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Recent Developments in the Healthcare Sector
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The Turkish Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Authority ("TİTCK") recently published the results of its cosmetics sector market surveillance and inspection in Q2 of 2022 and the Medical Device Clinical Trials Regulation, and it has amended the Regulation on Clinical Trials of Drugs and Biological Products and the Regulation on the Safety of Medicines.
Please click on the relevant link below for our specific notes regarding recent developments:
Cosmetic and Biocidal Products' Safety: Turkey Continues to Crack Down on Unsafe and Non-Compliant Products
Amendments on the Regulation on Clinical Trials of Drugs and Biological Products
TİTCK Published the Medical Device Clinical Trials Regulation
Amendments to the Regulation on the Safety of Medicines
TİTCK recently announced the results of its cosmetics sector market surveillance and inspection conducted in April, May and June 2022.
Of the 282 cosmetic products inspected by the TİTCK's Cosmetics Supervision Department, 200 were noncompliant and five were unsafe. A total fine of TRY 295,000 (approximately USD 17,092) was levied against the responsible companies.
Of the 17 type 1 and type 19 biocidal products inspected by the TİTCK's Cosmetics Supervision Department, two were noncompliant and five were unlicensed. A total fine of TRY 214,480 (approximately USD 12,426) was levied against the responsible companies.
What Do the Results Say?
The cosmetic products' safety results reveal that there has been a significant decrease in the number of inspected products but an increase in the number of noncompliant products. On the other hand, the total amount of administrative fines has decreased compared to the results of the first quarter of 2022.
The type 1 and type 19 biocidal products' safety results reveal that there has been a decrease in the number of inspected, unlicensed and noncompliant products. Accordingly, there is also a significant decrease in the total amount of administrative fines.
The cosmetic products' Q2 2022 results are available here (in Turkish).
The type 1 and type 19 biocidal products' Q2 2022 results are available here (in Turkish).
TİTCK published the Regulation on the Amendment of the Regulation on Clinical Trials of Drugs and Biological Products on 6 July 2022. The regulation sets forth new definitions and general principles, and new application requirements for clinical trials. It also introduces exceptional clinical trials and amendments in sanctions, inspections and various procedures and principles.
The regulation is available here (in Turkish).
The main amendments introduced by the regulation are as follows:
The Regulation introduces definitions of the terms of activity permit, monitoring, coordinator center and healthcare professionals. It is envisaged that TİTCK will grant permission for the centers where the clinical and/or bioanalytical parts of Phase 1 clinical trials and bioavailability/bioequivalence studies are conducted.
TİTCK can issue an activity permit provided that the relevant regulatory requirements are met during the inspections and evaluations of TİTCK in the centers where clinical trials will be carried out.
Clinical trial applications will be submitted to the ethics committee or TİTCK by the contracted research institution residing in Turkey to be assigned by the sponsor. Sponsors who do not have a representative residing in Turkey must submit their applications through a contracted research institution residing in Turkey.
The application will be submitted electronically together with the cover letter samples, application form and other forms published on TİTCK's website, within the framework of the Good Clinical Practices Guideline and the other relevant guidelines of TİTCK.
If the application is complete, the ethics committee will review the application within 12 business days and TİTCK within 22 business days. In the cases specified in the regulation, this period may be extended by 30 working days. For exceptional case studies, these periods are seven days.
Volunteers or their legal representatives to participate in the clinical trial can be informed in advance by a physician or dentist from the research team assigned by the principal investigator.
TİTCK will not allow the implementation of changes without ethics committee approval for changes that require approval and permission in clinical trials.
The ethics committee and TİTCK must be notified within 15 days from the date of the start of the study, the first volunteer visit and the end date of the volunteer recruitment. In addition, within one year after the end of the trial in all centers, the summary of the clinical trial result report and a version of this summary for the volunteers' understanding must be reported to the ethics committee and TİTCK.
The minimum period for keeping samples of each batch of products manufactured or imported for trial, related information and documents and records related to the trial has been increased from five years to 14 years.
Sanctions and Inspections
Within the scope of the additional measures article added to the regulation, TİTCK can take additional measures for the protection of the vulnerable, if necessary.
In cases where the safety or health of the volunteers are at risk and the application and notification requirements are not fulfilled, TİTCK can cancel the clinical trial permit and terminate, stop the clinical trial or request a change.
The sponsor, contracted research institution and research team bear all legal and financial responsibilities of the clinical trial.
On 8 July 2022, the TİTCK published the Medical Device Clinical Trials Regulation which regulates the procedures and principles regarding post-marketing studies and medical device clinical trials and the protection of the rights of the volunteers participating in these trials.
In addition to the regulations in the Medical Device Regulation, Medical Device Clinical Trials Regulation will be applied in relation to clinical trials. In this context, the research device should be investigated primarily in a non-human experimental environment or on a sufficient number of experimental animals; scientific data obtained as a result of the aforementioned experiments should provide sufficient evidence to achieve the intended goal and should not damage the genetic structure of the germ cells of the volunteer.
Although no incentives or financial offers can be used to encourage the participation of the volunteers in the research, the expenses to be incurred by participating in the research and the loss of income arising from the working days of volunteers can be covered by the specified research budget.
It is obligatory to insure the volunteers in all medical device clinical researches, except for studies that the ethical committee deems appropriate based on the benefit-risk ratio in medical device clinical trials carried out in line with the intended use by the manufacturer of the medical device bearing the CE mark.
Clinical trials on vulnerable populations can be conducted within the scope of the regulations regarding permission, approval and information set forth under the Medical Device Regulation.
Until the EUDAMED functionality date, the relevant articles of the Medical Device Regulation will be applied on post-market studies and clinical trial applications. Reports regarding the termination, temporary suspension, early termination or adverse events of the clinical trial will also be carried out in accordance with the Medical Device Regulation.
For significant changes to the safety, health or rights of the volunteers, or to the consistency or reliability of the clinical data obtained from the trial, the sponsor of the clinical trial must obtain permission of the TİTCK upon an application to be submitted including the explanations and reasons regarding the desired changes.
To bring clinical trial devices that do not carry the CE mark to Turkey for use in the relevant trial, the sponsor must obtain permission of the TİTCK.
The sponsor may transfer some of its duties to a contracted research institution that operates in accordance with scientific principles and good clinical practices based on a written contract. Such transfer shall not remove the legal and criminal liability of the sponsor.
TİTCK can conduct inspections on the research carried out in Turkey or abroad, researchers and places where research is carried out either with or without prior notification. In case of incompliance, the provisions of the Turkish Penal Code and other relevant legislation will be applied.
TİTCK published the Regulation on the Amendment of the Regulation on the Safety of Medicines on 21 July 2022. The regulation introduced amendments to the definition of medicine (medical product for human use), the risk management plan and provisions regarding the notification requirement of the Marketing Authorization Holders (MAH), as well as administrative sanctions.
The term "medicine" (medicinal product for human use) has been clearly defined to cover a substance or combination of substances used for medical diagnostic purposes.
MAH must also include serial numbers of biological and biotechnological products in their adverse reaction reports.
If the risk management plan is updated, the updated plan must be archived by the MAH with a separate version number and date, and it will be immediately submitted to the TİTCK if the updates require additional pharmacovigilance, risk minimization activity or changes in existing activities.
The MAH must prepare the benefit/risk assessment reports in accordance with the European Union reference date and presentation frequency list upon obtaining the license in Turkey. If the active substance of the drug is not included in this list, benefit/risk assessment reports will be submitted to the TİTCK at the frequency stipulated under the regulation. The MAH is required to submit periodic benefit/risk assessment reports to the TİTCK in line with the Regulation on Marketing Authorization of Medicinal Products for Human Use during the extension of the license validity period of the medicine.
Activities of the contracted pharmacovigilance service institutions that do not ensure compliance within the period granted by the TİTCK can be restricted or the permit thereof can be suspended or canceled, depending on the nature of the violation. Subject to the nature of the violation, the MAH's drug tracking system notifications can be halted, product movements can be ceased or the marketing authorization can be suspended or cancelled.
The TİTCK continues to provide guidance for companies working in the healthcare industry. Companies should carefully review the TİTCK's announcements and take necessary actions to ensure compliance
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Covid cases today Ireland: Another jump as 3,955 new infections confirmed, 28 more deaths
The latest figures were released during a press briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team, chaired by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan
Ireland has tragically recorded another 28 deaths related to Covid-19.
Meanwhile, 3,955 new cases were also confirmed by the Department of Health on Thursday.
This brings the total number of cases to 163,057, while the death toll now stands at 2,488.
Of those diagnosed, 2,115 were women and 1,826 were men, while 54% were under the age of 45.
The average age of those infected was 42.
Dublin again saw the highest number of new cases with 1,826, followed by Cork (456), Louth (235) and Meath (221).
As of 2pm, there were 1,789 Covid-19 patients being treated in hospitals nationwide.
A staggering 169 people were in intensive care units.
The latest figures were released during a press briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team, chaired by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan.
The worrying news comes just hours after Tanaiste Leo Varadkar warned that the situation in Irish hospitals was "continuing to deteriorate".
Mr Varadkar told the Dail that the next two weeks will be very dangerous for our healthcare system, but that the Government hopes admission numbers will begin to drop soon.
He added that people must continue to adhere to public health rules in a bid to drive the number of Covid-19 cases down.
Leo Varadkar gives positive vaccine boost as weekly numbers set to double
Special schools set to reopen next week as Government hopes to have classrooms full again next month
Meanwhile, grim images from inside University Hospital Limerick portrayed the worsening Covid crises nationwide.
Staff are "completely overwhelmed" at the facility, which had the highest number of coronavirus patients in the country on Thursday at 142.
Three critical care beds were available at the facility as 12 seriously ill Covid patients were being treated at the 28-bed Critical Care Unit.
There were five general beds available at the Limerick hospital, according to latest figures published by the HSE.
UHL has been asked for comment on claims by informed sources that some patients in the Limerick ED were "waiting over 100 hours for a bed".
Is lockdown working in Ireland yet? County-by-county Covid rates with three major hotspots
Full list of travel rules in Ireland with one more lockdown change to come this week
"The last two weeks it has gone ballistic with the number of Covid patients coming in. We are down staff and there are areas of the hospital full of Covid patients," said the source.
"We have doubled down on numbers in corridors, they are on top of one another, it's impossible to maintain social distancing in the ED, and staff are demoralised and overwhelmed."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Have you heard of the BedJet yet? During this heatwave, you may want to grab one to stay cool during the night, and warm during the winter!
I may have mentioned the fact that I live in Utah more than a few times. However, I originally hail from the wonderfully temperate climate of California. I am now subjected to 4 whole seasons, although arguments could be made for the fact that Utah really only has 2 seasons these days, Winter and Summer. I haven't seen a Fall or Spring in ages! So, I'm either WAY too hot, or WAY too cold.
My husband, the wonderful man that he is, will occasionally "warm up the bed" by sticking my hair dryer under the covers for a little while during my "getting ready for bed" process. It always terrifies me when he does this, though, because it's just such a fire hazard! I love climbing into a nice cozy warm bed in the winter, so I just don't say anything about the inevitable fact that someday he will burn the house down with this nice gesture.
Summertime is a totally different story. My husband usually requires a few fans blowing on him to remain comfortable through the night. He also currently works a graveyard shift, so he needs to sleep during the day when it is really hot outside. This week has been hovering around 100 degrees every day!
First thought… hilarious. Second thought, I knew I wanted to try the BedJet out. I reached out to see if they had the capability to send me one to review, and lucky for me they did. However, I am not being compensated for this review. The did ask, prior to shipping, if I had the appropriate clearance under my bed, and I thought I did, but when we went to stick it under there it started to push the box spring up a bit. It wasn't too concerning though, because I was able to set it up just fine at the foot of the bed.
The BedJet is almost just like it sounds. There is a fan-shaped blower, that pushes a jet stream of air throughout the bed. You can use it with the recommended AirComforter Cloud Sheet Accessory, or just stick it under your current sheets. The Cloud Sheet is really the best way to go though, since I tried it both ways for research purposes. As the sheet fills with either warm or cool air, it keeps that air circulating around your body throughout the entire night.
How do you install the BedJet?
The BedJet can be placed under your bed laying flat if there is space. It can also be installed like we have it standing straight up. You can purchase a stand for it to make sure it doesn't topple over, but it seems pretty sturdy even without the stand. It needs to be plugged into an outlet and comes with a fairly long cord. You could also use an extension cord if necessary. There is a holder for the tube that is just wedged between the mattress and the box spring on our bed. You want the "fanned" portion of the hard plastic tube to sit right on top of the bed. There are extenders for the holder if you need it to be higher.
It wasn't quite clear if the snaps on the sheet were supposed to stay unsnapped while the hose was inserted. We found that movement during the night caused the sheet to come off the hose if they weren't. Once we pulled the sheet down over the fanned portion of the hose and snapped the opening together as tightly as we could, it was able to stay put all night no matter how much my husband tosses and turns.
There is no doubt using BedJet is safer than my husband's previous method of heating up the bed with the hairdryer. However, it is also safer than an electric blanket. The methods electric blankets use to distribute heat can be unsafe. Many will now shut themselves off automatically during the night, leaving you freezing in the morning. Plus electric blankets would do nothing to help keep you cool in the Summer.
As the above video shows, BedJet has the capability to have 2 completely different temperatures set for one bed. This is great for couples who prefer to sleep at different temperatures. The commercial does not make it clear that the BedJet requires 2 devices to make this happen. You also would want to grab the dual-zoned AirComforter Cloud Sheet Accessory. The company only sent me one device, so I wasn't able to test this feature out.
My husband and I have been able to use the BedJet for a few weeks now. I can say that I can completely tell a difference in how well my husband has been able to sleep after working a 12 hour night shift. He is able to sleep for a longer period of time, which gives him ample rest for his next shift. Currently, the BedJet is a little on the cold side for me at the temperature my husband prefers. The Winter will allow this sucker to prove its worth to me though! I am SO excited to see how it fares during this Winter!
You can move the location of the BedJet so it blows more on one side of the bed than the other. The Cloud Sheet has multiple entry points so you can pick your preferred BedJet location. So we are moving the BedJet to his side of the bed for summertime and my side of the bed for the winter.
The device comes with a remote that activates the BedJet with just the touch of a button. Pressing the "cool" button once will set the BedJet to run for the next 10 hours. You can adjust the time through an app you can download on your phone. The app itself (for Android at least) could use a serious facelift. However, it does have several useful features like setting an alarm, controlling the airflow and setting a specific temperature for the air.
Overall, we are incredibly happy with this device! It really works as advertised, and has been heaven sent during this unbearable heat.


