text:
News Bioeconomy Pulp
Domtar begins work for second co-gen unit
ByCindy Macdonald
By Cindy Macdonald
Domtar is investing of $36 million for the installation of a second biomass-based generating unit with a power output of 18 MW at its Windsor mill in Quebec.
This investment will improve the energy efficiency of the mill while reducing production costs. The mill installed a 30-MW generating unit in 2001.
"With its two generating units, the Windsor mill will become one of the major producers of renewable energy in the Eastern Townships. Our total production capacity will reach nearly 50 MW and will allow us to feed [to he grid] the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of 12,800 single-family dwellings," explains Éric Ashby, director of the Windsor mill.
Construction work on the infrastructure for the generating unit will begin mid-June, and will be spread out over a period of nearly one year. The new generating unit will is expected to enter into service in the summer of 2017.
Domtar produces a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and absorbent hygiene products.
Fortress completes sale of Quebec co-gen plant
PaperWeek Canada 2019 highlights include panels on bioeconomy, women
Forest sector seeks federal funds for innovation
Domtar donates $10K for B.C. wildfire relief
PacWest growing in popularity and scope
Council of Forest Ministers offers action plan


text:
Tag: Soilwork
Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun
by Wade Reitz | Apr 28, 2014 | Album Reviews, Music | 0 |
If you have read some of my previous reviews, you know that I enjoy listening to death metal. Be...
Dirk Verbeuren Of Soilwork Talks To ThisIsNotAScene
by Raymond Westland | Mar 26, 2013 | Interviews, Music | 0 |
Swedish melodic death metal outfit Soilwork found their mojo back in 2010 with the release of...
Eric Peterson Of Testament Talks To ThisIsNotAScene
by Raymond Westland | Jun 10, 2012 | Interviews, Music | 0 |
Testament's last album, entitled "The Formation Of Damnation", is a tough act to follow. However, Chuck Billy and Co return with an equally strong follow-up record in the form of "Dark Roots Of...
Words Of Farewell – Immersion
by Matt Spall | May 1, 2012 | Album Reviews, Music | 0 |
Could it be that Germany is the new Sweden? It's a strange question but, on the strength of this CD and several others released over the last couple of years, it's nevertheless a valid one. On this occasion, we have Words Of...
Furyborn – The Reaping of our Days
by Pete RingMaster | Mar 26, 2012 | EP Reviews, Music | 0 |
The debut EP from UK metal band Furyborn hits right between the eyes, a thunderous brute of a release that shows no mercy or inclination to take it easy on its recipients. The band has been building a fine reputation throughout...
Naglfar – Téras
by Cheryl Carter | Mar 14, 2012 | Album Reviews, Music | 0 |
Sweden's Naglfar stand on the verge of their first full length record in five years with "Téras". Taking their name from legends of old, Naglfar the name given to the ship wrought of dead men's nails...
TesseracT, Chimp Spanner & Uneven Structure at Manchester Academy
by Sabrina Ramdoyal | Sep 19, 2011 | Live Reviews, Music | 0 |
The Lowering The Tone tour rolled into Manchester with its unique blend of progressive, experimental metal and "Djent". There was an air of anticipation for the good night of metal that lay ahead. As we had experienced at...
Deadlock – Bizarro World
by Raymond Westland | Mar 16, 2011 | Album Reviews, Music | 0 |
Deadlock are a melodic death metal band hailing from Germany. They've been around for quite some time in which they have release several previous albums, like "Earth.Revolt" (2005), "Wolves" (2007) and...
System Divide – The Conscious Sedation
System Divide is the new band by Sven de Caluwé of Aborted fame. Together with former members from Abigail Williams and Distorted he founded the band back in 2008. The Conscious Sedation is the title of their debut album. Let's...
Raintime – Psychromatic
by Raymond Westland | Feb 12, 2011 | Album Reviews, Music | 0 |
When I think of Italian metal, it's usually about incredibly over the top power metal in the Rhapsody vein or gothic rock from Lacuna Coil, which despite the delectable good looks of Cristina Scabbia, I don't have a lot of...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After my bad experience with the Inc R-2 rollerball pen, I wasn't expecting much from the Inc Forma. After all, it does look like a cheap, ballpoint version of the Pilot G-2, and it's primarily sold at The Dollar Tree. But after using it for bit, I was quickly and pleasantly surprised.
At $1 for a 3-pack, you're definitely not getting a premium experience with the Forma. The pen is entirely made of plastic, the clip feels very flimsy, and the rubber grip is best described as "soft-ish." But putting pen to paper, the ballpoint ink in this pen is surprisingly smooth. It doesn't require much pressure to use, making it a decent writing experience.
On the negative side, the ink isn't particularly dark, and there's a small issue with blobbing and smearing. But, really, I don't have any criticisms that are harsh given that it's such an inexpensive pen. I'd prefer it over a cheaper BIC ballpoint any day.
Of course, I'd never suggest that anyone go out of their way to buy a pack. The Forma is not, by any means, a great pen. But if you happen to be in need of some cheap ballpoints while at a dollar store, then this is a fine choice.
On Wednesday, February 14, 2018 (i.e. Valentines Day), Field Notes announced the Heartbeat Edition. A combination of the Wednesday and the Red Blooded editions, the Heartbeat notebooks were not for sale. Instead, 2-packs were included as a free bonus to any order placed on that one specific day.
The Heartbeat Edition is what I'll call a "re-skinned" edition. The innards are identical to what you'll currently find in a standard Kraft Field Notes notebook: a light brown graph grid on 60# white paper in the standard pocket-sized (3.5" x 5.5") dimensions. The cover, however, is different. The outside is a deep ("Sanguine") red with tan ("Manila Yellow Kraft") lettering, and that color scheme is reversed on the inside.
There's nothing spectacularly new to see, but what makes the Heartbeat Edition special is the heart replacing the letter "O" in the Field Notes logo. So don't fret about the $40+ people are charging for this edition on secondary markets like eBay. While it's true that Valentines Day doesn't fall on a Wednesday again until 2024, I'm sure the company will run a similar promotion sooner than that.
Apparently some people got Heartbeat pencils! I, sadly, did not.
No edition size is listed. So we'll never know how many Heartbeats are out there.
