text:
\section{Introduction}

Observational evidence from cluster dynamics and from ultra-luminous X-ray sources
suggests that there may exist a population of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) with
masses in the M $\sim 10^2$ -- $10^4 M_\odot$  range \cite{MillerColbert:2004, Trenti:2006, Noyola:2008}. Numerical simulations of globular clusters suggest that IMBHs could merge with numerous lower-mass compact objects (COs) during the lifetime of the cluster \cite{Taniguchi:2000, MillerHamilton:2002a, MillerHamilton:2002b, MouriTaniguchi:2002a, MouriTaniguchi:2002b, Gultekin:2004, Gultekin:2006, OLeary:2006},  through a combination of emission of gravitational radiation, binary exchange processes, and secular evolution of hierarchical triple systems.   The evidence for the existence of IMBHs is still inconclusive, however.  There is much debate over the formation of IMBHs, and some of the evidence cited in favor of IMBHs could have alternative explanations \cite{Hurley:2007, Colbert:2008}.   We refer the reader to \cite{MillerColbert:2004, Miller:2009} for thorough reviews.

If IMBHs exist, gravitational waves (GWs) generated during mergers of IMBHs with other compact objects are potentially detectable by existing or proposed GW detectors.  In this paper, we focus on GWs generated during intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (IMRIs).  Rate predictions for such events are extremely uncertain at present, but several mechanisms have been proposed that {\it may} lead to detectable IMRIs.  The next generation of the ground-based gravitational-wave detector, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO \cite{Smith:2009}), could detect the GWs generated during an IMRI of a stellar-mass object (black hole or neutron star, since a white dwarf or a main sequence star would be tidally disrupted) into an IMBH of mass $\lesssim 350 M_\odot$ at a rate of a few per year \cite{Mandel:2007rates}.   Meanwhile, if a cluster containing an IMBH starts out sufficiently close to a supermassive black hole (SMBH) residing in a galactic center, it will sink to the center and, after releasing the IMBH due to tidal stripping of the cluster \cite{Ebisuzaki:2001}, will form an IMBH-SMBH binary \cite{Miller:2005}.  This binary will eventually inspiral under the influence of radiation reaction, creating an IMRI whose frequencies will make it detectable by a proposed  space-based detector, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA \cite{Bender:1998}) \cite{Amaro:2007}; LISA could detect a few such events per year \cite{Miller:2005}.  LISA could also detect inspirals of white dwarfs into black holes in the $10^4$ -- $10^5\ M_\odot$ range with possible electromagnetic counterparts due to white-dwarf tidal disruption \cite{Sesana:2008}.

We emphasize that predictions of possible rates of detections of GWs from IMRIs are highly uncertain, and depend on a number of debated assumptions about IMBH formation mechanisms, dynamics of globular clusters or galactic nuclei, etc.  Nonetheless, the scientific potential of IMRIs involving IMBHs is sufficient to make them interesting candidates for LIGO and LISA searches.  A detection of an IMRI could provide the first confirmation of IMBH existence in the absence of definitive electromagnetic observations.  Further detections of LIGO IMRIs would make it possible to explore the dynamics of globular clusters, while LISA IMRIs will additionally elucidate the dynamical processes in galactic nuclei.    However, detection and especially parameter estimation of IMRIs will require the construction of accurate IMRI waveforms.

In this paper we analyze the suitability of currently available waveforms for LISA IMRI detection. Currently, two different types of approximate inspiral waveforms are available.  On the one hand, there are post-Newtonian (pN) waveforms, which are expansions in the velocity $v/c$ (\cite{Blanchet:2006} and references therein).  On the other hand, there are perturbative waveforms for extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) \cite{BarackCutler:2004, Sago:2008} which are expansions in the dimensionless mass ratio $\eta\equiv M_1 M_2/(M_1+M_2)^2$.  Post-Newtonian waveform are known to 3.5pN order ($(v/c)^7$), but the convergence of this series deteriorates at the high velocities reached near the innermost stable circular orbit where an IMRI spends a significant number of cycles (this number of cycles scales as one over the mass ratio).  Meanwhile, EMRI waveforms are only known to the lowest order in the mass ratio \cite{Poisson:2004,Gralla:2008}, and their accuracy deteriorates at intermediate mass ratios. The first question one might ask is: at what value of $\eta$ does the EMRI waveform become more faithful than the pN waveform? An order-of-magnitude approach to an answer might proceed as follows.  For a moderate value of the spin of the more massive body, say, $\chi \equiv S_1/M_1^2 \equiv a_1/M_1 \sim 0.5$, the comparable-mass case is characterized by the orbital angular momentum of the binary at the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) dominating over the spin angular momentum, while in the extreme-mass-ratio inspiral the spin angular momentum of the massive body dominates over the orbital angular momentum of the binary.  For $\chi=0.5$, this transition (as computed for a Keplerian orbit at the ISCO) occurs at a mass ratio of approximately $5:1$. But does this necessarily mean that intermediate mass ratios of $10:1$ or $100:1$ or even $1000:1$ are faithfully represented by EMRI orbits? In this paper we demonstrate that there is a significant range of intermediate mass ratios over which neither the pN nor the EMRI waveforms are likely to be faithful, and advocate the urgent need to develop more suitable IMRI waveforms.

The paper is organized as follows.  In Section \ref{sec:pNvsEMRI}, we estimate and compare the errors inherent in the post-Newtonian and extreme-mass-ratio approximations.  In Section \ref{sec:spin}, we analyze the impact of the spin of the smaller object on the waveform and the need to include spin-spin coupling for the purposes of signal detection.  Finally, in Section \ref{sec:future}, we discuss the future prospects for developing an accurate family of IMRI waveforms.

\section{Waveform comparison: pN vs.~EMRI}\label{sec:pNvsEMRI}

\subsection{Waveforms}

To determine the faithfulness of the two approximate waveform families, we should compare each with the true theoretical waveform, ``nature's waveform''.  Unfortunately, we do not have such a waveform at our disposal.  Despite the remarkable recent advances of numerical relativity (\cite{Pretorius:2005, Scheel:2008} and many others), it remains unlikely that long numerical simulations of inspirals with mass ratios of $100:1$ or $1000:1$ will be available in the foreseeable future.  In the absence of a true waveform to compare against, we can estimate the range of validity of the two approximate waveform families as follows.

To test the range of validity of the post-Newtonian waveform, we compare the 3.5 pN waveform with the 3 pN waveform, following the example of \cite{CutlerVallisneri:2007}.  In the range of validity, the difference between these two waveforms, i.e., the 3.5 pN term in the expansion, should serve as a reasonable estimate for the difference between the full waveform and the approximate post-Newtonian expansion.  The point at which the overlap between these waveforms drops significantly from 1 signifies the end of the range of validity of the post-Newtonian approximation.

We can not use a similar trick for EMRI waveforms, since they are not yet available at the second order, despite significant recent progress~\cite{Poisson:2004,Sago:2008,Gralla:2008}.  Instead, we estimate the range of validity of the perturbative approximation that ignores higher-order terms in the mass ratio by comparing the full 3.5 pN waveform with a 3.5 pN waveform that includes only the lowest-order terms in the mass ratio.  As the mass ratio is increased, the overlap between the full and EMRI-fied 3.5 pN waveforms may decrease significantly from 1; this is the mass ratio at which the EMRI approximation ceases to be reliable.

The time-domain post-Newtonian waveform is given by
\begin{equation}
h(t)=A(t) e^{i \Phi};
\end{equation}
the time-domain phase $\Phi$ can be expressed in terms of the GW frequency $f\equiv\ 1/(2\pi)\
d\Phi/dt$ (multiplying Eq.~(235) of \cite{Blanchet:2006} by $2$ to get the GW phase from the orbital phase):
\begin{eqnarray}
\Phi &=& -\frac{x^{-5/2}}{16 \eta} \Biggl\{1+\left(\frac{3715}{1008}+\alpha\frac{55}{12} \eta\right)x-10\pi x^{3/2}\\
	\nonumber
	&+&
    \left(\frac{15293365}{1016064}+\alpha\frac{27145}{1008} \eta+ \alpha\frac{3085}{144} \eta^2\right) x^2\\
    \nonumber
    &+&
    \left(\frac{38645}{1344}-\alpha\frac{65}{14}\eta\right)\pi x^{5/2}\log \frac{x}{x_0}\\
    \nonumber
    	&+&
   \biggl[\frac{12348611926451}{18776862720}-\frac{160}{3}\pi^2-\frac{1712}{21} C-\frac{856}{21} \log(16 x)\\
    \nonumber
    & &+ \alpha\left(-\frac{15737765635}{12192768}+\frac{2255}{48}\pi^2\right)\eta + \alpha\frac{76055}{6912}\eta^2-\alpha\frac{127825}{5184}\eta^3\biggr] x^3\\
    \nonumber
    &+&
    \beta \left(\frac{77096675}{2032128}+\alpha\frac{378515}{12096}\eta-\alpha\frac{74045}{6048}\eta^2\right)\pi x^{7/2} \Biggr\},
\end{eqnarray}
where $M=M_1+M_2$ is the total mass, $C\approx 0.577$ is Euler's constant, $x\equiv(\pi M f G c^{-3})^{2/3}$, and $x_0=x(f=0.1{\ \rm{mHz}})$.  We introduced the parameters $\alpha$ and $\beta$ to distinguish the waveform families of interest.  The {\it ``base''} waveform uses the full 3.5 pN phase:
\begin{equation}
\Phi_{\rm base}=\Phi(\alpha=1,\ \beta=1).
\end{equation}
The approximate  {\it post-Newtonian} waveform has the 3 pN phase:
\begin{equation} \Phi_{\rm pN}=\Phi(\alpha=1,\ \beta=0).
\end{equation}
Finally, the approximate {\it EMRI} waveform has the 3.5 pN phase expanded to the lowest order in $\eta$ only:
\begin{equation}
\Phi_{\rm pN}=\Phi(\alpha=0,\ \beta=1).
\end{equation}

