Is it possible to forecast a Kondratieff cycle? The following article introduces a method that is able to predict Kondratieff cycles in their early phase and describe them in ever-greater detail during their further development. This method was first published in 1996 (Nefiodow 1996). The fifth Kondratieff still shaped economic events during this time, and the new, sixth Kondratieff was in its early stage (Fig. 1). This prediction was possible, because prior to that long wave researchers created a broad-based foundation for the Theory of Long Waves and thus demonstrated the regularity of the Kondratieff. In the second part of this article, we use this method to identify the sixth Kondratieff.
Keywords: sixth Kondratieff, Kondratieff waves, Kondratieff cycles, basic innovation, leading industry, value chain, long cycle, fifth Kondratieff.
1. The technological level (Criterion 1).
2. The economic level (Criterion 2).
3. The social level (Criterion 3).
4. The time level (Criterion 4).
These levels are described below with the example of the fifth Kondratieff.
Criterion 1. The first criterion is the search for those innovations that are able to trigger and support a Kondratieff cycle. Here we follow and acknowledge Schumpeter (1961). To distinguish them from other innovations, we call them basic innovations. A basic innovation most notably differs from other innovations by the following characteristics: it triggers the Kondratieff cycle, definitively shapes the innovation process for several decades, creates a large new market, extensively alters society and has a life cycle of 40–60 years.
Information technology was the basic innovation of the fifth Kondratieff (Fig. 1). Over five decades, it shaped technological, economic and social changes in the developed countries and turned the world into a global village in terms of information. The scientific foundation was primarily supplied by informatics and computer science. No other technology was able to even remotely exhibit comparable economic dynamics and widespread effect during the second half of the 20th century (Nefiodow 1991).
Source: Nefiodow and Nefiodow 2014.
The core of information technology was the digital computer (Fig. 2). To achieve high performance, microelectronics, software technology and data processing technology were invented. At the same time, the introduction of the computer into communication technology, office technology, industrial electronics, consumer electronics and military engineering was the prerequisite for the introduction of digital technology into these technologies, whereby their performance could be considerably increased.
The dynamics of information technology could also be seen in the extent of research and development expenditures (R&D). Towards the end of the fifth Kondratieff, more than one third of global research and development expenditures were allocated to information technology (ca. 250 billion U.S. dollars in 2003). It formed the core focus of research expenditures for all larger companies (Table 1).
Criterion 2. The second criterion pertains to the economy and consists of identifying the leading industry and the value chain. The leading industry is the industry, which newly develops thanks to the basic innovation. And it is also the one that benefits the most from the basic innovation. This leading industry acts as an engine of growth for the overall economy for the duration of the Kondratieff cycle. During the first Kondratieff, this was the textile industry, during the fifth Kondratieff it was the information technology industry.
For an industry to be classified as a leading industry it needs to be an economic heavyweight. As emanates from Table 2, due to its above average growth, the information technology industry skyrocketed from zero to the first place among globally manufacturing companies during the fifth Kondratieff.
To be able to properly assess the importance of a leading industry, its contribution to economic growth needs to be determined. The annual contribution of the aerospace industry for example to Germany's gross domestic product between 1980 and 2000 was below 0.7 percent. The volume of the aerospace industry was therefore too small to be able to affect the economic development overall. This industry can be classified as an important high technology industry, but not as a leading industry. By comparison, the economic growth of the USA in the 1990s was supported by the information technology industry by more than 30 percent (Fig. 3).
Source: Nefiodow and Nefiodow 2014 based on Wirtschaftswoche from November 19, 1998.
Source: Nefiodow and Nefiodow 2014 based on 'The Fortune Global 5-Hundred' in Fortune Magazine from August, 3, 1998: F-15–F-26.
Note: Average values are taken during 3–5 year periods. Value added creation was calculated at 50 % of IT revenue.
The leading industries affect the economic system like a locomotive affects a train: they put all wagons of the train in motion. Joseph Schumpeter (1961) called this phenomenon 'the Bandwagon Effect'. If we stay with the image of a train, the individual wagons represent the sectors of the economy, which benefited from the basic innovation and its leading industries.
The value chain is made up of the leading industry and all other sectors that benefit from the basic innovation. Whereas the basic innovation triggers the Kondratieff cycle, the value chain is its actual carrier. This can be illustrated by the example of the fourth Kondratieff (Fig. 4). The car was the basic innovation, the automobile and petrochemical industry sectors were the leading industries and the value chain was made up of the leading industries and all other industrial sectors that benefited directly or indirectly from the automobile: This included highway, bridge and road construction companies, steel and tire manufacturers, manufacturers of fuel power stations and gas-fired power plants as well as countless suppliers of metal, electric, electronic and plastic parts. Numerous companies and service sectors were also a part of the value chain: gas stations, automobile associations, mass tourism, car dealers, transport companies, banks, insurance companies and the leisure industry. All of these participants built a global network of suppliers, customers, retailers and users, which created millions of new jobs. Every fifth job in the USA and every seventh job in Germany became dependent on the car during the fourth Kondratieff.
The value chain of the fifth Kondratieff is illustrated in Fig. 5. When we add the contributions to growth of the value chain including information services such as education, business consulting services, media, advertising, etc., whose development during the fifth Kondratieff was significantly determined by information technology, then the fifth Kondratieff determined more than 70 percent of U.S. growth during the 1990s.
Criterion 3. The third criterion pertains to society. The value chain that is caused by the basic innovation leads to a far-reaching reorganization of society.
– A brand-new infrastructure develops thanks to the basic innovation. Examples: water routes in the first Kondratieff for coal transportation; the railroad network during the second Kondratieff; connecting society to electrical networks in the third Kondratieff; road and highway networks during the fourth Kondratieff; the telecommunications network of the fifth Kondratieff.
– Thanks to the basic innovation, more efficient work as well as management that is more efficient and organizational concepts are possible in companies.
– In the field of education, it creates new occupations, new areas of expertise, learning contents and studying techniques.
– To ensure controlled handling of the basic innovation, new legal controls have to be created (e.g., data protection acts during the fifth Kondratieff).
– At the stock exchange, the basic innovation guides capital investments to those companies that have specialized in its production and application.
– New forms of leisure, communication and entertainment emerge from the basic innovation.
Criterion 4. The fourth criterion pertains to the life cycle. The basic innovation and its leading industry must average a 40 to 60 year life cycle.
The innovation life cycle can be described by the S-curve. The S-curve is determined for instance by accumulating the quantity of the basic innovation (e.g., the number of registered cars in a country) or the value added of the information technology industry and illustrating it over time (Fig. 6). During the life cycle, the basic innovations and leading industries display an above average growth.
The 40–60 year duration of a Kondratieff cycle only applies to the pioneers. Latecomers like China or Brazil were able to catch up with the previous Kondratieff cycles in a shorter amount of time, because they utilized the experiences of leading countries through cooperative efforts.
We can remove each innovation that progressively develops for less or longer than 40–60 years for identifying a Kondratieff cycle. Criterion 4 explains why environmental protection for instance is not a basic innovation of the sixth Kondratieff. You can date the birth of modern environmental industry back to the year 1972 when the Club of Rome's famous report On the Limits of Growth was published. Since then, this industry sector has grown above average and there are no discernible growth limits. The life cycle of environmental industry is likely to be far beyond 60 years and is therefore eliminated as a basic innovation of the sixth Kondratieff. That said, environmentalism delivers important contributions to the sixth Kondratieff, in particular as it pertains to ecological health. Although it is not a basic innovation, it is an important part of the holistic health value chain.
These four criteria are sufficient to identify a Kondratieff cycle. To be able to predict a new Kondratieff cycle however, you need to add a fifth criterion.
Criterion 5. The barriers of the new Kondratieff cycle.
At the end of a Kondratieff cycle, the previous growth pattern has been mostly exhausted. Before you begin to search for the new basic innovation, you need to first identify the primary growth barriers that conflict with a Kondratieff cycle's development. After all, of all the potential innovations, only those that reduce the barriers the most can be classified as basic innovations. Those barriers can be adherence to outworn concepts, a lack of willingness to innovate, fear of the future, lack of infrastructure, etc.
The recession at the end of the first Kondratieff for instance occurred, because companies back then were confronted with a growth barrier. Regional market opportunities had exhausted during the course of the first Kondratieff and transportation costs back then did not allow expansion on a grander scale. High transportation costs were the barrier to the second Kondratieff. This problem was solved with the introduction of the railroad. It cut costs by a factor of 200 and now companies were able to get into mass production, reduce piece costs and export to larger areas.
The growth barrier of the fifth Kondratieff was the lack of a highly productive information processing technology. The number of information and service professions had steadily increased during the fourth Kondratieff, but the technology that was available at the time – the phone, the telegraph, teleprinter and typewriter – was not efficient enough. This barrier was overcome with the invention of the computer.
What growth barriers are we facing today? What impedes sustainable economic growth today in Europe, Japan and the USA?
Every Kondratieff cycle faces its own barrier. Based on our analyses, there are two main barriers when it comes to the sixth Kondratieff; we call the first one the entropic sector.
Entropy is a term taken from physics that describes the disorder of a physical system. Here the term is used to demonstrate the global social disorder.
Let us take Germany as an example: every fourth German cheats his/her insurance, eight million times per year things get stolen in retail, every fourth fire that costs millions traces back to sabotage; by now every fourth company has fallen victim to cyber crimes, illicit work in 2010 is estimated at 360 billion euros – that is 15 percent of the gross domestic product. Harassment at work is spreading and costs the German economy 15 billion euros each year. Forty percent of marriages are failing. One quarter of scientific publications is based on manipulated data. This list could go on and on.
