Directorate of Distance Education's Approval.
The courses available are a) Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Analysis (PGDFA) b) Diploma in in Investment Management c) Diploma in Derivatives and Risk Management d) Diploma in Global Financial Markets.
As already mentioned, these courses will take one to careers in Mutual Funds or Capital Markets or Investment Advisory Services. The best careers are available only in the city of Mumbai.
The ICFAI University, Tripura, Kamalghat, Tripura West, Agartala, 799210.
The Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai has been offering the M.Com degree courses in a variety of subjects. These courses are quite useful to those already in service and are reportedly quite useful for State Government employees of Tamil Nadu, for promotion purposes.
However, for those who are already employed, these courses will add some value in terms of knowledge.
For example, the M.Com course in Banking Management will offer sufficient details of the nuances of bank management and can help the employed person to acquire advanced knowledge. However, for the bankers, there is another advanced course called the CAIIB, the examination offered by the Institute of Bankers, and recognized by the Government of India. The M.Com degrees offered by the Madurai Kamaraj University are also recognized by the UGC and the Government of India.
At present, there are four M.Com courses run by the University. These are M.Com (Finance), M.Com (Computer Applications), M.Com (Banking) and M.Com(Cooperative Management).
The contact phone numbers are: 091-452-2458471, 091-452-2459185 and Extension numbers are: 554, 556 and 574. The email addresses are directordde@gmail.com and mkuddegrievance@mkudde.org.
There are some other private Universities like the Narsi Monjee Institute of Management Studies and the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune that also offer a few courses in Financial Markets and so on, as the Post Graduate Diploma courses. However since these courses, by themselves do not take anyone to big careers, the details are not mentioned here.
Of course, there are a few IIMs, of late, that have introduced a few distance learning management courses. IIM Calcutta, for example, runs a course called "General Management Program for Accounting Professionals"(GMPAP), The IIM Indore runs a program called the Post Graduate Certificate Program in Finance,(PGCPF). The IIM Kozhikode runs a program called the Executive Education Program in Finance(EEPF).
It ought to be understood that these courses are not for fresh graduates. They are for professionals with a CA, or ICWA or ACS qualification, followed by three or four years of solid experience. These courses are for providing a sort of continuing professional education to senior executives.
The correspondence courses in Financial Management, offered by the ICFAI University, according to industry experts are very good for careers in Capital Markets, equity research and so on. There are so many Universities offering the M.Com course, but there is nothing, for example like the CFA course that one can acquire through private study. As already mentioned, the correspondence courses will add huge value to knowledge. However, they cannot be depended upon for careers. The ACA or ICWA or ACS route is the only option.
This is one fact that cannot be ignored. This is the correct career guidance. Let us not make any mistake here. Only these courses are the baselines. Yes, one can build new careers only if he or she wants to.
There is always a question raised as to why Mumbai is the only big city capable of providing anyone with a good career in Capital Markets and Mutual Funds. This is because the Capital Markets function in only this commercial city. The Mumbai Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange are the only two stock exchanges that have survived all these years.
So before studying any Postgraduate distance education course in financial management, one should be clear about his or her career objective, which can take off, only after the baseline is very clear and solid, as explained above. Even after passing the inter examination of the Costing course, for example, there are so many jobs available in the Indian Corporate Sector.
After this, the person can complete the final examination of the Cost Accounting, that is, the ICWAI course and then have a good experience of some ten years. In fact, after some eight years of experience in India, there are good jobs in Nigeria, Kenya and such other countries. One can always come back to Mumbai for the career switch into capital markets, after doing the ICFAI course. That is the Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Analysis.
Even if the Capital Markets and the Mutual Funds go through the trouble, one can always go back to regular accounting and finance jobs at the senior level.
As mentioned above, the correspondence courses can only add knowledge but by themselves, cannot provide careers. This is because, in the real world dominated by the Chartered Accountant, the Cost Accountant and the Company Secretaries, which are regular courses, the distance education courses may not mean much at all. However, the only course that can help in achieving the career switch to Capital Markets and Investment Banking is the ICFAI course. The Diploma courses can also provide the appropriate knowledge.
