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Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Raghu Teja Sadineni1, B Santh Kumar1, NB Chander1, Durga Mahita Boppana2
1 Department of Radiology, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
2 Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Hospitals, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date of Acceptance 28-Apr-2017
Date of Web Publication 14-Aug-2017
Raghu Teja Sadineni
Flat 503, Aruna Residency, Netaji Street, Patamata Lanka, Vijayawada - 520 015, Andhra Pradesh
DOI: 10.4103/ijabmr.IJABMR_389_16
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) represents a variety of cardiac malformations that may result from errors in the early stages of cardiac development. HLHS includes a wide spectrum of cardiac malformations including hypoplasia of the left ventricle, ascending aorta, hypoplasia, or atresia of the aortic and mitral valves. Over the recent years, the improved resolution of advanced equipment with awareness and increased performance of second-trimester ultrasound examinations for the assessment of fetal anomalies have helped in understanding the spectrum and have expanded our knowledge of HLHS. They are one of the causes which constitute for neonatal morbidity and mortality and hence the rapid need for prenatal evaluation with ultrasound to detect cardiac anomalies. Prenatal recognition of disease also allows families to prepare for a child with a life-threatening defect by consultation with the multidisciplinary team that will care for their newborn and discussing the short- and long-term prognosis.
Keywords: Fetal echocardiography, four-chamber view, hypoplastic ventricle
Sadineni RT, Kumar B S, Chander N B, Boppana DM. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Int J App Basic Med Res 2017;7:213-5
Sadineni RT, Kumar B S, Chander N B, Boppana DM. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Int J App Basic Med Res [serial online] 2017 [cited 2020 Jan 29];7:213-5. Available from: http://www.ijabmr.org/text.asp?2017/7/3/213/212967
The cardiovascular anomalies constitute the most common major congenital anomalies. At birth, the incidence of cardiovascular anomalies is 6.5 times higher than that of chromosomal anomalies and is up to four times more common than neural tube defects. However, the prenatal sonological diagnosis is difficult and hence many cases are missed undiagnosed. Congenital cardiac anomalies account for up to 20% of neonatal deaths and 50% of infant deaths and are four to five times more commonly seen in stillbirths than in live-born infants.[1] The incidence of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is approximately 1 in 10,000 live births;[2] however, their prenatal diagnosis by sonography remains very less. HLHS accounted for a quarter of the neonatal deaths due to congenital heart disease until the 1980s.[3],[4]
We describe the case of a 26-year-old primigravida who came for routine antenatal ultrasonography for the first time. There was no history of consanguinity. A single live fetus of 33 weeks gestation was assessed. Cardiac screening showed mild bradycardia with heart rate persistently between 100 and 120 bpm. Further assessment of cardia demonstrated small sized, echogenic left ventricle, reduced size of mitral valve orifice, capacious right ventricle and atria, and small defect in membranous part of interventricular septum. However, there was no significant reduction in size of aorta further confirming the continuum of spectrum of abnormalities forming the HLHS [Figure 1].
Figure 1: (a-c) Ultrasonography images of a fetus of 32-week gestational age shows small sized and hyperechoic left ventricle on four-chamber view of heart with reduced mitral valve orifice size
Neonatal HLHS is an end point which can result from a spectrum of left heart cardiac abnormalities. Simpson in 2000 has described "Classic" HLHS which includes heart anomalies such as both aortic valve atresia and either atresia or stenosis of the mitral valve.[5] There is a reduction in the size of the left side of heart as a result of which it is unable to support systemic circulation. In the effected fetus, from early gestation itself, the left side of heart is poorly developed. Second-trimester ultrasound findings are similar to those at term and include the left heart showing markedly diminished capacity and contractility.
If not treated, HLHS is a uniformly fatal form, which is responsible for 22% of deaths from congenital heart disease in the 1st year of life.[6] HLHS can be detected on prenatal sonography between 18 and 22 weeks of gestation with a 4-chamber view of the fetal heart. HLHS carries a poor prognosis with a survival rate reported of 40%–55% after prenatal diagnosis.[7],[8] Prenatal sonological diagnosis has been shown to improve outcome when compared with neonates not diagnosed before birth.
Second-trimester ultrasonography reveals not only a small, dysfunctional left ventricle but also critical aortic stenosis and/or severe coarctation of the aorta. Real-time images will delineate the obstructed outflow and dysfunctional contractility of the left ventricle wall.[9] When they are followed through gestation, these fetuses can develop increased cardiac wall echogenicity reflecting endocardial fibroelastosis, and the left ventricle diminishes in size relative to the normally growing right ventricle.[10]In utero aortic valve dilation has been proposed for HLHS due to critical aortic stenosis.
In a study by Stoll et al., sonographic detection for isolated left heart syndrome had a sensitivity of 61.9%.[11] In general, the cardiac defects affecting the size of the ventricles have the highest detection rate. In various other studies, sensitivities are 36.6% and 37% for prenatal sonographic diagnosis.[11]
The most important sonographic findings include the following:[11] a small, thick-walled and hyperechoic left ventricle, with weak contractility. An absent or minute left ventricle and an anterior mitral leaflet, of 5 mm or less, is diagnostic of hypoplastic left heart ventricle, enlarged right ventricle with increased excursion of tricuspid valve, absence of antegrade flow through the aortic valve, and poor motion of aortic valve; ascending aorta hypoplasia of variable degree, which is small or not visible, and small amount of flow through it. An aortic root of 5 mm or less is consistent with aortic atresia, mitral valve hypoplasia with or without measurable flow, and poor mitral valve motion.
Extracardiac anomalies may be seen associated with hypoplastic left heart, which include two-vessel cord, craniofacial, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and central nervous system abnormalities.
The HLHS usually presents during the 1st week of life with signs of low systemic perfusion due to constriction of ductus arteriosus because of the falling pulmonary vascular resistance. These infants tolerate their defect for a few days until the ductus remains widely open. Severe metabolic acidemia develops when the ductus constricts as the arterial pressure decreases. If not treated, almost all the affected infants die within 6 weeks.
No active obstetrical interventions are needed during pregnancy other than determining the karyotype and looking for associated anomalies. Prenatal diagnosis is important for pregnancy counseling and for planning the delivery, due to the severity of this condition and the specialized surgical treatment that is required. Prenatal diagnosis helps in preventing ductal shock (by avoiding closure of ductus arteriosus) after birth usually by the use of prostaglandin E14.
There are various palliative surgical procedures that have been proposed which include modified Norwood procedure, bidirectional cavo-pulmonary shunt, modified Fontan procedure, aortic valvuloplasty, and heart transplantation which have increased the survival rate of these children. Therapeutic approach is initially staged surgical palliation, which if unsuccessful may require cardiac transplantation.
HLHS which is a complex combination of cardiac malformations can be detected with prenatal evaluation with ultrasound providing an option of pregnancy termination to the parents, or intrauterine interventions may be performed if the parents wish to continue the pregnancy. It also guides the clinicians to prepare for the postnatal interventions as and when required.
The authors would like to thank students and staff of Radiology Department, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation, Gannavaram, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Anandakumar C, Nuruddin M, Wong YC, Chia D. Routine screening with fetal echocardiography for prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease. Ultrasound Rev Obstet Gynecol 2002;2:50-5.
Ferencz C, Rubin JD, McCarter RJ, Brenner JI, Neill CA, Perry LW, et al. Congenital heart disease: Prevalence at livebirth. The Baltimore-Washington Infant Study. Am J Epidemiol 1985;121:31-6.
Fyler DC, Rothman KJ, Buckley LP, Cohn HE, Hellenbrand WE, Castaneda A. The determinants of five year survival of infants with critical congenital heart disease. Cardiovasc Clin 1981;11:393-405.
Bull C. Current and potential impact of fetal diagnosis on prevalence and spectrum of serious congenital heart disease at term in the UK. British Paediatric Cardiac Association. Lancet 1999;354:1242-7.
Simpson JM. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2000;15:271-8.
Gillum RF. Epidemiology of congenital heart disease in the United States. Am Heart J 1994;127(4 Pt 1):919-27.
Allan LD, Apfel HD, Printz BF. Outcome after prenatal diagnosis of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Heart 1998;79:371-3.
Brackley KJ, Kilby MD, Wright JG, Brawn WJ, Sethia B, Stumper O, et al. Outcome after prenatal diagnosis of hypoplastic left-heart syndrome: A case series. Lancet 2000;356:1143-7.
Allen RH, Benson CB, Haug LW. Pregnancy outcome of fetuses with a diagnosis of hypoplastic left ventricle on prenatal sonography. J Ultrasound Med 2005;24:1199-203.
Hornberger LK, Need L, Benacerraf BR. Development of significant left and right ventricular hypoplasia in the second and third trimester fetus. J Ultrasound Med 1996;15:655-9.
Stoll C, Dott B, Alembik Y, De Geeter B. Evaluation and evolution during time of prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart diseases by routine fetal ultrasonographic examination. Ann Genet 2002;45:21-7.
Sadineni RT
Kumar B S
Chander N B
Boppana DM
four-chamber view
hypoplastic ventricle
© International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow


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FactCheck Posts › Featured Posts
Colorado's Contraception Controversy
By Lori Robertson
Both sides in the Colorado Senate race are misleading voters in TV ads on Republican Rep. Cory Gardner's proposal to allow the sale of birth control pills over-the-counter.
Gardner says in a TV ad that he has a plan to sell oral contraceptives, or the pill, over-the-counter without a prescription. But Congress has nothing to do with the process for making drugs available over-the-counter. That's done by the Food and Drug Administration if petitioned by the drug manufacturer.
Gardner's ad also says his over-the-counter plan would be "cheaper and easier, for you" than Democratic Sen. Mark Udall's plan. But the Affordable Care Act — which Udall voted for and which Gardner voted to repeal — already requires insurance companies to fully cover birth control costs, including the pill. It's also unclear whether birth control pills would be cheaper if they were available over-the-counter.
A Planned Parenthood Votes ad claims that Gardner wants to "take away" insurance coverage for birth control pills and have "women pay for all of it." Yes, he supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and, absent any replacement bill, insurers may well revert to covering some – but not necessarily all – of the cost. But Gardner hasn't called for a ban on insurance coverage of the pill.
Gardner's Plan
Gardner's TV ad begins with the candidate saying, "What's the difference between me and Mark Udall on contraception?" There are differences between the candidates on birth control, but the political claims from both sides leave voters in the position of having to hunt for them.
Mainly, Gardner wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Udall doesn't. Repealing the law would make a range of birth control more expensive for women with private insurance, but Gardner doesn't mention that in his ad. Instead, Gardner says in the ad that his plan would make the pill "cheaper and easier, for you."
The Affordable Care Act requires most private insurance plans to cover the pill, and other methods of female contraception, including sterilization, IUDs, sponges and spermicides, with no cost-sharing. There is an exemption for nonprofit religious employers, and the Supreme Court ruled in late June in the Hobby Lobby case that for-profit, closely-held companies couldn't be required to pay for contraception coverage because of a federal religious freedom law. Hobby Lobby and another company, Conestoga Wood Specialties, objected to covering IUDs and emergency contraception on religious grounds.
Gardner praised the Hobby Lobby ruling in a statement and called for the FDA to "move quickly to make oral contraceptives available to adults without a prescription." In July, Udall co-sponsored a Senate bill to prohibit employers from not covering contraception, but the measure failed.
Birth control has emerged as a key issue in the race. Gardner had first proclaimed his support for over-the-counter birth control pills in a June 19 op-ed published in the Denver Post.
It came after Udall had aired numerous ads criticizing Gardner's past support for state personhood initiatives, which are anti-abortion measures that could lead to some hormonal forms of birth control, including the pill, being outlawed. Gardner withdrew his support for the latest state initiative this year, but still supports a similar federal bill. (See our Aug. 15 article "A Fight Over Birth Control in Colorado" for more on this issue.)
Gardner's June op-ed called for birth control pills to be sold over-the-counter without a prescription and touted the convenience and potential cost savings of the idea. He wrote: "Since it makes so much sense, you might wonder why this change has not happened yet. It's because too many people in Washington would rather play politics with contraception instead of actually making life easier for women."
But an act of Congress couldn't move the pill to over-the-counter status. In fact, what Gardner — and other Republican Senate candidates, including Thom Tillis in North Carolina and Ed Gillespie in Virginia — is suggesting wouldn't happen quickly or easily. A drug manufacturer would submit an application to the FDA, and the FDA would then have to review and approve it. "This is a decision-making process that's driven by the FDA, it's not driven by Congress," Sneha Barot, senior public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, told us in an interview. "It can be a fairly long and expensive process."
Plus, if the FDA were to approve one brand of the pill, there are dozens more that would need to go through the same process to make all oral contraceptives over-the-counter. A Senate bill introduced by Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte in July included a "sense of the Senate," basically a suggestion, that the FDA "should study whether contraceptives that are available with a prescription … would be safe and effective for adults if available without a prescription."
Making the pill OTC isn't a new idea, either. The OCs OTC Working Group — that's oral contraceptive (OC) and over-the counter (OTC) — was established in 2004 to explore the issue. It's made up of reproductive health and advocacy groups, researchers and clinicians. The Guttmacher Institute, which researches reproductive health issues, is part of it.
However, let's set aside the logistics and look at the claims about what would happen if oral contraceptives were available over-the-counter. Gardner says in his TV ad, "I believe the pill ought to be available over the counter, round the clock, without a prescription — cheaper and easier, for you." His campaign says he also wants to "allow for women to be reimbursed for it through their insurance."
It's unclear whether birth control pills would be cheaper if they were available over-the-counter. The available research is mixed, and it's not specifically about the pill.
A 2012 study funded by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a trade group for manufacturers of over-the-counter drugs, said there were savings from having common ailment drugs over-the-counter — including allergy, cough/cold and anti-fungal medications — and that most of the savings came from not needing an office visit to get a prescription. But the study, which looked at drugs that were already available OTC, cautioned that its findings were limited to the medications it analyzed. The OCs OTC Working Group cites two conflicting studies: A 2002 study published in the journal Drug Benefit Trends that found out-of-pocket costs for consumers went up when certain drugs moved from prescription to OTC status, and research from 2005 that found out-of-pocket costs decreased for antihistamines and gastritis medication.
"It's very unclear what would happen to the price of an oral contraceptive if it went over the counter," said Barot, who told us the cost of emergency contraception — which is essentially a high dose of the birth control pill — went up a bit when it became available without a prescription.
Barot co-wrote a blog post for the journal Health Affairs on Sept. 10 in support of OTC contraceptives paired with the ACA's requirement for private insurance to fully cover all methods of birth control for women without cost-sharing. A July 30 opinion piece, written by members of Ibis Reproductive Heath, a research and advocacy group that coordinates the OTC working group, and published in The Hill newspaper also argued that: "For an over-the-counter pill to have the most positive impact on access to contraception, it must be covered by insurance."
So would the pill be "cheaper" over-the-counter? Not for women with most private insurance coverage, who get full coverage of the pill and also get a fully covered annual "well-woman" office visit during which time they can get a prescription. Both benefits are mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Those without insurance coverage could save money, since they won't have to go to a doctor for a prescription. And even those with insurance may feel the convenience saves them money in terms of not having to miss work or arrange child care to go to a doctor. "The impact would be different depending on the group of women we're talking about," Barot says.
As for getting the pill over-the-counter being "easier," that, too, depends on the person. Women without insurance wouldn't have to get a prescription, but if the cost were covered through a reimbursement system, as Gardner proposes, they'd have to spend time taking whatever steps were required to get their money back. Women in rural areas, as Gardner points out in his op-ed, may drive long distances to see a doctor and would likely find an OTC option easier.
Gardner further claims in his ad that Udall "wants to keep government bureaucrats between you and your health care plan." It's true that the ACA places new requirements on insurance companies — such as covering contraception without cost-sharing. But if Gardner's plan occurred in conjunction with the ACA, that would still be the case. In fact, in his op-ed, he proposed changing the ACA to allow insurers to cover OTC drugs obtained without a prescription.
And some federal regulation might have to be enacted for Medicaid. The OCs OTC Working Group says it's "unclear" how Medicaid recipients would be affected, since federal Medicaid funds can't pay for over-the-counter drugs obtained without a prescription, though some states do cover OTC emergency contraception.
There are missing details to Gardner's proposal, which, as we mentioned, would have to start with drug manufacturers and the FDA, not Congress. With or without the ACA, he's still advocating insurance coverage of OTC oral contraceptives, which would presumably require some government regulation. We asked his campaign whether he would require insurers to fully cover birth control pills purchased over-the-counter if the ACA were repealed, or would he allow insurers to make decisions about the level of coverage, as they did before the health care law was passed. We did not receive a response to that question.
Would Gardner 'Take Away' Insurance Coverage?
Planned Parenthood Votes jumped into the debate with an ad launched Sept. 12 that says on screen, "Gardner's over-the-counter proposal would TAKE AWAY insurance coverage for birth control," with a drawing of a pack of birth control pills. Another on-screen graphic reads, "Gardner's plan: Women pay for all of it."
Similarly, the Udall campaign has criticized Gardner's OTC proposal by saying on its website that he had a "radical position on ending insurance coverage for the pill." Another posting on the campaign website says Gardner "has said that we should remove insurance from the process of purchasing birth control altogether."
As we've said, Gardner's campaign says he wants to allow women to be reimbursed for OTC oral contraceptives. His campaign spokesman Alex Siciliano told us that Gardner's plan is different from many other over-the-counter proposals in this regard. "Cory understands the problem associated with potential out-of-pocket cost increases if insurance coverage is lost," he wrote in an email. "That's why Cory has called for a change to Obamacare that will permit the coverage of OTC medication like oral contraceptives without a prescription."
Gardner's original June op-ed on the idea didn't fully explain the insurance-reimbursement proposal, but did allude to insurance coverage for OTC oral contraceptives. He wrote in that piece: "Since January 2011, an obscure provision of Obamacare has blocked insurers from covering OTC medicine without a prescription. If Democrats are serious about making oral contraception affordable and accessible, we can reverse that technical provision."
The provision bars reimbursement from a Flexible Spending Arrangement or Health Savings Account for over-the-counter medications obtained without a prescription (excluding insulin and medical devices). The ACA does require private insurance plans to cover over-the-counter contraceptives including sponges and spermicides, but only with a doctor's prescription.
Gardner's camp hasn't provided more specific details on how his plan would work in terms of insurance reimbursement. But that's still no reason for Udall and Planned Parenthood Votes to misrepresent his over-the-counter proposal.
When we asked Planned Parenthood Votes about its ad, a spokeswoman told us that Gardner's plan was to repeal the ACA and its full coverage of a range of birth control methods, plus a "vague" over-the-counter proposal for the pill. And since it would take years before any brand of birth control pill was available over-the-counter, women would go back to paying out-of-pocket for contraception in the absence of the ACA, she said.
Fair enough — but that's not what the ad says. Instead, it says Gardner wants to "take away" insurance coverage and have "women pay for all of it," and it specifically references the pill. Gardner hasn't called for any kind of ban on insurance coverage of the pill, or birth control in general. If the ACA were repealed, insurers may well revert to life before the health care law, when many private plans covered some of the cost of prescription contraceptives, according to a 2002 Guttmacher Institute survey of insurers' on employment-based plans. (In fact, more than half of the states, including Colorado, require insurance plans that include prescription drug coverage to cover contraception. Colorado passed its contraception law in 2010. Gardner voted against it.)
The Udall camp points to a brief interview Gardner gave to Fox News in July, when he said "let's take out the insurance" in regards to his OTC plan. The full quote: "I support a birth control policy that will allow us to have common forms of oral contraception available over-the-counter without a prescription. Let's take out Obamacare. Let's take out the insurance."
We're not sure what Gardner meant by that, but it contradicts what his campaign has said since then.
Planned Parenthood Votes and the Udall campaign would be correct to say that Gardner wants to repeal the ACA, and with it the law's requirement of full private insurance coverage of women's contraception. But both twist Gardner's position into something more extreme. Gardner, meanwhile, tries to sell voters on a plan he himself — or Congress — can't implement. And he glosses over his support for repealing the ACA, a move that, absent additional health care legislation, would increase the cost of a range of birth control methods for many women with private insurance plans.
— Lori Robertson
Planned Parenthood Votes
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cerrejón Coal, one of the largest open-cut coal mines in the world, is co-owned by BHP-Billiton (Australia), Anglo-American (UK) and Xstrata (Switzerland). According to the complaint, Cerrejón attempted to depopulate an area of the La Guajira peninsula by destroying a 200-year-old township-pueblo, Tabaco, and forcibly expelling the remaining population through a purported expropriation. Five other communities suffered the effects of 'estrangulación' (strangulation), actions taken by the company designed to make living unviable in the area and therefore drive the population out. The Complainants alleged that this caused suffering and hardship for the former population of Tabaco and of the other five pueblos.
The Complainant sought revision of the compensation paid to, and improvements to the current living conditions of, former residents of Tabaco. That Complainant also sought to ensure that there was an appropriate process to manage the relocation of the five other communities, including adequate consultation, and that any resettlement occurred in a socially responsible manner.
The ANCP contacted both the Complainant and BHP-Billiton. A phone meeting was held between the ANCP and the Complainant on 18 July 2007, and a face-to-face meeting was held between the ANCP and BHP-Billiton in Melbourne on 7 August 2007.
Involvement of other NCPs As the submission also involved companies in the UK and Switzerland, and with the agreement of the Complainant and BHP-Billiton, the ANCP consulted with the UK NCP and the Swiss NCP.
The ANCP organised a meeting in London on 9 October 2007 with local Cerrejón Coal management, the Australian and Swiss NCPs, Anglo-American, Xstrata, BHP-Billiton, ASK and the Complainant. Emails were then exchanged, but no further mediation occurred.
It was agreed that the issues should be dealt with on an integrated basis rather than as separate complaints in the local jurisdictions and the ANCP agreed to take the lead in consultation with the Swiss and UK NCPs.
At that meeting, a proposed Third Party Review initiated by Cerrejón Coal was accepted by the ANCP as a solution to the complaint. The Guidelines case was suspended until the Third Party Review published its report.
The independent review, 'Cerrejon Coal and Social Responsibility: An Independent Review of Impacts and Intent', was released in February 2008. The report called for talks between the company and the surrounding communities.
In April 2008, Cerrejon responded to the independent review recommendations which included a commitment to meet with the Tabaco Relocation Community (TRC).
In August 2008, Cerrejon and the TRC sought Dr Harker to serve as facilitator in talks betwee them.
A further US$1.3 million for sustainable projects.
No similar agreement has been reached for the other five affected communities.
An independent party should be engaged to monitor the consultation process for communities potentially subject to resettlement.
On 12 June 2009 the Australian NCP closed the case and issued a Final Statement.
The negotiations on the resettlement of the other five communities are ongoing. BHP-Billiton and Xstrata have claimed that local Cerrejón management now has the capacity and the knowledge to conduct a proper resettlement process, and that there is no need for a third party mediation. However, although the resettlement processes was taking place on paper, OECD Watch reports that no mutually agreed negotiation scheme was agreed with the Complainants, nor was the communities' ability to negotiate improved. The ANCP expresses concern in its Final Statement that in the absence of a mediator the process of resettlement will be complicated and prolonged.
Fact-finding: The Complainants requested that the NCPs conduct fact-finding on the ground in Colombia either in person or through the respective embassies, but the Swiss NCP responded that the NCP did not have the human or financial resources to carry out local fact-finding or mediation, and that doing so would be a violation of national sovereignty. This seems to be at odds with the approaches of the UK and Dutch NCPs. The Swiss NCP further argued that local embassies could not carry out the duties of the NCPs. The Swiss NCP mentioned that this may change after the upcoming review of the Guidelines and Procedural Guidance.
2. On 4 October 2007, a Swiss NGO, ASK, lodged a complaint with the Swiss NCP regarding Xstrata's relationship with Cerrejon. The text of that complaint is in German and was not made available to the ANCP. However, the Swiss NCP reported that it is materially similar to that lodged by the Complainant in this complaint.
Contributor(s): This article was modified by Kyle (4), Ejfturnbull (1).