Let us take the USA as an example. Statistically speaking, every fifth male American of working age is a criminal. Fourteen percent of adults are considered severely mentally ill and about 50 percent of all marriages end up in divorce. Every fourth American student is being bullied; at least 160,000 children skip school every day for fear of being bullied and 280,000 students are being physically attacked in high schools each month. Almost every tenth adolescent person smokes marijuana; many of them regularly have a joint. Every third U.S. scientist cheats in his/her publications. The national debt has steadily increased for years and is higher than the gross domestic product. Social inequality broke a record in 2009. The net income of the top one percent of income earners increased from 1979 until 2009 by 277 percent; the net income of the poorest fifth, however, only increased by 18 percent to where 0.1 percent of high-income earners made more money than the 120 million people on the bottom. This list could go on and on.
Athletics is also not spared from this increasing disorder. Discoveries of doping cases, referee bribery, manipulations of sporting events and corrupt sports officials are on the agenda every day. During their lifetime, up to 70 percent of women all over the world become victims of physical, psychological or sexual violence. By their own account, every fourth man in Asia raped their partner or another woman at least once. Piracy on the world's oceans is increasing; patent protection and copyrights are systematically being ignored or evaded. Cyber crime is growing by double-digits, computer virus attacks and counterattacks are increasing and have led to a new type of warfare, so-called cyber warfare between countries and institutions. Today, every business and every government can be heavily disrupted or even paralyzed (as the example of the cyber attacks in Estonia in 2007 has shown). This list could also go on and on.
Disorder has become a worldwide mega problem and a mega market. Global money laundering has increased twentyfold from 1990 until 2009 and had almost reached US $2,000 billion. Corruption and bribery are at a record high all over the world and in 2009 caused at least five percent of all economic costs. The large banks manipulate interest rates (e.g., Libor and Euribor rates) for pure profits interests at the expense of the general public. Millions of people all over the world work for illegal and criminal organizations.
In the following section, the global disorder is conceptualized as an entropic sector. If we add up the damages, losses and costs that accumulate every year in this sector, we get an amount of at least US $14,000 billion for the year 2006 (Nefiodow and Nefiodow 2014). That was more than the United States gross national product. Based on our own calculations, global entropy has increased by at least 25 percent between 2006 and 2013.
The entropic sector plays a key role in the sixth Kondratieff, because the enormous losses, damages and costs that incur year after year in this instance have turned this into the most significant barrier for the economic and social development. This means that the first barrier is not a technological problem, not a problem of energy, but rather an ethical one. We are faced with a similar situation to the one at the beginning of the second Kondratieff, where enormous unfair social structures – lack of rights, extreme impoverishment and worker exploitation – had seriously put the existence of the free market economy at risk. Those countries that introduced social and political innovations just in time (e.g., global health insurance coverage, disability and pension insurance as well as universal male or manhood suffrage) were able to reduce social disturbances and barriers and thus prevent revolutionary upheavals and enable the second Kondratieff to fully develop.
This ethical barrier presented by the entropic sector can also be viewed from a different perspective. Ethical deficits can be seen as health deficits. This becomes apparent if you draw a comparison with the behavior of healthy people. A psychologically healthy person does not cheat and does not rob other people's houses. A mentally healthy person has a good perception of reality, does not use drugs and cannot be bought. A socially healthy person has a sense of community, advocates well-being of all people and does not harass others. A spiritually healthy person does not lie, has a structured and trusting relationship with God, strives for reconciliation, truth and peace and does not spread hatred and violence. Inner disturbances and diseases and the social misconduct caused by them are the deeper reasons for global entropy (see Fig. 7).
Besides entropy, the traditional health care system is the second main barrier to the sixth Kondratieff (Fig. 8). It includes the pharmaceutical industry, medical technology and academic medicine with physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, health insurance companies, etc.
Over the past two centuries, the traditional health care sector made tremendous progress. Many diseases that were considered incurable or fatal in the past can now be effectively treated. Today acute medical care and surgery offer life-saving help even in extreme cases, which is something that was barely considered possible in the past. The history of medicine over the past two centuries was a real success story.
But this success story is about to end. Since the late 20th century, the new medical advances are no longer sufficient to adequately deal with the dynamics and complexity of modern life and its high demands on the physical, emotional and mental strength of human beings. Between 1980 and 2010, the global number of breast cancer incidence rates has doubled and, according to estimates by the United Nations, cancer rates in general are going to more than double during the 2000–2030 period. According to projections by the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is globally going to be the second most common cause of not being able to work and premature mortality by 2020. The increasing number of diseases is also reflected in spending. In 1965, health care spending as a percentage of the U.S. gross domestic product was 5.9 percent; in 2012, it had increased to 17.2 percent (US $2.8 trillion).
Demographic development is not the only cause for this trend. Young and middle-aged people are also getting sick more often than before. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of mentally ill students in Germany has increased by 20 percent and adolescents and young adults under the age of 25 are among the group with the largest increase in depression. In 2000, every fourth adolescent in Europe suffered from allergies; in 2010, it increased to every third person. Every tenth European between the ages of 45 and 54 regularly takes antidepressants. In the USA, type 2 diabetes has risen tenfold in middle-aged adults during the past 20 years.
Health as a competitive factor, training and continuing education (e.g., in people skills), human resource development, health management.
Skilled trades (e.g., for orthopedic products), sporting goods and sports facilities, health publications, medical EDP, etc.
Pharmaceutical drugs are among the biggest shortfalls of the traditional health care sector. Most of them do not cure the disease; they only suppress its symptoms. What is more, drugs often remain ineffective, because their effectiveness has not been tested before the patient takes them. Migraine medications, for instance, only work for 50 percent of all patients, antidepressants for 40 percent, drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease for 30 percent and cancer therapeutic agents work for 20 percent of all patients at best.
Unwanted side effects are another downside. According to a study by the University of Toronto, using drugs as prescribed is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
What we call the traditional health care system today is in fact not a health care system at all. The system structures are not geared towards healing, but mainly towards the treatment of physical diseases. The correct label would be disease care system, since more than 95 percent of expenditures go towards the research, diagnosis, treatment, administration and management of diseases. And this disease care system costs more and more money. Today every sixth dollar in the United States flows into the traditional health care system. More than US$ 10,000 billion were spent in this area throughout the world in 2012. Medical technological progress is the key driver of these expenditures. It generates approximately 70 percent of the cost increase (Schneider et al. 2014: 107). However, the costs of medical technological advances are not offset by obtained savings, which explains the permanent increase in costs.
In contrast, only limited means are available for prevention, preventive medical checkups and healing. Dementia is an example that shows us the consequences. In 2010, the U.S. federal health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid spent approximately 140 billion U.S. dollars to treat dementia; but only 0.5 billion to research its causes (Coy 2012). That is a ratio of 280:1.
The traditional health care sector is important; it will remain important and indispensable. It plays a key role today in the economy and society, but it uses up too many resources at this point while productivity is too low (Schneider et al. 2014).
How can those two barriers – big losses, expenses and damages of the entropic sector and the high costs and low productivity of the traditional health care system – be overcome? In the past, growth barriers were overcome by developing those basic innovations that were able to make the biggest contribution to reducing the primary growth barriers. And these new basic innovations do exist. The new basic innovations are biotechnology and psychosocial health and they come with an emerging new value chain. This new value chain will be the main carrier of the sixth Kondratieff (Fig. 9).
In the new value chain, biotechnology satisfies the most important criteria for identifying one of the basic innovations of the sixth Kondratieff cycle. It is not just a brand-new technology, it answers the question on how the second barrier, the traditional health care sector, can be overcome.
Criterion 1. One first-rate indicator is investments in research and development. How much biotechnology has globally shaped the research scene over the past few decades is evidenced by the fact that from 1999 to 2012 two-thirds of all Nobel Prizes in Medicine were awarded for findings in this area.
Within the research scene, private companies play a decisive role both in their research expenditures and in implementation of findings. Biotechnology companies lead the field. The companies in this industry that are listed on the stock exchange globally invested 20–40 percent of revenues in research and development. Biotechnology also obtained top priority worldwide quite early on when it comes to R&D government aid, not just in the USA, but also in Europe, Japan, the People's Republic of China, Australia and Singapore.
• Naturopathic treatments, natural products, all natural foods.
Homeopathy, classic acupuncture, electroacupuncture according to Dr. Voll, kinesiology, bioresonance therapy, anthroposophic medicine, magnetotherapy, Dr. Rath's cellular medicine, biofeedback, quantum healing, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Reiki, etc.
• Wellness/fitness, tourism (health tourism).
• Architecture (healthy living), building and construction industry (healthy building materials), textile industry (allergy free and breathable fabrics and clothing), the senses (color therapies, aromatherapies, music therapies).
Participation of illness costs, rising self-care.
Company health insurance funds, company sponsored fitness programs, cafeterias, welfare centers, health seminars, preventive medical checkups, good health bonus.
• Psychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychosomatic medicine.
Even in the early phase of the sixth Kondratieff – from 1997–2003 – the life sciences whose core is biotechnology, registered by far the largest increase in the USA with 95.7 percent of R&D government aid. Likewise, at 25.7 billion U.S. dollars, the life sciences were the largest promoted single item in 2003 (Figs 10 and 11).
Fig. 10. Research and development expenditures by the U.S. Federal Government.
The large R&D expenditures become very noticeable in the health care sector. In 1995, less than ten cancer treatment products were in clinical trials in the USA, most being acutely toxic chemotherapy. In 2005, over four hundred cancer treatment products were in the human testing phase; more than 60 percent of these drugs came from biotechnology companies and most were designed to have minimum side effects.
One impressive example on how biotechnology is able to reduce the second barrier of the sixth Kondratieff and significantly improve productivity of the traditional health care sector is personalized medicine, which emerged in the early 21st century. A little known fact, but nonetheless true, is that pharmaceutical products are completely overrated in their effects today. This is not because the active ingredients are bad. In fact, this is because these active ingredients are used for every patient with the same diagnosis. The genetic makeup of the individual patients is completely disregarded. This results in the fact that 90 percent of drugs, for instance, work only for 30 percent of patients.