This article reveals the admission process of the distance mode of education in Central University of Hyderabad. The quality of education with limited admissions will be organized by the experienced and efficient professors through their prepared material and lecture to the students. The admissions of PG diploma courses with technical know-how will help them to get employment immediately after completion of courses will be closed by this month end.
The following article is about the various aspects of distance learning and how important a role it is playing in educating the students. The article also talks about the ways in which distance education is different from traditional s. De-merits of distance learning is also discussed.
Distance education is the new lamppost of education. One need go to college but to acquire degrees sitting at home. This article provides you with the clue as to how to act for this, what the opportunities are laying beneath it as well as its limitations for your benefits.
In the recent past, learning process was confined to the classroom with the use of teaching aids like chalk, blackboard, duster, charts etc. But with the advent of technology, there is an educational revolution which made the distant learning much easier. Find the details on the same in this article.


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The time Meryl Streep met with Anna Wintour!
November 12, 2017 March 23, 2020 - by dnbstories - Leave a Comment
Super actress Meryl Streep is not one woman to be described as shy, but even she seems slightly on edge during a meeting with Vogue chief editor Anna Wintour, who has long been cited as the inspiration behind her ice-cold character in the movie The Devil Wears Prada.
The two women met for the first time on camera for a video interview promoting the December issue of Vogue, for which Streep is the cover star.
The video opens with direct visual references to The Devil Wears Prada, Streep seen tearing off her coat to hand to an assistant, and various Vogue staff members milling around anxiously upon Streep's arrival.
But as Streep finally meets with Wintour, the latter comically refuses to address the elephant in the room.
When asked for the identity of the "most challenging woman" she has ever played, Streep seemed poised to say it was Wintour, only for the Vogue editor to joke: "No. No. We're not going there, Meryl."
The Devil Wears Prada was based on a 2003 bestseller by Lauren Weisberger and inspired by her experiences as a personal assistant at Vogue.
In her novel and in the film adaptation, Vogue is disguised as a fashion magazine called Runway, with Streep's chilly editor Miranda Priestley apparently based on Wintour.
Streep and Wintour spend the rest of the video discussing the former's new film, The Post, in which she plays the pioneering newspaper publisher Katharine Graham.
Wintour describes Katharine who was also her real-life friend as "one of the most intimidating women I've ever met."
That time Sandra Bullock kissed Meryl Streep on stage
Meryl Streep applauds the work of journalists in new open letter
Donald Trump calls Meryl Streep 'overrated' after being criticized by her
Your favorite women on the covers of Vogue – choose your BEST
Is the Pope angry with the 2018 Met Gala theme?
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7 top mistakes in the movie: The Devil Wears Prada
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On Friday afternoon November 18, 2016, Mark Loughry – Interim City Administrator and City Finance Director, submitted his resignation effective December 22, 2016.
Mr. Loughry has accepted a position as a County Administrator in the State of Kansas. The City of Raytown appreciates his service to our community and wishes him well in his new role.
Mr. Loughry's resignation letter is below.
RaytownOnline note, the letter below was converted to text from an image by our OCR software and it may have introduced typos that were not in the original. Some were corrected, but some may have been missed.
First and foremost I want to take this opportunity to say what a blessing the City of Raytown has been to me and my family. The past five years have not always been easy but they have been fulfilling. I have had opportunities here to establish friendships that I know will follow me for a long time. I also know my career here has given me the chance to improve myself in a way that would not have happened anywhere else.
Second I want to thank all of the staff that have been supportive and willing to work towards a common goal of making this a great place to work and Raytown a great place to live. Over the past five years and more specifically the last few months I have really started to see a change in attitude of some of the staff. I know I have been excited to come to work and I have seen that in others as well. Just this week I had an employee tell me they were excited to see the progress we have made this past year.
We are putting into place changes today that will continue to impact this community, for the better, for years to come. Changes to our Codes that will make it easier to clean up problem areas in the community. Changes to auxiliary services that will improve our ability to maintain core services without new fees or taxes. Changes to employee benefits that keep the City competitive with surrounding communities and immediately impact our employees for the better. All of these coupled together will result in the most important change, the ability for our citizens to see an improved quality of life.