I keep accidentally calling this the "Heartbreak Edition." Maybe that'll be the next one!
If you've heard of the company Skilcraft, it's probably for two reasons. First, it's the manufacturer of the U.S. Government Pen, a low-cost, professional-looking ballpoint that also happens to be very reliable. And second, it's held in high regard by the National Industries for the Blind for employing scores of blind workers in their manufacturing facilities. Skilcraft is a good company, and so I was interested in trying another of the their well-known pens, the stealthy-looking B3 Aviator multi-pen.
As the pen's name makes obvious, the B3 Aviator is marketed towards pilots. It meets the FAA's "FOD" requirements, and it has a matte black finish to prevent glare. The multi-pen has three components: a 1.0mm black ballpoint, a 1.0mm red ballpoint, and a 0.5mm mechanical pencil. The midpoint of the barrel twists in either direction to eject and retract the three tips in turn, and the end-cap also screws off to reveal an eraser.
Oddly, the design and function of the B3 Aviator is pretty much identical to the Zebra Surari Sharbo 1000. So, it probably goes without saying that the problems I had with the Sharbo are the same problems I have with the Aviator. In particular, there's no indication on the barrel for which tip is selected (you have to closely examine the tip to know if you're about to write with black ink/red ink/pencil), and the cap that covers the eraser is a small piece that's begging to be lost. For some reason, I also had some trouble getting the Aviator's pencil lead to eject without breaking.
But, unlike the Sharbo, the Aviator feels a lot more substantial and durable – for about $18, you don't feel like you're getting ripped off. But that's all that this pen really has going for it. The refills are fine, and it generally works okay. However, I still wouldn't recommend this multi-pen – the design just isn't very good.
Since 1912, when the Oreo was first introduced, Nabisco had been content with their cookie's traditional flavor: a vanilla frosting sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. Of course, the company fiddled with the recipe over the years. Ingredients like trans fats and lard were removed or replaced, the filling was occasionally dyed into fun colors, and the cookies were both shrunken and enlarged to create different product lines.
Nabisco even sporadically produced new flavor varieties like lemon, mint, and peanut butter. But that was nothing compared to the flavor explosion that occurred in the 2010s, right around the time Mondelez took over as the brand's parent company. At some point, the shackles were loosened on the Oreo R&D department, and the whole brand went berserk.
The Oreo is the most popular cookie in the world with billions in sales every year, making three times more money than it's nearest competitor. It seems risky for a big company to mess around with such a successful formula. So why do it?
Get some media attention. Oreo is an old cookie, but some of these new flavors can get some buzz. When they release particularly odd flavors (like Watermelon or Kettle Corn), they seem to get a lot of it.
Capitalize on seasonal trends. Apparently, pumpkin spice products do hundreds of millions of dollars in sales each year, so it's not surprising that Oreo jumped on that bandwagon. But that's not all, they release new Oreo flavors to coincide with many holidays: Peppermint Bark for Christmas, Peeps during Easter, Hot & Spicy Cinnamon around Valentine's Day, etc.
Market test new ideas. I suspect that the tamer flavors, like coconut or dark chocolate, are really just broad market tests. Ditto for brand mash-ups like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Oreos. Mondelez is probably fishing for a new hit flavor, hoping to create the next Doritos Locos Taco.
But whatever the case, this "new flavor" strategy must be working because they don't seem to be slowing down. For myself, I can say that I'll grab a new flavor of Oreo every time I see one, and I probably wouldn't buy Oreos otherwise.
I can't explain why I like trying these new Oreo flavors. They're rarely as good as the original cookie, and sometimes they are far worse (I'm looking at you Swedish Fish Oreo) But it's still a lot of fun to try them all.
For the last few years, I've even been documenting these new flavors on Twitter (and I've compiled them into a list here). I've tried dozens of them already, and I'm still interested to see what comes next. Eventually, these flavors will start to get predictable and boring. Oreo's flavor obsession will die, as will my interest to try them. But, for the time being, the Oreo R&D department still seems able to come up with weird and creative ideas. So, even though I probably don't need the extra calories, I hope Oreo keeps it up.
When the Dead Prints Edition Field Notes were released in 2015, they were an immediate hit. They were so popular and so sought-after that there was bound to be a follow-up edition, and that's exactly what happened in February 2018. Mondo, Landland, and Draplin Design Co. got together again, this time inviting Burlesque of North America along for the ride, to create the MxLxBxD Edition Field Notes.
Although Dead Prints Field Notes were created from each company's leftover scraps, which made for designs that varied wildly depending on where you bought them, the MxLxBxD Field Notes was more of a group effort to create a single product. According to the Field Notes website, the image files for the cover design were passed from company to company (a total of 84 times) with new elements being continually added. The end result is a bunch of notebooks that look like a heavily graffitied wall.
Other specs of note: the Field Notes logo (and all the cover text) are printed with turquoise foil press, and the notebooks are the standard 5.5" x 3.5" pocked size. Inside, you get turquoise grid ruling on 50# white paper. A total of 11,500 3-packs were made (as apposed to the measly 3,000 made for the Dead Prints edition), and some are still available. As of this writing, you can purchase them directly from here, here and here.
Though these books aren't as unique as the Dead Prints Edition, I like their loud and creative look. If you use Field Notes and are a fan of one or more of these companies, it's worth grabbing a pack or two as long as they're still available. But, of course, if these companies ever team up again, I'm sure whatever they come up with will be just as cool.
For more info and good pictures, check out the write-up on the MxLxBxD Edition at Three Staples.
If you like these, they remind me a lot of the Two Rivers Edition. Though, those aren't so easy to get hold of these days.


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <title></title>
	<meta charset="utf-8" />

Arrival airport

            Departure airport

            <select id="select-to" class="contacts" placeholder="Pick departure airport..."></select>

            Select departure airpot using name, code or GPS

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Stamp Duty calculator helps you calculate the amount of the stamp duty payable for registration of property in various states/cities in India. Select the State/City, enter the property value and click calculate to view the result. Press the clear button to clear the value and start over again.


The challenge facing Nigeria today is not being tackled at the roots. It seems the symptoms are what those in position of authority are chasing after. It is like chasing shadows.
The war between the Fulani cattle rearers and the Beroms, the South-South and the country at large, the various clashes among communities that have led to loss of lives in Nigeria, are all about right to land or claims of ownership of one property or the other.
The dichotomy between the North and South is all about right to property. The struggle over resource control is about property rights. The call for fiscal federalism is about property rights.
The question of state of origin as basis for accessing office and position is about right to property in the country.
One would have thought that the National Conference would look critically at this issue and proffer long- lasting solutions. The dispute over land and property ownership has been the bane of modern Nigeria.
In days past, community and family ownership of property had made it difficult for individuals to make final claim to some property. The social setting therefore, encouraged communal land and property ownership.
Down the line, with the national economy without a well defined right of individuals to property ownership, the community continued to set the pace for land and property ownership.
Over the years, many that ordinarily would have had access to land that would have yielded some resources for them to live on, were deprived of access to such property.
At the national level, the Federal Government took over all the mineral resources in the land but the title to such land comes from the state.
This lack of a well defined right to property has become a social malaise that is haunting the nation. Each day, hundreds of Nigerians die fighting over one form of property or the other.
The key driver in President Goodluck Jonathan's Transformation Agenda is massive investment. This is why the ministries of Commerce and Industry were merged to form the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
While it is important to seek to attract foreign direct investment into the country, creating the ministry is no bait for foreign investors to want to come to Nigeria. Globally, investors are interested in places where return on their investments is high. Nigeria certainly qualifies as investors have found out that they reap higher benefit if they invest in Nigeria.
The few that have done so have found this to be true. Yet, Nigeria is not a haven to foreign investors.
There must be reasons why they shy away from Nigeria. Many investors out there who speak privately to Nigerians at investment fora are quick to point out that in Nigeria, there is no sanctity of contract and property rights are not clearly defined.
Most foreign investors see this as the most inhibiting factor that scares away would-be investors. They are not worried about the lack of infrastructure as is always claimed by those who explain away the Nigeria situation.
Shell, Mobil, Chevron, MTN, UACN and others know too well the infrastructural deficiency in the country, yet they invested and are reaping the benefits.
The truth is that both local and foreign investors are wary of investing in Nigeria because the state and its agents have no respect for property rights and sanctity of contracts.
They are worried that if they invest in Nigeria, their investment can be taken over by the state. The recent termination of Lekki concession agreement by Lagos State Government, the taking over of private banks by the Sanusi-led CBN are examples of such impunity that scare investors away from Nigeria.
Property rights, according to Professor Pat Utomi, constitutes a major part of the constitutional arrangement that makes an economy advance. Now, until this entity called Nigeria has a philosophical understanding of what property rights means, Nigeria is not going to make any major economic progress.
To say the least, investors are scared and skeptical about Nigeria because there is impunity, and property rights are not guaranteed.
Sanctity of contract is a general idea that once parties duly enter into a contract, they must honour their obligations under that contract. Contracts have been breached with impunity by federal and states agents and servants who outrightly disregard or disobey court orders.
Normally, before any foreign investor commits his capital into a project, he will want to be assured that there shall be stability in the investment regime.
That is to say, the whole or key aspects of the agreement will be respected by the host state and that the rules of the game will not be changed unilaterally.
The foreign investor needs such an assurance not only as a means of ensuring that he realises the expected benefits for his shareholders, but also to convince other sponsors of the project that the project will generate enough capital to pay off their loans and meet their supply requirements.
These objectives may only be realised if the terms of the investment agreement are respected by the host state. Hence, for that reason, the principle of sanctity of contract is regarded as one of the most important legal concepts in the investment process.
The Federal Military Government in 1978 promulgated the Land Use Decree in which it delegated authority over land allocation to the 36 states and their local governments in an effort to ensure that rural and urban populations had access and secure tenure to land.
While the physical land area is under the control of state governments, the minerals contained in such land belongs to the Federal Government in the Mineral Act.
While a corporate body or individual seeking land for investment goes to the state to obtain certificate of occupancy, he has to obtain mining lease licence from the Federal . Government.
It is this confused and lack of defined property rights that have resulted in the contention between the Federal Government and the states as to who owns what.
Enforcing individual rights to property in the Nigerian courts is tortuous, time- wasting as it takes years to get judgments and is costly. In most cases, federal agencies without due process encroach on individual property rights. Is Nigeria going to continue like this forever?
There must be a break from the past. Nigerians must brace up and do the right thing. A well defined property rights rule of engagement is what Nigeria needs, not national conference.