Fig. 11. Research and development expenditures by the U.S. Federal Government.
Personalized medicine will make it possible to prescribe drugs in terms of individual effectiveness and tolerance, to avoid medical malpractice, improve the detection and healing of diseases and to reduce the costs for new drug development and costs in the healthcare sector overall. According to American research, personalized medicine could save up to 50 percent in drug spending. Globally this would amount to just under 400 billion U.S. dollars annually. Personalized medicine should put an end to the era of one-size-fits-all drug policies. This is important, because their unwanted side effects are the second most common reason for emergency hospitalizations. Whatever paths personalized medicine will take, the possible improvements are tremendous.
Criterion 2. The basic innovation, its leading industry and its value chain are the most important drivers of economic growth.
The growth of biotechnology from 1980 to 2009 ranged between 14 and 20 percent. Even during the 2000–2002 and 2008–2009 crisis years, the sector grew at double-digit rates. In 2010, genuine, DNA-based biotechnology reached a global turnover of US$ 120 billion (Nefiodow and Nefiodow 2014). This figure could almost double by 2015.
Among the research-intensive industries, biotechnology has the largest number of startups. In 2008, 4,700 companies worldwide operated in the field of biotechnology, 44 percent of which in North America, 40 percent in Europe and 16 percent in the Asia-Pacific region. Consequently, their contribution in creating brand-new jobs was very important. In 2010, about 500,000 people all over the world were employed in the field of biotechnology.
The economic significance of biotechnology cannot just be deduced from the turnover generated by genuine biotechnology companies. An assessment also needs to consider the revenues, the productivity improvements and the many impulses for new applications, which biotechnology induces in other business sectors, particularly in the industrial sector, in agriculture and nutrition as well as the healthcare sector.
In 2010, one-fifth of the global revenue for the chemical industry is allocated to biotechnological processes and procedures ('white biotechnology'), which equals revenues of ca. 250 billion euro. Within the industrial sector, in 2010 the direct and indirect markets in biotechnology reached a volume of 1,500 billion euro. The relative value for pharmaceutical products was 800 billion euro.
The European Union has highlighted the special importance of biotechnology by combining the individual sectors of biotechnology into one mega industry called 'bioeconomy' (this includes the food industry, agriculture and forestry, the fishing industry, the textile, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as well as the energy carriers from biomass). In Europe in 2010, this industry employed more than 22 million employees who generated annual sales of 1,700 billion euro (European Union). There are no growth limits detectable over the next few decades.
Criterion 3. The basic innovation and its value chain is the driver of far-reaching changes in society as a whole.
The applications for biotechnology reveal that biotechnological applications are going to significantly change the entire society (Fig. 12): medical science, health, environmental protection, energy production, the chemical industry, agriculture, nutrition, raw material production and biological information processing. Every year new applications are added to this (e.g., the production of artificial plants, microorganisms and brand-new creatures).
Biotechnology can improve the quality of life in many areas of society given a responsible approach. Science can broaden its horizon when it comes to understanding life, which improves the knowledge about human beings and nature. The environment can be protected more effectively and crime fought more successfully with genetic identification methods. Congenital physical disabilities and diseases will be successfully treated over the next 10–20 years. Productivity in the healthcare sector, industrial production, in nutrition and agriculture can be significantly improved, which reduces shortages in the world (hunger, unemployment, raw materials scarcity).
However, a frivolous handling of this highly productive technology can result in considerable damages. Biotechnology could be abused for control purposes and discrimination (e.g., when career and life opportunities would be made contingent on genetic testing). By interfering in hereditary disposition, nature's balancing act can become unbalanced. The respect for Creation can be affected and thus opens the floodgates to manipulations of human beings. And it is also possible that the production of artificial microorganisms, plants and animals could create new diseases and epidemics.
Criterion No. 4. The lifecycle of the basic innovation equates the length of a Kondratieff cycle.
The overall growth cycle cannot be exactly determined during the early phase of a basic innovation. Instead, one has to determine its respective state each year and estimate its further development. From the view of the early 21st century, one can assume that the potential of biotechnology will not be fully developed over the next two decades. At the same time, it is unlikely that the industry will maintain its above-average growth rates over the entire 21st century. Hence, its life cycle almost certainly should be between 40 and 60 years – and thus within the length of a Kondratieff cycle.
Psychosocial health is the second basic innovation of the sixth Kondratieff and the answer to the question on how its biggest barrier – global entropy – can be reduced most efficiently. It also meets the four criteria that are required for identifying a Kondratieff cycle.
Criterion 1. The basic innovation and the innovations based on it in neighboring fields are characterized by above-average innovation dynamics.
Scientific interest, for instance, shows that this criterion is being met. Between 1980 and 1982 approximately one hundred studies on mental and psychosocial health were published in the USA; between 2000 and 2002 it was more than 1,100 (Koenig 2007: 105). This signifies an eleven-fold increase. From 1990 to 2012 it was more than 5,200 (Bonelli and Koenig 2013). This enormous increase in scientific interest speaks for itself.
U.S. government-funded psychology projects also increased above average. With an increase of 49.6 percent between 1997 and 2003, psychology ranks second behind the life sciences among the funded individual disciplines (Fig. 11).
The increasing importance of psychosocial health is also revealed in the increasing research efforts in brain research, neuropsychology and psychiatry. It is indisputable at this point that neural processes and mental and psychological conditions are closely connected in the human brain. Mental disorders and illnesses point to faulty brain activity at the mid range of cell structures. Area 25 of the brain, for example, is seen as the center of the depression circuit; the amygdala causes anxiety and five nerve centers in the midbrain have been identified as the control center of aggression. One can assume that through further findings the relationship between the mind, brain, consciousness, body and social behavior will be better understood and contribute to improved psychosocial health.
The computer provides the opportunity to model mental phenomena, to study them and to develop new therapies. This makes it an important tool for future psychosocial research. At present, however, many mental and psychosomatic disorders and diseases cannot be treated with modern technologies, because the theoretical understanding is still incomplete. Before computer-aided technologies are able to properly take effect, theoretical and practical research will have to better examine the relationships. Early experiments to treat mental disorders (e.g., phobias) with computer-aided virtual reality technologies have proven successful. People who had fear of small spaces were able to learn how to cope with their fear in virtual rooms. Even though psychoinformatics is still in its infancy, it should experience a rapid development over the course of the sixth Kondratieff.
Criterion 2. The basic innovation, its leading industry and the value chain they trigger will be the main driver of the economy.
To meet this criterion, the basic innovation and its value chain need to penetrate the overall economic structure, to lead it on a solid growth path over several decades and generate large new sales volumes.
And the volumes that can be unleashed by psychosocial health are indeed enormous. As pointed out above (Barrier No. 1), the global losses, damages and costs that are caused by psychological, mental, spiritual, and social disorders and illnesses – social entropy – exceeded US$ 14,000 billion in 2006. The largest percentage of this is made up of mental and social disorders and illnesses. Ten percent less psychosocially caused entropy would deliver the economy over US$ 1,400 billion for productive purposes year after year.
An improvement of mental and social health cannot just avoid the enormous losses, damages and costs of entropy; the physical, creative and productive potential of a person is also better mobilized this way. Psychosocial health is a quality of cross-sectional character: it increases productivity in all areas of the society: on the individual, institutional, economic and social level. And since the overall productivity can be increased through psychosocial health, it has an enormous potential for quantitative and qualitative growth.
Criterion 3. The basic innovation is the driver for far-reaching overall social changes.
At first glance, the social importance can be recognized by the high and continuously increasing demand for psychosocial health. This applies to psychotherapeutic, psychological and psychiatric services as well as to radio and television programs, Internet services and publications with psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic content.
A second look shows how much psychology has infiltrated language and awareness and has mentally changed society. The term 'self-esteem' for, instance, was not mentioned even once in British newspapers in 1980; in 1990 it appeared 103 times and in 2000 already 3,328 times. In 1993, the word 'stress' appeared less than 1,000 times in the British press, but in 2000 more than 24,000 times (Furedi 2004).
Many other terms from the psychology scene have also infiltrated everyday language: repression, projection, sublimation, defense mechanism, depression, neurosis, burnout, psychosis, etc. More and more, the mental layers of humans are being specifically addressed, examined, commercialized and burdened. The things that people divulge in public these days in TV talk shows would have still been unthinkable in the mid-20th century. At the beginning of the 21st century, psychological content has developed into a general climate of opinion and in parts into a pseudo-religious doctrine of salvation.
Criterion 4. The life cycle of the basic innovation corresponds with the duration of a Kondratieff cycle (40–60 years).
This criterion cannot be exactly determined during the early phase of a Kondratieff cycle and needs to be assessed and checked year by year instead. From the viewpoint of the early 21st century, we can assume that thanks to increasing networking between brain research, neuropsychology, psycho-informatics, psychiatry and psychotherapies over the next three decades, a noticeable improvement of psychosocial health can be achieved. In light of the increased efforts in research, however, it is unlikely that the industry sector will maintain its leading function throughout the entire 21st century. Hence, this subsequently means that its life cycle should almost certainly be within the length of a Kondratieff cycle.
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In 1997, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization provided some food for thought with a broader definition of health, 'Health is a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity' (Khayat n.d.). This is likely the first time a prestigious international institution emphasizes the importance of spirituality for health. This was once again highlighted in the WHO 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World, 'Health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being and encompasses mental and spiritual well-being' (WHO 2009). According to the WHO, terms like disease and health are no longer limited to the body. They are systems concepts. There are also sick souls, social dysfunctions and diseases and sick families, companies and societies.