Lastly I want to acknowledge how the current Board of Aldermen have worked with me over the past few months during what could have been a very challenging transition. The City lost several key staff members that had been with the City for a long time. The challenges created by that could have been nearly insurmountable, instead through cooperation with the Board and staff it has been a relatively smooth process to this point. Even with some of the outside detractors it is clear to me that the Board, without exception, truly has a common goal of doing what is best for Raytown.
All of these things make my decision to resign one of the most difficult things I have had to do. Over the past few days the Leavenworth County Commission has been in contact with me about an opening they have for what is their equivalent of a County Administrator. While it was an extremely difficult decision for me it is one that I feel is best for me and my family. I will be closer to home, will no longer have night meetings and have the unanimous support of the Commission as their preferred candidate. This is not a position I sought out but it is one that feels like a good fit for me. With that I thank all of you and plan on December 22′" being my last day with the City.


1980's songs, bright colors and deranged superheros are what make up the new Netflix show, "The Umbrella Academy." This new show is based off a comic book by Gerard Way, former front man of the band "My Chemical Romance." "The Umbrella Academy" took a while to film and edit due to the fact Way wanted the show to be perfect. Now, the series is available on Netflix, offering a new brand of superheros.
The show follows seven siblings who, with the exception of Number 7, have special powers or abilities such as time jumping or strength. The story takes viewers back to when they children were young, and to a time where a man by the name of Sir Reginald had taken them under his wing and trained them to become a crime fighting team for the city. However, in their teens, the siblings split all to become something different.
In the first episode, the siblings are brought back together after the death of Sir Reginald, which in return prompts the reunion of their superhero team, The Umbrella Academy. As the series continues, viewers learn more about the siblings, the secrets surrounding Sir Reginald's death, and the possible death of the world which sets up the entire story.
The show is fast paced, and turns in the plot line leaves viewers on the edge of their seat. "The Umbrella Academy" has become a huge success for Netflix, hooking close to 31 million viewers. The show's unique spin which combines superheros and the end of mankind will change the game for future superhero series, setting a high bar for what fans expect.


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The Ajodhya hills are alive with the sound of resistance
Bastar	Posted on 20th June 2019
New hydropower projects planned in the Ajodhya hills area in West Bengal threaten to put biodiversity in danger while increasing the risk of natural disasters.
The upcoming Turga Pumped Storage Project (TPSP) is said to take up 292 hectares of forest land. The indigenous Santal community is likely to be severely affected as it depends on the forest for livelihood and medicinal herbs.
The community alleges that the erstwhile government went back on its promises of jobs and free electricity when the earlier hydropower project on river Bamni was commissioned in 2008.
The picturesque Ajodhya hills of Purulia district in West Bengal are turning into a backdrop for a power struggle. Quite literally.
Ajodhya hills, located in the easternmost part of the Chhotanagpur Plateau, are contiguous with the Dolma range. The hills have a total forest cover of 10,000 sq km with a majority of it being dry, deciduous forest, housing various exotic species. And nestled in the hills is the slow and languid Ranga Barelahar village, currently simmering with an undercurrent of unrest as an indigenous ethnic tribe resists losing forest land to the Turga hydropower project that threatens to displace both humans and animals who have been dependent on it for centuries.
Villagers, who are already reeling under severe water crisis, fear that things might take a turn for the worse with the project.
The hills are largely inhabited by Santals, an ethnic tribe with a population of over 25,00,000 (25 lakh) across West Bengal, according to the 2011 Census. The tribe speaks Santali, an Austroasiatic language that is the most widely-spoken of the Munda languages. Mostly without formal education and economically disadvantaged, the Santals in Ranga Barelahar village fear that the mindless felling of trees for development would destroy biodiversity in the region and increase the risk of natural disasters in the eco-sensitive zone.
Livelihood at stake
The Turga Pumped Storage Project (TPSP) aims to utilise the waters of the Turga, a tributary of the Subarnarekha river, for peak power generation on a pumped storage type development. An estimated 292 hectares of forest land would be required for the project, say, environmentalist.