Gentle Hatha Yoga classes, suitable for all. Wednesday 5.30-6.30pm Molesey Centre for the community (Mole Hall), 2 Bishop Fox Way, West Molesey, KT8 2AS.
Yoga class for those with health issues or aches and pains. email najahyoga@gmail.com or call 07736 797370.


Based on a true story, "We Happy Few" shows the ups and downs of a group of women who form a touring theatre company in the second World War. It's a play with lots of humour – you will laugh, but there are a range of emotions, it is wartime! If you enjoyed St James's Players recent production of "Calendar Girls" then you'll also love this play. Written by actress Imogen Stubbs, it's a delightful representation of theatre life in the war years.


The latest Commercial Construction Index shows that nearly 90% of contractors are reporting a skilled labor shortage in the United States. Conversely, in the United Kingdom, 38% of industry professionals recognize that squeezed access to labor is a concern.
We even see that PlanGrid—which was recently acquired by Autodesk—is taking steps to address the gap in construction. Earlier this year, it announced PlanGrid for Schools & Unions, which is a program to empower construction workers by giving schools and unions access to its software.
And, of course, this is only one example. Many technology providers are offering software licenses to schools in an attempt to help students become more savvy with systems.
Looking beyond this announcement, there are a couple natural solutions to fill in this gap that we have talked about here and on Constructech TV: greater government regulation and public policy, heightened adoption of technology in construction firms, and partner with local high school or colleges to encourage greater involvement in the trades a younger age.
But my questions are these: Is enough being done in these areas? Are there other areas that we need to be exploring to solve this shortage? Is it going to be enough to fuel the industry with what it needs to build more complex projects?
Paul Wellener, vice chairman, Deloitte, and the leader of the U.S. Industrial Products & Construction Practice, Deloitte Consulting, believes the answer is yes!—He says, there is, in fact, enough is being done.
Last week, at CES, he sat down with Peggy Smedley on a livestreaming broadcast of The Peggy Smedley Show to discuss the skills gap in the manufacturing industry—which correlates to what is happening in construction. In the interview, he suggests that we are going to see the skills gap get close with a greater investment in technology—and he believes we will continues to narrow and even fill the skills gap, if we take the right steps.
With this focus in mind, what steps is your construction company taking today? What is your plan for the next year? What do you believe needs to happen in the industry as a whole to help solve this challenge?


text:
Q: Sprade distinct values over a different columns I'm using SQL Server. I have the following table (MyTable):
ID (int)
value (varchar)

I have the following query:
select distinct value
from MyTable

And the output is:
Value_1
Value_2
Value_3
...
...
...
Value_450

I would like to crate the following table (when value = 'value_1' then 1 else o...):
ID | Value_1 | Value_2 | Value_3 | Value_4 | .... | Value_450
1  |   0     |    1    |    0    |   0     | .... |   0
2  |   0     |    0    |    0    |   1     | .... |   0
3  |   1     |    0    |    0    |   0     | .... |   0
4  |   0     |    1    |    0    |   0     | .... |   0
5  |   0     |    0    |    0    |   0     | .... |   1
6  |   1     |    0    |    0    |   0     | .... |   0
7  |   0     |    0    |    0    |   1     | .... |   0
8  |   0     |    0    |    0    |   0     | .... |   1

If the distinct values of value was small, I would use Case statement for such as query. What should I do in this case which I have so many values? Any smart way to do so?

A: It can be done with dynamic sql
declare @query varchar(max);
declare @values varchar(max) = null;

with distinctValues as
(
    select distinct cast(value as varchar(20)) as value from myTable
)
select @values = COALESCE(@values + ', ['+ value + ']', '['+ value + ']')
from distinctValues;

set @query = 'select [id], ' + @values +
'from myTable pivot ( count(value) for value in (' + @values + ')) as pvt';

exec(@query);

To answer your other questions from the comments:
You can insert the result of a dynamic query into a table by using INSERT ... EXEC syntax:
insert into myOtherTable
/* specify columns here if result does not have the same structure as the table */
exec(@query);

You said that you have multiple (6) columns that have the same role as the value column in your example. I assume that the names of the columns are known and do not vary. So the table structure is:
id, value1, value2, value3, value4, value5, value6

From what I understand the result must look like this:
id, v1, v2, v3, ..., vn

where v1, v2, v3, ..., vn are all the distinct values that can be found on columns value1, value2, value3, value4, value5, value6
In this case you must use an UNPIVOT first:
declare @query varchar(max);
declare @values varchar(max) = null;

with distinctValues as
(
    select distinct cast(value as varchar(20)) as value
    from myTable
    UNPIVOT
    (
       value for col in (value1, value2, value3, value4, value5, value6)
    ) as upvt
)
select @values = COALESCE(@values + ', ['+ value + ']', '['+ value + ']')
from distinctValues;

set @query =
';with myTableUnpivoted as
(
   select id, value
   from myTable
   UNPIVOT
   (
      value for col in (value1, value2, value3, value4, value5, value6)
   ) as upvt
)
select [id], ' + @values +
'from myTableUnpivoted pivot ( count(value) for value in (' + @values + ')) as pvt';

-- insert into myOtherTable
exec(@query);

Notice that the the UNPIVOT operation is done twice.
You can store the unpivoted table in a temporary table. Check whether this will improve the performance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Daniel Leader is an American artisan bread baker. He is the founder of Bread Alone Bakery, an influential bakery in organic and artisan bread making.

Education
Leader studied philosophy at the University of Wisconsin. He then went on to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Upon Graduating from the CIA Leader worked in several high end restaurants in New York Ccity including Le Veau d'Or, The Palace, Le Grenouille, Raoul's, The Water Club.

In 1983, he founded his bakery in Boiceville, New York. The bakery went on to expand to several other New York locations, Woodstock in 1993, Rhinebeck in 2000, and Kingston in 2015. Bread Alone breads can also be found at hundreds of markets in the Hudson Valley, New York City and the tristate area.

He has been on the board of the New York State Agriculture Commissioner's Organic Food Advisory Committee. Leader is also on the advisory board of the Bank of Green County and the Development board of SUNY New Paltz. He has taught at The French Culinary Institute, The Culinary Institute of America and The Institute of Culinary Education.

His books Bread Alone and Local Breads both won the prestigious IACP award for best baking book.

His book, Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making, was the 2020 James Beard Foundation Award winner in the "Baking and Desserts" book category.

Books
Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making with Lauren Chattman  Avery 2019
Simply Great Breads: Sweet and Savory Yeasted Treats from America's Premier Artisan Baker with Lauren Chattman Taunton Press, 2011
Panini Express with Lauren Chattman (Taunton Press)
Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers  W. W. Norton & Company 2007
Bread Alone with Judith Blahnik William Morrow Cookbooks, 1993

References

External links
Daniel Leader Website
Instagram @danmakesbread

Bakers
James Beard Foundation Award winners
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


← Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum – Be Inspired!
This is an independent private hospital offering intensive medical services and with high and latest levels of patient care.
Capio Nightingale Hospital – Located in Central London just, this hospital offers a full range of treatments to outpatients, day-patients and inpatients in a secure and systematic setting. The best of services are provided on a 24*7 basis.
looking the hotels to stay nearby these hospitals visit and book now @ Park Grand London Paddington.
Share the post "Hospitals in Paddington – Care at Every Step"


Before Valentine's Day, love is in the air. But sometimes, love hurts. It's a harsh reality that many Mexicans deal with by listening to rancheras, traditional songs from Mexico's countryside that you can put on when you need a good cry. One young woman found a connection to her ancestors through the sounds of guitars and tears.
A longer version of this story originally aired on NPR's Latino USA.
As the water rose on their first-floor apartment, Rosa Sosa and her family fled to a vacant unit on the second floor. They watched in horror as it continued to rise, as it swallowed most of the cars in the parking lot that rings their sprawling two-story complex, as it stuck around, stubbornly, even after the rain stopped.
In the mayor's office on the second floor of Baltimore City Hall, Catalina Rodriguez-Lima has been uneasy lately. Rodriguez-Lima runs a city office whose mission is to attract new immigrants to Baltimore — a strategy for reversing decades of population decline. But President Donald Trump's plans to ramp up deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally have cast a pall over her efforts.


To me it looks like these to guys are admiring each others hats.
This entry was posted in Photography and tagged Adelaide, Adelaide South Australia, Adelaide Street Photography, black & white, Lightroom, Photography, Rundle Street, Silver FX Pro, Street Photography. Bookmark the permalink.
It looks to me like they are both eyeing the bag that was left on the sidewalk….each waiting for the other to make the first move. 🙂 Great shot, as always!!! 😀 Adelaide is on my bucket list for sure now.
Yes like a face off who will make the first move !
Wow Michael, this photo is awesome!!!
Thank you I really do appreciate it, I think the post processing is sometimes my favorite part.
It is a 'who has the best hat' Mexican stand-off.
My hat is off to you. A nicely done shot.
This is my hometown! I'm biased so I have to say they are discussing the trendy new bar that just opened or something… Nothing sinister! Amazing work.


text:
Featured, Men's Issues
Haiti raises men's and boys' issues at the United Nations Human Rights Council
Robert Brockway
I have recently been in contact with a representative of the Government of the Republic of Haiti who advised that they raised men's and boys' issues at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The representative strongly believes this is the first time that men's and boys' issues have been raised at the Human Rights Council.
The Permanent Mission of Haiti at the United Nations office in Geneva was given an opportunity to make a short statement during the Human Rights Council 44th session, July 2020. The statement at the Human Rights Council can be seen here beginning at 35:48.
The official English language transcript of the statement has been reproduced here with permission. It is notable that the transcript indicates that it is a joint statement with other member and observer states, however, these states have not chosen to make their support public. Kudos to the Republic of Haiti for having the courage to take a public stand on men's and boys' issues.
Men and Boys for Gender Equality
Human Rights Council 44th Session – Item 1: Decisions and Conclusion
Thank you Madame President,
1. I proudly take the floor on behalf a group of Member and Observer States.
2. One of the main themes highlighted during the June sessions of this Council is the situation of human rights of women and girls – and appropriately so. Over the past 100 years, we've witnessed substantial and steady progress towards realizing the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls.
3. The positive trend is something the international community should be proud of. For example, 100 years ago…
…the right to vote; the right to work outside of the home and in the field of their own choosing; the right to not be harassed at home and at work; the right to divorce; wear pants; join the military; and own their own property to some degree, in every region of the world, were birthrights predominantly inherited by sons and not daughters. The rights mentioned earlier, and the many more we did not, were also advocated for and championed by men, including some who held organizational or political authority.
4. The job hasn't been easy and remains incomplete. To advance further and support the women and men in this work, the United Nations created the Commission on the Status of Women in 1946, and UN Women celebrated its 10th anniversary last week on July 9, 2020.
5. Unsurprisingly, many more years of labor lie ahead in achieving equitable societies, and all three sessions of the Human Rights Council provide a helpful reminder of how much work the international community still has to do. Empowering women and girls is not enough in accomplishing this shared objective. An often missing tool in the pursuit of gender equality is the growing need for attention and consideration of the challenges that have a disproportionally negative impact on men and boys.
Madame President,
6. Men and boys fully engage as strategic partners and allies for the empowerment of all women and girls, and we must continue to encourage men and boys to fully participate in all actions towards gender equality.
7. What we are bringing to the Council's attention is that there is an absence of energy towards human rights issues where males are at a disadvantaged and an imbalance of champions at all levels which may stall the progress towards equitable societies. Gender equality is not a zero sum game. The quality of life of women and men, girls and boys are interwoven, interrelated and interdependent. The international community must continue to address the impacts of multiple forms of discrimination against women and girls. And in a different manner, within the context of gender quality, begin to grapple with the complex challenges facing men and boys today.
8. Here are five facts far from the public consciousness:
-men and boys are more likely to engage and suffer from violent behavior;
-men and boys constitute the overwhelming majority of the worldwide prison, missing adults, suicides, drug addicts and homelessness populations;
-men and boys can also suffer from negative body image;
-unfavorable biases exist in draft selection; war deaths; veterans issues; divorce proceedings; education; and in the family and criminal court systems;
-lastly, men and boys are more likely to die in all stages of life. For example, while COVID-19 continues to have unique and unreasonable affects on women and girls, men comprise the majority of COVID-19 deaths in every country where data is available and reliable.
9. Some are content with the position that the topic of men and boys have in the gender parity solar system – the role of distant planet Pluto. Rotating on the far-far edges of gender discussions and while it is acknowledged as part of the system, it is misunderstood and even disregarded. This joint statement is no chest-beating exercise.
10. Incorporating a different perspective in the gender parity conversation will by no means turn Pluto into the Sun. Real and substantive parity will benefit both sides in many ways. The call for more inclusivity is neither an attempt to steal the spotlight or valuable resources away from our shared responsibility of empowering women and girls but an invitation for this Council to play a more complete and comprehensive role in the promotion and protection of all human rights by all human beings for a better complementary world in the next 100 years.
11. I thank you.
Robert is concerned for the welfare of men and boys in modern society. In particular he is concerned about the effects of widespread misandry in society and gender biases in addressing domestic violence and intimate partner violence. He advocates for men's rights for the next generation of men and women. Robert is the president of the Australian Men's Rights Association Inc and also holds a position as a researcher at A Voice for Men.
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What do you do when you or a family member gets ill and needs to be cared for in a home on Bowen? In the case of an accident or emergency, there might not be a lot of time to do the research and set up a support system that is needed. Here is where the Caring Circle comes in.
Colleen O'Neil and Diane Marshall have put their heads together and met with a number of community members to compile an impressive list of resources that will make it easier for island residents to cope with a medical emergency.
Are there home-care nurses on Bowen Island?
Are there doctors who will do house calls?
What physiotherapy is covered by health care?
How do you find a physical or occupational therapist who comes to your home?
How do I get to and from chemotherapy or appointments if I can't drive?
Where do I get medical equipment?
Can I go on the ferry for free if I need to see a specialist in town?
O'Neil has studied two reports that have assessed the needs of Bowen Island seniors and learned that both included recommendations to compile a health directory. She took on the task to go through existing sources, make phone calls and work on a comprehensive list of health support services available on Bowen Island.
"We are not only looking at health care but also other things people need when they are sick or injured like getting prepared food, help around the house or installing handles and wheelchair ramps," O'Neil said.
She added that some of the services mentioned in the directory are located in West and North Vancouver. The directory will be available on Bowen Island in the coming months.


2.1 The ICYF Secretariat launches the call for application at the end of March 2019 and expects to receive the Application Form and Support letters by the Applicant countries no later than until the 18 June 2019.
2.2 The ICYF Secretariat will study and research the Applications so as to short list nominations to 3 candidate cities. The Secretariat will present 3 recommendations to the Selection Committee.
2.3 Implementation Protocol will clarify all the details of the programme as identified in the application Forum (attached) and responsibilities of the Implementing Agency and Host agency in this regard. In case of failure to sign the implementation protocol by the Host Agency, the OIC Youth Capital status will be given to the second applicant in the list.
Each OIC Youth Capital will present interim and a follow-up reports to ICYF Secretariat about the Progress made in this concern.
The OIC Youth Capital period will start in January 2020 and end in December 2020.


text:
Кле́мент Сти́венсон (; 6 февраля 1890 — 24 октября 1961), более известный как Клем Стивенсон () — английский футболист и футбольный тренер. В 1920-е годы был капитаном легендарного состава «Хаддерсфилд Таун», который трижды подряд становился чемпионом Англии. Впоследствии был главным тренером йоркширского клуба.

В 2010 году был включён в Зал славы английского футбола.

Клубная карьера
Уроженец , Нортамберленд, Стивенсон начинал футбольную карьеру в клубах «Бедлингтон», «Нью-Делавал Вилла» и «Уэст-Стэнли». Впоследствии играл за клубы «Блайт Спартанс» и «Дарем Сити»

В марте 1910 года перешёл в бирмингемский клуб «Астон Вилла» за 175 фунтов стерлингов. С мая 1910 по февраль 1911 года выступал за «Стаурбридж» на правах аренды. Вернувшись в «Виллу», дебютировал в её основном составе 25 февраля 1911 года, отличившись забитым мячом в матче против «Тоттенхэм Хотспур». К сезону 1912/13 стал одним из ключевых игроков бирмингемской команды и помог «Вилле» выиграть Кубок Англии, обыграв «Сандерленд», чемпиона страны, в финальном матче 1913 года. К моменту прекращения всех официальных турниров в Англии после завершения сезона 1914/15 25-летний Стивенсон уже провёл за «Астон Виллу» 145 матчей и забил 55 мячей.

Во время Первой мировой войны Стивенсон работал на заводе по производству снарядов, затем служил во флоте сначала младшим, а затем старшим матросом; работал инструктором по физической подготовке. Также в военное время играл в качестве гостя за «Хартлпулз Юнайтед», «Лидс Сити» и «Саут Шилдс». После возобновления официальных футбольных турниров в Англии вернулся в «Астон Виллу», в составе которой выиграл свой второй Кубок Англии, обыграв в финале 1920 года «Хаддерсфилд Таун».

«Хаддерсфилд Таун» в августе 1920 года возглавил Герберт Чепмен, ранее бывший главным тренером «Лидс Сити», в котором в военное время играл Стивенсон. Чепмен поставил задачу осуществить трансфер талантливого английского нападающего. 15 марта 1921 года Стивенсон перешёл в «Хаддерсфилд Таун» за 3000 фунтов стерлингов. К тому моменту он провёл за «Астон Виллу» 217 матчей и забил 96 мячей.

В составе «Хаддерсфилда» Стивенсон выиграл свой третий Кубок Англии, когда в финале 1922 года был обыгран «Престон Норт Энд». Он стал первым игроком в XX веке, выигравшим три Кубка Англии. Вскоре он был назначен капитаном команды вместо Томми Уилсона. Стал одним из ключевых игроков «Хаддерсфилд Таун», выигравшего три чемпионских титула подряд в сезонах 1923/24, 1924/25 и 1925/26. Герберт Чепмен писал о Стивенсоне: «Я хочу лично поблагодарить тебя за твою игру, за твои беззаветные усилия на футбольном поле и вне его. Я никогда не испытывал такой уверенности в капитане команды, которую я тренировал». Стивенсон считался «коренастым тактиком без достаточной скорости, но с отличным пасом», создавая голевые моменты для таких игроков как Джордж Браун и Алекс Джексон. После ухода Чепмена в «Арсенал» «Хаддерсфилд» выиграл ещё один чемпионский титул, а затем занимал вторые  места в 1927 и 1928 году. В 1928 году команда испытала «двойной ужас», проиграв «Блэкберну» в финале Кубка Англии и уступив чемпионский титул «Эвертону», набравшему на 2 очка больше. В следующем сезоне «терьеры» проиграли в полуфинале Кубка Англии «Болтону», а Стивенсон провёл свой последний матч за клуб в качестве игрока. В мае 1929 года Клем Стивенсон стал новым главным тренером клуба «Хаддерсфилд Таун».

Карьера в сборной
Несмотря на успехи на клубном уровне, в сборной Англии Стивенсон сыграл только один матч. Это произошло 3 марта 1924 года на стадионе «Ивуд Парк» в Блэкберне, когда Англия проиграла Уэльсу со счётом 1:2.