The new value chain of the sixth Kondratieff also includes other important drivers of growth – aside from the two basic innovations. Naturopathic treatments belong to the new value chain (Fig. 13). They have expanded for many years and will play an important role as a competitive concept for diagnosis, treatments and healing. Complementary and alternative medicine has expanded also very strongly.
• Medical technology, pharmaceutical industry.
• Agriculture, diet, food, wellness/fitness, health tourism.
• Architecture (healthy living), building and construction industry (healthy building materials), textile industry (allergy-free and breathable textiles and clothing), the senses (color therapies, aromatherapies, music therapies).
Big portions of environmental protection are a part of this new value chain as well. Why were CFCs, those gases that destroy the ozone layer, banned? Not because we discovered our love for the ozone layer, but because we are facing a skin cancer epidemic with a damaged ozone layer. Why did we put catalytic converters in cars? When you take a closer look, most environmental protection measures only serve the environment at first glance; protecting the health of human beings is the stronger motive. This is why large portions of environmental protection are a part of the health value chain.
The wellness industry, fitness studios and health tourism have expanded strongly. Companies increasingly have come to realize that employee health has become a strategic weapon: SAP for instance, one of the largest software companies offers its 65,000 employees worldwide optional and free genome analysis for them to be able to organize a customized, individual cancer treatment in case of cancer.
In the long run, both value chains are most likely going to merge (Fig. 13). There are already close collaborations between both sectors today. Health economy will make up the core of the new value chain, while a network of industry sectors will be around where health plays an important role (e.g., health tourism in the tourism industry or health protection in environmental technology). When you consider the health documents by the WHO, the value chain of the sixth Kondratieff reveals health in a holistic sense: physically, psychologically, mental, social, ecological and spiritual (Fig. 14).
Today the healthcare sector already makes the most important contribution to growth and employment in those countries that respond positively to the sixth Kondratieff. At 3.8 %, the health care sector in Germany, for example, grew almost twice as much between 2006 and 2011 than the overall economy (2.1 %) and the number of wage earners in health care was 5.7 million (2009). When you add those jobs that are indirectly allocated to the health care sector, the number of employees increases to 8.8 million. That amounted to 22 percent of all wage earners (BMWi 2013; Ostwald et al. 2014). By comparison, the German automotive industry, the showpiece of German industry, only employed about 1 million people (2.5 %). Germany's sizable international reputation over the past years is closely tied to the successful devotion to the sixth Kondratieff.
The fact that the health care sector is a job creator can be also seen in the USA – even though the productivity potential of the health care sector is underdeveloped and the social potential is still being underestimated. In 2001–2012 more than half of all new jobs in the private sector were created in health care (Mandel 2008 and our own calculations). The largest growth barrier for the USA as well as Japan and other countries is the wrong way of handling the health care sector.
In several documents of the WHO faith is mentioned as an integral part of health (WHO 2009). In addition, there is an analysis of 5,200 scientific studies that have been conducted between 1990 and 2010 on the relationship between health and spirituality. The result: in 74 % of cases, there was a positive correlation. In 19 % of cases, the result was neutral, in 5 % negative and in 2 % there was no correlation at all (Bonelli and Koenig 2013). In an extensive study, the World Economic Forum also determined that religious belief could make a vital contribution to preserving individual and social order (World Economic Forum; Ventura and Magnoni 2014). That is why faith plays a key role in the health value chain.
Moral factors frequently do not get high priority in politics and the economy. Yet the financial crisis of 2008–2010, the European debt crisis (2010–2014) and many other crises have shown what devastating consequences poor morals can bring. For a country to be able to renew and to be economically successful, it is not just enough to formally have the structures of democracy, a formally free market economy and a due process concept. What is crucial are the morals with which they are being practiced.
The relationship between social responsibility, economy, politics, and morals can be shaped. For centuries, for instance, it was common practice among merchants of Hamburg to seal an agreement with a handshake and its observance was a point of honor. Economy and morals do not have to exclude each other. One large step to strengthen morals on a global basis was the extension and link up of the different international courts of justice and criminal courts. These days, it is no longer as easy as it used to be for public officials and military leaders of the world to totally disregard human rights and get away with it.
Klaus Schwab, the founder of the renowned World Economic Forum, where 1,600 top managers and 40 heads of state participated in 2012 in Davos, Switzerland, stated on the eve of the conference that capitalism in its existing state is no longer the economic model that is able to solve the global issues. Schwab asks for a new spirit of global social responsibility (Grabitz 2012). His statements are noteworthy, since Schwab is a market economy expert and far from being an opponent of capitalism.
Brazil is one success story of how entropy reduction makes economic progress possible. In the 1980s, the country still ranked among the poor and underdeveloped countries. In the 1990s, thanks to conservative economic policy, it managed to keep hyperinflation in check; the country subsequently introduced active social policy. Yet at first, it did not amount to much. Crime gangs took money away from the poor, which was intended to pay for their children's education, health expenses and to create an independent livelihood. The country then used its armed forces. Three dozens of the worst slums were being occupied and the Mafia driven away. Now the residents were not just able to breathe a sigh of relief, but also invest in their future. From 2001 to 2011, Brazil's middle class grew by 93 percent; it made up almost half of all Brazilians in 2012 (Vèlez-Plickert 2013).
Greece serves as a counterexample. After the end of World War II, the country quickly recovered and worked its way up into the ranks of industrial nations. But then a nationwide network of corruption, political old-boy networks and nepotism developed, which increasingly strangled the economy. Several billion euros from Brussels and European relief programs also trickled away in obscure channels and did not take a turn for the better. As long as corruption was not under control, the country continued to decline. In 2013, Greece lost its status as an industrial nation and was downgraded to emerging market status. The biggest barrier to Greece's growth was and is entropy.
We would like to remind at this point that the free market economy is an economic system that, even though it does not stipulate specific morals for market participants, does not work without morals. To be able to work efficiently, the free market economy needs honest business people, incorruptible officials and politicians and unbribable journalists and scientists.
When the first edition of The Sixth Kondratieff was released in 1996, it made a daring prediction. Each year it became more specified and is now supported by studies of renowned institutions (Allianz 2010; BMWi 2013; Ostwald et al. 2014). It is not unusual that a new Kondratieff cycle is met with skepticism in the beginning. However, those who identify it early on and consequently develop its potential are able to benefit the most from its dynamics.
A Kondratieff cycle represents a unique historical process. At the innovation level, each Kondratieff cycle has its very own pattern of development, produces new protagonists and satisfies new needs of people. What is so special about this sixth Kondratieff? What makes it so different from the previous cycles?
The sixth Kondratieff is a health-related cycle. This means that for the first time in history, the focus of economic and social development is not on a machine, a chemical process, energy or hardware technology, but rather the human being with his physical, mental, psychological, social, ecological and spiritual needs, problems and potential. We leave the growth patterns of previous Kondratieff cycles behind. Now the human being takes center stage. This is the message of the sixth Kondratieff: the healing of man is the best program for the future.
BMWi 2013. Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Vom Gesundheitssatellitenkonto zur Gesundheitswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnung. Oktober. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi) Öffentlichkeitsarbeit.
Bonelli R., and Koenig H. 2013. Mental Disorders, Religion and Spirituality 1990 to 2010: A Systematic Evidence-Based Review. Journal of Religion and Health 52(2): 657–673.
Carey J. 2004. Flying High? BusinessWeek October, 11: 79.
Coy P. 2012. The Cliff Isn't the Problem. Bloomberg Business Week, December: 10–16.
Devezas C. T. 2012. The Recent Crisis under the Light of the Long Wave Theory. Kondratieff Waves: Dimensions and Prospects / Ed. by L. E. Grinin, T. C. Devezas, and A. V. Korotayev, pp. 138–175. Volgograd: Uchitel.
Fischer M. 2013. Wo sind die großen Innovationen? Interview with Robert Gordon. Wirtschaftswoche, February, 4, pp. 36–37.
Freeman C., Clark J., and Soete L. 1982. Unemployment and Technical Innovation. A Study of Long Waves and Economic Development. London: Francis Pinter.
Freeman C., and Francisco L. 2001. As Time Goes By. From the Industrial Revolution to the Information Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Furedi F. 2004. Therapy Culture. Cultivating Vulnerability in an Uncertain Age. Future Survey. London – New York: Routledge.
Kleinknecht A., Mandel E., and Wallerstein I. 1992. New Findings in Long-Wave Research. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Koenig H. 2007. Religion, Spirituality and Medicine: Research Findings and Implications for Clinical Practice. Lebendiges Zeugnis 62(2): 103–114.
Korotayev A., and Grinin L. 2012. Kondratieff Waves in the World System Perspective. Kondratieff Waves: Dimensions and Prospects / Ed. by L. E. Grinin, T. C. Devezas, A. V. Korotayev, pp. 23–64. Volgograd: Uchitel.
Kondratieff N. 1926. Die langen Wellen der Konjunktur. Archiv für Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik 56: 573–609.
Marchetti C. 1980. Society as a Learning System: Discovery, Invention, and Innovation Cycles Revisited. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 18: 267–282.
Modelski G., and Thompson W. 1996. Leading Sectors and World Powers: The Coevolution of Global Politics and Economics. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
Nefiodow L. 1991. Der fünfte Kondratieff. Strategien in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main: Frankfurter Allg. Zeitung.
Nefiodow L. 1996. Der sechste Kondratieff. Wege zur Produktivität und Vollbeschäftigung im Zeitalter der Information. 1 Auflage. Rhein-Sieg-Verlag: Sankt Augustin.
Ostwald D. et al. 2014. Weiterentwicklung des deutschen Gesundheitssatellitenkontos zu einer Gesundheitswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnung: Abschlussbericht. Berlin: Nomos Verlag.
Perez C. 1983. Structural Change and the Assimilation of New Technologies in the Economic and Social System. Futures 15(4): 357–375.
Perez C. 1998. Neue Technologien und sozio-institutioneller Wandel. Kondratieffs Zyklen der Wirtschaft / Ed. by L. Nefiodow, and H. Thomas, pp. 17–51. Herford: Busse Seewald.
Schneider M., Karmann A., and Braeseke G. 2014. Produktivität der Gesundheitswirtschaft. Gutachten für das Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Technologie. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.
Schumpeter J. A. 1961. Konjunkturzyklen. Band 1 und 2. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Tylecote A. 1992. The Long Wave in the World Economy. The Present Crisis in Historical Perspective. London – New York: Routledge.
Vèlez-Plickert M. 2013. Brasilien kämpft gegen die Korruption. Die Tagespost. Beilage Zeitgeschehen, July 6, p. 3.
Ventura L., and Magnoni S. 2014. Does Faith Matter? Leader on the Role of Faith in Society. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
 See K. Schwab in Die Welt Newspaper from January 25, 2012.