But the villagers are firmly against the project.
Sushil Murmu, 26, who is among the only three graduates among the 450-odd people in Ranga Barelahar, filed a petition with two others in the Calcutta High Court last year seeking the suspension of the project that could rob them of their livelihood, "We have depended on the forest for ages because it not only gives us firewood but also medicinal herbs for treating various ailments. Tendu leaves collected from the forest are used for making bidi (a type of cheap cigarette made of unprocessed tobacco wrapped in leaves) and these are sold for our livelihood. The project would not only snatch our livelihood but would also force us to migrate to other areas," he says, adding that Ranga Barelahar and eight other villages located close to the river would bear the biggest brunt if the project materialises.
According to Murmu, the project violates the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, that mandates that a resolution from a gram sabha (meeting of the village council) is needed before implementing any project. The district magistrate administration didn't take up the matter with the indigenous forest communities, he says.
In January, this year, the High Court ordered a temporary stay on the project till August 31, 2019 while hearing the plea.
Villagers, who are already reeling under severe water crisis, fear that things might take a turn for the worse with the project. "We have to walk for nearly two kilometres every day to fetch water from a well as the tube wells go dry during summer. We sincerely appeal to the government to stop playing with our lives. After all, we have inhabited the forest for generations," says Suruj Tudu, 50, a homemaker.
As a mark of protest, almost all villagers have graffiti, decrying the Turga project, on the outer walls of their mud-houses. It says that they want their forest to be preserved and do not want the Turga project.
Mud houses in the village have painted their outer walls with lines in Bengali, protesting the project.
Once bitten twice shy
The resistance against the Turga project partly stems from the bitter experience of the Purulia Pumped Power Storage Project (PPSP), commissioned by the erstwhile Communist Party of India (Marxist) government, over a decade ago. The PPSP was formally inaugurated on the Bamni river, downstream of Bareria village, on the slopes of the Ajodhya hills by then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on April 6, 2008.
The project had an installed capacity of 900 MW, backed by four reversible turbines of 225 MW each, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and undertaken in collaboration with Japanese building and civil engineering Taisei Corporation. The plant, which caters to power needs of Arambagh in Bengal and Ranchi in Jharkhand, was built at the cost of Rs. 29.5 billion (Rs. 2,953 crores).
Villagers residing around the PPSP plant allege that the state government's promises of free electricity and jobs turned out to be hollow. "When we staged protests against the project, the government pacified us by promising free power to those residing within a five-kilometre radius of the project and jobs for locals. But soon we realised that it was a ploy to ensure smooth sailing of the work. We continue to purchase power from outside and those who can't afford it live in darkness. PPSP has 5,000 employees but the locals were not given any jobs. We have been reduced to beggars as the topsoil of the farmlands was all taken up for construction. The area was once lush with greenery, but now it's barren," rues Sunita Mandi, 30, a homemaker in Bandhgutu village, outside the PPSP.
The Purulia Pumped Power Storage Project was inaugurated on the Bamni river, on the slopes of the Ajodhya hills in April 2008.
Mandi points out to another alarming fallout of the project. "The dam has turned into a picnic spot for tourists. The plastic and other waste they leave behind are often consumed by our livestock who fall ill and die. Villagers have lost around 40-50 cattle over the past few years. We have informed the local gram panchayat and Block Development Officer but no steps have been taken. We fully extend our support for the movement against the Turga project because villagers there are likely to meet the same fate as ours."
Four power projects on the cards
Environmentalists say that there are four hydropower projects sanctioned in the in Ajodhya hills. Apart from Turga and the Bamni, there are the Kathlajal Pumped Storage Project and the Bandu Pumped Storage Project.
"We estimate that around 1,200 hectares of forest land and 12,00,000 trees would be lost for the four projects. The Turga itself would rise up after cutting trees and destroying 234 hectares of forest land of the total 292 hectares required for the project. The PPSP has already consumed 3.5 lakh trees and seven hills. This would intensify the existing water crisis in the area. Besides, biodiversity would be affected and various animals, including elephants, that stay in the forest will become homeless and end up in man-animal conflicts," said Sourav Prokritibadi, 30, member of the Ajodhya Buru Banchao Andolon Sanhati Mancha, a platform of environmentalists fighting to save the Ajodhya hills.