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Jack Harries, "Coming together, in peace, in a celebration of life…" | Extinction Rebellion
Extinction RebellionOct 11, 2019
The International Rebellion is taking place across the globe now. Sign up for London here https://Rebellion.earth/international… Worldwide actions are planned in other major cities. See if your city is listed https://Rebellion.earth/international… or, if your city is not listed, then please visit our global site https://Rebellion.Global/ to get in touch with your local group.
International Rebellion: Day 4 & 5 Round Up
Streamed live 2 hours ago
2019 African Studies Association – Teacher's Workshop
Every year, the African Studies Association (ASA) hosts a Teachers' Workshop, a day of professional development events focused on supporting K-12 teachers' knowledge and skills to teach about Africa. We are pleased to host the Teachers' Workshop this year at the Harvard University Center for African Studies. Sessions are relevant to K-12 English Language Arts, Social Science, and Art teachers and are taught by master teachers and experts in African studies.
Six concurrent workshops will delve into approaches to teach about Africa, the role of art and masking traditions, the importance of women's resistance during colonial rule, ways of collaborating across borders to connect the study of Africa to the civil rights movement in the United States, and the crucial move of teaching about Africa as we mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first ship that bore a cargo of enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619. A wonderful musical and dance performance will close the day, led by youth from Africano in Waltham, MA. In addition, teachers will receive a free How Big is Africa Poster and Curriculum Guide, free Teaching Africa in the 21st century books and other curriculum resources. Parking vouchers will be made available to participants and an East African lunch will be provided. Teachers will receive a certificate of attendance awarding Professional Development Points.
See further details below.
As part of the Annual Meeting of the ASA, please join us for a day of engaging professional development sessions designed for K-16 educators teaching about Africa.
8:30-9:00 Registration & Welcome
Coffee, tea, and light breakfast
9:00-9:15 Opening Remarks
9:15-10:45 Session 1A: Colonized Women Talk Back
This lesson introduces students to African women who challenged colonial rule. Using a role play activity, participants learn about African women activists from Zimbabwe to Egypt, from the 16th century Kongo Kingdom confrontation with the Portuguese to the apartheid struggle in the 1980s.
Facilitators: Dr. Vanessa Akinyi Oyugi (Howard University) & Dr. Barbara Brown (Boston University)
Session 1B: The ABCs of Teaching about Africa
This workshop will explore and highlight simplified and effective ways for teaching about Africa. Using comparative perspectives teachers will be introduced to themes that will empower them to teach about the continent more creatively and effectively. Participants will also receive free copies of Teach Africa: Taking Africa to the Classroom.
Facilitator: Dr. Agnes Ngoma Leslie (University of Florida)
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:30 Session 2A: Problematizing the Mask
This presentation will explore the strategies, challenges, imperatives, pitfalls, and potential rewards of including African masking traditions in the k-12 art curriculum, with implications for masks in general. While not a requirement, it is suggested that participants take the session before attending Session 3A: Approaches to Making and Using Masks.
Facilitator: Dr. Felice Amato (Boston University)
11:00-12:30 Session 2B: 1619's Harvest: Stories of Resilience and Resistance
In 1619, the transatlantic world was a changing world; people's lives were being transformed by forces larger than the individual. This session will focus on examining the lives of people who lived through this transition. Using stories of resilience and resistance, activities will probe the experiences of people who began their lives as free people and analyze how they moved beyond the transitory condition of enslavement.
Facilitator: Roberta Logan Masks (Boston University)
12:30-1:30 Lunch & Keynote by Dr. Joyce Hope Scott
1:30-2:50 Session 3A: Approaches to Making and Using Masks
Participants in this session will "think through making," with the goal to become more comfortable with the tools and techniques of creating cardboard masks. The purpose is to think differently about how to teach masks in the classroom in a way that helps students join in the exuberance and universal appeal of these powerful phenomena without appropriating or decontextualizing. While not a requirement, it is suggested that participants interested in this session also register for Session 2A: Teaching Africa through Art: Problematizing the Mask.
Session 3B: Collaborative Learning between U.S. and South African Classrooms
This session provides frameworks and tools from a cross-border collaborative project between U.S. and South African teachers. The two presenters (one in the U.S. and one in Johannesburg, South Africa) will discuss their joint curriculum design that brings together civil rights and apartheid struggles. Facilitators will also discuss the benefits and challenges of cross-border collaborations and ways teachers can adapt similar programs in their contexts. Student voices and student work will be featured to showcase the possibilities of transnational collaborative learning and teaching.
Facilitators: Thomas Thurston, Waltrina Kirland-Mullens & Mary Khuduge (Yale University)
3:00-3:30 Musical Performance by youth from Africano in Waltham, MA.
For inquiries regarding the 2019 Teachers' Workshop, please contact Dr. Elsa Wiehe, ewiehe@bu.edu
Full program description and presenter bios coming soon!
For $25 registration fee, participants will be provided with:
Hands-on learning experiences led by experts in pedagogy and African Studies
A certificate of attendance for Professional Development Points from the Boston University African Studies Center
How Big is Africa Poster & Curriculum Guide, and other teaching resources
Access to the African Studies Association Book Fair and all other African Studies Association Meeting 2019 panels
Breakfast & a delicious African-inspired lunch
Vouchers for discounted parking in Cambridge
Workshops are relevant to K-12 ELA, social science, and art teachers.
See related discussions of teaching African history with rare and fragile materials.
Preservation and Access: Rare & Valuable Historical Documents in the Age of the iTech
From Gallery to Reality (… and Back): The Display of Art and the Art of Display in the Digital Age
BBC World Service – Boston Calling, Into the thaw – Antarctic Ice
Boston Calling
Is Thwaites Glacier doomed? Scientists race against time to find out.
Nigerian Students Join Global Fight for Climate Action
VOA News Oct 11, 2019
The climate action movement known as "Fridays for Future" has spread to Nigeria, where it is being led by a 16-year-old school girl, Faithwins Iwuh. The movement started by a Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, now has millions of school children worldwide, who are demanding immediate action to counteract global warming. For VOA, Timothy Obiezu has more from Abuja.
Zadie Smith's First Short Story Collection, 'Grand Union,' Is Here | On Point
"Grand Union," by Zadie Smith. (Alex Schroeder/On Point)
Zadie Smith is with us to talk about her first short story collection, "Grand Union."
https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/BUR5981058642.mp3
Zadie Smith, celebrated writer and author of "White Teeth," "On Beauty" and "Swing Time." Her new book is "Grand Union," her first short story collection. Professor of fiction at New York University.
On the advantages of the short story format
"I think for me it's about playfulness. … I guess the thing I always fear is rigidity or getting stuck, and stories were just an opportunity to think differently, think about different kinds of writing, different ways of writing. A novel is a very long stretch in one place. And so it was amazing fun to do this. Fun for the irresponsibility, fun for the freedom, fun because I didn't have to be just one writer. I could be more than one and that's exciting to me.
"And fun because it was there was a lot of improvisation and adaptation. I started to think about it the way I think about music. If I'm making music, or sometimes I sing, and so much of that is improvisation. You have the chords, but then you work around it. And I thought about how rarely you do that in writing. You get so anxious and so stuck. So I experimented with things, like found objects, for example, like trying to write about what fell in front of me on a particular day — something that I think visual artists do a lot of, painters do. I want to see if I could do it in language."
On her story "Kelso Deconstructed" in the collection. It's based on the true murder of Kelso Cochrane in 1959. He was just 32 when he was murdered by a group of white youths, none of whom ever faced prosecution.
In the process of writing this story, did it help you understand this moment in British history in a different way?
"It made me understand that there's a part of British history that the British don't recognize and don't understand. Black British history is British history. And until it's included in our classes and no knowledge of our own country. It'll be hard for Britain to change and become an adult country, which it has yet to do my opinion.
"It's a long process for me, of kind of being out of English schools and understanding what was not taught. And, fundamentally, what was not taught was our true colonial history and the true history of British slavery, which is the equal of American slavery. Just because it was offshore doesn't mean it wasn't significant. All these stories — and there so many of them — it's not to punish the British, but if you don't know your own history, you are condemned to repeat it, and you are also condemned to be innocent. I think the British idea, which I certainly had growing up, that we were — 'we' — fundamentally on the side of the angels, it's not a helpful thing to believe as a nation, because it means you go forward in innocence always.
"If you think of yourself as a hero, and a lot of the language we're hearing in the papers — I was amazed, when I got back to England recently — about Brexit is explicitly Second World War, heroic language. Even the smallest article I read in The Evening Standard — 'House prices are falling. It's tin hat time.' — an economic crisis brought on by ourselves, for ourselves is described as a kind of wartime attack.
"You get stuck in these metaphors, and historical truth is a way of escaping metaphorical truth. And I think it would be incredibly healing for everyone in England, black and white, to understand what Britain was in the 19th century. This grandeur that we're always trying to return to was not so grand. And it's important to know that. There's many things to love about Britain. It's an extraordinary place. But it's not an innocent place."
Revealed: top UK thinktank spent decades undermining climate science | Environment | The Guardian
The Institute of Economic Affairs has previously faced controversy over the political nature of its work. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian
David Pegg and Rob Evans Thu 10 Oct 2019 11.00 EDT
Institute of Economic Affairs has links to 14 members of Boris Johnson's cabinet
How vested interests tried to turn the world against climate science
The UK's most influential conservative thinktank has published at least four books, as well as multiple articles and papers, over two decades suggesting manmade climate change may be uncertain or exaggerated.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has issued publications arguing climate change is either not significantly driven by human activity or will be positive. The group is one of the most politically influential thinktanks in the UK, and boasts that 14 members of Boris Johnson's cabinet, including the home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor, have been associated with the group's past and current initiatives.
Despite a longstanding international consensus among climatologists that human activity is accelerating climate change, the IEA's publications throughout the 1990s and 2000s heavily suggested climate science was unreliable or exaggerated. In recent years the group has focused more on free-market solutions to reducing carbon emissions.
The IEA said it did not take a corporate position on any policy matter. It said the majority of the publications identified by the Guardian predated most of its current staff.
9/11: An Architect's Guide | World Trade Center 7 (10/3/19 webinar – R Gage)
Streamed live on Oct 3, 2019
Live three-part webinar series. Each part is about 1 1/2 hours long
Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting research and providing education about the complete destruction of the three World Trade Center skyscrapers, our courses provide the technical knowledge and analytical framework with which to evaluate the most likely cause of those building failures.
In Part 1 of "9/11: An Architect's Guide," Richard Gage, AIA, provides an overview of the most important evidence regarding the destruction of World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7), a 47-story high-rise that was not struck by an airplane.
The damage WTC 7 suffered from the collapse of the North Tower was found to be inconsequential. It had fires that were similar to those that have occurred previously in high-rise buildings. Yet it fell symmetrically into its own footprint in the manner of a typical controlled demolition.
In 2008, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) concluded that WTC 7's destruction was caused by normal office fires that burned "at temperatures hundreds of degrees below those typically considered in design practice for establishing structural fire resistance ratings."
Is NIST's explanation for this unprecedented structural failure valid? Decide for yourself after watching this informative one-hour presentation. Using the information presented, you will be able to evaluate which of the two hypotheses — fire-induced failure or controlled demolition — is more consistent with the evidence.
Participants will be able to:
1. Describe the characteristics of building fires and the aspects of high-rise design that contribute to make fire-induced failure in steel-framed high-rise buildings a rare occurrence.
2. Recognize the distinct features associated with fire-induced failure and the distinct features associated with the procedure of controlled demolition.
3. Describe step-by-step the series of structural failures that the National Institute of Standards and Technology found to be the most likely cause of the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7.
4. Analyze the physical evidence and dynamics of Building 7's collapse according to how consistent they are with the competing hypotheses of fire-induced failure and controlled demolition.
For more information: visit http://AE911Truth.org
and http://WTC7Evaluation.org
For more information: visit http://AE911Truth.org and http://WTC7Evaluation.org
Streamed live on Aug 29, 2019
Live three-part webinar series. Each part is about 1 1/2 hours long.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting research and providing education about the complete destruction of the three World Trade Center skyscrapers, our courses give architects the technical knowledge and analytical framework with which to evaluate the most likely cause of those building failures.
Never before has a steel-framed high-rise collapsed from fire. Why, then, did three such buildings collapse on September 11, 2001?
In Part 3 of "9/11: An Architect's Guide," Richard Gage, AIA, provides an overview of the most important evidence related to the extreme heat observed both before and after the Twin Towers' destruction.
As documented extensively in the report issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), molten metal was seen pouring out of the South Tower during the seven minutes leading up to its collapse. Molten metal was also observed in the debris of both buildings, while various other evidence of extreme heat and incendiary chemical reactions have been documented since.
In 2005, NIST concluded that the Twin Towers' destruction resulted from the combined effects of the airplane impact damage and ensuing fires, both of which are phenomena that fail to account for the extreme heat observed before and after the Twin Towers' destruction.
Does NIST's explanation for these unprecedented structural failures explain all of the evidence? Together, we will study the collapses and evaluate which of the two leading hypotheses — fire-induced failure or controlled demolition — is more consistent with the evidence. Participants will be encouraged to decide for themselves if a new investigation is warranted.
3. Describe step-by-step the series of structural failures that the National Institute of Standards and Technology found to be the most likely cause of the collapse of World Trade Center Twin Towers.
4. Analyze the physical evidence and the dynamics of the collapse of the Twin Towers according to how consistent it is with the competing hypotheses of fire-induced failure and controlled demolition.
Visit http://AE911Truth.org/Continuing-Ed.html for more information.
Standard YouTube License
Visit http://AE911Truth.org/Continuing-Ed.html for more information. Category Science & Technology License Standard
YouTube License For more information: visit http://AE911Truth.org and http://WTC7Evaluation.org
It's Time to Choose: Extinction or Rebellion | Extinction Rebellion
If not you, who? If not now, when? This is a Climate, Ecological and Social Emergency. #TheTimeIsNow. Alone we are powerless. Together we are powerful.
El Salvador: Communities fighting corporate power of agribusiness
Friends of the Earth InternationalOct 11, 2019
Communities fighting corporate power of agribusiness in El Salvador In El Salvador agribusiness corporations like Bayer-Monsanto promote the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, causing serious environmental and social impacts in rural communities, affecting the health of the people. We urgently need binding regulations to make corporations accountable and responsible for the devastating impacts of agribusiness worldwide. We demand that governments support the UN Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights. Large corporations currently dominate our food system. Six of the largest seed corporations dominate the global market. Ten agrotoxic companies control approximately 95% of the market. We need binding rules for transnational corporations. We need agriculture and food sovereignty for the peoples not corporations.
Food-matters,