To compute overlaps of waveforms weighted by the noise power spectral density of the LISA detector, as described below, it is more convenient to use the frequency-domain representation of the waveform
\begin{equation}
\tilde{h}(f)=A(f) e^{i \psi}.
\end{equation}
For simplicity, the restricted post-Newtonian waveform is computed via the stationary-phase approximation (e.g., \cite{PoissonWill:1995}), and the lowest-order Newtonian amplitude is used:
\begin{equation}
A(f)=\frac{2}{D} \left(\frac{5 \mu}{96}\right)^{1/2} \left(\pi^2 M\right)^{1/3} f^{-7/6},
\end{equation}
where $D$ is the distance to the source and $\mu=M_1 M_2 / M$.   The expression for the phase $\psi(f)$ is (e.g., Eq.~(3.4) of \cite{Arun:2005}):
\begin{eqnarray}
\psi &=& 2\pi f t_c - \phi_c - \frac{\pi}{4}+ \frac{3 x^{-5/2}}{128 \eta} \Biggl\{1+\frac{20}{9}\left(\frac{743}{336}+\alpha\frac{11}{4} \eta\right)x\\
	\nonumber
	&-&16\pi x^{3/2}
    +10\left(\frac{3058673}{1016064}+\alpha\frac{5429}{1008} \eta+ \alpha\frac{617}{144} \eta^2\right) x^2\\
    \nonumber
    &+&
    \pi \left(\frac{38645}{252}-\alpha\frac{65}{3}\eta\right)\pi x^{5/2}\log \frac{x}{x_0}\\
    \nonumber
    	&+&
   \biggl[\frac{11583231236531}{4694215680}-\frac{640}{3}\pi^2-\frac{6848}{21} C-\frac{6848}{21} \log(4 x)\\
    \nonumber
    & &+ \alpha\left(-\frac{15335597827}{3048192}+\frac{2255}{12}\pi^2+\frac{1760}{3}\frac{11831}{9240} -\frac{12320}{9}\frac{1987}{3080}\right)\eta\\
    \nonumber
    & &  + \alpha\frac{76055}{1728}\eta^2-\alpha\frac{127825}{1296}\eta^3\biggr] x^3\\
    \nonumber
    &+&
    \beta\left(\frac{77096675}{254016}+\alpha\frac{378515}{1512}\eta-\alpha\frac{74045}{756}\eta^2\right)\pi x^{7/2} \Biggr\},
\end{eqnarray}
where $t_c$ is the time of coalescence (the time where the frequency would formally go to infinity), and $\phi_c$ is the phase at coalescence.  Again, setting $\alpha=\beta=1$ corresponds to $\psi_{\rm base}$, setting $\alpha$ to 0 yields $\psi_{\rm EMRI}$, and $\psi_{\rm pN} = \psi(\alpha=1,\ \beta=0)$

We use the lowest-order (0 PN) relationship between time and frequency to determine the starting frequency for a year-long inspiral signal.  We define the dimensionless time variable $\Theta$ as
\begin{equation}
\Theta \equiv \frac{\eta c^3}{5 G M} (t_c - t),
\end{equation}
where $t_c$ is the time of coalescence.   Then at 0 PN
\begin{equation}
\Theta \approx \frac{1}{256} x^{-4} = \left(\frac{8 \pi G M f}{c^3}\right)^{-8/3}.
\end{equation}

\subsection{Comparison}

We begin the comparison of the approximate waveforms with the ``base'' waveform by measuring the number of cycles of difference accumulated over the last year of inspiral observed by LISA before the inspiraling object reaches the ISCO (or during the time it takes for the inspiral to proceed from a gravitational-wave frequency of $0.01$ mHz to ISCO, if that is less than a year).  In Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAcycles}, we plot the accumulated cycles of difference for the pN waveform, $(\Phi_{\rm base}-\Phi_{\rm pN})/(2\pi)$, and the EMRI waveform, $(\Phi_{\rm base}-\Phi_{\rm EMRI})/(2\pi)$, as a function of $\eta$ for several choices of the mass of the central Schwarzschild black hole.

We expect post-Newtonian excess cycles to accumulate near the end of the inspiral, where $v/c$ becomes significant ($v/c \sim 0.41$ near the Schwarzschild ISCO), so that the high-order pN terms have a sizable contribution.

On the other hand, EMRI excess cycles should be more evenly spread throughout the inspiral.  The error in the lowest-order EMRI approximation results in an error in the frequency evolution of order
\begin{equation}
\delta \dot{f} = O(\eta^2),
\end{equation}
while the  frequency evolution itself scales as
\begin{equation}
\dot{f} \equiv \frac{df}{dt} = O(\eta).
\end{equation}
The accumulated excess cycles thus scale as
\begin{equation}
\delta \Phi_{\rm EMRI} = O((\delta \dot{f}) T^2) = O(\eta^2) T^2,
\end{equation}
where $T$ is the time observation.  When the time of observation is limited by the duration of the LISA observation window, e.g., $T=1$ year, the accumulated excess cycles in the EMRI waveform scale as $O(\eta^2)$.  This is indeed the case for extreme mass ratios $\eta \ll 1$, which explains why even lowest-order EMRI waveforms may be sufficient for LISA EMRI detections.  However, for more rapidly evolving IMRIs, the observation time is limited by the fixed LISA bandwidth $\Delta f$:
\begin{equation}
T \sim \frac{\Delta f}{\dot{f}} =(\Delta f) O(\eta^{-1}).
\end{equation}
Then the accumulated excess cycles actually scale as $O(1)$, so we do not expect EMRI waveforms to produce a good match in this regime.

\begin{figure}[htb]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[keepaspectratio=true, width=\textwidth]{LISAcycles}
\end{center}
\caption{The difference in cycles between approximate and base waveforms over the last year of inspiral before ISCO (or during the time it takes the GW frequency to increase from $0.01$ mHz to the ISCO, if less), as a function of the symmetric mass ratio $\eta$. Thick (red) curves show  $(\Phi_{\rm base}-\Phi_{\rm pN})/(2\pi)$; thin (blue) curves show $(\Phi_{\rm base}-\Phi_{\rm EMRI})/(2\pi)$.  Solid, dashed, and dotted curves refer to inspirals into Schwarzschild black holes of $10^6$, $10^5$, and $10^4$ solar masses, respectively.  \label{fig:LISAcycles}}
\end{figure}

Indeed, these are precisely the trends that we observe in Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAcycles}.  Post-Newtonian waveforms accumulate few cycles of difference for large $\eta$, where the inspiral proceeds rapidly through the domain of high $v/c$, but they accumulate huge excess cycles at low $\eta$, when the inspiraling object spends $O(1/\eta)$ cycles near ISCO.  EMRI waveforms, meanwhile, accumulate $O(1)$ excess cycles when $\eta$ is large enough for the duration of observation to be limited by the LISA bandwidth rather than by the $1$-year observation window.

Comparing 3.5 PN to 3 PN, we find that there are more cycles of difference at higher masses for a given $\eta$. This is because higher mass systems spend proportionally longer at higher speeds $v/c$. Mathematically, this occurs because  the 3.5 PN term goes as $\theta^{-1/4}$, and $\theta \propto 1/M$, so the difference scales positively with mass.  When comparing EMRI-fied 3.5 PN and 3.5PN, we recall that the cycle differences are accumulated fairly uniformly over the course of the inspiral; since lower-mass systems undergo more cycles of oscillation in total over one year, such systems show the greater phase difference for a given value of $\eta$.

We note that we have included points in Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAcycles} where the phase difference is considerably larger than one cycle. In this regime, the approximation has broken down and so we clearly can not regard $\Phi_{base}$ to be the ``true'' waveform. However, we include the full range of mass ratios in the figure to more clearly illustrate the wide range of mass ratios where neither of our template families can be applied for the full duration of the inspiral.

Although comparing the number of excess cycles provides a good indication of the regime of validity of the two approximations, a more precise comparison should take the frequency-dependent instrumental noise into account: after all, if the excess cycles are accumulated at frequencies at which LISA is insensitive, they may not cause a significant issue for IMRI detections.  We define the overlap of two waveforms $\tilde{h}(f)$ and $\tilde{g}(f)$ as
\bel{eq:overlap}
\langle h|g \rangle = 4 \Re \int_{\rm flow}^{\rm fISCO} \frac{\tilde{h}(f) \tilde{g}^*(f)}{S_n(f)} df,
\end{equation}
where $\tilde{g}^*$ denotes the complex conjugate of $\tilde{g}$, and $S_n(f)$ is the noise power spectral density of LISA, which includes both the instrumental noise and the unresolvable foreground of Galactic white dwarf binaries. We took our prescription for the LISA sensitivity curve and the white dwarf confusion foreground from~\cite{BarackCutler:2004}. We then define the normalized match of these two waveforms, ${\cal M}(h,g)$, as
\begin{equation}
{\cal M}(h,g) = \frac{\langle h | g \rangle}{\sqrt{ \langle h | h \rangle  \langle g | g \rangle  }}.
\end{equation}

In Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAoverlap}, we plot the matches between pN and EMRI waveforms on the one hand and the ``base'' waveform on the other.  We automatically maximize over possible constant phase shifts (different values of $\phi_c$) between two waveforms by taking the absolute value of the overlap integral instead of the real part in Eq.~(\ref{eq:overlap}).  We also maximize over different values of the time of coalescence, $t_c$.  Because the way in which the parameter $t_c$ enters Eq.~(\ref{eq:overlap}) essentially corresponds to a Fourier transform, it is relatively computationally inexpensive to do so.   We do not, however, maximize over different choices of intrinsic parameters, such as the masses of the two objects.

\begin{figure}[htb]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[keepaspectratio=true, width=\textwidth]{LISAoverlap}
\caption{The match factors between approximate and base waveforms over the last year of inspiral before ISCO (or during the time it takes the GW frequency to increase from $0.01$ mHz to the ISCO, if less), as a function of $\eta$. Thick (red) curves show  ${\cal M}(h_{\rm base}, h_{\rm pN})$;  thin (blue) curves show  ${\cal M}(h_{\rm base}, h_{\rm EMRI})$.  Solid, dashed, and dotted curves refer to inspirals into Schwarzschild black holes of $10^6$, $10^5$, and $10^4$ solar masses, respectively.  \label{fig:LISAoverlap}}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

We find, again, that EMRI waveforms are more faithful at low $\eta$ while pN waveforms are more faithful at high $\eta$.  For a given value of $\eta$, pN waveforms are more generally faithful for a lower central black-hole mass.  This is because the frequency at ISCO scales as $O(1/M)$, so for lower masses, the ISCO frequency is too high for LISA to have significant sensitivity there; instead, most of the signal-to-noise ratio is contributed by earlier parts of the inspiral, where $v/c$ is lower and the post-Newtonian approximation is still valid.