Green cover of the Ajodhya hills
"It is simply not feasible to have four projects on the fragile Ajodhya hills. In fact, the two projects on the Bamni and the Turga are located at a distance of just 2.5 to 3 kilometres from each other. It is a ticking bomb that can trigger landslides and other natural disasters. Add to this the continuous mining and quarrying activities in the hills. Several birds and animals species have already been lost due to the extensive development in this small area. The forest department's move of planting eucalyptus trees in the name of afforestation is just eyewash. These trees only absorb more water thus aggravating the water crisis," says Suman Mondal, 28, another member of the organisation, adding that over 20,000 people, mostly Santals, living in 72 hamlets in the area, face the threat of displacement if all the projects are implemented.
Sanctity at stake
A popular tourist destination in West Bengal, the Ajodhya hills are not just known for the scenic beauty, they also have mythological relevance and are culturally significant for the tribals.
According to Hindu mythology, Ram and Sita had stayed in the hills during their exile. According to the Ramayana, Ram pierced the earthen arrow and pristine freshwater springs gushed out for Sita to quench her thirst. The place thus came to be known as Sita Kund. Hundreds of thousands of people gather here for a full moon night Shikaar Utsav or the hunting festival (although hunting has now been banned) around May-June every year, coinciding with the Hindu lunar calendar.
"We demand that the place remain free of any intrusion because it is connected to our spiritual sentiments. But several trees have been cut and the area has become an open ground. There was a time when sunlight found it hard to penetrate the thick tree cover into the forest. But the green cover has vanished now. We demand the protection of Sutantandi (the place inside the forest where tribal people meet and celebrate or where disputes are settled). Where will we go if they cut off our sacred grove of Marang Buru (The Great Mountain, worshipped as a deity)." says a distraught Shyamsundar Mandi, 50, convenor of the Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal, a social organisation fighting for tribal rights. According to Mandi, recent excavations in the area have pushed the prehistory of Bengal back to 42,000years distinguishing it as an archaeologically relevant site.
Residents like Shyamsundar Mandi want their space free of any intrusion because it is connected to their spiritual sentiments
When contacted, forest officials refused to speak on the cutting of trees for development. "I cannot speak much on this matter as it is subjudice. A joint forest management committee has been formed to look into this issue," said Sagar Chakraborty, range officer of Ajodhya Forest Range, Purulia division.
Meanwhile senior officials of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL), the executive agency for the Turga project, say the protest came like a "bolt from the blue" as preparations were on full-swing to start work. "We had obtained all the necessary permissions from the state and the central government. JICA was also ready with the funding but the High Court order has brought things to halt. Some people are trying to spread baseless rumours regarding the project. We will do afforestation as per rules. We require only a small area of the land for the project. We are trying to address the problems and soon the misconceptions of the locals would be sorted out," says Swajit Chakrabortty, director (generation), WBSEDCL.
Chakrabortty also brushed aside allegations of false promises made to villagers around the PPSP project on Bamni river. "We never promised free electricity and jobs. We have done a lot of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities for them and plan to do more in the future."
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Over the weekend, the news of Sir Harry Kroto's passing filtered slowly through the internet. Perhaps the best summary of his life and achievements was already written by Kroto himself, so here we take a brief look at his most acclaimed discovery: that of the amusingly named form of carbon, buckminsterfullerene.
Buckminsterfullerene is an allotrope, or form, of carbon, made up of 60 carbon atoms bonded together in such a way that they form a football-like structure (soccer ball-like for our American readers). In fact, the research paper which announced C60's discovery famously included an image of a football alongside the structure, in order to make it simple to comprehend. Mathematically, it's referred to as a truncated icosahedron, and has 12 pentagonal faces and 20 hexagonal faces.
The road to the discovery of C60 was an interesting one. Prior to its discovery, its existence had already been proposed. In a 1966 New Scientist article, chemist David E H Jones suggested that cage-like hollow carbon molecules might be possible, without elaborating further on how it might be possible to create them. Then, in 1970, Japanese scientist Eiji Osawa predicted the existence of C60, based on the fact that molecules already existed that looked like fragments of a football-like shape.