Достижения

В качестве игрока
 Астон Вилла
 Второе место в Первом дивизионе: 1910/11, 1912/13, 1913/14
 Обладатель Кубка Англии: 1913, 1920

 Хаддерсфилд Таун
 Чемпион Первого дивизиона: 1923/24, 1924/25, 1925/26
 Второе место в Первом дивизионе: 1926/27, 1927/28
 Обладатель Кубка Англии: 1922
 Финалист Кубка Англии: 1928
 Обладатель Суперкубка Англии: 1922

В качестве тренера
 Хаддерсфилд Таун
 Второе место в Первом дивизионе: 1933/34
 Финалист Кубка Англии: 1930, 1938

Статистика выступлений

Тренерская карьера
Возглавив «Хаддерсфилд Таун» 27 мая 1929 года, Стивенсон был его главным тренером до мая 1942 года. Он руководил командой на протяжении 13 лет (клубный рекорд). Под его руководством команда не выигрывала трофеев, хотя занимала второе место в Первом дивизионе в сезоне 1933/34 и доходила до финалов Кубка Англии в 1930 и 1938 году. В декабре 1930 года «Хаддерсфилд Таун» одержал рекордную победу со счётом 10:1 над «Блэкпулом».

Примечания

Ссылки
 Профиль футболиста на сайте Englandfootballonline.com
 Профиль футболиста на сайте Aston Villa Player Database
 Профиль футболиста на сайте Национального музея футбола

Футболисты Англии
Игроки сборной Англии по футболу
Игроки ФК «Блайт Спартанс»
Игроки ФК «Дарем Сити»
Игроки ФК «Астон Вилла»
Игроки ФК «Хаддерсфилд Таун»
Футбольные тренеры Англии
Тренеры ФК «Хаддерсфилд Таун»
Члены Зала славы английского футбола
Участники Первой мировой войны (Великобритания)


As part of the enhanced resident surveys program, we provide feedback on customer sentiment – common themes – through our text analytics. Our built-in analytics do the work of providing perspective on customer feedback, saving you the time and costs of evaluating raw data to find meaning and value. Our resident surveys program defines the bigger picture of strategic focus points, allowing you to refine the process of increasing resident retention – and boost your ROI.


Today's post is about the Glutes, Gluteus Maximus that is. The most superficial of the 3 gluteus muscles, it gives the backside it's nice, rounded shape and assists in so many sports, as well as daily activities (such as sitting, standing, climbing stairs, etc...).
Take a few minutes and give your glutes some special attention. One of the best glute exercises around is the supine hip extension, or hip bridge.
Lie on your back, feet on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees. Keeping your spine frozen in neutral (no movement in the lumbar spine) pull your belly button into your back (see "A" post!) and push into your heels, raising your hips as high as you can. (There should be a straight line running from your shoulder through your hips to your knees). Slowly lower down, reaching your tailbone to the floor. Repeat 20x.
Place your feel on a high step or plyo box, or resistaball. Try single leg hip extension with the other leg in the air, place both feet on a medicine ball, (or try single leg on a medicine ball); try it with the feet in TRX straps.


text:
Округ Ошен () — округ штата Нью-Джерси, США. Занимает площадь 2372 км². Согласно переписи населения 2000 года, в округе Ошен проживало 510 916 человек. По оценке Бюро переписи населения США, к 2009 году население увеличилось на 12,3 %, до 573 678 человек. Ошен является частью так называемой Нью-Йоркской агломерации. В городе Томс-Ривер располагается административный центр округа. Крупнейшим населённым пунктом округа также является Лейквуд, где большинство населения составляют евреи.

Примечания

Округа Нью-Джерси


US Foundation Repair has proudly offered the highest quality of customer care since 1989. Among our many services for our customers, we offer a lifetime transferable foundation warranty to guarantee the results of our work. Trust us to get the job done right the first time, and rest assured that any future problems that may develop will be fully covered.
Our lifetime warranty is fully transferable to any new owner of the home. This warranty covers our house leveling services and the Mega Piling System we install to fix your foundation. With the Mega Piling System, we will repair your foundation, returning your home as close as possible to its original position. Once we've leveled your home, we'll clean the exterior, making it visually impossible for anyone to know your foundation has been repaired. Specifically, the warranty covers all piers installed by U.S. Foundation Repair for the lifetime of the home, at no cost for adjustments. The warranty will only be void in a number of limited situations, such as if the foundation is not properly maintained, if the structure is altered to any degree affecting the piers, the structure is sited on a fault, or if the building is undermined by soil erosion, flood, fire, leaks, or an underground water system. For the warranty to be transferred to a new homeowner, U.S. Foundation must be notified within 30 days after the sale of the home and provided with a proof of sale, along with a $200 transfer fee.
Every client can rest assured that the work performed on their foundation will last for the life of the home, keeping your home level even if you should transfer it to a new owner. We stand by our work and offer this fully transferable warranty as a guarantee that every project is viewed as a long-term commitment to our clients.


Plastic bottles are not biodegradable, so finding ways to transform these items into unique crafts is an excellent way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our nation's landfills.
You can easily transform empty plastic soda bottles into colorful flowers. These flowers make great springtime decorations or centerpieces for a little girl's birthday party. Children can make this craft with minimal adult supervision.
Cut the plastic bottle about 1/3 of the way down from the top.
Lightly sand the surface of the bottle.
Draw at least five petals for your flower using the Sharpie marker. Carefully cut along the lines and bend the pieces to shape your flower.
Coat the bottle with a thin layer of white glue.
When the glue has dried completely, decorate the petals as desired using your acrylic paint. If you'd like to add a bit of sparkle to your flower, apply glitter glue to the edge of the petals.
Poke a small hole through the bottle cap. Insert the wooden skewer through the hole and screw it back onto the bottle.
Candle holders make pretty home décor pieces, but they can be very expensive. Luckily, it's not hard to make your own votive holder from an empty plastic bottle.
Carefully cut your bottle to the desired height. If you're not sure how tall you want your candle holder to be, cutting below the bottle label is a good place to start.
Use the hot glue gun to attach florist marbles around the bottle base until it is completely covered. You can use clear marbles to make a simple and elegant holder or you can experiment with colored marbles for a more contemporary design.
Pour sand in the bottle.
Nestle the glass votive cup in the sand.
Enjoy your new candle holder.
If you enjoy making handmade jewelry, you've probably noticed that beads can be very expensive to purchase. To save money, you can make your own using plastic soda bottles.
Cut your plastic bottle into strips measuring approximately one centimeter wide. If you wish, you may cut the ends to a point.
Color the plastic strips with permanent Sharpie markers in the color of your choice.
Roll the strips into a small ball and hold together with a pair of pliers.
Use a heat gun to melt the plastic into a bead.
The method for making plastic bottle beads has several variations you can try. Instead of coloring a clear plastic bottle, you can try making beads from colored plastic bottles. Some people have also had success gluing tissue paper or scrapbook paper scraps on the inside of the plastic strips.
Plastic Bottle Bell: Kids will have fun turning a bottle into a handheld musical instrument.
Plastic Bottle Basket: Make a cute little basket for Easter treats or other holiday goodies.
Soda Bottle Coin Purse: A coin purse made from an empty soda bottle makes for a unique way to keep track of spare change.
Plastic Bottle Pencil Cup: Organize office supplies by making a customized pencil cup.
Bird Feeder: Make an attractive feeding station for the birds that visit your backyard.
As you can see, plastic bottles provide a very versatile basis for crafting. Challenge yourself to be creative in finding new ways to use this everyday material!