The most striking feature of Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAoverlap}, however, is that for a wide range of intermediate mass ratios, $10^{-5} \lesssim \eta \lesssim 10^{-1}$ (depending on total mass), neither the post-Newtonian nor the extreme-mass-ratio waveforms appear to be valid.  It is worth pointing out, however, that we have not maximized the match factors over the masses, only over the extrinsic parameters $t_c$ and $\phi_c$.  Therefore, either EMRI or pN waveforms could still be an {\it effective} waveform family in the sense that they could densely cover the parameter space of true waveforms without necessarily matching the true waveforms well for identical parameter values.

\section{Small-body spin}\label{sec:spin}

An interesting additional question concerns the significance of the spin of the small body.   Earlier treatments of EMRI waveforms have generally ignored the spin of the smaller body (e.g., \cite{BarackCutler:2004, MLDC2}).  Indeed, for EMRIs, the dominant effect of the spin of the smaller body comes through the spin-spin coupling term, which enters the post-Newtonian expansion at 2 pN order \cite{Kidder:1993}.  This term is considerably smaller, especially for low $\eta$, than the coupling term between the spin of the large body and the orbital angular momentum, which enters at the 1.5 pN order.  Here, we use the same formalism as above to check whether we are indeed justified in neglecting the spin of the small body for EMRIs and IMRIs.

We model the spin-spin coupling by adding a term corresponding to the maximal possible value of this coupling to the standard 3.5 pN phase (see Eqs.~(1.5), (3.2), and (3.6) of \cite{PoissonWill:1995}):
\begin{equation}
\Phi_{\rm spin} = \Phi_{\rm base} - 5 \sigma x^2; \qquad \psi_{\rm spin} = \psi_{\rm base} - 10 \sigma x^2,
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}
\sigma = (721-247)/48 \eta.
\end{equation}
We are not being consistent here, since the original waveform $\Phi_{\rm base}$ corresponds to two non-spinning objects, whereas the spin-spin term we have added corresponds to two objects that are maximally spinning and optimally aligned to produce the largest possible value of spin-spin coupling.  However, our purpose here is not to create an accurate model of a spinning binary, but rather to estimate the effect of ignoring the spin of the smaller body when the spin-spin coupling is present.  We do that, as in the previous section, by computing the match factor between $h_{\rm spin}$ and $h_{\rm base}$, which we plot in Fig.~\ref{fig:LISAspin} for various values of the central body's mass.

\begin{figure}[htb]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[keepaspectratio=true, width=\textwidth]{LISAspin}
\caption{Match factors ${\cal M}(h_{\rm base}, h_{\rm spin})$ between waveforms that include and omit spin-spin coupling, computed over the last year of inspiral before ISCO (or during the time it takes the GW frequency to increase from $0.01$ mHz to the ISCO, if less), as a function of  $\eta$.  Solid, dashed, and dotted curves refer to inspirals into Schwarzschild black holes of $10^6$, $10^5$, and $10^4$ solar masses, respectively. \label{fig:LISAspin}}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

As expected, the spin-spin coupling is weak at extreme mass ratios.  We note that spin-spin coupling becomes important at masses ratios as low as $\sim 10^{-4}$ -- $10^{-3}$ for low-mass central black holes. This is a much more extreme mass ratio than usually supposed, so ignoring the spin of the smaller body would risk significantly reducing the match factor, and thus the detection efficiency.  The effect of the spin-spin term is suppressed for high total mass because the inspiral occurs at a lower frequency, so the amount of dephasing due to spin is limited by the small number of inspiral cycles in band; when $M=10^6\ M_\odot$, the match does not drop below $0.97$.

\section{Conclusions and future directions}\label{sec:future}

We have shown in this paper that there exists a significant problem with IMRI waveforms: for a wide range of intermediate mass ratios, both of the presently available approximate waveform families (post-Newtonian or EMRI) appear to be invalid, indicating the need for the development of a new waveform family for intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals.  Specifically, if we place a limit at a match factor of $0.9$, which would correspond roughly to a 30\% loss in detection efficiency, we find that both the post-Newtonian and perturbative approximations are invalid between mass ratios of $\sim 2\times 10^{-5}$ and $10^{-2}$ for all SMBH masses that we considered.   We point out, however, that we have maximized the overlap over the phase and time of coalescence only, so our results may underestimate the extent to which these approximate waveforms cover the space of ``true'' waveforms once variation in the intrinsic parameters (masses) is allowed.

We have also found that spin-spin coupling can not be ignored for mass ratios $\eta\gtrsim5\times10^{-3}$ for total mass $M=10^5\ M_\odot$, and for mass ratios $\eta\gtrsim10^{-3}$ for total mass $M=10^4\ M_\odot$.  For total mass $M=10^6\ M_\odot$, spin-spin coupling can be justifiably ignored for detection purposes.

One possible approach to developing IMRI waveforms would be to build hybrid waveforms that combine the post-Newtonian and perturbative waveforms.  There are at least two ways in which such waveforms can be developed.  Because EMRI waveforms have been expanded to very high post-Newtonian order \cite{Tagoshi:1996, Tanaka:1996}, one can develop a hybrid waveform family by adding the lowest-order in $\eta$ but high-order in $v/c$ terms to the standard post-Newtonian waveform.  On the other hand, one could add the $O(\eta^2)$ terms from the post-Newtonian expansion to the $O(\eta)$ EMRI waveform by equating observables such as the orbital frequency and frequency derivative between the two prescriptions. This trick has already been used to obtain the lowest order conservative correction to the EMRI phase evolution for a circular inspiral into a non-spinning black hole in~\cite{Babak:2007} and into a spinning black hole in \cite{Huerta:2009}, but can be readily extended to higher orders in $\eta$.

We will not be able to test hybrid waveforms for faithfulness until advances in numerical relativity allow for direct simulations of intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals, or until progress on the self-force problem makes available approximate solutions at higher orders in $\eta$.  However, it may still be possible to find waveforms that effectively cover the space of ``true'' waveforms.  To do this, we will need to systematically check whether, for a given set of parameters, there is a hybrid waveform (not necessarily with the same intrinsic parameters) that has a high match to both post-Newtonian and EMRI waveforms.  Since ``true'' IMRI waveforms are likely to reside in the space between these approximations, such a hybrid family could be suitable for creating a bank of waveform templates for detection even if it is not faithful.

The requirements for parameter estimation are more strict than those for detection, since an effective family of waveforms that may be sufficient for detection can nevertheless yield significant statistical or
systematic parameter estimation errors.  The statistical errors caused by the presence of noise can be analyzed with Fisher information matrix techniques or Markov Chain Monte Carlo searches (e.g., \cite{Wickham:2006}).  Meanwhile, systematic errors due to the use of approximate waveforms can be measured with a technique similar to the one proposed in \cite{CutlerVallisneri:2007}.

The creation of IMRI waveforms, the analysis of parameter estimation accuracies, and the eventual development of new data analysis algorithms to enable searches for IMRIs with LISA will require a significant effort.  However, the potential benefits of IMRI observations make this effort worthwhile.  IMRIs may allow the first IMBH detections to be made.  They could add to our understanding of various astrophysical properties occurring in globular clusters and galactic nuclei.  Finally, they will serve as excellent probes of strong-field gravity, allowing us to measure whether central bodies are really Kerr black holes, and perhaps even making tests of general relativity possible \cite{Hughes:2006, Brown:2007}.

\section*{Acknowledgments}
We would like to thank the Aspen Center for Physics, where this project was started.  We thank Stas Babak for useful discussions.  Ilya Mandel is partially supported by NASA ATP Grant NNX07AH22G to Northwestern University; his participation in the LISA Symposium was made possible by a
grant from the Symposium organizers and an International Travel Program grant from the AAS.  JG's work is supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