The Dance Research Journal (DRJ) is published three times per year by Cambridge University Press. DRJ is a peer-reviewed premiere publication for dance scholarship of international reach and includes articles, book reviews, and lists of books received. Published articles address dance history, theory, politics, ethnography, and intersections with cultural, gender, critical race, and diasporic studies among others. DRJ is committed to cross-disciplinary research with a dance perspective. Contributions for publication consideration are open to both members and nonmembers of DSA, and will be accepted any time.
Dance Research Journal access is free for DSA members, who may access issues online by signing into the website and navigating to their dashboard or clicking "member access" at left when logged in.
For article submissions contact Helen Thomas.
For book review submission questions, contact Ariel Osterweis. Send books to Ariel Osterweis at California Institute of the Arts, Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, 24700 McBean Pkwy., Valencia, CA 91355.
View our complete Guidelines for Submissions.


text:
using Scada.Scheme.Model.PropertyGrid;
using CM = System.ComponentModel;

namespace Scada.Scheme.Model.DataTypes
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Actions of a dynamic component
    /// <para>Действия динамического элемента</para>
    /// </summary>
    [CM.TypeConverter(typeof(EnumConverter))]
    public enum Actions
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Не задано
        /// </summary>
        [Description("None")]
        None,

        /// <summary>
        /// Построить график
        /// </summary>
        [Description("Draw diagram")]
        DrawDiagram,

        /// <summary>
        /// Отправить команду
        /// </summary>
        [Description("Send command")]
        SendCommand,

        /// <summary>
        /// Отправить команду сразу
        /// </summary>
        [Description("Send command now")]
        SendCommandNow
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
By Funmilayo Kanmodi
#Transfer: Chelsea Beat Arsenal & Man United To Complete 4th Player Signing
Chelsea is set to finalize its 4th player signing as the blues have beaten Arsenal and Man. United to secure his services in the January 2023 transfer window.
Chelsea FC is on its way to completing the 4th player signing of the January 2023 transfer window after beating Arsenal and Man. United to secure the player's services, according to numerous reports.
Chelsea is reportedly set to agree to a loan deal with Atletico Madrid to secure the services of Joao Felix for a stipulated number of six months. The Portuguese international had been on the radar of top clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Blues are reportedly offering a 10 million euros fee in wages for a period of six months, and reports also indicate that there would be no inclusion of a buy clause in the contract. This would be a huge boost for Chelsea, which has most of its forward players out injured, and it would also be a good move for Joao Felix, who has been unhappy recently at Atletico Madrid.
Popular sports journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that:
Chelsea are now in advanced talks to sign João Félix from Atlético Madrid on loan until June. Deal at final stages — no buy option clause discussed.
Fee will be more than €10m with salary covered and taxes. Talks accelerated after injuries and the last game.
Read the Latest Sports Trends and Get Fresh updates as they drop via Twitter and Facebook
Arsenal FCChelsea FCManchester Unitedtransfer news
Carlo Ancelotti Explains Why Real Madrid Didn't Buy Any Player in January

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Can Montenegro, Saint Kitts and Nevis be put in the same category of 'micro-States' ? In international law, one refers to small States, not to micro-States. Can one offer a classification that would differentiate 'micro-States' from 'mini-States' within the category of small States ? Small States are congenitally haunted by their fear of disappearance, which sets them apart from their counterparts. Hence, several idiosyncrasies ensue: geopolitics of survival, taking root in self-determination, the will to safeguard their heritage and culture to make up for a strong feeling of vulnerability, and, finally, a strong leaning towards regional cooperation. Notwithstanding those common features of small States, the 'mini-State' would differ from the 'micro-State' on the five following criteria : the idea of nation, the mutation in the right to self-determination since the fall of the Communist block, the encounter with the political, their geographic position and defence capacities.


Graphtech Tusq Picks are a manmade Ivory substitute that is rich in harmonics. Graphtech have been at the cutting edge of Guitar Saddle and Nut design with their products used by many of the leading Guitar manufactures.
Now Graphtech offer their unique Tusq materials as Plectrums.
This proprietary Tusq material has highly resonant characteristics that produce distinctive tones.
These vintage coloured picks produce a warm tone and are sold in packs of 6.
Strings.ie is an authorised dealer of Graphtech products, we source our products from official distributors to guarantee the quality musicians players expect.
Fast email customer service 7-days a week!


Welcome to our little slice of heaven.
If you're the kind of person who likes good wine and good deals, it's your little slice of heaven too.
Joining is free and easy! Just enter your email address and zip code to have Members Only access to top local producers and exclusively imported wines with preferred pricing at up to 70% of retail.
We have bottles that you can only get from the winery, wines that spark national intrigue, and exclusive international gems that we direct import just for you, our members.
While our hearts (and our main office) rest happily in Sonoma's Wine Country, our wine glasses have a sense of adventure. Our band of wine geeks, experts, and enthusiasts source top local wine from our backyard to passport carrying stunners from around the globe.
Our Palate Guarantee™ covers each bottle you buy. If you don't love it, we'll credit you!


text:
World Guides
Central&South America
Travel&Taste
HomeTravel ChannelWorld Guides— Africa— Asia— Middle East— Europe— North America— Central&South America— OceaniaTravel&TasteMagazineCity Guide
Science says that trees do well and make you happy
Written by Juri
Published in Magazine
Woods, green meadows and even flower gardens are a panacea for man. But the man is good for plants too.
If in the mountains, in the middle of a forest or a green lawn, you have experienced a feeling of particular well-being, you know that it is not just an impression. It happens to everyone. And the reason is scientific. It is statistically and scientifically proven that the contact of human beings with nature, in particular with plants, brings benefits.
In recent years research on the interrelationship between humans and plants that investigate physical and biological mechanisms is intensifying. Like any other living organism, the plant has a substantial bio-energetic component that allows it to be in harmony with its surroundings.
The theory of eco-designer Marco Nieri called 'Bioenergetic Landscapes' shows that trees emit electromagnetic fields among which are detectable frequencies analogous to those emitted by the cells of our organs, and therefore able to create an interaction with the human organism.
IThe quality of the "human-plant" interaction depends on the particular tree species: each type of plant has a different influence on the various human organs. Some species are very beneficial, while others have been 'disturbing'. It has been shown, for example, that the lime tree is very beneficial especially for the nervous system, mucous membranes and kidneys, while if you are near an oak tree you get an improvement in the cardiovascular and immune system.
Through the use of modern bio-electric instruments, capable of instantly measuring the body's reaction, the effects due to human-tree contact have been demonstrated. In particular, with the bio-electrography GDV of Professor Korotkov of the University of St. Petersburg, it was found the instantaneous increase of the energetic parameters of a human organism placed in an area of influence with a beneficial arboreal species. The therapeutic effect is temporary, its duration varies depending on a number of factors such as the initial state, the quality of the place, the type and size of the plant and, of course, also from the time of persistence in the area of influence. It is certain that the longer you can stop near the plants, the greater the benefits, but it is already enough ten minutes to find benefit.
IBut the most surprising aspect is that, on the basis of the measurements made, it has been observed that it is not only us men who find benefit from contact with a tree, as the benefit is mutual. According to Nieri, in fact, the contact between plant and man causes energy feedback that transmits our biological information to the tree. It is possible to measure the energetic reaction on the frequencies of the nervous and immune system of the tree, which responds by modifying the response values in relation to whether or not it likes contact. Plants generally have a positive reaction to our presence.
This should make us reflect on how deep - and partly unknown - the relationship of interaction between living beings and therefore also between man and plant. A harmony inevitably linked to the primordial past, which today is ignored, but which perhaps, in the future, will regain fundamental importance thanks to scientific research.
mannature
Lake Tekapo, in New Zealand, is the most romantic place in the world
Science says that camping is good for health, sleep and sex
The 15 most beautiful lakes around the world
10 trips to admire the animals
Science says that travel makes children smarter
More in this category: « Oregon: the ghost forest emerged from the sand after 300 years Kumbh Mela in India: History and dates of the greatest pilgrimage to the world »
Lake Tekapo, in New Zealand, i…
Travel on foot: some tips
Taste of Romania: typical Roma…
Mirror Lake: the perfect name …
Taste of Norway: typical Norwe…
Traveling on foot: the rules n…
Taste of Austria: typical Aust…
No man's land: the 10 most fas…
Science says that camping is g…
In Polynesia the tattoo is mal…
Destination St. Petersburg: Ch…
Destination Copenhagen: Nyhavn
Destination Rome: The Colosseu…
Destination: United Kingdom
Destination Copenhagen: Little…
Destination Copenhagen: Church…
Travel&Food in Japan: Meda…
Destination St. Petersburg: Br…
Destination St. Petersburg: Th…
(c) 2015-2016 Kitabu Srls - Milan - Italy - contact@traveltv.me


text:
Q: PHP: preg_match_all - Couldn't write a working RegEx I have for example a string \try Tester234 where I want to find the Word (partially with digits)
(RegEx => (\w|\d)) after the \try.
But a var_dump($match) outputs that:
array
  0 =>
    array
      empty
  1 =>
    array
      empty

preg_match_all('/^\\try ((\d|\w)*)/i', "\try Tester", $match);

What am I doing wrong?

A: You need four backslashes to insert a literal one in a regular expression:
preg_match_all('/^\\\\block ((\d|\w)*)/i', "\block Tester", $match);

which is maybe better written like this:
preg_match_all('/^\\\\block (\w+)/i', "\block Tester", $match);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: TexStudio with Jabref: compilation fails I am using TexLive 2015 with TexStudio. I am editing my bibliography with Jabref.
I recently updated TexStudio and face bibliography compilation troubles since then.
When I compile, the log file indicates: "empty bibliography" and "undefined references". I guess this is due to an error in the path between Jabref and texstudio or a wrong setting in TexStudio. I changed the default bibliography tool in Texstudio to put Biber rather than Bibtex but the compilation doesn't work whatsoever.
My JabRef-generated literature file (thesegain2017.bib) is saved in the same folder than my tex-files.
My knwledge stops right here. Would someone have any idea on how to work this out? Many thanks !
Below my minimal working example:
\documentclass[french]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage[backend=biber,style=verbose-trad1, ibidtracker=context]{biblatex}
\renewcommand{\mkibid}[1]{\emph{#1}}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[perpage]{footmisc}
\addbibresource{thesegain2017.bib}
\usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}

\usepackage[english,francais]{babel}

\begin{document}

Blalalblla\autocite{Bourdieu1979}

\printbibliography

\end{document}

Here is the .bib file:
 % This file was created with JabRef 2.10.
 % Encoding: UTF8

@Book{Bourdieu1979,
  Title                    = {La distinction, Critique sociale du jugement},
  Author                   = {Bourdieu, Pierre},
  Year                     = {1979},
  Location                 = {Paris},
  Pagetotal                = {670},
  Publisher                = {Les éditions de Minuit},

  Owner                    = {Mailys},
  Timestamp                = {2014.05.14}
 }

In the .bbl file I found that:
% $ biblatex auxiliary file $
% $ biblatex bbl format version 2.5 $
% Do not modify the above lines!
% This is an auxiliary file used by the 'biblatex' package.
% This file may safely be deleted. It will be recreated by
% biber as required.

\begingroup
\makeatletter
\@ifundefined{ver@biblatex.sty}
{\@latex@error
{Missing 'biblatex' package}
{The bibliography requires the 'biblatex' package.}
  \aftergroup\endinput}
{}
\endgroup

But in the .blg file, I found that:
[0] 05015a72.pm:324> INFO - This is Biber 2.1
[0] 05015a72.pm:327> INFO - Logfile is 'my file.blg'


This lighthouse is currently a Bed and Breakfast run by the Lake County Historical Society (888-832-5606). The grounds are very attractively kept, and the 49 foot tower is open for climbing. Admission is charged.
The lighthouse came into service in 1892, with it's red brick tower lit with a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. At that time, Two Harbors was the most important shipping point for the region's iron ore. The current optic is a DCB 224mm plastic lens. The light is still an active aid to navigation maintained by the Coast Guard.
From the top of the tower is an excellent view of the lake and the breakwater with it's smaller light tower. There is also a fog signal building, which has been converted into a gift shop.


text:
Book 2 in the YaYa & YoYo Series (For ages 8 and up)
Joel Silver (YoYo) loves to be a comedian and to play practical jokes. However, when he, his twin sister Ellie (YaYa) and the rest of their fifth-grade Hebrew school class find something surprising in the synagogue's sukkah just before the holiday of Sukkot, it's no laughing matter. Where did the mysterious four-legged visitor come from? What will become of it? Their unexpected adventure brings Joel and Ellie face to face with the importance of shelter and caring for those in need.
"This is a lighthearted romp for middle readers with some substantial messages subtly worked into the fun. Recommended for ages 8-12."
Jewish Book Council
"Presented seamlessly within the story, Weinstein includes lots of information about the customs of Sukkot. Practical joker Joel and more serious Ellie are believable, likeable characters. Fans of Sliding into the New Year and readers just making the acquaintance of the Silver family will enjoy this peek into one family's unusual Sukkot. Highly recommended.
Association of Jewish Libraries
"Embedded within this fun and entertaining book are important messages that kids and adults will appreciate. Weinstein weaves in the Jewish teachings of helping the poor, extending hospitality, and even caring for animals. Kudos to Weinstein for writing a book that will inspire, teach, and help kids react to the realities in the world around them."
Rabbi Harold Kravitz
Senior Rabbi, Adath Jeshurun Congregation
Board Chair of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
"Dori Weinstein does a beautiful job of teaching Jewish values, from respecting nature and animals, to caring for each other. Readers will enjoy the playful banter and antics of the close-knit and fun-loving Silver family, and will learn more about Judaism's rich history as we gather under the Sukkah together."
Star Tribune Columnist and author of
A Hundred Lives Since Then: Essays on Motherhood, Marriage, Mortality and More
"Another fun romp with YaYa and YoYo and the Silver family! Dori Weinstein portrays the holiday of Sukkot as a joyful celebration of family, friends, and caring for others. Packed with positive messages, Shaking in the Shack is a great addition to Jewish middle-grade literature."
Amy Ariel
Jewish educator and author of Friends Forever
"It is really exciting to have characters in a series that our Jewish young readers can identify with and learn from!"
Judy Miller, M.S.
Former Head of School
Columbus Jewish Day School
"More adventure. More learning. More fun. So glad to see YaYa and YoYo returning. Another young adult hit by Dori Weinstein. I can't wait to see what the kids will be doing for Hanukkah!"
Executive Director, Jewish Outreach Institute
Author of The Discovery Haggadah
"Another winner from Dori Weinstein! Like her first book, the story unfolds so naturally, you don't realize how much you're absorbing about Jewish culture and practice. Dori perfectly captures the tween voice with YaYa and YoYo."
Beth Grafman
Program Director, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation
Former Librarian, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester


text:
Q: AngleSharp - HTML attributes to Dictionary I want to parse the schema HTML from my webpages to use the JSON internally. So, I am testing AngleSharp for that and almost succeed to get what I need, but having some issue in format of the output. See the My output vs Expected
string html = @"

  Google.org (GOOG)

    Main address:
      38 avenue de l'Opera
      F-75002
      Paris, France

    Tel:( 33 1) 42 68 53 00 ,
    Fax:( 33 1) 42 68 53 01 ,
    E-mail: secretariat(at)google.org

   Jack Dan

   John Smith

";

HtmlParser parser = new HtmlParser();
var htmlDocument = parser.ParseDocument(html);
var scopes = htmlDocument.All.Where(x => x.Attributes.Any(a => a.Name == "itemtype")).ToList();
var dictionary = new Dictionary<string, object>();

foreach(var scope in scopes)
{
    var childrens = scope.Children.Where(x => x.Attributes.Any(a => a.Name == "itemprop"));
    foreach (var child in childrens)
    {
        string prop = child.GetAttribute("itemprop");
        if (!dictionary.ContainsKey(prop))
        {
            dictionary.Add(prop, child.TextContent);
        }
    }
}
//dictionary.Dump();
string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(dictionary, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented);
json.Dump();

My Output
{
  "name": "Google.org (GOOG)",
  "address": "\n    Main address:\n      38 avenue de l'Opera\n      F-75002\n      Paris, France\n  ",
  "telephone": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 00 ",
  "faxNumber": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 01 ",
  "email": "secretariat(at)google.org",
  "alumni": "\n   Jack Dan\n ",
  "streetAddress": "38 avenue de l'Opera",
  "postalCode": "F-75002",
  "addressLocality": "Paris, France"
}

Expected
{
  "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Organization",
  "name": "Google.org (GOOG)",
  "address": {
    "itemtype": "PostalAddress",
    "addressLocality": "Paris, France",
    "postalCode": "F-75002",
    "streetAddress": "38 avenue de l'Opera"
  },
  "email": "secretariat(at)google.org",
  "faxNumber": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 01",
  "telephone": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 00",
  "alumni": [
    {
      "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Person",
      "name": "Jack Dan"
    },
    {
      "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Person",
      "name": "John Smith"
    }
  ]
}

The .Children doesn't traverse to all the childrens/and sub children to get all the properties and then attach to the parent itemscope it belongs to. Any suggestion what/where should I change to get the output in expect format.
Lars Code output:
{
  "name": "Google.org (GOOG)",
  "address": "\n\t    Main address:\n\t      38 avenue de l'Opera\n\t      F-75002\n\t      Paris, France\n\t  ",
  "telephone": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 00 ",
  "faxNumber": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 01 ",
  "email": "secretariat(at)google.org",
  "alumni": "\n\t   Jack Dan\n\t "
}
{
  "streetAddress": "38 avenue de l'Opera",
  "postalCode": "F-75002",
  "addressLocality": "Paris, France"
}
{
  "name": "Jack Dan"
}
{
  "name": "John Smith"
}

A: I won't do all the coding here, but the idea could be the recursive way:
string GetJsonStringFromItem(ScopeType scope) {
  var localDict = new Dictionary<string, object>();
  var childrens = scope.Children.Where(x => x.Attributes.Any(a => a.Name == "itemprop"));
  foreach (var child in childrens)
  {
      var propValue;
      if (child.HasAttribute("itemscope"))
      {
          // this is the recursion: do the same with the nested scope
          propValue = GetJsonStringFromItem(child);
      } else {
          propValue = child.TextContent;
      }

      string prop = child.GetAttribute("itemprop");
      if (!localDict.ContainsKey(prop))
      {
          localDict.Add(prop, propValue);
      }
  }
  return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(localDict, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented);
}

Then you call this code in the outermost loop.

A: The following is my solution.
async Task Main()
{
    var html = @"

  Google.org (GOOG)

    Main address:
      38 avenue de l'Opera
      F-75002
      Paris, France

    Tel:( 33 1) 42 68 53 00 ,
    Fax:( 33 1) 42 68 53 01 ,
    E-mail: secretariat(at)google.org

   Jack Dan

   John Smith

";
    var context = BrowsingContext.New();
    var document = await context.OpenAsync(res => res.Content(html));
    var result = Parse(document.QuerySelector("[itemscope]"));
    var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(result, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented);
    json.Dump();
}

void Populate(IElement element, Dictionary<string, object> result)
{
    foreach (var child in element.Children)
    {
        var prop = child.GetAttribute("itemprop");

        if (prop != null)
        {
            var scope = child.GetAttribute("itemscope");
            var value = default(Object);

            if (scope != null)
            {
                value = Parse(child);
            }
            else
            {
                value = child.TextContent;
            }

            if (result.TryGetValue(prop, out var item))
            {
                if (item is List<Object> list)
                {
                    list.Add(value);
                }
                else
                {
                    result[prop] = new List<Object>
                    {
                        item,
                        value
                    };
                }
            }
            else
            {
                result[prop] = value;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            Populate(child, result);
        }
    }
}

Object Parse(IElement element)
{
    var result = new Dictionary<string, object>();
    result["itemtype"] = element.GetAttribute("itemtype");
    Populate(element, result);
    return result;
}

Not sure if I get everything right, but my output looks as follows:
{
  "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Organization",
  "name": "Google.org (GOOG)",
  "address": {
        "itemtype": "http://schema.org/PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "38 avenue de l'Opera",
    "postalCode": "F-75002",
    "addressLocality": "Paris, France"
  },
  "telephone": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 00 ",
  "faxNumber": "( 33 1) 42 68 53 01 ",
  "email": "secretariat(at)google.org",
  "alumni": [
    {
      "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Person",
      "name": "Jack Dan"
    },
    {
    "itemtype": "http://schema.org/Person",
      "name": "John Smith"

    }
  ]
}

That matches the expected output. The code for the Parse may not be so elegant, but at least it gets the result in a single pass (no other QuerySelector required).
I am not sure what the expected input is, but most likely you will need to add some more guards to be protected against weird HTML / input (e.g., check if really itemtype is available when itemscope was set).
Hope that helps!


text:
J. Steward Davis
HomeJ. Steward Davis
My Contribution: I was the first African American to graduate as valedictorian from Dickinson Law School. I became a well-known attorney and trial lawyer who fought for Black rights in Harrisburg, Baltimore, and elsewhere.
My Legacy: I was an ambassador for people of color in law, politics, and advocacy work in Harrisburg, the mid-Atlantic, and the United States as a whole. I fought for Black rights in capital murder cases. And I was a pioneer for Black Democratic activism.
In My Words: "The law offers a most attractive (spot) for colored men. We get a fair show in the courts and the people appreciate our efforts" Afro-American Newspaper, March 11, 1921.
"It is time that we look after our own political affairs, and not entrust them to whites who are indifferent to our wellfare" Afro-American Newspaper, July 29, 1921.
Full Name: James Steward Davis
Birth Date: October 11, 1890
Death Date: Disappeared in 1929
Place of Birth: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Race: Black (1920 Federal Census)
Places of Residence: 418 South Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; 1400 Jefferson Street and 1202 Madison Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland.
Connection to the Old Eighth Ward: Resident.
Family Members: Wife: Blanche Moore Davis. Children: Suzanne and Blanche Davis.
Education: Harrisburg High School graduate. Dickinson College 1916 (first in class).
Occupations: Lawyer
Church Membership: Wesley Union A.M.E. Zion Church (Sunday school assistant superintendent).
Activism: The Bar Association of Baltimore City.
Connections: Matilda Stuart (grandmother).


text:
HomeCybersecurity NewsCybersecurity news week ending 7 Mar 2021 ~ NetworkTigers
Cybersecurity NewsNetworkTigers News
Cybersecurity news week ending 7 Mar 2021 ~ NetworkTigers
By Derek Walborn
Cybersecurity news provided by NetworkTigers on Monday, 8 March 2021.
SAN MATEO, CA — Chinese hack of Microsoft Exchange Server, Virginia adopts consumer data protection law, Microsoft releases script that scans for evidence of compromised data, SITA (IT operations provide for airlines) data hacked, Russian cybercriminals forums hacked, ransomware gang attacks Qualys, lawmakers consider new data breach notification law, social media platform Gab hacked, Florida-based rail operating company CSX hacked, Microsoft determines attack carried out by hacking group Hafnium, data breach on vulnerable Accellion software, FBI investigates cyberattack against the city of Kingman, Arizona.
Chinese hack of Microsoft Exchange Server felt in North Dakota
Illustrating the tremendous reach of Hafnium's attack on Microsoft Exchange Server, the North Dakota Department of Information Technology has stated that it believes the Chinese hacking group had access to and control of public email servers associated with the state's cities, schools, and counties. While the effect of the hack on Microsoft's product is still being investigated and understood, networks all over the nation have potentially had data exposed and fallen victim. The research is ongoing as IT departments update their programs in order to mitigate damage and end the vulnerability. Read more.
Virginia to become second US state to adopt consumer data protection law
With the signing of the Consumer Data Protection Act, Governor Ralph Northam has made Virginia the second state after California to adopt a law to protect consumer data on the internet. Taking effect in 2023, the law allows individuals to both prevent websites from collecting their personal data as well as view and delete information said websites are currently storing. The law also restricts companies from obtaining data pertaining to race, sexual orientation, religion, and more without permission from the user. While critics feel that the law may be too lenient towards the companies tasked with data protection, the bill is one of a growing number of state-led advancements towards cybersecurity laws in the absence of federal action. Read more.
Microsoft releases tool to scan for Exchange compromise
In the wake of a Chinese hacker led attack on Microsoft Exchange Server, the software giant has released a script that scans log files for evidence of any compromised data. CISA is recommending that all users of Exchange Server run the script due to the critical nature of the potentially exposed information. The vulnerabilities affect Microsoft Exchange Server 2013, Microsoft Exchange Server 2016, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2019. Microsoft is also urging all users of Exchange Server to perform an update. Read More.
Attack on SITA exposes data of multiple airlines
SITA, an IT operations provider for 90% of the world's airlines, has disclosed that its servers have been hacked, exposing the data of hundreds of thousands of individuals across a number of carriers. While a statement reads that login data and other more sensitive information was not accessed in the leak, airlines have been communicating to customers to change their passwords out of caution. This news follows an earlier statement this week from Malaysia Airlines regarding a similar breach of their customer data. Read more.
Forums favored by Russian cybercriminals hacked
Four of the most popular forums favored by Russian cybercriminals have been hacked over the past three weeks, leaving some members to speculate that the attacks have been carried out by government entities in an effort to seed mistrust in the community. The hacking of the Mazacraft forum in particular has resulted in the leaking of a 35 page document containing usernames, passwords, and contact information associated with users. Hacks of other forums have exposed private messages and cryptocurrency information. Participants are concerned that the data from separate forums could be used to identify users and subject them to criminal charges. Read more.
Cybersecurity company suffers data leak
Having been affected by the recent security incident involving Accellion, cybersecurity company Qualys has sustained a data breach. A ransomware gang has shared screenshots of compromised information online to provide proof that the company has been hacked. Qualys has stated that only a limited number of customers have been affected and it has reached out to those who have had their data exposed. The material stolen contains purchase documents, tax information, and scan reports. Read more.
SolarWinds hack prompts bipartisan willingness to consider new breach notification law
The dissection of the Russian hack carried out on SolarWinds continues as its effects on both data security and the political manner in which to address it continue to play out. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have signaled a willingness to consider new rules that would require companies and agencies to notify the U.S. government if an attack takes place. Currently, the lack of such a requirement combined with contractual difficulties make the sharing of information related to cyber attacks both optional as well as legally challenging. Read more.
Social media platform Gab hacked
Social media platform Gab has been compromised as a hacker has accessed and acquired 70 Gb of backend data containing user posts and personal information. The data is currently possessed by a group known as Distributed Denial of Secrets who state that their plan is not to release the sensitive information to the public but to selectively allow access to reporters and journalists seeking to study or research conspiracists, militia groups, and potentially dangerous far right movements. Said users have settled in Gab en masse after a similar hack resulted in the recent dissolution of Parler, their previously favored social network. Read more.
Rail operator CSX reports Accellion-related compromise of private data
The Clop ransomware gang has reportedly shared screenshots of internal files stolen from Florida-based rail operating company CSX. The information contains personal data related to both current employees and retirees and is associated with the recent exploitation of a vulnerability in a piece of Accellion software that was nearing the end of its life. CSX states that the breach has not had any effect on business activities or their ability to serve their clients. However, because Clop is known to use stolen information to target customers associated with their victims, those affected are encouraged to be vigilant. Read more.
Chinese hackers execute attack on Microsoft Exchange Server
Cyber security firm Volexity has determined that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have exploited vulnerabilities within Microsoft Exchange Server to gain access to email accounts which they used to install malicious code. The installed malware was then used to gain long term access to private information. The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has determined the attack to have been carried out by China-based hacking group Hafnium. Research has shown that the attacks may have been taking place since January 6th. Read more.
Accellion breach impacts Malaysia Airlines
Members of Malaysia Airlines' Enrich frequent flyer program have had sensitive data exposed in a breach related to an attack on a piece of vulnerable Accellion software. The airline states that the names, birth dates, membership numbers, gender, and contact information have been compromised, but that payment card and reservation/itinerary data was not at risk. While the attack did not affect the airline's main IT infrastructure and there is not yet any evidence of personal data being used maliciously, Enrich members are still being encouraged to change their passwords as a precaution. Read more.
Arizona city computers locked down due to cyberattack
The FBI is investigating a cyberattack carried out against the city of Kingman, Arizona, which has resulted in a precautionary total shutdown of the city's computer systems. While email is down, employees must conduct business and communication by telephone. Emergency fire and police dispatch phone lines are still functional and residents will not suffer late fees if they are unable to pay their bills on time due to the hack. The incident is symptomatic of an increase in hacks and ransomware attacks targeting small government networks due to their relative lack of security. Read more.
More cybersecurity news
Read more cybersecurity news and articles brought to you by NetworkTigers.
About NetworkTigers
NetworkTigers was founded in January 1996 as Andover Consulting Group, which built and re-architected data centers for Fortune 500 firms. Today, NetworkTigers provides consulting and network equipment to businesses and individuals globally. www.networktigers.com
Contact NetworkTigers
Mike Syiek, CEO
1029 S. Claremont Ave
editor@networktigers.com
Derek Walborn
Derek Walborn is a freelance research-based technical writer. He has worked as a content QA analyst for AT&T and Pernod Ricard.
Derek D June 16, 2022 At 3:05 am
Thank you for thhis
Coronavirus won't kill globalization – but a shakeup is coming
Jun Du - May 31, 2020


text:
Home	Opinion Columnists
A place for crime victims to go
Candace House to offer something other programs don't
By: Dan Lett
Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Thursday, Apr. 17, 2014
This is what real support for the victims of crime looks like -- a safe and welcoming place for them to go, near to the machinations of the criminal-justice system, but far enough away it provides respite.
Support from victims of crime to victims and their families. No judgment about how they became entangled in the system. Counselling, education and trouble-shooting.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Wilma Derksen is also a victim of crime. Her daughter, Candace, was murdered in 1984.
A place to go when you don't know what's going on and you are not sure who to ask.
In fact, there is so much that makes sense about Candace House -- the labour of love launched by advocate Wilma Derksen -- you might wonder why more of the get-tough-on-crime crowd who claim to be concerned about crime victims aren't crawling over themselves to get involved.
For those who do not know, Candace is Derksen's daughter, who was abducted and murdered in 1984. Over the intervening years, Derksen dedicated herself to the cause of easing the strain and stress of interacting with the justice system. Candace House is both a legacy and a tribute.
'This is going to be a truly safe haven. That is what victims really need' ‐ advocate Wilma Derksen
Candace House is not a residential facility, nor is it a centre of political activism. It will be a safe, non-judgmental oasis of respite and support that victims of crime so desperately need.
Still in the planning stages, the project took a major step forward this week when the Manitoba Historical Society agreed to work with Canada House Inc., a non-profit entity, to convert Dalnavert Museum on Carlton Street into a victims support centre. The plan would see title to the 119-year-old Victorian mansion eventually transferred to Candace House, which is currently raising money to upgrade parts of the structure and pay for operations and programming.
POSTMEDIA
Candace Derksen
The sheer, elegant simplicity of Derksen's project is worthy for many reasons, not least of which is how it reveals the real shortcomings in the current array of victims services.
Every province currently has legislation that provides a wide array of services for victims of crime.
Seven of 10 provinces already have regimes to financially compensate victims. Most require prosecutors to provide information to victims and have staff to help them navigate the justice system.
And yet, among politicians and advocates alike there is a consensus that, notwithstanding a lot of truly good work being done by truly good people, we are not completely meeting the needs of victims of crime.
Never at a loss for tough-on-crime hyperbole, the federal Conservative government recently offered its solution in the form of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, a bill it claimed would "transform" the justice system by, for the first time, codifying a victim's right to information, protection, participation and restitution.
For the most part, this bill is a triumph of marketing over material change.
The Tories are correct in their assumption more needs to be done to support victims.
They are wrong, even disingenuous, about what they are promising to improve the system.
The bill of rights promises crime victims more input into the outcomes of the justice system, namely verdicts and sentencing. Critics continue to point out how legally untenable it is to allow victims to affect those outcomes.
That is why any improvement to victims services needs to focus more on the services and less on the outcomes of the proceedings themselves.
Derksen, for example, points out one of the largest constituencies underserved by existing services are family members of criminals. An enormous number of people become victims of crime simply because someone close to them is involved in a criminal activity.
These victims typically fall through the cracks of the existing service array because they are reluctant to associate too closely with police or justice officials, who often are tasked with delivering the help, or because they are shunned by the victims services regime altogether.
Derksen said Candace House represents the promise of true independence and neutrality, allowing victims with complicated circumstances to access support and education. "This is going to be a truly safe haven," Derksen said. "That is what victims really need."
Dan Lett | Not for Attribution
A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday.
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The beauty of Candace House is it doesn't promise something that can't be delivered, doesn't advocate anything that is legally impossible and doesn't focus the attention of crime victims on the outcomes of the justice system.
What it will do, if it can come to fruition, is establish a truly safe haven where crime victims can deal with their grief and gain insight into how the justice system works.
Imagine victims services designed and delivered by victims.
No dog and pony, no fire and brimstone.
Regardless of ideology or political stripe, who could object to something like that?
dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Dan Lett
Born and raised in and around Toronto, Dan Lett came to Winnipeg in 1986, less than a year out of journalism school with a lifelong dream to be a newspaper reporter.
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Apr 17, 2014: Dalnavert to reopen as support centre


In November 2018, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)—the world's foremost anti-hate organization—conducted a unique Train-the-Trainer program for its Words to Action (WTA) initiative. Scott Melton of Bosque School was ADL's representative from the Mountain States Region to the training.
"I was rather surprised when I received the call asking me to train for this position as a WTA facilitator," Scott said. "It is a huge honor and the ADL is extremely selective about training people to represent the organization." Scott added that his work as a BBYO (B'nai Brith Youth Advisor) likely contributed to his selection as a trainer.
Words to Action is one of ADL's newer education programs. The program is designed to empower college and pre-college students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to address anti-Israel bias that crosses the line into anti-Semitism at schools and on college campuses. The program uses interactive modalities that allow students to not only learn about the history of anti-Semitism and its current manifestations, but more importantly to practice responding to biased actions and language when they occur. ADL's Mountain States Region hosts one of the largest Words to Action programs in the country, conducting trainings reaching hundreds of students each year.
While Words to Action is specifically designed for Jewish teens and college students who encounter anti-Semitism, ADL offers World of Difference programs which are designed to address a broader audience on all forms of bias and how to become an "upstander," a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied.
Over the course of the four-day Train-the-Trainer program in Washington, D.C., Scott and his fellow trainees learned about the program in great detail. The cohort included educators and ADL professionals from across the country. Program participants practiced facilitating various activities and lesson components and engaged in peer critique. The training has prepared Scott to co-facilitate Words to Action programs primarily in New Mexico, one of three states that are part of ADL's Mountain States Region, along with Colorado and Wyoming. Scott will join a cohort of eight other facilitators in the region.
Scott has worked in advocacy in one aspect or another his entire life. During his 12-year tenure with AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons), he was an advocate for the elderly and disabled and worked as an issue expert on independent living, long-term care, and end-of-life issues and designed integrated education and advocacy campaigns for 14 states. As an associate state director for AARP Florida, he did outreach specifically to underserved and underrepresented minority and LGBTQ communities across the state. He came to Bosque School as a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) and in his new position as Upper School English faculty, he naturally integrates his knowledge and background into his curriculum.
On November 18, immediately following his ADL training in Washington, D.C., Scott gave a TEDx presentation at United World College (UWC) in Montezuma, NM, as part of an event organized under the theme FORWARD, which sought to address problems that impede forward progress.
Scott's talk focused on the ability to engage in civil/difficult conversations both in the classroom and in the real world. In a society that is so media-response-driven, Scott said it seems that simple rules of civil discourse have become scarce commodities.
Scott joined Bosque School in 2016 as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity. He is currently serving as full-time faculty for Upper School English 11 and Film.Scott studied comparative philology at the University of Munich and received a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from UNLV. He completed a Master of Arts in German Studies and Critical Theory at the University of Arizona and completed his thesis at the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen, Germany.
Congratulations, Scott, for your selection as a trainer for this prestigious organization!