The most asked questions I get are "how to avoid being scammed by a supplier" or "how do I make sure this supplier is legit?
To be honest with you the easiest way to make 100% sure is to go visit the factory but I realise that most of you won't be able to do so.
The goods news is there are ways to figure out if a supplier is legit or not without going to China. The bad news is that some of these options will cost you some money.
Here are my four proven ways of researching a supplier. I will go into detail for each one of them.
A factory audit is where you hire a Third-Party Inspection Company to conduct an audit at the factory's facilities.
This way you can make 100% sure your supplier is legit.
Be aware that not all factories allow you to perform an audit at the location which is in turn already a huge red flag.
If they are willing to undergo an audit straight away it is a good sign already. You don't necessarily need to perform an audit but announcing to a supplier before you order that you will conduct an audit already gives you some idea on what your supplier is up to.
Lets take a look at the procedure when booking a factory audit. There are many Third-Party Inspection companies out there and I mention them in a few posts (TUV, SGS, Bureau Veritas etc.) but I always use Asiainspection because they are efficient, cost effective and reliable. There are companies out there who charge half the price but you don't have a convenient interface/dashboard online that lets you do the booking trough their system. Most of the cheaper Inspection Companies have only email/phone conversation bookings available.
Lets take a look at how you can book an audit with a factory online trough Asiainspection.
Next thing is you need to start inputing general information such as your reference, the requested audit date etc.
You also need to let them know if this is a first audit or re-audit. Then they will take extra care for issues that you can input later.
In the next mask you input the factory's detail, contacts and addresses where you want the Inspector to go. The system also stores this information and makes it easier for you next time you want to audit or book some inspection at this factory.
The next step will be crucial to what you want to have audited. The system already suggests the 5 most popular fields.
Provides general information about the factory.
This section includes a report on the workflows at the factory, as well as a chart of the factory's organisation.
This section includes a calculation chart of the overall production capacity, as well as an output check of the production lines running during the Audit.
This section includes a review of the machineries and equipment tools.
The section includes an assessment of the internal quality processes, QC facilities, quality team, records and quality certificates.
You can click on previewing any of the fields and you'll get a more detailed info on what they audit. When you click on "preview" another window opens to show you a sample report of this particular field. It looks like this and you will see what you get audited when you click on this field. Pretty straight forward.
You can also choose a preference from 1-5 for each field meaning they will pay more attention to "1" than "5".
You can add more options such as "Social Accountability, Procurement Conditions" etc. but I recommend you go with the first five and most popular options.
Then you can give Asiainspection specific requirements that you would like to have looked at from the Inspector. I have added a few sentences in there but you can basically instruct them anything you want.
After reviewing all your information you can confirm and the check-out page will pop up. You can choose to "pay now" or "pay later". The latter will have a 5% surcharge on top.
You are all set. Asiainspection will contact you & the factory briefly to confirm all details. From now on they will arrange the audit with the factory directly (trough the contact details you provided). Just to make sure, let your factory know that you have arranged for an audit.
I admit the price (629US$) is pretty steep and it only makes sense to perform an audit if you have larger orders and continuous business with a factory. Another reason could be that the factory you are planning to order from is the ONLY factory producing the item you are looking for but for some reason you have a feeling you would rather have the factory audited or inspected before placing an order.
Based on the audit report a factory actually also can benefit. The audit points out things to be improved from the factory's side and it will help the factory to get more customers if they are audited by a Third-Party. You could even ask your factory to share half of the costs and pointing out to them that they will benefit from this audit in any way.
There are many other services that you can conveniently book trough Asiainspection such as Shipment Inspection, During Production Inspection etc. starting from 309USD.
Alibaba research is free of charge and these days it is quite safe to manoeuvre on Alibaba. Alibaba itself works constantly on improving buyer's safety and trust.
Does their assortment match up?
Meaning do they have many different categories that are suspicious or don't make sense?
Is the address a small office address or an actual road address?
If a factory prides themselves with a turnover of 10MilUSD and their address is for example: Room B, XYZ Office building, something is off.
Third party assessment reports (like the audit above).
You can get copies of the reports that Alibaba saves on its database and you can look into the reports.
These filters help a lot already. Be weary of non or 1-year Gold suppliers. See if the supplier has been checked by Alibaba or if they offer Trade Assurance. If for example a factory does not have any of the above checks I would be very suspicious. Because why wouldn't they want Alibaba or a Third-Party to inspect their facilities? Simple, they know they would be uncovered as either an expensive agent or a scammer.
Check out above post on Alibaba hacks and look at the screenshot I made.
Another free option is to look at certificates & reports from factories. If your factory is neither on Alibaba, Globalsources or any other supplier directory you can still check their reports.
Their latest factory audit report from any other customer.
If they haven't had an audit yet ask why. If they can provide you a report scan trough it and look for anything unusual or critical.
RoHs certification is necessary for most European countries & the Americas. It prohibits certain hazardous material within the product.
FCC is a required certification on electrical products & also a standard for the US.
If they do not have any certification, approvals or even audit reports is its a VERY bad sign and you should stay away from this supplier.
1) Because they are not interested in developing any business with overseas clients and are only after quick and easy orders (most likely South East Asian customers who don't care about certification).
2) Because paying for an audit or having your products certified costs time and money. Reliable & customer oriented factories do not shy away from making these investments. Scammers, un-reliable factories don't even want to bother. They probably won't even answer your email with your inquiry in the first place or they write something back that I received quite recently from a factory that i knew was up to no good: "We don't do business with Hong Kong company".
They realised I know my business, because I requested a couple of things in my first email to them. I am not saying overwhelm your supplier with questions and requests in your first email but find a fine line of what you want to have from your supplier in the beginning.
Still not convinced of your supplier? Something off in your conversations?
This research option is free if your supplier has Skype and most suppliers usually do. Request a video call with your supplier and prepare yourself with a few questions.
Ask anything that would make you feel more comfortable in working with the supplier.
Ask about the factory, how many workers, etc.
Basically anything that gets the supplier answering your questions so that you can develop "a gut feeling".
Ask them to show you the sample (of your interested product) in the video call.
If he doesn't have a sample in hand, arrange another time for a Skype call. If he refuses or finds some excuses you will quickly see that something is off.
Even with many years on my back in this industry I can't always know for sure that a factory is legit or not trying to scam me. Unless of course I send an inspection or go to see the factory myself.
Now I would think twice ordering from this factory but apparently everything went well (this time).
It's like in poker. You have a certain amount of "tells" available on your opponent and depending on how he makes his moves, you call (place an order) or fold a hand (eliminate the supplier).
Even when you know you did all you can do to protect your money sometimes there is no guarantee you can win, but having the above tools and research options available you can at least make a decision knowing you did your best.
Versteh ich nicht ganz 🙂 Schick mir doch eine email zu deinen Fragen.
Thank you very much for all your help. I really mean it.
danke für deine unglaublich hilfreichen Blogpost.
Bzgl. Skype: Meine Supplier wollten bisher nicht mit mir via Kamera skypen.
Ich kenne das aus meinem alten Job von indischen Entwicklern. Meist ist die Ursache kein "scam", sondern, dass sie nicht besonders gut Englisch können.
Wie ist da deine Einschätzung? Skypst du mit allen Suppliern mit Kamera?


text:
use std::path::PathBuf;
use std::io::Read;
use std::fs::File;

use util::{SpotifyId, FileId, ReadSeek, mkdir_existing};
use authentication::Credentials;
use audio_key::AudioKey;

use super::Cache;

pub struct DefaultCache {
    environment: lmdb::Environment,
    root: PathBuf,
}

impl DefaultCache {
    pub fn new(location: PathBuf) -> Result<DefaultCache, ()> {
        let env = lmdb::EnvBuilder::new().max_dbs(5).open(&location.join("db"), 0o755).unwrap();

        mkdir_existing(&location).unwrap();
        mkdir_existing(&location.join("files")).unwrap();

        Ok(DefaultCache {
            environment: env,
            root: location
        })
    }

    fn audio_keys(&self) -> MdbResult<lmdb::DbHandle> {
        self.environment.create_db("audio-keys", lmdb::DbFlags::empty())
    }

    fn file_path(&self, file: FileId) -> PathBuf {
        let name = file.to_base16();
        self.root.join("files").join(&name[0..2]).join(&name[2..])
    }

    fn credentials_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
        self.root.join("credentials.json")
    }
}

impl Cache for DefaultCache {
    fn get_audio_key(&self, track: SpotifyId, file: FileId) -> Option<AudioKey> {
        let reader = self.environment.get_reader().unwrap();
        let handle = self.audio_keys().unwrap();
        let db = reader.bind(&handle);

        let mut key = Vec::new();
        key.extend_from_slice(&track.to_raw());
        key.extend_from_slice(&file.0);

        let value : Option<Vec<_>> = db.get(&key).ok();
        value.and_then(|value| if value.len() == 16 {
            let mut result = [0u8; 16];
            result.clone_from_slice(&value);
            Some(AudioKey(result))
        } else {
            None
        })
    }

    fn put_audio_key(&self, track: SpotifyId, file: FileId, audio_key: AudioKey) {
        let xact = self.environment.new_transaction().unwrap();
        let handle = self.audio_keys().unwrap();