It wasn't until 1985, fifteen years later, that the existence of C60 would be confirmed. Harry Kroto, a British chemist of Polish descent, was using microwave spectroscopy to research unusual and unstable carbon chains found in interstellar clouds in space. In particular, he was interested in determining the origin of these chains – he suspected that they were formed in the atmospheres of red giant stars.
To investigate this further, Kroto contacted another chemist, American Richard Smalley, who was researching clusters of atoms, but also had the equipment necessary to simulate the conditions in red giant stars. This equipment fired a laser at a graphite disc, under a high pressure helium atmosphere. Using it, Kroto, Smalley, and another chemist, Richard Curl, were able to investigate further the unusual chains that Kroto had been researching, with help from their student co-workers Jim Heath, Sean O'Brien, and Yuan Liu.
The chemists did find the chains that Kroto had been looking for – but they also found something they hadn't been expecting. The results of their analysis of the various different clusters formed by their experiment showed the presence of C60. After studying this unexpected molecule over several days, they deduced its structure, and named it 'buckminsterfullerene' after the structure's similarity to the famous architect's geodesic domes. They published a paper announcing their discoveries towards the end of 1985.
Their research was relatively rapidly rewarded, as just 11 years later, in 1996, Kroto, Smalley and Curl were awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for their discovery. This is quite quick by Nobel prize standards – for perspective, some of the research rewarded by the 2015 Nobel prize in chemistry took place all the way back in 1970. The award was the recognition of the discovery of buckministerfullerene and other similar fullerene clusters opening the door to essentially an entire new sub-field of chemistry exploring their properties.
It's worth noting some of the other research that stemmed from the original discovery. The Nobel-winning research only produced the fullerene clusters in very small amounts; it wasn't until 1990 that astrophysicists Wolfgang Krätschmer and Donald Huffman developed a method to make C60 in larger quantities. They observed unusual absorptions in soot, which they thought might match up with those of C60. Subsequently, they developed a method that used graphite electrodes to generate soot, from which a much larger amount of C60 could be obtained – they were able to produce gram amounts per day.
Despite all this effort to make buckminsterfullerene, it's a molecule that does occur naturally without human intervention. We now know it's found in small amounts in soot, so something as simple as burning a candle in your home will definitely be creating some. It's also found in surprisingly large amounts in some regions of space. Recent studies have confirmed the presence of buckyballs in space, and last year a study proposed evidence that suggests they might be responsible for mystery interstellar absorptions that have puzzled astronomers for over a century.
You might well be wondering what use buckyballs are to non-chemists. While it's true that there are still no commercialised applications of C60, mostly due to the costs involved in producing them, the field still has future potential. The discovery of another type of fullerene, carbon nanotubes, has led to some practical uses, particularly combined with polymer materials in order to strengthen them. Their strength has even led to them being suggested as a potential material for imagined future space elevators.
Harry Kroto had been considering switching careers to pursue graphic design around the time he discovered buckminsterfullerene. As it was, his discovery persuaded him to persevere with his studies into C60's properties. After winning the Nobel prize in chemistry, he used his elevated profile to promote science education worldwide, and the number of personal epitaphs that chemists on Twitter have posted over the past couple of days is a testament to his success in this.


Refitting your entire bathroom can be costly and time consuming, if you don't have the budget for a complete bathroom makeover there are a number of things you can do to update the room, giving it a fresh feel and a totally new look.
Re-paint. Re-painting your bathroom walls and fittings can give the room a completely different appearance, instantly transforming your bathroom. Particularly if you are happy with the existing fixtures such as storage cupboards and shelving units which can easily be reinvented with a simple coat of paint.
Invest in new soft furnishings. Supplying your bathroom with fresh, fluffy towels and rugs will instantly make it feel more luxurious and a space in which you feel comfortable and relaxed.
Install new fittings. Adding new fittings such as faucets and light switches, and accessories will help to achieve your bathroom makeover feel, helping to room to look as good as it did when first decorated.