\section*{References}
\bibliographystyle{amsplain}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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I am excited to announce the launch of my Etsy Store, ChemKnits Creations! The shop has over 100 skeins of hand dyed yarn that have been featured in past, and upcoming, ChemKnits Tutorials yarn dyeing videos.
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Almost all of the yarn in the ChemKnits Creations Etsy store was dyed in 2018. There are a few skeins that are older, but it is amazing to see what I have created in just the last few months. I want to destash these yarns to help make room for more hand dyed yarns and so I can buy more materials for dyeing videos.
Some of the yarns listed in the ChemKnits Creations Shop.
In my dyeing videos, I create many different unique yarns on in a variety of fiber types. This diversity is reflected in the ChemKnits Creations shop. There are a lot of worsted weight 100% wool and Superwash Merino Nylon blend sock yarn, but there are also silk blends, acrylic blends, and more. Did you love a yarn from the sock blank special? Multiple matched 50 g pairs are in the shop!
Many of you have been asking me if I sell the yarns that I dye, and I am so happy to finally be able to answer, "YES!" I know that I dye more yarn than I could ever knit with, so I am so happy to be able to share the fiber love.
Check out the ChemKnits Creations Etsy Store today!
KnitCrate is a company that provides fun surprise packages through their yarns subscription services. These crates feature hand dyed yarns (from both in house dyers and independent dyers) and patterns from independent designers. I was delighted when they reached out to me this February and offered to send me a few months of their KnitCrate Membership subscription so I could test it out.
Last week, I received my third KnitCrate package. The more I learned about KnitCrate in these last few months, the happier I was to be working with them. Today I want to share with you 10 reasons why I love KnitCrate.
Each month when that bright turquoise package lands on my doorstep, I don't know what type of yarn I am going to get. The yarn weights, colors, and fiber content are a surprise every month! (Unless you are using one of their sock yarn clubs where you will get a different kind of sock yarn every month.) One of the best parts of their flagship kit, KnitCrate Membership Subscription, is that even if you see spoilers, there are 3-4 different colorways each month. Therefore, you might know something about the type of yarn you will receive, but the color in your package will always be a surprise.
2. Free Shipping, Even International!
The price of all KnitCrate subscriptions include shipping costs. International members might need to pay import duty and taxes to their home country, but they won't pay KnitCrate any extra for shipping for any of the different crates.
KnitCrate subscriptions start at just $19.95 for the Sock Crate Membership. The KnitCrate Membership Subscription that I've been unboxing is only $24.99 and includes two 100 g skeins of hand dyed yarn, free shipping, 1 crochet pattern, 1 knitting pattern, and exclusive discounts in the KnitCrate Member Central shop and at some KnitCrate partners.
To put this in perspective, if you love the yarn from a kit and want to buy some more, you can get some more skeins at a discount (up to 25% off in the Member Central.) Yarns featured in the February and March 2018 KnitCrate Membership kits are $18/skein for members, but $24/skein for people who don't have a subscription. (You can see the discount when you log into your account.) If you factor in the cost of two $24 skeins of yarn, $5 shipping, and $5/pattern, you get to a value of $63 for the KnitCrate membership kit.
Members also earn KnitCrate Stash Points every month which you can save up for coupons off your next month's crate or for coupons to use in the Member Central.
There's nothing worse than buying some cool yarn and then realizing once you are home that you do not have enough to complete a project. Each KnitCrate membership kit comes with two patterns, 1 knitting and 1 crochet, and you have enough yarn to make either of the patterns.
When I pick my own yarns, I tend to choose purples, blues, and greens. KnitCrate helps me come out of my comfort zone by sending me a surprise color each month. Sometimes they send me the one I might have picked, otherwise it is something new, that brings me out of my color comfort zone.
I love that the KnitCrates come with links so you can download the knitting and crochet projects either to your computer or directly into your Ravelry library. I find the patterns to be an excellent suggestion of what to make with the yarn, but sometimes the patterns inspire me to use the yarn for something already in my queue. Since I don't have to worry about keeping track of paper patterns, I can save them in my library to use when I'm ready.
The pattern download link is located on the back of the kit theme. When you type that link into your computer, it is only a couple clicks of a button to add them to your library.
The Designs from 3 months of my KnitCrate Membership. The postcard has the crochet pattern on one side and the knitting pattern on the other.
KnitCrate has multiple different programs for working with independent designers (see the link to Designer Programs at the top of their website.) For patterns featured in the monthly creates, designers can pick between a flat fee or royalty program.
For the designer, being featured in a KnitCrate means that you will get more people checking you out on Ravelry. Each of the KnitCrates includes coupon codes for the designers' Ravelry shops, which provides incentive for people to check out their other patterns. If I try someone's design and love it, I am much more likely to buy another pattern from them versus try someone new.
KnitCrate has two subscriptions that feature Independent Dyers, Artisan Crate and Sock Artisan Crate. I haven't tried any of these kits, but I love the idea of a surprise yarn package that features a different Indie Dyer every month.
There is also a great potential for cross promotions, KnitCrate promotes the dyer, and the dyer promotes KnitCrate. I know that the first thing I would do upon getting a surprise indie dyed skein of yarn is to look up the dyer's shop to see what other types of yarn they offer. I really like that KnitCrate makes it so easy for all consumers to see the programs for Indie Dyers and Designers, it makes me really respect the company. You can learn more about the Indie Dyer Programs by following a link on the top of KnitCrate's website.
When the teal mailer shows up on my doorstep, I know that it is going to be full of beautiful yarn. It brings me joy straight from the beginning!
I mentioned above that KnitCrate offers yarn support to their indie dyers, but they also let everyone in the community to buy their bare yarns. DyerSupplier by KnitCrate is an ethically sourced line of undyed yarns at wholesale prices. The prices are very reasonable and most of the yarns come in 10 packs. Singles skeins are available for select yarn lines so you can try the yarn out before committing to buying multiple.
My First 3 Months of KnitCrate!
Thank you, KnitCrate, for letting me try out your subscription service! I am so happy to share this with everyone. Do you want to give KnitCrate a try? Use the code ChemKnits20 at checkout for 20% off your first month!
Disclaimer: KnitCrate sends me the monthly KnitCrates for free and I am part of their ambassador program. All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.


A new 25th anniversary collection celebrating sales of more than 20 million copies.
The newest adventure in this funny series following the misadventures of Dreary Inkling Primary School's Year 6 class.
Coming next [July]: Killing Vending Machines Wrecked My Lunch!
The first book in a hilarious new series for fans of Liz Pichon, Roald Dahland David Walliams!
The fact that he's started turning into animals!
Plenty of slapstick humour, mystery and adventure. Highly illustrated throughout with a striking black and orange design.
Violet is not impressed with her TV director dad: he's decided to abandon his family in Vancouver to start over with a new younger wife in LA. To Violet, it's like he's traded his old life for a better one – complete with new and improved children. To make matters worse, her mom has taken up with a dorky new man called Dudley Wiener. Violet decides to take control. She needs a new stepfather who is perfect, charming and will show Dad what he's missing: she needs George Clooney, Hollywood superstar.
The second in a new sparky teen series, perfect for fans of Holly Bourne and Louise Rennison. Holly and Paige are at a literary festival in Skegton-On-Sea. They've been looking forward to it for ages. It's one of the biggest book festivals around – and there's a pop up bookshop tent and a lot of Big Shot Writers. It's basically like they're being PAID to go on a BFF HOLIDAY and SELL A FEW BOOKS!
There's a new bunch of baddies in town, and they have something sinister in store for Petey the Cat. Once again, Dog Man is called into action–but this time he isn't alone. With a cute kitten and a remarkable robot by his side, the Supa Buddies must join forces with the most unlikely of heroes to save the day. But will that villain Petey avoid vengeance and finally venture toward virtue?


InterLynk Communications sales & support service teams have the knowledge & understanding of our products to evaluate and address your needs.
Our reputation for excellent service and proven technology enables our continued growth. Our company is profitable, stable, debt free and has been recognized by Avaya as one of the fastest growing small businesses in Colorado. We have solid relationships with our vendors and distribution channels. Our technical team holds numerous certifications in sales, design, implementation and maintenance of IP Telephony, Messaging, Switching and Call Centers.
We are proud to design, support and implement state-of-the-art voice and data solutions for small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States.
With more than 20 years of experience, InterLynk Communications is renowned for its ability to leverage strategic partnerships and enhance communication functions for our clients. Our teams' expertise and guidance can help you achieve operational efficiencies and gain a competitive edge in the market place.


YOURVOICE™ AMERICA: Judge Kavanaugh is under assault from the left as one woman after another bears false witness against him. So far every tangible bit of evidence has proven Kavanaugh innocent and yet the Democrats press on. Meanwhile Rosenstein resigned and then he didn't. Oh what a week!
Judge Kavanaugh is under assault from the left as one woman after another bears false witness against him. So far every tangible bit of evidence has proven Kavanaugh innocent and yet the Democrats press on. Meanwhile Rosenstein resigned and then he didn't. Oh what a week!