rick & maria "life is good"
In May of 2010 my husband, Rick, went into urgent care thinking he had a sinus infection due to the severe headaches he was experiencing. In a whirlwind experience, within 24 hours he had brain surgery and we learned the diagnosis that he had an Anaplastic Astrocytoma - grade three brain tumor. Although given a very grim diagnosis, Rick bravely battled this aggressive cancer for over four years. Sadly, he passed away in October of 2013 at the age of 38.
Rick showcased his positive attitude by wearing t-shirts during his treatments – such as a Superman, Rocky, Orange Crush – and always donning his "Life is Good" hat. In fact, friends and family started sending him shirts! His positive attitude and enjoyment of life's little pleasures made the challenging time a cherished time together.
Rick taught and continues to teach me so much about life and gratitude. I am so thankful that I had the wonderful 15 years with him in my life. We have two wonderful sons (6 and 10), whom I can see Rick's traits continue to shine. We have an amazing network of friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. I couldn't believe the support and creative ways people helped us and continue to help me and the boys. And, most importantly, Rick taught me to cherish and truly live each day.
That being said, I hope that we can work toward a life without brain cancer and brain tumors. I know huge advances have been made even since Rick has passed away, but let's continue to wage this battle and eventually win. Let's not lose more wonderful people like Rick in this heart-breaking way.