Replace your shower curtain. Worn-out and wilting shower curtains can drastically age a bathroom so adding a brand new clean curtain will make the room feel ten times better.
Install a new bathroom suite. Bathroom suites are often the first things to age in a bathroom due to usage, however simple suites can be easily replaced for a limited budget. In some instances the suite may not even need replacing and instead could be refinished or parts replaced such as bath panels and shower doors.
Revamp your flooring. Bathroom flooring is often made from cheaper materials such as vinyl. This can be easily replaced independent of a complete over haul and will cost very little. Vinyl tiles can be purchased directly from DIY stores and in some cases can be fitted over the top of existing flooring.
Replace your grout. Over time grouting collects dirt and grime, becoming discoloured and unattractive. Re-placing your grouting will give your bathroom a new lease of life and can be done by hiring a professional or giving it a go yourself.
Improve your bathroom lighting. Increasing or improving the lighting within your bathroom will immediately change your perception of the room. You could introduce more light into the area through illuminated mirrors and extra lighting.
Improve storage. If your bathroom feels cluttered and cramped, simply introducing more storage to free-up space will make a huge difference. Try adding extra draws to storage units or using smaller space saving accessories such as shower baskets or toilet roll holders.
Making your bathroom look more attractive is easy to achieve on a limited budget and does not necessarily require extensive refits and expensive new bathroom suites.
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text:
MWRD Board Receives Positive Report On Retirement Fund
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting - September 2, 2021
All Items were approved, except for Agenda Item #63, which was deleted (see below for more info on that item).
Board Highlights:
2020 Report of the Retirement Fund presented by the Fund Executive Director, Jim Mohler (Agenda Item 54, File # 21-0769)
The presentation for the year ending Dec. 31, 2020 was delayed until now due to COVID.
Actuarial and Market values of assets were at record highs of $1.56B and $1.588B, respectively.
Actuarial fund ratio had jumped to 57.3% from 55.9% in 2019 and 50.4% in 2010.
Net pension liability dropped by $123M over the last 2 years.
Fund Net Rate of Return exceeded Actuarial Assumed Rate of Return.
Investment management fees reduced by over 10%.
The additional contributions over the actuarial determined contribution that have been approved by the Board have had positive benefits.
Going forward, need to keep an eye on deficits of cash flows (more money being paid out than contributions). For 2021, deficit is projected at $81M, about 5%. However, expected rate of return is higher (7.25% actuarial). Problem when the deficit percentage exceeds the rate of return.
A representative from a citizens' group called "Dry Up LaGrange" spoke during public comments asking for help from the MWRD in dealing with flooding problems on the south side of LaGrange. The group and village officials have met with several Commissioners and staff, as well as their U.S. Representative, State Senator and Representatives, and Cook County officials. There are several proposed projects which need funding. There is a lawsuit against the owner of a quarry in McCook which some believe is the cause of the flooding. The group would also like to send the village's combined sewage and stormwater into the Deep Tunnel. President Steele said that the MWRD will continue to meet with both the village and the group and look for ways the MWRD can be of help.
In response to a question from Comm. Davis regarding an intergovernmental agreement with Berwyn to help fund green alley improvements, staff said that the MWRD continues to inspect the infrastructure at least yearly – in perpetuity – even though the other entity is obligated to do the on-going maintenance. (Agenda Item 58, File # 21-0759)
With regard to two proposals to advertise "furnish and deliver" contracts for unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel, Comm. Garcia asked for an update of the disparity study. Executive Director Perkovich said that last update he had was by the end of September. Comm. Garcia and others think that at least some of these "furnish and deliver" contracts should have affirmative action goals. Currently, these types of contracts are exempt from such requirements. (Agenda Items 19 & 20, File # 21-0765 and 21-0766)
Settlement with two persons (not MWRD employees) for injuries stemming from the 2018 explosion at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (Agenda Item #52, File # 21-0782)
Comm. Shore stated she supported the settlement, but asked about where things stood with the MWRD employee who was severely injured. Exec. Director Perkovich confirmed that that was being handled through a workers' compensation claim.