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KC Cache Dash: A high-tech scavenger hunt where charities are biggest winners
February 23, 2012 1:01 PM EST
Garmin International and Land Rover Merriam today announced the inaugural KC Cache Dash, a high-tech scavenger hunt based on GPS technology and social media connectivity, designed to promote awareness and support for local charities. On Saturday, March 24, KC Cache Dash will kick off at Garmin's headquarters in Olathe, KS, and the interactive scavenger hunt and related festivities will conclude at Land Rover Merriam in Merriam, KS. While four teams in state-of-the-art Range Rovers explore the entire Kansas City area for hidden treasure using Garmin devices and clues logged at OpenCaching.com, everyone in the community is invited to the interactive geocaching expos at Garmin and Land Rover Merriam that will entertain and educate visitors of all ages with family-friendly activities and informational booths about the four charities selected as the event's beneficiaries.
"KC Cache Dash is a unique way for Garmin and Land Rover Merriam to welcome and connect with the community while using technology to showcase our entire metropolitan area," said Jon Cassat, Garmin's vice president of communications. "In addition to the excitement of a daylong scavenger hunt, we get to teach a very tech-savvy generation of kids about geocaching – a fun way to get outside and be active."
With the launch of KCCacheDash.com, where event details will be unveiled and fans anywhere can follow the action through live tracking and the #kccachedash tag, supporters also have the opportunity to donate to the four charities involved: KidsTLC, Project Uplift, Sleepyhead Beds, and the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.
"KC Cache Dash is the first event we've seen that blends recreation, connectivity, competition and charity – all with the goal of educating the community about these amazing nonprofit groups," said Robert Hellweg, Marketing and Business Development Manager for Land Rover Merriam. "And by staying connected on social media, wherever you are on March 24, you'll be able to support these organizations."
MARCH 24: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
9 a.m.: Expo begins at Garmin (1200 E. 151st St., Olathe)
9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Garmin, KidsTLC, Project Uplift, Sleepyhead Beds and the YMCA
10 a.m.: KC Cache Dash kicks off and the four Range Rovers depart Garmin to start searching
Noon: Expo wraps up at Garmin, festivities head north to Land Rover Merriam
1 pm: Expo begins at Land Rover Merriam (9400 W. 65th St., Merriam)
4 pm: All Range Rovers must be back at Land Rover Merriam
4:30: Awards Ceremony, allocation of donations and announcement of fundraising results
In the weeks leading up to the event, the teams and their Range Rovers will be introduced through the @KCCacheDash Twitter handle and Facebook event page. These teams will include avid geocachers from Kansas and Missouri, representing very active clubs in Topeka, Wichita, St. Joseph and Kansas City. Joining them in the Range Rovers will be social media specialists from the Kansas City area, using the tools of their trade to spread the word about their team's progress and the charities they're representing. And each team will be equipped with Garmin's newest automotive devices and rugged outdoor handhelds for efficient navigation and geocaching.
In addition to being introduced to the four charities, expo visitors will have the chance to learn about geocaching and OpenCaching.com, try the activity themselves and build a cache of their own to take home and hide. Garmin engineers and employees will be on hand to demonstrate the devices and answer any questions that may arise from participating youth groups, classrooms, scout troops and families.
About the charities
KidsTLC has a mission to provide opportunities that transform kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. The group believes that the least we can do for children who have been abandoned, abused, neglected and thrown away, is to offer the opportunity to forge a healthy life for themselves. http://kidstlc.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateTLC
Project Uplift is an all-volunteer homeless outreach program founded in 1990. Uplift survives by donations and supporters' personal commitment to feed and clothe the area's homeless. Our goal is to deliver to the homeless those basic human needs, care and compassion that are not usually received from other organizations. http://www.uplift.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateUplift
Sleepyhead Beds has delivered hundreds of beds to area children – connecting families with unused beds with families who desperately want and deserve the comfort their own bed provides. These services also benefit the community and environment by keeping hundreds of large, bulky mattresses out of area landfills. http://www.sleepyheadbeds.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateSHB
YMCA of Greater Kansas City is an inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. Everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the Y. http://www.kansascityymca.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateYMCA
About geocaching
Geocaching is a globally popular, high-tech treasure hunt where participants of all ages explore the outdoors, hiding and finding containers of various shapes and sizes that are filled with collectables, trinkets and logbooks for signing in and letting fellow cachers know you were there. In 2010, Garmin announced the creation of OpenCaching.com, a completely free online community for creating, sharing and finding geocaches around the world. At OpenCaching.com – or using Garmin's OpenCaching apps for iPhone® and Android™ – everyone can enjoy all of the caches and helpful information – the tips, descriptions, previous attempts, mass downloads, etc. – for free. Creating a cache consists of placing a container in a public area, saving the GPS coordinates and uploading them to a website. Finding a cache is as simple as searching the website and downloading those details to a GPS handheld.
Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered more than 91 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. In that time, Garmin's goal has remained simple: To create navigation and communication devices that can enrich the activities our customers love – through automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation and mobile products. Garmin is the global leader in satellite navigation because we take pride in the cooperative environment that stems from vertical integration — we design, manufacture, market and sell our products ourselves. During any given conversation about a product, you're likely to find engineers, designers, artists, writers and salespeople sharing their thoughts. Learn more about us at Garmin.com, and join the conversation at http://Twitter.com/Garmin; http://Facebook.com/Garmin; http://YouTube.com/Garmin; or http://Garmin.blogs.com.
About Land Rover Merriam
Land Rover Merriam is Kansas City's center for Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles, providing Sales of both new and pre-owned certified Land Rovers and Range Rovers as well as service, parts and accessories. Land Rover Merriam is part of Aristocrat Motors , which represents the luxury brands of Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Range Rover, Maserati, Porsche, smart and a Pre-Owned department, featuring those and other luxury brands. Aristocrat Motors talented employees offer the one thing all customers deserve and expect: excellent customer service (http://www.aristocratmotors.com)
About Land Rover
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles, is renowned for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world. Every Land Rover and Range Rover is equally at home both on and off road, and in any setting; be it in the heart of the city, or traversing the countryside. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the legendary Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures their vehicles in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Qatar signs Turkey naval military base agreement
March 14, 2018 at 4:44 pm | Published in: Europe & Russia, Middle East, News, Qatar, Turkey
Frigates belonging to the Turkish Navy pass through the Canakkale Strait during the rehearsals of the ceremony which will be held for the 102nd Anniversary of Canakkale Victory, at Gallipoli Peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey on 16 March, 2017 [Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency]
Qatar has signed an agreement with Turkey to establish a naval base, Khaleej Online reported today.
The agreement came during the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) 2018, which ends today, which was attended by international investors from the US, Europe and China for potential ventures.
Turkey has won a tender to establish the base in northern Qatar, general Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Futtais Al Marri, commander of Qatar's joint special forces said. The naval base will include a training centre that will primarily take on maritime patrols and monitoring. No other details of the base were revealed.
Turkey will also export six armed, unmanned aerial vehicles or drones to Qatar's armed forces, and give training services to Qatar's forces by next year. Qatar wishes to purchase the drones for its own surveillance and tactical reconnaissance needs. Turkey will be assisting a long-term strategy to harness defence knowledge with an agreement to establish an academy for Qatar in association with Turkey's Piri Reis University.
Qatar has taken a strategic decision to increase its defence and regional security amid an ongoing air, land and sea blockade led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The blockade was levied over extremism and terrorism allegations, which Qatar categorically denied as baseless.
Turkey stepped in, providing Qatar with food and medicine essentials.
Read: HRW: Saudi Ritz Carlton torture needs investigating
In early 2018, the Turkish National Security Council finalised a plan to deploy 60,000 armed soldiers to Qatar in accordance to a 2022 defence plan. Some one hundred soldiers are currently based in Qatar's Al-Udeid military base since the Saudi-led blockade.
Some 30 Turkish companies are participating in Qatar's DIMDEX exhibition, showcasing modern military technology.
Europe & RussiaMiddle EastNewsQatarTurkey


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Home » Knowledge Center » CMS » Feds Appoint Telehealth Centers as Telemedicine Grows
Feds Appoint Telehealth Centers as Telemedicine Grows
By Brad Ericson
In CMS
Medical centers in Mississippi and South Carolina have been named Telehealth Centers of Excellence by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), making them Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) primary research facilities for telemedicine. Each organization receives $600,000 in initial grants with the opportunity to receive $2 million in funding for two years. The awards coincide with Senate approval of a bill that would expand Medicare coverage of telehealth for chronically ill patients.
Telehealth in Mississippi
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) established its Center for Telehealth 14 years ago to provide care for the state's rural population. A UMMC press release said more than 500,000 patient visits in 69 of the state's 82 counties have been recorded since the center began with just three sites, expanding to more than 200 sites today, not including the homes of patients. The center connects patients and caregivers to Medical Center health care providers remotely, in real time, using video calls and interactive tools.
The Center for Telehealth provides remote, on-site access to caregivers in more than 35 specialties, including urgent care, trauma, mental health, dermatology, cardiology, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer's and dementia care. Pediatric telehealth specialties include remote concussion evaluation, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, genetics and urology.
Telehealth nurse practitioners are stationed in the emergency departments of 17 rural Mississippi hospitals to treat patients via a multidisciplinary team that includes a certified emergency medicine physician on the UMMC campus.
Telehealth in South Carolina
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) provides telehealth services to more than 200 location statewide, although its MUSC Health Center of Telehealth is two years old. As a founding member of the state's South Carolina Telehealth Alliance, a state-wide consortium serving "a state with largely rural areas and high rates of chronic disease among a particularly impoverished and medically underserved population.
CHRONIC Care Act and Telehealth
The HRSA grants were announced the same week the Senate passed Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) Creating High-quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to improve Chronic Care Act (CHRONIC). The act expands home-based care and cements managed and accountable care launched as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). It also includes language dedicated to expanding access to telehealth. Medicare currently limits the availability of telehealth to beneficiaries located in rural areas. The act includes four Medicare expansions:
First – Patients on home dialysis would be able to receive required monthly clinical assessments via telehealth from home or their dialysis center without geographic restrictions.
Second – Patients presenting with stroke symptoms can access telehealth services regarding geographic area.
Third – Medicare Advantage plans would build expanded telehealth coverage into their base plans.
Fourth – Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) could provide telehealth services to patients regardless of geographic locations.
Brad Ericson
Director of Publishing at AAPC
Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC, is a seasoned healthcare writer and editor.He directed publishing at AAPC for nearly 12 years and worked at Ingenix for 13 years and Aetna Health Plans prior to that. He has been writing and publishing about healthcare since 1979. He received his Bachelor's in Journalism from Idaho State University and his Master's of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College of Salt Lake City.
Latest posts by Brad Ericson (see all)
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Feds Appoint Telehealth Centers as Telemedicine Grows was last modified: October 9th, 2017 by Brad Ericson
Millennials Prefer Walk-in Clinics and Telemedicine
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About Brad Ericson Has 394 Posts
Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC, is a seasoned healthcare writer and editor. He directed publishing at AAPC for nearly 12 years and worked at Ingenix for 13 years and Aetna Health Plans prior to that. He has been writing and publishing about healthcare since 1979. He received his Bachelor's in Journalism from Idaho State University and his Master's of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College of Salt Lake City.


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Explore new books from MIT
15 new titles have been published on MIT Press Scholarship Online (MITSO), adding to 8 subjects including Computer Science, Linguisitcs, and Sociology. These books cover a diverse range of subjects, from the video game industry around the world to a new theory of control, and from ending the fossil fuel era to colour in philosophy and perception - and much more!
This brings the total amount of scholarly works available on MITSO to almost 450. Start browsing MITSO now, and find out how your institution can sign up to a free trial of University Press Scholarship Online.