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Cynthia McKinney to ST: Gen. Soleimani was the kind of military strategic thinker that comes only once in a generation
The US president Donald Trump is already a war...
Syria's Oldest Wool Carpets Factory:
Syria Times visited the government -own wool...
Dr. Shaaban: President Putin's visit to Damascus, meeting with President Al-Assad is very important
DAMASCUS, (ST)- Presidential Political and...
President Putin arrives in Damascus and meets President Assad at the Headquarters of the Russian armed forces command Center in Damascus
On January 7, Russian President Vladimir...
Hussein Askary: By assassinating General Soleimani in Iraq, Trump Administration has put the world into new uncharted waters
Hussein Askary is an Iraqi-born Swedish...
In two condolences cables to Khamenei and Rouhani, President Al-Assad: The US criminal act will increase the resistance axis' determination to confront its devastating policies
President Bashar al-Assad sent two cables to...
Part of what US occupation forces and illegal foreign organizations did in the northeast of Syria in 2019
(10-10-2019): US pulled out 100 troops plus...
Do you want to know what the Turkish regime did in the northeast of Syria in 2019? This is the tip of the iceberg
Three months before the beginning of 2020, give...
US-led International coalition's massacres against Syrian people in 2019
The US-led coalition, which was illegally...
Israeli attacks on Syria in 2019
The Israeli occupation enemy has carried out 20...
Cynthia McKinney to ST: Gen. Soleimani was the...
Dr. Shaaban: President Putin's visit to...
President Putin arrives in Damascus and meets...
Hussein Askary: By assassinating General...
In two condolences cables to Khamenei and...
Part of what US occupation forces and illegal...
Do you want to know what the Turkish regime did...
US-led International coalition's massacres...
Syria continues doing its duty in fighti…
Al-Mikdad calls for Palestinian unity to…
Terrorists prevent civilians from leavin…
US presence in Syria contradicts with in…
Protests in Jordan against gas deal with…
Syrian army killed 40 gunmen in Damascus…
Syria, Russia appeal to US to stop creat…
Cuba's support for Syria's right to libe…
Lavrov: The fight against terrorism in S…
Russian experts: Departure of US forces …
President Al-Assad: Late Sultan Qaboos l…
DAMASCUS, (ST)- President Bashar Al-Assad on Saturday sent a cable of condolences to Sultan Haitham bin Tarek al-Said of Oman in which he expressed his heartfelt condolen...
President Putin arrives in Damascus and meets President Assad at the headquarters of the Russian forces assembly in Damascus
President al-Assad to Khaji: The battle of Idlib aims at eliminating terrorism that threatens the security and safety of…
President Al-Assad and Russia's Putin exchange congratulations on New Year
The areas planted with wheat have increa…
On January 15, Engineer Abdul Moeen Qadmani, Director of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that there was an increase in the areas planted with wheat ...
Ministry of Transport achieves 891 billion SP proceeds in four years
Hessya Industrial City Witnessed Significant Growth and Attracted 916 Investors in 2019
High reserve dams support the agriculture of strategic spaces
A Triad of Mosques in Old Damascus
1-The Sibaiieh School built during the late Memlouk era in al Darwishieh near the square of Bab al Jabiah, by the last Memlouk governor of Damascus (Prince Sibai son of Bakhtija)before he was killed in the battle of Marj Dabeq, 1516, defending Damascus against the Ottomans who would occupy the region for more than four centuries . Construction started in 1509 and finished in 1515.To build it Prince Sibai collected s...
Tourism Ministry Achieved Positive Indicators in 2019
(Rami) Village .. Historic privacy and distinguished civil work
Czech tourist site: Palmyra deserves the title of " jewel of the desert"
Artist Nabil al-Samman combines Syrian m…
Damascus, ST- In his solo exhibition entitled "Qeyama', artist Nabil al-Samman links the ancient Syrian civilization with its immortal myths, and the present embodying contemporary Syrian man who is capable of creating life, beauty and hope despite pain through a special artistic style characterized by skill and beauty. The exhibition, which was hosted by al- Zawaya Gallery, includes 51 works of oil painting technology, with sizes varying...
Ayman Mohamed was able to develop his artistic talent by self-effort
The storyteller" al-Hakawati" sees that his profession is a mini theater to provide sermons and good values
Twenty artistic portraits on Syrian civilization in "Julia Art" Exhibition
The completion of the first stage of Sou…
With the aim of fulfilling the needs for the baking materials in required quantities, and giving attention to provide excellent bread, Syrian Arab RedCrescent volunteers finished the first stage of Southern Cornice bakery's rehabilitation, where the team installed ceramics on the walls and isolated the bakery's surface, in addition to the internal and external painting works. Lama Razzouk
Reda from Homs: Work is being done in coordination with…
Traveler Adnan Azzam is approaching Moscow to end his…
A national activity in Ain Al-Tineh, Qun…
Quneitra, ST- With an official and popular participation, a national activity was held today in Ain al-Tineh, opposite to the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan, in homage to the victory of the resistance and breaking the will of the Israeli occupier, on the occasion of the liberation of the Dean of the Syrian and Arab captives in the Israeli occupation jails Sidqi Suleiman Al-Maqt and the prisoner Ama...
The Long Years of Captivity in Israeli Jails Could not Undermine Al-Maqt's Will, Challenge and Determination
The National Folklore magazine celebrates the Golan heritage and arts in its new issue
Christmas In Syria