The total amounts to be paid to the two non-employee claimants are $5.6M and $500,000 (for a total of $6.1M). The MWRD will expend $1.12M, which is the remaining self-insurance amount, while the district's excess casualty insurance company will pay the rest.
What to watch for:
Proposed change to the Board Rules to allow for Members to participate remotely
After questions and discussion, this item was deleted to allow time for Commissioner input and possible revisions. (Agenda Item #63, File # 21-0795).
The General Counsel explained that under the Open Meetings Act, entities may provide for members to participate remotely (video or audio calls) as long as there is a quorum physically present. In the case of the Board, a quorum is 5, meaning that up to 4 members could be allowed to participate remotely.
As proposed, and consistent with the language of the Open Meetings Act, a member unable to participate due to personal illness or disability, business of the MWRD, or a family or other emergency, could request to participate remotely by submitting such request via email by 9 am of the day of the meeting to the President and Clerk. The Board would then vote at the beginning of the meeting whether to grant that request.
Comm. Garcia and others questioned why the proposed change submitted only allowed for remote participation at Regular Board meetings, and not Special meetings, Executive sessions, Committee meetings, or Study sessions. Comm. Shore and President Steele both supported at least excluding Executive Sessions. Comm. Shore was concerned whether the District could be assured an Executive Session was truly confidential if someone was participating remotely.
Comm. Davis suggested that the MWRD may want to talk to Illinois legislators about further amending the Open Meetings Act to allow more opportunities to have remote participation, citing the example of a snow storm, given the successful experience of holding remote meetings over the last year due to COVID.
Length of meeting: 2 hours and 45 minutes (with a 45-minute Executive Session at 1 hour and 55 minutes into the meeting)


Note: I can't tell who decided to call HJR 192 the "joint resolution to suspend the gold standard and abrogate the gold clause." That line does not appear in the source document.
73d CONGRESS. SESS. I. CHAPTER 48.
Joint resolution to assure uniform value to the coins and currencies of the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) every provision contained in or made with respect to any obligation which purports to give the obligee a right to require payment in gold or a particular kind of coin or currency, or in an amount of money of the United States measured thereby, is declared to be against public policy; and no such provision shall be contained in or made with respect to any obligation hereafter incurred. Every obligation, heretofore or hereafter incurred, whether or not any such provision is contained therein or made with respect thereto, shall be discharged upon payment, dollar for dollar, in any coin or currency which at the time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts. Any such provision contained in any law authorizing obligations to be issued by or under authority of the United States, is hereby repealed, but the repeal of any such provision shall not invalidate any other provision or authority contained in such law.
(b) As used in this resolution, the term "obligation" means an obligation (including every obligation of and to the United States, excepting currency) payable in money of the United States; and the term "coin or currency" means coin or currency of the United States, including Federal Reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve banks and national banking associations.
Approved, June 5, 1933, 4:40 p.m.
Yet no one is able to point out proof of this alleged bankruptcy.
One may look to the Emergency Banking Relief Act (aka Emergency Banking Act – Wikipedia main article) and Executive Order 6102 (Wikipedia main article). Those would certainly be of interest to any goldbug. Goldbugs are likely intimately familiar with the Gold Clause Cases (Wikipedia main article). However, it would take considerable distortion of the truth in order to paint these actions as indicative of the bankruptcy of the United States.
The first argument is entirely false. HJR 192 specifically states that debt obligations "shall be discharged upon payment, dollar for dollar, in any coin or currency which at time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts." Last I checked, Redemptionists were just as interested in US dollars as everyone else (or Canadian dollars, or Australian dollars… the Redemption Movement has gone global). Sure, some are just coming to grips with the reality of debt, but that hardly changes the fact that US dollars are legal tender.
Congress wishes to have control over monetary policy. Maintaining the gold standard made this vastly more difficult, as it would have required physical gold to back the creation of every new dollar. Don't worry, though: all money is fiat money.
HJR 192 does not give individuals license to discharge their debts by drafting bogus negotiable instruments. HJR 192 does not state that the government will wipe away all debt obligations if you ask it nicely. Ultimately, we are held responsible for the consequences that arise from our actions.