Our in-house Heat Treat Capabilities furthers the precise control over the manufacture of quality forgings. Heat Treatment facility is capable of meeting the requirements of the process and can be customized also to meet the Customer specified standards like CQ-9.
At GNA Enterprises, Heat Treatment facility includes oil and gas fired furnaces, quenching medium tanks, bottom drop furnaces, salt bath furnaces with mechanical charger etc. The Finishing Shop has Shot Blasting Machines, Shot Peening and powder coating facilities. The Process is controlled through automatic audio-visual systems for temperature monitoring and process qualification where we continuously try to narrow down the input parameters.
Each Induction Hardened component is passed through Magnaflux Particle Testing machine, to check axial as well as transverse surface cracks and then demagnetized.
Each Induction Hardened shaft is tempered in batches to remove the residual stresses and improving the grain flow.
We make use of the Statistical Process Control in the form of X-moving Range Charts to control the Part-to-Part variation.
Process qualification and sample based in-process inspection is done to ensure that each component that goes to the customer conforms to the requisite parameters.


I just finished reading Lessig's Free Culture and am in the middle of Vaidhyanathan's Copyrights and Copywrongs. I was reading this morning on the stair master, when a thought struck me.
Compare this to Lessig's discussion of the (ongoing) evolution of blogging in America. When discussing the role of the blog in America, Lessig states, "[T]here are many who use [blogs] to engage in public discourse. Discussing matters of public import, criticizing others who are mistaken in their views, criticizing politicians about the decisions they make, offering solutions to problems we all see." How do blogs effectively criticize, comment and improve the general discourse? "The best of the blog entries are relatively short; they point directly to words used by others, cirticizing with or adding to them." Sort of like rap, huh? Same rythym, same melody, different tune.
Lessig goes on to briefly discuss the interaction of copyright with this burgeoning form of commentary and journalism. He quotes Dave Winer saying, "we will be the last thing that gets shut down [due to infringement]." While that is encouraging, we should not forget what happened to the evolution of rap music as an art form. "What sampling did occur in the late 1990s was non-transgressive, nonthreatening, and too often clumsy and obvious. The signifying rapper had lost his voice." (Vaidhyanathan). We as bloggers are "sampling" the culture and world around us, adding our "samples" to the greater discourse and body of knowledge. And the quality and growth of culture around us will be harmed if our commentary and discourse goes the way of the rapper.


Peace is here…within. It can be found. It has not been lost to the Mind which God created. It can be covered up and overlooked, but it cannot be lost. When the mind joins with the heart in quiet, Peace comes. It comes in every moment the mind remembers a love not of this world. It is here in Christmas because we ask the Prince of Peace to come at least this one time of year, and he is faithful. He comes into the minds of his brothers. He came very early to you. As a child when you so looked forward to Christmas, when everything sparkled with innocence and expectation, when you decorated the tree, when you made candy with your mother, when you loved your pets just a little more and gave them treats, when you opened your presents and were overcome with joy. The Prince of Peace delighted in delighting young hearts and minds at Christmas time. But this Christmas Peace is available all year long. You remember it during those times you sat on your mother's lap and felt so comforted and loved. You remember it from the love of your pets. They looked you in the eye and made you remember a Love that is not of this world, and Peace was there. As you grew older, Peace did not age, but was there in calm reflection of the good in all things, and the blessing itself of your life. Peace has always been there. It has always been the Truth of you. It never knew any illusion about you, but always saw you as God created you. And it is waiting for you tonight both to remember and to pass it on to a brother who has forgotten it and thinks himself alone and abandoned. Love you brother and awaken the Peace within him that you may know it better yourself. The Christ child is here within. He is you as God created you and must forever be. Nothing God created tarnishes or fades. Only the world that is passing away knows such illusions. Let not this Peace pass away from your mind, but stay in it, even as illusions come and go, Peace stays.


text:
Archive | Emergency Health Alert RSS for this section
in coronavirus, COVID-19, Emergency Health Alert, Lockdown Alert, Major Health Alert, Quarantined Alert
European countries set for partial lockdowns as Covid cases soar
The Netherlands and Austria are days away from imposing new lockdowns in a bid to stop a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Uneven vaccine coverage and a relaxation of preventive measures have brought Europe to a 'critical point' in the pandemic, the World Health Organisation said last week.
Restrictions coming into force tomorrow in the Netherlands are the first by a western European country since the summer.
Bars, restaurants and non-essential stores will be ordered to close at 7pm for at least three weeks starting on Saturday, a Dutch broadcasting organisation said citing government sources.
People will be urged to work from home as much as possible, and audiences will be banned from attending sporting events in the coming weeks.
Schools, theatres and cinemas, however, are set to remain open.
The partial lockdown, due to be announced by prime minister Mark Rutte in a televised press conference scheduled for 6pm, would last longer than the 14 days recommended by the government's outbreak management team.
Brits are still allowed to visit the Netherlands if they are fully vaccinated, even though Dutch authorities currently classify the UK as a 'very high risk country'.
Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the Netherlands must show either a negative PCR test result or a a negative antigen test result, according to Government guidance.
The Dutch authorities have not yet indicated that it plans to further restrict foreign travel but this could change.
Latvia was the first country to reimpose lockdown in Europe to combat the fourth wave of Covid-19.
The country announced a month-long lockdown three weeks ago after an unprecedented surge in infections.
President Vladimir Putin declared a holiday period for Russia from October 30 to curb infections, however, it ended on November 7.
New restrictions on the Netherlands would mean a drastic turn in policy for its government, which until last month thought that a relatively high vaccination rate would mean it could further ease measures towards the end of the year.
However, new Covid-19 cases in the country of 17.5 million have increased rapidly after social distancing measures were dropped in September.
According to the latest figures, they hit a record of around 16,300 in 24 hours.
This has led to pressure on hospitals, forcing them to scale back regular care again to treat patients with the virus.
But the Netherlands is not alone in reintroducing stricter controls.
Austria is also considering locking down millions of people not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in lockdown in a matter of days.
Officials in Upper Austria province, which has the lowest vaccination rate and the highest infection rate, plan to impose restrictions from Monday if given the green light by the federal government.
Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg pointed out a lockdown for the unvaccinated was 'probably unavoidable' and that they faced an 'uncomfortable' winter and Christmas.
During a visit to Bregenz in western Austria, he said: 'I don't see why two-thirds should lose their freedom because one-third is dithering.
'For me, it is clear that there should be no lockdown for the vaccinated out of solidarity for the unvaccinated.'
Austrian regional governor Thomas Stelzer also described the situation as 'dramatic'.
Those who are not vaccinated will have restrictions placed on their daily movements, including bans from restaurants, hotels, hairdressing salons and large public events.
Courtesy of metro.co.uk
https://tinyurl.com/bstpat2j
in coronavirus, COVID-19, Emergency Health Alert, Major Health Alert, Quarantined Alert, WHO
COVID: Fourth wave 'in full force' in Germany as WHO warns Europe is 'back at epicentre'
A fourth wave of coronavirus is in "full force", Germany's health minister has warned, after a 55% rise in cases over the past month.
Europe is "back at the epicentre" of the pandemic, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe director Dr Hans Kluge, and is the only place in the world where COVID is "still increasing".
Infection rates across the region have risen by 6% in the past week alone, WHO bosses told a Geneva news conference on Thursday.
This has also resulted in an increase in hospital admissions – which have more than doubled in a week – and virus-related deaths – which have increased by 12%, Dr Kluge added.
German health minister Jens Spahn announced on Friday that booster vaccines will now be given to all adults six months after their second dose as a way of tackling the increase.
"A fourth COVID wave is now with us in full force," he said.
"We are at the start of a very difficult few weeks."
Despite Germany having vaccinated 67% of its population, it is still experiencing a dramatic surge.
On Friday, health officials reported the highest number of daily infections for a second day in a row (37,120), which far exceeded its previous winter peak of 33,777 from 18 December 2020.
Several countries in central and eastern Europe, including Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are also seeing two-week average case rates of over 1 in 1,000.
But many of these infections are happening in unvaccinated people, experts have said.
Slovakia, for example, reported a new record number of daily cases – 6,805 – on Friday and has one of the lowest vaccine rates in the EU.
Its health ministry confirmed that 69% of the new infections were in unvaccinated people.
Professor Andrew Preston, of the University of Bath's biology and biochemistry department, said Europe's surge could be down to both poor vaccination rates and a lack of COVID-19 restrictions.
"Some eastern European countries have very low vaccination rates and there you are seeing most of the cases in the unvaccinated," he told Sky News.
"But in Germany yesterday they had a record number of cases and that probably reflects a pattern of what happens when you unlock with high levels of virus circulating."
Dr Michael Ryan, of WHO's health emergency programme, called on European governments to "close the gap" in their vaccine rollouts in response to the spike.
"There may be plenty of vaccine available, but uptake of vaccine has not been equal", he said on Thursday.
WHO director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of maintaining some restrictions to reduce cases in Europe.
"Vaccines alone will not end the pandemic," he said. "Vaccines do not replace the need for public health measures [which] remain important in every country."
Dr Ryan added that "exhaustion" in "health workers, communities and government" is "leading to complacency", "gaps in testing, clinical management and vaccination".
"It is through those gaps" that transmission occurs, he said.
Although some European countries have reintroduced social distancing and face masks in public spaces in recent weeks, Professor Preston says this is only a temporary solution.
"The question is how do we move forward in a world where, even in countries with high vaccination rates, you still see high levels of virus transmission?
"In eastern European countries, reimposing restrictions might help buy time to increase low vaccination rates.
"And in places where there is significant pressure on health services, alleviating that with short term measures seems sensible.
"But because vaccines are not absolute in stopping people becoming infected, we need to decide what level of COVID-induced damage we are prepared to tolerate in order to return to 'normal'."
https://tinyurl.com/yve72zsh
in Contagious Alert, Emergency Health Alert, Hemorrhagic Fever Alert, Major Health Alert, Marburg Virus Alert, Quarantined Alert, WHO
Guinea records West Africa's first Marburg virus death, WHO says
Health authorities in Guinea have confirmed one death from Marburg virus, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
It marks the first time that the deadly disease has been identified in West Africa. There have been 12 major Marburg outbreaks since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa.
Guinea's new case was first identified last week, just two months after the country was declared free of Ebola following a brief flare-up earlier this year that killed 12 people.
The patient, who has since succumbed to the illness, first sought treatment at a local clinic before his condition rapidly deteriorated, the WHO statement said.
Analysts at Guinea's national haemorrhagic fever laboratory and the Institute Pasteur in Senegal later confirmed the Marburg diagnosis.
"The potential for the Marburg virus to spread far and wide means we need to stop it in its tracks," Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's Regional Director for Africa, said in the statement.
"We are working with the health authorities to implement a swift response that builds on Guinea's past experience and expertise in managing Ebola, which is transmitted in a similar way," Moeti said.
Both the Marburg case and this year's Ebola cases were detected in Guinea's Gueckedou district, near the borders with Liberia and Ivory Coast. The first cases of the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, the largest in history, also were from the same region in Southeastern Guinea's forest region.
Marburg case fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks depending on virus strain and case management, WHO said, adding that transmission occurs through contact with infected body fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting blood, muscle pains and bleeding through various orifices.
Courtesy of reuters.com
https://tinyurl.com/2tvf37cj
in Black Fungus 'Mucormycosis' Alert, Emergency Health Alert, Major Health Alert
Deadly Black Fungus 'Mucormycosis' in parts of India
The authorities in India are raising the alarm over a rise in a rare and potentially fatal fungal infection called mucormycosis among recovered but still vulnerable Covid-19 patients.
The condition is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes that are found in the soil and the air. Spores can enter the bloodstream through a cut or abrasion, and thereby spread to the eyes, spleen, heart, and brain. They can also be inhaled via the nose, entering the mucous glands, sinuses, and lungs, generating a respiratory infection.
Mucormycosis often strikes the immunocompromised, including diabetics or those on medication to reduce an overactive immune response. It also appears to be affecting these vulnerable groups even harder after they have overcome Covid-19 infections.
An increasing number of Covid-19 patients across India are presenting with the potentially fatal fungal infection. In the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, more than 200 recovered Covid-19 patients have caught mucormycosis, and at least eight have subsequently died from the infection, according to local media.
The authorities in the state of Gujarat have ordered 5,000 doses of the powerful anti-fungal agent amphotericin B to cope with the rise in cases, and ordered hospitals to create special treatment wards for those who are infected.
Last week, India's Health Ministry released an advisory warning that, if not treated, the disease might prove fatal. "We have heard that, in some areas, people who are Covid-infected or recovered suffer from mucormycosis," Dr. V.K. Paul, the head of the country's Covid-19 task force said, speaking to local media. However, he cautioned that there was "no big outbreak" yet, and that he and his team would continue to monitor the situation.
Medical experts on the ground suspect the rise in cases may be the result of a confluence of factors, including the use of steroids to help fight off Covid-19, and the less than sanitary domestic conditions to which Covid survivors return after hospitalization.
Dr. Akshay Nair, a Mumbai-based eye surgeon, told the BBC that he had treated dozens of recovered Covid-19 patients for the black fungus in April, 11 of whom needed to have an eye surgically removed to stop the infection from spreading to their brain.
https://tinyurl.com/7xy4b9n2
in coronavirus, COVID-19, Emergency Health Alert, Major Health Alert, Quarantined Alert
Breaking News – Singapore Covid Strain: Health Ministry Says Protocol Already In Place For Kids
in Contagious Alert, Ebola Virus, Emergency Health Alert, Major Health Alert, Quarantined Alert, WHO
Ebola warning: WHO increases risk level to 'very high' – world on alert
The WHO Africa Region division tweeted as we speak: "So far there have been 18 instances, 9 deaths, 523 contacts, 82 % monitored and 1604 individuals vaccinated." An outbreak has additionally been recorded within the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has warned international locations neighboring Guinea weren't ready for outbreaks or for future vaccination campaigns.
However, at current the worst-hit nation of the newest outbreak is Guinea.
It is the primary outbreak of the lethal virus there since a 2013-2016 outbreak, which was thought of the world's worst.
The 2013-2016 outbreak unfold all through a number of West African international locations.
The lethal pathogen killed hundreds of individuals throughout its final outbreak and the WHO is fearful in regards to the newest resurgence, particularly amid the coronavirus crises.
The WHO's Regional Emergency Director Abdou Salam Gueye mentioned: "There are six neighboring international locations to Guinea and we carried out an evaluation of readiness.
"Two of the international locations aren't prepared and one is borderline and there are three international locations kind of prepared."
The international locations that border Guinea are at the moment not ready to roll-out mass Ebola vaccination programmes.
Mr Gueye added: "Those neighboring international locations agreed on cross-border cooperation and coordination to management the outbreak."
The nation has the present capability to inoculate 100 individuals per day.
This would be the first time an Ebola vaccine has been distributed within the nation.
Currently, 1604 individuals had been vaccinated in Guinea.
Bachir Kanté, an official on the well being ministry, mentioned: "In the approaching days, we will likely be in a position to vaccinate extra individuals so as to include this pandemic correctly."
Courtesy of today-india.in
https://tinyurl.com/ftp9etm8


In America today, more and more people are inactive and sit for long periods of time. Many jobs require people to sit all day. When you are sitting, your hip flexors are shortening and stiffening and your glutes become dormant. When you have overly stiff hip flexors (in this case usually psoas, rectus femoris, tensor fascia latae or a combination) and glutes that are weak, don't fire, and are virtually non-existent, your low back, knees, and/or hamstrings tend to pick up a lot of the slack.
People with back pain often have very weak glutes that don't turn on when they are needed. With no support from these hip muscles, the back absorbs much of the force that is created with various movements, which in time is bound to lead to back problems.
If hip flexors are too stiff and you can't get your hip into full extension with the glute muscles, anterior hip pain can also occur since the hamstring will try to perform the extension instead of the glutes, and cause the femur to rub against the joint capsule.
If you are talking about athletes, those with no glutes often perform movements in a strictly quad dominant fashion. With no assistance from the glutes, the knee joints end up taking extra stress and pain and injuries can result.
Glutes are one of the biggest, strongest, and most powerful muscles in the body (at least they should be) and athletes that don't use them to their full potential are not only asking for pain and injuries, but also are hindering themselves from their ultimate performance potential.
So what needs to be done to fix this problem? The hip flexors (and any other stiff areas) need to lengthened and mobilized, and the glutes need to be activated and strengthened. I will give some examples of how to accomplish this in my next post. Stay tuned!