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Sonatas as Mozart Might Have Heard Them
How to encompass the myriad delights in Mozart's multiple Sonatas for Violin and Fortepiano? Judging from the three chosen by baroque violinist Isabelle Faust and period instrument/modern music keyboard specialist Alexander Melnikov for their November 23 release, Mozart Sonatas for Violin and Fortepiano, Vol.1 (Harmonia Mundi 902360), we will be fortunate enough to struggle with that question for some time to come.
Silent Voices (New Amsterdam Records) comes from the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The recording, from young forces who have performed with everyone from the New Philharmonic and Mariinsky Orchestra to Barbara Streisand and Elton John, showcases works composed for their ongoing multimedia, multi-composer concert series, Silent Voices. Some of these works, which have already been heard at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, National Sawdust, and other prestigious venues, are sure to find their way into the songbooks of many a professional and student organization.
A Modern Witches' Sabbath
This review and its companion that will follow next week spotlight two very different and equally recommendable recordings of contemporary music with a common theme: the quest for freedom and justice in perilous times. This week's special, Lament/Witches' Sabbath (New Focus Recordings), due out today (November 9), contains four works by Mathew Rosenblum, an East Coast composer who occasionally ventures into forbidden territory as he blends percussion, acoustic instruments, electronics, voice and microtonal elements in extremely visceral, moving, and sometimes gut-wrenching ways.
Danes Peer Through the Lens of Bach
The still youthful Danish String Quartet, whose 2016 release on ECM New Series inspired this glowing review in Stereophile, has returned with another hi-rez recording, Prism I (ECM New Series 2561), the first in a projected series of recordings for ECM New Series that will place one of Beethoven's late string quartets in the context of a related fugue by J.S. Bach and another linked quartet.
Debussy As Close as We Can Get
I had all but resolved to move on from reviewing recordings honoring the 2018 centenaries of Claude Debussy's death and Leonard Bernstein's birth when word arrived of Warner Classic's 10-CD bargain box, Debussy: Ses Premiers Interprètes / His First Performers. This set's contents are so important that I want to give Debussy lovers a heads-up so that they can either make room for it in their holiday self-gift basket, give friends ample notice for what they'd like to be playing when 2019 rolls around, or start streaming immediately.
Pärt from Mullova and Järvi
Forty years after he wrote his two-movement Tabula Rasa for violinist Gidon Kremer, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, 83, is still alive, engaged and composing. Hence it should come as no surprise that when violinist Viktoria Mullova and conductor Paavo Järvi contacted Pärt about their plan to record five of his works for violin and various instruments for their Onyx album, Arvo Pärt, the conductor attended the recording sessions.
There's a Very Grand Place for Nadine Sierra
I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to finally get a hold of the 24/96 files for There's a Place for Us, soprano Nadine Sierra's debut album on Deutsche Grammophon/Decca Gold. Just three years after Sierra won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2009, at the age of 20, she journeyed to San Francisco where I heard her, first, in San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, then as an Adler Fellow, and finally a star on the main stage of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. I was immediately taken by the beauty of her voice and her total ease onstage. Serious one minute, girlishly free and hilarious the next, her every appearance was a joy.
Bernstein's Serious Symphonic Side
How many who love Bernstein's "popular" music—everything from On the Town and West Side Story to the final Arias and Barcarolles—have actually spent time with his three "serious," gravely introspective symphonies? Perhaps the best way to do so in up-to-date sound is to dive into Warner Classics' superbly annotated and recorded Bernstein: The 3 Symphonies from Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra, Chorus, and "Voci Bianche" of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Together with excellent soloists, Pappano presents the three symphonies on two CDs, with options of a 24/96 download and hi-rez streaming in MQA on Tidal. The recording balances out Bernstein's three soul-searching introspections with the original version of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs for clarinet and jazz ensemble, which Bernstein initially conceived for the Woody Herman Band.
Wonderful Times with Wonderful Town
After umpteen serious reviews, penned in serious and somber times, it's high time to lighten up. Hence to Leonard Bernstein's Wonderful Town we go, and to Sir Simon Rattle's new SACD of the musical, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and a stellar cast that includes Danielle de Niese (Eileen), Alysha Umphress (Ruth), and Nathan Gunn (Bob).
Other Minds' Modern Hits
Other Minds, the San Francisco-based organization that champions music so far ahead of its time that the 21st century is still catching up with what OM championed in the last millennium, has turned its ear to archival works by unsung electronic music pioneers from the Bay Area and beyond. In its latest offering of digital-only Modern Hits releases, two of which are hi-rez (24/44.1), OM champions the music of Philip Bimstein, Tom Djll, Jerry Hunt, and Alden Jenks.
Anne-Sophie Mutter's Hommage à Penderecki
No violinist is more equipped to perform the music of Krzysztof Penderecki than Anne-Sophie Mutter. The composer dedicated his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.2, Metamorphosen (1992–1996), to her after hearing her perform at a young age—Mutter subsequently recorded Metamorphosen with Penderecki conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in 1997—she has commissioned three works from him. If anyone can be said to have Penderecki's music in their blood, it is Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Which does not make any of the four works on her new two-CDs-for-the-price-of-one set from Deutsche Grammophon, Hommage à Penderecki, any easier to wrap your arms around on first hearing.
English Song in All its Richness
From John McCormack, Kathleen Ferrier, and Dame Janet Baker through today's Bryn Terfel, Alice Coote, and Roderick Williams, some of our greatest English and Irish singers have become indelibly associated with the art of English song. To that exalted list we must now add mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly, whose recent recording of 120 years of English song from the Royal College of Music, Come to Me in My Dreams (Chandos 10944), with the superb pianist Joseph Middleton, is so deeply felt and gorgeously voiced that it earns a 5-star recommendation.
A Big Surprise Among Three American Symphonies
How many of us, when asked to name great American symphonists, typically start and stop with Copland, Ives, Bernstein, Barber and, among living composers, Glass and Adams? In doing so, we often ignore a host of others from the mid-to-late 20th century, including Schumann, Piston, Diamond, Cowell, Hanson, Harris, and Hovhaness (to name but a few)...Perception could very well change with the release of Lance Friedel and the London Symphony Orchestra's recent SACD for BIS, American Symphonies (BIS-2118).
Escape into Reverie with Stephen Hough
Inveterate news junkies of the world, your way out has come. For at least one good hour of your otherwise doom-laden day, you have a reason to turn off Fox or CNN and drift on feathery clouds to a far sweeter place. Your exit has been most graciously supplied by pianist Stephen Hough—he of Stephen Hough's Dream Album—whose latest recorded achievement may well be hailed as the most engaging, charming, and delightful recording of the year... or even the decade.
Transcendent Bridges Continents and Consciousness
There is music so new, so original, so contemplative, and so deeply felt that it makes you want to listen, and then demands that you listen again. It's music whose layers peel back over time, as it draws you deeper into its mysteries. For premiere recordings of compositions that address time and place, and then often take you beyond them, Transcendent (DE 3555), the first offering on Delos from composer/orchestrator Chad Cannon's Asia/America New Music Institute (AANMI), earns its title.


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Związek Suwerennych Państw, Związek Suwerennych Republik Radzieckich – niezrealizowany projekt odnowionego sojuszu republik ZSRR.

Geneza
W grudniu 1990 roku podjęto kwestię reorganizacji Związku Radzieckiego.

3 grudnia Rada Najwyższa ZSRR poparła koncepcję zaproponowanego przez Prezydenta ZSRR Michaiła Gorbaczowa projektu traktatu związkowego i przekazała go do dyskusji podczas IV Zjazdu Deputowanych Ludowych ZSRR.

24 grudnia 1990 roku uczestnicy IV Zjazdu Deputowanych Ludowych ZSRR w imiennym głosowaniu postanowili uznać za konieczne zachowanie Związku Radzieckiego jako odnowionej federacji równoprawnych suwerennych republik, w których miały być w pełni przestrzegane prawa człowieka każdej narodowości.

W tym samym dniu, z inicjatywy i pod presją ze strony Prezydenta ZSRR Michaiła Gorbaczowa, Zjazd przyjął uchwałę w sprawie przeprowadzenia ogólnozwiązkowego referendum o zachowaniu odnowionego Związku jako federacji równoprawnych suwerennych socjalistycznych republik radzieckich. Za przyjęciem uchwały głosowało 1677 posłów, przeciw – 32, wstrzymało się od głosu – 66.

Referendum na temat zachowania Związku Radzieckiego

17 marca 1991 roku odbyło się referendum, podczas którego za zachowaniem i odnowieniem ZSRR zagłosowała większość obywateli, z wyjątkiem ludności sześciu republik (Litwa, Estonia, Łotwa, Gruzja, Mołdawia, Armenia), władze których odmówiły przeprowadzenia referendum, ponieważ przedtem ogłosiły lub poinformowały o zamiarze ogłoszenia niepodległości zgodnie z wynikami przeprowadzonych wcześniej referendów dotyczących niepodległości.

Związek jako federacja (Związek Suwerennych Republik Radzieckich)

Na podstawie koncepcji referendum grupa robocza działająca na mocy uprawnień nadanych jej przez władze centralne i republikańskie w ramach tzw. procesu nowo-ogariowskiego wiosną i latem 1991 roku opracowała projekt zawarcia nowego sojuszu – Związku Suwerennych Republik Radzieckich (Związku Suwerennych Państw) jako zdecentralizowanej federacji.

Projekt traktatu ustanawiającego Związek parafowano dwukrotnie – 23 kwietnia i 17 czerwca 1991 roku. Ostateczna redakcja "Traktatu o Związku Suwerennych Państw" została opublikowana w gazecie "Prawda" 15 sierpnia. W tej samej gazecie 3 sierpnia 1991 roku opublikowano treść telewizyjnego wystąpienia Prezydenta ZSRR Michaiła Gorbaczowa, w którym stwierdził on, że traktat związkowy może zostać podpisany 20 sierpnia 1991 roku. W nowym traktacie zapisano: "Państwa tworzące Związek mają pełną władzę polityczną, samodzielnie określają swój ustrój narodowo-państwowy i system organów władzy i administracji, mogą przekazać część swoich uprawnień innym państwom – stronom Traktatu…". Ponadto w części 2 artykułu 23 nowego Traktatu stwierdzano: "Niniejszy traktat… wchodzi w życie od momentu jego podpisania… przez upoważnione delegacje. Dla państw, które go podpisały, w tym samym dniu traci moc Traktat o utworzeniu ZSRR z 1922 roku".

Członkami nowego związku miało stać się dziewięć z piętnastu republik związkowych byłego ZSRR. Jak oznajmił Michaił Gorbaczow w telewizyjnym wystąpieniu 3 sierpnia 1991 roku, 20 sierpnia nowy układ związkowy powinny podpisać Białoruś, Kazachstan, RFSRR, Tadżykistan i Uzbekistan, a jesienią mogły do nich dołączyć Armenia, Kirgistan, Ukraina i Turkmenistan.

Ale Państwowy Komitet Stanu Wyjątkowego 18–21 sierpnia przeprowadził nieudaną próbę siłowego usunięcia Michaiła Gorbaczowa ze stanowiska Prezydenta ZSRR, zrywając podpisanie traktatu związkowego:
"Korzystając z danej wolności, niszcząc nowo powstałe zalążki demokracji, powstały siły ekstremistyczne, których celem stała się likwidacja Związku Radzieckiego, upadek państwa i przejęcie władzy za wszelką cenę. Zostały zadeptane wyniki ogólnokrajowego referendum o jedności Ojczyzny".

Konflikty pomiędzy władzami centralnymi i republikańskimi oraz elitami narodowymi pogłębiły się i wszystkie republiki związkowe jedna po drugiej ogłosiły niepodległość.

Związek jako konfederacja
5 września 1991 roku V Zjazd Deputowanych Ludowych ZSRR, przyjmując "Deklarację praw i wolności człowieka", ogłosił okres przejściowy dla formowania nowego systemu relacji w państwie, przygotowania i podpisania Traktatu o Związku Suwerennych Państw.

6 września ZSRR uznał wyjście ze Związku trzech republik bałtyckich (Litwy, Łotwy i Estonii).

Jesienią 1991 roku na polecenie władz centralnych i republikańskich grupa robocza procesu nowo-ogariowskiego opracowała nowy projekt traktatu, zakładający stworzenie Związku Suwerennych Państw jako konfederacji niepodległych państw ("państwa konfederacyjnego").

Wstępna zgoda na zawarcie 9 grudnia 1991 roku traktatu ustanawiającego Związek Suwerennych Państw ze stolicą w Mińsku została udzielona 14 listopada 1991 roku tylko przez siedem republik (Białoruś, Kazachstan, Kirgistan, Rosję, Tadżykistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Dwie republiki, w których wcześniej odbyły się referenda w sprawie niepodległości (Armenia i Ukraina), odmówiły wstąpienia do konfederacji.