        {
            let db = xact.bind(&handle);

            let mut key = Vec::new();
            key.extend_from_slice(&track.to_raw());
            key.extend_from_slice(&file.0);

            db.set(&key, &audio_key.0.as_ref()).unwrap();
        }

        xact.commit().unwrap();
    }

    fn get_credentials(&self) -> Option<Credentials> {
        let path = self.credentials_path();
        Credentials::from_file(path)
    }
    fn put_credentials(&self, cred: &Credentials) {
        let path = self.credentials_path();
        cred.save_to_file(&path);
    }

    fn get_file(&self, file: FileId) -> Option<Box<ReadSeek>> {
        File::open(self.file_path(file)).ok().map(|f| Box::new(f) as Box<ReadSeek>)
    }

    fn put_file(&self, file: FileId, contents: &mut Read) {
        let path = self.file_path(file);

        mkdir_existing(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();

        let mut cache_file = File::create(path).unwrap();
        ::std::io::copy(contents, &mut cache_file).unwrap();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Wildlife officials ignore return of mountain lions to the Blue Ridge Mountains
under Animals, Conservation, Features, News
by Cat DiStasio
There are mountain lions in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the eastern United States, but wildlife officials still call them extinct and haven't done much to support their populations. Numerous sightings, videos, and DNA tests on captured animals point to the existence of a small population of the cats in Tennessee, where they were previously declared extinct. Despite evidence of their existence, mountain lion habitat is not officially protected, leading environmentalists to accuse wildlife officials of negligence that could further endanger the animals.
Mountain lions once roamed the continent from west to east, but the spread of human communities have led to a massive reduction in the number of big cat populations in the east. In fact, the only recognized population of mountain lions east of the Mississippi River are southern Florida panthers and DNA testing has confirmed that population is not migrating north. Declining numbers of mountain lions over the past 100 years led wildlife officials in other Eastern states to declare them extinct. However, the growing number of sightings in Tennessee since September 2015 has environmentalists arguing that it's time to reconsider the species' status, and work to conserve their habitat to encourage further population increases. So far, wildlife officials do not seem eager to take action.
Related: LA lawmakers take steps to create wildlife corridor to protect big cats
Are they really mountain lions?
A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. They are also known as cougars, panthers, pumas, or catamounts—all are the same animal. While bobcats are considerably smaller (the largest among them are under 20lbs), their similar coloring can lead to cases of mistaken identity, especially from a great distance. What's more, mountain lion kittens and young bobcats are very difficult to tell apart. Many reports of mountain lion sightings are immediately dismissed as a case of mistaken identity and some, like this alleged sighting of a dead mountain lion on a highway cutting through North Carolina's stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wildlife officials claim no knowledge of the carcass, but there are any number of alternate explanations, such as scavengers dragging it off the road or a passerby collecting it.
The scientific evidence
Tennessee wildlife officials admit cougars roam the mountains in that state, after the first cougar in 100 years was photographed there. Despite the mounting number of sightings, videos, and captures over the past year, the state does not recognize the big cats as a permanent residents, because of the lack of evidence of reproducing females. A study from University of Minnesota reviewed 18 years of cougar sightings in an effort to understand the big cats' activity. The study argues that the increased population in Tenn. suggests that cougars are expanding their Midwest territory in search of adequate habitat to reproduce. Some say the big cats could reestablish their populations in the Blue Ridge Mountains within 25 to 50 years.
One of the early sightings caught on video (above) was of this female mountain lion, who was subsequently captured in Nov. 2015 in Olbion County, Tenn. DNA testing revealed the cougar is not related to known populations of panthers in southern Florida, and the notion that the big cats have traveled from western states has been dismissed due to common sense. The remaining logical conclusion points to a slow resurgence of the eastern cougars that once lived all over the Eastern mountains.
Alleged mountain lion attack
A man injured while hiking a section of the Appalachian Trail near Humpback Rock in Virginia was initially reported as the victim of a mountain lion attack on Jul. 1 of this year. At that time, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, suggested that was unlikely and issued a statement recalling that "since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. Most sightings occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson County region." The victim's mother, who had called 911 on his behalf, later revealed that a miscommunication led her to identify the wrong animal. She said that her son was actually attacked by a bobcat, which he had referred to as a "big cat." She made an assumption when she told the 911 operator it was a mountain lion. This clarifying piece of information fuels the doubt about the true resurgence of the eastern cougar.
What's next for the eastern cougar?
Environmental conservation groups are urging wildlife officials to review the status of mountain lions across several states, including Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, and little progress has been made. The federal Fish & Wildlife Service removed the eastern cougar from the Endangered Species List last year, and reclassified them as an extinct subspecies after a four-year review. Prior to that decision, the Mountain Lion Foundation sponsored a petition to urge the opposite, suggesting FWS work to support the eastern cougar's repopulation of the Blue Ridge Mountains instead. Just months after the federal agency declared the big cats extinct, the animals began appearing in the Tennessee mountains, leading to a renewed effort to protect the eastern cougar. MLF and other conservation groups argue that genetic testing proves all mountain lions are the same subspecies, so the FWS decision to declare them extinct in the Eastern states is not only irresponsible but unethical.
Will it take federal wildlife officials another four years to recognize that eastern cougars are trying to make a comeback in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or will their tracks once again fade into oblivion?
Lead image via Wikipedia, additional images via TN Fish & Wildlife, Wikipedia (1, 2, 3), and Eastern Cougar Foundation
One thought on "Wildlife officials ignore return of mountain lions to the Blue Ridge Mountains"
Alex Dziewaltowski May 24, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Is this true?? Because there were confirmed mountain lion sightings in CT! I believe one was tagged and it was from Montana...
Cougar Population Range Map TN
Map of TN cougar sightings
Mountain lion on rock
A man injured while hiking a section of the Appalachian Trail near Humpback Rock in Virginia was initially reported as the victim of a mountain lion attack on Jul. 1 of this year. At that time, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, suggested that was unlikely and issued a statement recalling that "since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. Most sightings occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson County region." The victim's mother, who had called 911 on his behalf, later revealed that a miscommunication led her to identify the wrong animal. She said that her son was actually attacked by a bobcat, which he had referred to as a "big cat." She made an assumption when she told the 911 operator it was a mountain lion. This clarifying piece of information fuels the doubt about the true resurgence of the eastern cougar.
Mountain lion kittens
Environmental conservation groups are working to urge wildlife officials to review the status of mountain lions across several states, including Tenn., KY, and VA, and little progress has been made. The federal Fish & Wildlife Service removed the eastern cougar from the Endangered Species List last year, and reclassified them as an extinct subspecies after a four-year review. Prior to that decision, the Mountain Lion Foundation sponsored a petition to urge the opposite, suggesting FWS work to support the eastern cougar's repopulation of the Blue Ridge Mountains instead. Just months after the federal agency declared the big cats extinct, the animals began appearing in the Tenn. mountains, leading to a renewed effort to protect the eastern cougar. MLF and other conservation groups argue that genetic testing proves all mountain lions are the same subspecies, so the FWS decision to declare them extinct in the Eastern states is not only irresponsible but unethical.
Dog vs Cougar tracks