NUTLEY, N.J. and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today the submission of a new drug application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a novel intravenous (IV) injection formulation of its bisphosphonate Boniva(TM) (ibandronate sodium) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The proposed IV injection regimen is 3 mg administered once every three months. Bisphosphonates, the most frequently prescribed medicines for treating osteoporosis,(1) currently are available only in once-daily or once-weekly oral dosing formulations.
"Boniva Injection is expected to be the first IV bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis, and may be a helpful alternative for physicians who want greater control in administering bisphosphonate therapy," said Dominique Ethgen, M.D., director, clinical development, GSK.
Keith Friend, M.D., medical director, Roche, added, "Boniva Injection may offer a new option for patients who experience gastrointestinal side effects with oral bisphosphonates, or are unable to comply with oral bisphosphonate dosing guidelines."
FDA approved a once-daily oral formulation of Boniva in May 2003, but Roche and GSK have been exploring less frequent oral dosing regimens, as well as the IV formulation, before marketing Boniva. In May 2004, a supplemental NDA was filed with FDA for a once-monthly oral dosing formulation of Boniva, which may offer added convenience for patients compared to the daily and weekly oral bisphosphonates currently available.
In December 2001, Roche and GSK announced that they would co-develop and co-promote Boniva for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis in all countries except Japan.
Boniva Injection should not be administered to patients with hypocalcemia. The most common side effects observed in clinical trials were bone, muscle or joint pain; flu-like illness; and headache.
Boniva Tablets are contraindicated in patients unable to stand or sit upright for at least 60 minutes, patients with hypersensitivity to any component of this product, and patients with uncorrected hypocalcemia. Boniva, like other bisphosphonates administered orally, may cause upper gastrointestinal disorders such as dysphagia, esophagitis and esophageal or gastric ulcer.
Complete prescribing information is available through Roche and GSK. Boniva 2.5 mg once-daily is approved, but not marketed.
(1) Stafford RS, Drieling RL, Hersh AL. National trends in osteoporosis visits and osteoporosis treatment, 1988-2003. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1525-1530.


text:
TxLIHIS Files Comments on Sunset Staff Report on TSAHC
by •Posted December 2, 2010
We recently submitted comments regarding the Sunset Staff report regarding the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. TSAHC underwent sunset review in during the 2009 legislative session, but the TSAHC sunset bill failed to pass during the regular session, and the Corporation is up for a limited re-review.
Our comments:
Dear Mr. Levine,
The Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS)[1] appreciates the work of Sunset staff represented by the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) Sunset report, and supports many of the recommendations within.
We respectfully submit the following comments for consideration by the Commission.
New Issue #1: Align statutory purpose with operating mission by incorporating reference to "underserved populations"
TSAHC's website currently states "Our Mission – The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation serves the housing needs of low, very low and extremely low-income Texans and other underserved populations who do not have comparable housing options through conventional financial channels."
This operating mission is slightly different than the statutory purpose of TSAHC[2] : "The public purpose of the corporation is to perform activities and services that the corporation's board of directors determines will promote the public health, safety, and welfare through the provision of adequate, safe, and sanitary housing primarily for individuals and families of low, very low, and extremely low income and for persons who are eligible for loans under the home loan programs provided by Sections 2306.562 and 2306.5621."
We believe that the focus the operating mission places on "underserved populations" is important to ensure that the work of TSHAC is not duplicative of the efforts of TDHCA. The legislature should align the statutory mission of TSHAC with the operating mission by referencing underserved populations in the statutory purpose of the corporation.
We suggest changing 10.G. 2306.553 Texas Government Code to read: "The public purpose of the corporation is to perform activities and services that the corporation's board of directors determines will promote the public health, safety, and welfare through the provision of adequate, safe, and sanitary housing primarily for the underserved population of individuals and families of low, very low, and extremely low income who do not have comparable housing options through conventional financial channels, and for persons who are eligible for loans under the home loan programs provided by Sections 2306.562 and 2306.5621."
New Issue #2: Direct TSAHC to develop innovative strategies to address the housing needs of underserved populations
TSAHC is the perfect vehicle to develop new programs at low risk to the state. TSAHC could meet its mission to serve underserved populations by testing small-scale innovative programs to serve these populations; successful programs could be moved back into TDHCA and ramped up to a larger scale with state resources. Unsuccessful programs can be documented and used as learning opportunities for further program development.
We recommend that the legislature, each biennium, charge TSAHC with developing programs for a specific underserved market. Rural populations, farm workers, SSI recipients, homeless populations are all underserved markets that could benefit from such program innovation.
Placing TSAHC in a program-development role would further differentiate the work of TSHAC from that of TDHCA and private-sector non-profits.
New Issue #3: Direct TSAHC to collect and publish data on the population it serves.
TDHCA compiles Housing Sponsor Reports, profiles of the occupants of properties receiving assistance through the Department. These reports includes the contact information for each property, the total number of units, the number of accessible units, the rents for units by type, the racial composition information for the property, the number of units occupied by individuals receiving supported housing assistance, the number of units occupied delineated by income group and a statement as to whether there have been fair housing violations at the property.[3] We urge TSAHC to require the properties it supports to report the same data in a comparable format. The Housing Sponsor Reports provide an important insight into the housing activities supported directly or indirectly by the state.
Staff recommendation 1.2: Increase the size of the Corporation's Board by adding one member to represent the interests of families served by the Corporation's single family programs and one member to represent nonprofit housing organizations.
We support this recommendation and believe it would be beneficial for nonprofit corporations that do not do business (or otherwise have a conflict on interest) with TSAHC to serve on its board. We also believe that a consumer of the Corporation's services, i.e. a lower-income person, should be included on the board to provide their important perspective.
Staff recommendation 1.3: Require the Corporation to include a range of enforcement options in its multifamily contracts to ensure developers provide safe and decent housing.
We agree with this recommendation, and recommend that the Corporation also require the regular use of statistically valid resident satisfaction surveys as a provision of its multifamily contracts. Owners and property developers associated with multifamily projects which fail to achieve a reasonable standard of satisfaction through these surveys should be barred from further participation in financing programs through either TSAHC or TDHCA.
Staff recommendation 1.4: Update standard Sunset across-the-board requirements for the Corporation.
We agree with this recommendation, with particular emphasis on the updating of the conflict of interest requirements for the TSAHC board. As a state-affiliated non-profit, TSAHC should be held to the highest standards to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
Thank you for your consideration of our comments.
John Henneberger, co-director
[1] The mission of the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS) is to support low-income Texans' efforts to achieve the American dream of a decent, affordable home in a quality neighborhood.
[2] Texas Government Code 10.G.2306.553
[3] see 2010 State of Texas Low Income Housing Plan, page 125.
Tags: legislation Sunset TSAHC
PreviousA Picture Worth a Thousand Words
NextJoin us for the 2010 Texas (Fair) Housing Awards
Senate Passes TDHCA Sunset
TDHCA Sunset Heads to Senate