Jednak 8 grudnia 1991 roku szefowie trzech państw (Białorusi, Rosji i Ukrainy) na spotkaniu w Puszczy Białowieskiej, "odnotowując, iż negocjacje dotyczące przygotowania nowego Traktatu związkowego zaszły w ślepą uliczkę, a obiektywny proces występowania republik ze Związku Radzieckiego i tworzenia niepodległych państw stał się realnym faktem", zawarli Układ białowieski o utworzeniu Wspólnoty Niepodległych Państw – organizacji międzyrządowej i międzyparlamentarnej, nie posiadającej statusu państwa. Do WNP później dołączyły inne republiki związkowe.

W grudniu 1992 roku Zjazd Deputowanych Ludowych Federacji Rosyjskiej zwrócił się do parlamentów państw – byłych republik ZSRR, oraz do Międzyparlamentarnego Zgromadzenia państw – członków Wspólnoty Niepodległych Państw z propozycją rozważenia "utworzenia konfederacji lub innej formy zbliżenia niepodległych państw Europy i Azji – byłych republik ZSRR, których narody wyrażają dążenie do zjednoczenia", ale wniosek ten nie został poparty.

Wielostronnego porozumienia w sprawie zaproponowanego później (w marcu 1994 roku) projektu stworzenia analogicznej konfederacji (Związek Euroazjatycki) także nie osiągnięto. Dwa państwa utworzyły Związek Rosji i Białorusi.

Zobacz też
 Obszar postradziecki
 Rozpad Związku Radzieckiego

Przypisy

Polityka ZSRR
Proponowane państwa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home Kymco News
Kymco Rolls Out Updated People 200i ABS Commuter Scooter
A utilitarian two-wheeler for the people.
Jul 05, 2021 at 9:11pm ET
By: Enrico Punsalang
Kymco, a Taiwanese motorcycle OEM, has become popular all across the globe thanks to its impressive two-wheelers, particularly its scooters, which boast praiseworthy performance at a very enticing price point. The company has scooter offerings of all shapes and sizes. From retro-styled small capacity models such as the Like 125, to highway munching maxi-scooters such as the Xciting 400, Kymco's scooter range is wide and vast to say the least.
To make its commuter scooter lineup even better, the Taiwanese company has recently updated its People range of scooters which consist of the Classic 50, 125i ABS, and the newest addition, the 200i ABS which replaces the previous 150cc model. Kymco has thoroughly refreshed the People range of scooters by giving them all some styling updates which elevates the scooter's overall aesthetic and brings it up to spec with its modern-day counterparts. The Kymco People 200i ABS gets a newly redesigned LED headlight, as well as a premium black leather saddle.
The new Kymco People 200i ABS gets a brand new engine. Displacing 163 cubes, the new motor is an air-cooled unit designed to offer maximum efficiency and performance for use in and around the city. Thanks to its electronic fuel injection system, the scooter complies to Euro5 emission standards, and produces quite a healthy amount of power, too. It makes 14.7 horsepower and 13.5 Nm of torque. The People 200i has a claimed top speed of 105 kilometers per hour, or 65 miles per hour, and claims to be able to return an impressive mileage of 37 kilometers per liter, or 87 miles to the gallon.
The People 200i ABS comes with all the bare essentials needed for a decent daily commuter. It gets standard telescopic forks and twin preload-adjustable rear shocks as its suspension setup. Additionally, dual-channel ABS-equipped front and rear disc brakes come as standard for added safety on all road conditions. To make things even better, Kymco is throwing in a top case which serves as handy additional storage on top of the already generous under-seat storage which is large enough to accommodate a helmet. As far as pricing and availability is concerned, Kymco has priced the People 200i ABS at 3,340 Euros, or the equivalent of $3,962 USD.
More New Scooters In The Market:
Indian Startup Prevail Launches Range Of Affordable Scooters
⠀ Italian Electric Scooter Startup WOW Releases Its First Two Scoots
Sources: Motociclismo, Ruetir
News Scooters


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Horn of the Stone Altar Discovered at Shiloh
by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz | Nov 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
Excavations at the Biblical Tel Shiloh, a potential site of the Jewish Tabernacle. (Wikimedia Commons)
Dr. Scott Stripling (Courtesy)
The archaeological dig at Shiloh in Samaria has produced yet another wonder straight out of the Bible: stone horns from the altar that once stood in front of the Tabernacle.
Archeologists and volunteers from the Associates for Biblical Research in Texas, a Christian organization that brings together Biblical research and archaeology to mutually advance both disciplines, led by Dr. Scott Stripling, provost at The Bible Seminary in Katy (Houston) Texas, made the discovery. Dr. Stripling served as a field supervisor of the Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project from 2005 to 2010 before moving on to lead the dig at Khirbet el-Maqatir from 2013 to 2017. Stripling moved his team ten miles north to Shiloh in 2017.
In addition to its significant archaeological relevance, Shiloh is important for being mentioned in the Bible as being the site of the Jewish Tabernacle for 369 years. Dr. Stripling supports this claim though some archaeologists disagree. The claim is difficult to prove since the Tabernacle was a portable structure and had few elements that would remain intact to this day.
Three altar horns were discovered during ABR's excavations at Shiloh, Israel this season. Horn one: 38 cm long and 23.5 cm wide (15" x 9.25"). One of the few elements that would stand against the sands of time was the stone horn-shaped edge of an altar the researchers believe dates to the Iron Age (1200–586 BCE ). The horns were an essential part of the altar and used in the Temple service.
Slaughter the bull before Hashem, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and take some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the mizbayach with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the mizbayach. Exodus 29:11-12
The horns also the means of obtaining sanctuary, though this was not always effective. Yoav attempted to use this as a means of obtaining sanctuary from King Solomon but was struck down anyway by order of the king.
When the news reached Yoav, he fled to the Tent of Hashem and grasped the horns of the mizbayach—for Yoav had sided with Adoniyahu, though he had not sided with Avshalom… So Benaiah son of Yehoyada went up and struck him down. And he was buried at his home in the wilderness. I Kings 2:28-34
The horns were also described as an essential element of the soon-to-be Third Temple.
And the height of the mizbayach hearth shall be 4 amot, with 4 horns projecting upward from the hearth: 4 amot. Ezekiel 43:15
According to Biblical accounts, the Tabernacle stood in Shiloh until the First Temple was built in Jerusalem. The age of the find is significant as archeologists have discovered a change of cultures in the region, transitioning in the period between 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE from a Canaanite culture to the Tribes of Israel and the Philistines.
Last year, the team uncovered a ceramic pomegranate, a motif that has been found at other sites connected with the priests. Dr. Stripling believes the ceramic ornament fitted with hooks hung from the hen of the priestly garments as described in the Bible.
On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. Exodus 28:33-34
"The pomegranate is a sacred motif," he said. "The only sites in Israel where we have found pomegranates like this one have been Levitical sites."
They also discovered many pithoi, a Greek term for large clay containers commonly used among the civilizations that bordered the Mediterranean Sea in the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and the succeeding Iron Age for storing fluids and grains. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Stripling theorized that the pithoi were used to store the tithes that were brought to the tabernacle.
"The artifacts and materials we have found are consistent with the Tabernacle but the Tabernacle itself was made of animal skins," Stripling explained. "Very little of the Tabernacle would remain for us to find."
"I can tell with 100 percent certainty that there were Israelites in Shiloh because of the many indicators we have," Dr. Stripling told Breaking Israel News. "The pottery shows that they were there when the Bible says they were there. I cannot yet say that I have 100 percent archaeological evidence the Jewish Tabernacle stood at Shiloh. We do find many reasons to seek confirmation of the Biblical text. There are indications, like the large amount of animal bones that are consistent with the Biblical sacrificial system, and the large east-west walls we are excavating."


In Ong on Rectification, Professor Denis SK Ong brings his customary penetrating analysis of the authorities to the equitable remedy of rectification.
Topics discussed include: the nature of rectification; a detailed exploration of the principles of contractual construction; the difference between construction and rectification; rectification of both common and unilateral mistakes; and rectification of wills.
Professor Ong very carefully sets out both the Australian and English authorities, highlighting the differences between them as well as remaining "grey" or unresolved areas. His analysis of the High Court decisions on construction, following the House of Lords decision in Chartbrook Ltd, is particularly illuminating in this regard. He quotes extensively, though judiciously, from the cases and is unafraid to point out problems he perceives in the reasoning contained therein. As such this book will be an invaluable resource for all those involved in contractual construction, disputes and adjudication.
The book is Professor Ong's seventh major book in the field of equity and is the perfect supplement to his earlier works which now include: Trusts Law in Australia (now in its 4th edition); Ong on Equity; Ong on Specific Performance; Ong on Subrogation; Ong on Rescission and Ong on Contribution.
It appears that the author has written this book with the working lawyer in mind. It is a highly practical, logically structured and academically accessible piece of work. The book contains, for the most part, statements of legal position or legal propositions as sub-headings throughout the book. This is immediately followed by discussions of the relevant legal principles in support of the position or proposition. The book, therefore, to an extent reads like an outline of submissions, with the author's critique of the current legal position appropriately dispersed throughout the text.
The author has taken a welcome holistic approach to a complex and at times misunderstood area of the law.
Professor Ong of Bond University is a prolific author of texts and articles covering the gamut of equitable doctrines and concepts. … In 2017, Professor Ong added to his collection a treatise on rectification, Ong on Rectification.
It, like many of Professor Ong's works, is a slim volume which provides, in effect, a summary of the key elements of the equitable doctrine of rectification. It commences with an examination of the concept of rectification, making the point that rectification is designed to remove a mistake and not to make an alteration to the parties' contractual intentions. It then considers the approach to construction of documents as a necessary backdrop to the ensuing discussion between the construction of documents and the rectification of documents recently explored by the High Court of Australia in Simic v New South Wales Land and Housing Corp.
The principles and approach relevant to the rectification of a document to remove a common mistake forms the subject matter of ch 4 of the book. Chapter 6 contains an interesting examination of the circumstances in which rectification is available for a voluntary settlement or a will.
The work concludes with a consideration of the circumstances in which rectification of documents will not be available. In particular, it considers the circumstances in which the right to rectification, being a mere equity, is defeated by a bona fide purchaser or may be extinguished by acquiescence, laches, change of position and waiver.
At its core, Professor Ong's work on rectification is a comprehensive and helpful guide to the principles to be applied in an action for rectification. Equitable relief of that nature is, in relative terms, infrequently sought. … [T]his book would be a useful library addition for practitioners with a focus on equity or the resolution of disputes arising from commercial contracts, in particular.