Next Showing Thursday (March 17) at 1pm. Just off of Oak Bay Avenue in a quite cul-de-sac host a beautiful home with a basement suite. Main floor: 9'' ceilings, large kitchen (wolf gas cooktop), open living & dining area which opens onto backyard. Courtyard: South facing with gas fire pit, hot tub, and cast iron fencing. Upstairs:Vaulted ceilings, master bedroom with en suite, laundry and walk-in closet. Second large bedroom with en suite. Rare newer build available in a sought after neighborhood at a price that will sell quickly.
Please send me more information on 1060 Beverley Pl Vi Rockland Thank you.


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This change brings a lot of API changes and improvements.

* More better documentation!
* Added ability to customize root path for directory in which partials/layouts are kept (defaults set to `app/views/public_activity` and `app/views/layouts` respectively) and can be customized like this:

  ```ruby
  render_activity(@activity, layout_root: 'app/views/custom_path', partial_path: 'app/views/left_nav/public_activity')
  ```

* Every `:params` option is now called `:parameters` (for example in `create_activity` or `tracked` methods). Also local variable in activityp artials is renemaed to `parameters`.
* Configuration of instance variables for tracked models is now removed. From now on use `create_activity` instead of `activity`.
* `a` and `p` shortcut variables are removed in activity partials. Use `activity` and `parameters` instead.

## 1.4.1

* Fixed issue with Rails 4 when using ProtectedAttributes gem (see #128)
* General code clean-ups.

## 1.4.0

* Added support for MongoMapper ORM (thanks to [Julio Olivera](https://github.com/julioolvr)) [PR](https://github.com/pokonski/public_activity/pull/101)
* Added support for stable **Rails 4.0** while keeping compatibility with Rails 3.X
* `render_activity` can now render collections of activities instead of just a single one. Also aliased as `render_activities`
* Fix issue in rendering multiple activities when options were incomplete for every subsequent activity after the first one
* `render_activity` now accetps `:locals` option. Works the same way as `:locals` for Rails `render` method.

## 1.1.0

* Fixed an issue when AR was loading despite choosing Mongoid in multi-ORM Rails applications (thanks to [Robert Ulejczyk](https://github.com/robuye))

## 1.0.3

* Fixed a bug which modified globals (thanks to [Weera Wu](https://github.com/wulab))

## 1.0.2

* Fixed undefined constant PublicActivity::Activity for Activist associations (thanks to [Стас Сушков](https://github.com/stas))

## 1.0.1

* #create_activity now correctly returns activity object.
* Fixed :owner not being set correctly when passed to #create_activity (thanks to [Drew Miller](https://github.com/mewdriller))

## 1.0 (released 10/02/2013)

* **Now supports Mongoid 3 and Active Record.**
* Added indexes for polymorphic column pairs to speed up queries in ActiveRecord
* `#create_activity` now returns the newly created Activity object
* Support for custom Activity attributes. Now if you need a custom relation for Activities you can
  create a migration which adds the desired column, whitelist the attribute, and then you can simply pass the value to #create_activity
* `#tracked` can now accept a single Symbol for its `:only` and `:except` options.
* It is now possible to include `PublicActivity::Common` in your models if you just want to use `#create_activity` method
  and skip the default CRUD tracking.
* `#render_activity` now accepts Symbols or Strings for :layout parameter.
  ### Example

  ```ruby
  # All look for app/views/layouts/_activity.erb
  render_activity @activity, :layout => "activity"
  render_activity @activity, :layout => "layouts/activity"
  render_activity @activity, :layout => :activity
  ```
## 0.5.4

* Fixed support for namespaced classes when transforming into view path.

  For example `MyNamespace::CamelCase` now correctly transforms to key: `my_namespace_camel_case.create`

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Francis Chan says there's a lot of misinformation to clear up about the Holy Spirit. In this sermon, he says, "Some say, 'Yeah, there's the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there's the anointing of the Holy Spirit, there's the Holy Spirit coming upon you, there's the filling of the Holy Spirit, and then there's the Spirit entering you at conversion.' ... Which one's which?" But there's one core truth that every believer should know.


There are 7 sizes of self storage units at this Public Storage facility in 23454 at 1489 General Booth Blvd to conveniently meet your self storage needs. The storage rentals start at $30 per month for a 5' x 5' self storage unit.
One of the Public Storage locations in the city of Virginia Beach, VA can have the storage rental you need. This location in 23454 or others nearby may offer boat, RV, and car self storage units, as well as outdoor storage or a climate controlled storage space.
Kristen was excellent! Very knowledgeable and helpful! Amazing customer service!!
Geo was extremely professional and helpful today! I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for storage needs!
Anthony was prompt, punctual and had me signed up in under 30 min. Highly recommend them.
Mrs. Geo is wonderful. Helped me thoroughly and helped me with figuring out details with payments. Great customer service! Thank you Mrs. Geo!
First of all, the prices are economic! We were very pleased with the easy process and the unit space itself. Bethany was very efficient and kind. Lovely person. If you ask me, she should be the queen of England. No but for real, the treatment was great. She took care of paperwork and gave detailed info within decent timing. Thanks!


Provides adult outpatient mental health care. Services include case management, day treatment, medication services, adult foster care, adult group home, PACT, PATH, individual and group therapy, designated mental health professional team and residential services. The Center is staffed by psychiatrists, licensed social workers and counselors, nurses, trained paraprofessionals, and a peer specialist. Provides quality care, diversified programming, and a full range of community-based services.


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Q: List images in Google Container Registry in Java program We wanted to list images and tags which names start with certain string. So far, we explored a few java lib (docker-java and spotify ones) and did quite amount of research, but still couldn't find a way out...
docker-java:  'com.github.docker-java', name: 'docker-java', version: '3.2.5'
The follow code lists images from public docker hub, not really the specified GCR.  What's the right way to list image from our specified GCR?
DefaultDockerClientConfig config = DefaultDockerClientConfig
                                      .createDefaultConfigBuilder()
                                      .withRegistryUrl("http://eu.gcr.io/data-infrastructure-test-env")
                                      .withDockerConfig("/home/me/.docker/config.json")
                                      .build();

DockerClient dockerClient = DockerClientBuilder.getInstance(config).build();
List<SearchItem> items = dockerClient.searchImagesCmd("daas").exec();
List<String> images = new ArrayList<>();
for (SearchItem searchItem : items){
  images.add(searchItem.getName());
}

Update - some progress
Inspired by this post: How to list images and tags from the gcr.io Docker Registry using the HTTP API?
I tried the following steps with my own google account, which has project owner (w/o firewall) permission:

*

*gcloud auth login

*gcloud auth print-access-token

*define a function to get string for basic auth:

private String basicAuth(String username, String password) { return "Basic " + Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString((username + ":" + password).getBytes()); }
4, try the following code:
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder().uri(URI.create("https://gcr.io/v2/token?service=eu.gcr.io&scope=registry:my_gcp_project:*"))
    .headers("Accept", "application/json"
          , "Authorization",basicAuth("_token"
                                     ,"the_token_got_from_step_2"))
    .GET()
    .build(); UncheckedObjectMapper objectMapper = new UncheckedObjectMapper(); Map<String, String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
    .sendAsync(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString())
    .thenApply(HttpResponse::body).thenApply(objectMapper::readValue)
    .get();

String token = response.get("token");

request = HttpRequest.newBuilder().uri(URI.create("https://eu.gcr.io/v2/my_gcp_project/my_image/tags/list"))
                                  .header("Authorization","Bearer " + token)
                                   .GET().build(); String response2 = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
    .sendAsync(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString())
    .thenApply(HttpResponse::body)
    .get();

However, the response2 I got was:
{"errors":[{"code":"UNAUTHORIZED","message":"Requested repository does not match bearer token resource: data-infrastructure-test-env/daas-master"}]}
Could you help to check what went wrong?

A: Docker engine API documentation clearly states that the ImageSearch command returns images from the Docker Hub registry: https://docs.docker.com/engine/api/v1.40/#operation/ImageSearch
For searching a GCR registry, you should rather use the  Docker registry API.

A: Finally got it work!
I only need to change the second request uri to be: "https://eu.gcr.io/v2/my_gcp_project/tags/list" instead of "https://eu.gcr.io/v2/my_gcp_project/my_image/tags/list"
and I got some meaningful response back

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology to change history early next year, gets a new trailer and launch edition bundle
By Jason Clement (edited)
radiant historia: perfect chronology
Atlus is gearing up for the new year with a new trailer and release date for Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology -- an expanded port of the original game that came out on the Nintendo DS back in 2010.
Perfect Chronology's newest trailer details the 'White Chronicle' -- the game's key item that allows its user to move freely through history and alter the course of events. Throughout the course of the game, you'll use it to determine how things unfold and travel to different multiverses.
There's also quite a lot that's been added to this new version of the game, including voice-acting, redesigned character art, a new opening animation (produced by A-1 Pictures), new theme song, event illustrations, five new tracks from Yoko Shimomura, and added difficulty settings.
Atlus also included new story content in the form of new character "Nemesia" and a third timeline that explores some of his actions through "What If" scenarios. You can either access this right away through the new "Perfect" mode or play "Append" mode in order to play through the original story first before the New Game+ content is accessible.
Last but not least, if you pre-order the game in North America, you'll be getting the "Launch Edition" of the game which includes an art book and a decal set representing the key characters in the story. European fans will be getting just the art book tucked into the game's case at launch.
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is set to release in 2018 on February 13 in North America and February 16 in Europe on the 3DS.
Are you looking forward to Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology?
Edited November 13, 2017 by Jason Clement
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A Unique Movement Art
With the twentieth century came a revolution in the fine arts. Artists, whose work now defines modernism, experimented with new forms of architecture, painting, sculpture, music, and dance—seeking a deeper understanding of their media and a more vital connection to the human being.
Eurythmy was created during this period when Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher, intellectual, and founder of Waldorf education, was asked if new meaning could be given to the art of dance. Steiner explored the world of speech and music, seeking archetypal forms and movements within the sounds themselves. From this exploration came Eurythmy, a unique movement art that is used in education and enjoyed in performance around the world.
Eurythmy is taught as a block within the high school art program. In ninth grade, students are introduced to various choreographic forms and group formations. Precision and teamwork are emphasized. In tenth grade eurythmy, students perfect the performance of a poem and a music piece. Expression and gestures are explored, and group and individual work is practiced. In eleventh and twelfth grades, eurythmy is an elective class; practice deepens in particular elements and formations. Students are encouraged to contribute creativity to the themes such as tone and speech.
SF Youth Eurythmy Troupe Performs Worldwide!
Students in tenth through twelfth grades are welcome to join the San Francisco Youth Eurythmy Troupe. This acclaimed performing arts troupe produces an annual showcase for San Francisco audiences then takes the show on the road to international venues. Recent trips include Thailand, Belgium, Taiwan, Japan, and Egypt. The troupe is hosted by Waldorf school communities abroad.


Have any of you heard the Energy Take 5.2?
Discussion in 'Archived Threads 2001-2004' started by Adam Nixon, Jul 10, 2001.
I'm considering either the Take 5.2, Klipsch Quintet, or the Atlantic T-70. Since it's the newest, I can't seem to find many opinions on the 5.2. If anyone has given it an audition, I'm curious to hear your impressions. I'll most likely be using the Onkyo 595 receiver.
Unfortunately, the 5.2 might be too new. And Energy alienated a few dealers and customers (I'm one of them) by cracking down on dealers who gave discounts on their stuff.
I listened to the original Take 5 and loved it. I thought that for the price and size, Energy was able to squeeze the most performance out of that thing. Of course there's the rule that sequels are never as good as the original but maybe Energy has pulled off the Godfather II/Empire Strikes Back with the 5.2 system.
Good luck. There are a lot of options out there now. The Take 5 was revolutionary in a way, but now there's tons of miniature-sized 5.1 speaker systems. Happy shopping!
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, that's pretty much my predicament. There's a ton of good sub/sat systems around and more options under $1000 than there were even a year or two ago. Decisions, decisions.
The best advice I can give you is to hunt around for a good dealer. Mine (Yawa Audio in Walnut, CA) gives wonderful customer service and sets up equipment for me to audition without ever making me feel like I have to buy from them...even when I first got in touch with them! Plus, they give very, very good prices.
The rule I like to follow with speakers (and most equipment, but especially speakers): audition, audition, audition!
You don't know what kind of sound you like until you compare and contrast different models. What sounds "warm and mellow" to someone may be too "soft and muddy" for you. What someone says is "clean and bright" may come across as "harsh and tinny" to you.
People love B&W here, but when I auditioned them I found the high-end too...high for my tastes.
I saw the 5.2s at Good Guys in Sunnyvale, CA. I'm sure they'd have it at all Good Guys. From what the salesman told me, the basic diffrence is that they used stronger materials for the tweeters so it can take more of a punishment.
i checked audioreview.com, but didn't see the 5.2 listed. they did have many reviews on the 5 though...maybe you'll find this (somewhat) useful.
everything i hear on the 5.2 say they're pretty good and a definite improvment on the 5's.
I did read one published review from Sound and Vision, which pretty much said that it is an improvement, has a good sound on music but "won't break any leases" on movie playback. Seeing as how I live in an apartment complex, I think the only route I can go is a sub/sat system. I don't really have the space for much else. Unfortunately, there aren't any Energy dealers within 2 hours of where I live.
I posted the same question yesterday about the 5.2's. A member sent me this link with a full review from Sound & Vision.


Amy's Mystery Illness: Penultimate Physiotherapy Appointment???
I did mean to write this post last Friday, but I've been struggling a lot with severe fatigue. I've not been able to get much done at all, because I've been falling asleep in the day time, and it has been very difficult to rouse me and keep me awake. I did see the GP about this recently and had some blood tests (only for B12, Folates, and Full Blood Count though?). My B12 came back low again, but the GP wants to see if I can increase it by altering my diet. If in three months it's still low, I'll be prescribed B12 tablets. I'm not completely happy with this, as my Vitamin D tends to frequently be low, and TSH tends to be high, (and neither were tested) but I guess I can wait three months and ask for more tests if I'm still having severe fatigue.
Ok, onto my physio appointment! Please read my recent post Bendy Life if you want to catch up.
She also tried me with Kinesiology tape. At first, she wanted to use more conventional tape (I'm not sure of the proper name for this) but I told her about how easily my skin rips and bruises with tape such as micropore. She said the conventional tape definitely wouldn't suit me then! The Kinesiology tape suited me very well, and I've ordered some to use at home or on extra bendy days. She showed me how to apply the tape around and under my kneecap. I found it really helped support my knee, and it didn't constantly feel as if it would dislocate. Believe me, this felt like such a relief! Having to think about every step you make, in order to avoid subluxations/dislocations, is not fun!
The session pretty much ended after this! I was very surprised, as the last one was so much longer. The physiotherapist also asked if I wanted another appointment. It seemed that she wanted this to be the last session; which I found really surprising! If I remember correctly, at my Orthopaedic assessment, it was recommended that I have physiotherapy long term. I did ask for another appointment after Christmas; to give me time to see if there's any improvement. I think this might be my last appointment though! I was too taken aback to really say anything about that, but I went home very confused. I'd have understood if I had noticed a lot of improvement, but hardly a thing had changed since my last appointment!


text:
Nothing Offensive About This O-Line!
Nick Bradford, Staff Reporter
photo by Josh Willis
"Sit where you'd like," I was told as I walked into O-Line Sports Grill. They weren't overly busy, and I wondered if this was a good option for dinner; then I realized it was a Tuesday, about 7:15 p.m. — no big football games tonight.
I looked around to see where I could get the best view of the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs baseball game that was coming on in a bit. This wasn't a difficult choice due to the ample number of TVs that lined each wall of the average-sized, neatly arranged dining room.
In addition to the wall TVs, more were located on a few poles in the middle of the dining room. They could be swiveled to the liking of a customer. After taking in the stunning number of sports channels on display, I sat in a booth on the wall of the tinted glass entrance and exit.
I would recommend it as a cool place for an older son and father to watch a game together and enjoy some good eats!"
A few moments later, I was greeted by a waitress by the name of Chance. The sound of her voice told me she enjoyed what she did. She made me feel comfortable even though I was in an unfamiliar place.
The waitress handed me a menu and asked what I would like to drink. I replied, "Pepsi, please." I looked over the creative and detailed menu, which included variety to satisfy all different kinds of taste buds.
When the waitress returned, I ordered the Cheese Fries Pre-Game Starter (an appetizer of fries "topped with a generous portion of cheese and bacon…..$7.29″) and the Nacho Burger (a half-pound Angus beef patty "topped with jalapeno peppers, salsa and guacamole, served on a pretzel bun….$9.19"), which was just one of what some would call wacky — but I would call creative — burger choices.
After a 20-minute wait, which seemed slightly long, the food arrived. I was expecting to receive the appetizer prior to my burger so I could enjoy it while I was waiting on my meal. But it was delivered at the same time as my burger.
I dug into the appetizer first. Loaded with cheese and bacon bits, it was just as described and as fresh as possible. I then started to enjoy my Nacho Burger, cooked just right.
I was very pleased with the meal as a whole and ate as much of the generous portions as I could.
I would really recommend giving O-Line Sports Grill a try. The prices may seem a little high at first, but that is offset by the generous portions. I managed to get my entire meal for around $19. O-Line is located at Hurstbourne Lane and Westport Road.
Because this is a sports grill and bar, I wouldn't recommend bringing small children in during popular football games or other sporting events. But I would recommend it as a cool place for an older son and father to watch a game together and enjoy some good eats!
'Moon Knight' a Terrific Entry Into the Marvel Universe
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After 50 Years, It's Still Good to Visit 'The Dark Side of the Moon'
'Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' a Wild Ride into the Psyche
Harlow's Latest Album Hit and Miss
'The Return of the King' a Powerful Adaptation of a Timeless Story
A Look Back at a Kanye Triumph
Kanye's '08 Album Nothing but a Heartbreak
'Halloween' a Groundbreaker in the Slasher Genre
'Savage Mode II' an Eye-Opening Sequel from a Dynamic Duo


text:
Imeon Energy > Asset > Advantages of hybrid inverters > Hybrid inverter
Hybrid inverter
Hybrid inverter for self-consumption: the latest generation of photovoltaic inverters
An hybrid inverter transforms the direct current supplied by the photovoltaic modules into alternating current to supply electrical appliances of the equipped building. Although underestimated, it is the core of a photovoltaic installation and the key to the efficiency of the installation.
The latest generation of solar inverters is called hybrid inverter, it is smart. Depending on its setting, the hybrid inverter will send the energy according to the consumption. He knows how to manage the various sources of energy. It performs, itself, the arbitration between the direct consumption of solar production, battery storage or grid injection.
Imeon hybrid inverters are part of this intelligent and powerful generation. With a power of 3 to 9 kW, they are perfectly adapted to residential and tertiary applications, single-phase or three-phase. The hybrid solar inverter IMEON is able to operate according to pre-programmed modes: Off-grid (not connected to the grid), on-grid (connected to the grid with the possibility of reselling its production to the network or simply the surplus), smart-grid (connected to the grid and connected to a battery park) or in back-up mode (connected to a battery park, it is able to go from an on-grid mode to an off-grid mode, thus securing the connected devices or systems as a freezer, air conditioning, VMC etc …)
Although it can operate in all configurations, with or without grid, with or without panels, with or without batteries, the IMEON inverters are mainly intended for photovoltaic installations for self-production – self-consumption with battery storage.
Advantages of hybrid inverters
I want to produce my own electricity
Need more information to turn your home in an autonomous house ? Want to get an IMEON solarhybrid inverter? Contact
solar hybrid inverters
Solar hybrid inverters: the latest generation of photovoltaic inverters A solar hybrid inverter transforms the…
what is lifespan of solar panel?
No need for a complex, custom-built installation requiring a study: IMEON solar self consumption inverter adapts…


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You are here: Home » Activities and Groups » Libraries, Development and the UN 2030 Agenda » News » Making Development Smart and Inclusive: Launch of the Development and Access to Information (DA2I) Report 2017
Making Development Smart and Inclusive: Launch of the Development and Access to Information (DA2I) Report 2017
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), in partnership with the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School, will launch the Development and Access to Information (DA2I) report on 17 July 2017 during the United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York.
Raising the Visibility of Libraries in the UN 2030 Agenda
The DA2I report was conceived as part of the Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development, supported by more than 600 signatories, which calls on global institutions and associations to "ensure that everyone has access to, and is able to understand, use and share the information that is necessary to promote sustainable development and democratic societies".
The DA2I report is the first of a series that will monitor the progress countries are making from year to year towards fulfilling their commitment to promote meaningful access to information as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It will also provide evidence of the difference that access to information can make in the individual areas covered in the UN 2030 Agenda.
Libraries Are Key Actors
A central objective of DA2I is to raise the visibility of libraries within the context of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. It will provide a tool for libraries to engage access to information campaigners and organizations, and a starting point for library associations to generate conversations around the contribution of libraries to development.
This report is just the latest step in the advocacy work started by IFLA in 2012 around the UN SDGs, which has already successfully seen Access to Information incorporated into the UN's 2030 Agenda.
It strongly complements the International Advocacy Programme (IAP) through which, in the past year alone, IFLA has signed agreements with representatives of library associations from 73 countries, committing with them to work to build understanding of the SDGs at a national and regional level, and engage in the planning and implementation processes of National Development Plans. DA2I provides a powerful evidence base for their work.
IFLA's presence at the High Level Political Forum
IFLA will be active at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) – the most important event of the year relating to the UN SDGs – where we will be advocating for access to information and libraries' contribution to development.
The report will be officially launched on 17 July 2017 at The New York Public Library at a high-level event that will include the participation of Permanent Representatives of Member States to the UN, United Nations officials, Civil Society leaders, other development stakeholders, as well as library representatives of the New York area.
In addition, IFLA is holding two further events during the HLPF as well as attending many sessions organised by other partners and key stakeholders to ensure the message gets through at all levels.
On 11 July, the side-event "Making development smart and inclusive: How access to information can deliver the SDGs" at the United Nations Headquarters will be an opportunity to share the report's findings and messages with government officials, development practitioners and civil society. Participants will discuss further how both to measure and increase the impact of access to information towards the achievement of the SDGs.
On 13 July, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library (DHL) and IFLA will be holding a side event "2030 Vision: How Libraries Support the UN's Work on Sustainable Development" as an opportunity to celebrate the role of libraries in delivering access to information at the global level. It will underline the importance of collaboration between libraries to build a global knowledge society. The event will be hosted by the UN Library.
Follow IFLA's events and activities during the week in New York in Twitter @IFLA and @IFLA_Lib4Dev, and Facebook. Help us showing the importance of access to information and libraries in development by using the #DA2I and #Lib4Dev hashtags in relation to #HLPF and #GlobalGoals.
You can learn more about the DA2I report on the dedicated website (https://da2i.ifla.org/), as well as register to receive a notification when the report has been launched and it is ready for download!
Learn more about the work of IFLA in Libraries, Development and the United Nations 2030 Agenda: www.ifla.org/libraries-development.
Access to information, Advocacy, Development, Libraries for development, United States of America, UN SDGs, UN 2030 Agenda, DA2I, IAP
Libraries, Development and the UN 2030 Agenda
How do libraries further development?
The International Advocacy Programme (IAP)


HAMMOND, Ind. - The Purdue University Calumet men's basketball team will host Olivet College in a nonleague contest Tuesday night at the Fitness and Recreation Center.
Purdue Calumet enters Tuesday's non-league match with Olivet College coming off its strongest offensive performance of the year after defeating Great Lakes Christian College 82-59 over the weekend.
The Purdue University Calumet men's basketball team used its biggest offensive performance of the season to propel the Peregrines to a 82-59 nonleague win over visiting Great Lakes Christian Saturday at the Fitness and Recreation Center. The Peregrines snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory, which featured four players in double figures and saw 11 players record at least eight minutes.
Senior Kaspars Brencans (Riga, Latvia/Florida Air Academy) led the way with 21 points in just 16 minutes, shooting 10 of 14 from the floor. Junior Ryan Rader (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) added 16 points and 10 rebounds and senior Aaron Davis (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds, eight steals and six assists. Senior Noah Allen (Flora, Ind./Carroll) added 11 points, seven assists and three steals for the Peregrines, who led 44-30 at the break.
The Comets enter Tuesday's match-up fresh off a 1-2 start to open their 2014-15 campaign. Sophomore forward R.J. Haas leads all scorers for Olivet averaging 11 points per game, while senior guard DeOndre Callahan is second on the team with 10.3 points per contest and averages 2.0 rebounds per game.
Sophomore big man Danny Paschen is dominating the glass so far this season, ranking in the top 20 in the NAIA in total rebounds per game (9.3) and defensive rebounds per game (6.3) . Junior transfer Ryan Rader has been aggressive on the boards as well, garnering 5.5 defensive rebounds a game ranking him 41st in the NAIA, and averaging just under 7 rebounds per contest.


We need to get to know God as Father and relate to Him as a blessed child. However, our relationship with our earthly father positively or negatively impacts how we relate to Father God. Mary Kassian encourages women to clear barriers hindering them from seeing their loving Heavenly Father, basing their relationship with God on the truth of who He is rather than falsehoods about Him.


Tony Smith has always chosen roles that have two things in common: change and customers. It's fitting, then, that he has ended up as chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), a consumer group overseeing a sector going through a period of immense transformation.
Smith has worked in all manner of industries. His early career was in strategy and marketing, implementing business turnarounds in oil, aerospace, automotive and fast-moving consumer goods businesses. Later, he joined the energy sector where he worked at senior level in electricity distribution. He has been at the helm of CCWater since its creation in 2005.
When we meet earlier this month at Utility Week Congress 2018 in Birmingham, Smith is about to rush off to take part in a panel debate about going "beyond utility and price control boundaries". He believes regulation often gets in the way of true customer focus, and that water companies need to act more as though they are in a competitive market.
Smith was Ofwat director of competition and consumer affairs at the time the 2004 price review was being conducted. The sector is now in the throes of PR19 and Smith is encouraged by the fact that customers have started making an impression on the price-setting process. "All the companies major on how much work they've done with customers. You're seeing quite a lot of evidence for customer priorities being addressed to some extent.
"Also, the price picture is more attractive than it has been in the past, although everybody in the water sector, including the regulator, still always talks in 'real terms'. You've got to add inflation into that – customers are only worried about the bill they pay. Inflation quickly wipes out the small price reductions that may occur before it is added in. That's an issue." Water companies, he argues, are still not dealing with customers as they would in a competitive market.
So how do you get water companies to act more like they might in a competitive market? Rewards and penalties. "What we've argued with Ofwat is that one of the ways to try and increase the level of urgency of water companies is to have a very big penalty and incentive around the customers' views of that company in every respect.
One area where Smith suggests this method could work well is complaints. In September, the consumer watchdog released a report revealing that households made more than 2.1 million calls to resolve problems last year. It found that nine out of 21 water companies in England and Wales reported an increase in calls from customers to resolve problems – known as "unwanted contacts". Four companies also reported an increase in written complaints, although the number for the industry as whole fell by nearly 17 per cent.
However, he has questions about the measure. Is the overall incentive big enough to make a difference relative to other incentives, for example the outcome delivery incentives? And will C-MeX – which could have the effect of reducing the focus of complaints – prompt the poor performers to improve dramatically, and will it encourage the mediocre to do better?
Another way of getting companies to act more like they are in a competitive market would be to introduce competition. Does Smith see the household market being opened any time soon?
The business market must first prove its mettle, especially for smaller businesses which have, so far, not benefitted greatly from competition. Following an announcement in 2015 from the Treasury that it wanted to introduce competition into the domestic market by 2020, Ofwat conducted an analysis of the benefits this would bring to customers.
Smith also recommends that government and regulators keep an eye on whether the energy market works for domestic customers "better than it has done in the past". "If you can't make a market work that's got maybe £200 on offer to customers, it's going to be very difficult to make a market work that's only got £10-£40," he says.
He argues that although customers are very satisfied with the service they get overall, they're far less satisfied with value for money and fairness. "When you explore the reasons for that it is to do with when prices have gone up suddenly and unexpectedly and a lack of understanding about what companies are doing to justify that." He also cautions the industry against making "super-normal" returns.
Since 2015, Ofwat has been criticised by CCWater, the National Audit Office and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee for its "over-generosity" to the industry. While Ofwat had a lower cost of capital assumption when prices were last set in 2014, water companies' financial performance since 2015 shows they are "still raising finance at a cost lower than their regulator assumed". CCWater did, however, welcome signals from Ofwat that it would set a record low cost of capital at PR19 (2.4 per cent in RPI terms). "The industry has been making returns in excess of what you'd expect in a low-risk industry for a long period of time – that is not sustainable," says Smith.
For the future, Smith would like to see a sector that truly does good things for customers, whatever the model. "What I love is urgency towards making sure customers are happy with service, value for money and fairness. This will undoubtedly improve perception.


Near Richmond? Call (804) 414-1900 for Honda Sales, Service and Parts related questions. Colonial Honda in Chester is proud to offer our services to the residents of our neighboring cities including Mechanicsville, Midlothian and the rest of Richmond.


[Source: St. Luke's Health Initiative] — One path to improved health: getting to know your neighbors. Data from the Arizona Health Survey reveals that neighborhood social cohesion is important for individual health. Learn more in this video, and click here for more on the Arizona Health Survey.
Posted on September 11, 2009, in Health Care, Livability, Neighborhoods and tagged St. Luke's Health Initiatives. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.