text:
What does equity mean when we have a caste-based transportation system? Transportation and planning debates around the country increasingly ponder how we rectify long-standing inequities in transportation access that have disadvantaged the poor and people of color. In Oregon, the Department of Transportation has an elaborate "equitable mobility" effort as part of its analysis of tolling. And Portland's Metro similarly is reviewing transportation trends to see how they differentially affect historically disempowered groups.
This discussion is fine, and long overdue, but for the most part ignores the equity elephant in the room: America's two-caste transportation system. We have one transportation system for those wealthy and able enough to own and drive a car, and another, entirely inferior transportation system for those too young, too old, too infirm or too poor to be able to either own or drive a private vehicle. There are other manifest inequities in the transportation system, but most of them stem from, or are amplified by this two-caste system.
Those in the lower-caste face dramatically longer travel times, less accessibility to jobs, parks, schools, and amenities, and face dramatically greater risk in traveling than those in the privileged caste. In a policy memorandum to Portland's Metro regional government, we've highlighted the role of the caste system, and pointed out that its virtually impossible to meaningfully improve equity without addressing this divide.
The look of gentrification. One of the chief criticisms of gentrification is aesthetic: Supposedly new buildings or new businesses both symbolize and cause gentrification. A fancy coffee shop, a new apartment block. But Darrell Owen challenges the notion that these symbols tell us much about the causes, and even less about the cures, for gentrification.
As Owens argues, the cause of gentrification is the increased demand for housing in what were formerly disinvested neighborhoods, coupled with the tendency of new arrivals to insist on "status quo-ism"–trying to keep things from changing. It's tempting to paint particular people or buildings as victims, but this misses the underlying causes:
Caricatures like skinny white bike bros or some scooter make convenient distractions away from the longstanding unaffordability that the original gentrifiers often created. Many of the first wave gentrifiers had consumed existing housing back when it was cheap, then made it impossible to add more housing to mitigate additional residents like themselves, thus increasing displacement onto incumbents. Bernal, the Haight, South Berkeley, North Oakland—all these neighborhoods experienced this. "I'm the good one," the first-wave gentrifier insists. "The neighborhood gentrified only after I got here." No, the neighborhood gentrified because you got here.
To Owens, the gentrification occurs because of the limits imposed on the construction of new housing: It isn't the new buildings that cause gentrification, it's the ban on new buildings that has the effect of driving up prices and displacing long-time residents.
Those who fought attempts to grow the housing capacity of our old neighborhood got what they wanted: all the same old houses, parks and stores. But at the expense of the people who had lived there in the first place by trading them for new arrivals. Population growth does not require displacement when you prioritize making space rather than the aesthetic of buildings.
A rural reality check on remote work. The increasingly wide adoption of remote work in the wake of the Covid pandemic has given rise to renewed prognostications that rural economies will be buoyed by an influx of talented workers from cities. Writing at Cardinal News, Dwayne Yancey offers a reality check and some cautions. A first important bit of context is acknowledging that the population decline in rural America is deep-seated and long-lived: rural counties are older, deaths outnumber births, and much of this is baked in the demographic cake. While migration is benefiting some rural areas, it tends to be those places with high levels of amenities, and formerly rural counties that have become de facto exurbs by virtue of proximity to strong metro areas. Also working against a general rural rebound is the continuing decline in the number of Americans who move each year–a trend which continued during the pandemic. Finally, there's the issue of "The Big Sort"–Bill Bishop's term for the increasing tendency of migrants to choose to move to communities where people share their interests. Migrants from predominately blue cities will tend to gravitate to those communities that echo their values, a finding highlighted in a recent Redfin survey. As Yancey concludes:
This Redfin report raises the question of whether left-leaning office workers are going to want to pick up their computers and move to conservative areas. If not, then that greatly reduces the opportunities for those conservative rural areas to benefit from any migration of remote workers. Maybe only the conservatives will relocate and maybe that will be enough, maybe more than enough, to make a difference demographically.
Racial discrimination in renting. It's long been the case that Black and Brown Americans have faced discrimination in rental housing markets. A new study measures discrimination in large metro areas.
The study tests for discrimination by sending landlords inquiries about potential rental apartments using fictional applicant names that are highly correlated with White, African-American or Hispanic identities. For example, the survey sent out inquiries identified as being from Shanice Thomas, Pedro Sanchez, and Erica Cox among others. The study randomly sent more than 25,000 inquiries to property managers, and tallied the rate of responses by racial/ethnic identification in 50 metro areas across the country.
Overall, the study found that those with potential renters with identifiably African-American or Hispanic names were less likely to receive a response from a property manager than those with identifiably White names. African-American names were about 5.6 percent less likely to receive a response; Hispanic names were about 2.7 percent less likely to receive a response.
The study stratified its findings by city, so its possible to compare the degree of discrimination by region and metropolitan area. Overall, the study found that discrimination was more widespread in the Northeast and Midwest, and tended to be lower in the West. It also found that there was a correlation between racial/ethnic segregation and discrimination: Metros with higher levels of segregation tended to have higher levels of measured rental discrimination against Black and Brown applicants.
The study ranks metropolitan areas by discrimination (as measured by differential response rates). The following chart shows the response rate differential for African-Americans (left column) and Hispanics (right column), ranked from highest (most discrimination) to lowest. The horizontal lines on the chart are the 90 percent confidence interval of the estimated differential for each metro area; lines intersecting the zero vertical line are not significantly different from zero.
Chicago, Los Angeles and Louisville have the highest levels of disparity for Black respondents; New Orleans, Columbus and Jacksonville have the lowest. Louisville, Houston, and Providence have the most discrimination against Hispanics; Phoenix, Sacramento and Tampa have the least. Interestingly, the authors report that there is very little correlation between discrimination against Black as opposed to Hispanic applicants at the Metro level. This suggests that local market factors may be at work.
Peter Christensen, Ignacio Sarmiento-Barbieri & Christopher Timmins, Racial Discrimination and Housing Outcomes in the United States Rental Market, NBER WORKING PAPER 29516. DOI 10.3386/w29516
Bike Portland directed its readers to City Observatory's analysis of Metro's failing "Climate Smart Strategy."


22nd time exhibiting at " Maison & Objet " | Uchino Co., Ltd.
This year again, for the 22nd time, Uchino is pleased to announce that we will be present at Maison & Objet, from January 18th to 22nd in Paris.
Place:Hall 5A Booth No# C110-D109. Paris-Nord Villepinte.


I had just finished my workout (yes I started working out some time ago hoping that by building body mass I could alleviate many of those aches and pains that pop up with old age) and was enjoying a cold Bud as I cut up some freshly made brownies for the neighbors and their five kids. Barney and Maggie were watching, patiently waiting for supper time. There was a loud knock at the front door – and of course the guys responded with excited barking just to make sure I heard it. I put them on a sit-stay and opened the door to be greeted by a man wearing a jacket with the large letters "ATF" on it, along with an Ellisville police officer whom I knew. The ATF officer presented his credentials, and the cop assured me the guy was legit.
After brief introductions, I was asked to accompany them because they were investigating a crime scene and had reason to believe I may be able to provide them with some helpful knowledge in solving a series of murders.
As I approached the waiting van, I recognized four other folks whose acquaintance I had made over the years: a retired stock broker from House Springs, a sacristan from Affton, a copier salesman from north St. Louis, and a former restaurateur, a neighbor to Val, who lived on the Hill in St. Louis. I was assured the ride would only take about an hour, and after deciding the dogs would not eat the brownies that were on the counter, I boarded the van.
As we drove down one of those winding, heavily wooded roads in far west St. Louis county, the hot summer sun settling in the West cast long dark shadows along the east side of the road. We approached a power cut and saw a stand of deer grazing. As we proceeded further, there was a small clearing along the side of the road with some freshly dug dirt and a large limestone paver mounted upright in front of it with a persons name painted on it. The van slowed and the ATF officer asked us if anyone recognized the name. No one did. As we continued we approached several more similar sites and each time we stopped to see if we were familiar with the name.
We continued on. Again we came to a clearing; however here there was no disturbance to the dirt, but a similar stone was standing there; I recognized the name on it …"George Garthoeffner"! No one made a sound as they looked at me.
As we continued, we passed the names of the other four passengers at similar sites. The air became very thick. Obviously we began to realize why we were of interest to ATF. Could we provide a clue to the murders before our turn was up. The conversation on the way home was disturbing to say the least. We all searched our lives to see if there were some common threads among us that might prevent a future return of any one of us to the intended rendezvous.
The ATF van dropped me off at home with assurances they would be in frequent contact with me and would be keeping a watchful eye on each of us. Barney and Maggie were glad to see me. As they licked my face I wondered how many more licks life would allot me. Yes the brownies were still on the counter.
Then I turned to look at the clock…2:15 a.m. Maybe beer and brownies are not a good combination!
OMG... I got TOTALLY sucked into this!
What a dream! HA HA HA What DID you put in those brownies??
Have you eaten any watermelon lately? I heard on the radio that if you eat watermelon right before you go to bed, you will have the strangest dreams and boy I think your dream qualifies as strange. LOL!
Hmmm, was it a dream? That drive and the conversation amongst the fortunate five must have lasted a loooong time. The sun would have been setting around 9PM so getting home by 2AM isn't unreasonable, is it?
A dream? Yes (maybe nightmare is a better description). But the account did have people guessing. I sent the same email to by sister and BIL and they called to tell me they were praying for me that I was safe! They say we all dream, but I seldom remember my dreams when I wake up. When they get this bazaar they make a good story. But I can't compete with Lynda and Willoughby.
If it was the ATF that was coming for you, we might want to ask what special seasonings you are adding to your brownies?
Couldn't be too bad or the DEA agents would have been there.
Oh George!! You had me!! I was totally going "Oh my word!! I would be freaking out!!"
Glad it was just a dream.
That was my question, too! What else did you put in those brownies?
Got me!! I was freaking.
All the details, the brownies, the good dogs, all the other people involved and the fact they actually spelled your name right!
I figured there would be one shrink out there that wanted to analyze me!


The ADVIA® 560 and 560 AL Hematology Systems offer laboratories fast, high-quality CBC testing. As part of Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics family of scalable hematology analyzers, the systems have been designed with flexible and intuitive options to enable the right fit in your lab. Compact and cost-efficient, the systems can serve as stand-alone or backup analyzers. With an optional autoloader to automate sampling, the ADVIA 560 AL System can flexibly adapt to the ever-changing laboratory environment.


CHICAGO (January 4, 2016) - HIMSS Analytics awarded Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center with a Stage 7 Award. The award represents Community Healthcare System's attainment of the highest level on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model™ (EMRAM).
HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. There are eight stages (0-7) that measure a hospital's implementation and utilization of information technology applications.
The final stage, Stage 7, represents an advanced patient record environment. The validation process to confirm a hospital has reached Stage 7 includes a site visit by an executive from HIMSS Analytics and former or current chief information officers to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the Stage 7 environments.
During the second quarter of 2015, only 3.7 percent of the more than 5,400 U.S. hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics® Database received the Stage 7 Award.
Avera Health is an integrated health system comprised of more than 330 locations in 100 communities in a five-state region. A full continuum of care is offered through 32 hospitals, more than 200 clinics, retirement communities, home care, sports and fitness centers, with award-winning care in more than 60 medical specialties. With more than 16,000 employees and physicians, Avera is the largest private employer in South Dakota.
Avera McKennan will be recognized at the 2016 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on Monday, Feb. 29-Friday, March 4 at the Venetian – Palazzo – Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Visit the HIMSS Analytics website for more information on the Stage 7 Award.