I am a couple weeks from releasing my debut novel, Robyn's Egg, an Orwellian thriller set in a dystopian future. It's about a couple trying to attain a baby in a time where, because of biological warfare, all babies have to be cloned and purchased.
Moyer Winfield doubts he will make a good father. His wife Robyn, however, is frantic for a child, and Moyer wonders how long his marriage will survive without one. The high cost of a baby makes the point moot. They are years away from having enough money.
When Robyn learns their friends negotiated the price of their baby, she sends Moyer to Hogan-Perko, a corporation with a monopoly on human cloning, to negotiate for their child, and Moyer finds himself face to face with Victor Perko – The Father of Mankind. The cost for their baby, all of their savings and the promise of a favor. Moyer agrees and is soon asked to spy on Perko's enemies.
I will provide an opportunity for an indie author with a novel close to publication to include an excerpt of their novel at the back of Robyn's Egg to promote their book (3,000 words max). I would expect the same in return. This type of cross promotion works best if the two books involved are similar in genre. If you are interested, include your excerpt in the comments for this blog entry. I will pick a winner. Good luck.
If you would like an excerpt from Robyn's Egg so you can decide if this is something you want to be involved with, contact me: souza(dot)writes(at)gmail(dot)com.
One Response to "Robyn's Egg Debuts Soon – A Cross Promotional Opportunity"
That's an interesting offer. I hope someone takes you up on it.


We had a great time when Florence Nightingale came to visit us. She told us about how she became a nurse and how she looked after soldiers during the Crimean War. She told us about how she made sure that the hospital was clean and that the soldiers were well looked after. She brought lots of things for us to see, such as, a soldiers costume, a lamp, a chamber pot and a rat!


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Sun Prairie és una població dels Estats Units a l'estat de Wisconsin. Segons el cens del 2006 tenia una població de 20.369 habitants.

Demografia
Segons el cens del 2000, Sun Prairie tenia 20.369 habitants, 7.881 habitatges, i 5.437 famílies. La densitat de població era de 823,5 habitants per km².

Dels 7.881 habitatges en un 38,3% hi vivien nens de menys de 18 anys, en un 54,6% hi vivien parelles casades, en un 10,7% dones solteres, i en un 31% no eren unitats familiars. En el 23,8% dels habitatges hi vivien persones soles el 7,4% de les quals corresponia a persones de 65 anys o més que vivien soles. El nombre mitjà de persones vivint en cada habitatge era de 2,56 i el nombre mitjà de persones que vivien en cada família era de 3,07.

Per edats la població es repartia de la següent manera: un 28,5% tenia menys de 18 anys, un 8,6% entre 18 i 24, un 33,7% entre 25 i 44, un 19,8% de 45 a 60 i un 9,3% 65 anys o més.

L'edat mediana era de 33 anys. Per cada 100 dones de 18 o més anys hi havia 89 homes.

La renda mediana per habitatge era de 51.345$ i la renda mediana per família de 61.197$. Els homes tenien una renda mediana de 40.510$ mentre que les dones 28.786$. La renda per capita de la població era de 23.277$. Aproximadament el 3,8% de les famílies i el 4,4% de la població estaven per davall del llindar de pobresa.

Poblacions properes
El següent diagrama mostra les poblacions més properes.

Referències

Entitats de població del comtat de Dane


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The Quest Key element of Light and Darkness
By benkiser40November 22, 2020December 7th, 2020Uncategorized
The second act of the game The Story of Zelda requires players to use the Master Blade in order to get rid of bosses. Through the entire course of the overall game players can notice that dungeons are becoming harder to overcome as you improve through them. When Website link enters a dungeon he will see two things, the Older Compass as well as the Master Blade. The Learn Sword is needed to be used relating to the enemies which come out of the variety of mazes that are disperse throughout the map. If the Hyperlink performs the actions effectively he can get the entrances to these dungeons, but there is a certain requirement that must be found in order to unlock the entrance towards the dungeon. This secret requires players to get the ancient artifacts called the Lightings, that exist throughout the game as chests or over the walls.
The third act on the game, the Awakening, occurs in the woke up portion of the overall game. In the woke up portion of the sport, players need to defeat three chieftains who have been transformed into malignant creatures by the incomprehensible evil witch known as Ganondorf. Ganondorf moves Zelda in her house using his magical powers while Zelda uses her own guns and magic to fight and beat the enemy. Players whom complete the quest inside the awakened component of the game make https://musicrhythmgames.com/the-quest-key-of-light-and-darkness-part-of-destiny-2 the justification to marry Little princess Zelda. After Zelda can be rescued the girl vows to look after younger many years in the future in order that their forthcoming is devoid of evil.
In order to learn more about the plot in the Legend of Zelda: The Broken woke up you can search the internet to read more. In the game The Legend of Zelda: The Destroyed awakened, many other characters from original video game show up, including Link, Impa, and Gerudo. There are also many hints that can be found throughout the game regarding how to handle certain circumstances within the desire world, which is similar to the environment seen in the widely used multi-player video game called Strategy of Solstise.


When I started my online business in 2007, saving for retirement wasn't the first thing on my mind. I wasn't at all familiar with the retirement savings options available to the self-employed and small business owners. But when my accountant told me I could save up to $50, 000 in tax-deferred accounts, my ears perked up.
As an employee, I resigned myself to the contribution limits imposed on IRA and 401(k) accounts. So the SEP IRA I opened in 2010 was an unforeseen advantage to starting a business. If you're self-employed, you may be stymied by the retirement options available to you. If you're working for someone else, things are a bit easier because you can opt into your employer's retirement savings plan.
The Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA is suitable for many small businesses. If you have 100 or fewer employees who earned $5, 000 or more on payroll in 2012, this plan could work for you.
Easy setup. To set up a SIMPLE IRA plan, you can use forms provided by the IRS. Use form 5304-SIMPLE if you will allow your employees to choose where to invest their SIMPLE IRA contributions. Use form 5305-SIMPLE if you plan to choose the financial institution for everyone on the plan. Once you've set up the plan, notify your employees about the changes, and you're ready to get started.
Affordable setup. It may not cost you a dime to set up a SIMPLE IRA plan. If it does, you may be able to write off the cost as a business expense on your taxes.
Affordable maintenance. While your employees may incur some small costs for an investment adviser, you probably won't have to pay anything for this plan, because there's no administrator.
Easy maintenance. Year-end paperwork for the SIMPLE IRA is surprisingly easy to understand and complete, so maintaining this type of plan is simple.
Higher limits. A SIMPLE IRA offers higher contribution limits than a traditional or Roth IRA. In 2013, employees can contribute up to $12, 000 to their account, plus a $2, 500 catch-up contribution for employees older than 50. Employers are required to contribute either 2 percent of an employee's total compensation or a matching contribution between 1 and 3 percent of total pay.
Matches are deductible. Money that you put into an account for your employees is tax deductible as a business expense.
Limited to small companies. This plan is formatted for very small businesses. So if you plan to grow your business beyond 100 employees, you'll have to change plans down the road.
Contributions count against your 401(k) contributions. If you're running a side business and contribute elsewhere to an employer's 401(k) program, this isn't the best option for you. Contributions to a SIMPLE IRA count against the $17, 500 limit for your 401(k), seriously limiting your overall retirement savings options.
Less than half of small businesses can afford to offer a health-insurance plan as a benefit. Fewer, about 30 percent, can afford to offer retirement plans. This is simply not acceptable.


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Hitachi High-Technologies Included in "Global Niche Top Companies Selection 100"
(PDF format, 423kBytes)
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TOKYO: 8036, Hitachi High-Tech) was included in "Global Niche Top Companies Selection 100 (GNT 100)," following approval and recognition by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Under the "GNT 100" program, METI approves and recognizes companies that strive to capture global markets, secure high market share in niche sectors, and carry out healthy management as "GNT companies."
Hitachi High-Tech's capillary electrophoresis (CE) DNA sequencer was commended highly for its strategic nature, market share, international appeal and other attributes, leading to the Company's selection as a GNT company.
The CE DNA sequencer was developed by Hitachi High-Tech to analyze gene sequences. Sales of the CE DNA sequencer were initiated in 2000 by Hitachi High-Tech business partner Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Headquarters: U.S.A.)'s Life Technologies, in combination with diagnostic reagents provided under the Life Technologies brand.
The CE DNA sequencer has been used in a broad range of research related to the life sciences, particularly biology and medicine. Notably, it played a prominent role in the Human Genome Project to determine the sequence of all the chemical base pairs which make up human DNA, which was completed in 2003. And in recent years, the CE DNA sequencer has become a core Hitachi High-Tech product that is also used in applied fields such as DNA profiling for forensic investigations and other purposes, and in genetic diagnosis.
Hitachi High-Tech's highly reliable CE DNA sequencer and its collaboration with Life Technologies, which is expanding sales and services for the device worldwide, have earned a strong reputation. The CE DNA sequencer has become the industry standard for genetic sequencing, and has captured an extremely high market share of the global market.
Emboldened by its inclusion in "GNT 100," Hitachi High-Tech will focus on driving further technological innovation and making deeper inroads into international markets.
Capillary electrophoresis (CE) DNA sequencer
Copyright © 2014 Life Technologies Corporation. Used under permission
Details on "GNT 100":
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2014/0317_01.html (open in new window)
Reiko Takeuchi, Aiko Matsumoto
CSR & Corporate Communications Dept.,
CSR Div.,
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation